"Rin-chan, Rin-chan, look over there! What a huge ice block!" On the boat, Obito, feeling bored, looked around and suddenly spotted a massive piece of floating ice in the distance.
Rin followed Obito's pointing finger, and a gigantic iceberg reflecting bright light in the sunshine came into view. Her eyes sparkled; this was definitely a scene that couldn't be seen in the Land of Fire.
"Surprised? When you get to the Land of Snow, you'll realize how common ice and snow really are," Sandayu Asama said with a smile.
The Land of Snow is not lacking in ice and snow; the country is covered in it year-round.
"At this time of year, there should be quite a lot of snow already."
"Isn't it only September? Will there really be snow at this time?" Obito asked Sandayu Asama in confusion.
"Yes, otherwise it wouldn't be called the Land of Snow," Sandayu Asama replied with a hint of helplessness.
Although a world covered in snow is beautiful, if it keeps snowing like this, it's not a good thing. Normally, people pray to the Rain God for rain and to the God of Wealth for riches, but in the Land of Snow, they pray to the Snow God to make it snow less.
As they got closer, Mutsuki's Byakugan could already see the snow-covered country.
Throughout the journey, Mutsuki had used his Byakugan to observe frequently; he felt that in such a unique environment at sea, one needed to be especially cautious. After all, if the boat were to be destroyed, the ocean itself would become a danger.
Of course, for a Ninja like Mutsuki, it wasn't too bad. He had brought enough food in his scroll, so even without a boat, he could run on water all the way back to shore. If he got tired, he could even create an Ice Block with Ice Release to rest.
As they approached the Land of Snow, it was indeed snowing heavily, just as Sandayu Asama had said. Obito on the boat moved swiftly, catching snowflakes in his hands, while Rin exhaled warm breath and looked up at the falling snow. Kakashi focused on observing the surroundings.
Mutsuki also extended his hand to feel the snowflakes fall and melt, bringing a touch of winter.
He actually enjoyed snow and loved playing in it; the joy of having snowball fights with friends during childhood was among the highlights of his early years.
Though he liked snow, Mutsuki disliked the cold, leading to a conflict where he wanted snow but didn't want winter to arrive.
Being transported to the world of Naruto helped alleviate this issue because with Mutsuki's current physical strength, he wouldn't feel cold even without wearing clothes in winter.
"Welcome to the Land of Snow," Sandayu Asama said ceremoniously as they disembarked.
"Wow, it's really thick snow!" Obito said curiously as he picked up a handful of snow from the ground.
Although it's called the Land of Snow, Obito really hadn't expected a country covered in ice and snow; after all, the Land of Fire isn't all about volcanoes.
"Kakashi, catch this!" Seeing Kakashi with his back turned, Obito decisively shaped a snowball and threw it at him.
Even though it was a sneak attack, the sharp-eyed Kakashi noticed the incoming snowball and swiftly dodged. However, what he didn't anticipate was that Obito had already predicted his movement; after throwing the first snowball, he quickly formed two more, aiming them at Kakashi's potential escape routes.
Feeling it would be hard to evade, Kakashi decided not to dodge. He quickly grabbed some snow and used his Ninja Tool Throwing technique, successfully hitting Obito square in the face with one snowball.
Puff! Rin couldn't help but laugh at Obito's snow-covered face.
"Damn you, Kakashi!" Obito roared internally, entering Total Concentration Breathing and throwing even more snowballs faster.
Kakashi also utilized the rapid dodging of Thunder Breathing to counterattack.
The snowball fight between the two left Sandayu Asama feeling quite embarrassed, as he realized he couldn't even keep up with the antics of nine-year-old kids.
"This is what it means to be a Ninja," Sandayu Asama thought to himself. Although he had undergone some samurai training, he couldn't even outmatch these young Ninjas.
Smack! Smack!
Two transparent energy blasts accurately struck Kakashi and Obito on their foreheads.
"If you want to play in the snow, we can do that after finishing the mission; let's focus on the task first," Mutsuki said, retracting his hand.
Afterward, Mutsuki expressed an apologetic look toward Sandayu Asama.
"It's no problem; the princess is still at Kazahana Castle, so she doesn't really need protection," Sandayu Asama replied with a smile.
Kazahana Castle is the royal palace of the Land of Snow and, in Sandayu Asama's mind, the safest place there.
"Since it's a protection mission, we should first know who we're protecting," Mutsuki suggested that Sandayu Asama take them to meet the princess.
Sandayu Asama felt that Mutsuki's point was quite reasonable, so he led Mutsuki and the others to Kazahana Castle.
"What will a living princess be like?" Obito began to anticipate, recalling descriptions of princesses from novels.
The snowy scenery of the Land of Snow amazed Obito, but once they arrived at Kazahana Castle, it felt more ordinary; he had seen many palace buildings before.
"Asama, are these the Konoha Ninjas who took on the mission?" a serious-looking man in black called out to Sandayu Asama.
"Yes, Doto-sama," Sandayu Asama replied, immediately bowing upon recognizing Kazahana Doto.
Kazahana Doto was not only the brother of the Land of Snow's Daimyo but also a high-ranking official, making him the second-in-command in the Land of Snow.
"Don't let their young ages fool you; they are all capable Chunin, and Mutsuki is a reliable Konoha Jonin," Sandayu Asama added, concerned that Kazahana Doto might underestimate Mutsuki's team due to their youth.
"Hmm." Kazahana Doto nodded softly and walked away, seemingly uninterested in Mutsuki and the others.
Mutsuki glanced at the departing Kazahana Doto and assessed this theatrical movie boss.
[Name: Kazahana Doto]
[Chakra: 10,500]
[Skills: Water Attribute Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 200/15,000), Water Release: Black Dragon Blizzard (Mastery)...]
As the future boss, Kazahana Doto's stats were quite ordinary, not much better than an average Jonin.
Notably, according to the system, Kazahana Doto's Ninjutsu were all classified as Water Release rather than Ice Release.
Mutsuki wasn't too surprised by this; since the Ninjutsu from the Land of Snow could be copied by Kakashi's Sharingan, it definitely wasn't a Kekkei Genkai—at best, it was just a snow-based secret jutsu used exclusively in the Land of Snow.
Mutsuki believed that their Ninjutsu achieved the visual effect of Ice Release due to the environment in the Land of Snow, combined with the local people's research on Water Nature Transformation.
"Doto-sama is the Daimyo's brother and also a key figure in maintaining the country's operations," Sandayu Asama briefly introduced Kazahana Doto to Mutsuki and the others.
"Speaking of which, Doto-sama is also considered half a Ninja. As a child, he went to the Snow Ninja Village to learn Ninjutsu to strengthen his body, and he apparently did quite well. If he weren't busy with state affairs, he might have become a formidable Ninja."
Mutsuki showed a thoughtful expression, considering that this might relate to Kazahana Doto's coup. With Ninja power and royal status, it would be normal for him to develop ambitions.
Obito was uninterested in Sandayu Asama's story about Kazahana Doto; he just wanted to meet the princess quickly and fast-forward to becoming a hero by saving her.
Eventually, Mutsuki and the others were taken to a bright hall to wait.
Tat tat.
When Obito heard the sound of footsteps, he instantly showed an excited expression. However, the figure that entered his view was not the beautiful girl he had imagined; instead, the first person he saw was a kindly-looking middle-aged man wearing glasses.
The second person Obito saw was a little girl in a purple kimono, very small—looking at most five or six years old—followed by some guards. Obito looked around but couldn't find anyone who resembled a princess.
"Kakashi, princesses are usually girls, right?" Obito asked Kakashi in confusion.
Kakashi: …
He couldn't believe this was a question someone would ask; if a princess wasn't a girl, then what could she be?
"Sosetsu-sama!" Sandayu Asama knelt respectfully before Kazahana Sosetsu.
Mutsuki and the others quietly stood by, aware that Ninjas had their own rules and did not need to bow to these nobles.
"Please get up; it's not a formal occasion," Kazahana Sosetsu said with a kind smile.
Kazahana Koyuki held her father's hand, curiously gazing at the unfamiliar faces of Mutsuki and the others.
"Hello, Sosetsu-sama, I am Mutsuki Yumi," Mutsuki greeted, introducing himself briefly.
Kazahana Sosetsu smiled and nodded, then said to Kazahana Koyuki, "Koyuki, say hello to your older brothers and sister. They'll be playing with you until the Snow God Festival."
"Hello, Yumi-oniichan!" Kazahana Koyuki obediently greeted Mutsuki, her big eyes shining brightly.
Although it was their first meeting, Kazahana Koyuki felt that Mutsuki was a good person.
"She's the princess? No way!" Obito said in disbelief, looking at Kazahana Koyuki's chubby little face.
This was nothing like the princess he had imagined; she looked just like any other little kid.
Kakashi facepalmed, realizing they had offended their protection target right away.
Mutsuki ruffled Obito's hair, thinking that the boy was still hard to teach.
Upon hearing Obito's comment, Kazahana Koyuki puffed out her cheeks, making her already round face look even rounder.
"Hahaha, I told you, Koyuki, you need to learn more etiquette. Look, everyone thinks you're not a princess!" Kazahana Sosetsu laughed heartily at his daughter.
"Oh dear, Father!" Kazahana Koyuki didn't expect her father to laugh at her instead of defending her. She immediately let go of his hand and turned away, showing that she was upset.
"I misspoke; Koyuki is the cutest princess in the world," Kazahana Sosetsu quickly reassured her.
Hearing her father praise her cuteness, Kazahana Koyuki's mood brightened again, and she took hold of Kazahana Sosetsu's hand.
However, as the Daimyo, Kazahana Sosetsu was busy during the day and soon had to leave for matters of state, leaving only Mutsuki's team, the princess, and Sandayu Asama along with several guards in the hall.
"Remember this, you rude guy: I am Kazahana Koyuki, the princess of the Land of Snow, and the only princess," Kazahana Koyuki said seriously to Obito.
Obito nodded reluctantly, thinking he had been tricked; this mission might as well be taken up again in ten years.
"I'm not just any guy; I'm Uchiha Obito, the one and only Uchiha Obito in the world," Obito said, mimicking Kazahana Koyuki's way of speaking.
"Hmph, that's not necessarily true; the name Obito doesn't sound special at all," Kazahana Koyuki denied Obito's uniqueness.
"Hello, cute Princess Koyuki, I am Rin," Rin greeted the princess with a gentle smile.
Rin knew how to handle children like her; complimenting them would easily win them over.
"Hello, Rin-neechan, you're cute too," Kazahana Koyuki said, immediately breaking into a smile at the compliment.
"I'm Hatake Kakashi; I'll be responsible for your safety from now on," Kakashi said flatly.
For him, it didn't matter if the princess was important or not; being younger was even better because younger children wouldn't be sent out, and staying in Kazahana Castle would lessen the pressure on the guards.
"Mm-hmm, Kakashi-oniichan looks very reliable," Kazahana Koyuki thought Kakashi's hair was quite nice.
"It's just a little kid calling him 'brother'; it's not a big deal," Obito thought, feeling a bit uncomfortable seeing Kakashi enjoying the treatment he didn't have.
"Kazahana Koyuki isn't a princess; she's just a little kid," Obito could only repeatedly tell himself this in his mind, which made him feel a bit better.
...
"Mutsuki Yumi, who defeated the Hidden Rock Explosion Release Ninja Gari during the war with Konoha and played a crucial role against the Jinchuriki…" Kazahana Doto put down Mutsuki's information, his brows furrowing deeply.
Kazahana Doto felt very uneasy about Kazahana Sosetsu suddenly hiring Konoha Ninjas, especially since he was planning a coup. As soon as he learned about Mutsuki and the others, he immediately sent people out to gather more information.
This investigation shocked Kazahana Doto greatly. While ordinary people might not understand the significance of these achievements, someone familiar with Ninja like Kazahana Doto certainly did, especially the part about fighting against Jinchuriki.
Jinchuriki were the ultimate weapons of the five great Shinobi villages, and being able to play a role in battles at that level spoke volumes about Mutsuki's strength.
Kazahana Doto even thought that if the Snow Ninja Village had two Jinchuriki, it could become one of the five great Shinobi villages.
"How could something so discreet be discovered? Did something go wrong on the Snow Ninja Village side?" Kazahana Doto pondered over where he might have exposed a flaw.
He was sure that Kazahana Sosetsu had discovered something; otherwise, there would be no reason not to support the national Ninja village. Plus, the hired Ninjas were far too strong—Kazahana Koyuki didn't need such powerful protection for just a festival.
"I must investigate thoroughly," Kazahana Doto decided to look for an insider.
Although Mutsuki appeared very strong on paper, Kazahana Doto didn't feel he had lost. After all, no matter how powerful Mutsuki was, he was just one person, while Kazahana Doto had the entire Snow Ninja Village at his disposal.
Even if there were insiders in the Snow Ninja Village, Kazahana Doto believed they were just a few individuals, since Kazahana Sosetsu had already cut funding to the village. Kazahana Doto had clearly stated that once he was in power, he would vigorously develop the military, so any sane Snow Ninja would know whom to support.
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