Kakashi observed the grunt operating the train, occasionally speaking up and spooking him to ask questions about the train, using his observation haki to tell if he was lying, not that he needed it, but he wanted to be sure.
"Is that all the controls? Are you sure you didn't forget anything?"
"N-no, I'm sure, I explained all the controls, every button, every lever, the whistle, everything."
The grunt explained, confused and tensing up in fear when Kakashi reached into his pocket and removed a surprising amount of money from a scroll before handing it to him.
"Your payment for your time."
Kakashi explained, watching the grunt warily tuck the money away like he was waiting for Kakashi to say it was all some sort of joke.
Seeing that Kakashi didn't act hostily, the grunt sighed internally.
'Maybe this guy isn't so bad.'
"That being said."
"Eh?"
The grunt began to sweat as Kakashi smiled far too nicely at him and grabbed the back of his collar like he was a puppy being grabbed by the scruff.
The grunt blinked. He was in the train one moment, and the next, he was tossed out of the window and into a large mound of snow.
'I take it back, that guy is a jackass.'
The grunt thought as he heard the train give him a parting whistle.
Kakashi chuckled before looking back at Koyuki.
"Can't find a seat?"
Kakashi asked, keeping the amusement off his face.
Koyuki shook her head.
"The compartments I went to looked like they had been hit by a natural disaster. I'm sure your students are going through the same thing I am in the other train compartments."
"You're welcome."
Koyuki rolled her eyes with a smile as she leaned against the open window, enjoying the wind that whipped at her hair.
"How do you think the Land of Snow will react to me?"
"Probably warily."
Kakashi didn't sugarcoat it. Remembering how the village treated him after his father died, it didn't matter to them that he was a grieving child; they only saw the Hatake name and his hair, automatically categorizing him into a box that fit their feelings at the time.
"They'll see your last name and think, 'I wonder if she's going to be just as bad.' Some might outright reject you, and I have no advice for that; only you, as the soon-to-be leader, can make that decision. Well… maybe that was too harsh, you have others you can rely on, you're not alone, and I believe they'll come to see very quickly that though you share that man's last name, you're not him."
"You talk from experience."
"Maa, sort of. My story is less full-blown hatred for the one that left me with that weight, but more so sadness and anger at not knowing why, but I eventually made peace with it and with them."
Kakashi offered his experience.
"Naruto too carries weight, Sasuke as well… maybe all the people I surround myself with do, it's extremely common for ninja to carry heavy expectations or burdens."
"Sounds…"
"Like hell? At times, it can be, but this is the life we ninja live. It's bloody, unforgiving to the weak, and sometimes even to the strong."
Kakashi thought about the ups and downs, and in his life, it was mostly down. His life wasn't all flowers and rainbows, but he liked to think he made something for himself. A new family, and he'd protect it, even if he had to kill every human, alien, or beast to protect them.
"So, how do you cope with it all?"
"Cope? Ha"
Kakashi laughed dryly.
"I'm not so sure I'm the one you want to be asking how I coped."
"Well, I did, and I'm still interested."
"By having one of the highest kill counts in Konoha before the age of 15."
Kakashi didn't have to turn to feel her shock; he wanted to say Anbu, but that was sort of a 'what happens in Anbu stays in Anbu thing.'
"How many?"
Kakashi shrugged, trying to give her an estimate.
"I stopped keeping track of the numbers once it hit triple digits, but it has to be somewhere in the 325-350 range "
'It's honestly more than that, but let's just go with that estimate'
Kakashi thought before looking back, not seeing disgust, fear, or even anger.
"You're surprising."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"I meant it as an evaluation of your mental health, but sure, let's go with that."
Kakashi fired back with a light laugh, speeding the train up.
- Capital of the Land of Snow -
Easing the train to a stop, Kakashi noticed the town, which looked nothing like the great nation's ninja villages, but instead reminded Kakashi of the industrial revolution of America; they had large brick factories, large trolleys moving from and to different places, many inventions that greatly resembled others, and some Kakashi could guess on their functions, a true modern society in a world that placed chakra above technology and industrial inovation, and unlike the many countries in his old life, these places didn't use the harsh chemicals that affected their environment, the air was fresh with the stench of polluted air.
But despite the advanced paradise that the Land of Snow portrayed, the feelings of each and every one of them couldn't be faked; they were scared, going about their days in an orderly fashion that wasn't natural, like robots programmed to complete their tasks and rinse and repeat.
"This place is unnervingly structured."
Kakashi said as he observed further, even the children, while not as robotic as the adults, appeared much more subdued than any child should be at their age.
"Doto has been actively quelling anyone he deemed to be 'rebellious.'
Koyuki's heart broke as she watched two kids kick a ball back and forth between them like it was a chore, and not the fun activity that it should have been for them.
"Princess Koyuki!"
A shout came from the left, and Koyuki looked over, smiling and actually jumping out and hugging the one who shouted.
"Sandayu!"
Koyuki hugged the man she considered her real uncle.
Sandayu was stunned before hugging her back, having not hugged her since she was just a little child, no taller than his hip.
"Are you hurt anywhere? Where is Doto?"
Sandayu asked, gently sitting her on her feet and worrying over her like a mother hen.
"I'm just fine, Sandayu. I was with Kakashi the whole time, and as for Doto, he's dead."
"Doto is dead?"
A child nearby heard that and spoke aloud, and a frantic mother hurriedly ran over, clasping her hand over his mouth and looking around as if trouble was going to appear from the shadows.
"Koyuki, come here for a bit. I think I have a way to at least ease their worries."
Kakashi waited for her, his sword already in hand as he severed Doto's head, picking it up by the hair and handing it to Koyuki, who took it as if someone had just sat dog shit in her hand and asked her to sniff it.
"This is their tyrant. Seeing you with his head in your hand will make them see you as something worse or their savior. What you say depends on that and who's willing to trust you. Your actions will have to back up your words, or they'll be just empty words to them, and yet another failure of a leader. These people might have forgotten you, probably conditioned to do so, but you can break that by being the leader your father would have been proud of."
Koyuki listened intently, no longer holding the severed head like something she wanted to fling, but a second chance for her and her people.
"Now I know where Naruto got that smooth talking from."
Koyuki teased, winking at him and stepping off the train, holding Doto's head up.
"Everyone, please give me your attention. I have something I would like to announce."
Everyone tensed, having not heard anyone speak about normal talking volume or whispers for years, turning and going wide-eyed as they saw the severed head, even more so when they realized whose head that was. Despite being very misfigured, the people knew the face well; they had to, Doto was a very vain man and liked to parade around town when he was bored, which was very often.
"Doto, t-that's Doto's head!"
An older man shouted, feeling 10 years younger at the sight before him, his son having been killed by Doto's men for supposed suspicious behavior.
"For real? This isn't some cruel joke?"
A middle-aged woman said while trying to shield her 10-year-old child from the sight.
"That's him! He's dead, that bastard is dead!"
A younger man, perhaps mid-20s, shouted, far braver in his celebrations.
The murmur of the crowd grew and grew until it was a low roar of voices, some crying in relief, some smiling so wide that it had to hurt, and some were celebrating more cautiously, remembering that this young woman holding the head of their dead leader was still there and clearly had something to say.
"What is the meaning of this?"
A shout broke through the crowd, the majority of Doto's forces having been left at the capital and now marched down the streets.
"Sensei?"
Naruto started to step up, drawn by the noise, with Sasuke and Karin ready for action as well.
Kakashi held out his hand, stopping his team from interfering yet.
"We can't step into a conflict if the people themselves don't stand up, Naruto. If they don't stand up, then something like this can happen to them in the future."
"People of the Land of Snow! Look around you. For ten long, brutal years, these skies have been blocked by the frost of fear. My uncle, Dotō Kazahana, ruled this land not with the compassion of a leader, but with the freezing iron of a tyrant.
But today, the wind has shifted.
Dotō is dead! His elite rogue ninja, the monsters who enforced his oppression, have fallen. The forefront of our oppression has crumbled into the ice, but our victory is not yet complete. Dotō's remaining forces stand before you now, believing that you will let this continue; they still believe that fear will keep you hiding behind closed doors and forced to bear it.
They are wrong! For ten years, you were forced to bow. You watched our resources stripped away to fuel weapons of war. My father, Sōsetsu, dreamed of a country where his people could watch the horizon with hope.
To every farmer, every worker, every surviving samurai, and every family that has endured and dreamed in the dark: Dotō's empire is a hollow shell, and the head of the snake has been severed! Do not let the sacrifices of the fallen heroes be in vain! Do not let my father's dream die in the frost!
Grab whatever weapon you can find. Stand up beside your neighbors. Rise up, hunt down the remaining stray forces hiding in our mountains, and reclaim your villages! Let the oppressors know that the Land of Snow will no longer endure their winter. Today, we break the ice! Today, we bring the spring!"
The people were brought to tears, righteous and proud tears, quickly grabbing everything they could and standing in front of the Princess they thought they had lost 10 years ago, the men of the town lined up, younger ones taking the front, followed by old men and young women, the kids were quickly moved into safe places by the older women, all united and understanding without having to say anything, the general thought was 'No more, we won't be their stepping stools any longer.'
"Naruto, now's the time. Combination 1."
Kakashi ordered before Sasuke and Naruto's body flickering in front of the crowd.
Appearing behind the enemy force at the same time, Kakashi weaved a few hand signs and slammed his hands down, a wall of reinforced quartz blocking them off on all sides except for the path that was soon to be their death.
'Fire style'
'Wind style'
Sasuke and Naruto breathed in, respectively, the hand signs already complete.
'Dragon Fire!'
'Gale Palm'
The two jutsu merged, burning a blistering white hot, and everyone behind Naruto and Sasuke shielding their eyes and stepping back as they felt like they were standing inside a furnace.
The roaring, enhanced flaming dragon was upon Doto's forces before they could even do anything about it, the fire consuming them all whole and slamming into the back of the quartz wall with a loud explosion.
Once the smoke cleared, nothing remained of Doto's forces, having been burned beyond ashes. The town was completely safe; the quartz wall had held up without a problem, leaving only slight scorch marks on the sides where it passed and a much larger scorch mark where it exploded at the end.
This time, everyone celebrated; no one was hesitant, letting the emotions flow freely. The gathered crowd surrounded Sasuke and Naruto, shaking their hands and offering them various things for what they did.
Kakashi smirked, returning to Koyuki's side with a smirk.
"You promised your people spring, what's say we give it to them?"
Kakashi took Koyuki to complete everything that needed to be handled. The Hexagonal key in the thermal system, the disengagement of the war track locks, and raising the thermal reflectors.
Kakashi watched silently as Koyuki watched the projection of her younger self and her father together, as the winter around them thawed, giving way to spring and beautiful flowers, and the people of the Land of Snow grew silent as they observed this, recalling Koyuki's words.
"We bring spring."
An older man murmured, wiping a tear from his eye before chants of Koyuki's name broke out.
- Chapter End -
Uploading this because I felt like doing it early, hope you enjoy. And if anyone wonders what happens to the big guy(Mizore), he'd normally be able to break free of the paralysis if he had his chakra, but Karin also put a chakra-suppressing seal on him, so he's going to starve to death or be eaten by animals, whatever you decide to imagine his death like is true. Chapter is like 2.2k btw, couldn't stop writing.