The clash of the two ninjutsu triggered a massive avalanche.
Naruto, still carrying Kazahana Doto, hovered in mid-air, looking down with a faint smile at Sasuke, who was enveloped in smoke and dust.
"Your Highness, I shall take my leave then," Naruto said, smiling at Kazahana Koyuki. His tone was casual as he offered her his sincere wishes. "I hope Your Majesty will smoothly become the Queen of the Land of Snow and lead the Snow Ninja Village to new heights. As a token of gratitude for allowing us to deal with the rogue ninja, I will be selecting a few small trinkets from the Royal Treasury. Thank you again, Your Highness—oh, my apologies, I should say, Your Majesty the Queen."
"And Your Majesty need not worry," he continued. "I have already erected a protective ninjutsu before you. A simple avalanche will not harm you. However, I still sincerely advise you to quickly move away from these snowslides and find your supporters." A colossal, towering wall of fire materialized before Kazahana Koyuki.
The scorching heat caused the surrounding snowflakes to melt continuously. The snow tumbling down from the mountain vaporized before it even reached the firewall, while the main force of the avalanche crashed against it, emitting hissing sounds. But no matter what, the firewall stood firm, its flames still blazing fiercely, steadfastly protecting Kazahana Koyuki behind it.
"Well then, until we meet again," Naruto nodded elegantly towards Kazahana Koyuki. He stepped lightly on the falling debris, defying gravity with continued leaps, and was soon about to disappear from her sight.
This person… is he an enemy or an ally? Kazahana Koyuki frowned, lost in thought. Apart from Konoha, she hadn't requested aid from any other ninja village, and Konoha's representatives were Sasuke's team. From their earlier confrontation, this mysterious masked individual and Sasuke didn't seem to know each other; they might even be considered enemies.
Why did he help me? Could it really just be for the money in the Royal Treasury?
Kazahana Koyuki couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Just then, Sasuke, who had been buried by the avalanche, suddenly burst out from the snow. He was wreathed in lightning, his gaze fixed intently on the departing Naruto, and he roared, "Don't go! This isn't over!"
Vwom! The sky above suddenly warped, streaks of lightning appearing. Dark clouds gathered, brewing with furious thunder, ready to strike at any moment.
"Hm? It seems I underestimated you after all," Naruto paused his departure, landing lightly back on the ground. "However, your anger shouldn't be directed at me. After all, I am the benefactor who helped you deal with the rogue ninja leader." His tone was unhurried, even tinged with a hint of puzzlement. "For a Genin like you, Kazahana Doto was an unbeatable opponent, wasn't he?"
Naruto stated this fact in an exceedingly calm tone, yet his words tore through Sasuke's pride like a knife.
Sasuke's face flushed crimson, and the lightning around his body intensified. "Then I'll show you what I'm capable of!" Explosive power erupted from his legs, and he crossed the hundred-meter distance between them in mere moments.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
He unleashed both ninjutsu, spewing a massive fireball and a volley of smaller fireballs from his mouth, completely cutting off Naruto's escape routes.
"Hey, didn't you see the firewall I created earlier? Don't try to teach a fish to swim," Naruto said, completely unfazed, an innocuous smile under his mask. He extended his right hand.
Boom!
A Red Fire Cannon erupted from his palm.
Endless flames burst forth again, swirling with the billowing smoke.
A figure flashing with lightning took advantage of the chaos, darting through the smoke, a fist lashing out. Crackle! The lightning was so intense it even created the sound of rending air and thunderclaps.
Thwack!
The fist was caught firmly. The smoke cleared, revealing Naruto's white fox mask and a stunned Sasuke.
This guy!! Sasuke stared in disbelief.
Although he hadn't passed the Chunin Exams, in his lightning-enhanced state, his strength and speed were comparable to a Jonin's. Even Kakashi wouldn't dare to casually block that punch. Yet this man had caught it with ease, without the slightest ripple in his chakra.
This meant… his taijutsu was already at the Jonin level.
"Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto suddenly tightened his grip on Sasuke's fist. As Sasuke winced in pain, Naruto delivered a knee strike to his back, bending him into an arch. His fingertips then silently tapped Sasuke's face. To Sasuke's horrified gaze, white light condensed at Naruto's fingertips.
Boom!
The white light exploded. Sasuke was sent flying, tumbling wretchedly through the snow several times before skidding to a halt.
"Ptui!" Sasuke struggled to push himself up with his arms, lifted his head, and spat out a mouthful of blood. Blood trickling from his forehead blurred his vision. If Naruto hadn't pulled back his power at the last critical moment, Sasuke might have already been dead.
Naruto's voice carried through the wind and snow: "Weaklings should just enjoy the mercy of the strong. Don't attempt to challenge the impossible again, for it will only bring you shame."
"Go check on your mission objective. She's about to die."
Hearing this, Sasuke looked towards Kazahana Koyuki. The firewall was already crumbling, and Koyuki, behind it, was fleeing in panic. How could a normal human possibly outrun an avalanche? If Sasuke didn't act now, Koyuki would soon be swallowed by the snow.
"Damn it!" Sasuke forced himself to stand and sped towards Kazahana Koyuki.
Seeing this, Naruto chuckled softly and headed towards the palace.
As soon as he had rescued Kazahana Koyuki, Sasuke looked back in Naruto's direction. Naruto was long gone. Sasuke slammed his fist into the snow in fury, his eyes filled with indignation.
"Damn it, damn it all!!!"
"Who on earth is that guy?" Sasuke muttered, leading Koyuki away from the avalanche, his brow tightly furrowed, his right hand clutching a still-aching part of his body. "His strength is definitely not that of a simple Jonin. His target was only Kazahana Doto… why Doto and not someone else? And he… he felt strangely familiar."
Sasuke was deeply puzzled. But thinking carefully, none of the acquaintances in Konoha who could defeat him so easily seemed to have any connection to that man.
Could it be… Itachi? His eyes sharpened.
"Tch. Whatever. No matter who he is, I won't lose next time we meet," Sasuke said, looking at the somewhat exhausted Kazahana Koyuki beside him, his tone stiff.
"Hey, woman, are you alright?" Sasuke looked awkwardly at Koyuki, who was now leaning against his shoulder. Since childhood, he hadn't had much contact with women outside his clan. (Of course, Sakura didn't count as a woman.)
Just then, Sasuke felt a weight settle on his shoulder. He turned his head and found Kazahana Koyuki leaning against him weakly, her eyes closed.
"Don't move… Just let me rest like this for a bit, please," Koyuki whispered.
"Hey, woman… Hey, I…" Sasuke's face turned red, and he suddenly didn't know where to put his hands.