Clash in the Snow Country: Legacy Version
Chapter 14: Upping the Ante
(Author's Note) Just want to point out a valid concern from the past chapter reviews concerning Sakura. Yes, she is quite tired and exhausted at the moment, but I personally would not label her as completely exhausted, and that she would have a little energy left. I'll have a more detailed justification for what I'm doing at the end of the chapter so I don't spoil anything here. In the meantime, just read what I have done in this chapter and decide for yourselves if I handled it correctly and accurately. If you do, great (and I'll breathe a big sigh of relief) and if you don't, that's understandable and I hope it wasn't too bad.
9:23 pm
Kaijo was always a worrier. That was how he grew up. He was the youngest of four siblings and two parents that held high expectations. As such, his younger years were spent worrying about how to please his parents and three older sisters. Each one of them always seemed to have different expectations and different reactions, so it was always a hassle of knowing what do to please his family because it was always different from person to person.
That wasn't to say he was on bad terms with them. They were warm and loving; it was just so... hard... to please any of them. If he did the dishes, one sister would say he used the wrong soap, his mom would say he didn't wash them enough, and another sister would say he did too much. Rarely was there a simple 'thank you' for doing the dishes, which was what he always hoped for. So when he did the dishes, he always wondered if he should use more, or less, and how long he should do it. And that was just doing a simple chore. Never mind all the other factors in his life: his other chores, life in school, being pressured to join this club, or that club.
His father had been the one he got along with the best. His father had been into sports proactively and always took Kaijo on many trips, such as hunting, games, and even encouraged Kaijo to join the school sports organizations. Kaijo himself didn't really care for sports – he had little athletic ability – but he enjoyed those times simply because he could sit back and relax. No worries or cares in the world. Unless his dad's team was losing; then things could get nasty. But that's another story entirely.
That was what drew him to movies. He found them to be a direct, simple way to adjust and forget about his family issues. In the movies, there always seemed to be a form of companionship and a sense of understanding between characters, something he wished he could achieve with his own family. He could find such moments in any kind of movie: romance, comedy, adventure, science fiction, etc. It also never ceased to amaze him how... alive... the movies seemed to him. Entire worlds, nations, and circumstances existed in that one universe for only 90 minutes on average, yet the movie was still able to present and show a story. Completely fictional, yet the effort, motivation, perseverance and hard work that went into production just astounded him.
His first real step into the movie direction was the school's film club. His father had been ecstatic that he had finally joined something, though when he learned it wasn't sports, you could see the disappointment on his face, though he did try not to show it.
Kaijo found himself working in the director's position of the film club, organizing and leading his group to produce works. He wasn't too good at choosing the right people in the right position, but his little worrying habit actually became beneficial: he could see numerous possibilities, and was able to keep them focused and on task without getting sidetracked. He saw ways to meet deadlines and cut corners without compromising the material being used.
He had met Makino at a local competition when he was 17. That hadn't been such a good year for him. His film team was in shambles: One member was sick, another hadn't bothered to show up, their work had been messed up due to a paint accident and they had forgotten to bring some of the equipment. Kaijo had been furiously trying to reorganize what they had left while at the same time keeping himself from having a panic attack (which was a miracle in and of itself). Makino had been one of the judges in the competition that year and watched with heavy amusement, much to Kaijo and his team's frustration. To their surprise, however, Makino offered the entire team a full internship under him right on the spot; a move that not only shocked themselves, but virtually everyone else in the area.
So that was how he began his career under Makino, the infamous 'Miracle Worker' that he was called. And the reason he was known by that name was because with all of his last minute changes and additions, it was truly a miracle that his movies came out so well. Especially since his methods were known to drive his people mad with all his changes, which made working under the director quite difficult.
Kaijo could still remember the first movie he had really worked on with the man, it being the first movie of the Princess Gale series. It involved a scene with a demon overlord fighting Gale and her men when Makino suddenly decided to bring in a swarm of mercenary samurai for a three-way battle without any prior acknowledgment of these men or why they were relevant to the story. Kaijo immediately went into his 'worry mode' about how that would conflict with this and that of the story and how they could possibly fit it into the movie. Halfway through his little worry rant, Makino cut him off, and Kaijo was sure he was fired. Instead, the man smiled and merely said 'of course you're right!', a statement that was completely foreign to the young man as Makino delayed his mercenaries' entrance for later in the movie.
So with that, Kaijo was promoted to Assistant Director, and he had to admit that they made quite a team. Makino had the skills for choosing the right people for the job, while Kaijo had the means to keep it together without driving the crew insane, and they were both flexible in their work to be able to accommodate each other's needs and whims.
As a result, Makino's movies went from booming with success to outright exploding with it.
Right now, in the present, Kaijo was going firmly into worry mode. He was with a few other members of the cast and crew, having been lured over by the shouting and yelling. Here, two of their shinobi bodyguards were about to fight: Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. The latter looked dead on her feet, and from what he knew, was the least experienced and skilled among the team, while the former was considerably better off and more talented. He was her superior in techniques, stamina, maybe even speed, and those hand-to-hand skills as well. And they were fighting for a reason that they kept to themselves. He normally would have started his usual panic speech, but stopped like everyone else did.
It was their third teammate, still on board the ship, gripping the railing as if it was a life preserver. Like he was forcing himself to stay out of it and watch, and not just stop it. Perhaps it was the falling rain and wind that was picking up, but Uchiha Sasuke was definitely nervous and not happy about the situation. That sight of him just froze Kaijo and the others in their tracks.
At least... it did the normal people. Makino was buzzing around getting a small music composition together behind the boy's back for a small music piece of the romantic kind, as well as the cameras. Kaijo could already see the result on the big screen. The camera focusing on close-ups on both his and her face. The music beginning, then slowly growing stronger throughout the scene, with occasional split screens and fade-outs on them.
Kaijo almost formed the words of protest, thinking this wasn't the time or the opportunity, but he held his tongue. He had no idea what to do in this situation, nor did he want to inevitably make things worse. That was one advantage he had with being Makino's Assistant Director: the blame always went directly to him and Kaijo could safely hide in the background.
Besides... it would be a very nice scene...
Sakura was breathing hard as she came to her feet. What was Naruto, insane? First they wanted her to stay out of the fighting and now he was forcing a fight on her? What was he trying to prove now? She already knew that she wasn't cut out for the front lines, dammit! Did they really have to drive the nail in with this stunt?!
Naruto jerked his thumb back at the ship. "The thing's moving pretty fast, Sakura." He said her name hard, as if he needed to make sure of who he was talking to. "I'd guess there's only about ten minutes before it's out of sight. If you don't want to be completely left behind, you'd better get past me, at the very least. If you don't..." he gestured around, at all the water as far as the eye could see. "Well... I hope you'll be ready for a long swim."
The girl just stared at him. What? What was he saying? He wouldn't seriously... her thoughts trailed off for two reasons. The first was that dangerous look in his eye. That same one he had used on her when she had stolen his scrolls. The same one he had used when he fought against Neji in the finals. That serious look that said 'I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass-hard-asshole'. The second one was the Oboro springing to life around him as he brought his fingers together, muttering those words and making more of him appear. Twelve in all.
Naruto casually pointed at two of the clones, then pointed directly at her. Those two took a step forward and for a moment, just stood there. Sakura gave a very loud gulp. Naruto wouldn't really... would he really leave her out...?
At that, the two Narutos took off running at her. She felt her chest seize up as they split off in two separate directions, coming at her from both her left and right sides. The first one came at her, a punch slamming into the side of her face. Sakura jerked back, still not believing this was happening as the other Naruto kicked her across the chest, making her fall on the water. She tried to get up, before noticing the first Naruto coming at her again. So instead, she just rolled out of the way. Taking some effort, she got back up to her feet as that Naruto came at her. She just stumbled backward, trying to get away, but his fist still struck her in the stomach. She wheezed out as she felt the other Naruto's arms behind her. In a swift motion, the clone put her in an arm lock. Looking back in horror, she watched that Naruto jump backwards into the water, taking her down with him.
She took a couple of gulps of water before she managed to hold her breath, while the clone Naruto dragged her further underwater. She attempted to struggle, but the clone's grip was firm. Just how far was Naruto going to take this?! She looked up at the surface and saw it steadily growing farther away. The further they went, the more worried she became. Was Naruto really trying to drown her? Was she going to be killed by her freaking teammate!? How cruel was that supposed to be!?
That's when she felt the squeeze.
It was like someone had thrown a switch, or electrocuted her. Kage Bunshin Naruto did NOT JUST DO THAT!!! He did not just grope her chest like that!! Pure rage flooded into her, replacing the fear and sorrow as she felt new energy surge into her. She broke free of the weakened armlock and drove both of her elbows into the clone, making it disperse despite the water resistance, a testament to how strong that strike was. Sakura then made her way to the surface. Naruto was DEAD!!! She was going to tear him limb from limb and make him eat those limbs!
The remaining Narutos watched as the girl made her way to the surface like a missile, having been able to see what was going on down there due to the lanterns on the ship. Barely, true, but still enough. Normally, Naruto wouldn't have resorted to something like that, but the apparent drowning wasn't working, and as the saying went: desperate times called for desperate measures. Besides, it wasn't like anyone would know. This wasn't being filmed and Naruto seriously doubted any cameras could view it even if it was.
Believe it or not, the cameras actually did.
The girl surfaced again, striking the first clone out of existence. She then began gasping for breath, though you could still see the rage in her eyes. After taking a few precious seconds of heavy breathing, she attempted to stand up straight, but nearly fumbled over as a result. As a result, she put her hands on her knees, still breathing hard.
Naruto held up two fingers with his hand and pointed at his right, then left, then directly at Sakura again. Four more Narutos took off running at her. The girl's head jerked upwards as she heard the Narutos coming at her. Trying to steady herself, she waited for them to come.
The first one came with a right hook at her. Keeping her eyes focused as much as she could, she tilted her head to avoid the blow. She grabbed his arm, then delivered a devastating chop to him, making it puff into smoke. A second one came and punched her on the side of the face, her being too slow right now to dodge it. Growling under her breath, she bashed that Naruto in the head, sending him crashing into the water below. That's when she felt someone jump on her back as the fourth Naruto came at her. Reaching behind her, she grabbed him and hurled the blond clone at the other one. Though she collapsed halfway through the throw, she still managed it. On all fours, she took a few more careful breaths as her muscles screamed 'air!'
That's when she saw the remaining Narutos running at her, determined not to give her a chance to catch her breath. As if a chance was all she needed. She wanted a freaking hour at least!
The first Naruto came up with a kick at her. She only had time to bring her arms up to block the blow, causing it to send her rolling across the water. Two Narutos grabbed her by the arms, then flung her towards another Naruto, who slammed his fist into her face. Giving a gasp of pain, she felt herself fall on top of the water again, another Naruto already coming. Desperate, she took out several shuriken and flung them at him, who easily dodged. Another Naruto came behind her, but she sweep-kicked him off his feet, then punched him out of existence. She stood up as she saw three more coming at her. She ran towards them – though it was more like a stumbling walk – to the middle one. He blocked her first punch, so she spun and blindsided him with her other fist. She quickly reached out and grabbed the other two (though not before each managed to land a blow on her) and slammed them together. The fifth one came as she drove her elbow into his stomach, making him vanish as she fell to one knee, panting again. Looking up, she saw the final one coming.
So this must be the real one, she thought as she took another few breaths. He came running at her, another kick ready. She let herself fall to the water on her back as she brought her foot up, right on his... sensitive area. Naruto's face lit up in pain as he let out a holler. "Payback really is a bitch, isn't it N-," Before she could finish, it exploded in her face. What? But... that was the last one. Desperately, she looked around. If... if that wasn't the last one, then where was...?
A sharp pain in her back was her answer, as Naruto appeared from the water with his uppercut. Sakura jerked in pain as Naruto grabbed her hair and brought her to head level. "Word of advice," he whispered in her ear as she squirmed in pain. "If you're going to fight dirty, then don't complain about what happens to you." With that, he punched her directly in the back, then side-kicked her. She went flying through the air as he prepared to make a new batch of clones, but then saw two kunai coming right at him while Sakura lay on the water. He moved to block them, but then he saw her form the tiger seal. That's when he saw pouches on the ends of the kunai as they exploded, small little papers fluttering around him.
Not trusting these things, he quickly formed the Kaze Tate. After uttering the name, massive winds exploded around him, blowing all those little papers away from him. Well, whatever they were, he didn't have to worry... that's when he saw a kunai with an exploding tag right in front of him.
Uh oh...
The tag exploded, resulting in a monstrous firestorm, lighting up the entire area for what had to be miles. Sakura was down on one knee again as she breathed hard, trying to get what rest she could. She wiped her forehead as her eyes scanned the water. "Come on... out… Naruto. You wouldn't fall... to something... like that."
For a second, there was no answer. Then, about five meters in front of her, the upper half of Naruto's face appeared, glaring at her from the water. It seemed that he managed to avoid the inferno by simply cutting off the flow of chakra to his feet and submerging in the water.
"The fight with... Orochimaru… in the Forest… of Death..." she said, talking slowly to him to play for time.
"What about it?" he demanded, his head fully emerging with the sentence.
"Your... fight with Kiba... in the preliminaries..." she went on, as if not hearing him. "Your match… with Neji in the finals... your struggle with Gaara outside our village... your rematches with both Neji and Kiba..." She could feel her breath catching up a little. Not enough by far, but every little bit she could get now put her in a better position. "I've seen you fight... as much as our teammate... maybe even more than him." She looked directly into his eye. "I know how you work, Uzumaki Naruto... I know your tricks... your strategies... the way you think... your style..." She tried to gather as much force as she could. "Will not work on me."
Naruto's eye darkened as he finished the seal sequence. "Then you should know what happens to those that underestimate me! Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"
Sakura gave an involuntarily jerk as the Water Dragon erupted in front of Naruto. She figured Naruto would use her stalling to his advantage somehow, but she wasn't ready for something like that. She waited for the right moment, then forced her tired body to jump over the dragon, landing on its head.
She was too slow.
The dragon moved quickly enough to slam into her. She gave a small scream as it rose into the air, gaining height so that it could slam her into the ocean. That would knock her out cold, even if she was in peak condition (ignoring the fact that if she was in peak condition, she wouldn't be in this mess!). She had to get on top of the dragon's head! That was the safest place to be from this attack. She glanced downward to see the ocean nearing closer and closer. Now or never... so with that, she took hold of the water and propelled herself upward.
Right into Uzumaki Naruto's waiting fist.
Sakura jerked backward as another few punches connected on her, sending her off the water dragon as it crashed into the sea. Naruto followed her, aiming a right kick at her. This time, she managed to bring up a block with her arms. Grabbing hold of his leg, she pulled him towards her and slammed her right fist into him as hard as she could.
This time, it was Naruto's turn to go flying backwards, while Sakura took in a few more deep breaths, trying to just stand upright at the moment. After skipping across the water for a little bit, Naruto placed his hands on the water, then backflipped as he landed on his face. After rubbing his tender left cheek, he reached behind him and pulled out an exploding tag. He then casually flung it out in front of his face as he made a series of seals.
"Fuuton: Kaze Oshiyaru!"
His wind blast caught the exploding tag and ignited it. Fueled by the winds, the flames erupted through the entire jutsu, sending a fiery column straight from hell directly at the girl.
And who said you needed to know Katon in order to use fire?
She gave a small shriek as she jumped to the side to avoid it. Naruto merely turned his head in that direction, turning his flames towards her. She managed to run and dodge his flames until he ran out of breath, but he accomplished what he wanted: not giving her the opportunity to try and rest. As his little combo dispersed into thin air, he took off running towards her at full speed, sending a right punch towards her. This time, she caught it with her hand, then brought her right fist back, then plowed it forward at him. He brought up his other arm in an attempt to block as her punch entered his blind spot. He waited for that punch to connect with his arm, but it never came. Curious now, he carefully tilted his head over to find out why.
Sakura's hand was making series of one-handed seals.
SHIT!! She never intended to punch him! She just wanted him to think she was so she could move her hand into his blind spot and start making seals where he couldn't see! And speaking of which... since when the fuck could Sakura do one-handed seals!?!?!
Not wanting to fall victim to a genjutsu, he moved his left hand forward to intercept, but Sakura was one step ahead of him as she slammed her forehead right in Naruto's face. The black and orange clothed boy gave a small jerk of the head as his hands came up instinctively to ease the pain on his face. Guess that big forehead had some uses after all...
That's when he felt the effects of her genjutsu starting, snapping him back to the present. The red and pink clad girl held the tiger seal, looking a bit dizzy and disoriented. Shit, which one was it? The Haruno Sakura? The Aikurushii Sakura? A new one? His head looked around furiously to try and identify the effects of what it was, only to realize that it was fading as quickly as it came. What the…? Looking at Sakura, he saw that she was equally surprised. Just what was happening?
A second later, the genjutsu faded out entirely, and the two just looked, a silent truce forming at the moment for them to try and understand what had happened. Naruto's head began buzzing. Could she have failed the genjutsu because she did it one-handed, or because she was tired? Or even both? Looking at the girl, he saw that she was looking directly at him, her eyebrows slowly rising in realization. So she figured it out? Something about him? He quickly looked at himself. He hadn't done anything to counter her illusion and the only jutsu he had active was... his Oboro...
That sent Naruto's mind on warp drive as he began to think about everything he could about genjutsu. His Oboro was a constant outlet of pure chakra all over him, protecting him from the illusion. He shook his head, deciding to work out how it happened exactly later. He was in the middle of a fight right now and couldn't afford to spend more time thinking about it. Locking eyes with Sakura, the silent truce ended as the two held their hands at their sides, each ready to make their next move.
Sakura moved first, with one hand coming up to guard herself, while the other pulled something out of her weapon's pouch. That dancing ribbon thing. With a quick motion, he grabbed a shuriken from his leg holster and threw it at the ribbon. It hit the top portion of the ribbon and knocked it out of her hand. She looked in horror as the ribbon sank below the surface in the depths below.
"You don't really think I'm going to let you do whatever it was you were doing with that, do you?" The one-eyed shinobi asked in sarcasm. He then held up his right hand so she could see it clearly as he ran through the seals again, his Kaze Kiwa forming right there. "I'm ending this now."
The girl felt her heart cringe. Oh... this was bad. She didn't know if he would actually hit her with that or not, but she knew every time he used that move, he was serious. She took a few involuntary steps back as her mind tried to think of a way to counter. Surprisingly, the answer came rather quickly. The problem was that the jutsu she needed didn't work. Not without the ribbon. But what choice did she have?
Naruto moved towards her while she backed away, forming the seals as best she could. Please let this work! Naruto watched with his eye as a rope-like strand of water jumped up from the sea. Before it was halfway to her, though, it broke and splattered apart.
Nooooo!!! she screamed mentally. She didn't have time to form any other sort of reaction as Naruto came in. In desperation, she ducked underneath the blow, causing it to just barely miss her head. She then aimed a kick at his knee. He dodged that easily enough, so she quickly diverted her foot to his other leg. This time, he couldn't dodge as it connected, forcing Naruto off balance. Before he could recover, she slammed both of her fists into his chest. The blow sent Naruto skidding back across the water. He rubbed his tender spot with his hand, while Sakura collapsed yet again. What can I do? she asked herself between gasps for air. She didn't believe she would able to counter Naruto again. She could feel a slight but growing daze in her mind as her body screamed for rest. It was becoming a hassle to just keep her eyes open, let alone fight back.
She should just give in. Give up. But the words wouldn't form in her mouth and not because she was tired. It was more like her mouth wouldn't accept her saying them. Maybe because both of her teammates' pride and stubbornness had rubbed off on her more than she realized, but she wasn't going to quit. Not while she was still conscious and had some chance. She wasn't going to stop. No matter how much her body wanted her to.
As she looked back up at Naruto, she saw him flanked by four more Kage Bunshins, clearly taking no chance this time around, and in that moment, it was like time stopped. A moment of true clarity. With that, she lifted herself off the water. Still on her knees, she ran through the same five seals she just attempted.
The move she was attempting again, what she had been working on all day, was what she had named Mizu Hoippu. Water Whip.
She had gotten the idea from watching the dancers on the night of the party, when Naruto said 'As fluidly as water and as skillful as whips.' The idea had seemed very simple at the time. Making the water like a whip. As she quickly discovered, it wasn't nearly as easy as she thought it would be.
So she began practicing with the water, trying to get the feel of the basics for it so she could mold it into a weapon. She figured that she could control it through both skill and chakra control, letting her move it in any way she could. Both naturally and unnaturally. That was why she had been practicing with the ribbon when Naruto came to her to teach her the Doryuuheki; it had been the closest thing to a whip she had to practice with.
That little delay in her training had actually been beneficial to her. After the fight with the freak, she had gone to the back of the boat and noticed the dirt clinging to her hands, which gave her the idea to do something similar with her jutsu: make the water stick to the ribbon. After a little bit of experimenting with the earth, she used the ribbon as a medium, channeling chakra through it and making the water stick to the ribbon. It limited how she could use the jutsu some, but it was working. That was the moment she felt a real sense of success and accomplishment.
Then came the hard part: making the water whip solely out of water. That was what she had been struggling with for most of the day. No matter what she tried, no matter how much chakra or control she put into it, she couldn't get the water to keep the form of the whip. It would just break apart again and again and again. It drove her mad, wondering just what she was missing for the key element to make this thing work. And a few moments ago, she got her answer.
She was too frustrated. Too angry.
She wasn't able to be calm. She couldn't focus and concentrate adequately. She had rallied too much on her excellent chakra control skills, instead of remembering the key fact that it took a calm and concentrated mind to utilize chakra control. Advice she herself had told her other teammate back in the Wave Country. She found it ironic that she discovered this answer in the heat of battle, where a calm, rational mind was the place you'd least expect to be in such a state, yet that was also the time you needed to be in that state of mind.
There was no hesitation in her mind now, no doubt as she finished the fifth and final seal.
The water answered her call. Leaping up from the ocean, it formed a rope-like weapon that extended from her two fingers on her right hand. Still breathing hard, she launched her water whip. It streaked forward, piercing the first Naruto's chest. She flicked her wrist as it slammed into the second one. With a small circular motion, she wrapped the water around the third Naruto's ankle and threw him against the other two. The clone was caught, but the original jumped over the two, as he came flying down right at her. Kaze Kiwa still ready.
In response, Sakura gestured her wrist again and the water whip moved like a snake, shooting itself directly at Naruto's Kaze Kiwa. The tip of the wind technique met the tip of the water jutsu as the two collided. The wind drilled at the water, splashing it in all directions, but more and more of the whip forced its way through.
Naruto watched in disbelief as the tip of the Kaze Kiwa began to collapse inward as a result of the whip's force. Wind continued to shred water while water continued to push, and the wind's tip went from resisting to struggling, until it shattered completely. The boy's eye screamed pure disbelief as the water dashed onward while the raging winds died out, wrapping itself around Naruto's arm like a snake and moving towards Naruto's throat. Naruto barely had time to bring up his other hand to prevent himself from being strangled as the water wrapped around his neck. How the hell did his Kaze Kiwa fail!?! That one never failed!!
"What... did you... do?" Naruto demanded, torn between yelling at her for breaking the Kaze Kiwa of all things and being amazed that she had broken it.
"Your... Kaze Kiwa..." Sakura said slowly, still on her knees and other hand on the water for support as well. "Focuses your... chakra on a... single starting point... the tip. From that... spot... you generate a... sp-spinning motion down your... arm... that means... the rest of the... jutsu... is depe-pendent on the tip. As long... as you have that starting point... spinning... your jutsu will work... but just the opposite is true..."
"If the spinning point goes," Naruto finished for her, understanding coming to him. "So does the rest of the jutsu." In a way, it was like what happened with a house of cards when you removed just one card from it: the whole thing came tumbling down. Disrupt the tip of the Kaze Kiwa and the rest of the whirling winds lost their focal point and control, making them crash in on themselves. Why hadn't he seen that little flaw before? Sure, it wasn't easy to exploit, but if the weakness did exist, then he needed to know about it. He briefly wondered how she figured it out, when he realized it must have been from when she... borrowed... his scrolls. The old anger slowly surfaced knowing that she was using that knowledge against it, but it was also being replaced by curiosity: if she discovered one weakness he hadn't known about, had she found others?
"S-surrender..." he heard her say slowly. She looked ready to pass out right there. "I've... got... y-you..."
Naruto made no answer as he quickly studied his situation: he had this water whip wrapped around his right arm and around his throat. His left hand was bound next to his throat, but that also prevented him from being strangled. Looking at the water, he wondered how she controlled its movement so precisely. Chakra control? Perhaps. So... if he broke that water in two... the part that was still connected to her hands would definitely work, but the part he cut off would lose that chakra control and its solidified form, making it fall back to water. With that thought, he raised his right leg for a kick directly at her water line.
As it turned out, it wasn't necessary. Before his foot got even halfway up, the water whip broke apart on its own, Sakura no longer able to maintain it. She slammed her fist on the water again and again. Naruto looked at the girl for a minute, knowing exactly how she felt to have victory in her grasp, only it taken away. Maybe they should stop now. She was fighting back, no longer depressed. Objective accomplished, right? Naruto opened his mouth to suggest they stop when she struggled back to her feet. She wobbled a bit and almost toppled over again. Sweat was falling down her face as surely as the rain around them, her legs shaking, trying to support her weight. Her breathing was heavy and erratic.
"Sakura..." he started, as she put her hands together. Oh boy... she wasn't stupid enough to...
Four more Sakuras appeared on Sakura's left and right.
Never mind... yes she was. Naruto shook his head. He was flat-out amazed she was still standing. How much of this was just pure willpower and not just stamina or chakra? He gave a sigh as he shook his head. Fine... if she wanted to play this out to the end, then she would just have to get it the hard way.
He watched as the Sakuras overlapped each other into a straight line as Naruto rushed them. The Sakuras all jumped back as one, then split in four directions. Naruto punched the first one through the face, making it vanish. He then charged the next one, dispersing it with a kick through the chest. Looking up, he saw the last two slowly backing off, both of them panting. So the last remaining clones were faking being tired, huh? Well... this wouldn't take long.
A grin quickly slid onto his face as he suddenly felt quite pleased with himself at that moment. She was doing considerably better than he thought she would. He briefly wondered what the fight would have been like if she was at her best. That grin became a smile. It was a perfect chance to really see what she was made of... and maybe get her back real good for that nasty temper of hers. Paradise!
He threw two shuriken at the remaining two Sakuras, both of which dodged. He chased down the one on the left, who couldn't move fast enough to evade, disappearing with his left hook. "Last one," he said in a cheery voice. He was quite happy at the moment. "Game's up, Sakura. Time to quit."
She was just breathing hard, shaking her head as she slowly walked backwards. Naruto began walking towards her, no longer caring if he finished this fast or not. She wanted to drag her misery out like this? Fine with him. He was winning, after all.
"You're... dead..."
Naruto felt himself stop halfway to Sakura, feelings of happiness, contentment, and pleasure rapidly disappearing. It was like he had woken up from a dream. Except instead of waking up in bed, he felt a weak grip on his arm and the flat side of a kunai pressed against his neck. As he looked behind himself, he felt that cool, flat metal slide across his neck. Behind him was another Sakura, looking quite dead on her feet and nearly pale white as the one in front of him disappeared. She moved the kunai away from his throat as comprehension dawned on him. He had only been fighting four Sakuras as opposed to what should have been five: the four clones plus the original. How could he have made such a stupid mistake!? It couldn't be a simple matter of underestimating or miscounting! He wouldn't make such a mistake, so what could have been...
"Your Haruno Sakura genjutsu..." he said, the words coming out from his lips before his mind could fully comprehend it. That had to be it. He couldn't think of anything else that would cause him to lose focus like that.
Sakura merely nodded, trying to catch her breath and remain standing. "How? You're too..."
"It... wasn't the... full... genjutsu..." she managed to choke out. Looking behind her, she saw the ship was still in the same place as when they started. It hadn't moved at all. That was nice to know. "I... couldn't do the whole thing... but I... didn't need to... just a few moments... long enough to make you... complacent... while I snuck up... behind you..."
Naruto breathed out, getting the jist of the plan: Sakura had the four bunshins overlap her to conceal her so she could go underwater and hide while she took the time to perform her genjutsu. She couldn't do the entire thing, but she didn't need to. Only the beginning parts of it making him feel happy and content before the serene feeling kicked it. Just enough to make him unaware of his surroundings so she could sneak up. That was why the bunshins backed off and stalled: they were playing for time to get Sakura in position.
"How the heck did you get your genjutsu to work the second time?" Naruto asked, letting his Oboro shut off.
She began talking about stuff he didn't fully grasp and that was probably because she was too busy panting and gasping for breath. There was something about shielding his tenketsu, clearing his senses and that it was only as effective as his skill with it. He basically got the fact that his Oboro shielded him from Genjutsu, but the catch was that higher level genjutsu were harder to dispel, which made his Oboro less effective. Sakura had figured out that key fact before he had and used it against him. He opened his mouth to compliment her move when the kunai dropped out of her hands. He then watched her fall backwards in slow motion. She didn't fall far until someone caught her.
Uchiha Sasuke.
Her head was resting on his left arm as he supported her weight. She was too tired right now to complain, though truthfully, she found it quite comfortable. Warm... soft... was this what laying on his lap was like? Yeah... she could stay here awhile. It was nice...
"Don't pass out on us yet," Sasuke told her softly as he supported her weight. She seemed so light right now. He looked directly at Naruto and didn't even bother hiding the grin from him. "So, how's it feel to lose to her?"
Sakura gave a small smile as if someone had made a poor joke, while Naruto felt like a lightning bolt had struck him head-on as the reality of Sasuke's statement sunk in. HE LOST!?!? TO SAKURA!?! No way! He didn't lose! He... he... he just… well... he... that memory of the words 'you're dead' and the kunai pressed against his throat reared its ugly head as he grabbed his head in complete despair. HOW THE HELL COULD HE LOSE!?! TO HER!?! He beat Kiba! Neji! Gaara! Gave that Kabuto-teme a beating! Sasuke! How the hell did he lose to Sakura when she was tired and exhausted!?! The universe really was coming to an end!
After his self-imposed pity party, Naruto looked at the other two and got back to the matter at hand. Deliberately not mentioning the results, he commented "Well, Sakura, I think you just proved to everyone that you can hold your own in a fight. Now, the question is... what do you want to do?"
From her place on Sasuke's arm, the girl just looked at him bewildered.
"You have two choices. Either you can stay on the sidelines like you were proclaiming a while ago..." Naruto started, then allowed Sasuke to jump in. "Or you can fight side by side with us. Whatever decision you make, we'll support you. So, do you want to fight, or do you want to support?" the Uchiha heir finished.
Sakura found the answer to that question immediately. Maybe it was because of the battle or maybe it was because she was so tired she wasn't thinking clearly. Slice it however you want, she still came up with the same answer. "F-fight..."
Naruto gave her a thumbs-up, while Sasuke gave a small smile. "Then there's only one thing to do." As if on cue, Naruto reached into his pouch and took out her headband. With a small smile of his own, he said "Let's put this back where it belongs." Hovering over the girl, he tied it around her forehead. "Now you're ready."
Sakura hadn't felt this good in a long time. The headband now felt right on her, like it belonged there and wasn't just for show. In response, she gave the biggest smile she could manage for them. With that, she closed her eyes and entered the blissful realm of sleep right there. It was unfortunate that she couldn't stay awake just a few more minutes, for if she had, she would have heard the applause and the cheering. Applause and cheering that was exclusively for her. For one Haruno Sakura. But even if the girl had been awake, she wouldn't have cared. She got her two teammates' respect and vote of confidence. That was enough.
Sasuke scooped up the girl in his arms as they made their way back to the ship. Sakura seemed to just snuggle herself in his hold, something that made the Uchiha's face go red again. Once they got on the ship, they found that the movie crew was still applauding. The two boys hushed them down, while Sasuke deliberately avoided making any eye contact for fear of dying of embarrassment if he did.
Naruto scanned the crowd carefully. "None of you people filmed any of that, did you?"
"Of course not!" Makino replied cheerfully, having just hidden the cameras and instruments moments ago.
The one-eyed boy merely snorted as they walked past the bastard director. Koyuki herself passed through the sea of people and came right up to them. "Come on, you," she told Sasuke in that tone that wouldn't take no for an answer. "We need to get her in bed and out of those wet clothes. We've got some electric blankets for her, which should help with some of the soreness in the morning that she'll be feeling."
Sasuke, if such a thing was possible, went as red as Hinata did at the words 'out of those wet clothes'. He gave a small gulp as he began following the actress. Naruto decided to walk with them, anxious to see more of Sasuke embarrassed like this. If only he had a camera to preserve the moment!
Koyuki caught Naruto's eye, then Sasuke's face. "I'll be the one taking care of her. You two perverts only need to bring her to her room."
Sasuke's face returned to normal at that, despite the pervert comment. Oh well... it was fun while it lasted.
"So why are you being so helpful?" Naruto pressed, slightly suspicious at her sudden generosity.
"Because there are some times when a woman simply needs to help out her fellow woman," Koyuki responded, looking directly at him. "Since they can't trust the males to do the job properly. At least you didn't damage your jacket this time around, reckless idiot."
Normally, Naruto would have snapped back at her, but that last comment made him freeze. Not believing that this could be true, he took a few careful sniffs.
It was the same scent...
The one on the card by his restored jacket...
"No way... you were the one who fixed my jacket!?" Naruto demanded.
Koyuki didn't so much as blink. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Snow Country, Daimyo's Castle, 10:45 P.M.
"Let me get this straight... you three lost... not to the Copy Nin... but to three brats?"
Nadare was kneeling in front of the current ruler of Snow, the three of them having just returned only an hour earlier. "If I may say something, we didn't so much as lose as much as get... held off," he said, trying to keep his face composed, and his voice steady. "But Hatake Kakashi is out of the way, so - "
The man's fist slammed on the arm of the throne. "I don't want to hear your excuses! You three, my San Eihei, were defeated by mere children!!!"
The three of them were inside the throne room of the Daimyo's Castle, which had been built on top of the ruins of the old Kazahana one. The man's throne was erected on a small stairway so that those around him had to look up to him, both figuratively and literally. At the base of the stairway stood two Yuki nin. They were dressed in the usual fashion as one would expect of Snow Ninja. Sturdy boots with thick white wool pants and jacket, though the sleeves were a darker blue. They wore a hood and mask, with only the eyes uncovered, though even some Yuki nin wore goggles to protect from the weather. They wore a standard kunai holster on both legs and several packs along the waistline, as well as on the chest area. They wore metal gauntlets over their wrists and forearms, as well as grieves over their shins. Two other noticeable pieces of their attire was the small metal box they wore like a backpack, and right beside their left shoulders was a small silver insignia of a steel fist. The Daimyo's personal sigil.
The throne room itself was fairly large and spacious, as it lacked any real decorations one might expect. No valuable paintings or statues, or fine displays of wealth. Not even rate or expensive rugs to cover the stone cold floor that Nadare, Fukubi and Mizore now knelt down on.
Nadare suppressed a sigh as he spoke again. "My apologies, milord." That was the way you dealt with the man. You apologize – regardless if you meant it or not – and waited. If you tried to speak in your defense or protest, you only encouraged the man to cut you off and yell that much louder.
"Rest assured, we won't let little girls get the better of us again," Fubuki commented, a satisfied smirk on her face as she looked at Mizore out of the corner of her eye.
This time, Nadare let out a sigh. It was a pity indeed that he seemed to be the only one who knew to keep his mouth shut.
Mizore, his nose bandaged up heavily, glared dangerously at their female companion. "At least I didn't have a little boy nearly scorch my ass!"
"Right, and what happened to you again?" Fubuki forged a frown. "Was it a Katon jutsu that did that to you? No... that wasn't it... what about an exploding tag? No, no... what was it?" She snapped her fingers, then allowed her frown to bloom into a full smile with a look of glee in her eyes. "Oh... I remember. Only a little fist to your nose that made you holler like a baby!"
Mizore looked ready to explode before the man on the throne yelled "Silence!!"
The two shut up as the man stood up from his throne and walked down the small flight of stairs. With each step, the atmosphere seemed to become that much heavier in the presence of this individual. And why shouldn't it? This was the Daimyo of the country. The single man responsible for the... change... in government and Yukigakure. The one who had crushed or forced into submission Snow's twenty three local lords. The most powerful man in all of Snow...
Kazahana Doto.
The man, wearing a body long cloak to conceal his clothing, stared at each of them. "Tell me you at least confirmed that she has the Hex Crystal."
"Yes sir, she has it," Nadare said, jumping in before either of his teammates could make another snide remark. "And they are still coming here. It will be a simple matter to reclaim it and eliminate the three pests."
Doto looked at them all as he considered, not speaking a word as he rubbed his chin. Nadare knew whenever he did that, he was deep in thought, and when he did that, someone typically ended up dead before too long.
"Anyone care to wager if Mizore gets sucker-punched again?" Fubuki asked, earning another glare from Mizore.
Nadare looked to his left at Fubuki, their resident sadist and gambler. The woman just loved playing with her opponents, both mentally and physically, though mind games were her favorite. She was also known to turn every opportunity into a bet. During the iceberg battle, she had wagered that the genin would have ran away scared and peed their pants. Needless to say, both Nadare and Mizore were glad to have won that bet: Mizore got the money, while Nadare found potential challenges among these three. Not enough to challenge him, of course, but enough to make things interesting.
Her sadistic tendencies had earned her the nickname Seihyouki Kijo.
At that, Nadare glanced off to his right at his other teammate. Mizore was the joker and playboy among them. He also had a very low tolerance for pain due to the loss of his left arm all those years ago. After the loss of his arm, Mizore had hunted down the shinobi who had done it and butchered the man with the thanks of his new metal arm. Mizore kept the man's head and preserved it in his room as a trophy. From that point began Mizore's new habit of profiteering. He would go after any bounty head he could find for the thrill of the hunt, or anyone else who had 'grievously injured him'. Each time, he kept a trophy from the encounter, typically the head, and decorated his room with those things, numbering 28 so far. And that was why Nadare hadn't gone into his teammate's room in ages.
Nadare had no doubt that Mizore intended to make the girl his 29th trophy. His little hobby made him renown as Riken'ya no Mizore.
As for himself, Nadare casually reached behind himself and pulled out Snow's latest Bingo Book, flipping it open to the page that he had looked at some many times in the last ten years.
Village Affiliation: Konohagakure
Name: Hatake Kakashi (Copy Nin)
Age: 27
Known Jutsus: Suiton, Katon, Doton, Raiton, Fuuton (suspected), and Hyouton jutsu
Known Abilities: High-speed, Taijutsu specialist, Kage-level chakra capacity, Sharingan
Kekkei Genkai: none
Estimated Rank: S-Class
Reward: 57 million ryo
Wanted by: Kirigakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Yukigakure, Amegakure, Takigakure
When they had first fought, Nadare had no idea who the opponent had been. Just one of Konoha's ANBU. It was two weeks later when he learned the identity of the man... and the doorway to his own goal. Absentmindedly, he began flipping through the pages.
Village Affiliation: Iwagakure
Name: Koshian Kazuki
Age: 62
Known Jutsus: Doton jutsu
Known Abilities: High-speed, Taijutsu specialist, Kage-level chakra capacity
Kekkei Genkai: none
Estimated Rank: A-Class
Reward: 52 million ryo
Wanted by: Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Konohagakure, Kusagakure, Amegakure, Takigakure, Tanigakure
Village Affiliation: Kumogakure
Name: Kirabi (Killer Bee)
Age: unknown
Known Jutsus: Raiton, Doton jutsu
Known Abilities: Kenjutsu specialist, Kage-level chakra capacity, suspected Jinchuuriki
Kekkei Genkai: unknown
Estimated Rank: S-Class
Reward: 67 million ryo
Wanted by: Kirigakure, Iwagakure, Konohagakure, Amegakure, Hoshigakure, Moyagakure
Village Affiliation: Sunagakure
Name: Baki
Age: 34
Known Jutsus: Doton, Fuuton jutsu
Known Abilities: Ninjutsu specialist, Kage-level chakra capacity
Kekkei Genkai: none
Estimated Rank: A-Class
Reward: 45 million ryo
Wanted by: Iwagakure, Kirigakure, Konohagakure, Kumogakure, Amegakure, Kagerougakure, Takigakure
Village Affiliation: Kirigakure
Name: Gitou Hasaki (Doku Yaiba)
Age: 31
Known Jutsus: Suiton, Raiton
Known Abilities: Former member of the Seven Shinobi Swordsman of the Mist, Taijutsu specialist, notable poison expert, Kage-level chakra capacity
Kekkei Genkai: none
Estimated Rank: S-Class, current Kage
Reward: 58 million ryou
Wanted by: Kumogakure, Konohagakure, Sunagakure, Takigakure, Hoshigakure, Tanigakure, Yugakure
Nadare felt frustration well up inside of him. These five individuals and more were the elite of the elite of the shinobi world. The cream of the crop. The best of the best. A place that he, himself, should be included in. He knew he was good enough to be recognized with these individuals, but what was his entry?!
Village Affiliation: Yukigakure
Name: Rouga Nadare (Anarisuto no Nadare)
Age: 27
Known Jutsus: Hyouton
Known Abilities: average Taijutsu skills
Kekkei Genkai: none
Estimated Rank: C-Class
Reward: 20 thousand ryou
Wanted by: Konohagakure, Amegakure
It was infuriating! To be labeled as no more than a common, cannon fodder chunin of all things! Sure, he wasn't among the best in Yukigakure – nothing like the late Mikata – but he wasn't weak either! He was one of the San Eihei, the strongest in Doto's handpicked loyalist shinobi! He had gone head to head with Kakashi, one of the people on the list, and held his own! Twice! When he found out Kakashi's identity over ten years ago after their first fight, he found his way to make the world recognize his skills. He would take down Hatake Kakashi and launch his success worldwide. That would gain him the status he knew he deserved! And finally... when they crossed paths again... after years of agonizing toil, training, and research for their destined rematch... Kakashi went and died by the iceberg collapsing on him! How pathetic was that!? And all of Nadare's work collapsed with him.
And what was left for him to face now? Three little genin brats. Sure, they were talented and had some potential, but nothing to the late Copy Nin. Defeating them would not gain him what he sought. These three might provide him some fun and it would certainly be satisfying to pay that blond one back, but in the end, he would still be just a grunt in the Bingo Book. No one of significance or a threat. Just a nuisance.
As such, the three of them were the Analyst, the Ice Maker Witch, and the Profiteer who made up the San Eihei, named as such due to the fact they were Doto's strongest among the loyalist shinobi and his personal 'Sentinels'. A name only known among their fellows, and alas, not worldwide like that of the famous – or infamous, depending on your point of view – Sannin of the Leaf. It should come as no surprise that the three of them were on the same genin team when they were younger. Their sensei was Kaigen, the inventor of the Chakra Armor. Though in those days, it was much less sophisticated, but it was the start. The idea wasn't too popular at his time, and so he kept it for his own personal use. Three years into the team's formation, there was an accident that resulted in the death of Kaigen's wife. Devastated, Kaigen left the village in self-imposed exile. The three of them hadn't seen hide or hair of him since, having no idea where he was now or even if he was still alive.
"Nadare!" Doto's voice yelled, clearly not pleased that Nadare was looking at his Bingo Book and lost in his own world. Grudgingly, Nadare placed his Bingo Book back in his pouch, making a mental note to choose another target to pursue for his glory after this little "crisis" was over.
After the Analyst uttered another apology, Doto held out his arm in a commanding tone. "Send word to Yukigakure: all missions are hereby canceled. All active shinobi are to report to the borders and watch for that ship and the princess' entourage. The princess is to be brought to the castle unharmed, but kill anyone who tries to resist! Eliminate those three Genin with extreme prejudice! By order of the Kagirinai Kachuu!"
Kagirinai Kachuu. That was the name of the leader of the Snow Village. Since Yukigakure was not one of the great five shinobi nations, their leader could not use the Kage name. As such, Yukigakure's leader was known as the Kagirinai Kachuu, the nickname of Hyouden Bansou, founder of Yukigakure. He was known as the Eternal Maelstrom due to his unique ability to cast ninjutsu so well that he used winter storms as his weapon. Fierce winds, hail so sharp it pierced anything, freezing cold temperatures, and blinding snow. Whether this was the result of a Kekkei Genkai, or just a variety of Hyouton, Fuuton and Suiton ninjutsu expertly used together was unknown, but the effect was utterly devastating. He could annihilate an entire army singlehandedly with that move. Naturally, this ability was only useful in the cold climates of the world and not something he could perform anywhere else, but Bansou was still formidable even without that technique. As another part of his legacy, a massive and constant storm surrounded Yukigakure, with the village safely located in the 'eye' of the storm. The only way to navigate the storm was with the specialized compass that pointed to the center of the village, rather than north. An item every Yuki nin had and guarded with their lives as it was their only means back home.
Hyouden Bansou had founded Yukigakure over sixty years ago and had ruled for thirty three years before passing away in his sleep. A man simply known as Yacho succeeded him. He wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but was an incredible fighter in his own right before being killed in the Third Shinobi War thirteen years later. During that time, Mikata came to the title. Though her reign was cut short after a mere four years when Doto came to power, in which Doto claimed the title for himself. And why shouldn't he?
After all... Doto defeated and killed Mikata in single-handed combat during the change in power ten years ago.
"Leave me now. Go to our intelligence reports. See if there's anything about these three genin in there. I want to know the names of these three brats to engrave in the Hell Asylum!"
The three bowed once again to their leader and left. Snow owls and radios would be used to communicate with Yukigakure – two days travel by shinobi standards – from the castle. A message would be received by the village soon enough and the teams across the country mobilized. That entire process would only take a few hours, half the night at most. Then the shinobi would make way to the borders of their island nation, either willingly or grudgingly, but they would do it.
Wherever Koyuki and her allies landed, Snow ninja would be there waiting for them.
5:10 A.M.
The ship anchored up at the coastline as vehicles drove out. Trucks, jeeps, and vans moved out across the snow as other people disembarked, everyone dressed for the weather again. Naruto jumped on top of the foremost truck and looked around. Not seeing anyone, he took a few careful sniffs in the air. A few scents lingered in the way, but he couldn't tell if they were old or fresh. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke walking out next, right behind Koyuki, the Uchiha's eyes nailed on the actress so she wouldn't try and escape again. On his back was Sakura, still sleeping. The boys hadn't even bothered trying to wake her, figuring it was best to let her rest as long as possible. Naruto watched them enter one of the other trucks as everyone else loaded up as well.
As for himself, he just crossed his arms as he continued to look at the landscape: a dense forest area that was just covered in snow, snow and more snow. He never thought he'd see this much white in his life. Giving a brief shiver, the truck starting moving out, leading the vehicle caravan. They were headed for the Rainbow Glacier, as Makino had no such intention of changing that part of the movie. It wasn't like they didn't have a shinobi village after them or anything. Men must have their priorities, Makino had said.
Naruto just shook his head again at thinking of the bastard as they took off down the road.
Above, on a hill a good hundred meters away, a single Yuki nin was looking through binoculars down at the ship and the departing caravan of cars. The man was dressed in normal snow ninja attire, though he had a scar that cut across the left cheek towards the side of his head, where he was missing the lower half of his ear.
"Koyuki-sama. You've returned," he said to himself as he put the binoculars away and moved out.
(Author's Notes) Whew! Done! Had to update my other stories before this one, and the fight scene I took very slowly and carefully to keep it as realistic as possible. Personally, I think I pulled it off, but I'll let you all be the judges. As usual, the scenes turned out longer than I anticipated, but I was determined to start off the Snow Country arc this chapter, so I kept on going, which as you can see, the Snow Shinobi have been mobilized against Team 7 and one of them has spotted them already!
As mentioned above, I would not personally label Sakura as completely exhausted, so she would be able to move about some, though not as well if she was in peak condition. While it was best to avoid having her fight in this type of scenario, I did it for a number of reasons. The first was that I wanted Sakura to struggle at creating her first unique jutsu and that required as much time as I could give her. Another was that I wanted Sakura to break down at the end of the day, similar to what she did in canon in the Forest of Death and a powerful moment for her. This didn't exactly happen in Part 1 of Legacy (not that that's a bad thing), but I had a chance to add a similar moment, so I took it. Thirdly was that I wanted Sakura pushed past her limits in this. Past, not merely to. Bit of a difference. Pushing someone merely to their limits keeps them at relatively at the same skill level. To improve, you need to push yourself past your limits so you gain new heights, then work to pass those as well and so on. Since she is the least experienced and weakest among the three, I wanted to jump-start her a little to help prepare her for what is yet to come. And as you read with Mizore, it's going to be intense.
Special thanks to Tellemicus for our recent discussions which helped me plan out this chapter and chapters to come, as well as the nicknames for Mizore and Fubuki, as well as the group name. He also graciously provided the first four Bingo Book entries for me to use (namely, Kakashi's, Kazuki's, Killer Bee's and Baki's). He gave me leeway to do the fifth one, who is the same Mizukage that was briefly featured in Makaze Rekidashi. And of course, Nadare's was all mine.
Couple of notes on those entries in case you don't recognize some of the information. Kazuki was the Rock Jonin commander that was seen in Makaze Rekidashi who fought Naruto and captured Team 8. Kagerougakure - Hidden Heat Haze Village, Moyagakure - Hidden Haze Village, Hoshigakure – Hidden Star Village, Tanigakure – Hidden Valley Village, and Yugakure – Hidden Hot Springs Village. The first five are minor villages features at various points in the anime while the last one is Hidan's canon village, as confirmed in the third Databook.
Riken'ya no Mizore – Mizore the Profiteer
Seihyouki Kijo – Ice-maker Witch
San Eihei – Three Sentinels
Hasaki – edge of blade
Gitou – ceremonial sword
doku – poison
yaiba – blade
kagirinai – eternal
kachuu – maelstrom (Fun note: was tempted to use 'Naruto' for maelstrom, heh heh)
hyouden – field of eternal snow
bansou – a late frost
yacho – wild boar
Kaigen – change of era
Oboro no Jutsu vs Genjutsu. The Oboro, by it's nature, is a constant release of pure chakra all around the body. As such, this acts like a shield against genjutsu either weakening the effects or even canceling it out are two reasons for this. The first is that the Oboro mimics the counter genjutsu method that Jiraiya taught Naruto in canon. Basically, with all the chakra flowing through him, it interferes and cancels out the genjutsu. The second is that because of the Oboro's denseness it covers the body's tenketsu, which Genjutsu enters to take affect (regardless if it's by sight, smell, hearing, or whatever, it still has to travel through the tenketsu to take affect). With these points blocked, the Genjutsu affecting Naruto is decreased significantly. It should be noted that the effectiveness – like any technique – is only as effective as the user. While Naruto can potentially strengthen Oboro to completely counter Genjutsu, at his current skill level the Oboro can only counter C-class Genjutsu and lower.
Sakura Fubuki no Jutsu--Cherry Blossom Snow Storm Technique//Sakura attaches small pouches to her kunai filled with small exploding tags. The pouches either release due to force of contact, or Sakura can manually release them with a hand seal. When the small bombs fill the air, a normal exploding tag can set them off, resulting in a gigantic explosion. (No rank) (Sakura)
Suiton: Mizu Hoippu--Water Release: Water Whip//A long broad strand of water that is summoned out of a nearby water source. Due to the structure, it is an extremely versatile jutsu that is very hard to break depending on the user's chakra control capabilities. Often used for mid to long range offense, but it can just as easily be utilized for defense. (Upper C-Class) (Sakura) Credit goes to Tellemicus for suggesting the idea.
Katon: Jigoku Kaze Oshiyaru--Fire Release: Hell Wind Thrust//A standard Kaze Oshiyaru in contact with with an exploding tag, or Katon jutsu, giving a intense burst of flame on top of the impact force behind it. (Mid B-Class ninjutsu) (Naruto)
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. Big thanks to paintball-gamer for beta reading this!
