Chapter 21

"Holy shit!" All clearly heard the exclamation from Fu down below. For once, they couldn't blame her for her use of profanity. In fact, if they could pick up their sacked jaws from the ground, they were sure they would have said the same thing. "Guys?! I think that's the signal!"

"No shit!" Tenten yelled back instinctively while reading her tonfa. While she prepared, Neji looked to the nearest Naruto clone.

"You sure we can depend on your friends?" He asked, to which the clone immediately replied with a nod.

"Trust me, they are strong. Once we fulfill our part of the plan, they will do the rest." The clone assured, it being enough to quell the Hyuga's doubts.

Together, Team 4 and clones waited for the final signal for their plan to commence while watching as the town slowly burned in the inferno. It did not take long for Fū to realize their cue from the blonde.

Through enhanced vision thanks to the Biju in her stomach, she saw multiple figures being led to the North by four figures. As planned, she waited 10 minutes for the figures to get far enough away before she hopped down to ground level. Before she could hit the ground, four translucent bug-like wings sprouted from her back and began flapping in a consistent but quick motion, allowing her to float just before she would have hit the ground.

Hovering above Team 4 and the clone army, Fū smirked.

"You guys ready to kick ass?" She shouted, to which the army of 100 all raised their weird swords to the air in silent confirmation.

"Don't let your overconfidence turn into incompetence." Neji warned, to which Fū scoffed.

"Yeah yeah, whatever, killjoy. Nobody asked you." Not at all making a friend out of the Hyuga. Instead, she turned back to the clones, her smile bright once more as she exclaimed, "I said, ARE YOU READY TO KICK SOME ASS?!"

The clones repeated their earlier motions with a bit more enthusiasm, while Tenten turned an incredulous stare at the Hyuga.

"Who's bright idea was it to appoint her as leader?" To answer, all Neji needed to do was glance back at the army of clones. It was answer enough.

Pleased at what she was seeing, Fū turned to the town and pointed forward.

"THEN LET'S GO KICK SOME ASS!"

...

"Over here! Quickly! Throw some water on it!"

"We tried, Sir! It's still burning!"

"God, what is this fire? Why isn't it extinguishing?!"

"I don't know, but if we don't find the cause soon, it will spread!"

"Where the hell are the rest of our forces?! Have they caught the princess yet?!"

"They haven't come back yet, Sir!"

"Fucking useless! Send another team North and cancel the search! And make sure they move their asses! I'm not dying because of your incompetence!"

"Sir!"

The Shinobi immediately took off, leaving Jonin Ibara to curse his bad luck. Of all the times to be caught with their pants down! He knew this day would come—prepared for it. They had sentries planted on every corner of the city for Kami's sake! He'd made sure personally that every corner of this town was swept and clean of the little bastards! Hell, they were meant to be dealing with some green horn, wet behind the ears Konoha Genin who didn't know their asses from their elbows!

Where in the report did it say the little shits were insane enough to set half a town ablaze?!

"Sir!" Another voice called. It was a lower-ranking officer, no doubt here to add more bullshit to his already overflowing bucket of problems.

"It better be good news." He warned, but the panicked look on the young man's face told a story before it even left his lips.

"We-we're under attack, Sir! T-The South! At least 100 enemy forces are pushing our flank back!"

Ibara was silent, his teeth grinding against one another as he processed the words. Who the hell was helping the brats? The Land of Fire was 5 days out at the very least. Even if one of them somehow managed to escape, they wouldn't expect reinforcements for another week at the most. It didn't make any logical sense.

"Sir, are you-"

"I heard you, damnit!" Ibara snapped, getting his thoughts back in order. They still had enough men to defend the docks. The retreating brats were likely a distraction. Whoever was backing them clearly had better brains than the kids, which made the burning of the town much more believable.

That also meant that the attacking group either held the brats themselves, or the Princess herself. Escape through the docks is their only option, which means the likelihood of the brats using the confusion and chaos to escape is high.

His mind set, he turned to the messenger and said, "I'll gather forces to charge the South. In the meantime, gather a team to defend the boats with-"

"Sir!" A different voice called, pushing Ibara's patience to its limit. Turning, he was met with yet another man, out of breath, with a look on his face that said anything but good news. "S-Sir, our troops. Th-there's infighting! Our forces are turning on each other!

Ibara did not allow the shock to show on his face, but inside was a different story.

Treachery? Did he really hear that right? Since when? How? The only possible explanation he could think of for this would be the enemy infiltrating their ranks.

Yes, that made sense. They had strict regulations to out traitors. Every hour, each individual would report to base after their patrols. Each return, they were given a specific code to which identify themselves to superiors. The latest report was about 45 minutes ago...which was right around the time the attack had commenced.

This was no coincidence. This was coordinated. Planned; he'd even say to perfection. It would have taken heavy observation as well as continuous practice to time such an attack and replace guards with their own troops. It was so calculated that it scared him. Whoever was backing the brats were professionals. The kind that were a menace and pain in the ass.

But he could still salvage this. They still had numbers and an advantage that they didn't have.

The ships. That's what they were here for. Without them, whatever hopes they had would be soon be crushed. Regardless of if they won or not, he would have the last laugh.

Ibara turned to the new arrival, ready to give the order.

"S-SIR!" A third voice, this time belonging to a female, interrupted him yet again. At this point, he didn't even bother answering. He simply waited for the news to drop. To the surprise of no one, it was not good news. "A-an army! Another force is-"

BOOM!

Ibara covered his eyes at the bright light that had temporarily blinded him. When he was able to open them again, he blinked the spots away before his eyes landed on where the woman stood.

Where she once stood panicked and heaving for breath, she now stood twitching uncontrollably. Her body and clothes were chard. The faint spell of Ozone lingered around her along with the burning spell of wood. Before falling forward, a screech echoed through the town forcing his eyes upwards. It was clear to see what she had been so in a hurry to tell him.

"Dr-dragons?" He heard one of his subordinates speak in awe. Unfortunately, neither of their eyes were deceiving them.

Thousands of feet in the sky, two leathery creatures circled the town like vultures ready to devour their prey. A sight he never thought he would see in this non-fiction world were right before his eyes. They weren't as big as the things of legend and story books, but there was no mistaken that majestic form. If things couldn't get anymore bizarre, from atop the beasts, several illuminated the creatures before shooting down to the ground.

It was evident where that bolt of lightning had come from now.

A cry of pain had had the Jonin and subordinates' gaze back on ground floor. A body was sent flying in their direction to land right in front of them. In the direction of the body, multiple figures wearing orange charged past to engage any and every Shinobi they could.

And yet, none of them caught Ibara's gaze like the one leading them forward.

From the flames, a slender figure emerged. The first noticeable thing he could notice about the woman was the sword in her right hand and the shield on her left. Despite the clear danger they posed, the rest of her nearly froze his instincts. Luscious pale green locks fell on either side of her face, a frame of porcelain skin. Her clothing, from what he could see, was foreign in nature.

Her armor, a stunning blend of gold and white, shimmered from the flames. The intricate pattern on the breastplate depicted some kind of symbol—a golden sun with elegant wings surrounded by a halo of light. Adorned with gems and pearls, the armor exuded a regal and formidable presence befitting royalty. Under the armor, she wore a long battle dress with gold linings; the left side split all the way to her hip. A long white cape flowed behind her, embroidered with delicate golden thread that sparkled with every step she took in her sandle heels covered by gold greaves. To finish the look, on her head she adorned a bronze crown with wings poking from each side.

Everything told Ibara that he was looking at royalty. From the crown to the outfit, even the way she furrowed her brow as if he were beneath her, it all spoke of someone who lived and breathed power and authority. And yet, all these features paled in comparison to the most distinctive one on the woman.

Her eyes.

She had two pools of vibrant emerald. Eyes that seemed to bore into his soul, yet felt as though she was looking through him—as if he were but an ant in her presence. He recognized those eyes. He had seen them before in his very own Daimyo. The biggest difference was that, unlike the Daimyo, she did not need threats or an army to erase someone from existence.

The fact that she did not waste time with needless monologue and charged him upon their eyes meeting only gave her more points in the Jonin's book. Instantly, a kunai was in his hand as he held it at the ready.

He was completely unprepared for the sudden burst of speed she showed midway.

Her sword clashed with his knife, sending sparks flying as the two pushed against each other. Ibara could feel the muscles in his arms bulge, every muscle fiber straining to hold the sword aloft. The power that she presented from a single swing was nothing like what her form would have suggested. If not for his years of experience reinforcing his limbs instinctively, he was sure the blow would have broken through both his kunai and arms.

Allowing the blow to slide off his weapon, Ibara ducked a swipe from the blade while stepping into the woman's space. As he aimed for her torso, the woman spun, her cape flying around her in an elegant twirl as her shield blocked the strike before she retaliated with an overhead slash. Before it could come down, he kicked himself back several feet, using her shield as leverage. In that same moment, his hands slung through hand signs before stopping on the tiger.

He wasn't capable of so much as thinking the name for his Jutsu. It was all he could do to lean out of the way mid-flight before the arrow of light the woman had shot at him with but a point in his direction. No hand-sign, just a point. As if the Gods were practically spitting on his luck, he just so happened to clearly be fighting not only royalty but a Kekkái Genkai user as well. He truly had shitty luck.

The moment his feet touched the ground, his hands started signing for the second part of his Jutsu. As expected, his opponent wasted no time in closing the distance. His eyes kept her in his sights, watching as she leaped into the air. In a graceful arc, the sword in her hand was drawn back, glowing as she prepared to cleave him in two.

Before her sword could fall, Ibara placed his hands on the ground, and a wall of stone rose from the earth to halt the attack. The wall gave him time—more than enough to weave through hand signs once again while retreating. As expected, the woman cleared the wall of rock (likely in a single leap), but by the time she reached the top, his Jutsu was already prepared.

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Technique!"

The moment he uttered the words, a giant reptile of rock broke from the wall, barely missing the woman as she landed. Its size was comparable to the houses around it, its mouth wide enough to swallow multiple bodies whole as its jaws opened to unleash a barrage of stone shards at her. She sidestepped out of the way, able to dodge the incoming projectiles with ease.

Unfortunately for her, the dragon wasn't her only opponent.

Before the woman could catch her footing, a multitude of rocky shuriken appeared in the air before her. Instantly, they fell upon her, the woman's shield being the only thing saving her from being impaled. While she defended, Ibara continued weaving signs.

"Earth Release: Stone Cannon Technique!"

The dragon, along with every rock on the ground, lifted into the air, each one forming into a ball of light. Moments later, they shot towards the woman like meteors. Dust and debris exploded from the ground, smoke billowing into the sky as the rocks slammed into their target. For a moment, he allowed himself to believe he actually got her.

He should have known by now that the Gods weren't that giving.

Standing tall with her shield up was the unscathed form of the beauty, not a scratch to be seen on even her immaculate robes. Around her, a

dome-like structure of light seemed to have formed a barrier of sorts around her. Around the barrier, symbols of unknown origins lined the edges of a polygon-like star that rotated in the air. Even from here, he could feel the power it emitted, and it spelled no good feelings inside.

With the flick of her wrist, the dome dispersed, and she was on him with a single leap. One moment he was preparing to create distance once more, and in the next second, he was sent flying through the air. He grunted as he rolled through the chaos in the street but righted himself and began the process of weaving signs, his dragon ready to-

His body suddenly seized up. Pinpricks of pain shot through his limbs as his muscles tightened against his will. Through his peripheral, he could see lightning dancing along his skin, yet he couldn't understand where the Jutsu that hit him had come from.

A sudden gust of air later, and he'd found the cause.

Ah, he'd made the rookie mistake of neglecting his surroundings. The dragon from before had taken off into the air once more, but not before the rider, one the Jonin could now see clearly, took a chunk out of his own bastardization. Not a second later, his opponent cleaved the head of the rock dragon off completely before making a mad dash towards him.

Ibara cursed his own carelessness. Of course the woman had an ally, and of course said ally would use this time to strike him when his focus was on his enemy. Such a rookie mistake would cost him.

With his body paralyzed, he could do nothing as his enemy closed the distance between them and reeled back.

Despite getting shield bashed in the face, despite feeling his brain rattle in his head, and despite his vision going dark almost immediately, he still couldn't help but think:

"What a woman."

...

Seiros did not allow the fall of the enemy commander to stop her stride. The moment the man hit the ground, she focused her attention on the shocked subordinates—their eyes filled with fear as the strange metal shooting crossbows trembled in their grips.

She did not let the hesitation last for long.

The moment she was within reach, she cleaved one of the crossbows in half with her blade, the wood splintering beneath her might as the soldier could only watch as the blade followed up with the side smashing into his face. In the same motion, she drew Mana to the hand holding her shield and pointed it at the nearby volley of Shinobi aiming at her back. Bright ruins surrounded her before condensed rays of light shot from her hand and at the Shinobi with pin-point accuracy. They were impaled, immediately dropping their weapons in agony.

Not a second later, the Nabateans appeared between them to deliver deviating kicks and shield bashes that knocked them unconscious upon impact.

Instincts had her bring up her shield just in time to deflect a stream of those strange knives from impaling her from up high. Looking above the shield, she saw the outline of at least seven figures reloading their weapons from atop a nearby roof.

Before she could even think to act, the figures were forced to vacate the rooftop due to the barrage of weapons that suddenly rained down on them. One of Naruto's friends, Tenten, if she was correct, landed in front of her, foreign weapons in her hands and a look of seriousness she didn't expect from a child.

"We need to hurry to the docks. They're trying to burn the ships." The girl stated, getting a frown from the Archbishop.

"Then let's not delay." Doing just that, Seiros found herself sprinting alongside Tenten down the street.

Along the way, there was opposition, and Seiros was able to see Naruto's friend in action.

For someone so young, the girl had amazing control that bordered on inhuman, able to manipulate her weapon to such a degree that Seiros couldn't help but wonder if the weapons themselves had a mind of their own. Not a single weapon thrown by the girl missed its target. Be it a knee or one strategically to the hip and pelvis, the girl's accuracy was far greater than any knight or rogue she'd faced over her century of life. If she hadn't seen this for herself, the Archbishop wouldn't have believed the girl capable of such skill and uncaring regard for inflicting pain.

They finally reached the docks, giving them a moment of relief that lasted enough to breathe in once.

Once was all they were allowed.

Many ships were damaged with signs of fire spreading throughout nearly every ship. If that didn't get their blood running fast enough, then the Shinobi practically filling nearly every corner of the dock most definitely did. The icing on the cake? Upon their arrival, every single one of them turned in their direction. Now the duo had over 100 metal devices pointing their way.

"...Retreat?"

Rhea's legs were already moving the moment the question was suggested. At the same time she twitched, the army let loose, firing their weapons and nearly catching both before they were able to take cover behind nearby houses.

Tenten was the first to poke her head out, but quickly sucked back upon a kunai getting far too close to sheathing itself in her forehead. Thankfully, that glance was all she needed to formulate their next plan of action, and she made that known to her current ally. "Hey Lady, I have an idea! But we need to get closer!"

"How close?!" The Archbishop shouted back.

"Closer than this! Can you grab their attention to the center?!"

Seiros didn't waste time answering. Whispering a few words under her breath, she held out a hand towards the Genin. Runes circled the momentarily startled girl before a dome of pure light appeared over her. A moment later, Seiros was on the move again, using her own light shield to charge their adversary.

The barrage of projectiles started back up, but this time they were unable to get even close to meeting flesh. Any and all projectiles bounced off the dome harmlessly, shocking the Snow Shinobi to silence.

With a grunt, the woman threw her shield out, the golden relic spinning like a buzzsaw before it impacted a couple unfortunate Shinobi blocking her way to the only ship she saw functional. With a single leap, she cleared the distance from the dock to a nearby boat, catching her shield and landing expertly in a roll.

Three Shinobi charged her immediately upon her landing, kunai in their hands and murder in their eyes.

With a quick draw of her sword, a beam of light flew from her blade, knocking the three men back before they could get too close. Her shield met the face of another, and a quick spin was used to kick a third in the stomach, launching him off the ship and into the sea.

No respite was given to the Nabatean. Almost all at once, every available body charged her, the men forgoing their range advantage to engage her directly. The Archbishop met them all head-on, her sword and shield meeting her opponents head-on and not missing a beat.

Even as she cleaved one's arm off, smashed their faces, or kicked their knees out, Seiros refused to let her momentum falter. Her shield came up to block a swipe from behind before a reverse thrust smashed the attacker's nose, forcing them to recoil back and away. The moment they did, a burst of light from her shield forced another group to cover their eyes.

It was then that a kunai found itself lodged in her left thigh, the woman's face contorting into a slight grimace at the pain. She quickly recovered and brought up her shield, only for a volley of shurikens to bounce off it.

Raising a hand to an oncoming trio, a series of glowing arrows materialized and shot forth, their aim true as they found their marks. Before any of the remaining Shinobi could recover, Seiros leaped over them, her shield bashing an unfortunate man in the face and forcing his body into the path of his fellow Shinobi.

As she landed on the mass, her leg gave out, the pain flaring in her leg causing her to buckle. A sharp hiss escaped her lips before she reached for the knife and quickly yanked it out. At that exact moment, she was forced to activate her shield once more due to the barrage of kunai giving her no chance to catch her breath.

Unfortunately, the spell was made with haste, making the dome overall less useful against a barrage of concentrated fire. As expected, the shield shattered halfway through the barrage and Seiros was forced to leap from her position.

She realized her mistake the moment she saw nearly every Shinobi pointing their weapons at her mid-fall. In the position she was in, there was no room to dodge, nor cast a defensive spell. The spell wouldn't hold against such overwhelming force, and there was no way to defend against so many oncoming projectiles with her shield alone. There was no viable option here that wouldn't lead her into becoming a human pincushion...Well, there was one, but she didn't-

"COVER YOUR EYES!"

Tenten's sudden scream echoed out through the dock, forcing the woman to instinctively do as ordered.

A brilliant flash of light illuminated the entire docks moments later.

Seiros landed safely onto the boat, yet despite her lids being closed, she could still set the blinding light. It wasn't until the light dimmed slightly and the sounds of metal clattering to the ground followed by people howling in agony did she open her eyes. Around her, the Snow Shinobi were stumbling about, hands on their faces as cries of 'my eyes' and 'I can't see' left their mouths.

It was then that the Genin landed next to the Archbishop. Like her, she observed the groveling Shinobi with interest. At once, they looked to each other.

An understanding was reached without a word being spoken.

...

"I don't care if it kills you! Don't you dare stop filming!"

"Yes, boss!" The cameraman yelled back to the director, taking in the destruction around them despite currently running for his life.

Thankfully, the Shinobi kids proved to be worth their Hitai-ate. The orange army around them ensured that not so much as a needle came within 10 feet of them, making their journey to the docks a lot safer than they would have thought otherwise.

Of course, there were a few close calls... Like now, for instance.

The man had come out of nowhere, rushing their group as his hands moved through signs. Before they knew it, the snow was rising and a dragon, a freaking DRAGON MADE OF ICE nearly ended them all in one fell swoop.

It might as well have been a bug considering how easy and swiftly it was dealt with. The green haired girl, name still unknown, dove right at it while covered in red with a fist reeled back. An uppercut that could have been used as a meteorite rocketed right through the dragon's maw, tearing the creature to shreds as the pieces rained down to the earth.

On the ground, the one with the strange eyes charged the now flabbergasted Shinobi and, he shits you not, poked him so hard and fast the hits sounded like gunshots. OUCH! They didn't know if the man lived or died, but considering he immediately dropped like a puppet without its strings, they were going to go with the latter.

Thankfully, they made it to the docks with no further incidents.

Allies greeted them upon their arrival.

Around them, bodies upon bodies of Snow Shinobi covered the docks—some bleeding while others mangled or groaning and agony.

At the end of the docks, a beautiful woman in foreign-looking armor stood. In her hands was a shield and sword—a blade as sharp as steel and the shield as pure as the brightest white. A sense of awe overcame most of the staff as she motioned for them to make haste toward the ramp leading to a ship she had seemingly secured.

The Director wasted no time following her directions, practically pushing the crew ahead of him as he yelled, "Get your asses on the ship and be ready to sail! We can't finish this movie if we're all dead! And don't you DARE stop recording!"

They made it to the ship, and despite the obvious damage, the sails were still intact.

Tenten met the crew on the ship, the girl seemingly already the one preparing the ship to sail.

"Are we all good to leave?" She asked, scanning their group for any missing bodies. Fū sat comfortably in the crows nest while Neji and Seiros stood guard near the ramp. The rest were accounted for, including Sandayu and Princess Koyuki strangling unconscious on the servant's back.

"Ai, lassie! We are all here, but what about your friends?" One of the members questioned, looking back at the carnage around them. Neji stepped forward, his Dojutsu active as he looked through the town. Through the fire and battle, he saw the wyverns flying above. On top of them, three figures could be seen, one lone while the other carried a girl along with a blonde he knew all too well.

"They're making their way here... Along with our enemies. We should set sail as soon as possible." The Hyuga explained, getting no objections from anyone.

"Alright then, set a course and get us the hell out of here!"

"Ai!"

As they got to work, a sudden gust of wind blew through the air, drawing attention. From the sky, two dragons appeared, carrying the last three members of their group. As planned, they began their part of the plan while circling the slowly moving vessel. Around them, runes of green encircled their bodies before their arms glowed brightly.

In their hands, blades of wind began to form, swirling and rotating at speeds that created an audible buzzing sound. From atop their mounts, Flayn looked to her brother and nodded.

Shouting the name of their spell, the siblings pulled their arms back and released the torrent of condensed wind onto the docks. Any Snow Shinobi left were blown back by the powerful gust of wind, their bodies flying aimlessly into the air before crashing against any and everything not nailed down.

However, while Seteth's spell acted as a barrier to the enemy, Flayn's acted as a source of speed for the escaping caravan. Wind pushed against the sails, propelling them further from the docks. The two did not stop until the ship was but a speck in the distance, making sure to let off one final gust to propel their flying mounts forward towards the disappearing ship.

No one followed them.

No one stopped them.

They had all escaped with their lives, leaving the enemy in disarray.

It couldn't get more flawless than that.

...

"Three cheers to our saviors!"

Cheers rang through the air, filling the ship to the brim with excitement and happiness. With the recent skirmish won and their lives intact, celebration was a necessity to maintain the spirits of the caravan.

Tenten looked about, the scene around leaving her speechless. Around the deck, people mingled, surrounding Naruto's friends as they tried pushing mugs of beer into their hands. It was not unlike a party—at least, it wasn't like the ones in the movies she'd seen.

No, this was different. The atmosphere was far more relaxed than the forced smiling that had been a constant for the past week. Here, everyone could simply be themselves. A dance of sorts was underway, where different individuals would start dancing at a specific time before changing partners, continuing until the manmade beat faded.

It was the most festive thing she'd seen of late and she couldn't help but feel the joy spreading through the ship.

Up high, Neji sat with Fū, the latter trying to make conversation while the former did everything but reply.

And in the center, Naruto watched the festivities, an untouched drink in his hands. Beside him, Seiros sat, the woman sipping her drink with a small smile. She had been silent for the most part, content to observe the group from the sidelines as she watched the fruit of their hard work.

With this victory, they would make it to the next port without the fear of being ambushed in their sleep.

And yet, her young companion did not seem to be at all satisfied. One may not be able to tell with the perennial ashen stare, but she knew him personally and knew he would typically be at the center of attention.

He wasn't now.

It was quite curious to see.

"Is something the matter, young one?"

Her inquiry gained a side glance from the blonde. Despite not saying anything, the look in his eyes spoke for him. He was thinking, likely on the matter regarding the princess below deck and the country they'd left behind. They've had the conversation numerous times at this point, but it seems the boy is still not accepting of their decision.

"You may not think it, but you did the right thing. It may not seem so now, but I promise you will understand later." Seiros commented, yet the boy was unmoved. Slowly, he turned his attention to the rum in his hand. Likely thinking to drown out his thoughts, he threw his head back and consumed the alcohol in one go. It only took a single gulp before the mug left his lips, along with any alcohol he hadn't consumed. A hand went up to his mouth to cover it, his face turning green for a moment before he swallowed one more time. A shiver rocked him before his tongue rolled free and an audible 'blergh' left his mouth.

"That-That was awful." He groaned, his face contorting into a grimace that was nothing short of disgust.

Seiros merely chuckled at the sight.

"It is an acquired taste."

"The only thing I've 'acquired' from drinking alcohol is pain and PTSD...which makes me believe adults are inherently masochists."

Seiros found a hand going to her face to cover her growing grin.

"It is not the journey, but the destination, Child."

"Then I'd rather not take the journey at all." The blonde retorted, setting the drink down on the ground before standing to his feet. "I think I'm going to turn in early."

"Mind if I join you?" Seiros was quick to ask, much to the boy's confusion. "If you don't mind, it has been some time since I've spoken to Mother." Understanding her train of thought, the blonde nodded. Together, they left the deck and the loud noise that was the festivities, opting instead for the quiet that was the sleeping quarters.

The moment they opened the door, the two were hit with a wave of heat. Torches had been lit along the walls, casting a glow into the corridor. With the windows and vents closed, the temperature was higher than usual as evidenced by the many individuals standing in the halls compared to their rooms.

They made their way towards their room but paused upon seeing a familiar face closing a door behind them.

"Ah, Uzumaki and Seiros-sama. As always, it is a pleasure." Sandayu greeted them, bowing at the waist before the two.

"Likewise. How is Lady Koyuki?" Seiros asked.

"Sleeping, I'm afraid. The Midnight Lily of your country is as powerful as you say. Honestly, I'm surprised."

"I am glad it could be of some assistance." The greenette replied, a small smile on her lips.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some business with the director. If you will." Sandayu bowed once more before moving past the two. He slipped past Naruto, but was not able to completely pass the blonde as he was grabbed by the arm. The attendant looked down at the blonde, confusion plain to see behind his glasses.

"Something the matter, Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto didn't reply right away, his grip firm on the man's sleeve.

"...I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for us. If not for you, we would have likely never found that cabin and would have been left to the elements. Truly, you have my thanks."

Sandayu blinked down at the boy, taken aback by the sudden thanks. A small smile began to spread on his lips before he bowed his head slightly in thanks.

"It is my pleasure. If anything, I should be the one thanking you. It is thanks to you that Princess Koyuki is safe once more and away from Doto-sama's grasp. It is a debt I don't think I can ever repay."

"...It was nothing." Naruto replied, loosening his grip on the man ever so slightly.

"If that is all, then I truly must be on my way." Sandayu said with a hint of urgency. Pulling his arm, he aimed to walk away but was surprised when the grip on his arm tightened. He winced slightly at the strength behind the blonde's grip before giving the blonde a nervous look.

It was far too late to see the fist coming before it slammed into his stomach.

The wind left his lungs and his vision became white. Despite the kid's size, the punch bent his entire body around it like a paperclip. A moment later, he was sent flying back. His back smashed into and through something hard before his body tumbled about the canvas. The cold was introduced to his skin, yet it was nothing compared to the pain in his stomach. He began to cough uncontrollably as his hands went to the offended area.

On the deck, the festivities stopped on a dime upon the body breaking through the door leading to the sleeping quarters.

A moment later, the blonde emerged from the hallway, people making way for the shinobi who walked towards the fallen attendant with a single-minded purpose. The attendant's writhing stopped upon the blonde grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and forcing attention back to him. Ashen green eyes stared down at the attendant, fear overtaking him as the boy looked upon him with a look that was far too calm for his liking.

"I'm going to ask you once and only once. Where is Princess Koyuki?" The man shuddered at the question.

"...W-What are you-"

*CRACK*

Fist met skull before the man could even finish his sentence. He went limp almost immediately, causing the blonde to blink owlishly at the body before looking at his fist. "Oops..."

"Uzumaki!" The voice of Seteth cut through the silence. The crowd parted ways for the Church affiliate, Flayn and the director following close behind. Instead of looking to the blonde, all their eyes landed on the one he stood over, unconscious and blood leaking from his broken nose. The question that left Seteth's lips was no the question any were expecting.

"Who, is this man?"

Naruto looked back down to the unconscious body. As he'd already noted before, it was the attendant. However, his face was no longer that of the clumsy man. A square jaw replaced the pointed one, along with a clear absence of facial hair. His body was visibly lighter than the older man, and the youth on his face was an even bigger indicator that the man before him was not, in fact, Sandayu.

"A spy." Naruto answered after some time before adding, "I just interrogated him."

Silence followed the explanation. Instead of humoring the boy, Seteth walked over and kneeled before the blonde and unconscious stranger. Naruto didn't know what Seteth was thinking, but he knew he'd come to the same conclusion the blonde had moments ago.

"He is of the Snow." Naruto nodded at the statement, it also having the unintended effect of sending a wave of panic through the remaining crew. "How did you know?" Seteth asked, the man looking both surprised and impressed.

"A week ago, there was a Sandayu watching moments before my sensei died. He was using a Genjutsu to conceal himself, yet also claimed to be the one who showed us the cabin an hour later. It didn't add up."

"...Excellent deduction, Uzumaki." Seteth looked back to the body with a contemplative look on his face. The fact someone could so easily cloak themselves into the faces of their allies was a worrying thought. He'd taken that knowledge for granted, seeing that he never thought the day would come when he was actually on the receiving end, but it would seem he would need to be more vigilant. Moments later, he turned to Flayn, absentmindedly noting the presence of Rhea before he ordered, "Flayn, call everyone to deck. Make sure everyone is accounted for."

"There's no need for that." Naruto stopped him, the boy standing to his feet. "This man is the only imposter on the ship."

"And how would you know that?"

"I made sure of it. In fact, I made sure we were far enough away from the Land of Snow before acting." The blonde revealed, shocking the man further.

"But, why? What purpose could that possibly serve? The Princess is-"

"Not here anymore. They took her during the confusion at the dock." The Genin interrupted, shocking the cast and director who let out an audible 'what' at the information.

"You little shit! How long have you been keeping this from us?! Why didn't you pursue?!" Someone in the crowd shouted, riling up the rest in a combined mass of growing anger.

A single clap was all it took to silence everyone once more. Stepping forward from the crowd was Seiros, her face a mask of calm despite the mood around her. Her eyes stayed glued to the blonde, the boy unflinching despite the intensity of her gaze. When Seiros finally spoke, it was not accusatory. It was calm, something that had been lost in the revelation.

"Naruto, please explain yourself."

The boy did not show it, but he was grateful for the woman's presence and ability to defuse a hostile crowd. He didn't know if what he said next would be taken well, but he hoped what he was about to reveal wouldn't suddenly turn her hostile as much as it would Seteth.

"...To simplify things, the original me is already in pursuit, along with my team, Fū, and Flayn. We were hoping to take care of everything while you made sure everyone was safely away from the country. The boss knew you wouldn't approve, so he didn't tell you. He also wanted me to apologize in advance since this is something he and his team needed to do no matter what."

A pregnant pause followed the explanation. No one knew what to make of the blonde's statement. It was as if a bomb had been dropped in their midst. No, it was more accurate to say a bomb was dropped and the aftermath was finally reaching them.

Seteth, before anyone else, reacted first. His attention immediately turned to Flayn, the girl looking no worse for wear. Yet oddly enough, the smile she gave felt wrong somehow, as if it did not come naturally to her.

That's when the truth of the blonde's words finally set in.

"Please, tell me this is some sick jape." Seteth asked, hoping beyond hope that what the blonde had said was some elaborate prank his sister had cooked up for shits and giggles.

"...Sorry, but its the truth." To his horror, the fake confirmed his fears. To make matters worse, she suddenly disappeared into a puff of smoke, all but shattering any hope that this was some sick jape. Almost mechanically, his head turned back to the blonde. The boy-no, clone's face maintained its mask of placid neutrality, yet Seteth was sure the clone could feel the volcano that was about to erupt within.

"...If it will prolong my life a little longer, the boss promises to have Flayn back home before sunrise."

Seiros' shoulders shook uncontrollably while Seteth was contemplating all the ways he could end the clone. Soon, giggles left her freely moments after the blonde disappeared before Seteth could enact any acts of murder he could think of.

It was all just like the blonde, down to the last comment. What else could she do but laugh?

A/N: going to have to stop things right here. There was one more scene before the end, but had to cut it short since it would have dragged this chapter out to be over 10K words. I also realized I had a huge plot hole in that scene and had to scrap it entirely. 4K words, gone. Nothing but fighting this chapter. Hopefully, it was to your liking, even if I'm sure it wasn't as interesting storywise.

Next chapter is likely to be the last of the land of snow. After that, there will be one chapter of rest for Naruto and the gang before they head out to their last and final mission at Genin. This particular part of this art is hands down my favorite and what I've been anticipating the right since I first started the story. It will answer most of your questions about Fodlan, Naruto, Sothis, and foreshadow who the final villain of this story will be. Hope you are looking forward to it!

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who reviewed and know that I am loving your speculation. I promise the next chapter will answer all your questions regarding the land of snow as well as revealed something that I'm sure a lot of you knew was obvious.

As always, thank you for reading and don't forget to follow, favorite, review, and have a damn good day.