Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!!
An avalanche was coming.
Shigure, Naruto, and Sasuke immediately leapt from the vehicle, staring at the roaring wall of snow barreling down the mountainside.
It swept forward with terrifying force. Once the avalanche from halfway up the mountain reached the base, it would explode into a monstrous blizzard, covering everything in a storm of ice and snow.
If it hit them directly, the entire convoy could be buried under ten meters of snow—easily.
"Not good..."
Even Kakashi's expression turned grim. Escaping himself wouldn't be a problem. But the others?
They weren't just escorting a few people—they had a convoy of four or five large trucks, full of camera equipment, props, and a full film crew.
Evacuating everyone was the problem.
If he had more time, Kakashi was confident he could pull it off. But time wasn't on their side.
"Naruto! Sasuke! Shigure! Use Shadow Clones! Get as many people out as you can!"
"Got it!" Naruto nodded, but worry lingered on his face.
Creating clones wasn't an issue—but entrusting people's lives to them? That was another story. Outside of his real body, Naruto wasn't confident he could keep everyone safe.
If anything goes wrong, people will die.
"Shigure-kun...!"
Fujikaze Yukie, formerly known as Princess Koyuki Kazahana, jumped out of the truck, panic in her eyes as she ran to Shigure's side.
But Shigure didn't answer.
He simply stared at the avalanche.
Avalanches themselves weren't the real danger.
What bothered Shigure was whether this one was natural… or not.
"Shigure! What are you doing?! Save them!" Kakashi shouted, snapping him out of it.
But by then, Shigure had already asked the Great Sage to swap out his skill page.
Two Ice Release techniques were now slotted in. And thanks to his current setup, Shigure could use them without any chakra drain.
If they relied solely on Shadow Clones to evacuate the crew, they'd have to sprint hundreds of meters to outrun the avalanche.
That was too risky. The clones couldn't guarantee everyone's survival over that distance.
Shigure turned to Kakashi.
"Leave it to me, Kakashi-sensei."
Then, he stepped forward.
"Shigure, wait—what are you doing?!"
This was an avalanche—how could one ninja stop something like that?
Yes, Shigure had a kekkei genkai—Ice Release—but this was a mountainside blanketed in snow and ice. Even if the environment enhanced his techniques, could he really create a defense strong enough to stop an avalanche this massive… in such a short time?
If even a small part failed, everyone here could be buried alive.
"Shigure... are you sure?" Kakashi asked, voice tense.
Shigure glanced back and gave a calm smile.
"Of course."
Then he raised his hands and began weaving hand seals.
"Ice Release: Freezing Moment."
The jutsu activated. Instantly, the surrounding temperature dropped like a stone.
Even through thick winter clothing, everyone felt the chill bite through to their bones.
Shigure raised his head and looked toward the approaching wall of snow.
"Ice Release: Frozen World!"
In that instant, a new world formed—an icy domain.
The snowfall around them began to shift. As if guided by an unseen force, the flakes curved and danced… all drifting toward Shigure.
Drawn into his orbit, they floated quietly, weightless.
This was his domain now.
Much like Gaara's control over sand, Shigure could command the ice and snow.
Then—he pointed both hands at the avalanche.
Veins bulged across his forearms as he poured out chakra without holding back. There was no cost to using Ice Release now, so he focused on pure output.
Even Kakashi was stunned.
That light—that pressure—the sheer force of the chakra that exploded from Shigure lit up the sky like a second sun.
The overwhelming surge left Kakashi speechless.
"His chakra reserves… They're monstrous."
"Even a fully synchronized Jinchūriki wouldn't have this much!" Kakashi thought, eyes wide.
Shigure's chakra surged forward, merging with the snow.
And then, something incredible happened.
The avalanche began to slow.
His chakra threaded through the snow like puppet strings, sapping its momentum. Inch by inch, it weakened.
Ten seconds passed—ten seconds where the crew watched with bated breath.
And then... the avalanche stopped.
Just like that.
Dead in its tracks.
"…It stopped?" murmured the third cameraman, staring at the floating snow frozen midair.
"How the hell did that even happen?" someone else gasped.
The crew broke out into stunned cries.
An avalanche doesn't just stop—especially not mid-motion.
But here it was—frozen in place, mid-surge, as if time itself had halted.
Kakashi turned to Shigure—who now stood at the center of it all—one hand raised, guiding the snow away in a slow, controlled flow.
His face calm. His body still.
The Ice King had arrived.
The avalanche had stopped… but then the snow began to move again.
Everyone stiffened—was it starting back up?
But no… the snowflakes weren't crashing down. They were gently floating above them.
The avalanche's snow passed over their heads like a calm river in the sky, then descended slowly in the distance, softly piling into a harmless hill of snow far from the convoy.
Kakashi's throat was dry.
He swallowed hard, eyes wide.
Did that really just happen...?
The entire avalanche—just… gone. Dispersed and redirected.
He actually controlled that much snow…?!
Naruto and Sasuke stood in stunned silence.
Naruto was the first to recover. He practically sprinted up to Shigure, eyes shining with excitement.
"Shigure! What was that jutsu?!"
Shigure gave a relaxed smile. "Just something I developed myself. My own Ice Release technique."
"You can control snow like that?!"
"Mm-hm."
"Whoa! That's insane!"
Shigure chuckled. "You haven't even seen my full strength yet."
Indeed—the true power of Ice Release: Frozen World wasn't just manipulating snowflakes. That was only scratching the surface.
Sasuke, meanwhile, clenched his fists silently.
Dammit… left behind again.
He had just started to feel confident after learning the Chidori. He thought he was finally catching up.
But Shigure… was miles ahead.
"Once I'm back… I'll double my training. I will catch up. I have to…"
Off to the side, Koyuki Kazahana—formerly known as Princess Yukie Fujikaze—watched the display with awe in her eyes.
"This kind of power… it's unstoppable in the Land of Snow. I need to obtain it—no matter what it takes…"
The three medical staff nearby looked at each other uneasily. They'd overheard the princess's muttering.
Obtain it?
Did she mean the power of Konoha shinobi?
But how could someone just… take it?
Meanwhile, high atop the mountain, two figures were watching everything unfold from a distance—one of them holding a crystal orb, the other speaking in a deep voice.
"That kid's technique… It stopped an avalanche."
The woman nodded, lifting the crystal slightly as the image sharpened.
"No wonder the Lord is paying attention to him."
"But still…" the man scoffed. "There's no way his strength surpasses mine. I'm the one best suited for the mission."
They both turned toward the third figure kneeling before them.
"Well? Have you made your decision?"
The man on his knees had an ugly expression on his face. His fists trembled as he looked up.
"…I've decided. But I have one condition."
He bit his lip, glaring at them both.
"If you don't agree, I won't help you—even if it kills me. I'll destroy what you want before I ever hand it over."
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin