Although Uzumaki Naruto stood out far more than Sakura, when it came to the realm of geniuses, he still didn't attract much attention.
Whenever people spoke of Team 7's prodigy, only Uchiha Sasuke was mentioned. Yet Naruto himself was a genius who had long been underestimated. Whether it was the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Sage Mode, or the various Rasengan-based techniques, none of them were easy to learn.
And yet, Naruto picked them up quickly.
There was no denying it—he was a true genius.
It was just that his later "power-ups" overshadowed his natural talent. People only saw the boosts he received and overlooked the fact that he had always possessed remarkable ability.
After all, he had inherited the talents of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.
Once they arrived, the film crew quickly spread out and began preparing for the shoot.
But not long after filming started, a group of figures appeared from behind a distant ice ridge.
A squad of snow ninja clad in specialized chakra armor stepped into view.
"Welcome to the Land of Snow!"
The man leading them wore chakra armor as well and had a high blue ponytail.
"Princess Koyuki, what a grand return. Did you bring the hexagonal crystal?" asked the pink-haired kunoichi beside him.
"Now that you're back, you won't be running away again," a tall, purple-haired ninja added with a grin.
Behind them stood more than twenty snow ninja from Yukigakure.
The moment they appeared, Team 7 and Kaede's squad moved forward, positioning themselves between the snow ninja and the film crew.
Kaede glanced over them. As expected, they were the same three snow ninja from the original timeline.
The leader was Nadare Roga, who had once clashed with Hatake Kakashi and was the strongest among them, possessing true jonin-level strength.
The female ninja, Fubuki Kakuyoku, and the large man, Mizore Fuyukuma, were both around elite chunin level, while the rest were mostly genin.
For a small and remote village like Yukigakure, this already counted as a large-scale deployment.
The snow ninja's gazes quickly settled on Kaede. He was the only one wearing the green flak jacket reserved for chunin and above, and with his youthful appearance, they all reached the same conclusion.
A rookie Konoha chunin.
And to be fair, they weren't wrong. Kaede had only been a chunin for less than two and a half years.
"Sasuke, Naruto—the guy with the blue ponytail is yours," Kaede said immediately. "He's at jonin level, so don't underestimate him."
"Got it."
Sasuke tightened his grip on the Kusanagi Sword at his waist.
Naruto, meanwhile, didn't wait and charged straight in.
"Sakura, stay back and protect the crew," Kaede instructed.
Then he turned to the others. "Ryuji, the big one is yours. Keiko, take the female ninja."
With that, he quickly assigned each opponent. The remaining snow ninja, mostly genin, weren't even worth mentioning.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form—Thunderclap and Flash!"
Although Naruto had rushed out first, Sasuke was faster once he activated Thunder Breathing.
Nadare Roga clearly hadn't expected that kind of speed. In an instant, Sasuke closed the distance, the Kusanagi Sword already slashing down.
"Fast!"
Roga barely managed to dodge, and in that same moment, Naruto arrived right behind him.
"Rasengan!"
The swirling sphere of chakra slammed down.
This time, there was no way to evade. The attack was perfectly timed—Naruto's Rasengan struck Roga squarely.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous explosion, Roga was sent flying.
"Damn it… what kind of chakra density is this?"
His chakra armor overloaded instantly, the protective barrier shattering under the impact.
Whether it was Naruto or Sasuke, their strength far exceeded genin level. Techniques like Thunder Breathing and the Rasengan were more than enough to severely injure—or even kill—a jonin if they connected.
One hit was all it took.
At the same time, on the other side of the battlefield, Hyuga Keiko and Amakusa Ryuji had already engaged their respective opponents.
In terms of fundamentals and raw skill, the two snow ninja couldn't compare to them—not after Kaede's relentless training.
But the chakra armor made a huge difference.
It amplified their chakra, formed a protective barrier, and even interfered with incoming chakra-based techniques. Whether it was ninjutsu or genjutsu, breaking through it directly was difficult.
Of course, it wasn't as invincible as advertised. Still, for Keiko and Ryuji, who were only at chunin level, it was enough to push them into a tough fight.
Kaede had no intention of stepping in. Opponents like these—neither too strong nor too weak—were perfect for sharpening their skills.
As for himself, he went straight for the genin-level snow ninja.
He dashed into their ranks, his speed so extreme that even without using Flying Thunder God, the difference was negligible.
Like a tiger descending upon a flock of sheep, he tore through them.
Kunai flashed in his hand. With each casual strike, another snow ninja fell.
More than twenty genin were wiped out in less than half a minute.
They didn't even have time to understand what was happening before they were all dead.
Against a speed-type ninja, ordinary opponents were at an overwhelming disadvantage.
In combat, speed was everything.
Kaede possessed both extreme speed and devastating offensive power—a true all-round fighter without a single weakness.
"So fast…"
Haruno Sakura had been on guard, but as she watched the approaching enemies get slaughtered in an instant, she finally relaxed.
Only then did she truly grasp how terrifying Kaede's speed was.
Beside her, Kazahana Koyuki nodded as well. At that moment, she finally understood where Kaede's confidence came from.
Even Kazahana Doto, who had once been the source of her deepest fear, seemed insignificant in comparison.
For the first time, she felt a sense of relief.
This return to the Land of Snow wasn't a death sentence.
After dealing with the genin, Kaede finally turned his attention back to the battlefield.
Among the ongoing fights, the most intense was between Hyuga Keiko and Fubuki Kakuyoku. Keiko continuously struck with Gentle Fist, but her Eight Trigrams Palms struggled to break through the chakra armor's defenses.
Amakusa Ryuji, meanwhile, was locked in a tough battle with the heavily modified Mizore Fuyukuma, gaining no clear advantage.
Ironically, the one in the worst shape was Nadare Roga, the strongest among them.
Facing both Naruto and Sasuke at once, even his superior strength couldn't turn the tide. He barely had any opportunity to perform ninjutsu.
Sasuke's speed, enhanced by Thunder Breathing, constantly interrupted his hand seals.
Even as a jonin, Roga's speed in forming seals was impressive—but it didn't matter. Naruto and Sasuke were simply too fast.
Their coordination was flawless.
Despite having the advantage in raw strength, he found himself completely suppressed.
What shook him even more was how easily Kaede had wiped out the rest of the snow ninja.
They might have been genin, but they were still ninja.
Only now did he realize just how absurdly powerful this squad was.
The two kids in front of him were already far beyond genin level.
The other two were elite chunin.
And the most ridiculous of all was Kaede—the one who looked like an ordinary chunin, yet was clearly the strongest among them.
Just standing at a distance, Kaede exerted immense psychological pressure.
"Damn it… even Hatake Kakashi wasn't this strong back then."
He recalled their past battle, when he had managed to defeat Kakashi.
In truth, he had taken advantage of Kakashi before he had fully matured, but it was still a feat he liked to brag about.
Just like Zabuza could boast in the afterlife that he had overpowered the New Sannin, beaten down two chosen heroes, and nearly killed both the Sixth and Seventh Hokage—who else could claim that kind of record?
Under Kaede's watchful eye, the battle quickly escalated to its peak.
The first to secure victory was Amakusa Ryuji.
He caught Mizore Fuyukuma off guard, timing it perfectly. The moment the chakra armor's barrier flickered, a shuriken shot straight into his throat.
Though the armor had many functions, including its defensive shield, it wasn't invincible. There were gaps in its operation—and Ryuji had seized one.
Fuyukuma fell.
Keiko's fight, however, was far more troublesome.
Fubuki Kakuyoku deployed wings from her chakra armor and took to the air, completely neutralizing Keiko's close-range fighting style.
The techniques of the Hyuga Clan were built for close combat.
Against an opponent who could stay out of reach and attack from a distance, Keiko found herself at a loss.