Chapter 22


Land of Snow: ?

An Hour Before The Escape Plan

While the combination of Genin, actors, and Nabateans awaited to enact their escape plan, a third party treaded through the forest. Garbbed in ragged robes meant to detract attention, they walked with singleminded purpose. Every few steps, they would scan their surroundings, ensuring they weren't being watched or followed.

It wasn't until they'd reached a clearing that they dropped their guard completely. Shifting slightly, the groan they heard was a swift reminder of what was at stake.

Coming to a stop at the edge of the clearing, the figure scanned their surroundings once more. Finding nothing, he planted his feet in the snow and waited.

It was only moments before he heard the sounds of engines approaching. Soon enough, multiple figures riding snowmobiles entered the clearing. One by one, they stopped before the figure, each covered head to toe in protective white furred coats and pants. Despite now being surrounded by nearly 100 men ready and capable of killing him in many differnet ways, the figure looked unbothered.

From the lead, the rider dismounted. A mountain of a man walked forward to meet the figure, a smile immediately appearing on his face upon seeing the unconscious woman on the stranger's back.

"I see you kept your word." He said, tone low and firm.

"Yes, Lord Doto." The figure replied, clearly masculine.

Doto hummed in response before motioning the figure forward. He moved with a hurried pace towards the Daimyo, the man now atop it, making room for him to place the woman on his lap. He did so, the unconscious Koyuki not making a sound.

Doto smirked at this, pleased at finally having the woman in his grasp.

"You've done a great service to your country, Samurai." He said to the robed figure, yet the man remained indifferent at the comment. "And what of the Genin?"

"They'll likely succeed in their plans to escape. However if everything goes well, the decoy should sink the ship before they reach land. None shall survive." The man confirmed, pleasing the Daimyo greatly.

"Good to have an able body I can count on to get things done." Doto looked back down at Koyuki's sleeping face. A hand began to trace over her cheek before it went down to her neck. Thick fingers grabbed the necklace hidden under her shirt. His face practically lit up upon securing a pendant in the shape of a crystal.

A single pull later, and the clip securing the pendant snapped. He held the crystal between two fingers, marveling at its beauty. The way it gleamed and sparkled in his hand told of a dream he'd been waiting to fulfill for years on end.

But now was not the time to marvel. Time was of the essence.

Placing the pendant in his coat pocket, he turned to the samurai and said, "Come. There is much to be done."

Instead of doing so, the figure shook his head.

"Unfortunately, I have unfinished business, Doto-sama. I will be sure to join you once it is done."

The Daimyo could only shrug at the man's choice.

"Very well. See to it that you finish quickly. My generosity is not unlimited."

With those words, he revved the engine of the snowmobile, his subordinates doing the same. Soon they all sped off, leaving the robed man alone in the clearing.

The figure watched the Daimyo's forces leave with indifference. It was only until they were far enough away that the engines could no longer be heard that he felt a presence land behind him.

Slowly, the man turned, his posture straight as he greeted the Genin who had appeared.

"Ah, so it was you after all. Can't say I'm surprised. I always thought you were more than your rank may show."

Naruto did not reply to the greeting, making the man chuckle.

"I take it you are angry with me? Understandable. Betrayal never comes from the enemy, after all. You are young, so you may not have yet experienced this before, but I can assure you it shall be a constant in your line of work."

The blonde remained quiet. It was clear from the tone the samurai was trying to use that he wanted some form of reaction, but the blonde wasn't giving it. He didn't want to know what this man had planned for Princess Koyuki, nor did he want to learn anything else about the traitor. Truthfully, despite it all, he just had one question for the man.

"...Back in the forest, when my Sensei...passed, she wasn't herself. What did you do?"

The figure smirked at the question.

"Truly? No inquiries on my motives? Maybe even inquiries on what Lord Doto-sama has in store for the Princess?"

A hand raised from the blonde's cloak. In it, a sword appeared, silencing the man. "I won't ask again, Sandayu-san."

Despite the clear threat in the blonde's tone, Sandayu looked unfazed. In fact, it made his smile grow wider, knowing his next words would likely cause conflict.

"I removed a threat."

And as expected, the blonde reacted. In the blink of an eye, a sword was being swing at the samurai's neck. In the same instance, Sandayu drew his own sword from his hip to block the incoming decapitation.

The two weapons clashed and sparked as the two men pushed against one another, their respective expressions of stoicism locked in a struggle for supremacy.

Despite being larger, Naruto had the advantage, his muscles bulging against Sandayu's sword as he tried pushing the man back. Still, as the two wrestled against each other, Sandayu's lips twisted upward.

"I didn't take you for one to lose their calm." He mocked. The blonde replied by breaking the standstill and sending multiple strikes at the man's defenses. In spite of the Genin's ferocity, Sandayu was able to parry, dodge, and block, not giving an inch as the blonde kept the onslaught of strikes coming. With the speed at which the two engaged, it was only a matter of time before a mistake was made.

It didn't take long for it to arrive.

Sandayu, while old, was still manageable. He'd had years of training to make sure his form and technique were flawless. Even so, the blade he was up against was no ordinary blade, nor was the child wielding it.

In an attempt to get the upper hand, he forced chakra into his blade, a shining blue aura overtaking it as he readied to block another strike from his adversary.

What he didn't expect was for the blonde to mimic his actions almost at the exactl same time he did. Instead of the blue, the blade shone with an orange hue, reminiscing of flames. Whether it was inhuman speed or just bad luck, the blades clashed.

Barely seconds into the fight and a blade had already snapped in half.

Sandayu's eyes widened at the sight of his broken blade, yet his broken blade did not stop him from blocking the spinning kick that sent him flying back. Feet skidding across the ground, he came to a stop a few yards away.

He looked back at his opponent, only to find him inches away from him once more. A hasty raise of his broken sword was what likely saved him from being cut in half. Unfortunately, despite the block, it was not enough (once again) to stop the Genin's unique blade from cutting through his own blade like a hot knife through butter. A hiss of agony left his lips as a long gash appeared across his torso.

Sandayu was quick to counter, kicking the Genin away as he gripped his injury. The blow was blocked, of course, but it was enough time for the samurai to assess his wound. The wound, thankfully, wasn't too deep. It was enough to break the skin, but the samurai knew it was not luck that saved him. The blonde held back at the last possible moment, almost as if rethinking his decision mid-execution.

How...disappointing...

"A sword that cuts through blades. And yet, its wielder lacks the resolve to do what is necessary. How wasteful." The man commented. As expected, the blonde's face remained placid as he stood in a stance with both hands on the sword and his feet apart. It looked somewhat comical considering the sword's length was the size of the boy himself, and yet the ashen stare gave a bigger weight of intimidation than the sword itself.

"Surrender." The blonde stated simply.

Sandayu scoffed.

"You must be joking."

"You're outmatched. Surrender."

Sandayu's mouth twitched at the comment.

"You speak as if you've won."

"I could have killed you, but I didn't. Surrender and tell me where they are taking Koyuki-san."

"And if I don't?" Sandayu challenged.

"Then I will beat the answers out of you."

The answer actually got a chuckle from the samurai.

"Oh, how very threatening. Perhaps if you were a bit more mature, I would have taken you seriously, but alas, I'm afraid you aren't quite there yet. You have the spirit and strength, but the rest..." He trailed off, leaving the blonde to speculate on the untold words. Seeing that his wounds weren't life-threatening, the samurai stood straight, his posture stiff, and the hilt of his broken sword held towards the blonde. "Tell me, Uzumaki, have you ever faced death?"

The question threw the blonde off.

"...What?"

"Death. Have you faced it? Do you know what it's like? Have you ever experienced it?" The man's expression was neutral, as if asking the blonde his favorite color.

Naruto remained silent for more reasons than one. Yes, he has, technically, faced death. It may not have been permanent, but the memory of slowly fading away is not a memory the blonde ever wished to dig up.

Apparently, his lack of reply confirmed something with the samurai.

"As I thought. I can tell from your eyes. You've not faced the finality of death. How could you, someone who is only a few months out of the academy, possibly hope to understand the gravity of killing a man?"

"I know what it means."

"You don't. Not really." Sandayu swiftly countered the boy's reply. "The reality of life is that there are only two paths: life and death. If one wants to live, then they have no choice but to take the life of another. In this world, only the strong survive. If you have any chance at saving Princess Koyuki, you'll have to take the lives of her captors. Lord Doto is a powerful man with allies and connections the likes you cannot fathom. Under his rule, he has brought jobs and stability to the Land of Snow—more so than the late Daimyo could ever hope to accomplish. It is why I've given him my loyalty, and my sword. With his power, the Land of Snow shall continue to prosper, and soon, we will spread our knowledge and influence further into the major villages!"

Naruto said nothing in response to the man's tirade. The further he went on, the more it sounded like the mumblings of a madman, and Naruto had no intentions of entertaining a madman. Especially when he had friends to save.

Gripping his sword firmly, he disregarded the traitor's words entirely.

"I will end this quickly, then I will get my answers before helping my friends and saving the Princess."

His declaration caught Sandayu off guard. The grip on the hilt of his broken blade tightened momentarily before he argued, "Truly? Is that what worries you? The safety of some strangers, not the vengeance of your leader?"

There was a momentary lull between the two. When the blonde replied, it wasn't at all what the samurai was ready, nor wanted, to hear.

"...My Sensei's death was tragic, but not unexpected. It's the price you pay for living the life of a Shinobi. Killing you will not change what happened."

So naive! The words echoed in the samurai's head, his teeth grinding in frustration.

"Then why are you here?"

Naruto took a breath before lowering his center of gravity.

"Because, unlike you, I don't leave my comrades behind."

In a flash, the blonde disappeared. No flash, no blur, just simply 'vanished'. It was a technique he'd perfected over the years—one the likes Kagero herself had trouble reacting to even if she'd seen it a hundred times.

An outsider's perspective would say that the blonde was simply moving at a speed their eyes couldn't perceive—not necessarily impossible, but an action said to be inhuman. In reality, he simply used a Divine Pulse to halt time altogether and move into position, this time behind the unaware samurai.

His current choice was directly behind the man with his sword reeled back. A single, powerful strike to the back of the man's neck would surely be enough to send the man into unconsciousness. Starting time again, he reemerged, now able to interact with the outside world and allow his arms to follow through-

Sandayu ducked.

The action literally froze the blonde, his body still following through the motion of his actions, but the blonde himself unable to move. His eyes were glued to the samurai now turning to him in agonizingly slow motion. His arm was coming up, and despite missing a blade entirely, he was able to wound the blonde in a spray of blood.

Absentmindedly, he could see the chakra sword created, yet his widened eyes weren't from the new pain on his torso. In fact, it was secondary to the shock of what he'd just witnessed.

It wasn't even the dodge itself that shocked the blonde. Samurai or not, it wasn't an impossible feat. There were plenty of people in the world who could react. Even if they did not know where the attack was coming from, experience or muscle memory could play a big factor in saving their lives.

No, the true shock was the way he did so, followed by the motions afterward.

And the last thing Naruto ever expected was to get a sense of deja vu.

*CRASH*

Time rewound to the moment once again, redoing what had already been done. The blonde followed through with his swing, and as expected, Sandayu dodged and followed up with an upward swing of his newly formed chakra blade.

Time was halted again. The samurai's blade stopped mere inches from the boy's torso, allowing the blonde to take in the man for a moment.

Starting time once more, he watched as Sandayu swung at empty air from behind the man. Fist reeled back instead of his sword, the Uzumaki sent a devastating punch into the man's liver. The blow sent him flying, skipping across the snow before eventually sliding to a stop.

Sandayu did not move, but the blonde was not taking any chances. He quickly leaped to the downed Samurai, the man growing in pain at the liver shot. A glare was sent his way, yet Naruto was unfazed. His lips parted to speak, but before he could, a foot met his face, knocking him out cold.


Land of Snow

Dock Outskirts

15 Minutes Before The Escape Plan

"Guys."

The group of three turned to the incoming voice, not exactly surprised to see their friend walking towards them.

"Is it time?" Neji asked immediately before Tenten or Fū could get a word out.

"No." The blonde was quick to say before following up by holding out a hand. "Give me your scrolls." The trio was a little taken off guard by the sudden question. "The scrolls our Sensei gave us. Let me see them."

"Why?" Tenten asked, not understanding where this was suddenly coming from.

"You will see when I show you. But I need the scrolls."

With hesitance and a bit of suspicion, his team did as asked. Both handed over their scrolls, the blonde taking a second to read the title before unwrapping them all onto the snow. The messages written for them were all revealed to them, leaving only Fū confused at the sight as she read each out loud.

"'Survival. Only in death does duty end. Progress is impossible without change. Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.' Is all of this supposed to mean something?"

"We don't know." Tenten answered with a shrug. "Not like it matters anymore. They're all-"

"These are choices." All heads turned back to the blonde. He was still looking at the scrolls intensely, yet there was a frown in place of his usual placid stare. "All of these. They are choices we could have made on this mission."

"And how did you figure that?" Neji asked, for once intrigued by the blonde's train of thought.

"Survival," he pointed at the scroll in question. "This route was the easiest. We would have sacrificed the client and saved our own lives." He pointed at the second scroll. "Only in death does duty end. It is saying we follow our duty till the end. It is the path we ultimately ended up going down and the second most difficult choice."

"And the last?" Neji interjected upon the blonde stopping to stare at the scroll given to him.

"...It's a choice I would have made." He answered before looking to his team. "The scrolls we were given, they all reflect our mindsets. Neji would have chosen survival, Tenten would have chosen the mission, and I...I would have chosen to save everyone, including the Land of Snow."

The frown left the blonde, and in its place was a look none of them could decipher. Tenten was looking at the papers differently, trying to get into the mindset of the deceased woman and what this all could possibly mean.

Neji, however, did not allow any of this to cloud his judgment, and it showed in his words. "I still do not see why this is relevant. We've already chosen our path, and the whims behind a dead woman's actions mean nothing now."

"Sesnei isn't dead."

Everyone stiffened. Even Fū, who had been quiet till now, had her eyes widen at the words that sounded more like a fact than anything else.

"What?" Tenten was the first to break the silence, the shock evident in her tone.

"The scrolls are not a testament to a dead woman's ideology of her students, they are the thoughts of a living one. It's all too convenient for it not to be." The blonde continued. "She is not dead. I'm almost positive of that now."

"So that's it? We are going off of convenience and not what we saw with our own eyes?" Neji scoffed, trying to be the voice of reason for the sudden madness the blonde was spewing.

"I'm simply connecting dots. You can choose to believe me or not. Either way, I can't leave this island just yet."

"Are you out of your mind?" Neji asked, taking a step towards the blonde. "We've already decided on our next course of action—spent a week planning for it. You're going to throw all that away and put the lives we already swore to protect to what? Play hero?"

"It is more than that." The blonde remain calm despite the Hyuga's obvious anger. Looking to the civilians cloaked behind snow, Naruto revealed, "Sandayu was a traitor. The real one escaped with the princess and delivered her to the Daimyo. The one we have with us right now is a decoy, likely a Snow Shinobi in disguise."

A look of bafflement crossed the Hyuga's face before his Byakugan activated and he looked towards the civilians. Sure enough, the illusion broke before the Hyuga's Dojutsu and a man he didn't know replaced the samurai in black and white. Even if his Byakugan hadn't caught the change, the clearly superior chakra level compared to the rest was a dead giveaway.

"You can't be serious..." Tenten's tone was disbelieving, not from the fact her teammate was right, but the fact she didn't pick up on it.

"And why didn't you save her?" Fū asked, her tone accusing and a bit disappointed.

"I couldn't." He admitted. "By the time I realized what was going on, Sandayu was too far away. By the time I caught up, he was already handing the princess over to the Daimyo along with over 100 men. I couldn't risk bringing them here and putting the lives of everyone else at risk."

"So now what? We discard our current mission to chase suicide? For a woman who is no longer our problem? That is madness." Neji challenged, becoming more heated by the minute. "If Sandayu is a traitor, then the mission is void. We have no more obligations here."

"I know." Naruto surprisingly agreed, before finishing with, "That is why I'm doing this on my own."

The two Genin and the jinchūriki blinked at the statement.

"You're...what?" Fū asked, unsure if she heard the blonde correctly.

"I will stay behind while you guys get everyone to safety." He clarified, not an ounce of doubt in his tone. "I will rescue the princess at any cost, even without my team. I've already made my mind up about this."

"Naruto-" Tenten took a step towards the blonde, only to stop herself, unsure of what she could possibly say to convince him otherwise.

"Don't do this." Neji spoke in her stead. Despite how he felt about the matter and how idiotic his fellow teammate was being, he did not wish for his death. "There is no honor in pursuing this endeavor."

"This isn't about honor, Neji." Naruto denied. "It's not about me wanting to be a hero. It's about being able to live with myself afterwards. Regardless of what choice Kagero-sensei wanted us to make, I won't allow someone who put their lives in our hands to die. Not only that," the blonde's brow furrowed, a look of determination aimed at the trio. "I made a promise to her. A promise that we would protect her, and I never go back on my promises."

The two Genin and Jinchuriki didn't say a word as they stared at the blonde. He had already made up his mind, and they knew there was no changing that. Their answer was what he was waiting for now, and each of them knew it. They only had two choices, yet neither was exactly an easy path to choose.

Well, for two of them.

"Well, when are we going?" Fū stepped forward, hands on her hips and a smirk on her face. "Don't give me that look. Whose ass do we have to kick to save the princess?"

"Fū," Tenten looked to the Jinchūriki with a look of disbelief.

"Why are you so surprised? As his best girl friend, it's only right that I follow wherever my boy friend goes. It's what a true girl friend does. So, when are we leaving, and whose ass do we need to kick to save the princess?"

Naruto gave the mint-haired girl a thousand-yard stare, making it impossible for anyone to determine whether he was grateful or not for the girl's acceptance to follow him. In the end, he turned away from her and to his teammates, waiting patiently for their choice.

Tenten looked between Neji and the Taki girl, a battle roaring both within and on her face. In the end, she relented. "Let's get one thing clear, Uzumaki." She pointed at her blonde companion. "If we die, it's your fault, and I'll haunt you in the afterlife for making me die with you."

The blonde took the statement as confirmation from the bun-haired girl before looking to their final member.

Neji looked to the trio, all now looking at him expectantly. This was foolishness—all of it was. Their path would surely get them killed, no doubt about it. However, logically speaking, returning to Konoha without a team and a failed mission did not sound any more motivating. If he returned, word about their attempt would surely reach the village, and being known as a coward till the end of his days did not sit well with him.

In the end, he gave up.

"...You are gonna get us killed, Uzumaki."

That was answer enough, and all Naruto needed to hear. He had his team, and now all he needed was a plan.

"...I don't know whether to call you all brave or complete imbeciles." The comment from the Goddess did not get a retort. Now wasn't the time for sly remarks, but a plan. A plan he already had cooked up, and one they would need help with.

Luckily for him, he had a big sister that would cross worlds for him if he asked.


Present Time

Mountain Range: Rainbow Glacier

Koyuki knew this day would come.

She knew running was futile, she knew her uncle would catch her eventually, she knew running from her problems would never last, and she knew she would eventually end up here.

The Rainbow Glaciers.

Tall, almost colossal-sized glaciers said to hold the secrets of the island. They were rumored to hold the treasure troves of a dead kingdom long forgotten, one Doto believed to be capable of giving the Land of Snow the tools to challenge even that of the Five Great Hidden Villages. Koyuki didn't know if it was true or not, but at this point, she didn't care.

Around her, Snow Shinobi, the very ones likely responsible for her servants and father's murder, surrounded her. Standing on all her flanks were Doto's personal Shinobi, the same ones she'd seen murder the Konoha Jonin. As for her, she sat despondently in the snow, her gaze glued to the ground.

A sudden yank of her hair caused her to yelp in pain as she was forced up to her knees. From behind her, the kunoichi spoke, her tone as mocking and cruel as the rest of her ilk. "Watch closely, Princess. This is the start of a new age for your country, after all."

Koyuki did so, forced to watch as her uncle walked to the alter that would supposedly reveal the 'treasure' he slaughtered his own family to obtain. Inserting her pendant into the alter, everyone watched as gears seemed to turn and light began to shine from the alter. Soon, the light began traveling towards the colossal glaciers before lighting them all simultaneously.

Almost immediately after, stream began to emerge from the glaciers. Around them, snow and ice began to melt, revealing the greenery hidden below. Looking further, they could see the same happening miles away, however slow the pace may be.

Confusion quickly spread through the Snow forces, but none was more baffled than the Daimyo himself. In fact, it would be a severe understatement. On top of the confusion, he was pissed. Rage filled every ounce of his body the longer he watched the winter turn to spring around him. The more he saw, the less he believed, and soon denial set in.

Eventually, his rage turned to an individual. Marching from the shrine, he made a beeline for Koyuki, Fubuki releasing the girl upon seeing her leader's target. Koyuki was then lifted off her feet by her neck, her limbs flailing as she struggled to breathe.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" He screamed, his rage palpable. "WHERE IS THE TRUE SECRET OF SOSETSU?! ANSWER ME, GIRL!"

Koyuki did her best to answer, yet the lack of air made that difficult.

"Sir!" At the call, Doto looked away from his niece and to one of his men currently stumbling towards him.

"WHAT?!" He roared, the man shaking in fear at his leader's anger and not at all looking forward to seeing what would happen after he delivered his report.

"S-S-S-S-Sir! T-the castle! It's, it's-"

"SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!" Doto roared, in no mood for the man's inability to form a coherent sentence.

"Th-the castle, my Lord! It's burning!"

That was not what Doto was expecting. In fact, no one was. All eyes, even the Koyuki's, turned to the distance where they could just make out the smoke rising from the roof of the castle. It didn't take long for their jaws to drop before an explosion lifted half of the building's roof into the air in a cloud of debris.

Doto gaped at the burning castle, his grin loosening just enough to drop the princess back to the ground. Koyuki coughed violently, her breath coming in deep gulps to take in all the air she could. When she could finally think clearly again, she looked to the distance where everyone had their eyes currently glued.

The sight of Castle Doto burning brought mixed emotions to her.

Pleasure, seeing her Uncle's undeserved work burn after everything he has done.

Confusion, over the culprits.

Fear, of the unknown.

Despite it all, she watched, even as Doto began shouting orders.

Then she saw something. Through the smoke, something emerged. An enormous black...bird? No...It was too big, it was too much of a shadow. Whatever it was, it was large, and it was-

"Wh-what is that thing?!" She heard someone shout, and everyone stopped once more to stare at the castle. The giant, bird-like shadow was growing closer. It wasn't until it was only halfway to them that she, and everyone else, realized the sheer size of the creature.

"Dr-dragon." Someone whispered, the single word alone to make most step back in fear.

"Dr-dragon." Someone else called, the word, more like a title, igniting the fear in the hearts of nearly every man present. As if to further confirm what they were seeing wasn't some sort of Genjutsu, in the maw of the creature, a second sun was being born before their very eyes. It grew brighter and closer, bright and closer, bright, closer, bright...

"DRAGOOOON!"

The final scream finally forced the rest to pick up their legs and run for the not-so-metaphorical hills. The moment they did, flames impacted the ground, melting and burning away everything it touched. The shockwave from the blast alone knocked many back, the snow itself covering their bodies and making their escape all the more difficult.

With the burning of snow, steam quickly followed, covering the field entirely. Through the chaos, Koyuki could hear Doto scream orders, yet her eyes were too busy focusing on the sky. Through the steam, she could see the flying creature soaring away before it turned and began tilting to the side. Soon, it was facing them completely once more, a sight that must have surely brought terror yet only made her feel numb.

"It's coming back!" Someone yelled. The moment they did, someone stopped in front of her. It was one of Doto's personal men, the leader, if she wasn't mistaken. She couldn't see what he was doing, but the way his arms were moving was more proof than anything that he was casting a jutsu.

'Ice Release: One Horned White Whale!'

From the snow, ice gathered, cluttering into one giant mass of ice. Like its name suggests, it formed into the shape of a whale, nearly twice the size of the reptile. Unfortunately for the Jutsu, it did nothing to stop the dragon from charging. With a mouth full of flames, it met the whale head-on, melting through most of the creature before the flames impacted the ground once more.

More screams were heard, followed by the shockwave from the fallen whale that blew everyone off their feet and clouded the land in steam and debris.

...

Mizore pushed himself from the ground, coughing up snow and ash as he tried peeking through the debris. Lifting a hand, he notes that he could barely see it, let alone anything beyond it. Cursing, he walked forward, calling out to his fellow comrades to no avail.

"Damn creature." He cursed again. Of all the things he expected in this line of work, a thing of mythical fairy tales wasn't one of the things he ever put on the list of things to ruin his day.

And why now of all times? Was it the brats? But they escaped, didn't they? Shouldn't they be sunk at the bottom of the see by now? He swore, if Doto didn't string that bastard Sandayu up, he surely-

A sound had him turning on a dime.

Mizore looked around but saw nothing. Nothing but steam and snow.

Another sound behind him had him turning again. Following this pattern one more time brought both nerves and anger to his core as he yelled, "Oi! Stop screwing around and show yourself!"

Silence was his answer.

In spite of himself, Mizore began walking through the steam once again, making sure he could see and feel everything. He hadn't taken two steps before he heard something running at him from behind.

Turning, he swung his metal arm in an arc, anticipating the blow before he even saw his enemy.

He met empty air.

His ears picked up something behind him once more, but before he could turn-

*SNAP*

"AH!" A scream of agony left his lips as he fell to a knee. He could see a pink blur disappear into the debris, but the red hot pain in his leg forced him to pay attention to more important things. Looking down, he shook, almost afraid to see what he had feared.

In spite of the hope, an unnaturally twisted leg met his gaze. The sight alone was enough to make him hyperventilate.

More footsteps had him desperately looking around. The fear made it impossible to think straight, but the pain reminded him that his life was very much in danger.

He received a swift reminder of that upon feeling his jaw leave its socket from yet another blow that rocked him—his head slamming into the ground before he could comprehend what had happened. Through the pain, he struggled to pick himself up, but it all seemed futile. Fear was beginning to take over, and the large man suddenly became all too aware of his mortality.

When he heard the footsteps again, a scream of panic left his lips. Desperately, he tried crawling away, yet he could barely get a few yards, his attack was on him.

Surprisingly, they did not attack. Upon seeing who it was, however, the man's brow widened in shock. The Konoha Genin from before smirked down at him, twirling a kunai her hand that had a familiar tag attached.

"Y'know, I think I just realized something." The girl spoke before the tag attached to the kunai was lit. "You guys depend way too much on your armor." With that, she dropped the kunai.

To surprise Mizore further, lights began to shine all around him, much like the explosion tag. In a last attempt of desperation, Mizore looked back up, hoping to plead for his life to the child.

But, like the wind, she was gone.

Light covered him completely before an explosion rocked his world.

...

"Damn dragon!" Fubuki yelled her rage as she cleared the steam covering the ground. Her own mechanical wings flapped as she glared at the reptile that had appeared out of nowhere.

It was coming their way once again. Anger gripping her, she flew towards the creature. From the mechanism producing the wings on her back, a slide opened. From the slide, small missiles began shooting out, the projectiles rocketing towards the creature at high velocity.

They exploded on impact, covering the dragon in smoke and giving Fubuki a sense of victory for but a moment. The moment passed, and the dragon burst from the smoke with its mouth opened wide.

A hard flap of her wings stopped the creature from taking a bite out of her. Cursing to herself, she tried to create distance.

She was not at all expecting something to shoot from the dragon's back and wrap around her. It looked like a rope, but the strange blades she could see stretching from its origin spoke of more. Unfortunately for her, she was yanked along with the dragon as it turned once more.

It wasn't until she was suspended above the dragon that she realized what had grabbed her.

On the back of the dragon were two familiar figures, and one of them held the hilt of the sword towards her. The fact that it was the Konoha Genin once again infuriates her further.

Why were they here and not at the bottom of the sea? And where the hell did they get a dragon? All this and more rumbled in her head as she desperately tried to free herself.

Her attempts were thwarted once again by the dragon that suddenly decided to shoot upwards. Her body followed unwillingly, the cold wind against her face becoming increasingly uncomfortable as she glared at the creature's back.

That's when she noticed one of the Genin jumping towards her. It was hard to see, but she was sure it was the Hyuga, and now he was...spinning? She didn't have to wait long to find out what was happening before a dome of blue covered him completely. She felt the whip sword release her, but by then it was far too late.

The dome crashed into her, the woman screaming as she felt as if she was being ripped apart.

In reality, she was.

And the less said about her remains, the better.

...

"Lord Doto!" Through the steam and debris, Nadare spotted his liege.

The man looked as if he'd seen better days. His coat had burn marks in some places, along with tears throughout his entire get-up. His long, raven hair was disheveled, and above his brow was a stream of blood going down his face. It was the first time he'd ever seen the man in such a state.

Upon seeing him, Doto relaxed slightly.

"What took you?" Was all the Daimyo said as he turned to continue looking to the sky.

"My apologies, my Lord. I had some difficulties navigating the field." Nadare explained, yet it didn't seem like the man cared for his excuses.

"And Koyuki?"

"Right here." Behind him, he yanked the woman forward by the hair, the girl letting out a cry of pain as she hit the ground. The sound of her pain got Doto to look their way once more. Slowly, he walked towards the downed girl, crouching to get eye level with her. When she didn't look up to him, he followed Nadare's example and pulled her hair up to force her eyes to meet his.

"You've no idea the headache you've caused this day, girl." His eyes burned with fury and frustration, yet the girl's expression showed little to no remorse for her actions. In fact, he would dare say she almost looked amused—a far cry from the fear and helplessness she'd shown since her capture.

"What's wrong? Upset things aren't going your way, Uncle?" She mocked. The words had Doto gripping her hair tighter but not falling to her bait. Releasing her, the man turned his gaze upwards once more, the steam clearing just enough to make out the dragon in the sky.

"Nadare."

"On it." The Shinobi was moving before the Daimyo could even finish. A Jutsu already came to mind as he began weaving through-

"Clench your teeth."

The sudden order confused him. There was no time to question it, nor was there even time to follow through with it. Bursting through the steam and debris was a red blur. It bubbled, had green hair, and was the size of a brat.

That 'brat' crashed into him with the force of a speeding train. His feet left the ground as he was folded like broken chopsticks. Blood erupted from his mouth, followed by unmeasurable pain as he rocketed backwards.

He didn't know how long he was airborne, nor did he know when exactly he came to a stop. All he remembered was an explosion of pain in his back before all the pain suddenly vanished.

Slowly, the man opened his eyes to the world again. White surrounded him, yet it was not the debris or steam from before. It was snow, which explained why he was so cold.

He slowly sat up, taking in the sight around him. Around him were trees. Somehow, the impact had carried him all the way to the forest... Damn.

That didn't matter, though. The pain was gone, and he needed to move. The Daimyo was in danger, and this was no time to be on the ground.

Now, if only he could move. Why was it that he couldn't move? The pain was gone, so he should be able to move, no? Where was a medic when he needed one? And why were his legs...over...

His eyes stayed on the pair of legs lying next to him. It was the same pair of legs he saw every day. The same pair of legs he'd had attached to him just moments.

"...Ah." His situation finally began to dawn on him. "Damn...kids..."

...

Koyuki looked from where the red streak had disappeared with the Snow Shinobi. Slowly, she turned back to Doto, only to see the man staring back down at her. The fury he had before was gone, replaced with a stoic countenance. It may sound weird considering she knew her Uncle's face, but the stare looked, familiar, yet off—as if she had seen it before, but on another's face...

"Na...ruto?" She whispered, hoping against hope that for once, fortune favored her.

As if to answer her prayers, Doto was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, she could feel tears come to her eyes at the sight of her savior. "What took you so long?" She choked, tears running down her face as she rushed to wipe them away.

Naruto looked down at Koyuki before speaking in that monotone that always sounded weird, yet at the moment filled her with joy.

"The hero always arrives at the last minute."

*SCREECH*

The familiar screech from above had the duo turning to the sky. The dragon was losing altitude quickly. That wouldn't have been a cause for worry if it wasn't for the multiple black, shadow-like serpents biting into their scales.

To make matters worse, it was headed right for them.

Thinking quickly, Naruto scooped Koyuki from the ground and jumped.

The dragon landed exactly where they had been, the serpent's disappearing upon contact with the ground. Thankfully, they were able to get far enough away to not be crushed, but that seemed to come second to the blonde who immediately rushed to the downed reptile.

"Flayn!" He yelled, worry evident in his tone.

As if her name was a trigger, the dragon glowed bright before her massive form shrank to the size of a girl. Naruto was by her side in an instant, looking over his older sister's figure frantically for any signs of fatal injuries. There were none, thankfully, but the fact she had not yet opened her eyes was more cause for concern.

"Is she alright?" Naruto turned at the voice, relaxing once he saw the face of the speaker. Tenten, closely followed by Fū, Neji, and Koyuki, stopped to kneel in front of them, looking the dragon girl over carefully.

"Yeah. She's just unconscious." He reassured, much to everyone's relief.

"YOU DAMN BRATS!" Everyone turned at the voice. In the distance, Doto stood alone, his coat gone to be replaced with black armor that protected his torso fully. Going from his face, he was livid. His teeth were grit, and they were sure if he could burn them alive with his stare alone, then they would all be dead ten times over. "YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?! WHAT YOU'VE DESTROYED?!"

"What we destroyed?" Koyuki was the one to react, getting to her feet and marching forward. "You're the one who's been abusing this Land for years! You're the one who murdered your own brother, and for what? Power? A treasure that was not rightfully yours to have? Don't you dare sit there and blame others for your own greed, Doto!"

"IT IS MY DAMN RIGHT!" The Daimyo roared back, The princess's words angering him further. "It is my birthright as a member of the royal family! My duty to take this Land to heights that your fool of a father could never accomplish! And I will do that! With, or without his damn treasure!"

Ending his tirade, his hands came up, going through a few signs before stopping on one.

'Ice Release: Black Ice Serpent Technique!'

From the ground, multiple black substances emerged. The substance formed into a reptile, large and bulky with large glowing red eyes. With its form, it shot towards the group at speeds fast enough to cause worry.

The group dispersed in different directions, Naruto picking up Flayn while Neji carried Koyuki further away from the battleground. The serpents followed each of them and, for the most part, were able to keep up.

In Fū's case, it was getting a little too close for comfort. Even while flying through the sky, the girl found it difficult to dodge the serpents that came at her with lethal precision and relentless ferocity.

"Uh, Chōmei, a little help, please? I'd really like to not die to a stupid snake!" The insect-like wings on her back buzzed loudly before red began bubbling around her body. Surrounded by her chakra cloak, Fū could feel her muscle strain. One tail was all she could manage, but it was enough of an enhancement to get her out of trouble.

Diving, she weaved through the trees, the serpents following while crashing through any and everything in her way. In a turn of events, Fū did a 180 and headed right for the creatures, over them, back out of the forest, and shot towards the Jutsu's creator.

Doto saw her coming. Instead of dodging, the man brought up a fist to slam against the ground. Ice walls shot up from the ground, surprising the girl who moved too fast to stop. Raising her fist, she smashed through the wall of ice, her momentum stopped slightly but not fully. When she finally saw Doto again, his fist was raised.

And slammed right into her unprotected face.

Fū was sent tumbling past, her aura dissipating along with her chakra cloak. Her body bounced a couple of times before crashing into the snow, groaning from the pain as she felt a bruise begin to form. Snow and white dots filled her vision, but the encroaching darkness at the edge of her vision was much more concerning.

Dismissing the downed girl, Doto turned to the incoming footsteps.

Kunai bounced harmlessly off the forcefield that formed over him, the Daimyo almost looking incredulous at the action. Sizzling caught his ear, and he was forced to look down.

*BOOM*

An explosion overtook him, the heat and shockwave making him stumble back. The forcefield held, protecting him from the worst, but that was all he could afford before the whistling of kunai was heard once more.

'Ice Release: Black Ice Wall!'

With only three hand signs, ice in front of him began to darken before shooting upwards. A good number of the projectiles exploding against the barrier, yet they barely made a dent.

Sensing something behind him, he turned to see the veined eyes looking up at him as he reeled his hand back. He was able to move his neck out of the way of the Hyuga's strike just in time, not wishing to know if the armor was capable of blocking the clan's famous style or not.

Neji wasn't deterred, using the former ice wall to spring himself at the man once more with a kick. It landed, but Neji would be lying if he said it really did anything. The most it did was make the man stumble before he swung his arm back in an attempt to catch him mid-air. He maneuvered gracefully before landing and sending two strikes to the taller man's leg.

A theory was proven right as his palms simply bounced off, the chakra forcefield apparently capable of protecting him even against the Gentle Fist.

Seeing the failed attack, the Hyuga boy retreated, dodging an incoming punch by moving to the side. The moment he made space, Doto made hand signs. In a matter of seconds, serpents were on the Hyuga once again.

'Rotation!'

The dome of rotating chakra appeared around him as he spun, slicing the serpents with ease down to their last particle. When he was finally able to stop, he could feel exhaustion from using the technique set in. He could also see Doto right in front of him, fist raised and murder on his face.

Neji's eyes widened, yet he couldn't move fast enough to dodge the attack.

The impact had him flying, his body spinning as pain rocked him.

The expected crash wasn't as hard as the hit. He felt arms wrap around him before he even felt the ground below. His vision was darkening, but the Hyuga did his best to remain awake.

Naruto looked down at his teammate to make sure he was OK before looking back to Doto.

The man glared at him, a hatred Naruto was familiar with even if it was much more palpable than the ones he received back home.

"Do you see it now, shinobi?" Doto spoke, practically spitting their title out. "This armor was crafted by my own hands—my own blood, sweat, and ambition! With it, I can turn ordinary civilians into threats capable of taking on the Hidden Villages' best! This is proof that I was chosen to lead this country to greatness!"

Naruto said nothing at the man's rambling, content to simply let him waste his breath as his teammate recovered. Next to him, Tenten landed, carrying an unconscious Fū in her arm.

"I hate to say it, but I think we're at a clear disadvantage here." Tenten admitted, the words feeling like ash on her tongue. "Got any ideas? I'm willing to take anything at this point."

"...Just one." Saying that, Naruto stood, creating a clone for his downed friend before stepping forward. He heard Tenten call his name, but ignored it as he walked further and further from the group. When he stopped, he was just far enough from the Daimyo to dodge anything he threw his way.

"What's the matter, boy?" Doto called. "Come to sacrifice yourself for your comrades? Noble, but futile. The only way any of you are leaving this island is with rocks tied to your feet at the center of the ocean!"

Despite the threat, the blonde was unmoved. Slowly, he closed his eyes, breathing in and out.

"I've always wanted to see how I'd match up against a real opponent." Naruto's words had Doto raising a brow. He was about to scoff until something in the air shifted.

He could see the wind pick up around the boy, his bangs beginning to stand tall as his skin began to visibly darken.

"I've always wanted to try this technique out."

Wind picked up faster, blowing against the trees and snow and creating a small cyclone of air.

"Always wondered what would happen if I pushed my limits."

Doto could feel it. It was similar to how the red girl felt, yet slightly more menacing. It was a feeling that sent shivers down his spine.

"But truthfully..."

The wind began to swirl faster, creating a large funnel of air around the boy. It was like a hurricane, but much, much more compact.

"I just really want to hurt you right now..."

Steam began to rise from his skin as the cyclone around him became more powerful.

"You hurt my friends, and my family..."

The snow in the surrounding area was blown away.

"So I'm going to hit you, very hard..."

The snow in front of him was blown away, the force enough to send cracks in the earth. Doto had never seen anything like it. The boy's aura, his power, it was...It was terrifying.

And it was coming right for him.

"Word of advice."

The blonde got into a stance, as if he were about to charge.

"This is gonna hurt."

He disappeared.

Doto saw the streak of light blonde became. He saw the shockwave that blew snow and dust alike.

He did not see, but felt the fist buried in his stomach, shattering the armor completely. The hurricane followed with the hit, and soon he was sent rocketing back like a bullet. His vision went blank long before he even impacted the glacier behind him.

Good thing too, because the last thing he would have surely liked to see was his body being responsible, quite literally, for the change in Sosetsu's history.

...

Koyuki held on tight to the greenette in her arms as the shockwave threatened to sweep them from their cover. It felt like a hurricane had suddenly hit, shaking the trees around them as well as blowing away any and everything in the vicinity.

When it finally calmed down to a breeze, she could finally breathe again, relaxing the tension that had formed in his muscles. She was almost hesitant to open her eyes, the fear of the outcome weighing on her greatly, but did so anyway.

It was like the forest had been turned over.

Broken trees and uplifted roots were the first thing she saw, followed close by dirt and rocks scattered about. Of course, it was to be expected, but never would she have guessed one boy was capable of such destruction.

Despite seeing the destruction the blonde had brought about, Koyuki couldn't help but notice something odd.

Where was the snow?

When did it become so warm?

And why was it so...bright?

"Princess!" A voice had her turning. Landing next to her was the bun-haired Konoha girl, closely followed by her long-haired companion with the brown skin one over his shoulder. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" The girl asked, concern evident on her face.

"I'm fine." Koyuki reassured, causing the girl to give a sigh of relief.

"That's a relief. For a second I thought you got caught in the crossfire."

"I'm fine, really. Your friend made sure I-" Eyes widening, Koyuki looked around, noticing the trio were one member short. "Wh-where is Naruto? Is he okay?"

The concern was clear in her voice, which the Tenten found both heartwarming and amusing.

"Have a look for yourself."

Kneeling down, Tenten took the unconscious Flayn into her arms before shifting her carefully onto her back. Once the greenette was safely secure, she held out a hand to the princess who readily accepted the help.

Standing, she followed the Genin towards the opening in the trees. Once they stepped through, the light nearly blinded her, but she was able to adjust well enough to see the landscape beyond.

What she saw had her jaw slowly dropping.

All around them, snow was replaced with lush green. Countless variations of flowers blanketed the area, giving the land an almost surreal look. Above, the clouds were gone, showing a clear sky the Land of Snow hadn't seen in decades. The rocky monuments she once thought were glaciers shone brightly with a rainbow hue that reflected light to the lake below, once hidden by ice.

"Th-this..." Koyuki stuttered, shocked at the sight before her. "Is this..." She walked forward, the grass below her crunching as she drew closer to the lake shining over the hilltop. Soon, she was running, nearly stumbling a few times to get a look at the sight below. When she reached the edge of the hill, she could see the lake in its entirety.

And at the edge of the lake stood a lone figure.

"Naruto..." The name left her lips involuntarily before she hurried to his side. He turned upon hearing her footsteps, and she couldn't help the smile that came on her face. It was probably preordained that she got here when she did, because the moment she got close, the blonde fell backwards.

She rushed to catch him, able to stop him just in time from crashing into the ground. Worry took her again, but soon left upon seeing the soft rise and fall of his chest.

"Idiot." She breathed out, relief replacing the worry as she laid him gently on her lap. Soft fingers moved to push the bangs out of his eyes, her lips slowly lifting upwards as she saw the peace on his sleeping face. "You, are the strongest Shinobi I've ever had the pleasure to meet."


A/N: Aaaaaaaaaand CUT! With this done, this is officially the longest chapter in this series as well as the most taxing! I mean serious! I've rewritten that ending scene like 8 times and I STILL feel as if I didn't do it justice! Like, what else could I have done without copying the movie word for word? How could I have made Doto more of a threat than he actually was without taking away the growth of the main cast? Lots of things I had to think about, but in the end, this is how it turned out. Hope you guys liked it!

I think my only regrets with this chapter is how fast it moved and not putting the beginning part in the previous chapter. It would have made for a much better cliffhanger than putting it in this chapter.

And with that, the Land of Snow mission is officially done. The next chapter will see Team 4 back in Konoha for about 2 more chapters until they go on their final mission before the Chunin Exams. As I've surely stated before, this next arc I've been dying to write since the start of the story and am glad I finally get to get it done!

Next chapter is an interlude, which will include two people's POV. One will be very obvious and answer a question you all have been wondering for some time, while the other is more of an aftermath of the Princess Gale series than anything. Together, it's about 3k words, so I hope you look forward to it!