The royal capital was engulfed in smoke.
In this snow-covered country, where no one possessed the power of shadow, Uchiha Sasuke had become nearly invincible after activating his Susanoo.
Wherever he went, he left death in his wake. No one could match his strength, allowing him to satisfy his violent desires without resistance.
He tore through the palace like a blade through paper—cutting down guards from the outer halls to the inner sanctum.
"Ha! This is too much fun!"
"Kneel, pathetic weaklings! You have only two choices: Submit or Die!"
Sasuke had lost control. His arrogance dripped from every word, and even his tone had become theatrical—unnaturally dramatic and absurd.
Neji and Shikamaru, who had been fighting alongside him, finally had enough and slipped away.
"Has Sasuke always been like this?" Neji asked, frowning.
Shikamaru scratched his head. "Kinda… but not really."
He nodded at first, then quickly shook his head and added, "Nah, something's definitely off."
"He used to be arrogant, yeah—but always calm and cold. Now he's acting like an idiot. Honestly, it's more like Naruto's style."
The two exchanged a glance.
Sasuke was starting to act like Naruto.
Could it be true that people start imitating each other when they spend too much time together?
Neither Neji nor Shikamaru wanted to think too hard about it. But one thing was clear: they both silently agreed to stay away from Naruto for a while.
They didn't want to end up like this version of Sasuke.
"Anyway, let's leave Sasuke to do his thing. With that Susanoo, he can probably take down the entire palace by himself," said Shikamaru, taking the lead.
Neji nodded and followed him.
Their target was Fenghua Nutao, the daimyo of the Snow Country. According to the soldiers they interrogated, Nutao was the one who captured their missing companions from Konoha. But the soldiers didn't know anything beyond that.
If they wanted to rescue their friends, they had to find Nutao.
Unfortunately, this day would only end in disappointment.
They searched every inch of the palace at full speed, but their efforts were in vain.
They found attendants, maids, children, and concubines of the daimyo—but not Fenghua Nutao, nor the Queen.
"Where the hell did he go?!" Neji growled, clenching his fists.
Of the trio, Neji was the most anxious. Though he rarely showed affection toward Hinata and Hanabi, the truth was, he longed deeply for family.
Still, after the death of his uncle from the main family, his father had remained emotionally distant, which made Neji wary of expressing his own attachments.
"Don't worry. We'll find them," Shikamaru said, gently placing a reassuring hand on Neji's shoulder.
"…Yeah," Neji nodded, managing a faint smile.
He no longer resisted the bonds he shared with Shikamaru and Sasuke. After surviving life-or-death situations together, their friendship had deepened. In Neji's heart, their presence had started to surpass even that of Rock Lee and Tenten.
At that moment, the three of them exchanged a look.
They weren't just comrades—they were like brothers.
Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the city.
It echoed through the skies.
All eyes turned toward the noise. Shouts of war, cries of rebellion, and chants for the new ruler filled the air.
"Lady Koyuki!"
"Long live the new ruler! Down with the tyrant!"
"Capture Fenghua Nutao alive!"
"Charge!"
As the excitement surged, Koyuki gazed at the palace bathed in purple light from Sasuke's Susanoo.
Tears welled in her eyes.
The homeland she once feared to return to—now stood under her control once more.
Fate had finally come full circle.
"…Thank you, Lord Naruto. And thank you, Lady Shiro," she whispered. Even if she knew they supported her for their own reasons, her gratitude was sincere.
Her father had finally been avenged.
"Now then," she said to herself, "I should go catch my aunt."
It seemed that spending time around Naruto had even influenced the way she thought. Knowing Naruto's weakness for women, Koyuki decided she would capture the current queen—Nutao's wife—and offer her to him as a gift.
What she didn't realize was that Shiro had already beaten her to it. The queen—and even Koyuki's own mother—had already been taken by Shiro.
Amidst the chaos, one place remained calm and eerily peaceful.
Crackling firewood was the only sound that broke the silence.
In a large, isolated tent on the edge of the military camp, Naruto was hard at work… being a dedicated teacher.
His mission: educate and enlighten.
Or more accurately: discipline and dominate.
Despite his enthusiasm, his "student" wasn't exactly thrilled with the curriculum.
Uzumaki Chiana, furious and embarrassed, swatted Naruto away.
"Stop it already!"
"Why are you always so handsy?!"
"Touch me again and I swear I'll hit back!"
Even when furious, Chiana's voice—normally sweet and delicate—carried surprising intensity. She grabbed whatever she could and hurled it at Naruto.
"If you think I'm scared of you, try me!"
Naruto stared at her, amused.
She was flushed from their earlier study session. A light sheen of sweat glistened along her neck. Her anger only made her more appealing.
Chiana noticed his gaze and quickly pulled the quilt over herself, cocooning her body.
"What are you looking at?! Turn around!"
You little scoundrel, she thought.
She wanted to slap him but held back, knowing that would just lead to another lecture.
But…
it really was kind of nice.
"Are you mad or happy? You're hard to read," Naruto teased.
Chiana glared. "I'll be happy when you disappear!"
"Oh, the classic contradiction," he chuckled, walking toward her with a grin.
As he sat beside the bed, she recoiled in fear, like he was some kind of demon.
"If you keep running from me like that, I'm going to get really mad," he warned.
"Go ahead," she replied coldly.
Naruto didn't give her the chance. He lunged onto the bed, dragged her out from under the covers, and wrapped her in his arms.
There was no escape—her chakra had been sealed.
Feeling his hand on her waist again, she kicked in frustration. "Enough already!"
"I'm never done," Naruto grinned. "Besides, aren't you enjoying this?"
As he leaned in, he whispered against her ear, "Who was it that called me 'good brother' earlier?"
Chiana's face flushed crimson.
She had said that—but it wasn't on purpose! She didn't mean it that way! She was… forced!
Sort of.
Flustered and furious, she twisted and pinched Naruto's side. "You arrogant jerk!"
"You called me a brute… but weren't you born from a fox?" he joked.
"So what does that make you? A giant beast?"
Naruto laughed and pulled her closer. "If I'm the beast, then you're my pet. No use trying to escape fate."
His hand slid down to her thigh—it was soft, smooth, and warm.
"Ah—!" Chiana gasped and squirmed.
Embarrassment flooded her as she felt the strength of his arms and the warmth of his body against her back.
"What are you trying to do this time?!"
Naruto didn't answer directly. He leaned closer and whispered:
"…Think."
Chiana: "…"
Oh no.
She was losing her mind.
Only a madwoman like Mikoto could tolerate Naruto's torment.
Crunch – Crunch –
Suddenly, footsteps approached the tent from outside.
Multiple people. At least three or four.
Chiana panicked. "Naruto, stop messing around! Send me back to my space—now!"
There was no way she would let anyone see her like this.
"Damn it," Naruto muttered, annoyed.
He sat up reluctantly and pulled the covers over Chiana to hide her, then got dressed quickly.
If this was some idiot here to kill the mood, Naruto was going to be pissed.
"Lord Naruto, are you awake?"
It was Shiro's voice.
Naruto immediately relaxed.
If it was Shiro, then it likely meant gifts—and usually the fun kind.
"…Come in," he called.
Shiro entered, followed by—
Huh?!
Three others?
"Lord Naruto," Shiro said sweetly.
She noticed the gleam of surprise in his eyes and felt proud. She stepped forward and knelt before him with the three women behind her.
She pressed her cheek against his leg and whispered:
"My Lord… I found two new toys for you today. Do you like them?"
Naruto blinked, stunned.
Shiro, as usual, had exceeded expectations.
He stroked her hair, impressed. "You've outdone yourself. What reward do you want?"
"Just say the word."
Of course, if she asked for something extreme—like leaving him—that was off the table.
But anything else, he'd grant.
He looked over the three women kneeling behind Shiro. One of them was Tsurugi Fubuki, someone he'd already been with. But the other two were strangers—clearly noble, judging by their bearing.
One of them looked… oddly familiar.
She reminded him of Koyuki.
"Who's that one?" he asked, pointing.
Shiro smiled triumphantly. "That's Koyuki's mother."
Naruto raised his brows. "Wow. How'd you pull that off?"
"To make you happy, of course," Shiro said with a seductive smile.
"Then… can I ask for my reward now?" she added softly.
Naruto nodded.
"Let me punish Koyuki for one day," Shiro whispered. "Just one. I promise I won't go too far."
Naruto hesitated. "You only get one reward, and you'll be the Kage someday. Koyuki is a daimyo. Are you sure you want to antagonize her?"
Shiro didn't flinch. "I'm sure. Trust me, I'll patch things up after."
Naruto sighed. He couldn't say no.
Just as he was about to ask Shiro to keep watch outside, a voice from behind interrupted:
"You must be sincere to your friends. A shattered mirror cannot be mended."
"I suggest you choose a different reward."
Shiro turned in surprise.
The red-haired woman in the bed—Chiana—was now sitting upright.