"You dare try to negotiate with us?"
"Fine," one of them said coldly. "Let's hear your terms."
The man kneeling before them was none other than the current ruler of the Land of Snow—Doto Kazahana.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. This man, once brimming with arrogance, now trembled before the two shinobi standing over him. His eyes held only fear.
The Snow Country's hired ninja… were far beyond his control.
Doto clenched his jaw and glanced in the direction of Koyuki Kazahana. "I don't care what you do with the Konoha shinobi. But Koyuki… she's mine."
"I understand. Don't worry," the kunoichi replied dismissively. "We're not interested in your country's petty disputes."
Doto let out a silent sigh of relief.
He didn't want to die, but if he lost the Land of Snow, what would be the point of survival? This was his bottom line. His only condition.
"In that case… let's move."
"This place is beautiful," the kunoichi said with a twisted smile. "Let's bury all the Konoha shinobi here."
"And as for the boy the Lord wants—we'll take him back."
The two exchanged nods.
The female ninja stepped forward. "I'll go first."
Another shinobi released Doto, and behind him, twelve of his elite Snow Ninja rose with grim expressions.
Their numbers weren't massive, but enough to cause chaos—hundreds of soldiers prepared for battle.
"Bring your men. Join the assault."
Doto nodded.
Down on the snowy plain, Shigure still hadn't let his guard down. He scanned the mountain ridges carefully.
The avalanche had been neutralized, but the feeling—that sense of being watched—still lingered.
"So they're still there..."
It made Shigure uneasy.
"I really need to work on chakra sensory techniques," he muttered to himself. "This vague pressure... it's annoying not knowing where it's coming from."
Just as the thought passed through his mind—
BOOM!
A sharp roar echoed across the mountain.
Everyone's head snapped upward toward the sound.
A beam of red light pierced the sky, searing through the snowfall like fire through paper. Shigure narrowed his eyes.
"What is that...?"
The light was so intense it distorted the air around it. At first, they couldn't make out its shape.
But as it closed the distance—only thirty meters above—it came into focus.
"A crystal dragon...?"
The giant dragon-shaped mass of glowing red Crystal Release chakra dove straight at them, mouth wide open.
Standing atop the beast was a kunoichi with sharp eyes and flowing red hair.
"Crystal Release... Guren?"
Shigure's mind went blank for a second.
Guren?
Wasn't she supposed to be one of Orochimaru's subordinates?!
She wasn't supposed to be here.
But now she stood tall on the dragon's back—crashing toward them.
If that dragon hit the convoy…
The civilians would be annihilated.
"Shigure!!" Kakashi shouted.
In that moment, a flash of cold light crossed Shigure's eyes.
"Good thing I haven't lifted the domain yet."
He raised his arm. His fingers spread wide.
The snow around them stirred.
With a low hum, the snowflakes reacted to his chakra, racing upward in a blizzard of motion. They surged toward the oncoming dragon, laced with biting cold.
But the dragon made of crystal wasn't affected—crystal was resistant to temperature.
Seeing this, Shigure immediately switched tactics.
His hands formed a seal—and the swirling snow shifted.
Before anyone could react, the snow compressed—forming a towering ice wall that encased everyone inside.
BOOM!
CRACK!
BUZZ!!
The dragon slammed into the wall.
The impact shook the ground, the sound of crystal against ice splitting the air.
High above, Guren frowned as she was thrown from her perch.
She hadn't expected Shigure to summon such a large-scale defense in such a short time.
Impressive... but not enough!
Before she even landed—
BOOM!!
Another figure appeared in midair.
"Hahaha! This wall's tough, huh? Let me crack it open!"
With a wild laugh, he drove a monstrous blow into the barrier.
CRACK!
Spiderweb-like fractures spread rapidly across the ice.
BANG!
The wall shattered.
Massive chunks of ice rained down toward the convoy.
Kakashi moved instinctively to protect the crew—
But before he could act, Shigure raised his hand again.
With a wave, the falling ice dissolved into snow, drifting harmlessly to the ground.
Kakashi blinked in disbelief.
"You… transformed the ice back into snow?"
"I can switch between crystal and snow states instantly," Shigure said calmly.
Then the next wave hit.
From the hole blasted in the ice wall, dozens of enemies descended in unison.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
A rain of shadows fell across the battlefield.
Suddenly—
Ninjas began appearing en masse across the snowfield.
Dozens… no, hundreds of them.
The battlefield was quickly surrounded.
Naruto and Sasuke immediately pulled out their kunai, faces tense, ready for combat.
Kakashi's expression darkened.
"So the avalanche… wasn't an accident after all."
He gave a sharp order:
"Team Seven—prepare for battle!"
Naruto and Sasuke moved into formation—one in front, one behind—shielding the film crew and the director.
The civilians began to retreat under their protection, inching away from the chaos.
Meanwhile, Shigure dispelled the remaining ice crystals at the rear, creating a safe escape route behind them.
But then, his attention was drawn to Koyuki Kazahana.
She wasn't moving. Her eyes were locked onto someone across the snowy plain.
Following her gaze, Shigure spotted him too.
A tall, cloaked figure—familiar and hated.
"Doto Kazahana..."
Her voice trembled with anger.
Across the field, Doto sneered.
"Well, well... we meet again, Xiaoxue."
"Tell me—did you enjoy your time in the outside world?"
"But it doesn't matter where you run. In the end, you'll always come back to me."
His gaze turned cold and sharp. Murderous intent radiated from his eyes.
Swish!
Before Doto could move, the snow around him suddenly twisted.
Shigure had raised his left hand—snowflakes swirled violently in the air.
Within the whirlwind, dozens of sharp-edged ice crystal shuriken formed—each the size and shape of a snowflake, glinting like frozen steel.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
The deadly flakes tore through the air around Doto, striking with high-speed precision. Sparks exploded with every impact against his armor and defenses.
Still, he stood his ground, but just barely.
Shigure stepped in front of Koyuki.
"Go. This isn't where you should be."
Kakashi echoed the sentiment, directing Naruto and Sasuke, "Get them out of here. Prioritize civilian safety."
As the last remnants of Shigure's ice wall scattered into soft snowflakes, two dark figures emerged from the swirling mist.
They landed directly in front of the group.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
"…These two—aren't ordinary."
Even he could sense the overwhelming chakra leaking from their bodies.
Shigure stared at them, stunned.
One of them was Guren—the kunoichi known for her mastery of Crystal Release. She was never supposed to be here. Last he knew, she worked under Orochimaru and had nothing to do with the Land of Snow.
But the second person… took only a few seconds for Shigure to recognize.
Muscular frame. Haunted expression. Wild chakra.
Jūgo.
"Guren and Jūgo… What the hell are Orochimaru's people doing here?"
And worse—they were working with Doto Kazahana?!
...
TN:
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