Cheers exploded across the snowy valley as a dozen yeti-sized snowmen hopped around like overcaffeinated toddlers.
"Frozen Man-sama is here!"
"That flying brat is done for! Let's prep the celebration feast! Toss his corpse to the fish later!"
Their jagged fangs clicked with excitement, but from Ryuuto's perspective, they were basically noisy mascots with brain cells borrowed from gravel.
"Loud, stupid, and ugly. Guess that explains why you all live in this frozen hellhole," Ryuuto muttered, drifting in midair, aura swelling like he owned the sky.
His voice dropped into something mockingly official.
"Frozen Man, current acting leader of this region. By authority of the X-Men, you are under arrest. If you don't want your face—"
"Surrender?" Frozen Man cut him off before he could finish, jamming a finger into his own nose with heroic disrespect.
"Shut it! You self-righteous wannabe heroes act like you own the continent. If you think you can 'convince' me, use your fists. Otherwise, you can stay here forever as my personal ice sculpture!"
The snowmen roared in agreement, pelting Ryuuto with snowballs the size of exercise balls.
Frozen Man merely smirked and kept mining his nostril like it was a side quest.
Ryuuto exhaled sharply. "Fine. Guess today's the day I vacuum the trash."
He didn't even dodge. He floated. Calm. Eyes closed.
Frozen Man frowned. "What stupid trick is he—"
Eight Trigrams Palms — Revolving Heaven!
Ryuuto's eyes snapped open, Byakugan blazing white. Chakra surged outward, spinning into a storm that shredded the incoming snowballs into mist. The snowmen froze in place, jaws hanging open as their "artillery barrage" dissolved into nothingness.
Frozen Man let out a humorless laugh.
"Cute trick. Let me teach you the difference between a sparkler and a blizzard."
Ice beams erupted from his palms, stitching frost across the entire sky. Temperature crashed. Breath crystallized in midair. Even the snowmen shivered.
Ryuuto moved.
A flicker. A blur. A silent cut in the air.
Konoha Gale!
He vanished from Frozen Man's sight and appeared behind him, leg swinging like a guillotine. Frozen Man barely caught the kick with one hand, but even then the force launched him backward, skidding trenches into the snow.
Instead of fear, excitement lit his face.
"Good! Come on! Let me feel the thrill of breaking you!"
Blue light pulsed from his cannon arm, charging another freezing blast.
Ryuuto sighed. "Someone here is definitely getting abused… and it's not me."
He flicked a shuriken with lethal speed.
Frozen Man blasted it midair, encasing it in a massive ice ball that crashed into the ground like a meteor.
Ryuuto rolled his eyes. "Congrats. You beat a throwing star."
His hands slammed onto the ground.
Wood Style — Birth of the World Tree!
The tundra cracked open as an entire forest erupted from beneath the snow, vines and branches twisting like giant serpents. The snowmen were instantly tangled, squealing as they were held immobile.
Frozen Man scoffed. "Trees? In my territory? Nice joke!"
He fired wildly, freezing trunks into glittering icicles—yet failing to hit even the hem of Ryuuto's jacket.
Ryuuto blurred again, voice brushing past his ear.
"Right here, genius."
Before Frozen Man could react, a fist crashed into his jaw. His skull rattled. His eyes spun.
"You feel that? Don't worry, we've got time. I can play with you all day."
Ryuuto disappeared again.
Frozen Man's pupils shrank. "SHOW YOURSELF!"
Shadow Dance Leaf!
A barrage of strikes hammered Frozen Man from every angle. His gun flew from his hand. His balance shattered. Panic crawled into his expression.
"You forced me!" Frozen Man screamed, eyes bloodshot. "Let's see you dodge this!"
He unleashed a blinding aurora, a freezing storm so intense the entire newly-grown forest crackled with ice. Trees flash-froze. The ground glistened like polished crystal.
"Haha! Look! You're done!" he crowed, as Ryuuto—mid-punch—was swallowed by the spreading ice.
Ryuuto's figure froze solid.
Frozen Man threw his head back in laughter—
—and then Ryuuto exploded into splinters of wood.
A substitution.
Frozen Man froze in place, eyes twitching.
"You've gotta be kidding me…"
"Everyone!" he roared desperately. "Find him! I don't care if you have to dig up this whole glacier—bring me that brat's head!"
Panic trembled in his voice.
Ryuuto was gone again.
And this time, he was hunting.
...
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