They sat there a while longer on the branch Asuka was the first to move chakra around her body, to keep herself warm, the rest of the team followed suit. While they looked out towards dark forest, figures on branches below them could be seen dashing into the frigid weather. The team moved to follow the figures, they stopped in their tracks as more began to shoot past them from below, some shot out from above as well.
"Well with are chakra regulating are body heat I'm definitely comfortable that being said we should move soon." said Jin. Daigo and Asuka nodded in agreement, Asuka did a few hand seals and a cloud of mist shot from her body covering the three and dissipating in the air.
"Were covered in the pheromone, they should smell us after we pass them now" said Asuka
With that the three continued moving forward, another group of genin were below them.
A genin smelled something peculiar as he sniffed the air, halting his team saying "You, . . . you guys feel that?" His teammates looked at him as they unknowingly took a wiff of the peculiar scent. One of them replied saying " Yea I know what you mean feels like someone's watching us, or something big is coming." The genins heart began to race as they became nervous of a mysterious assailant.
Daigo grinned as he saw the other teams completely ignoring them in anticipation of nothing. "I really love how well that works Asuka!" She grinned saying "Well stick around you might find something else you like."
They reached the edge of the forest and finally laid eyes upon the mountain, a shrine lie within its icy confounds.
"You think that Pagoda is the shrine and why is it covered in ice like that?" asked Jin a look of concern on his face.
He was concerned for a good reason the mountain was made completely of ice, and encased within and as tall as one of the trees in the forest was a velvet colored pagoda. From what could be seen through the ice that wasn't covered in snow. The structure was completely mangled at the base, untouched in the center and the top was wind damaged it seemed.
"Uhm Daigo how, or where for that matter should we start looking for these items. I don't know anything about drilling into ice and I'm totally not goin to even suggest trying the top of the mountain, because it looks scary up there." asked Asuka worried.
Daigo opened his mouth to respond but quickly closed it as he looked around them. The other teams that he could see from their positions were also having powwows as they discussed how best to navigate this mountain.
Daigo thought to himself "This shrine as it were, is completely housed in ice except the base. The base is on top of the mountain, not only that its in pieces and those pieces are floating. Freaky! The mid- section of the pagoda is in the ice and laying horizontally, the top of the pagoda sits at the base of mountain, aged. The middle looks new though, it doesn't make any sense no matter how you look at it."
Even as Daigo looks at the mountain with his mirigan the visage before him didn't change. A few more minutes passed, Asuka sat fiddling with her thumbs nervously as the sun began to leave the sky, setting on the final day. Jin stood with his arms crossed, head as he thought of a solution as well.
In these few minutes that passed Daigo had done nothing but stare at the top of the mountain, as Asuka's anxiety began to peak she jumped to her feet and began to motion toward Daigo, before she could speak though "Lets go to the top of the mountain." Daigo said.
"Wh, what, Daigo we don't have time for that were not mountain climbers." pleaded Asuka
Daigo looked over his shoulder saying "Then stay here I'll be back, as long as we're done before midnight we'll be fine. I'll jus find a way in and come back."
As he finished his sentence, Daigo leapt onto the side of the mountain.
In this moment every other team that stood pondering saw Daigo land on the side of the mountain. Immediately the same thought moved through all of their minds "He's found something." All those standing by quickly moved out toward the mountain as well.
Jin ran to Asuka and grabbed her hand "What are you doing Jin" she asked. "Were not gonna leave him to go up that thing alone Asuka. I guarantee all this white snow's about to turn red." said Jin hurriedly.
Jin also took a giant leap while holding Asuka who did not jump, this took momentum away from his jump they landed lower than Daigo and needed to catch up.
"Come on!" He yelled
This startled Asuka who was still worried about how much time they had, as it was dark by this time. While sprinting, and jumping the mountain they began to notice the fights that began to break out, while other groups stealthily tailed behind them, as they scaled the mountain. Other teams began using jutsu's an attempt to force their way in the ice mountain, a few minutes passed, but, Asuka and Jin finally made it to the top where they saw Daigo again, looking deeply into shattered base of the Pagoda as its debris still floated loosely holding its previous form.
Breathing deeply the two of them made there way closer to Daigo cautiously, til they were right on his back.
Jin whispered "You know that there are other teams around us right now?"
Asuka faced outward as her back touched the side of Daigo the anxiety had vanished as she looked out toward the rivaling teams that stalked close by.
"You gotta a plan, Daigo?" she asked
He answered neither Jin or Asuka instead saying " Now why would the base of the Shrine be on the top of the mountain, what do you think?"
Asuka and Jin looked to one another "Like how or what do you mean?" retorted Asuka.
"I mean that the shrine base should be at the bottom of the mountain not on the top, but, it is. So, what does that mean? Is there something that goes with that?" Daigo pondered.
"There's more than one way to get to the top of the mountain, maybe? Just thought I'd throw that out there." Asuka stated with a weak smile.
Daigo rose an eyebrow as he turned to look out toward the mountain. He beheld the mayhem, those standing around watching him those attacking the mountain and those attacking each other.
"My dad used to say it differently when he was alive that is, uh, anyway he would always say there is more than one way to get to the top of the mountain, but, you may not get the chance to see the valley below. So there's that, hopefully it helps. Jin said.
Daigo dropped his head as he turned toward his teammates saying "A bit morbid Jin, but listen closely once I finish speaking were gonna quickly stand in the center of the base of the shrine and look down, ok?
Asuka turned toward Daigo saying "Wh, why, why would we do that Daigo we don't know what's gonna happen to us and look down, really?
"Yea explain." said Jin
Think about it, this ice plays a double role we can see through it and it encases this building right? So that means its a window and a tomb, and you said Jin, you may not see the valley below." Daigo pointed to his own eye as he spoke.
"I get what you're saying, doesn't mean it's gonna work Daigo!" Jin said with concern.
"Well we don't have to be wrong, we just have to be close to right." With that Daigo ran toward the base of the Pagoda.
Jin and Asuka running behind him, the pieces were bumped out of the way as they entered. For a moment everything seemed ok, a second of them standing within the debris it began to spiral violently around them. I t was thick enough that it made it impossible to see what they were doing within.
"OK, now look down into it." Daigo yelled.
The three of them felt themselves becoming light headed as the air began to leave the eye of the twister made of debris, But as they continued to look down they did see something. Daigo attempted to speak but only managed to vomit, the three of them fell like a feather from a soaring hawk. Although unconscious, gently, they floated within the iceberg. From the outside you could see the three of them fall down towards the top of the pagoda and disappear.
Author's Notes: I've been told that since my story does not contain any actual cannon characters it won'y receive the same level of affection as other fanfics. If this is true then that sucks, because I'm confident that my story is good and is still a fanfic as it does take place within the Naruto Universe. I believe that I wouldn't be able to portray the cannon characters accurately. In any case have faith in my works. Grammar and punctuation however; may not be the best. The story is good.
