Clash in the Snow Country: Legacy Version

Chapter 16: Hell in a Handbasket

(Author's Note) Just a fair warning, there's a bit more usage of profanity in this chapter than normal.

8:50 am

Koyuki

She didn't know where she was going and she didn't care. With her three shinobi "bodyguards" preoccupied with a surprise Yuki-nin attack and the fog they had created, it was very easy to slip out of the car with everyone's attention on the battles. Due to the fog, she had ended up running into three different cars before the fog disappeared and allowed her to regain her bearings. As fortune would have it, no one noticed her, so she continued running, determined to get out of this country however she could. If she was fast enough, maybe... just maybe... she could get back to the boat. The boat wouldn't be able to leave quickly. With re-supplying alone, it should take half a day at least. She just needed to keep running.

She had just finished running out of the long mountain tunnel passage that the caravan of cars exited not too long ago. She paused slightly as she tried to catch her breath and determine which way she should go now. She had little doubt that those three Genin would triumph in their fights. After what she'd seen them do, both on the boat and at the iceberg, she knew their skills were far superior to what a first glance would indicate. It wasn't a question in her mind whether they would win; it was how long it would take them. Once they were done, they would be after her like hounds on a rabbit.

This time, though, she was ready for them. Carefully reaching into her pocket, she took out a few smelling salts she had acquired before leaving the ship. The blond fool wouldn't be able to follow her scent this time. After applying them to her feet and around her, she jumped down the side of the road where it sloped. Half sliding and half running, she continued downwards until she reached the bottom, where she nearly lost her balance.

Once she regained her footing, she quickly flung out some more of the salts. Once she was satisfied, she jumped to a low tree branch. Holding as tightly as she could, she began to swing her feet back and forth, gaining momentum with each swing. After a few moments of swinging, she let go and flew forward about seven meters to the ground. Landing with little difficulty, she quickly jumped on top of a large rock that was right next to her. Though she nearly slipped on it, she managed to jump to another tree branch.

This time when she landed, she took off running again. The wind picked up for just an instant, chilling her to the bone despite the heavy, warm clothes she had on. It had been so long since she had been here; she had forgotten just how merciless the weather could be. Looking at the sky, she saw that in the distance, the clouds were gathering. Leftovers from the small storm last night? Or...

She shook her head, as it would do no good to worry about such things right now. She just wanted out of here. Why couldn't anyone, especially Naruto, understand that? She wanted no part in this country. It wasn't even her home anymore. Her home had been destroyed that night ten years ago by her uncle. Doto scared her. Though she could barely remember him before the coup, he always had this presence of strength, similar to an iron wall. Strong and forbidding, and carried a weight that could crush you in an instant if you weren't aware. And that was just what happened... Doto crushed her father... everything she knew and loved... completely and without regards to a simple five-year-old at the time.

Everyone, Sandayuu, Naruto, the ninja, the movie crew, all of them expected her to pick up a sword and fight for her country... but what was she supposed to be fighting for? Her parents were dead and what happy faces she could remember were gone. She did not know the people in this country, so how could she possibly fight for them? It was unfair. They argued that she was the Princess and it was her responsibility as such to help her people, but what good would that title do if it meant nothing to her? She had given up that life, name, and responsibility when she left Snow all those years ago.

When she and Kakashi had left and went to the mainland, Kakashi was fully determined to take her back to the village. There, he had assured her, she would be safe. Even to her child's mind, she knew that she wouldn't be safe at the Hidden Leaf. It would mean that those surviving followers of her father would rally to her in that village and fling her back to Snow to "lead" them to stop her uncle, back to all the fear and violence. On the justification that it was her duty as the Princess.

Just like they were now.

On the way to Konoha, Koyuki had snuck off one night while Kakashi was asleep. Though she was tired, she forced herself to run and run. She didn't care where she went, she just knew if she stayed with the man, she would be dragged back to the Snow Country.

She had fully expected the Leaf ANBU to follow her, but for some reason, he never came. She ran for two days before collapsing on the ground due to her exhaustion and hunger. She couldn't remember how long she lay on the ground there until an old man found her. He fed her, took care of her, and helped her get back on her feet. His name had been Kai, an old man of 74. He had been alone for many years now for reasons he did not wish to talk about, and since she didn't want to talk about her past, it worked out perfectly for them. For three years, she lived with the man. He was harsh and strict, but he was kind and made sure she was well fed and taken care of. That was all she needed. It was during this time he gave her a name. Her true name now: Yukie. Then, one night, Kai had a heart attack in the middle of the night and died. Both frightened and alone again, Koyuki took off running again.

She went to the next village, where she stayed on the outskirts for a few weeks before learning the truth of the past three years from careless gossip. Kai was a retired ANBU operative of Konoha. One known for his absolute loyalty to the Third Hokage.

She saw the entire plan now: Kakashi didn't try to catch her because they were going to have Kai find her. That's why he never tried to come after her; she wouldn't be surprised if he had used some genjutsu to steer her in the right direction. He knew exactly where she was the entire time. All of Konoha did. Kai must have agreed because the Third asked him to. By keeping her with Kai, she was safely hidden in a remote location with an expert ANBU watching out for her. And looking back, Kai had done a lot of writing. For his journal, he had told her, but now she was sure it was update letters to Konoha.

Yet, there came two crucial flaws: they left Kai alone in his duties and only anticipated external threats. An unexpected heart attack changed everything and ruined their plan. And she was going to make sure they wouldn't find her again.

For the next two years, she wandered the Fire Country, drifting from place to place. Sometimes, she would stay with strangers who offered their kindness, but she made a point never to stay with anyone again. She panhandled where she could and got by how she could. She did this often by singing and dancing in cities or villages that she came across. She never had to do any of the... darker... elements one might expect to survive, and for that, Koyuki was very grateful.

It was during one of her performances that Makino had first met her. Something about her enticed him; what that was, she was never able to find out, but he kept saying she was perfect. Naturally, Koyuki took the response in the wrong type of manner possible and fled on sight. Wherever she went, though, Makino was already there waiting for her, as if he knew all along where she would be running. After the third time, Makino caught up and threw her over his shoulder as he walked away, laughing his head off at her antics, colorful words and futile resistance efforts.

And instead of becoming the man's plaything like she feared, she was pleasantly surprised to be bought a full four-course meal and a hotel room where she could shower. He even bought her fresh new clothes. She ended up eating so much, she was sick for the next three days, but that didn't deter the man. Once she recovered, he told her that he was a director and wanted her in his current film. He promised lots of money for her efforts, as well as room and board. Still a bit suspicious of the man, but having no better options for herself, she agreed.

The movie was the first of the Princess Gale series. Her role was supposed to be a small dependent girl to Gale. She was supposed to be the cute, adorable girl one saw in the movies, something she snorted at herself. During the filming, though, a very unexpected turn came about: everyone was completely enthralled and enchanted by Koyuki's performance. So much so that after only three weeks of Koyuki's presence, Makino was going through and completely rewriting the script, so that instead of a young 18 year old bachelorette saving the day, it would be a small, innocent child who would take up the burden and bring about the beauty of the rainbow! The Princess Gale series would now feature this child extensively, allowing the movies to show the character's and child's growth simultaneously, so that the audience would adapt and identify themselves with it!

Makino offered her a full contract. It would allow her everything she ever needed: riches, fame, food, everything she ever needed. When asked for her name, she gave the name Fujikaze Yukie, the last name made up on the spur of the moment, not that any of them could tell. And so began her career for the next five years as the actress of Princess Gale. And her personal quest to bury her past and forget who she had been.

And if it hadn't been for this trip... she would have succeeded.

She stopped suddenly as she took a couple of deep breaths, wanting to push out those memories. It had been ages since she had thought about her past or lifestyle. It wasn't something she wanted to do. Breathing much more easily now, she carefully backtracked on her footprints to help hide her trail. Once she was satisfied, she jumped on top of a fallen log and began running across it. However, she slipped at the end and as a result went flying down on the ground. She hit the snow so hard it left her momentarily stunned, her body not willing to move, much less get up from the cold. She willed her body to move again and again, but only succeeded in her eyes closing.

A five-year-old Koyuki walked down the same darkened hallway she had so many times before. Ahead was the room her father had spent so many hours in. Peeking through the door, she saw him as he always was: sitting on the floor surrounded by all sorts of mirrors.

"Look carefully; you should be able to see your future."

As usual, her father always seemed to know she was there. Walking slowly into the room, she came up to the closest of the mirrors. She gave it a careful look as her head went up and down at her reflection, before she finally said "I can't see anything."

This time, her father turned to her with a cheerful smile on his face. "You will," he promised. "That's right. When Spring comes, you'll be able to see it."

"Spring?"

The smile on her father's face grew even bigger as he nodded.

'Otousan, you liar... there was no Spring in the Snow Country.'

With that thought, Koyuki found new fire and resolve within her as she felt her eyes open. She was getting out of this hell of a country.

"Next time, you might want to forget using smelling salts. Sure, they hide your scent, but they stand out so much in the environment that all I have to do is follow it."

Koyuki froze where she was. No... it couldn't be. Not again. Against her will, she found herself looking back the way she came.

Sure enough, Uzumaki Naruto in all his glory was standing there, looking at her like a disapproving parent. "How much longer are you going to run until you're satisfied?"

Determined not to let him see her like this (her own sense of pride would never allow it!), she forced herself to her feet. "Until you I get away from all of you."

Naruto had to clench his fists to keep himself from losing his temper. What was the deal with this woman? At times she acted nice and caring, then immediately went back to the cold-hearted bitch he knew so well. "You aren't going to get rid of us. Get it through your head!"

"I don't need you! Any of you! Especially you, kusemono!"

"Oh really? Then I suppose sleeping on the snow seemed like a good idea!?"

Koyuki didn't even bother to try and come up with a retort for that one. She merely turned around and started storming off. There should have been a river nearby... if she could just get to it, she would be able to lose him by...

A kunai slammed into a tree right by her face. It had been so close, she had felt the metal touching her skin as it flew by. She nearly felt her heart jump out of her chest as she came to a dead stop.

"And what do you think you'll accomplish by going off alone?" Naruto demanded. He spoke in a softer tone, but Koyuki could still feel the weight in his voice. "Will you take another nap in the Snow? Or what if one of Doto's men found you? What would you do then, huh!?"

"Who cares!?" she shrieked out, partly surprising Naruto. Not because she was being loud about it, but because she sounded like she was about to cry. "I never wanted to come back here!"

"You had to come back! You can't keep running from your past!"

"Why not!? The past can't be changed!!"

"Then why the hell are you still living in it!?"

It felt like Naruto had punched her again. "Remember what you told me!?" the boy demanded suddenly. "That while I can't understand your pain, you can't understand mine!? That doesn't mean I haven't encountered your type of pain before! The jerk Sasuke lost his entire Clan a couple years ago and was a hell of a lot like you! I got to keep on hearing this same bullshit out of him all the time! I get it; I got it! Your entire world is gone and I don't know how that feels! And you want to know what his solution was to the horrors of the past!? It was to seek revenge at all costs! He became so immersed in it that he nearly abandoned everything he had left to get his revenge! And you want to know how that's even better than what you're doing!?"

Despite herself, she gave a small nod. She had heard all about the Uchiha; how he was the last of his Clan and his apparent defection that turned out to be a hoax. It had been a subject of considerable discussion among her fellow actors when they heard about it. How could someone who nearly abandoned everything he had for the sole sake of revenge be considered better than what she was doing?

Naruto didn't answer right away. He seemed content to let her dwell on the possibilities before he answered. Finally, he did. "It's because he was doing something about his past. He didn't just sit on his butt and wallow in self-pity about how cruel or unfair the world is. Life fucking sucks, whoop-dee-freakin'-doo! But it only sucks as long as you continue to whine and complain about how awful your life is until you fucking do something to change it!"

Koyuki gave a sharp burst of breath. "But you can't change the past... no matter how hard you try or may want to," she said in a soft voice.

"No," Naruto agreed with her, his one eye looking directly into both of hers. "But you can change the future. You want a better life than what happened in your past? Then you have to have to change your attitude and your ways and the first step to doing that is to confront your past!" He drew in a slow breath as he considered his next words. "You're not the only one who's suffered. Never mind you, me, and Sasuke, but just look at the others on this damn movie crew: Sakura-chan nearly fell into a deep depression because she thought she was useless; Hidero lost the love of his life because of society's stupid rules and the self-centered arrogance of the wealthy! I'd bet you a thousand ryo that if you talked to the others, you would find we all have some sort of trauma we have to overcome! Hell, it's in Konoha as well! Hinata-chan was considered worthless by her family and nearly disowned by them! Neji lost his father due to Kumo's deception and was filled with anger and bitterness! Don't even get me started on all that happened to Gaara and his lifestyle!"

Koyuki was silent at all this ranting towards her until she felt a prick on her neck. Giving an impulsive slap, Naruto looked at her curiously. "What is it?" Not giving a response yet, she drew back her hand and saw a small needle in her hand. Then she felt her body begin to shut down as she slowly fell to the ground again.

"What are you..." Naruto stopped suddenly as he jumped backwards to dodge another needle coming straight at him. Looking up, he saw another Yuki-Nin standing on a tree branch. She grinned widely as she held the dart shooter to her mouth again and blew out a series of needles. Moving to his left, he sent a series of shuriken right at the Snow Ninja, deflecting the needles easily as his other hand touched his radio. "This is Naruto, I - !"

He cut off immediately as he saw another shuriken coming at him from the side, cutting his radio line and killing the damn thing. Looking at the thrower, he saw it was another Yuki-Nin standing there, watching him with amusement in his eyes. He even held up a finger and shook a few times as if to say 'naughty boy.'

"Hyouton: Tatsu Juugan no Jutsu!" Naruto jerked his head back to see the first one form a small ice dragon that came flying towards him. With a few quick gestures of on his right, he shouted "Kaze Kiwa!", then slammed the swirling winds right into the ice dragon, shattering it quite easily. Letting the winds die out, he crossed his fingers and cried "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Eight more of him appeared. Dividing themselves into three groups, one went towards the kunoichi in the tree, another towards the male on the ground, while the third moved to cover Koyuki, who was lying on the snow, unable to move. That needle had been coated with a paralyzing drug. While her body refused to move, her mind and eyes were still very active. She felt the clones' hands pick her up and begin hauling her away, while the two Yuki-Nin battled the Narutos. The female jumped down from the tree and grabbed the first clone, throwing it over her shoulder, where it slammed into the tree. She then delivered a kick that destroyed the second one as she pulled out a kunai, which slammed into the one Naruto was using. They both fell to the ground, then rebounded and dashed at each other, with kunais dancing through the air as the weapons tried to meet flesh.

He blocked her next overhead strike, then side-kicked her in the stomach, sending her crashing into a tree. Spinning around to face his other opponent, he was surprised to see the man was just casually leaning against a tree, his arms crossed as he just watched.

"What, were you expecting me to attack with your back turned?" he asked lightly. "Two on one's not a fair fight. I'm not going to ambush you like that."

That was when Naruto saw a shadow on the ground. Instinct taking over, he reached behind him and grabbed the woman's arm. With a mighty fling, he threw her over his shoulder and onto the ground. "At least... I won't," he added.

The woman's foot then came up and hit Naruto squarely in the face. Damn, she was limber! "I'll never understand your sense of honor, Homare," the kunoichi, Shiga, spoke from her position on the ground. Her Chakra Pack had taken the brunt of the damage. Her eyes widened as the boy's fist came down for her, but she managed to roll out of the way in time. Springing to her feet, she saw that the boy's face wasn't covered in blood as she expected. Instead, there was a slight red imprint from her boot, as well as a very pissed off look in the boy's eye.

So... he tilted his head and had his headband take the brunt of my kick, decreasing the force by half, she thought to herself. These kids were clever and skilled.

"I'll be sure to re-educate you after this mission, then," Homare answered playfully.

"SHUURAI NO JUTSU!"

A lightning blast came flying through the trees towards Shiga, while Homare noticed several shuriken coming towards him. Both managed to dodge the initial strikes, but the lightning strike hit the ground and flung up a large amount of snow, blinding the kunoichi. Naruto then saw Sasuke's flying form come and deliver a kick to the woman's head... only to have her become a log.

Sasuke uttered a silent curse as he looked at Naruto. "Everything alright? What happened?"

"For the most part," Naruto admitted, rubbing his face. "Found Koyuki, got into an argument, then got ambushed. You know, the usual." He looked around as the snow began falling back to the ground. "Where's Sakura?"

The other boy raised an eyebrow. "You mean she's not here?"

"Hyouton: Puraido no Raions!"

Both boys looked to see about nine lions made of ice beginning to form in a circle with the two of them right in the middle. They all roared, then one charged them. Both leapt out of the way as the others then moved in twos and threes. Sasuke was able to dodge them with his Sharingan on, while Naruto created several clones to take the hits instead of himself. Once all nine were spent, Sasuke spotted the female Snow Ninja, who was already forming another seal set. "She's mine," the Uchiha declared as he rushed her.

Naruto was about to protest that she was his opponent on principle until a small sphere hit the ground right next to his foot. Jerking backwards, he saw the male Snow Ninja looking directly at him, but that's not what had startled Naruto. Had this guy just...?

"You will fight me, boy. Fuuton: Kaze Rezaa Mari!"

It was! This man had used a Wind technique! He was a Fuuton user, just like himself!

Sweet!

Grabbing a kunai, he ran through the seals at lightning speed. "Fuuton: Kunai Soufuu Atsu!"

Naruto's spinning razor wind surged forward and collided with Homare's spinning razor ball. Naruto's technique had the edge in sharpness, but Homare's was far more condensed, making it tougher to drill. The two Fuuton techniques battled back and forth for supremacy as they continued to shred into each other until they faded into nothing.

The two shinobi looked at each other carefully after that (ignoring what was going on in the background as Sasuke chased Shiga all over while trading bloody insults). The Yuki-Nin broke the silence. "So my eyes did not deceive me. You are a Fuuton user."

"How's that possible?" Naruto asked, beside himself. He couldn't help himself when it came to learning more about jutsu. "You're a Snow Ninja. Shouldn't you be using Ice moves?"

Homare seemed to consider the question. "Let me give you a crash course on Hyouton style. There are two ways of creating and using ice techniques." He formed some seals and the ice on the ground began forming into the Tiger Missile, thought it was obvious the man had no intention of using it. "The first is to use pre-existing ice all around you and mold it into whatever jutsu you are trying to create." The tiger crumbled, then a surging wind kicked up that began forming the Tiger Missile seemingly out of thin air. "The second way is to actually create ice from scratch. As you may or may not know, Ice is not a natural element, like those that the five great villages are named after. It's a hybrid element, meaning that it is the fusion of two different elements. For Ice, it's Wind and Water."

Naruto's eye widened slightly at that revelation. "Wait a minute... you mean all of the Yuki-Nin are adept in Wind and Water on top of Ice!?" He had heard that by the time most people were Jounins, they were only really proficient in two elements; but from what this guy was saying, the entire village could use up to three elements expertly!? That was just outrageous! Not even Konoha had standards like that! "That's like saying... it's an entire village of bloodlines!" An entire village of Hakus was freakin' scary!

The man shook his head. "No, it is not. Not in the way you are thinking. First off, you are right in thinking that a hybrid element is the result of a bloodline, but that's when you use the two elements simultaneously to create something new. The Snow Village doesn't do that. Instead, we build off the elements, using one first, then adding the other to create ice. It's not as efficient as together, but it gets the job done. Supposedly, there was a Clan of Hyouton users in the Water Country – though their name escapes me at the moment – who could form Ice as a result of their bloodline. Stories say that skilled users could even do it in places like the Wind Country."

At this time, Sasuke fired another lightning bolt, which hit Shiga's Chakra Pack. After ditching it, she gave him the bird as she attempted to strike back with another Dragon Bullet, which Sasuke dodged easily enough.

"Second off," the Snow Wind User continued. "No, not all Yuki-nin are proficient in Fuuton and Suiton ninjutsu, though a majority of our shinobi are capable of all three through a result of training. Many others, mainly beginners, simply use pre-existing ice. On top of that, like any other village, we do have people who specialize in the other elements. It's rare, and in the case of Katon, exceedingly rare, but they do exist. I am one such example. Though I am capable of Hyouton and even some Suiton ninjutsu, my affinity is for Fuuton. As such, that is my main choice of fighting style."

There was another loud crash behind them, then Shiga went flying through the air, with Sasuke having a very pleased look on his face. Homare glanced backwards briefly, then faced Naruto once again. "And I think I've said enough." He got into a small stance. "Before we begin... what's your name, boy?"

Naruto offered a smile. "Uzumaki Naruto."

"I'll remember it. I am Homare, the Kaze Genko. Now... show me what you can do."

He let his smile grow bigger for an answer, which seemed to satisfy the other shinobi. When Shiga let out another frustrated cuss word, they moved.

Naruto began forming the seals for his Kaze Kiwa while Homare lowered his facial mask and bit his left thumb. In a flash, he moved his hand to his right wrist and drew a five-point star with his blood before quickly forming five seals of his own.

"Fuuton: Kaze Kiwa no Jutsu!"

"Fuuton: Kaze Sutaa no Jutsu!"

Chakra and wind suddenly begin swirling around Naruto's right arm. His hand was straight, fingers connected and forming a blade-like appearance. Bursts of wind came from the blood star, forming an outline of a five-point star from the air itself. Then it began spinning rapidly, faster and faster, giving off a whirling noise.

Holding his arm out with his Wind Star like a shield, he rushed Naruto and made a downward slice at the boy. Naruto jumped to the side, watching the wind technique slice through the ground like a knife through butter. Naruto rebounded on the ground and stabbed at the man, who intercepted with his jutsu. Naruto's Kaze Kiwa clashed with Homare's Kaze Sutaa, letting off a loud, annoying buzzing sound, and to Naruto's surprise, it was like he was stabbing a brick wall. Was the wind so condensed that it resembled a thick wall? How could he do such a thing like that!?

Homare didn't offer any explanation as he flicked Naruto's hand away and came in for another strike. Naruto quickly right-kicked the inside of Homare's wrist, forcing his arm out of the way. Changing direction in mid-air, he kicked at Homare's stomach area, who spun and came in with his Wind Star again. Naruto ducked the blow, then came up with his Kaze Kiwa as an uppercut, which Homare had to backflip to get away from. Making a mad dash, he went for the Yuki-Nin again, who merely blocked with his own jutsu.

"Been here, done th-" he cut off when the buzzing sound became louder. Looking down in shock, he saw Naruto's Kaze Kiwa moving further and further into his wind star/shield.

"Shit!" he yelled as he brought up a kick right at the two jutsu and splattered them with his shin guard. The sharpness of Naruto's Kaze Kiwa had beaten Homare's Kaze Sutaa's denseness. As one, both shinobi jumped back. The blond's hands flew as he shouted "Fuuton: Kaze Oshiyaru!"

The man's head jerked as the blunt rushing wind came after him. In response he ran through his own seals, then held up his arms up and spread them out. "Fuuton: Kaze Hei no Jutsu!"

Instantly, a large surge of wind emerged from his outstretched hands, with the wind going from his right hand down to his left foot and vice versa. Naruto's Wind Thrust slammed into the overlapping winds and broke apart. Not wasting any time, Homare created his next jutsu. "Fuuton: Kaze Ponchi!"

Whirling winds remarkably similar to Naruto's Tatewaru formed, but it was a lot more focused and concentrated as opposed to the Shieldbreaker's raging hurricane of long tendrils of wind that spun so wildly around his arm. It only went halfway up to his elbow, as opposed to past it.

Naruto grinned. Alright, two could play that game. With that, he snapped the Tatewaru alive. Homare took a look at Naruto's jutsu, then gave a nod. It was on.

The two ran at each at full speed, reared their arms back and clashed.

Immediately afterwards, there was a loud explosion as both went flying back at a furious speed and slammed into a tree. Naruto let off a groan as he looked and dropped his jaw. Homare's jutsu was still active, while Naruto's was gone.

"H-how?" Naruto choked out as he began walking forward. Damn... that hurt!

"Yours... had more power..." Homare said, though the strain in his voice was very clear. It must have been taking a serious effort to keep his Wind Punch maintained right now. "But you waste too much of it. Mine has a lot more focus, so while my power is smaller, I can make use of all of it, unlike yours. Like this." He made the tora seal with his left hand and the jutsu launched off his arm like a missile, with Naruto as the target.

Naruto let out a surprised squeal before bringing up his Kate Tate with just a few seconds to spare. The boy felt an immense sense of pressure against his shield as he poured more chakra into it. He couldn't let that thing hit him! He kept pumping more and more chakra into the shield until finally it shot off to the side. Deflected!

That's when he noticed Homare in the air above him as he shot down another Razor Ball at the top of the Wind Shield. An image of his match with Neji where he pierced the Kaiten appeared in Naruto's mind.

AH CRAP!!!

Naruto shut off his Wind Shield as fast as he could, which was not easy due to how much power he had put into it, which must have been Homare's plan: shoot his Wind Punch and make Naruto put so much energy into maintaining it, he wouldn't be able to shut it off to escape when the Razor Ball came flying down, pierced the top of his shield, and slammed into his skull.

Hell no! At the last second, Naruto managed to shut it off, then jumped back to avoid the blow. Barely. He could feel the wind lightly brush his nose before slamming into the ground. As Homare came down, preparing another jutsu, he noticed Sasuke forming a series of seals at the exhausted Shiga, and how it ended in a tora hand seal.

"No!!" Homare shouted at the top of his lungs at Sasuke, startling Naruto. The tension on his face was so thick, you could cut it with a kunai. "You fool! DON'T!!!"

Either Sasuke didn't hear him, didn't realize he was being the one addressed, or simply didn't care. "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"

Shiga reacted like she was having a heart attack. It lasted for just an instant, though, as she gave a brief yell of anger with fury in her eyes. That wasn't the worst of it. Naruto could feel the killing intent from her. Her chakra levels didn't spike at all, but it still felt like there was a twenty-pound weight on his chest. She sprinted across the ground in a heartbeat, at a speed that should have been impossible with the state she was in. She went right through the fireballs, glancing them off as if they were nothing more than misquotes. Her new burst of speed clearly caught Sasuke off guard because she slammed her fist into his face. Sasuke went skidding across the snow a good thirty feet before hitting a tree head first.

"When she was five..." Naruto jerked his head to see Homare standing there, fear etched on his face. "There was a terrible fire at her home. Killed her parents and newborn baby brother. She was the only survivor. She still has terrible burn scars from it. She claimed there was a culprit that started the fire, but we never found any evidence of one. She was never the same again: whenever she sees a fire technique..."

"She loses it?" Naruto supplied, still shocked by what he had just witnessed. It was hard to believe that someone other than Lee could surprise Sasuke in a test of speed.

"I wish. She goes berserk. Acts more like an animal than a human. She doesn't even recognize friend from foe. Has no sense of self-control. She'll keep going and going and going until she overextends herself entirely and kills herself. Only way to stop her is to knock her out before she comes to that point." He gritted his teeth. "We'll have to play and compare notes some other time, Naruto-kun. I have a teammate I have to stop."

With that, he took off as fast as he could towards while her back was turned. He began forming seals as he moved to strike.

He never got the chance to finish because Shiga abruptly spun around and grasped his neck. Homare struggled in her grasp as she held him above the ground, whirled around and slammed her teammate through a nearby tree. Homare continued soaring through the air and landed a thump on the ground. He didn't get up.

Shit, Naruto swore as he quickly created four Kage Bunshins and the five of them rushed her. The clones all lined up to take her assault. She plowed through the first two, grabbing the next two and slamming them to the ground into a handspring, coming for the real Naruto, who was more than ready with a spiraling chakra sphere in his right hand.

"RASENGAN!!!"

He slammed it into her stomach, sending her flying through the air as she slammed into a tree. That should knock her out cold for a couple of hours. Naruto breathed out as he wiped his forehead. Two fights in less than an hour. A good warm-up, if he did say so himself. Looking around, he hoped that Homare guy was still alive. Enemy or not, he liked him. He shook his head at how a village could let someone like Shiga remain a shinobi with that sort of problem, or at least not attempt to cure her of it. He moved towards Sasuke when he felt a tree branch brush aside his face, a small cut forming along the side of his cheek. The branch kept flying until it embedded itself into a tree.

No way! Not willing to believe it, he looked in the direction of the Snow kunoichi. She was a wreck: running on all fours, limping, a nasty-looking wound, breathing hard, and her right arm looked like it had been dislocated. How she could move in that condition – much less at that speed – made absolutely no sense! Was it possible she could open the gates when she was in berserker mode!?

He didn't have time to do anything as her fist slammed into his jawline. Next, she spun around and slammed her elbow into his gut, knocking the wind out of him. He fell to his knees as her next punch came, only for it to slump as blood poured out of her mouth.

Naruto blinked with his eye as he saw Shiga stand there for a moment before she fell to the ground, like a silent butterfly that lost a wing. A kunai was buried in the base of her neck.

And Sasuke was standing there. With blood on his right hand where the kunai had been a split second earlier.

"You... alright?" Sasuke asked slowly, testing the words in his mouth.

The other boy merely nodded, as he slowly came to his feet, regaining his breath. He gave a quick glance to the body on the ground. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he asked quietly.

"There was no other choice," the Uchiha answered immediately. Naruto couldn't tell if that was forced, or if it natural. Sasuke's face was just as impassive as that mask he himself had worn and shown so often. Whatever he felt about taking the life, he wasn't about to show it.

"Holy..."

Both boys looked to see Homare staggering to get up himself. His eyes were wide and his mouth was trying to form words, but nothing came out at first. "I don't believe..." he said finally, looking at the woman's corpse. "Impossible... in that state..." He took one last look at the two genin, then bolted. Neither boy tried to stop him.

They started walking when the realized something. Sakura still hadn't shown up. With a glance between the two, Sasuke tapped his radio. "Sakura. Come in."

Nothing.

A little more frantic in his actions, Sasuke tapped it again. "Sakura. Come in!"

Still nothing.

Something happened. From all their encounters... Snow teams operated in three man teams at least. They had faced two Snow Ninja here... had Sakura encountered the third member? Was she in the middle of the fight? Or possibly...

"We better find her," Sasuke said as the two took off running.

"Oi! Aren't you forgetting someone here!?"

They stopped and looked at the source: the Naruto Kage Bunshins with Koyuki, who was currently laying in the snow, still paralyzed. Oops... how could they have forgotten about her?

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," Naruto whispered.

"Agreed," Sasuke said, as he crossed his arms. "Alright, who wants to get her back to the others?"

"I will," Naruto said instantly. After Sasuke gave him a weird look, he added "I found her, so it only makes sense for you to go and help Sakura. Besides, I wouldn't want you to miss the chance to play the role of Knight in Shining Armor and rescue your princess."

Normally, Sasuke would have smacked him for that, but instead he offered his own retort. "Like you haven't envisioned rescuing Hinata from her clan and eloping overnight."

"I haven't!" Naruto shouted, his face growing slightly red at the thought. Perhaps the blond had had some thoughts along those lines after all...

"Whatever," Sasuke waved him off as he started walking. "I'm going..." he stopped when he realized something... if he did have to 'rescue' Sakura, wouldn't that just tick her off all over again for thinking she couldn't hold her own against an opponent? Looking back, he said. "What happens if she bites my head off for 'rescuing' her?"

"Yeah... well... sucks to be you, then."

This time, Sasuke did smack him.


9:23 am

I hate him... I really do, Sasuke thought to himself as he jumped from tree branch to tree branch. His head still ached and the side of his face was still tender. And while those sure as hell annoyed him, that wasn't the main thing on his mind.

He had taken a life. Yet, the part that bothered him the most was not the fact that he had done so, but how he had done it. He had zipped across and struck his kunai into the Yuki-nin's neck. Why? Why hadn't he just done something much simpler and efficient like throwing the damn thing? That would have been quicker to do, instead of running and delivering the fatal strike personally. He snorted at himself. He didn't think again... he just acted. Exactly like the time with Sakura and the freak's Raiton attack, he merely charged in without a moment's hesitation.

Did that mean what he thought it meant? That he did value Naruto as a real friend? So much so that he would throw his life away for him? He certainly felt the blood rushing to his head when that berserker female went to town on him. So much that he barely registered the fact of what he would do next.

What did that mean exactly? What did that tell him about himself when he would kill an enemy with little forethought over the sake of a friend who was having the living daylights beaten out of him? The justification that he was 'saving a friend' didn't really seem to fit. Something like overreacting seemed like a truer answer, yet that also didn't seem to be what he was looking for.

Was he simply losing his sense of self when it came to his two teammates? Was that a good thing? Shaking his head in irritation, he rubbed the side of his face to try and reduce the soreness there, only to remember what else that action meant as of late.

Growling in his throat, he wondered what was up with Sakura. Why hadn't she answered? The most likely answer would be that her radio had been destroyed, like Naruto's. If she was in the middle of a fight, then why didn't he feel any chakra signatures, or see any signs of battle?

... had she lost?

Sasuke felt his skin go cold as his heart stopped momentarily. If she had lost... just what would a Snow Ninja do with her? Death seemed like the most expected answer. Though, they also might take her captive for interrogation, just like they had done. If that happened... a person like Doto would have no second thoughts of brutal torture... or even allowing some of the Yuki-Nin to have their way with her?

An image of the girl nude appeared in his mind.

The boy let out a surprised yell as he tripped on the next branch and fell flat on the snow below.

Where the hell did that thought come from!?!? He was worrying over what sick things a bastard like Doto could possibly do and that image of all things popped its ugly head!? Sasuke nearly tore out his hair in aggravation. What was happening to him!? Why did all these... naughty... images keep coming up!? Why did he go so far for Naruto and Sakura!? WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM!?!

"Konoha has corrupted me," Sasuke muttered into the snow. That was the only explanation! "I should have gone to Orochimaru! His type of corruption... hell... any other type... is better than what's happening to me now!!"

"What's happening to you now?"

His head jerked upwards to see Sakura looking down at him. Her arms were crossed, giving her the distinct impression of a mother looming over her troublemaker son.

Instead of answering the question, he offered one of his own. "Happening to me?" he repeated as he quickly got up, trying to push all his thoughts out his mind before his mouth started running off again. "What happened to you?! Why didn't you come when we contacted you over the radio!?"

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, half-annoyed. That butt-kicking fear he had seemed very real right now. "I couldn't get a hold of you or Naruto. I thought you had been attacked."

"We were att..." he trailed off as he noticed something. "Wait a second." Ignoring her protests about his hand invading her personal space, he yanked her radio from her, held up for her to clearly see and flipped a switch. A little red light lit up. Sakura's face fell in record time as her face went light red.

"You forgot to turn it on," Sasuke said in a low, but firm voice. "And we were attacked, in proximity of Koyuki herself." Nothing more seemed necessary to say.

In some shinobi villages, such a mistake would have led to harsh consequences. After all, it was often simple mistakes that could lead to failure of the mission, if not outright death for the team in question. The shinobi lifestyle was not one that offered a lot of second chances, or unexpected relief. In a place like Konoha, something like that would either earn a small deduction from pay, or was left up to the commander of the mission. Typically something like an extra watch duty, or janitorial duty for a few days. And Sakura knew this just as well as Sasuke did. He himself was surprised at how he was acting towards her, but for once, he was on the offensive and she was on the defensive... and he intended to take advantage of that.

"Um... can we keep this a secret?" the pink-haired girl asked hopefully.

Handing her radio back to her, he merely said "Maybe... in exchange for something."

She gave a small gulp. Maybe cleaning toilets for a few days would be preferable after all...


9:28 am

The Snow Wind user was running – more like limping through the forest – trying to find the third member of Gamma Team. He and Shiga had seen Koyuki with just one bodyguard and felt it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. As such, they had not bothered to alter the third member of the group, let alone Alpha Team that was supposed to be around these parts.

There wasn't much about these three Genin from the intelligence division. They were relatively new Genin, not even a year out of the Academy. They were assigned to legendary Leaf Jounin Hatake Kakashi. On the genin themselves, all they knew was that the last of the Uchiha was among them, as well as the dead-last of the Academy and a girl. The genin he had fought was clearly a male, so this person was the dead-last of the Academy!? Homare had been going to max, taking full advantage of his skills, mind and his equipment while Naruto fought him evenly with just Fuuton ninjutsu. If the dead-last of Konoha was that skilled, then what was the Uchiha boy like!? Well... until Shiga went berserk, he had been playing her like a cat would play with a mouse. That must not have been the clear extent of his skills. What could this unknown kuniochi do?

He shook his head at the possibilities. The thought of three Genin entering the Snow Country by themselves had been laughable at first. Yet he was the one that was running. They had to regroup, gather Alpha Team and maybe another team or two, and fight together. There was honor in that as well. Where was Enrai Taigi?

He tapped his radio again, trying to contact both him and Alpha Team. Still nothing. What was wrong? Was there a mishap with Alpha Team's equipment?

"There you are," he heard a voice behind him. Looking behind him, he saw Taigi standing in a tree. The man was dressed in the same attire that most Yukigakure chunin class shinobi wore, with the thick clothes, Chakra Pack, and other standard accessories. Though there were two noticeable differences between Taigi and others.

One was that he was missing the lower half of his left ear.

The second was that he wore Doto's personal insignia on his chest.

"Where have you been!?" Homare demanded.

"Was out looking for the Princess, like we're supposed to. That was the plan, remember? Spread out individually and look. No luck on my end, and the radios seem to be malfunctioning."

"Shiga has..."

Taigi held up a hand. "Alpha Team was defeated."

The other man felt himself jerk. The team had been defeated? He shouldn't have been surprised, but he was. "Princess Koyuki's bodyguards?"

The Loyalist nodded. "I just freed them a moment ago and heard what happened. Each of them were soundly defeated. They are stronger than we were lead to believe. Maybe it's really not so hard to believe they could go head-to-head with the San Eihei."

You have no idea, Homare thought to himself. "Shiga's dead."

As he anticipated, he got Taigi's attention. Shiga had been his lover. "What? How!?"

"We..." He had not been looking forward to this part, but honor required him to answer truthfully. "Found... the Princess and one of her guards. Alone. We... decided we couldn't let such an opportunity pass. We attacked... another one showed up... they were... are... strong... Shiga went into one of her berserker rages... they killed her."

He expected Taigi to yell or even attack him. Loss of one's precious person would do that. Instead, Taigi merely formed a tight fist and punched a nearby tree, howling in anger and hurt.

"I'm sorry," Homare said quietly. He wanted to kick himself. Sorry wasn't nearly enough, especially when it was his fault for getting her and him into that fight in the first place.

Taigi was silent as he leaned on the tree. He just stood there, not making any move. For all Homare knew, he could have been crying, or planning Homare's very painful death.

Finally, Taigi leaned up and looked directly at him. "Who. Did it?"

"... the Uchiha. Kunai to the neck." At least it was quick, but he didn't think saying that help matters any.

Taigi went back to punching the tree. This changed everything for him! He would have to adjust his plans.

The death of the Uchiha now took priority over everything else!


Same time

"Why is it always you that comes to find me?"

Naruto was carrying Koyuki on his back. That drug was slowly wearing off, but she still hadn't regained the use of her motor skills. As a result, Naruto was forced to carry her on his back. Currently, they were back in the mountain tunnel. Those were the first words she had said since they started going back to Makino bastard and the others.

"Because you made the mistake of pissing me off," Naruto responded as he walked. Sheesh, she was heavier than she looked. "And I just have this incredible urge to show people like you just how wrong they are. You can run as many times as you like, as far as you like, but I'll find you, catch you over and over again until I get the damn message in your skull."

Koyuki didn't reply to that right away. "You can drag me back if you like... but all I'm gonna do is act for the camera. And that's it, you got me?"

"Whatever."

"... what is it between you and this girl, Hinata?"

Naruto wanted to punch something. Why was it that everyone kept bringing her up?! She wasn't even here, damn it! Not that Naruto would have minded if she did come along; it would have been fun to go on a mission with her, but what was it about her that everyone wanted to know so badly!? "What's it to you?"

"It's the only thing that makes you vulnerable."

Naruto stopped at that. "Vulnerable?"

"Tell me you aren't that dense," Koyuki replied. Before he could utter a response, she continued. "Whenever she's mentioned, you immediately go on the defensive. You fluster up easily, get all embarrassed and become much easier to provoke. Especially when she's called your girlfriend."

Oh... he so did not like where this was going. "And you care why?"

"Because I would like to hear it from your own mouth about your relationship with her."

He cringed at the word 'relationship'. "She's my best friend. Is that a crime? Not every boy/girl relationship has to be something beyond friendship, you know?!"

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not! It's just that I'm so sick and tired of everyone suggesting that it is!"

"I bet she would be heartbroken if she heard you say that."

As she predicted, he did a complete 180. "That's not what I meant! It's just..." he stopped himself and shook his head furiously. "Why the hell I am talking to you about this! It's none of your damn business anyway! Whether we're just friends or something more is between me and her completely! Not you! Not damn Makino! Or Sasuke-teme, or anyone else! You don't hear me asking you about your damn love life, so don't pry into mine!"

Easy to provoke, indeed. Koyuki: five. Naruto: zero.

Payback would be lot easier now.

A loud humming sound went ringing in his ears. Looking around for the source of it, Koyuki looked at him questioningly. "What is it?"

"Don't you hear that?" he asked, as the humming sounds came louder this time. The actress started looking herself. "Now I do..."

There was a sizzling sound heard next, coming from below. Two pairs of metal railings began to emerge as far as the eye could see in both directions. What was going on?


Makino

The famous film director was surveying the surrounding land. Flat mostly, with a few cliffs off to the right and a nice looking lake on the left that was unfrozen if anyone could believe it. The forest picked ahead of them a little ways, but Makino felt that this area would be perfect! After all, since they had missed that last spectacular fight scene, there was just one thing to do about it.

Make up something completely new for it. And this would be the spot they would do it in! The landscape was just perfect! Perhaps this was where Mao could come, defeated and running from the bigger threat to the world of...

He lost his trail of thought when a small humming noise entered his ears. Looking around in surprise, he saw that the snow was melting at an unnatural rate, revealing a set of metal tracks. A railroad?

"What is it?" Kaijo asked.

Sandayuu knelt down and examined the tracks. There was a faint blue glow within it. "It's chakra!" he exclaimed. "There's chakra running through the rails... melting the ice!"

Makino looked at the man, pleasantly surprised. And here he thought Sandayuu had just been a simple aid in the service of the late Daimyo, yet he easily recognized chakra. He truly had many hidden talents. Excellent! Makino liked those types of people the best!

Yukie's assistant's face darkened. "It must be... him!" He let out a small snarl before whispering to one of the stunt men. The man nodded as he began running and talking to others, while Sandayuu bolted to one of the vehicles. "Everyone hurry! You must get out of here! You can't let them find you!"

"Sandayuu?" Ken asked.

"Where are you going?" Michy inquired as Sandayuu grabbed a small bag and began running up the small hills, quickly followed by a small group of men.

Makino considered the possibilities in his head for a moment. "Everyone, get the cameras ready and hide! Use the sheets to blend in with the snow! We've got a big scene coming and we want to catch it all, don't we?!"

"Yes, Director!"


Naruto

A loud engine was heard in the distance. It was unlike anything Naruto had heard before. Then it came again, and this time he saw a light emerging at the end of the tunnel. No way in hell was he dying and going to the afterlife!

"It's a train..." Koyuki said, dread coming into her voice.

"It's a what now?"

The engine sound came, louder than ever before as that light came around the corner, revealing the large and fast locomotive engine that pulled the other cars of the rest of the train. Oh... so that's what a train... was...

OH SHIT!!!

With a shout to Koyuki to hang on, he turned around and started running just as fast as his legs could move. That damned train sounded again, as if mocking him and saying 'you can't escape!' Naruto could have sworn it picked up speed as well in response to that thought.

"It's gaining on us!" Koyuki shouted as the lights grew brighter and brighter.

"I know! I KNOW!!"

"We'll never make it!"

"NO ONE ASKED YOU!!!"

The train roared again as it came even closer. Koyuki paled to see it was only a few meters behind them and gaining fast! The train began closing the distance. Five meters... four... three... two... the tip of it was close... so close. "There's no way you can do this!!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!!!"

At that, the very front part of the tip touched Koyuki's back. Closing her eyes and bracing herself what she knew for certain was about to come, she shouted "This is totally pointless! We're finished!"

Finished... that word rang in Naruto's mind for a split second. Echoing over and over. Finished. Dead. Killed. Lost. Deceased. Ran over. Whatever way you wanted to phrase it, it all resulted in the same thing.

AND THERE WAS NO WAY IN THE SEVEN HELLS HE WAS DYING YET!!!!

"I told you to SHUT! UP!" Naruto yelled as images in his life began appearing. The Academy. The first Bell test with Kakashi. The Wave Mission. The Chunin Exams. All the hours on the creation of his jutsu. The Invasion. Traveling with Ero-sannin. The kiss with Hinata.

"THIS AIN'T OVER!!"

Faces began appearing next. Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji and Asuma of Team 10; Neji, Lee, Tenten and Gai of Team Gai, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and Kurenai of Team 8. Ebisu and Konohamaru. Even Gaara's face along with Haku's.

"THERE'S NO WAY I'M DYING..."

The Third Hokage. Jiraiya. Tsunade. Kakashi. Sasuke. Sakura.

"…OR EVER GIVING UP..."

Hinata.

"...EVEN IF YOU'RE READY TO CALL IT QUITS, I'M NOT EVER GIVING. UP!!!"

To Koyuki's complete surprise... no... astonishment... the distance between the train and themselves began to widen. One meter. Two. Five. Ten!?

"C'MON!C'MON,C'MON,C'MON,C'MON,C'MON,C'MON,C'MON,C'MON,C'MON,C'MON,C'MON!!!

It was like Naruto was ranting a chant for extra speed. Koyuki found herself having to grip Naruto's shoulders for life itself, otherwise she would have been flung off by the sheer force he was going at! He was moving at a speed that Gai and Lee would be hard pressed to achieve! The train itself sounded off again and began speeding up, like it was being baited by Naruto and was determined not to lose. Yet even as the actress saw the train pick up speed again, the distance between them remain constant. Still... there was no way he could possibly keep this up... she jerked out of her train of thought as her jaw dropped in pure surprise. The exit was right in front of them!

Again, the train seemed to give an extra burst of speed in an attempt to catch up and crush them, but it was in vain. Naruto reached the exit into the much-welcomed sunlight and fresh air. With a mighty leap, he jumped to the side of the tracks. The two of them hit the ground hard and rolled for a few feet as the train shot out behind him, missing them by only a few seconds.

"Ha!... S... see?... Can't... be... done... my ass..." Naruto said on the snow, taking big breaths of precious, sweet air while his heart threatened to explode, and a bright smile formed on his face.

Koyuki just stared at the boy. Truly, there was more to Uzumaki Naruto than met the eye. He had just done the impossible, even when every other person she knew would have given up. She had given up and waited for death. Everyone but Naruto, she amended. Just what kind of person had a drive so fierce he wouldn't give up for anything, even when it was virtually certain that success was impossible?

She wondered what kind of girl this Hinata was to have this boy's heart in her hands. There was no doubt in her mind about that. Just the lack of 'why' the boy was so against it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some kind of red explosion in the sky. Looking in that direction, she saw that the train had come a complete stop close to them, only about twenty meters away. Then a figure emerged on top of the engine itself and her heart froze in fear.

"It's been a long time, Koyuki."

Naruto looked upward from his position on the ground as he saw Koyuki mutter something under her breath. Looking further, he saw that the train had stopped close to where they were and saw a tall man with a cloak speaking in a megaphone. "It's been ten years. Come now, don't be shy. Let's have a look at that face."

The blond felt anger in the casualness of this guy's voice. Hopping to his feet, he deliberately walked in front of Koyuki so he couldn't see. Holding up his middle finger, he yelled "Why don't you come down here yourself, you asshole!"

"Careful who you talk to, U..." the man narrowed his eyes. "Wait... you're not the Uchiha. Who the hell are you?"

It was like one of those anvils seen on cartoons suddenly dropped on Naruto's head. He couldn't freakin' believe this! Even here in the damned Snow Country, it was always Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke! What was so great about him anyway!? Why couldn't he get some recognition here?! What did it take for people to know him!? And what was worse... this BASTARD... had nearly mistaken him for Sasuke!! How the hell someone could do that was like a boy who didn't notice a girl's feelings that were blindingly obvious to everyone else!

This guy had just crossed the line!

"Listen here, you ass-kissing, butt-smelling, bedwetting, motherfucker, son of a bitch…" Naruto ranted off, with Koyuki looking at him like he was insane, while the man grew steadily annoyed at the entourage of insults. "…piece of dog shit, eternity-damned, shitload of fuck, ass-smasher bastard! I don't have time to waste with you! Call out Doto so I can give him the beatdown he's had coming for the last decade!"

"Um... Naruto..."

"What?"

"That is Doto-ojiki."

"...then let me add traitorous ass, fucking cocktease, power-hungry, downright bitching liar!"

By this time, Doto's face was completely red with fury and nearly ready to blow his top. How dare the brat not recognize him! "I'm going to enjoy torturing you to death, brat! Very. SLOWLY!"

"DOTO!!"

As one, Doto, Naruto, and Koyuki all looked to see Sandayuu, now dressed in samurai armor and holding a katana, along with the other fifty warriors he gathered and placed within the movie crew. Each of them was armed as well with spears and swords.

Naruto had to clench his hands to keep himself under control. Was it everyone's goal to drive him to the breaking point today!? First Koyuki, then Doto and now Sandayuu! After the man promised not to make a move on his own like this!

"There you have it, men!" Sandayuu cried on. "Our beloved Princess Koyuki-sama is here to watch us! With her on our side, victory is ours!" There was a loud cheer from the gathered men as the man drew his sword and pointed it directly at the man. "Hear me, Doto! We've waited a long time for this day of reckoning to come! Asama Sandayuu and fifty loyal warriors stand before you to avenge our fallen leader, Lord Sousetsu-sama! For justice! For our lord! For the Princess! For our country, charge!"

With another rallying yell of approval, the samurai ran down the sloped hills towards the train. Doto merely looked on in amusement. "I thought you had destroyed the last of the insurgents."

A Yuki-nin aid knelt. "My apologies. We'll get rid of them for you."

"No," Doto said, seemingly oblivious to the charging warriors after his head. "With men such as these, there is little they can understand other than total annihilation."

At that, hatches all over the seven-car train began opening up, each one revealing a long series of metal holes. Having a very bad feeling about this, Naruto yelled for the samurai to stop and run.

They didn't listen.

That's when a literal wall of kunai flew out from the holes, now realized to be launchers, towards the samurai en masse. To say that this slaughtered these men would be an understatement.

It butchered them. Turned them into pincushions, so much they resembled mincemeat in every sense of the word. These people, who were once called men, fell in clumps of eight or more as the kunai filled their bodies. And even then, the kunai launchers didn't stop. Even as fewer than ten men were still barely standing, they continued to fire countless rounds of kunai into them. The last of them dropped on the snow alongside their comrades. By now, only Sandayuu himself was still standing, if you could still call it that. He had many kunai still sticking in him, with blood flowing from each one. He was using his sword as a brace to help him stand, but not even that was helping much.

And the sickest thing of all in this was Doto's laughter. Fifty men had just been butchered and he laughed. It sounded a bit like a bat out of hell mixed with a rabid coyote. Calling it evil did not seem enough... yet no other word came close enough to be able to describe this.

"Asama Sandayuu!" Doto cried as he calmed himself down from the laughing fit. "I applaud your resilience for being the last one standing! Really, I do! For that, I will bestow you a special honor: to be named the last rebel and give you a special standing in the Hell Asylum!" With that, he motioned, and another round of kunai flew forward at the man. Naruto made the seals for the Kaze Oshiyaru, but that turned out to be unnecessary. A windmill shuriken came flying out right in front of Sandayuu, blocking the barrage of kunai. Naruto looked to see Sasuke jumping from an ice mound as he threw a kunai with an exploding tag at the train. But because he gave himself away by saving Sandayuu, no less than four kunai flew from the train and intercepted it, making it crash into the snow and explode harmlessly.

Sakura herself was on one of the hilltops as she placed a series of tags, then activated them. A small avalanche began gushing towards the train.

"Is that the best you can do?" Doto asked, sounding bored. He snapped his fingers and two Yuki-nin jumped out from the train, seals forming as the slammed their hands on the ground.

"Hyouton: Keppyou Abaranshu no Jutsu!"

Ice surged from the ground in waves as it rushed towards the growing avalanche. The ice began engrossing the snow, and as more snow came, the two Snow Ninja continued producing more ice to envelop it. After a few minutes of touch and go, Sakura's makeshift avalanche was completely frozen.

Sasuke and Sakura landed right by Naruto. "Figures it wouldn't be that easy," Sasuke commented, annoyed.

"How many more ninja do you think are in there?" Sakura asked.

"More than enough to deal with you," Doto said as he snapped his figures again. Several rushing forms jumped out of the train and came on top of it on either side of him. Twenty of them.

"Well... that's inconvenient," said Naruto as he looked over the men. All standard Chunin Yuki-Nin. No Jounins among them, least of all the ones he sought after all.

"Surrender, Koyuki," said Doto. "I have far more shinobi than you do. If you do, I'll let the other two have a less painful death than the blond rodent."

"Princess!" All heads looked to see Sandayuu crawling on the ground, using one hand to move the rest of his body. "You... must not... surrender..." He coughed up blood as he struggled to speak. Sakura made a move to help him, but Sasuke held her back. They couldn't afford to go with Doto watching. "Naruto-kun... Sakura-chan... and Sasuke-kun... will support you! You must never..."

"Never give up?" Koyuki supplied for him. "Look at what not giving up cost you!"

Sandayuu looked down. "... please... forgive me... I never should have gotten you... involved in this..."

One of the snow ninja moved, but Doto held up his hand. Koyuki was arguing against what Sandayuu was saying after all. What better way to destroy the man than to see the one he had placed his hopes in rejecting them on his deathbed?

"It's just... every single one of us here... was able to keep believing... in spite of everything, because... we knew... you were alive..." He coughed as he fell on the ground in a heap, no longer able to support himself with his arm. Looking up, he continued speaking. "When you were little... and even now... you have always been... just as I, your loyal... Sandayuu... so you too must believe in yourself! You have always been... our purest... Princess... please don't..."

There was another explosion up on the hills and another small avalanche started coming down right towards the dead and dying Samurai. The genin looked in horror, while Doto looked in pleasure. Even the land itself was sick of this man's pathetic whining!

Sandayuu didn't seem to care. "Don't... waste your tears... on me... Princ..." he wasn't able to finish the word as the snow covered him completely, burying him alive if he wasn't already dead. What a horrible way to go.

Doto and the three Leaf Genin all looked at Koyuki, wondering what her response would be to the snow covered man.

"I can't cry, Sandayuu. You have my tear drops," said Koyuki, her face impassive.

THAT was her freakin' answer?!?!

Doto roared in laughter and approval. "Come now, Koyuki. End this. Maybe I'll be merciful and allow your three tagalongs a quick death right here."

She moved to answer, when all three of them put their arms up. "Don't even think about it," Naruto said. "Or I'll slap you silly."

"Now's not the time to play the fool," Koyuki said as she looked at the line of Yuki-Nin. "Why don't we run? You three can't take on twenty of them by yourselves. There's no point in fighting a losing battle."

"While I would agree with you," Sasuke said. "That's not an option."

"... why not?"

"Because..." Sakura said in a dead voice as she pointed to the right and left. Slowly, Koyuki looked.

More Yuki-Nin appeared. They came from across the lake on the left and from the hills on the right, totting over the snow-covered bodies of Sandayuu and his warriors, all lining up on either side of the four people. Now she knew what that red explosion was in the sky: it was a flare, alerting the Snow teams all around that they had found their quarry. The Princess did a quick mental count: five teams on each side. 15 Snow Shinobi each. And with the ones on top of the train...

Fifty in all.

She paled. This wouldn't be a fight. Not 50 against 3. This would be a slaughter. "We have to run!"

"We can't run," Naruto repeated, very annoyed with her. "There's too many. We can't outrun them all. Not with you, and we won't abandon you. Besides... it's only fifty. It's not that many. I'll handle them all myself."

Koyuki was beside herself. She looked at Sasuke. "Talk some sense into him! You can't fight them all! There's too many!"

"So what?" Sasuke asked. "When you fight Naruto, you're always outnumbered. I have plenty of experience in that." An excited grin appeared on his face. "You worry too much."

In desperation, she looked at Sakura hoping for some female sense to kick in and control her teammates like she always did. "Sakura... tell them they're being idiots!"

"That anything new?" Sakura asked, smiling.

"Be serious! You can't win this fight! Tell your teammates to surrender!"

"And just die without a fight?" Sakura countered, making Koyuki pause. "You heard your uncle, he doesn't intend for us to live. If it's a choice of submitting and execution, or fighting and falling on your feet, I'll take the second choice anytime." She cracked her knuckles. "Besides... I have some stress to work out... beating down these guys should help with that."

Koyuki couldn't find her voice for a minute. Finally… "You three... are... insane!"

Inside the train itself, about ten Yuki-nin were still inside to maintain the kunai launchers. Alpha Team was among them; none of them were interested in fighting these three again: Kiganai wasn't interested, Ikusa was just disgusted, and Kiou was going to watch this eagerly, even though he felt a little sick to his stomach about the earlier event.

Damn you, Kiganai thought mentally. I told you kids you have no chance of succeeding. Surrender. Or run. Don't fight, you fools! Doto already has an idea about your abilities from us! Do the smart thing already! Don't throw your lives away needlessly!

On the hilltops, both Homare and Taigi looked down at the scene, having heard everything. "They'll lose," Homare said softly.

"I know," Taigi said simply.

Homare hesitated, then spoke. "You won't get your revenge this way. Why don't you go?"

"In that mess, they'll die within a few minutes," Taigi answered. "I won't be able to get my revenge that way. But, at the very least, I'll be able to see them suffer very slowly at the hands of our comrades. I intend to savor it as much as possible."

I wouldn't be so sure, Homare thought to himself. After all, Taigi hadn't fought against the Genin. He had no first-hand account on just how skilled they were. Sure, they were bound to lose in the end, but he was sure they would leave a damn good impression in the history books. How many could they take down before they fell? Ten? Maybe even twenty? Surely no more than that.

He turned his head down at the sight. There was no honor in a fight like this. It was far from fair, but there was nothing he could do. I'm sorry we didn't get the chance to finish our match, Naruto-kun. I would have enjoyed your opinion on Fuuton ninjutsu. However this turns out, I'll be sure that you and your teammates' sacrifices are well honored. Die well.

Hidden by sheets and whatever materials they could find to blend in, Makino and the movie crew were on the other side of the lake, cameras out and ready. There was no way they were going to miss this scene!

"They have no chance," Kaijo said, barely above a whisper. He sounded ready to vomit. Probably because he had already done so.

"We all knew that from the beginning," Hidero whispered back. "It was suicide to continue coming. We should have turned back when we had the chance."

"Yet we all came anyway," Ken said. "What's that say about us?"

"Shouldn't we help?" Michy asked. He had some skills in fighting, he could help.

"We'd just get in the way," Makino said simply, gesturing at a small group of the crew. "Bring in the second camera on Doto's face."

The three actors and his assistant looked at the man in both disbelief and disgust. "How can you still think about movies at a time like this?" Ken demanded.

"How?" Makino asked. "Because whether we like it or not, this is going to happen. We certainly can't stop it. More importantly," he pointed at the shinobi across the lake. "They also knew what they were getting into. I made sure of it myself. Do you see them shivering, crying, or begging for their lives? That's a lot sterner stuff than most people I can mention that are three or even four times their age."

The other four men just looked at each other questioningly, not entirely sure if that little speech reassured them or not.

So Makino decided to drive the nail in. "Besides, why should I worry? I'm fully expecting them to win."

That resulted in the men visibly gasping at him. "What?" "You're nuts!" "More than usual!" "How can you possibly say such a thing!?" Then as one "It's not possible for them to win!"

"Says who?" Makino replied casually.

"There's fifty of them, dammit!"

"They can't win!"

"Like they couldn't win at the iceberg?" Makino challenged. "Or how they couldn't win against the shapeshifter intruder? Or how they couldn't handle the surprise attack?"

The four men were silent at that. Yes... those events had seemed impossible... but still... this was entirely different!

Wasn't it?

Makino smiled. "Mark my words. They will win. And leave a mark that will surpass that of the Sannin themselves!"

Doto looked at his assorted collection of shinobi. Some of them were no older than the Genin themselves, while some were old enough to be their grandparents. Some despised him, others admired him, though there weren't any of his Loyalists here. Some were armed. There was a vast collection of weapons: swords, spears, lances, battle-axes, chains, and others. Some were unarmed. Some were ninjutsu experts, some were taijutsu. A couple genjutsu users as well. All had the standard chakra equipment, though some had new, experimental types in addition. Doto was hoping that these three would last long enough for him to get an ample test of all their new toys. Looking at the three genin guarding his niece, he spoke. "Well... are you going to surrender, or do we start?"

They answered as one. "Bring it on!"

He smiled. "I was hoping you say that." He raised his arm, then threw it forward. All fifty Yuki-Nin moved forward.

It had begun!


(Author's Note)

And with that, the next chapter is done! How many of you expected something like this? I bet you were all expecting the train scene to be just the same as in canon, right? Not this time! I can't tell you how eager I've been to start this massive melee; I've had this planned for a LONG time. I'm quite excited that the time has finally come to work on it!

How long has it been since I had written out scenes from the movie? Chapter 8? Chapter 9? Whew... been a while. Hope no one minds, as I'm greatly enjoying expanding the movie beyond just what it showed us. Those who have watched the movie may have noticed I did change a few things othings – aside from fifty Yuki-Nin attacking – with my own little twists, namely the landscape of the area, and Sandayuu's death scene. I still hope that despite these changes, it managed to capture the spirit of this scene from the movie well. I think it did.

According to what sources I could find on the matter, Koyuki is in fact listed as 15 years old. I'd by lying if I said I wasn't surprised at this information (in all honesty, I had pegged her around 18, at least). But given how she looks in the flashbacks, she is clearly at toddler age, so 15 it was.

Though knowing this... it certainly puts what she does at the end of the movie with the next film she intended to star in... in a completely different light. I wonder just what movie laws and regulations are in the Naruto world. When you think of that... it makes all the stuff I've pulled on Team 7 not so bad.

Koyuki's past from age 5 to the present is honestly not something I had thought until recently myself. Just what did Kakashi do with the five-year-old when he saved her? Since he was he clearly shocked that she was Yukie in the movie business, he obviously had not kept tracked after the mission. So just what happened? I put in my own explanation

As you probably notice, Sasuke is getting more focus and development than either Naruto, or Sakura. This isn't an attempt of favoritism on my part (certainly not what has happened in canon), but in this case, I feel it's rather necessary, as opposed to just flinging Sasuke's power around in canon. The reason is that Sasuke needs to go from power driven fool, to someone who actually can be a friend, and with someone like him, it's not an easy process to do. A significant amount of time is needed to show that transition, along with all the hurdles the experiences.

Besides... it's rather fun to torment Sasuke like this.

In case any of you are curious as to why Hinata does keep getting mentioned in this story, there are a few reasons for it. I am a Naruto/Hinata fan myself, so while she isn't in the story, this is the closest I can have to actual moments for the two. Another is that it is rather fun to mess with Naruto about the subject of his "girlfriend" (why should Sasuke suffer alone? Heh heh). Third is because in the original version of this story, there was supposed to be a small Hyuuga plotline of my own, which would have included Hinata going to Snow with Team 7 (mostly by accident) and thus having a significant role in the story herself. However, I quickly discarded the idea because it was unnecessary, so alas, Hinata got her role cut.

As for questions as to whether Bakeru, or Kakashi or even the San Eihei will be appearing soon, no hints from me. You'll just have to keep on reading, though if you do read closely in this chapter, you might find a few hints about one of them.

And where we get to see Gamma Team, the other group Alpha Team tried to contact in the last chapter. Yet it seems they had problems of their own. Curious, wouldn't you say? And now Sasuke has taken his first life and has a guy out for revenge on all costs on him. A rather interesting turn of events, wouldn't you agree? You can all thank Tellemicus for this idea as I liked it greatly myself: how will Sasuke deal with someone who is after him for the sake of revenge?

I enjoyed creating and using Homare as we get to see an opposing fuuton user in battle. Wind vs. wind is something quite exciting and a possibility that popped up in my discussion with Tellemicus. Pity it wasn't as long as I wanted, but I felt it was adequate. I didn't have Homare, or any of Gamma Team appear in the ending melee because they would had been overshadowed too easily and I wanted them to be able to shine on their own. Featured a slightly different fuuton style than Narutos: where he uses wind's sharpness in a roundabout way, Homare using wind's brute force in a more strait on approach.

We also get a little more explanation on how and why Yukigakure can use Hyouton style ninjutsu, despite it being a bloodline to Haku's clan. In the movie, it does appear to be limited to using pre-existing ice and molding it into whatever jutsu you wish, so Tellemicus and I decided to take it a step further by allowing Yuki-Nin to create it out of scratch by mixing Suiton and Fuuton ninjutsu, though still in a way that is different from Haku's, so not to diminish the impact of him, or his moves.

And so the chapter ends with the Fifty Snow Ninja commencing their attack on Team 7. I think it's fair to mention that one big reason I'm doing this is to feature a lot more of the common, every day Yuki-nin. Where in the movie, we get like three glimpses of them. That's just sad. I firmly believe that even cannon fodder grunts like them deserve a change in the spotlight for their own 15 minutes of fame. With that said, I have every intention of featuring the entire melee, no matter how long it shall be (oh dear... just imagine the how long the technique list alone will be for that many. Do be kind enough to pray for my sanity). Speaking of the technique list, while I, Tellemicus, and a few others could probably create enough on our own, I think it would be rather interesting to see what you readers have to suggest. I have fifty ninja here that need moves: that means there is a lot of potential on the diversity of all the new jutsu yet to come.

So those of you that would like the chance to see one of their jutsu in the Legacy series, here's your chance! Sadly, I can't have Team 7 pull completely original moves for this, but I can do possible combinations with their current list of jutsu. So for these Snow Ninja themselves, go wild! I'm not placing any type of restrictions on what you can create here: send me Hyouton techniques, send me Fuuton ones. Raiton. Suiton. Doton. Katon. Send me non-elemental ninjutsu moves. Send me genjutsu moves; send me taijutsu strikes. Offer your own suggestions on what type of chakra equipment these Yuki-nin have. Hell... send me a bloodline or two if that's what you want. Whatever you want. I've got fifty ninja here, so the odds that you would see your jutsu used are rather high. Do keep in mind two things if any of you do send in techniques.

One: I reserve the right to modify any jutsu suggested to suit my story needs, if I so deem so (That's not something I'll do lightly, only if it's necessary).

Two: Credit will be given where credit is due. I'm a firm believer in this. Even if I do modify a jutsu, I will make certain that one who did create the jutsu will still be acknowledged as it's creator.

Because of the big fight and extensive technique list, the next chapter will undoubtedly take a long time to complete. More so because I have to get back to my other two works that I have neglected a bit to write this chapter. But that means you have all the more time to think of jutsu, so don't feel rushed about it. There will be a lot of time before the next chapter.

Genko – fist
Homare – honour; honor;
Shiga – heedless; uncaring
Enrai – distant thunder
Taigi – great cause; moral law; justice;

Hyouton: Tatsu Juugan no Jutsu--Ice: Release: Dragon Bullet//Creates a dragon made out of ice to fly forward and attack the opponent. This jutsu is the counterpart to the Toramisairu, as it focuses on speed at the expense of power, making it more likely to hit than the Tiger Missile, but not as damaging. (Mid C-Class Ninjutsu) (Standard Yukigakure technique)

Hyouton: Puraido no Raions--Ice Release: Pride of Lions (roughly)//Creates nine lions of ice around an opponent. Each lion is more powerful and faster than either the Toramisariu or the Tatsu Juugan. The lions can all be launched at the opponent either one at a time, all at once, or in various groups. Requires a significant degree in skill of Hyouton ninjutsu and chakra reserves because if you fail in creating just one of the lions properly, the entire pride will fall as a result. When coordinated correctly, the chances of hitting the opponent(s) is very high. (High B-Class Ninjutsu) (Standard Yukigakure technique)

Fuuton: Kaze Rezaa Mari--Wind Release: Wind Razor Ball//A Fuuton ninjutsu that creates a small ball of wind, roughly the size of a softball. The winds are tightly pressed together within the sphere, making it quite dense and hard. In addition, the entire surface area is covered in razor sharp edges, adding a dangerous slicing factor to it. While a small technique that can be easily avoided, it is quick to create, allowing the user to use it multiple times in a short amount of time. (Mid C-Class Ninjutsu) (Standard Yukigakure technique)

Fuuton: Kaze Sutaa no Jutsu--Wind Release: Wind Star//A Fuuton ninjutsu developed by Homare. First, he creates the star blood seal on the outside of his wrist. This seal acts as a foundation for the rest of the jutsu by producing a solidified wind line about a foot long from each of the five points into the shape of a five pointed star. By doing this, it effectively makes it a container, which Homare can fill by producing more wind into it. The more wind he is able to put into it, the more dense and hard the Wind Star can become. But that means the five wind lines must be able to handle and contain the pressure from these extra winds, otherwise the jutsu will simply explode and all that rushing wind will spill out and be wasted. As such, the two aspects of this jutsu are tightly intertwined and must be handled expertly. Finally, Homare can have the winds propel the five-line container at a fast speed, allowing the edges of the five pointed star to have a slicing effect. This makes the Wind Star a combination of wearing a buzzsaw and a shield. Careless usage can be result in Homare slicing himself with this jutsu. (Low A-Class Ninjutsu) (Homare)

Fuuton: Kaze Hei no Jutsu--Wind Release: Wind Wall//After doing the necessary seals, the user will hold out their arms and spread their legs, making them resemble an X in stance. A constant stream of thick wind will burst out of their hands down to the opposite foot (wind from the left hand will go to the right foot; wind from the right hand will go to the left foot). The two winds will overlap each other, therefore making this defense two thick layers of walls to get through. This can be maintained for as long as the shinobi wishes, provided they maintain the constant stream of winds. While a formidable frontal defense, it does leave the user vulnerable from other directions of attack, mostly notably the back. (High B-Class Ninjutsu) (Standard Yukigakure technique)

Fuuton: Kaze Ponchi no Jutsu--Wind Release: Wind Punch//A jutsu similar to Naruto's Shieldbreaker. Homare's forms whirling winds around the first portion of his arm (halfway up to his elbow) that looks like a makeshift tornado. The Wind Punch draws in excess air around you, then shoots it back outward, dramatically increasing Homare's punching power (all the more so with the inclusion the Strength Gauntlets). All that power in one area puts sizable amount of strain on Homare's arm: the longer it's in use, the worse it will become. In addition, Homare can use the tora seal to make the ending part of the Wind Punch expand slightly, resulting in all that excess air flowing outward and making a makeshift missile as a result. This reduces its power, but not by much. (High B-Class Ninjutsu) (Homare)

Hyouton: Keppyou Abaranshu no Jutsu--Ice Release: Freezing Avalanche//A ninjutsu technique that is designed to deal with overwhelming floods, avalanches and similar natural disasters. While not entirely useful for combat, it does have its uses in battle; such as freezing a rushing surge of a water jutsu. The user will start freezing the area immediately in front of him, then slowly expand in the direction desired, not unlike Fubuki's Hyourou no Jutsu. Once the ice is created, they use that as a jumping off point for more ice to be created, slightly levitating the stress on the user. However, the further the ice travels from you, the harder it is to maintain and control, as such, only skilled users of Hyouton are capable of this move.(High A-Class Ninjutsu) (Standard Yukigakure technique)

And so the time has come: Team 7 has finally found and confronted Doto. But an obstacle stands in the way of the Leaf Shinobi from bringing the man down. Fifty to be exact. What will happen? Will Team 7 fall here? Or will they manage to prevail, despite the odds? Be sure to find out in the next chapter, one of the few I have named in advance: The Konoha no Gogyou!

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!