Night fell.
Kitazawa and his group arrived in the Land of Grass.
Between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth there was a chain of small countries. Kitazawa decisively chose the Land of Grass, because the current leader of Kusagakure was Mui.
Mui was someone Kitazawa had personally helped into power, and on top of that, Itachi had left a little genjutsu suggestion in his mind. Saying that Kusagakure now belonged to Konoha wouldn't be much of an exaggeration.
Even so, Kitazawa didn't go to the village to spend the night. Instead, he once again used Wood Release: Four Pillars House to create a wooden house out in the wild.
Yamanaka Ino and the others had followed Kitazawa out on missions many times now, and were long since used to the Four Pillars House. As soon as the wooden house rose out of the ground, they went inside, stepped into the living room, and started picking rooms.
The first room on the second floor was always Kitazawa's, so no one even thought about choosing it.
Kitazawa gave them a glance, then headed for the kitchen.
Konan appeared right after.
She didn't say anything, just quietly started helping—washing dishes, rinsing vegetables, moving around the kitchen in silence.
After dinner there was still some time before bed, so Ino, Kiba, and Haku all voluntarily went outside to train.
Kitazawa stood in the doorway and watched for a while.
Ino was practicing the Mind Body Transmission Technique. They'd only just started, so she hadn't really gotten the hang of it yet.
Haku was practicing Water Release: Wild Water Wave—about on the same level as Ino, still very unsteady.
Kiba's Earth Release: Earth Fang Bullet, on the other hand, had already reached the entry stage. Give him a bit more time and he'd be ready to learn a new jutsu.
Kitazawa suddenly let out a soft "huh."
If he remembered correctly, Kiba's ninken—Akamaru—should be born sometime this year.
"Kiba," Kitazawa called out as the thought crossed his mind, "have you found your ninken yet?"
"Not yet," Kiba answered, startled, forcing out a reply in the middle of his movements.
"Then maybe this is the year. When you have time, keep an eye out."
Kitazawa said it casually.
"Yeah." Kiba nodded.
He also wanted to get his own ninken as soon as possible. That way, once he used Fang over Fang with a three-headed hellhound, he wouldn't have to keep playing the dog himself.
Shadow Clones just had too many drawbacks…
Thinking about it, Kiba once again silently complained about the Shadow Clone Technique.
Kitazawa pulled back his gaze and went up onto the roof.
Konan was fulfilling her Anbu duties, standing on the rooftop and watching the surroundings.
"Come sit," Kitazawa said.
He took a two-seater sofa out from his summoning storage scroll. Whenever he traveled, he always came prepared—never shortchanging himself. Now that he had money, he could buy as many storage scrolls and household items as he wanted.
Konan walked over at his words and sat down beside him.
She suddenly remembered something, lifted her hand, and removed the Anbu mask from her face.
Kitazawa set his hand on her shoulder.
Konan instinctively looked at him.
"You've been working all day; you must be tired. Take a break," Kitazawa said, blinking, his expression perfectly serious.
Konan froze for a moment, then understood what he meant.
She was actually very smart. She knew exactly how Kitazawa felt about her.
After hesitating for two seconds, she leaned back and rested against his chest.
She closed her eyes and pretended to doze.
If Kitazawa turned his head just a little, his face would brush her hair.
He raised his right hand and let it trail from her hair down to her cheek.
Konan's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't stop him.
Kitazawa couldn't help but smile.
With an obedient, cool big sister like this—who wouldn't like her?
But he didn't push his luck. He just held her like that.
Kitazawa closed his eyes and started thinking about which Wood Release to learn next.
He'd already learned a lot of low- to mid-level Wood Release techniques. Now that he had the power of the Dragon Vein, he figured he could afford to pick up another advanced Wood Release.
Right now, he had only two high-level Wood Release jutsu: Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees and Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique.
Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands was out. He didn't have Sage Mode, so he couldn't learn it, and besides, he'd already triggered the related system quest. Since a quest was already attached to it, there was no need to learn it now—he could save himself a year or more of effort.
After thinking it over, Kitazawa decided on Wood Release: Hōbi Technique, the great defensive wall of wood.
Because it was a defensive-type Wood Release.
In the original story, Hashirama's Wood Release: Hōbi blocked Madara plus the Nine-Tails' Complete Body: Susanoo slash. No doubt about it—it was absolute defense for Wood Release.
Meanwhile, both Nativity of a World of Trees and Wood Dragon were more on the offensive side. Under current circumstances, there were already barely two shinobi alive who could withstand those two jutsu.
But his own defense still lagged behind.
He did have Summoning Technique: Triple Rashōmon, but that definitely couldn't compare to Hōbi.
The night grew darker.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Kiba's voice rang out.
Konan's eyes snapped open. She quickly slipped out of Kitazawa's arms and put her mask back on.
Her heart settled a little, but she quickly realized there was a problem.
That whole chain of reactions just made her look guilty.
She turned around and saw Kitazawa's half-smiling expression.
She immediately shifted her gaze aside, not daring to look at him.
"It's about time. Go back to your room and rest," Kitazawa said with a light chuckle. "As for keeping watch, you don't need to worry about that."
Wood Release: Four Pillars House was his personal Wood Release technique. If an intruder broke in, he could sense it immediately.
In theory, that meant they didn't need anyone standing watch at all. On top of that, Four Pillars House was very sturdy, with solid defensive power—it could take a surprise strike.
"Okay," Konan nodded, then quickly headed upstairs.
Her room was right next to Kitazawa's. Normally, only Hinata would ever pick that room. When that happened, Konan would just switch to another one.
Kitazawa jumped down to the ground in one smooth motion.
Kiba and the others had already stopped training. That was part of his earlier rules: training ended at ten in the evening.
"Turn in early. We've still got a long way to travel tomorrow," Kitazawa said.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei," the three of them replied, each one heading back to their rooms.
Kitazawa closed the door and went into his own room.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, after breakfast, the group set out again.
After walking for about two hours, they officially crossed the border into the Land of Earth.
"Fujikaze Yukie is filming on a mountain near the Land of Earth's capital. We'll head straight there," Kitazawa said as they moved.
Ino and the others nodded and didn't slow down.
By afternoon, Kitazawa and his group arrived at their destination without trouble.
They were already deep within the Land of Earth, so they did run into some Iwagakure shinobi on the way. But Kitazawa didn't want unnecessary trouble and simply avoided them.
With his strength, unless Ōnoki personally showed up, there was no way Iwagakure's ninja were going to notice them ahead of time.
"Kitazawa-sensei, there are people up ahead!" Kiba called out.
"That should be Fujikaze Yukie's film crew," Kitazawa said after a glance.
"I heard Fujikaze Yukie is really beautiful," Kiba asked curiously.
"How should I put it… she has a very princess-like air about her," Ino thought for a moment. "Of course, it could just be good acting. In the movie I saw, she played a princess."
Kitazawa couldn't help but smile at that.
Kazahana Koyuki and a certain actress from his previous life were very similar in one way: both of them were basically just playing themselves.
She really was a princess, so when she played a princess, it felt very real. That was how she'd become a famous film star.
"I haven't even seen a real princess before," Kiba said, eyes lighting up.
"Isn't Shion a princess?" Ino shot back.
"Oh… right." Kiba's interest dipped instantly.
Shion was the priestess of the Land of Demons, and also its daimyō. In a sense, she really had been that country's princess.
"Who are you people?"
As Kitazawa and the others drew closer, the crew members quickly noticed them.
"I'm a shinobi from Konoha," Kitazawa replied calmly. "Asama Sandayū asked me to come see him. Could you please let him know?"
"Wait here a moment."
The crew member gave them a once-over, then turned and went to find Asama Sandayū.
A short while later, a middle-aged man in glasses appeared in front of them.
"I'm Asama Sandayū," he said, looking at Kitazawa with some confusion. "Do we know each other?"
"No," Kitazawa shook his head. "If it weren't for you being Konoha's clients, I wouldn't have bothered you either."
Sandayū frowned in annoyance. "If it wasn't because you're ninja from Konoha, I wouldn't have come out to meet you at all."
"The fact that you did come out shows you haven't forgotten Kakashi saving your life," Kitazawa said with a slight smile.
"You know Kakashi?" Sandayū asked, surprised.
"My name is Kitazawa," Kitazawa answered, ignoring the question.
"Kitazawa…?"
Sandayū froze, then his pupils trembled.
As Kazahana Koyuki's manager, he travelled with her filming across different countries. Naturally he'd heard Kitazawa's name.
"Kitazawa-sama, what business do you have with me?" Sandayū's attitude shifted noticeably as he came back to himself.
Ninja were mercenaries at heart, but Kitazawa's power and status put him in a different category entirely.
"There's a matter I'd like to discuss," Kitazawa said, taking out a scroll. "I've already drafted the terms. If you have no objections, you can sign it."
"So Kitazawa-sama came prepared," Sandayū said, opening the scroll with curiosity.
He only skimmed it once before his expression changed dramatically.
There were a lot of terms written on the scroll, but the most important one was right at the top.
Konoha would help Kazahana Koyuki become the new daimyō of the Land of Snow. In return, the Land of Snow would form an alliance with Konoha and establish mutual trade.
"Is this… real?" Sandayū couldn't help looking up at Kitazawa.
"I didn't travel all this way just to play a joke on you," Kitazawa said flatly. "Even if you weren't here, we could still defeat Kazahana Doto."
Sandayū instantly thought of Kitazawa's infamous reputation in the ninja world and subconsciously nodded.
No matter how strong Doto was, he couldn't be stronger than Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure. After all, the Five Kage were widely recognized as the most powerful shinobi in the world.
"Please, come with me," Sandayū said, raising a hand. "I'll take you to see the princess."
Kitazawa nodded.
The four of them followed him into a large tent.
"So many beautiful outfits!" Ino said, looking around in awe.
This was clearly Kazahana Koyuki's dressing and wardrobe tent.
"Sandayū, who are they?" a young woman asked, turning around to face them.
She wore pink eye shadow and bright red lipstick, which made her look older than she really was.
"They're shinobi from Konoha," Sandayū said, stepping forward and handing her the scroll. "Princess, please take a look."
"How many times have I told you? Don't call me 'princess' in front of outsiders!" Koyuki's face darkened.
"They're Kakashi's friends. They already know who you are," Sandayū explained. "They won't tell anyone. Besides, soon we won't have to hide at all."
"What do you mean?" Koyuki blinked.
"You'll understand once you read the scroll," Sandayū said, opening it.
Koyuki's gaze dropped to the parchment almost of its own accord.
As soon as she saw what was written there, she clenched her fists, then slowly relaxed them again. Her expression was extremely complicated.
"Princess, this is our best chance!" Sandayū urged.
"How many shinobi is Konoha planning to send to help us?" Koyuki asked, taking a deep breath and looking at Kitazawa.
"Just the four of us," Kitazawa replied.
"…?"
Suspicion immediately appeared on Koyuki's face.
"Princess, this is Kitazawa. Four people is more than enough," Sandayū quickly reminded her, already guessing what she was thinking.
He knew Koyuki very well.
Because she'd witnessed her father Kazahana Sōsetsu's death at a young age, Doto had left a deep psychological shadow on her. She was terrified of him.
In the original story, Koyuki hadn't trusted Kakashi and the others at all at first, and had even tried to run away. Only after everything they went through together did a bond form between them—and like every movie heroine, she ended up kissing Naruto.
"You're really Kitazawa?" Koyuki still didn't quite believe it.
"Who in the ninja world would dare impersonate Kitazawa-sensei?" Ino said, hands on her hips.
"You may be strong, but you've brought three kids. Can you really beat Kazahana Doto and his men?" Koyuki asked, glancing at Ino.
"Hey!" Kiba snapped. "We might be young, but we're as strong as any chunin!"
"That's right!" Ino lifted her chin. "Don't underestimate us!"
"Kazahana Doto and his three subordinates are all jōnin," Koyuki insisted, feeling even less confident now.
She wasn't a ninja, so she couldn't grasp just how strong Kitazawa actually was. In her mind, all jōnin were about the same level.
"We've already defeated plenty of jōnin," Ino said proudly.
"I can give you a demonstration," Kitazawa said with an easy smile. "Come with me."
"Fine," Koyuki agreed.
She was deeply insecure. If she wasn't sure of Kitazawa's strength, she didn't dare agree to return to the Land of Snow.
The group left the tent.
Kitazawa glanced around, then walked toward a nearby valley.
Koyuki and the others followed behind him.
"Kitazawa-sensei, are you going to use Wood Release?" Kiba asked curiously.
"Kitazawa-sensei can use anything. Whatever he picks will blow their minds," Ino said in full fangirl mode.
Koyuki gave her a look, but didn't believe a word of it.
She'd seen Doto's strength with her own eyes. He and his three followers had conquered the Land of Snow with just the four of them.
"This spot will do," Kitazawa said once he was sure there was no one else around.
He casually took out Thunderclap, his lightning sword.
If he wanted Koyuki to believe in him, he needed something flashy.
Lightning Release: Kirin.
Kitazawa formed a one-handed seal and raised Thunderclap.
In an instant, the wind howled and a mass of dark clouds gathered overhead.
Thunder boomed.
Blinding bolts of lightning spread across the sky.
Koyuki's eyes flew wide open.
She knew a bit about shinobi, but she had never heard of one who could change the weather.
The dense web of lightning lit up the heavens. Even in broad daylight, it was painfully bright.
The lightning fell from the clouds and gathered midair, forming a colossal Kirin.
The Kirin plunged into the valley and tore it apart.
The ground split. Grass and trees turned to dust in the lightning.
When everything finally calmed down, a huge, blackened crater yawned where the valley had been.
"That was insane!" Ino shouted, extremely excited.
"If I could use a jutsu that strong, I'd die with no regrets," Kiba sighed.
Haku didn't say anything, but in his heart he silently swore to train even harder when they got back. Otherwise he might never be able to help Kitazawa, never mind repaying him for saving his life.
Kitazawa sheathed Thunderclap and looked over at Koyuki.
She was standing there, completely stunned, her mouth hanging open and refusing to close.
Sandayū was just as shocked.
He had heard of Kitazawa, but never really understood what that meant. Only now, after seeing Lightning Release: Kirin, did he finally get it.
"Now do you believe me?" Kitazawa asked with a faint smile.
Koyuki snapped out of it and swallowed reflexively.
"We have always believed in Kitazawa-sama," Sandayū declared without hesitation.
Koyuki nodded as well, feeling a spark of excitement rising in her chest.
She was terrified of Doto, but she had never forgotten the hatred of seeing her father murdered.
"Then sign here," Kitazawa said, pointing at the scroll. "Once you've signed, we head straight to the Land of Snow."
"I'll sign right now." Koyuki turned to the last page of the scroll and wrote her name.
"Did you read the other conditions?" Kitazawa asked.
Besides the mutual trade and alliance, there were clauses about railways, airships, and Koyuki being a spokesperson.
"I did. As long as I can take back the Land of Snow, I can accept all of it," Koyuki said decisively.
If she couldn't reclaim her country, railways and airships wouldn't belong to her anyway. If she did manage to reclaim it, then handing over that technology to Konoha as payment was more than worth it.
"I'll talk to the director and have him pause filming for half a month," Sandayū said, turning away without another word.
Compared to Koyuki, he was the one truly loyal to the Land of Snow. In the original timeline, he had secretly gathered forces to help her reclaim the throne. It was only forty-nine old and sick men, and they'd been wiped out in a single clash, but that was enough to show his devotion.
"I need to change clothes," Koyuki explained. "This is my costume—it's not suited for travelling."
Kitazawa nodded.
"Kitazawa-sensei really is the best," Ino said with a grin after Koyuki left. "Their faces just now were priceless."
Kitazawa reached out and flicked her forehead.
Ino clutched her head and stuck her tongue out.
A short while later, Sandayū and Koyuki came back.
"Let's go," Kitazawa said with a nod.
The western border of the Land of Earth connected directly to the Land of Snow.
The group headed west. By evening, they had already crossed into Snow Country.
The weather turned in an instant, and thick snow began to fall from the sky.
"No wonder it's called the Land of Snow," Ino muttered, watching the snowflakes fall like goose feathers.
Konoha did get some snow, but never this heavy, and only for two months in winter. Snow Country was different. It snowed year-round.
Because of that, Kazahana Sōsetsu had built a so-called secret treasure. And because of that treasure, his younger brother Doto had grown greedy.
The reason Doto had chased Koyuki all these years was that she carried the key to that treasure.
In the original story, that treasure was called the "Environmental Restoration Device," a machine that could change the environment, turning the Land of Snow into a warm, blooming place.
But it was never actually completed.
The Environmental Restoration Device might be useful to the Land of Snow, but it didn't do much for Konoha, so Kitazawa didn't care about it.
"Kitazawa-sama," Sandayū suddenly asked, "there are still a number of loyal warriors in Snow Country. Should we summon them to join us?"
To have them come just to die?
Kitazawa's mouth twitched and he shook his head.
Seeing this, Sandayū sensibly dropped the subject.
"We'll rest for the night and head straight to the royal palace tomorrow," Kitazawa said casually.
Sandayū and Koyuki couldn't help feeling a surge of emotion at his words.
It had been a long time since either of them had set foot in the Snow Country royal palace.
Now, with Kitazawa here, they finally had a chance to avenge themselves.
Wood Release: Serial Pillar Houses Technique.
Kitazawa formed a seal with both hands. Chakra surged, and two wooden houses rose up from the snow.
"There's even a jutsu like that?" Sandayū and Koyuki stared, dumbfounded.
"This is Kitazawa-sensei's personal Wood Release!" Ino said proudly.
"You two can stay in the house on the right," Kitazawa said, then walked into the one on the left.
The next day, they continued on their way.
Halfway there, a loud whistling sound suddenly came from above.
Kitazawa looked up and saw an airship in the sky.
"That's Doto's airship!" Sandayū said immediately.
Nervousness flashed across Koyuki's face.
She remembered the moment her father died, and without realizing it, she moved to hide behind Kitazawa.
"Well, this saves us the trouble," Kitazawa said calmly.
Ino, Haku, and Kiba immediately readied themselves for battle.
The airship descended slowly, then landed on the ground.
The hatch opened and four people in chakra armor stepped out.
The one in front was Kazahana Doto.
The other three were the Snow ninja trio: Rouga Nadare, Kakuyoku Fubuki, and Mizore Fuyukuma.
"Koyuki, aren't you going to greet your uncle?" Doto ignored Kitazawa and spoke directly to her.
"You're not my uncle!" Koyuki said, mustering her courage. "You murdered your own brother and stole his throne. You lost the right to call yourself my uncle long ago!"
"I thought your return to Snow Country meant you'd come to your senses," Doto said, shaking his head. "I didn't realize you were still this stubborn."
Snow Country was his domain now. When Kitazawa and the others left after breakfast heading for the capital, he'd gotten word right away.
"Koyuki, hand over the key to the treasure, and I can spare your life," Doto said after a pause. "This is your last chance."
"This is the keepsake my father left me. I'll never give it to you!" Koyuki refused.
"In that case, don't blame me for what happens next," Doto said, waving his hand. "Kill them."
Ice Release: One-Horned White Whale!
Rouga Nadare moved first, forming seals with both hands.
He used his chakra to draw in the snow on the ground, quickly shaping it into a massive white whale of ice.
"Ice Release?" Ino gasped.
"How does he know Ice Release? Is he from Haku's clan?" Kiba asked instinctively.
"That's not Ice Release," Haku said, shaking his head as he formed seals of his own.
A semi-transparent ice wall rose up in front of them at once.
"A kekkei genkai?" Doto, jōnin that he was, immediately noticed something different about Haku's Ice Release.
Unlike his subordinates, Haku was directly creating ice with chakra, not manipulating existing snow and ice. That was a key difference.
Still, Haku was very young, so Doto was surprised—but not impressed.
The whale hit the wall with a sharp crack, shattering the ice barrier.
Ice Release: Shattering Ice Crystals!
Already prepared, Haku immediately unleashed his second jutsu. The fragments of the shattered wall shot forward like kunai, flying straight at the four Snow ninja.
At that moment, the only woman in the trio, Kakuyoku Fubuki, shot into the air, her chakra armor granting her the ability to fly.
Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm!
Long, spear-like chunks of snow flew out like volleys of shuriken.
In midair, ice smashed into ice, a storm of shards exploding outward in all directions.
"This ice girl is mine!" Fubuki said, flaring the armor plates on her back and diving toward Haku.
"I'm a guy," Haku corrected.
"A guy?" Fubuki froze for a moment, then smirked. "Even better."
Ice Release: Tearing Dragon Fierce Tiger!
Rouga Nadare once again drew in the snow, forming a huge tiger of ice and wind that barreled toward them.
"Watch this!" Kiba shouted.
He immediately used Fang over Fang with the three-headed hellhound form and slammed into the ice tiger.
Boom!
The ground cracked, leaving eight deep footprints.
Kiba pinned the ice tiger in place, then opened his jaws.
Earth Release: Earth Fang Bullet!
Three massive chunks of earth shot from his mouth, smashing into the tiger and blasting three huge craters in its body. With a hard twist of his body, Kiba flipped the tiger and slammed it into the ground.
War Trample!
The giant three-headed hound stomped down, and the ice tiger crumbled apart.
"Impossible!" Rouga Nadare's face twisted in disbelief.
Kiba was far too young. Seeing that kind of power from someone his age made the whole scene feel unreal.
Ice Shuriken!
At the same time, Mizore Fuyukuma flicked his wrists, sending snow-and-chakra-formed shuriken flying through the air—aimed straight at Ino.
Ninja Art: Moonlight Beauty!
Ino threw a storm of flower petals.
Mizore blinked, and she vanished from where she stood. The ice shuriken whistled through empty air.
He instinctively glanced around.
The sound of something slicing the air reached his ears.
He raised his arms to block his head. With his chakra armor, his arms were incredibly sturdy. At the same time, he looked up toward Ino, who was suspended in midair.
But the attack he expected never came.
Ino forced herself to hang there, hands pressed together.
Ninja Art: Mind Butterfly!
Mizore's body jolted. A moment later, pain stabbed through his skull.
His chakra armor couldn't protect him from a hidden Yin-style technique.
Ino grinned and immediately hurled several shuriken straight at his head.
His armor covered almost his entire body, but his face and head were exposed.
Just as Mizore was about to die, Doto frowned and finally moved.
The report he'd received said a single Konoha shinobi was escorting Koyuki with three "children." That was why he'd looked down on them.
How strong could three kids possibly be?
And the remaining Konoha shinobi—even if he was jōnin, he was just one man, nothing to fear. Doto's side had four shinobi, plus the strength-boosting chakra armor. Dealing with a single jōnin should've been easy.
So they'd rushed over in the airship, eager to confront Koyuki.
And now, all of that had blown up in their faces.
These three "kids" were as strong as elite jōnin.
Doto had just taken a step when an ice wall suddenly rose in front of him.
He reflexively assumed it was from Haku and drove his fist forward.
The ice wall took his full-force blow and didn't even crack.
"What?" Doto was stunned.
His brief hesitation was all it took—Ino's shuriken pierced Mizore's head.
Though his raw strength surpassed Ino's, he had never imagined there would be a hidden Yin-style technique like Ninja Art: Mind Butterfly, and paid for that ignorance with his life.
Their fight once again proved the old saying: ninja battles are battles of information.
"Awesome!" Koyuki gasped, hand over her mouth.
She had doubted Kiba and the others because of their age.
Now it was obvious they'd been telling the truth. The renowned Snow ninja trio had just lost one of their own in the opening exchange.
And Kitazawa still hadn't lifted a finger.
He'd only blocked Doto and hadn't interfered with their battle at all.
"Mizore!" Rouga Nadare and Fubuki both roared, eyes red.
The three of them had been together for years—their bond was like family. Seeing Mizore die, they snapped, their attacks becoming fiercer and faster.
"Haku, I'll back you up!" Ino said.
With Fang over Fang, Kiba had Rouga Nadare mostly under control.
Haku, though, had weaker fundamentals and needed seals to use Ice Release, making him vulnerable against Fubuki's flying assaults.
Doto turned to face Kitazawa.
By now, he was sure the ice wall had come from Kitazawa.
"Three-on-three is fair enough," Kitazawa said calmly. "Let's not get in their way for now."
"Arrogant!" Doto snapped.
In a blur of Shunshin, he closed the distance and drove his fist straight at Kitazawa—
—and a moment later, he flew back even faster than he'd come.
He slammed into the snow hard enough to sink into it, then staggered to his feet, completely dazed.
He hadn't even seen Kitazawa move.
"...?" Sandayū and Koyuki exchanged a look, both of them stunned.
In their minds, Doto had been almost invincible. And now he'd been sent flying with a single punch, without even a hint of resistance.
Doto's expression darkened, turning downright ugly.
He formed seals without hesitation, and his chakra armor flared to life.
Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard!
Violent wind chakra roared outward from him, whipping all the snow into the sky.
A dragon's roar echoed across the world.
Wind chakra fused with the snow, taking the form of a massive black dragon.
The dragon-shaped tornado towered over ten meters tall, a terrifying sight.
"So it's really Wind Release," Kitazawa murmured, his three-tomoe Sharingan already active.
In the original story, Kakashi had copied Ice Release: One-Horned White Whale. Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard had always been a fusion of wind and snow.
Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard!
Kitazawa formed his own seals.
Countless streams of wind shot upward, wrapping around the snow and ice and spreading wildly.
"This is impossible!" Doto shouted.
Sandayū and Koyuki both felt like they'd fallen into a genjutsu.
Kitazawa's black dragon tornado was over twenty meters tall, twice the size of Doto's.
It crashed into the smaller black dragon and swallowed it whole, then kept going.
The layered winds around the dragon churned violently, dragging a blizzard of snow along as they rushed toward Doto.
He had never imagined he'd one day be struck by his own Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard.
Facing death, he frantically pushed more chakra into his armor.
Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard!
Two ten-meter black dragons materialized out of the storm.
In an instant, the three dragons—one large, two small—locked together in midair.
Doto's face flushed bright red as he forced himself to maintain both dragons.
Kitazawa, in contrast, stood in place with a completely relaxed expression.
"So easy…" Koyuki suddenly felt like all those years of running had been pointless.
"It's just that Kitazawa-sama is too strong," Sandayū sighed.
"Break already!" Fubuki shouted.
Her voice rang out as she smashed through Haku's ice wall and rocketed forward using her armor's flight, closing in fast.
At that moment, Ino stepped in front of Haku.
Tree Binding Death!
Their eyes met.
Fubuki's mind went blank for a split second and she saw herself bound up by a huge tree.
She snapped out of it almost instantly.
Genjutsu Release!
As an elite jōnin, she dispelled the illusion nearly on reflex.
Her vision blurred, and suddenly she was surrounded by multiple ice mirrors.
In every mirror, there was a reflection of Haku.
It was none other than Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
Fubuki glanced around, but couldn't tell which one was real. She jumped upward, trying to fly out.
From the mirror on her left, one of the Hakus threw a barrage of senbon.
Fubuki dodged and dived for that mirror with a burst of speed.
But the Haku inside had already vanished, and the mirror remained unscathed.
In the next instant, another Haku appeared in the mirror behind her and threw another volley of senbon.
"Damn it!" Fubuki grit her teeth, forced to dodge again.
Realizing this couldn't go on, she quickly formed seals.
Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm!
She pulled in all the nearby snow, shaping it into a dense wave of ice spikes that hammered into one of the mirrors.
Cracks spread over its surface with a sharp series of snaps.
The mirror couldn't withstand the barrage and finally shattered.
Fubuki's eyes lit up and she shot toward the opening.
Just as she reached it, an invisible wave of force slammed into her.
It was Ino's Ninja Art: Mind Butterfly.
Ino had been waiting for this moment the entire time.
Seeing his chance, Haku stepped out of one of the mirrors and hurled a handful of senbon.
The needles pierced Fubuki's body easily while she was stunned.
She woke up just long enough to realize what had happened—and then slipped into eternal sleep.
"Looks like we make a pretty good team," Ino said, clapping her hands and smiling.
Haku stepped out of the ice mirrors and nodded lightly in agreement.
Then they both looked at the last Snow ninja, Rouga Nadare.
At that moment, the roaring winds suddenly died down.
All three black dragons vanished in the clash.
Panting, Doto realized how bad things were.
Two of his three followers were already dead, and the last one was barely hanging on.
The man standing opposite him was a monster. Just copying his Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard had forced Doto to go all out.
If the fight continued, there would only be one outcome.
Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard!
With that thought, Doto once again used his strongest technique.
A huge amount of wind chakra surged outward, whipping up the snow into two more black dragons.
Then he turned and ran at full speed.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow and held out both hands.
Yang Release: Rasengan in his left.
Yin Release: Rasengan in his right.
He pressed the spheres together and hurled them.
In midair, Yin and Yang chakra fused into a massive two-meter sphere.
The Supreme Ultimate Rasengan.
It tore through the sky, slicing both black dragon tornadoes apart before chasing straight after Doto.
"No!" Doto felt a terror he'd never known before.
He ran and slammed both hands against his armor, pouring out chakra like a roaring flame that wrapped around his body.
It didn't help.
The Supreme Ultimate Rasengan swallowed him whole. His chakra armor shattered with him inside, and the sphere kept going, slamming into the snowy ground.
Snow exploded in all directions, and a deep crater opened in the earth.
"He's… dead?" Koyuki stared at the scene, stunned.
"No one could survive that," Sandayū said, cold sweat on his forehead.
They had both seen Doto's true face when he murdered Sōsetsu and stole the throne. Back then they had felt nothing but despair.
Now, the man that had once seemed unstoppable had been wiped out like nothing. The contrast left them feeling like they'd lived through entire lifetimes in a single moment.
"You can all die with him!" Rouga Nadare shouted suddenly.
On the verge of defeat under the combined attacks of Ino, Haku, and Kiba, he'd snapped completely at the sight of Doto's death.
Ice Release: Wolf Fang Avalanche Jutsu!
He slammed his hands into the ground, pouring every last drop of chakra into it.
Ice Release: Shattering Ice Crystals!
Haku instantly sent a flurry of ice shards through him, killing him on the spot.
But his Wolf Fang Avalanche had already gone off.
The earth shook violently as the snow-covered mountains around them began to collapse.
Sandayū, Koyuki, and the others all blanched.
An ocean of snow came crashing down from the peaks, threatening to swallow them whole.
In that instant, a wooden dragon soared into the air.
"Everyone, get on!" Kitazawa shouted, grabbing Sandayū and Koyuki and leaping up.
Ino, Haku, and Kiba scrambled onto the dragon as well.
The avalanche roared down, but the wooden dragon swam through it like a fish through water, gliding freely within the crashing snow.
Watching this, every one of them—Sandayū, Koyuki, Ino, Haku, Kiba—couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with awe.
~~~
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