Chapter 19


Dread and panic, a combination that was normal when building suspense and intrigue on the set. Oftentimes, actors perform outrageous stunts and activities to hype themselves up for the role they will be playing or even make a particular scene more genuine with their reactions.

Unfortunately for this scene, this was neither an act nor some elaborate hox to scare actors for genuine reactions. What was happening now was real—very real.

The once joyous caravan of technicians and actors ran in every direction, some running aimlessly into the forest while others hid in hopes of being overlooked by their sudden attackers. Behind them, explosions continued to erupt, trapping some in the inferno while others barely made it out with their lives.

In the center of it all, Fujikaze Yukie sat frozen. Wide blue eyes stared at the form that lay limp in front of her. Red painted the snow around it, the same color that had found its way onto her face. Next to the body, glassy eyes stared back at her, the permanent look of shock etched onto the woman's face and giving reality to the situation she was in.

Then there was the man standing over her.

Hair as blue as ice with equally cold eyes, armor with a familiar symbol on the cap he wore, and a tongue he used to lick the blood from the blade he'd used to decapitate the Leaf Shinobi right in front of her.

Fire.

Screams.

Blood.

Death.

Nightmares that had once plagued her for years returned in full force.

Her hands shook.

Her breath was unsteady.

Her mind was racing.

Her eyes were glazed.

She felt sick. Everything felt so wrong and it was getting increasingly difficult to control all the images running through her head.

It was only when she was lifted up from the ground by her collar that she became fully aware of her situation. The sudden movement had her looking up. The face of the Shinobi killer began to come into focus, yet the ringing in her ears did not cease. The face of the individual wasn't familiar, yet his cruelty was.

Then a word—no, a name uttered by the man spoke louder than any he'd spoken yet. A name she knew all too well. A name she dreaded hearing and the one responsible for the worst day of her life.

A scream sounded in her ears next.

A scream so loud and panicked that it terrified even her.

Her ears ring even more, and it took till her throat was hoarse to realize the screams were her own.

The man now looked frustrated, but she was too caught in her panic to see it.

What finally forced her silence wasn't the man, but a blur. One moment he was holding her, and the next she was sitting on the snow once more. It lasted for but a moment before she felt arms sweep her from the ground and felt the wind against her face. Her vision was still blurry, but she could still make out a new, smaller silhouette.

Be it the blood rushing to her head or the memories, she suddenly felt weak and her lids closing.

The last thing she caught was a blur of yellow and green before her world went dark.


A few moments ago...

Upon the first explosion, Tenten was forced away from her position, two employees in each hand. It was a struggle just to keep hold of the two, their combined weight and mass a clear obstacle in their way as she tried dodging the horde of kunai that began reigning down on her from the direction of the train.

She found cover behind a tree at least 100 yards away, dropping the two men who seemed confused but thankful that their lives were still intact. No time to check over them, she shot from cover the moment she was able, charging back up the slope with a kunai of her own in hand. She saw her targets atop the train, most taking aim at her while ignoring the rest of the fleeing crew members running down the hill. Moving in unpredictable patterns, she chose her targets and threw them with pinpoint accuracy.

And missed.

The thought alone made her gape, but the incoming metal storm had her taking cover once again. With plans running through her mind a mile a minute, she almost didn't hear the burning tag until it was nearly too late.

The explosion rocked the forest once more, destroying her cover and giving her enemies the illusion that she had been killed in the aftermath. In truth, she had replaced herself with a log at the last minute, now high in the trees as she looked down to the battlefield below.

The people on the train were still firing into the forest, yet there were no casualties that she could see.

As expected, orange covered most of the chaos, proof that her blonde teammate was already on the move and evacuating the caravan as their training had demanded. Scanning further, she found her Sensei engaging with who she thought was the enemy commander. Thinking her sensei likely had it handled, she searched more and found Neji. Like their Sensei, he was engaged in combat with the snow Shinobi who had kicked off the initial explosion that ignited the skirmish. Not hesitating, shuriken was pulled from her pouch and thrown at the big guy.

To her continued bafflement, she missed again. It confused her, yet she clearly saw it this time. Her attack came close and was immediately deflected, as if some invisible wall had shielded him. She did not get to ponder it, however, because a new figure appeared above her. She only had enough time to raise her guard before she was sent flying via an axe kick.

Righting herself mid-air, she landed safely in a nearby tree, looking up at her floating attacker with a scowl.

Pink pigtails poking from the sides of a beanie were the second thing she noticed before the metal wings on her back. Like the big guy, she wore chakra armor in the form of a long-sleeve shirt that went to her knees but not before splitting on both sides at her waist. Green pants, leg warmers, and sandals completed her look along with the cocky smirk that told the Higurashi all she needed to know about her new adversary.

"Careful, little one. Would be a shame to lose that pretty head of yours~." The woman taunted. Tenten would have loved to respond, but the woman was already diving at her once more. Forgoing projectiles, the Genin pulled out a scroll and two tanfa appeared in her hands in a burst of smoke.

Deflecting the diving kick with her new weapons, Tenten opted to hop from tree to tree, mindful of the ninja still waiting to get a proper shot at her from the train.

Meanwhile, on the ground floor, Neji and his opponent were at a stalemate. The wide man, at least twice his size in girth, was too slow to hit him, yet the Hyuga quickly found dealing with the man a task in patience. Though he could get around his armor with Taijutsu, his vitals were well protected because of it while the armor itself negated his gentle fist entirely. To make matters more annoying, kunai didn't work either and the men on the train made it difficult to make any decisive blows without risking a kunai in his side. It was a frustrating strategy; one Neji was not so eager to compliment being on the receiving end, and all

"Gotta say, I'm disappointed, boy." The gravelly voice mocked, a smirk present on his face. "I always wanted to fight a Hyuga. A shame it had to be a brat barely worth his salt."

The insult slipped off the Hyuga like the air it was. This man was just another enemy, another obstacle to overcome.

"Truly?" Neji spoke back, humoring the man as he thought of a plan of action. "You act like a warrior, but without that armor, you are no different than the average drabble playing ninja."

Neji didn't need to be a mind reader to know the insult got under the man's skin. The fact that he was immediately charged was proof enough. Ready for the man's attack, chakra went to the Hyuga's eyes. Veins appeared around the organs, the sign of his clans Dojutsu shown to the world. The world around him turned black and white, and he was ready to engage once more.

...

Naruto clashed swords with the Jonin, sparks flying as the man's powerful strikes were expertly deflected away from him before he countered, swinging horizontally at his exposed midsection. The man's speed proved worthy of a Jonin and was able to keep himself from being bisected at the hip by deflecting the attack upward and leaving the blonde open for attack.

Another blade nearly took his head off for the attempt. The man was forced to retreat back a few yards, yet the smirk on his face never vanished.

Landing next to the blonde, Naruto gave a quick glance to his Sensei before snapping his eyes back onto their opponent. She looked fine for the time being. Her stance was as perfect as it would ever be, and she looked as new as when the fight first started. Despite that, the blonde stuck close to her, almost protectively.

Across from them, the Snow Shinobi's grin grew wider as he spoke, "The Village Hidden in the Leaves. I have to say, I'm honored. The last I'd seen of your kind was Hatake. Tell me, how is my old friend doing? Still running away?"

Neither Konoha Nin answered, one not knowing the man personally while the other likely did not see it fit to answer.

"Oh? The silent treatment I see. Well, it does not matter. I'll just send Hatake a little present. Maybe your heads will be enough to make him visit again." The man said with a grin as he pulled his arms back before throwing them forward, summoning countless amounts of snow shuriken to throw at the Leaf Nin. The duo were forced to split apart, an action the man saw and immediately capitalized.

Now, if one were to see this from an outsider's perspective, almost anyone with sense would think to go after the Genin. Being the younger of the two, the gap in experience and likely skill would be a no-brainer. Uzumaki Naruto was not a normal Genin by any means, but his opponent likely didn't know that, and logic would deem him the likely target.

To his absolute astonishment, he was disregarded entirely. In fact, the man even showed his back to him as he went right for his Sensei. From how far away he was, he could see the man bring his sword up high, a move that wasn't practical at all and held too many openings to count.

And yet his Sensei brought her tanto up defensively. A feeling of deja vu flowed through the blonde's body before his eyes glowed and his body filled with power. In less than it took to blink, he was in front of the two Jonin, his sword deflecting the chakra-enhanced blade before it could make contact with his Sensei's. With another swipe, the man retreated back, a look of frustration crossing his features before he readied himself once more.

Glancing back briefly, he saw the blank visage of his teacher, completely unaffected and seemingly unaware that her life would have ended if he hadn't redirected the attack.

It was suspicious.

A suspicion that had grown into an inferno after all her deaths.

Yes, 'deaths'

Not once, not twice, not even thrice. Six times, the blonde had rewritten fate to save the woman.

The first was when she first defended Yukie from the big guy before engaging and being immediately shot out the air by the Snow Shinobi and their strange kunai firing crossbows before her spontaneous combustion moments later.

On the second, after seeing her fate, he immediately pulled her back before she could become a human pincushion. Assured of her safety, they took cover before he used shadow clones to ensure the safety of the rest of the crew, taking his eyes from the woman. He did just that, finding Neji combating the metal-armed man while Tenten fought another woman with wings. Almost a minute into the evacuation, another Snow Shinobi showed himself by bombarding the actors with exploding tags. He was able to evacuate them in time, but somehow, some way, their Sensei got caught up in the explosion, killing her instantly.

On the third, he alerted everyone to the dangers of the train before it even stopped. By the time it did, the enemy had no one to shoot upon their arrival. They were free to engage the enemy on their terms, a battle that nearly turned in their favor. He allowed his Sensei to fight the Snow Jonin leader alone while he acted as support for his team. He looked away for only a second to defend himself from a barrage of incoming kunai, only to look back and see her falling to her knees, her throat gushing blood before the man finished it via decapitation.

On the fourth, he fought alongside her, beginning the question of whether something was wrong with her or the Jonin was just that skilled. He was, in fact, skilled, maybe on part with the typical Jonin, yet he clearly couldn't keep up with their tag team. During this, Naruto confirmed that something was definitely wrong with his teacher. She moved slower than he'd ever seen her, and not once did she even try using those strange webs of hers. She still kept her skills, yet she fought as if her style was completely new to her. Despite that, he was able to keep her alive.

One moment was all it took for the tables to be turned. Through the orders of the man, the kunai barrage focused solely on them, splitting them up for only a moment. That was all it took for his sensei to somehow take a kunai through the neck and bleed out in seconds.

On the fifth run, he went as far as challenging the man alone, catching him before he was even able to confront his sensei while leaving his clones with the confirmed sluggish woman. He was good, no doubt, but that was more due to his reflexes than his actual skill with the sword. His sensei was far superior with the blade than he was, and even with the strange armor, there was no excuse why she should have ever lost to the Snow Shinobi. And yet still, even after he was forced to retreat, he found her laying in the snow, kunai in her back, and a shaking Yukie under her. How the actor appeared when he knew he saw Sandayu evacuate her, the blonde didn't know.

On the sixth and final run, he confronted the woman. Rewinding back to the end of their conversation, he asked if there was anything wrong with her before her departure. She didn't exactly answer, just giving him this look of indifference, but he pressed and made sure there was nothing she was keeping from him before the battle. Unsurprisingly, all she told him was to 'keep his duty in mind' before returning to her perch on the far tree.

From there, events unfolded as he thought fate wished. The train appeared, but he took the place of defending Yukie from the metal-arm man while evacuating the rest of the caravan. Leaving his team to deal with the metal arm and wing woman, he engaged to Jonin with his sensei, sticking to her like glue to paper. Not once did he leave out of her sight, and the fact he could feel frustration coming from both Jonin's were red flags he just now began picking up. Now, here they were. At a standstill, practically no charges left, and only one thing Naruto could think to do to save the woman's life.

"Sensei," he spoke finally, feeling her eyes land on him, "we are outnumbered and fighting on their terms. We should retreat." He reasoned, wanting more to see her reaction than to follow through with his plan.

"...Agreed. Ready yourself. I shall make a distraction." Kagero said, unaware of the turmoil boiling in the blonde's head. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the blonde), they didn't get the chance to enact whatever plan the woman had as she was forced to parry another strike from the man before using his free hand to toss a smoke bomb on the ground. Not giving the woman a chance to act, he grabbed her hand and began hopping away as fast as he could. It was as good a chance as they were going to get, and he would not waste it.

Raising his arm high, two fingers pointed to the sky before a bright light shot from his fingertips. A moment later, a loud *POP* echoed through the battlefield, a signal he and his teammates used in training as a means of telling the rest to retreat and group up. Looking to his left, he hoped to see his teammates following the signal and was pleased to see their own smoke bombs covering their side of the field.

That was when he saw something out of place.

His eyes widened marginally at the site, unable to believe what he was seeing. Sitting in the snow was Yukie, a look of petrified shock on her face as she stared into the flames ahead. Questions about why and how she was still here after giving his clones orders ran through his mind, the impossibility stunning him for the briefest of seconds.

Those few seconds were enough for his sensei to suddenly kick him in the side with enough force to send him flying. As he was sent soaring through the sky, he watched as his sensei charged the downed Yukie, but not before catching the back of the Snow Shinobi heading the same way. He landed in a tumble, desperately righting himself before he shot back to his feet to-

He froze.

Disbelief filled him as he witnessed a sight he'd once prevented come true in the end. Laying in the snow was his Sensei, her life liquid painting the snow red from the new hole created through her decapitation.

A scream.

He didn't hear it at first. His mind had been shocked into a numb silence as he witnessed his Sensei fall. Only when he heard a shout from within his own head did he come back to reality. Tearing his eyes from the corpse of his Sensei, he saw her killer, now holding Yukie in the air with her collar—a scream of fear the likes he never heard before echoing through the mountains.

Before he knew it, he was moving. He didn't know what he used to get to the woman so fast, but when he got within range, his fist was already reeling back and shooting forward.

The Snow Jonin didn't even have time to brace for the blow before he was sent flying like a missile through the forest. Catching the actress in, ironically, a princess carry, Naruto allowed one more look at the corpse—a glance that lasted for but a second. That was all the time he had before he shot into the woods, dodging incoming kunai and disappearing into the forest.


Some time later...

Neji rapped on the wooden door of the abandoned hut two times, followed by repeating the actions exactly four more times as per the code. After the fourth knock, the door cracked open just enough to put a finger through.

"...Nice day for a stroll, don't you think?" A familiar female voice asked behind the door.

"...Why waste time when there's work to be done?" Neji replied back, not even getting half way there before the door swung open just enough for him to squeeze in. It closed just as quickly as it opened, literally feeling the relief fill the room. Glancing back, he saw Tenten put away the kunai, a relieved look crossing her features as she gave him a tired look.

"Please tell me you have good news." The kunoichi asked, hope in her voice despite likely knowing things were likely to only get worse in their situation. Looking around, he saw that the rest of the crew's hope was more genuine. The only two who didn't show an ounce of emotion were Naruto and Yukie, the former for obvious reasons and the latter due to her sudden case of unconsciousness on the ground next to the blonde.

"None, unfortunately." He reported, likely dashing any hope anyone present may have had. "The dock is completely filled with Snow Nin. They are stopping people at random; my guess is to make sure we aren't disguised as civilians. What makes matters worse is that they have completely halted all vessels from entering or leaving. Any who protests or looks even slightly suspicious is being detained. They also... somehow already have wanted posters of us," he made eye contact with each of his team members, "which tells me this attack was premeditated. The chances of slipping away on a ship with this many people are unlikely. Our only option is to lay low until things blow over and the dock is moving again."

Finished with his report, he allowed it to sink in with the rest of the occupants. To say the news didn't sit well was an understatement. Most everyone looked sick, and even some began sobbing. The only ones who seemed capable of keeping their cool within the caravan were the director and, oddly enough, Sandayu.

After a while, the director looked right at him, his calm facade surprising even the Hyuga.

"Tell me something, boy. What are our chances of leaving this place? Alive, to be more specific." Neji stared at the man, silently admitting that he didn't know how to answer. Eventually, he walked to the nearest wall to lean on and cross his arms.

"We have an entire Shinobi force looking for three Konoha Nin. Even if I am optimistic about our skills, I am not confident in taking on an entire nation. Chances of casualties during escape are almost guaranteed, while capture or death is almost 95%."

"So in short, we're fucked." Someone spoke, speaking nearly everyone's mind on the matter. It didn't help at all that the Hyuga did not answer.

While the others dwelled on their situation, Naruto warred with his own thoughts. In his head, events played over and over again, the blonde trying to make sense of it all and the possible reasoning behind it.

Shimura Kagero was dead.

The thought alone seemed impossible for one of the most skilled kunoichi he'd met, despite her obvious dislike for him. To make things worse, they weren't able to collect her body in all the chaos, making him and his team's mood all the more agitated. Now they had just gotten news that they were stranded in a land where the entire nation was after them while their leader was dead? It seems things just kept turning from bad to worse. And to think it all happened in the span of 3 hours.

But despite their situation, the blonde couldn't help but get stuck in his own head. Gazing at Princess Gale, the turmoil just continued to grow.

Any who knew Shimura Kagero, truly knew her, could tell it was her upon observation. She was straightforward, almost robotic with her answers, much like Naruto's classmates claimed him to be. She said very little, but when she did, it was meant to be taken as if it came from the Hokage himself. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that she would give her life for the mission if it called for it. In fact, Naruto was sure she would do almost anything, no matter how immoral, to make sure Konoha came out on top—such was her almost fanatical loyalty to Konoha.

That's why it was so out of character for her to simply throw her life away to keep Yukie, an actor, alive. If she died, they would fail the mission, of course, but one failed mission would not hinder Konoha in any capacity. They were a civilian caravan with no one of large importance other than a celebrity on a movie screen. She had no political importance as far as the world was concerned, so why would such a fanatic throw her life away for someone she likely considered a nobody?

It suddenly hit him.

Not once did the Snow Shinobi go after Princess Gale with lethal intent—the last being arguably the only instance, yet the blonde still suspected foul play, or at least a truth he just wasn't seeing. If their goal was to ultimately capture Princess Gale, then that would bring a bigger picture to things. It explained her constant attempts at escape, her attitude towards the land of snow, and why his sensei was willing to throw her life away for her.

He remembered coming to this conclusion after nearly half an hour of contemplation while in the void between time. Sothis hadn't said a word, allowing him to go through his thoughts unabated. There was only one person who could likely give him the answers he was looking for, and that woman was currently waking up.

Naruto saw her begin to stir, the blonde waiting patiently before the woman fully opened her eyes and sat up. The moment she did, all eyes landed on her, and Sandayu was at her side in an instant.

"Yukie-sama! Are you okay? What happened out there? Why did you run off?"

Yukie didn't answer at first, taking a moment to compose herself before her face scrunched up in an expression Naruto thought was confusion.

"I... What?" Her voice was scratchy, a hand going to her head as she tried to remember the events of the afternoon. "I, I didn't... All I remember is..."

Her sentence cut off abruptly, her expression changing into something unreadable as her eyes darted around the room. Not finding what she was looking for, a sigh of relief left her.

"How long was I out?" She asked, Sandayu looking as if he had more to ask, but refrained.

"For the past 2 hours. We found no injuries, so we were relieved. You only fainted."

"Is she well enough to talk?" The voice of Neji spoke, suddenly standing over the woman. His stoic expression was not reflected by the rest of the occupants, a clear indicator of the tension in the room. Yukie must have picked up on it, because she suddenly looked uncomfortable under the Hyuga's gaze.

"Sh-she is, but-"

"Then that's enough." Neji cut the assistant off before grabbing the woman by her collar. In the blink of an eye, a kunai was placed at her throat. Everyone was up in an instant, their cries for reason unheard as the Hyuga glared down the now frightened woman.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this?!" The concerned Sandayu shouted, yet the Hyuga did not acknowledge him as he pressed his kunai closer.

"Who are you, and why was our Sensei willing to die for you?"

Yukie didn't say anything at first, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at the Hyuga before her gaze shifted to the rest of the people present. Despite the protest, no one was stepping forward to stop him, making her nervousness increase.

"I-I don't-"

"Back there, the enemy only went for you. They didn't bother with anyone but you." Surprisingly, Naruto spoke up, for once backing up his teammate's actions. Even Tenten, despite recently standing with the others, had suddenly turned to their side when presented with the facts.

"Y-You can't be serious?!" Sandayu tried again. "Why would they-"

"QUIET!" Neji snapped, pressing the knife harder, causing Yukie to squirm. "We just lost our Sensei because one of your own failed to mention she was an important target to the Snow! Now who are you and why were you targeted?! Answer, or I will-"

"ENOUGH!"

The voice silenced the room, a chill going through the occupants. Everyone looked to the source, shocked to see the director standing up, staring firmly not at the Hyuga, but Sandayu.

"It is alright, Sandayu. We do not blame. None of this is Yukie's fault. We simply wish to know the truth."

Sandayu looked back at his employer, his gaze pleading, but the man was firm. He sat back down, leaving the room tense as the Hyuga waited for a response.

"...She, Yukie Fujikaze... Her true name is Kazahana. Kazahana Koyuki. And, she is the granddaughter of the late Kazahana Sōsetsu... And niece of the current Daimyo, Kazahana Doto."


Snow Country: Train

"Careful damnit!" The overweight Snow Shinobi snapped at one of the medical specialists looking at his dislocated arm. The woman apologized, but the man still had half a mind to split her skull open right then and there—a clear indicator that his mood hadn't cooled even the slightest since the end of the skirmish. It wasn't just the fact that those Konoha brats managed to escape, though that was certainly a major cause for his sour mood.

No. What had truly soured his day was his failure to capture or kill his primary target. If not inferiorating enough, the brat he had dead to rights was capable of dislocating his fuckijg arm before running like the little shit he was. He swore to the Shinigami himself that the next time they met, he'd pound the brat into the ground till he was an unrecognizable lump of flesh in the snow.

"Aaaaawwwww does your booboo hurt too much, Mizore? Want me to hold your hand until you're all better?"

"Fuck off, woman!" Mizore snarled at his pink-haired companion, the woman laughing at his response. Unlike him, she looked relatively unscathed, a sign Mizore believed to be due to her getting the weakest of the Konoha brats rather than any real skill on her part. In fact, he doubted she would have faired any better against the Hyuga than he, if not been completely dismantled from the start. That, he would have paid to see.

"For once, can you two not be so loud." The duo looked across from them where their team leader sat. Compared to a dislocated arm, he was arguably worse. The entire right side of his face was swollen, the red in his sclera being a clear indicator that a blood vessel had ruptured. His left arm was in a sling, while his right held an ice pack to his face. He hadn't said much about what happened to him during the skirmish, but Mizore had no interest in asking. Seeing him impact a tree after being sent flying through the forest like a bullet, by a Genin no less, was all Mizore needed to know. Whether the blonde kid got a lucky hit in or not was of no importance.

"Oh? Someone's upset we lost our catch?" Fubuki teased, a cocky smile on her face. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure we'll find him again. I'll even hold him nice and still while you get in as many blows as you want to heal your ego. Sound good?"

The frown the man sent her had her cackling once more. "The boy is not important." He said. "What is important is that their Sensei is dead, which means so is their leadership. All that's left are some untrained civilians and three Genin. When next we meet, they will be dealt with."

Mizore's smirk returned, the idea of facing the Hyuga brat again pleasing him greatly.

The three were interrupted by the door to the medical cart opening. Immediately, the three, along with the medical ninja, got into a kneel as the imposing visage of a man walked in. Standing taller than them all at nearly 7 feet with a square, double-chinned jaw along with a defined physique that was visible even under his robes was their leader and employer. A man known for his cruelty as well as the power he held over the Land of Snow.

"Lord Doto," everyone voiced, the named Lord giving the room a once-over before his eyes landed on the injured leader of the three Shinobi.

"Nadare, report." The man ordered.

"Most of our targets have escaped, including the princess, Lord Doto." The named Nadare reported not once looking up from his bow.

"I see." The man replied, looking at his injured subordinate with a frown. "You are injured."

"I underestimated the opposition, Lord Doto. I shall not do so again." Nadare replied, earning a grunt from his employer.

"I trust you won't. As for your targets, I trust you've already prepared accordingly."

"Hai, Doto-sama. We have trackers searching the woods as we speak. They will not get far. I've also sent word ahead to be on the lookout for fugitives disguising themselves as Shinobi of the Leaf. Once my injuries have healed, I shall join the search myself."

"I appreciate your thoroughness in the matter. However, the last will be unnecessary."

Nadare finally looked up, his brow slightly creased in confusion. "Sir?"

Hands behind his back, Doto walked past his subordinates to observe a vile on a nearby table. "I've already taken the liberty of making sure our dear princess has nowhere to run."

"How so, my Lord?" Mizore asked for the group.

Turning his back to the vile, Doto looked back at his subordinates, his grin wide.

"I have been assured that our lost princess and her friends will find their way back to us without you even needing to lift a finger. In fact, it is almost guaranteed."


Snow Country: Cabin

Team 4 and the actors listened to the story told by the attendant with wrapped attention. The cold that hadn't affected Team 4 as much as the actors was somewhat prevalent now after the revelation they had been hit with.

A princess, an actual princess, was one of their clients. To make matters even more unbelievable, the current Daimyo, Kazahana Doto has been hunting her since she was a child. Hoping to throw the man off their trail, she became an actor, an idea that her attendant, Sandayu, who turned out to be a samurai of her late father, put together—hiding in plain sight, he put it. It was both an ingenious and risky idea, yet it worked for years.

Problem is, they went to the one place where she was likely to be recognized instantly, a move that just felt stupid on her attendant's end yet made more sense considering randomly disappearing after word of filming in the Land of Snow had already been known knowledge was far too suspicious to just let go. They could have disappeared one night and never returned, but the acting business was their only safeguard, and simply leaving would likely have them found within the year. It was a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation if the blonde had ever heard one.

On a more positive note, the support the woman received from her fellow actors despite lying to them for years was somewhat heartwarming, especially from her director, who was ready to continue shooting the movie despite their situation. He was talked out of it, thankfully, yet that did not stop his exuberance.

That did not, however, mean that everything was resolved.

Neji was pissed—understandably so.

Despite the overall change in atmosphere and forgiveness, it did not change one crucial fact about their mission.

"So, what I've gathered from this is that your lies have rounded back to Konoha, am I right? We were sent here on an A-rank, but in reality, it is closer to a high A-rank and should have been handled by a more experienced team. Instead, we were sent out of convenience, which ultimately cost us the life of our superior." The Hyuga laid out the facts, growing angrier the longer he looked at the revealed princess, who replaced her fear with indifference.

"I understand your anger, Shinobi-san." Sandayu pacified. "However, I specifically asked for an A-ranked mission, particularly for this reason. It is stated in your clause that an A-rank can be subject to change over time without warning or the need to disclose personal information. In all actuality, we stayed within that clause and were assured of our right to privacy when the Hokage himself acknowledged the mission. We may have left out information, but that information does not warrant the need to raise the rank, meaning the terms of our contract have not been broken."

"...Spoken like a true man of the court." Sothis echoed her thoughts, Naruto silently agreeing yet oddly not commenting or removing his gaze from the samurai.

Neji no doubt felt the same and said, "I've half a mind to deliver this woman to the Daimyo myself."

The look of horror that crossed Koyuki's face was anything but acting. She looked genuinely terrified, and it showed on every crease of her face.

"Y-you can't!" She pleaded, a level of desperation in her voice they'd never even thought the woman capable of. "You don't know my uncle! He will not pay you! He-he'll kill you, then he'll kill me!"

"This is outrageous! We have a contract! If Princess Koyuki dies, then the Land of Snow will never know peace!" Sandayu followed up, yet it seemed to be going in one ear and out the other for the Hyuga.

"He's right, Neji." Naruto, not so surprisingly to the Genin but to that of the princess and samurai, spoke up in their defense. "It would be an entirely different story if he hired us for a B-rank and had such information withheld. We'd then be liable for compensation, and he would likely be in a cell back in Konoha for intentionally leaving out information retaining to rank. As far as Shinobi law is concerned, he is innocent."

Sandayu looked relieved at that, while Neji looked on with frustration.

"A word of advice, though, Sandayu-san." The blonde continued, looking into the eyes of the man. "Though you did nothing wrong in the eyes of the law, I'd advise against repeating this in the future. You're getting away with this because it is Konoha you decided to put your trust in, but Shinobi are known for keeping grudges. Remember that next time you wish to be political."

A bead of sweat ran down the samurai's face, the man nodding in acknowledgement of the statement moments later. Neji remained glaring at the man, but eventually walked away from the princess altogether and headed right for the door. "Naruto, Tenten, a moment, if you will," he spoke before opening the door and disappearing behind the door.

Naruto and Tenten gave each other a confirming nod before following their teammate—the blonde leaving a few clones behind just in case. Upon walking outside, they found their teammate walking further into the woods, prompting them to follow.

They did so for nearly a minute before Neji finally stopped, allowing the blonde and kunoichi to catch up. For minutes, the Hyuga stood there, the atmosphere becoming more ominous the more they went without speaking. When he finally spoke, it was clipped, and it was clear he was holding back his frustration.

"We need to discuss our next course of action." He stated rather than suggested, leaning against a nearby tree.

"What else is there to discuss?" Tenten asked. "We're stranded, our Sensei is dead, and we are contractually obligated to continue the mission. Seems pretty straightforward to me, even if I'm 100% aware we're screwed."

Neji shook his head, his glare hardening.

"Our only realistic option is to wait until the docks are no longer guarded before sneaking away on a ship. However, that could take anywhere from weeks to a month. Three weeks is more likely due to trade, but that doesn't solve how we get 30 bodies out of here without being seen, let alone keeping them fed. The chances of escape are slim to none with the bounty on our heads, we've lost our leadership, and we have no chance of reinforcements. We are on our own out here, and I know your views, but I'm not so keen on continuing a hopeless mission for a technicality."

"That's not-" Tenten started but trailed off when she didn't think her point was valid. "There, has to be another way than just giving up on these people."

It was easy when they were following orders, but now that they were left with the role of leader, when multiple lives were at stake and there was no guarantee of survival, Tenten realized the burden of leadership. How exactly were you supposed to choose your life over someone else? Someone completely innocent who you swore to protect? How would you even tell them your decision? How could you live with yourself? It wasn't such an easy decision when you're potentially the one with lives on your shoulders...

"...What if we had reinforcements?" Two heads turned to their blonde teammate, both not understanding the words at first.

"We've already established the likelihood of that, Naruto." Neji replied.

"Yes, but what if we did? What if we had people we could trust, who were good fighters and possibly had the means to take the fight to the enemy?"

Neji raised a brow, a pondering look now on his face, while Tenten looked on expectantly.

"And where would we get such allies?" Tenten questioned. Naruto looked between his fellow Genin, scanned the area around them, then looked back to them, his brow slightly creasing his face into a look of seriousness they'd never seen from him.

"What I'm about to do, you can't tell anyone, not even the Hokage himself. That is my one and only condition. Agreed?" Tenten and Neji looked to each other, then nodded—neither having anything to lose at this point. "Not even the director or his crew. Not the Hokage. No one."

"We promise, Naruto." Tenten spoke for the two of them, Neji crossing his arms in expectation of whatever the blonde was about to do.

"You sure about this, Child?" Sothis asked, making sure there were no doubts in her ward's decision.

"We don't have much of a choice." He thought back, mentally going through the proper hand signs in his head. "We won't survive long without help... And I think I could use their opinion on some things."

"...Very well. Do what you must." Getting acknowledgment from the Goddess, Naruto reached within and-

*CRASH*

Once again in the void between time and space, he thought about the best way to make his thoughts into reality. A few days ago was the first time he'd ever summoned someone to the Elemental Nations, yet that was only one and he wasn't so sure how to even summon multiple. Closing his eyes, he tried visualization, hoping their faces and key words like 'Fodlan' and 'Nabatean' would help him in the summoning process.

"Here goes nothing." Biting into his thumb for blood, he went through the proper hand signs while molding his chakra accordingly. A moment later, his palm met the snow, the world returning to normal as he felt the Jutsu bare fruit.

A puff of smoke filled the area, causing the two Genin to cover their faces while the blonde simply waited for the cloud to clear. The moment it did, three figures appeared. Their confusion was evident as they looked around, wearing garbs that were foreign to the rest of the Genin. The older woman of the group seemed to snap out of her the quickest upon locking eyes with the blonde, her green eyes widening in recognition.

"Naruto?"

"Hi Seiros."

The moment they heard that voice, the other two summons looked forward and down to the familiar blonde, one still confused and the other now excited.

"Naruto! It is so good to see you again so soon!" Flayn exclaimed, running up to her surrogate little brother to ruffle his multicolored hair.

"Hi again, Flayn."

"Naruto, what is the meaning of this?" Seteth spoke up next, his face mirroring disapproval, unlike his female counterparts.

"Hi to you too, Seteth."

"Um, Naruto, who are these people?" Tenten spoke up from behind the blonde, the Nabateans suddenly taking note of the other two Genin.

"Oh, are these your friends?" Flayn asked, her hand not stopping in its motion through the blonde's hair even as he turned to acknowledge them.

"Guys, these are my-"

"Wha-wha-wha-wha-WHAT THE HELL?!"

Another voice caught everyone's attention. All heads turned to behind Rhea and Seteth, the duo doing the same upon realizing where the voice originated.

Three eyes widened in recognition at the shivering, brown-skinned, mint-haired girl hugging herself tight while looking at the one who she believed somehow summoned her to this frozen wasteland.

"U-U-U-Uzumaki?! Y-y-y-you ba-ba-better have a ga-ga-ga-good explanation f-f-for this!"


A/N: Happy Belated Christmas you wonderful people! Was planning to post this in the morning, but got done editing early so decided to do so now! To everyone who commented and gave advice, I thank you all! Gonna keep everything how it is and hope you all are ready for the next few chapters. Fodlan residents get a LOT of screen time next few chapters before they head back to the Leaf.

For the sake of sanity, I'm not going to discuss power scaling. We all know that people from Fire Emblem typically do not stand a chance against most Naruto characters (specific worlds and people, at least) and will leave it at that. The next few chapters some may agree or disagree with how things are done, but I will try to satisfy all parties to the best of my ability and hopefully do certain characters justice without dismissing them entirely.

And Speaking of power, going to have the next chapter dedicated solely to Naruto's current stats so you don't have to keep remembering what he can and cannot do. Will only do this four times in the story as to not rack up the word count any higher than it needs to be.

As always, hope you all enjoyed! Remember to follow, fav, and review and hope you all have a damn good day!