"For countless generations, the rulers of Yuki no Kuni (Snow Country) have coveted the Gyokukyo Ice Mirror. But with the country's limited strength and the impenetrable icy terrain below, no one has ever managed to break through the 30,000-meter-thick layer of frozen rock."
"So that's how it is. It's not that they didn't want it—they just didn't have the skill to get it. In that case, I'll gladly take it!"
With that thought, Kazama immediately ordered Fubuki Kakuyoku to strip and jump into the icy lake, ensuring his demise. After all, Fubuki Kakuyoku had killed the previous king of Yuki no Kuni, a crime of the highest order.
Letting him take one final swim in the freezing waters was Kazama's twisted form of mercy.
"With my strange fire, a mere 30,000-meter ice layer is nothing. Even 300,000 meters wouldn't be a problem. But the Gyokukyo Ice Mirror is directly beneath the Yuki no Kuni palace. What am I supposed to do? I can't just destroy the palace, can I?"
As Kazama pondered a way to achieve his goal without causing a scene, Naruto came running up, panting heavily.
"Hey, Kazama, what're you doing out here? Where's Fubuki Kakuyoku?"
"Oh, Fubuki Kakuyoku's already dead. I was just making sure he didn't escape."
Even to Naruto, Kazama couldn't reveal his true intentions. Everyone's got their secrets, after all.
"The Yuki no Kuni palace is old and falling apart. It got wrecked even more by that avalanche earlier, so they're rebuilding it now. Let's go help!"
"What?!"
Kazama's heart leaped at Naruto's words. If the palace had collapsed, this was his golden opportunity to dig into the ground under the guise of repairs and claim the Gyokukyo Ice Mirror.
Without hesitation, Kazama followed Naruto to the nearby Yuki no Kuni palace.
The palace was an absolute mess.
Seeing the gloomy faces of everyone inside, Kazama had to suppress a laugh. It wasn't exactly appropriate, but the palace's collapse was his ticket to tunneling underground and finding the Gyokukyo Ice Mirror.
"Sigh… we want to help, but we're just not enough," Kakashi said with a heavy sigh as Kazama arrived.
Apparently, Yuki no Kuni's unique geography made things tricky. They'd brought in master builders to reconstruct the palace, but they were severely short on manpower. Kakashi and the others alone couldn't make a dent.
"Fuka Koyuki! This palace is the symbol of Yuki no Kuni! If the ninjas you hired can't rebuild it, you're not fit to be our king!"
"Exactly!"
Several Yuki no Kuni ministers began berating Fuka Koyuki, the princess. Their deep-seated belief that a woman couldn't rule fueled their desire to use this crisis to block her ascension to the throne.
"No problem! You just need more hands, right? Check out my Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!"
Naruto jumped in, ready to help rebuild with his clones. But after his earlier battle with the Yuki no Kuni rebels, his chakra hadn't fully recovered. He managed a few clones before they all vanished.
"Hmph! I knew you ninjas were useless. Can't even keep a clone up? Pathetic!"
One of the ministers sneered at Naruto.
"How many people do you need to rebuild this palace?"
Kazama wasn't about to let anyone disrespect Naruto. Plus, he'd already decided to use the palace repairs as cover to dig for the Gyokukyo Ice Mirror.
"At least a thousand!"
"I'll give you ten thousand. Don't underestimate us ninjas."
"Haha, you're killing me!"
The minister and his entourage burst into laughter at Kazama's words.
"What are you, kid, some kind of idiot? This place is buried in snow, not a bird in sight. If you can find ten thousand people to rebuild this palace, I'll eat dung right now!"
"Deal. You said it. Mokuton: Tajū Bunshin (Wood Release: Multiple Clones)!"
Kazama, with his limitless chakra, could summon clones like it was nothing. Ten thousand Mokuton clones? Easy. A hundred thousand? A million? No sweat.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As an endless stream of Mokuton clones materialized, the mocking minister collapsed in terror.
He never could've imagined Kazama would actually summon ten thousand clones.
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