The falling snow sizzled as it fell into Kumo's hot pipe quickly evaporating against the superior might of the burning tobacco leaves. "You should sleep," One of the rouge ANBU said to him as his comrades slept under a tree huddled together in their thick blankets to keep the snow and wind out as it piled up around them."I'm fine," Kumo lied taking a draw off his pipe, "I don't need much sleep." He said letting out a cloud of smoke. He refused to sleep with enemies so close to him. He half expected them to try to murder him while he was on the road with them. For now he'd have to forgo sleep and sustain himself with food pills and herbal tea he'd made himself with his personal garden. The smoking also helped him stay awake and calm focusing his attention to the hot pipe in his gloved hand providing some warmth against the freezing climate. The small campfire they had made was now nothing but a pile of red coals that he used to heat his special tea. His eyes drooped and he lightly dozed his thoughts turning towards home, Ino didn't live with him yet but along with planning their wedding they had been looking to find themselves a comfortable two bedroom apartment. One room for the two of them, and another for when they decided to have a child. The thought had often entered into Kumo's thoughts, the pleasant idea of sharing a bed with her every night had excited him and the idea of waking with her every morning was comforting to say the least. He looked at Nenshō lying unconscious propped against a tree with a blanket wrapped against him, he'd delivered the dose of antithetic an hour ago and even now with his high constitution Nenshō slept like a bear in hibernation. This is the last time. Kumo thought to himself. If we live past this I won't be able to run off on adventures my friend, and neither will you. Too many rely on us now.
"How much farther?" Kumo asked springing off an icy branch. They had crossed the border into the Land of Iron hours ago."Not much farther," Sutōkā said to him, "We'll arrive soon so I suggest you prepare yourself to meet our master and see the Village Hidden in the Glaciers.""That nonsense again," Kumo muttered."It's far from nonsense," Sutōkā said seriously as they stopped on a craggy ridge, "As you can now see."The valley below was rocky and white with snow, towers of steam rose to the sky showing that dozens of hot springs rested in the valley floor. Blue glaciers lined the cliff edges of the valley below and more of the massive pieces of ice sat in the valley floor carving a path as they moved to the center of the valley. Dozens of the drifting ice islands had already come together in the center of the valley. Years of melting and crashing up against one another had made the massive pieces of ice fit together like pieces of ice. The other glaciers broken from their cliffs and slowly moved to the center to join the others. Kumo imagined it'd take decades maybe even a century or two for the ice in the center of the valley to melt completely in this land of ice and snow."Magnificent is it not?" Sutōkā asked. It was magnificent, the beautiful valley and natural ice formation were breathtaking to say the least. "It's pretty," Kumo admitted, "But it's hardly a village."Sutōkā smirked, "Wait until you see it up close," he said, "I'm sure you'll feel differently then."
Kumo hated to admit that Sutōkā was right. It was certainly more impressive up close. The gathered glaciers had been formed into an impressive city of blue ice. The cracks between the glaciers had formed into streets while iron rods kept them separated. From the top it looked like nothing more than gathered glaciers but from below Kumo saw the beginnings of a bustling metropolis. The ice islands were carved into buildings. The hot springs trapped below the glaciers created small oasis's lush with plant life. The rising steam had cut its way through the glaciers making natural chimneys through the ice.Other ninja moved through the streets, the village certainly had everything with the exception of people. Aside from the handful of shinobi Kumo had seen the village completely lacked any civilian population. He looked up seeing the icy buildings tower above him, the iron rods that kept the frozen blocks apart were evenly spaced and were close enough for a shinobi to easily leap from one to the other all the way to the top and through the streets. The narrow streets were perfect for defending against invaders. The natural and carved paths made a maze of the city. Kumo would be lost without his company leading him through the streets or his byakugan to look through the ice."How many men live here?" Kumo asked not really expecting Sutōkā to answer him."We can't tell you that," He said to Kumo's expectation, "Not until you agree to become a citizen of our grand dream here in the Land of Iron.""I'm now taking it under advisement," Kumo lied observing the finer details of the city with his byakugan. Despite the sophistication the so called Hidden Village still had much development before it would be fit for any large population to live in. They've yet to develop some of the more basic needs such as running water or any form of central heating for the ice building. Because of hi byakugan Kumo could tell these glaciers weren't made of any ordinary ice. The ice formations were infused with chakra and from what Kumo could tell they melted slower than normal ice. He supposed they were chakra infused after forming in the center of the valley. The ones on the cliffs and the ones that slowly drifted to the center of the valley didn't have chakra. Slowly the blocks drifted towards they city to expand on the metropolis they were building here. It'd be years before these homes of ice could filled with people. Kumo would be sure to destroy this place before then.They all stopped and Kumo deactivated his byakugan looking in front of him. A middle aged man was sitting next to one of the hot springs dressed in a steely gray kimono. A wakizashi and katana were strapped at his hip as he tended to the small bamboo garden."Good you're here," the man said looking up his eyes a gold grey, "I've been expecting you Kumo my name is Kusari Suchīru the Tetsukage of this fine village."
"How much farther?" Kumo asked springing off an icy branch. They had crossed the border into the Land of Iron hours ago."Not much farther," Sutōkā said to him, "We'll arrive soon so I suggest you prepare yourself to meet our master and see the Village Hidden in the Glaciers.""That nonsense again," Kumo muttered."It's far from nonsense," Sutōkā said seriously as they stopped on a craggy ridge, "As you can now see."The valley below was rocky and white with snow, towers of steam rose to the sky showing that dozens of hot springs rested in the valley floor. Blue glaciers lined the cliff edges of the valley below and more of the massive pieces of ice sat in the valley floor carving a path as they moved to the center of the valley. Dozens of the drifting ice islands had already come together in the center of the valley. Years of melting and crashing up against one another had made the massive pieces of ice fit together like pieces of ice. The other glaciers broken from their cliffs and slowly moved to the center to join the others. Kumo imagined it'd take decades maybe even a century or two for the ice in the center of the valley to melt completely in this land of ice and snow."Magnificent is it not?" Sutōkā asked. It was magnificent, the beautiful valley and natural ice formation were breathtaking to say the least. "It's pretty," Kumo admitted, "But it's hardly a village."Sutōkā smirked, "Wait until you see it up close," he said, "I'm sure you'll feel differently then."
Kumo hated to admit that Sutōkā was right. It was certainly more impressive up close. The gathered glaciers had been formed into an impressive city of blue ice. The cracks between the glaciers had formed into streets while iron rods kept them separated. From the top it looked like nothing more than gathered glaciers but from below Kumo saw the beginnings of a bustling metropolis. The ice islands were carved into buildings. The hot springs trapped below the glaciers created small oasis's lush with plant life. The rising steam had cut its way through the glaciers making natural chimneys through the ice.Other ninja moved through the streets, the village certainly had everything with the exception of people. Aside from the handful of shinobi Kumo had seen the village completely lacked any civilian population. He looked up seeing the icy buildings tower above him, the iron rods that kept the frozen blocks apart were evenly spaced and were close enough for a shinobi to easily leap from one to the other all the way to the top and through the streets. The narrow streets were perfect for defending against invaders. The natural and carved paths made a maze of the city. Kumo would be lost without his company leading him through the streets or his byakugan to look through the ice."How many men live here?" Kumo asked not really expecting Sutōkā to answer him."We can't tell you that," He said to Kumo's expectation, "Not until you agree to become a citizen of our grand dream here in the Land of Iron.""I'm now taking it under advisement," Kumo lied observing the finer details of the city with his byakugan. Despite the sophistication the so called Hidden Village still had much development before it would be fit for any large population to live in. They've yet to develop some of the more basic needs such as running water or any form of central heating for the ice building. Because of hi byakugan Kumo could tell these glaciers weren't made of any ordinary ice. The ice formations were infused with chakra and from what Kumo could tell they melted slower than normal ice. He supposed they were chakra infused after forming in the center of the valley. The ones on the cliffs and the ones that slowly drifted to the center of the valley didn't have chakra. Slowly the blocks drifted towards they city to expand on the metropolis they were building here. It'd be years before these homes of ice could filled with people. Kumo would be sure to destroy this place before then.They all stopped and Kumo deactivated his byakugan looking in front of him. A middle aged man was sitting next to one of the hot springs dressed in a steely gray kimono. A wakizashi and katana were strapped at his hip as he tended to the small bamboo garden."Good you're here," the man said looking up his eyes a gold grey, "I've been expecting you Kumo my name is Kusari Suchīru the Tetsukage of this fine village."