Clash in the Snow Country: Legacy Version
Chapter 9 – Team 7's Decision!
On the ship, 'Board Room'
7:29 am, 15 minutes after the battle
"Alright!" Naruto yelled, slamming his hands down on the table in anger. The sound of his hands hitting the wooden table echoed loudly across the room, making the non-shinobi members flinch badly. His one eye looked at each of the men in quick succession. "Unless somebody explains what the hell is going on with this mission in five seconds, I'm going to start pulverizing everything I can get my hands on, starting with you! So fess up! One!"
As they had been pulling out of the area of the battle, Naruto had sent a small group of Kage Bunshins to search the area for any signs of Kakashi, alive or… otherwise. While they waited, Sasuke had excused himself to go change shirts, though neither teammate commented to it. When the clones had all returned ten minutes later, they had found nothing. Given the circumstances, and in accordance with the Shinobi rules outline, it was silently agreed to classify Kakashi as MIA… which effectively meant that he was no longer in the realm of the living as far as the mission was concerned.
Silently, because not one of them could manage to say the words out loud.
Naruto, along with Sakura, Sasuke, Makino, Kaijo and Sandayuu, were all currently in what was commonly known as the 'Board Room' amongst the movie staff, where all the planning, meetings, and arrangements for the film were discussed. The shinobi were sitting on one side of the large oak table, while the other three sat across from them; Makino was facing Naruto, Sandayuu faced Sasuke and Kaijo faced Sakura. Sakura had been very quiet, not having spoken since they all yelled 'Kakashi' and looked like she was on the verge of tears, while Naruto was enraged, snapping at everything and everyone. Only Sasuke seemed to be his normal, impassive self, though if one looked at his hands, they would see him gripping his shorts very tightly, as his knuckles were pure white. The three remaining shinobi had dragged the three said people to this room and started demanding answers (which Naruto took full charge of). The only reason Yukie wasn't in the room as well was because she still hadn't regained consciousness.
"Two!" Naruto roared. Still the other three remained silent. Suddenly he felt a strong grip on his shoulder. Snapping his head to the side, he saw that Sasuke had stood up and grabbed his shoulder, and was looking him directly in the eye. Before Naruto could utter a word, Sasuke struck him across the face with his fist.
"TEME!" Naruto yelled.
"Shut. Up," Sasuke retorted, his voice strained. He spoke barely about a whisper, yet the force behind his words was just as strong as if he was yelling. It seemed that despite the impassive face he wore, he wasn't very far from acting like Naruto was right now, like he wanted more than anything to join Naruto in ranting, yelling, and promising threats of destruction. With one hand, he pointed down at Naruto's seat. "Sit. Now. Or I'll throw you out myself. You're a shinobi. Act like one!"
For several moments, the two boys simply locked glares and the others in the room would have sworn that another fight was about to break out. Surprisingly enough, Naruto snorted in frustration and sat back in his seat without so much as an insult. Sasuke didn't react at all to the blond's cooperativeness, but instead he looked at the three older men. "Start talking," he said slowly as he sat down, rubbing his back as he did. "Or both of us will be over to strangle you."
Makino was the one who seemed the least intimidated by the two hostile boys. He simply took out his pipe and took a quick puff. "What's the matter?" he asked, blowing out a long stream of smoke. "You were already told that this was an A-Ranked mission. That means you're expected to deal with such troubles. This job too tough for you genin after all? Maybe what Sandayuu said about all the praise your Hokage gave you three specifically was a load of crap?"
"That's not the point!" Naruto roared at the man. In some ways, this was turning out just like Tazuna and the Wave Country. Why couldn't Team 7's clients be honest about their requests? What were they, cursed or damned or something? "We're supposed to be given all the details of the mission at the very beginning! Not one of you ever mentioned Yuki-nins, or how Yukie's a real fucking princess! Just pirates, bandits, business rivals and maybe a shinobi or two! We're supposed to know all this shit beforehand so we can adequately prepare, or we end up dead like Hatake!"
"Naruto," Sasuke hissed again. Naruto threw him a murderous look, but said nothing more. Sasuke redirected his focus on the men. "Explain everything. Now!"
His voice was directed at Sandayuu, and all eyes locked on to him. "Aisuminasen," he said at last. "Yes… this mission is much more dangerous than the three of you were led to believe. If I understand your mission guidelines correctly, this mission would be technically classified as an S-Ranked mission, rather than the A-Rank you were led to believe." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "To understand everything, you need to know what happened all those years ago.
"At a time before you three were even born, the Snow Country was ruled by a kind, just and peaceful daimyo. His name was Kazahana Sousetsu-sama. Though the Snow country was cold, he brought a sense of warmth and hope. He was truly dedicated to his people. He did everything he could to ensure his people's peace and happiness, and we all loved him for it. Sadly, his wife had passed away years earlier, shortly after their daughter was born.
"Lord Sousetsu-sama simply adored the Princess, Kazahana Koyuki-sama, the woman you three know as Fujikaze Yukie. She was his only child and heir to the throne, and her country loved her just as much as her father did. I myself served as Koyuki's personal hosakan, but she was so young at the time, it's no surprise that she doesn't recognize me now." A smile appeared on his face. "Ah… those were idyllic times." The smile then disappeared from Sandayuu's face as quickly as it appeared.
"But then, ten years ago on that cursed day, Lord Sousetsu-sama's younger brother, Kazahana Doto and the shinobi of Yukigakure, as well as a small but significant portion of the Daimyo's forces, initiated a coup d'etat. The magnificent Kazahana Castle burned to the ground. Lord Sousetsu-sama was so cruelly murdered by his brother's own hands in such a way that Doto should forfeit his right to claim he is a human being. And I feared that the Princess had perished as well. Those of us firmly loyal to Lord Sousetsu-sama tried to fight them back, but we had no Snow shinobi to support us, and our best warriors had joined Doto's side. Though we had superior numbers, we were overwhelmed completely, fated to either die or scatter to the four winds.
"Then, six months ago, I discovered that our beloved princess was still alive and acting in the movies. I cannot express the amount of joy I felt." Tears started forming in the man's eyes. "She was… she was alive after all those years! I started gathering what loyal followers I could find and we all got ourselves hired as studio staff. Then it was a simple matter to persuade the movie officials to shoot in the Snow Country."
"So you just used us?!" Kaijo asked in disbelief.
Sandayuu looked down, not meeting the assistant director's eyes. "Gomennasai, but it was the only way to get the Princess to return home."
The three Konoha nin, Makino, and Kaijo were silent as they took all this information in first, though Sasuke was rubbing his back again. Finally Naruto spoke in a calm voice. "I don't understand… none of your shinobi stood with you? They can't ALL have been in on the coup."
Sandayuu's voice was heavy. "I was just a simple hosakan… I don't know any real details of Yukigakure. It was said that the leader of the village at the time, Tanomoshii Mikata-sama, was a firm supporter of Lord Sousetsu-sama, as were her direct subordinates, a group known as the Saati Koukennin: the Thirty Guardians. Mikata-sama herself was supposedly one of the strongest shinobi that Yukigakure ever produced. But I never met her or her followers personally, and as I said: no Yuki-nin sided with us. What she and the rest did during the coup… and what she is doing now… I have no idea."
"What was Kakashi doing there?" Naruto looked up with an inquiring look at the Uchiha who had asked the question. The question seemed to snap Sakura out of her saddened self as she looked at Sasuke as well. "What are you talking about?" Naruto demanded. Where did that kind of question come from anyway?
"When the three of us - Kakashi, Sakura and myself - were at the studio – you were doing… whatever it was you were doing at that time – he mentioned that he had been to the Snow Country once before. Now that we know about this coup, I'm willing to bet that the mission he was on revolved around that," Sasuke answered. He looked back at Sandayuu, "Well? Why was he there?"
"He was my bodyguard…" came a voice at the door. That voice hadn't come from one of the six in the room; it came from the door. Yuk-… no… Koyuki was standing at the door, still in her pajamas, a coat over her shoulders, wearing slippers, and her necklace was visible. "Otousan had hired him and three of your village's other ANBU. At the time I didn't understand why, but now it seems apparent that he requested aid from Konoha." Koyuki's eyes fell a bit. "They were all stationed to guard me, but on the night of the coup… three of them were killed immediately while Kakashi was on patrol, by those same nin you all just fought. They dragged me to the throne room and forced me to watch my otousan butchered by Doto-ojiki. As all four of them laughed over my beloved otousan's corpse, Kakashi arrived. He attempted to fight, but it was three against one, four if you count Doto-ojiki himself. Kakashi then fled with me and we barely made it out alive."
"Princess!" Sandayuu said immediately, running towards her. "Please, you should be in bed…"
"Save it," Koyuki told him sharply. "I should have died that day."
Naruto's eyebrow rose at the comment.
"Please! You shouldn't say such things, Princess! We feared the worst; you can't imagine how frantic we all were! We prayed everyday for your life!"
Koyuki's stoic facial expression remained. "I may be alive, but my heart is dead. On that day, any tears I had left all dried up."
"We can discuss such things later," Sasuke interrupted, rubbing his back once more. "I have more questions." He looked at Sandayuu again. "How many men do you have with you?"
"Fifty warriors. I can vouch for all of them," Sandayuu answered immediately, wiping his tears away. He then rubbed the back of his hand. "Um… the best ones among us… are the ones that Naruto-kun slimed with his frog and tied to the sails…" he added.
All three, Naruto especially, looked dumbfounded. Those bodyguards had been Sandayuu's best!? "And you plan on fighting back with these people!?" Naruto shouted in disbelief, not believing what he just heard.
There was no hesitation in Sandayuu's voice. "Hai. It doesn't matter if we are outmatched, outnumbered and outclassed. We are fighting for our country and the prosperity our nation once held under Lord Sousetsu-sama. We will give it our all because we cannot forget our honor or our duty!"
Ok… that Naruto could understand.
"If Sousetsu-sama…" Sakura spoke for the first time. "…was so popular with your country, how was Doto able to form a coup against him?" She noticed Sasuke rubbing his back yet again. "Off with your shirt."
Sasuke visibly flinched at the order. "Excuse me?" he asked her in disbelief. Did she just say what he just thought? Naruto was wondering the same thing. Wasn't Sakura mad at him? Just what was going on in that mind of hers?
"You've been rubbing your back constantly ever since the battle ended," she told him. "Something has to be wrong with it."
"It's nothing," Sasuke insisted, immediately moving his hand away from his back.
"Take it off now," Sakura ordered in a hard voice. Sasuke and even Naruto gulped and inched themselves back due to the tone Sakura was now using. Naruto would never understand how someone so depressed just minutes ago could suddenly shift moods like that. Women, he thought to himself. Sasuke started muttering under his breath as he stood up and took his shirt off. Sakura got up and looked at his back. What she saw in the center was a small blue spot that looked like dead skin covered in scratches, none of them deep. Sakura studied it for a moment in silence. "When did this happen?" she asked softly.
"It's nothing," Sasuke said, ignoring the question. A second later, he gave a small shriek. "What was that for!?" Sakura had just deliberately aggravated the injury.
"To see what 'nothing' is," she answered him coldly.
Sandayuu shifted in his seat a little. "It looks like he has a mild case of frostbite, but I've never seen it so… precise and scratched up like that."
"What exactly is 'frostbite?'" Naruto asked. Sure, he'd heard it mentioned once or twice, but since they all lived in a warm climate, rarely did they have cases of stuff like frostbite.
Kaijo was the one who answered. "It's a medical condition where damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold, when the body is exposed to cold for long periods. This protective strategy can reduce blood flow in some areas of the body to dangerously low levels. The combination of cold temperature and poor blood flow can cause severe tissue injury by freezing the tissue."
What was this guy, a living medical textbook?
After his explanation, he looked at Sasuke as well. "How did you get it?" he asked.
Sasuke gritted his teeth. "During the fighting… that snow ninja… Fubuki, I think she was called… grazed me with some kind of jutsu… it looked like snow and ice were spinning around her fist, which glowed blue. I dodged a direct hit, but I could still feel it some."
"So what do we do about it?" Makino asked. "We can't leave it untreated."
Sandayuu said. "You need to keep him, and most importantly his back, warm. Not hot, but warm. That's essential because too much heat can upset the injury and make it worse. You also need to dress the frostbitten area. And make sure to do so very carefully."
Naruto saw that Sakura was listening intently to what was being said. Then to Naruto's surprise, Sakura placed her hand on at the base of Sasuke's neck and forcefully shoved him down on the table. "Sakura-chan?" he asked carefully.
Sasuke, however… "You know…" he growled in a low voice, "I'm starting to get real pissed at the way you're…"
"And I'm sick and tired how you're not open with those closest to you and neglect them," Sakura interrupted softly. "Especially me…" Those last two words were said barely above that of a whisper, yet Sasuke and even Naruto heard them as if Sakura had yelled at them. Sasuke did not respond verbally, but he simply lay on the table. Sakura then performed a series of seals and muttered "Faiatama no Jutsu."
Faiatama!? Both Sasuke and Naruto thought at once. Sakura could perform a Katon class ninjutsu!? Since when!? They watched Sakura's right hand, but instead of the normal ball of fire, it merely seemed to glow. She moved her hand over Sasuke's back, moving slightly as if she were ironing. Sasuke spoke from his position. "When did you learn –"
"The Faiatama?" Sakura finished as she continued working, and Sasuke began feeling a small, yet growing relief in his back. "A couple of months ago. I thought that learning it would be… a way to… impress you…" She looked uncomfortable with the revelation, but she continued before anyone could offer a comment. "But I'm not very good with it, so I've never bothered to try and use it, but even someone like me should be able to use it like this."
Neither boy was sure how to respond, so Naruto looked back at Sandayuu again. "The answer to her question?"
"Oh… right… gomen," Sandayuu said, having gotten off track. "At the time of Lord Sousetsu-sama's reign, Doto was commander-in-chief of the Daimyo's forces, as well as overseer to Yukigakure. Only his brother had more authority in military matters. He has always been an ambitious man, but he seemed devoted to his brother as much as anyone was. However, in the few years before the coup, his ambition seemed to… grow. He kept asking for more and more power, while at the same time, numerous accidents began happening to his main competitors. One was found guilty of espionage, another planning at achieving great personal gain, and so on. It was always one of the men that Lord Sousetsu-sama had his complete trust in, and every time, it was always by 'evidence' that only Doto… 'found.'
"During this time, several of Lord Sousetsu-sama's men kept pointing out how… 'convenient' this all was for Doto. But Lord Sousetsu-sama dismissed all of our concerns. He wouldn't hear a word against his brother without solid evidence. Forgiveness, trust and second chances were some of his most valued virtues."
"Yet he hired Konoha ANBU," Naruto reminded him. "He must have been aware of what was going on."
Sandayuu shrugged. "By the time of the coup, Doto had a firm hand on our military, making sure only the strongest were the most loyal to him personally, while the rest of us were considered worthless and insignificant. He grew to like a smaller, but elite group rather than sheer numbers." Sandayuu tightened his fists. "That's why me and my brethren must succeed! This coup was only carried out by Doto and his followers! The vast majority of citizens of the entire Snow Country… they're terrified! They've been trembling in fear for ten years! They want the lives they knew under Lord Sousetsu-sama back! And we're their last hope! We MUST succeed!"
"Why did you come to Konoha?" Sasuke asked from his position on the table. "Why didn't you tell the Hokage about all this?"
"I came for Kakashi. Him specifically," Sandayuu confessed. "He had been there during the coup, he understood exactly what had happened, and his reputation of being the copy-nin would have been a great asset to us! So when your Hokage was looking through the possible teams to assign to the mission and suggested Kakashi's team out loud, I told her I would just take Kakashi. She looked surprised and asked me why just one shinobi when the price I paid would cover me for the full team. I told her I feared mere genin would not be able to handle the mission. She looked at me in surprise, then laughed and began telling me about all the potential and promise that his three genin would offer, and she had faith that you three would perform better on this mission than even your sensei. In the end, I relented. I had the shinobi I came for. You three were just… er… bonus…" he finished lamely.
"Liar," Naruto declared. "You thought we would be completely useless simply because we were just genin," he drew the word out slowly.
"Blunt much?" Kaijo asked carefully.
"It's the truth, ain't it?" Sasuke countered, remembering Sandayuu's comments when they had captured those bodyguards in the town.
"But that still doesn't explain why you didn't tell Tsunade-sama the whole story," Sakura said, her hand still working.
"What could I say?" Sandayuu asked desperately. "Tell her that I need help to take back my country? Which meant taking on Doto, Yukigakure and the Daimyo's military forces? I would be literally asking for a war between the Fire Country and Snow Country. There was no way that your Hokage would have granted such a request, not to mention that your village is still suffering a manpower shortage. Even in the extremely unlikely chance she had agreed, Konoha wouldn't realistically be able to commit its forces to something this big."
Naruto slammed his fist on the table. "That may be so, but if you think for one second that Obaasan would've refused to give you any help, you are sadly mistaken. She probably would've sent not only Hatake, but several other highly skilled shinobi if you had just been flat out honest! And Hatake would probably still be alive!"
Koyuki raised her eyebrow, not having moved from her spot at the door. "So… Kakashi is dead, then? I was wondering why he wasn't here." She was silent for a moment, then asked, "How did it happen?"
"He wasn't able to escape from the iceberg in time…" Kaijo said softly. "It was collapsing and he was caught right in it… Naruto-kun's clones couldn't find any trace of him…"
At the statements, Sakura's eyes fell again. "It's all my fault…"
That immediately got a confused response. "Nani!?" everyone asked.
"I wasn't able to stop my opponent," she said. She sounded so hallow, so empty both boys could hardly believe it was the same person. She seemed completely out of it right then, save her hand was still moving over Sasuke's back. "Mizore… I think that was his name… had me completely at his mercy. If I could've stopped him… Naruto and Kakashi wouldn't have had to save me… and we could have defeated those Snow Shinobi instead of running… but… I was… weak…" She sounded so meek, so tired, so… defeated.
"Sakura…" Sasuke tried, not moving from his position.
"You guys… shouldn't have saved me…" she said in that same tone of voice, she sounded close to breaking out crying. "I'm the expandable one…I'm useless…"
"That's not true!" Naruto yelled at her. "Forget Hatake, who needs him!? Not me, that's for sure!" He put on a smile, yet everyone could see it was forced. "We never even liked him anyway! He was lazy, late, played favorites, and hardly taught us at all. He tied you to the stump, remember? We're better off without him!"
"Sakura," Sasuke said slowly. "If we hadn't gotten you out of there, you would be dead."
"Better me… than Kakashi…" she replied immediately, her eyes starting to water. "I'm the one that should be dead… At least he would…"
"Will you be quiet and stop talking that way!?" Naruto shouted. "It's not your fault! You aren't responsible! And we don't want you to die, so stop talking that way!"
"Sakura…" Sasuke said in a somewhat quieter voice. "I know how you feel. I lost my entire clan, remember? But crying and blaming yourself for something that isn't your fault is not going to help you. You want to be useful? You're already useful! Look at what you're doing!"
Sakura stopped for a moment, and looked at herself, specifically her hand and how it was still over Sasuke's back.
"Notice that no one else is helping him," Naruto said ("You didn't have to put like that, Naruto," Sasuke complained). "And you can be so much more, too! Just apply yourself. That's all you need to do. Instead of wasting your time feeling sorry for yourself, do something constructive! Better yourself and stop playing the pity game!"
"Survivor's guilt is hard to deal with," Makino offered. "Many die that deserve life, and many live that deserve death. Can you give it to them? Do not be so eager to seek death and judgment, especially on yourself for something that isn't your fault. You're still alive; don't be so eager to wish for you own death. All you can do now is decide what to do with the time you are given."
Sakura looked at everyone, then slowly nodded her head as she wiped her eyes dry. "Thank you…" She looked back down and continued working on Sasuke's back. "I still can't believe… that Kakashi-sensei is gone… it's hard to believe that someone like him would die like that…"
Sasuke was silent at that. "It is hard to believe." The group looked at him. "Why didn't he retreat? How could someone like him not get out in time?"
"What are you getting at, Sasuke?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know," Sasuke retorted. "It just doesn't make sense how this could happen. He should have been able to get out in time."
"Why didn't he, then?" Makino asked him.
"I DON'T KNOW!" Sasuke repeated loudly, straightening himself up from the table and causing Sakura to stumble back. "Maybe the Yuki-nin used some sort of genjutsu, or snuck up on him, or cut him off somehow, I don't know! I just know that it's suspicious!"
"Makes sense," Naruto conceded. "But those Yuki-nin bastards are the only possible explanation as to what happened to Hatake. It's not like Hatake slipped on some ice while withdrawing. I bet it was that first one, the one who identified himself as Rouga Nadare. He caught Hatake off guard with some sort of jutsu," Naruto slammed a fist into his hand. "I'll personally ask him how he did it, then I'll rip his head off!"
There was a moment of silence in the room. "There is… one other possible explanation…" Sakura announced softly. Everyone looked at her, with Naruto and Sasuke realizing what she was about to say. "Sakura…" Sasuke started.
"There's no point in keeping it a secret now," Sakura told the boys. When neither boy offered a protest, she looked at the rest of the group. "We have reason to believe that there's a… stowaway on this ship."
Makino, Kaijo and even Koyuki looked at the Konoha kunoichi in surprise. "What do you mean?" The director asked carefully.
"Kakashi found a man unconscious in the hallway," Sasuke spoke up. "We believe that the cause of this was made by an intruder on this ship. His… or maybe even her… intentions are unknown at this time."
At the statement, Kaijo breathed out a sigh of relief. Wait… WHAT?! The shinobi looked at him, not understanding. "If you're talking about Han, he just collapsed due too much stress. Your sensei said as much himself. It wasn't the work of an intruder."
"That was a cover story," Naruto told him. "The body had been drained of blood. Something like that wouldn't happen from just stress."
Kaijo paled at the statement and seemed to lose his voice. Makino actually looked interested in this new revelation, while Koyuki quickly shook off the shock on her face. Kaijo then looked at the others, as if wanting someone… anyone… to deny that last statement. Sandayuu cleared his throat, but did not meet the other man's eyes. "It's true, Kaijo-san. Kakashi brought the man to me and explained everything."
"Why didn't any of you say anything!?" Kaijo screamed, grabbing his hat with a panicked look on his face.
"That's why," Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke said at once. Sakura added, "We didn't want to cause a needless panic, since there's still so much we don't understand: who is it? Why are they here? How are they able to draw the blood without leaving a mark behind? We've been looking…" Kinda, she added to herself. "But we're no closer to finding this person than we were when we first learned of him."
"It is troublesome," Sandayuu admitted. "But I don't believe that this intruder is the cause of your sensei's death."
"Why's that?" Sasuke asked. "It seems as likely as anything."
"Oh, I agree," Sandayuu said. "But we must also remember the circumstances that led to Hatake's death. He was unable to escape. What that reason is, we don't know, but if the intruder was the cause of it, he or she would have been on this ship at the time and no one on the ship even realized or noticed anything strange until after it happened. And if it was a jutsu that hindered Kakashi, one of you would have noticed if it came from someone on the ship. Since none of you have, that leaves the logical conclusion that it was one of the Yuki-nin that was the cause of it."
Koyuki looked at the three genin as they considered the possibility, then all three of them nodded in agreement. Apparently, Sandayuu had gained some influence over these children as well. Given what his job was, she guessed it was only logical… not that she cared.
"Gomen," Sakura said. "I just…"
"You have nothing to apologize for, young lady," Sandayuu assured her. "You were merely considering all the possibilities, as a shinobi like yourself should. Plus, you alerted the rest of us to the presence of the intruder, a very smart move on your part. You did nothing wrong."
Sakura give a small smile and felt reassured. "Thank you." She looked at Sasuke's back. "I need to go get something to wrap his back."
Sasuke bent down and undid one of the bandages on his legs. "Use this," he said, handing it to her. "I have more in my room." She accepted them with a nod, then gestured him to turn around. He did so without so much as a grunt as Sakura began working. He could feel her soft and gentle hands against his skin as she began wrapping the bandages. Sasuke instantly realized what he had just thought, and immediately shook his head as if that would clear it. WHERE THE HELL HAD THAT THOUGHT COME FROM!?!
Silence reigned once again in the room. No one knew what to say now. During that time, Sakura finished bandaging Sasuke's back, who offered a quiet 'Thank you' to her as he put his shirt back on. The one to finally act was Sandayuu, who walked over and got on his hands and knees at Koyuki's feet. "Please Princess, I beg you: confront Doto and assume your place as the rightful leader of our land!" He bowed lower, his head now touching the ground. "I will gladly sacrifice my life if that is what is needed. I beg you! Take up arms and lead your people!"
The others in the room looked at Koyuki and awaited her answer.
"No way in hell."
Sandayuu looked up at her in pure disbelief. "But… but what about your people!?" he asked desperately.
"I could care less about them. They're not my problem."
"But Princess…" Sandayuu tried again, but Koyuki cut him off. "Will you give it up already, you idiot!? It doesn't matter what you do, you will never get rid of Doto-ojiki, OK?! GIVE IT UP!"
Sandayuu looked like he was about he cry. Naruto stood up and pointed right at the bitch. "And here I thought you would actually be considerate and understanding! Damn, was I wrong! So you're going to do absolutely nothing!? After hearing all of what your country has suffered through and what Sandayuu has done, even with all the odds against him, and you flat out don't care!?"
"Naruto-kun…" Sandayuu said gratefully.
"Have you been listening!?" Koyuki shot back. "Do you three even realize the extent of what Sandayuu is proposing to do!? He wants to fight back against an entire country! That includes an entire village of trained shinobi! You're only three! If you three are stupid enough to actually continue on this mission, you're all going to end up dead just like Kakashi!"
Her words seem to hit the three Konoha nin hard, because not even Naruto responded. They slowly looked at each other, as if hoping one of them knew what they were supposed to do now.
"Princess…" Sandayuu started, but Makino interrupted. "Stop, Sandayuu. She is right about this. If they decide to go on, they'll be facing an entire country, not merely just a few opponents. It won't be that simple." He looked directly at the trio. "Listen up you three: it's up to you now. With Kakashi gone and Sandayuu's own men not adequate enough, you three are now the strongest people we have on this ship.
"You've heard the details of this mission now and what Sandayuu said about the situation in the Snow Country. In addition, you've all fought against three Yuki-nin already. Just three, and it's highly likely you'll meet many more Yuki-nin than those ones, most likely ones just as strong as those three, if not more. And you'll be the only ones that can stand against them, the rest of us stand no chance. And that's not counting Doto's personal military forces, as well as Doto himself and who knows what else Doto has at his disposal. And there's still the threat of this intruder.
"These are all the facts," Makino continued, right now looking at each of them in turn. "This mission already cost you your sensei. It could very well mean the deaths of each of you." He paused for a moment, allowing that statement to linger in the air. "Now… choose. Do you continue or do you go home? That's what it boils down to. Make your decision now." He sat down and set a glare at the other non-shinobi, making it clear that they were not to say anything.
The room was silent as the three genin looked at each other, once again confused and not sure how to respond. Everyone could see this information was sinking into their minds and weighing heavily on them. Each one was now lost in their own individual thoughts. No one said a word. For five minutes, it was completely silent as everyone waited for a response, any response, from one of the three genin.
"I'm going to see this mission through."
Everyone looked at the person who had just spoken. It was Sakura. She took a deep breath. "I'm the weakest of us… there's no denying that. I would love to just take off and run. You have no idea how strong that desire is to me right now. I mean, I couldn't even hold my own against Mizore, like the others could. But if I run now… I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Not with all that I just heard. I'm going to help in whatever way I can." She gulped as she added, "And if I… if I… if I die in the process… at least I'll know I gave it my all."
"I'm staying as well," Naruto declared. He glared at Koyuki. "If you're not going to do anything to help your own people, then you don't deserve to lead them anyway, much less have the complete loyalty of someone like Sandayuu." He looked back at the group. "I accepted this mission at the start, and I'm not going to break my word by abandoning it now. And I'm not going to be like a certain heartless bitch who cares nothing about her duty or those counting on her. You say that there's an entire village of shinobi that'll come after us? Bring them on! With me, my numbers can go from one to a thousand! I'll beat them all down myself!"
Everyone looked at Sasuke now. "Count me in," he said. "Even if I left to go back to Konoha, I have no one to go back to. No family or friends waiting. And the village doesn't trust me right now either." He looked at Naruto and Sakura. "Those that are closest to me are in this room right now. And I'm going to stand with them." He looked specifically at Sakura now. "And I swear to you on my own life that you won't die. Oh… and you too as well, dobe, I guess."
Naruto actually smirked in response while giving Sasuke a 'friendly' middle finger, while Sakura gave him a small, thankful smile.
"You three…" Koyuki growled, "…are completely insane! You don't realize what you're getting into!"
"Of course we do," all three of them answered instantly.
"Why don't you at least call for backup from your village?!" Koyuki pressed
"I'll send a message to Obaasan, explaining all the details," Naruto answered. "But odds are, by the time any reinforcements do get here… it'll be all over one way or another. We'll just have to handle it ourselves."
"How do you plan to handle all those ninja by yourselves?! Especially those three you fought!?"
"We arrive at the Snow Country tomorrow morning," Sakura told her. "That gives us one day to prepare for them. That'll have to be enough."
"And how do you realistically plan to overthrow Doto-ojiki!? You can't fight an entire country yourselves!"
"We'll assassinate him. Quietly," Sasuke answered matter-of-factly. "That's what I believe Kakashi would have done if he were in our position. Once he's dead, the rest will be easier."
"Why do you even fucking care?" Naruto asked.
"Because if you three are going, that means I'll be dragged along as well and I have absolutely no desire to go back!"
"Then shut the hell up and stay out of the way," Naruto told her. He then looked at Makino and Kaijo. "What about you guys? This isn't a movie anymore."
"You're absolutely right… it's MUCH MORE NOW!" Makino declared. He stood up and pointed dramatically. "As long as there is hope, one may dream. And with those dreams, the future comes. I LIKE IT! It's the perfect theme for our new Princess Gale movie! Action! Drama! Maybe even a hint of romance! With a touch of tragedy! True friendships withstand all the horrors and dangers that the enemy can throw at them! And the best part of it all… it'll be REAL! Not special effects! And in honor of the loss of that brave Konoha Jounin, we'll dedicate this movie to him! He died believing in what he did, that this mission and movie were worth something! And we'll donate all the proceeds to his wife and kids!"
"Hatake doesn't have any…" Naruto trailed off as he looked at the other two. "Does he?"
"Of course he doesn't… I think…," Sasuke said uncertainly. "He's just… um… well… he's late… and… uh… he reads those books… and… he's a jounin…" What did they know about the man's personal life anyway? It had always been about them. Never once had they asked about Kakashi's personal life. The two boys looked at Sakura questioningly. "Does he?" they both asked.
"How would I know?" Sakura asked helplessly.
Predictably, Kaijo gasped in disbelief at Makino's statement, ignoring the trio's conversation. "But… Makino-san. You're not really going to continue filming with everything you're heard, are you?"
"I told you the movie is evolving…"
"You never said that…" Kaijo protested weakly.
"Shut up. Just think about it: how often do you get the chance to make a movie with a real princess? We're looking at the opportunity of a lifetime."
Naruto smiled to himself. Like that would change Kaijo's mind.
"You're right!" Kaijo admitted happily.
What the fuck!?
"Think of the buzz…" Kaijo said, now getting a look that Makino had worn so often. The look that said: I'm-going-to-do-this-and-I-don't-care-what-you-think. "Even the making of the movie will be a hit! We're sitting on a surefire blockbuster!" Naruto smiled to himself again, despite the circumstances. Apparently, even a worrier like Kaijo had his moments where he would do the unthinkable for a movie.
"Well, I'm not going!" Koyuki yelled.
"You can't run," Naruto told her firmly. "Now that Doto's men have found you, they'll be on your trail, so running isn't an option. Even if you don't want to face him, he wants you for some reason. That's clear from the Yuki-nin's intentions at the iceberg. We – and that includes you, bitch – have to fight. That's your only chance for survival."
Koyuki took an involuntary step back at Naruto's proclamation. "Real life isn't like the movies. There is no such thing as a happy ending in this world!"
"Of course there is if you're willing to fight for it!" Makino shouted at her.
Sandayuu finally spoke again. Once again, he looked on the verge of tears, but this time they were tears of joy. "Everyone… thank you all!"
"So that's it, then. We're going ahead with this picture!" Makino declared.
"And you can bet this one will have a happy ending!" Kaijo added, just as enthusiastically as his boss.
"Damn straight!" Naruto and Sakura cheered, while Sasuke just muttered "Whatever..."
8:00 am
Naruto
The meeting had ended with a surprising note from Makino. There was to be no filming today for the movie and everyone was just supposed to take the day off. Everyone in the room, especially Kaijo, was in complete shock over what Makino had said. Naruto wondered what the man was actually thinking in that mind of his. When questioned, Makino merely said that even he knew when it was time to make movies and time to respect the fallen and prepare for what was to come. With that, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke merely nodded in response and left the room.
Still… they were going to keep an eye out just in case Makino came around with cameras and filmed them by accident. He was Makino after all.
The three had gone back to their rooms to freshen up for the day: taking a shower, getting a decent meal, dressing the other wounds and injuries they each had, etc. They – like everyone else on the ship – also began changing out of their winter clothes. No one had expected to be wearing those clothes until they arrived at the Snow Country, after all. Besides, the day was turning out to be very nice now. The sun was bright and its warmth was felt by all with a nice gentle breeze brushing against everyone as an added touch. It was like the weather itself was trying to lift their dark and depressed moods over the loss of Kakashi.
Naruto was walking around the ship, trying to shift through the constant new thoughts and feelings he was now feeling. He found himself quite snappy, willing to yell at anyone and everyone for even just looking at him. He leaned against a wall and put a hand against his forehead while grumbling under his breath.
Kakashi was dead. That was the one thought that his mind was focusing on. He wasn't able to think on anything else. Even when eating his ramen, it didn't taste right, so he only had three bowls. So he began walking around absentmindedly, eventually coming to the front of the ship.
"Kuso," he hissed under his breath, kicking some crate that was near him. He watched it soar through the air and drop into the ocean. He briefly wondered what had been inside. Probably more cameras for filming or something like that. Why did Kakashi have to go and get killed like that!? He shook his head once more, then bit his thumb. Oh, screw it! He had more important things to do than just mope around. He ran through the seals and muttered, "Well… let's see if this works. Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
There was large burst of smoke and once it vanished, two frogs now stood in front of the blond shinobi, both of whom Naruto was familiar with. "Yo, Gamayoyaku. Gamakichi, it's been a while." So, he was able to summon more than one frog at a time, it just took more chakra, plus careful adjustments. That was nice to know.
"What do you want?" the smaller frog asked him as he looked around. "Where the hell are we anyway?" Gamayoyaku simply croaked as a greeting.
"You're both on a ship heading for the Snow Country," he told them both as he reached for his pouch, taking out a scroll and a pen. "There's a little something I need you two to do for me."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Gamakichi replied immediately, crossing his arms in front of him. "Not that easy! Give me a snack, then we'll talk and maybe I'll consider doing something." Gamayoyaku simply shook his head at the younger frog, as if expecting something like this to happen. Naruto simply groaned and tried to fight off a migraine. He then crossed his fingers and created a Kage Bunshin. "You go to the mess hall and get some snacks for those two. And make it quick."
"Sheesh, too lazy to do it yourself, knucklehead?" the clone asked him. "Who do you think I am, your personal slave?"
"Just shut up and get going!" the original roared. Was a little cooperation really that hard to get around here!? The clone hmphed at him, then began walking away. Naruto then sat on the deck Indian-style and looked at the two frogs as he began writing. "Gamayoyaku, I'm going to need your help for some training. Gamakichi, I'm going to need you to deliver a message to Konoha. Things have gotten… complicated around here."
He now had the two frogs' complete attention as he began explaining the situation to them as well as writing on his scroll.
Sasuke
Sasuke was currently lying in on his bed in his room, lost in his own thoughts over what had happened in the meeting. While many things were swarming through his mind, Sakura, Kakashi, Naruto, Koyuki, Doto, this mission, there was one thing that he was currently lost in thought about.
"Those that are closest to me are in this room right now. And I'm going to stand with them." He looked specifically at Sakura now. "And I swear to you on my own life that you won't die."
Could he really have said that? More importantly, did he really mean it? ALL of it? What caused him to say those words anyway? He grunted as he rolled over, trying to get comfortable. Well… the first part seemed obvious; they were his teammates after all. He had spent more time with them than any others in Konoha for that reason alone. Yet one thing bugged him.
When did this closeness start?
He grunted again as he put his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. He let his mind explore his memory, wondering if the damned answer was buried in there somewhere.
He could remember the time in the Wave country, how he was able to catch on to Naruto's plan without so much as a word to free Kakashi from the Suirou no Jutsu; how Naruto had dominated the tree climbing exercise and Kakashi ordered him to watch Tazuna, leaving him and Sakura alone. He could remember his frustration as he struggled behind both of them, eventually asking Sakura for help. Then, of course, there was the rematch with Zabuza and Haku when he regained consciousness and saw that Sakura had been covered in senbon just as much as he had been. Was it then?
Or had it been during the Chuunin Exams? Such as when Naruto boasted to the entire group of candidates that he wouldn't lose to those temes, or how he yelled that he didn't care what kind of question the tenth one was at the end of the exam and that he would become Hokage anyway? Maybe it was during the second exam, the Forest of Death? Such as when Naruto hit him when he considered surrendering the scroll to the disguised Orochimaru, then fought the said enemy himself? Or how Sakura hugged him from behind when he and Naruto went on a rampage against the Sound genin, pleading for them to stop? That same pink-haired kunoichi who fought with Kabuto when he arrived near them and ended up taking his scroll? Or was it even in the preliminaries, when Sakura had fought against Kankuro, and Naruto fought against Kiba?
Could it have been during the invasion by Suna and Oto? Or even after? When at Ichiraku when she announced that he was her best friend, then later he had let Sakura test her first genjutsu on him? Or possibly when he and Naruto first fought on the mission he himself arranged? Or maybe even their fight at the Valley of the End?
Damn it! When was it!? When did he start feeling a real attachment to the two of them!? At what point in his life did they become close to him!? The Academy!? The Wave Country!? The Chuunin Exams!? After the invasion!? WHEN!? And just how BIG was that attachment!?
Unable to come up with an answer, he began swearing out loud as he thought about the other part of his proclamation. Did he really care about the two of them so much that he would be willing to throw his life away for them? At that thought, he tried to clear his head by shaking it. That's not what he said. He had told Sakura specifically. While he had added Naruto as an afterthought, that statement had been directed at Sakura foremost. Did he really feel that close to her, where he would die for her if it came to that?
That's when he noticed that his left hand was rubbing his cheek. Again. He stopped in mid-rub and looked at his hand as if it was his most hated enemy. Now muttering incoherent curses under his breath, he slammed his hand against the nearby dresser, completely decimating an entire section of it. Damn it! If he really was getting closer to her, then why did he still have this damn urge!? And she STILL hadn't used his name yet! Was he getting fucking close to her, or just getting further apart!? WHICH WAS IT!?
What about Naruto?! He asked himself desperately, trying to get his mind off Sakura for now before his head exploded. Would he be willing to die for Naruto as well as Sakura?! Wait a second! He still wasn't sure if he was willing to do it for Sakura! He couldn't compare the two when he didn't know if he would even do it for Sakura! And why was it that whenever he tried to think about something other than Sakura, his thoughts always led him back to her!? Damn it, what was WRONG WITH HIM!?
Growling now, he laid back down. Facing Orochimaru, or Itachi, or even both at once would be easier than trying to sort out his feelings! Less painful too!
That's when he noticed his hand was right back at his cheek.
Sakura
"KUUUUUSSSSSSSSOOOOOO!!!!"
The sound of Sasuke swearing was heard quite clearly through the entire ship, and the back of the ship where Sakura was currently was no exception. She was glad to be out of those extra winter clothes for now. Sure, they had been warm and even comfortable, but it was nothing like the sun itself shining down on you and warming you up.
She had gone here as soon as she finished all the necessities and immediately began working again on the same thing she had been this morning. She had made a little progress, but nothing big. Not that that was any surprise seeing how she just started. But she needed to finish it today. There was no other time she would have to work on it if she wanted it to be ready in time.
Then she had been interrupted by his loud scream. What it was about, she had no idea. A small part of her wanted to go and check up on him. But as immediately as that thought came, she quickly dismissed it. She still wasn't ready yet. She still didn't know…
She took a deep breath and banished the thoughts from her mind. She didn't need to be distracted now. She needed to work! She was already having enough trouble focusing because of all she had learned in that meeting.
Fact was… even though Naruto, him, and even the director had tried to tell her it wasn't her fault that Kakashi had died, she still felt some degree of responsibility towards it.
Plus, the fact that she was weak didn't help matters either. She knew that they had tried to convince her otherwise, but she knew the truth. She was the weakest and the furthest behind, but her fight… did it even deserve to be called a fight? She wondered. She got beaten down so easily.
"No, no, no, no," She reprimanded to herself, smacking her forehead a bit. No more of that 'self-pity talk'. That wouldn't get her anywhere. Like Naruto had said, 'do something constructive.' She had to stay fixed on her goal, or she would never get anywhere! She may have been beaten that time, but it wasn't going to happen again! The next time she saw Mizore, she would be the one victorious!
Now she just needed to be able to make good on that promise.
Taking a drink from her canteen, she went back to work. If she finished in time, she would have a new weapon to use. Something that would be able to help her immensely, or so she hoped. Part of her wondered if she should even bother, since the only thing that seemed to work on the Yuki-nin and their chakra armor was taijutsu, and logically, she should be trying to perfect that.
As she thought about it, she shook her head. No, she needed to think like a shinobi. Yes, taijutsu was apparently the only thing that worked, but she couldn't just rely on just taijutsu. She needed a trump card, something that would help her against them, even if not directly.
At first, she thought that her jutsu, the Daichi Kobura, would be that trump card. But then she realized just how demanding it was on her small chakra reserves; it was more of a burden. After all, she couldn't use it the way it was meant to be used. All she could do was form it and use it in the simplest manner possible. She kept remembering the definition in that ninjutsu scroll, what it said it could do, and all the possibilities one could do with it, and how she was not able to do all of that. She briefly wondered why she even bothered to try and learn that jutsu.
No… she knew why. It was because she wanted to show off. That was the honest truth. The other three members of her team all had such impressive ninjutsu that they either created themselves or learned from another source. What did she have at the time? The basics and two genjutsu. She wanted to have just one ninjutsu that could be seen by everyone as on par with the level and difficulty her teammates had. So she gave in to her pride and tried to learn something she wasn't ready for. And now that jutsu was more of a hindrance to her than an asset.
Which is why she needed something new, and she needed it now! Mizore wouldn't know what hit him this time!
With that thought, she went back to work, redoubling her efforts.
9:00 am
Bakeru
He strolled around the ship, learning each of the shinobi's positions. Uzumaki was at the front of the ship talking with a frog summon; Haruno was at the rear of the ship working on something that really didn't interest him; and Uchiha himself was in his room. Judging from his earlier scream, apparently having a temper tantrum.
Now was the time to strike and begin his mission. But there was just one small question to resolve.
Which one first?
(Author's Note). Whew… that was long. Believe it or not, I actually didn't get as far as I wanted story-wise, but this chapter was getting so long I decided I had to stop somewhere. I never thought that the 'revelation' scene at the beginning of the chapter would take up as much room as it did. I thought it would only be about four pages, even with all the expanding I did on the background, yet it came out to over 11 pages… nearly THREE TIMES the amount I thought. I wanted to get to Bakeru's part finally, but alas, it'll have to wait until next chapter.
Speaking of that scene, it should give you all some idea of how the story revolving around how Doto came to power, the status of Yukigakure past and present and what challenges await Team 7 have been expanded and enhanced to in this story. Why? Because I want to. Simple as that.
Also, thanks to Tellemicus yet again. He offered several ideas and possibilities for this chapter, most notably Sakura knowing and using the Faiatama. Thank you, my friend.
Aisuminasen – Forgive me (very formal)
Hosakan - aide
Tanomoshii - reliable; trustworthy; hopeful; promising;
Mikata - friend; ally; supporter;
Saati - 30
Koukennin - Guardian
Ojiki - uncle (younger than one's parent)
Doton: Daichi Kobura no Jutsu (updated)--Earth Release: Ground Cobra//A jutsu similar to that of the Suiryuudan. How it differs is the fact that the user has far more control over the actions of the Daichi Kobura, than one does with Suiryuudan. Thus, one is able to move the Daichi Kobura in any direction, movement, patterns the user desires, such as having it constrict an obstacle or opponent. The user could even pour more chakra into the jutsu to 'harden' and improve its endurance. This, however, means that in order for the Daichi Kobura to do all this, the user must constantly supply it with chakra, in addition to the amount used to create it in the first place. Because of this, plus the focus required, this means that the user has to remain stationary and focused, leaving the user quite vulnerable. For if the user moves and/or loses concentration, the jutsu will break apart. One could potentially keep the Daichi Kobura going for long periods of time... if they have the chakra reserves to maintain it. (Mid B-Class Ninjutsu) (Sakura)
Side note: those astute readers among you may have noticed that the first definition concerning the Daichi Kobura in Chapter 5 really didn't explain what it could do, merely how Sakura learned it. That was deliberate on my part. It was my attempt to show how Sakura was able to use the 'rough' version and not the completed version. I meant to give the actual definition (the one above) earlier than this, but the timing never felt right to me. So, yeah, this was deliberate on my part and not just 'changing it' on a whim. Good idea? Maybe. Maybe not. But it was my reasoning. Tellemicus himself pointed out as much in our discussions and I gave him the updated definition for Chuuten's third chapter.
Chakra Armor vs. the Oboro no Jutsu (yes, I should have put this in the last chapter, but I kinda forgot to do so… heh heh. I'm only human). Due to the Oboro's denseness, the only time that it will be affected by the anti-chakra barrier is through direct contact, even though it has been shown that the barrier can distort jutsu from a short distance in front of the wearer. When Naruto comes into direct contact, the anti-chakra is able to use that contact as a conduit, allowing it to spread throughout the entire jutsu, similar to how blood spreads in a source of water. Once a significant portion of the anti-chakra was affected the entire Oboro, it will shatter and break apart, and while Naruto is still in direct contact, the anti-chakra will remain in place, thus preventing Naruto from activating it again.
To Zoneshifter D: your point was valid and Tellemicus had similar thoughts to the Oboro as you did. After discussing it between ourselves, Tellemicus agreed to the Oboro failing, though he also advised that I put the said explanation to justify it. I hope it satisfies you.
I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Also, any jutsu that Tellemicus created that are used in this story belongs to him.
