The cold wind swept across the vast snowy plain, carrying shards of ice that sliced through the air like countless tiny blades.
The three members of Team Seven followed Kakashi's tracking technique, rushing forward along the barely discernible traces in the snow that only Kakashi's keen eyes could detect.
Finally, at the entrance of a secluded ice valley surrounded by enormous pillars of ice, they met the former official of the Land of Snow who had sent the distress signal.
He was an elderly man with graying hair and a haggard face, but his eyes still held a trace of determination.
His name was Asama Sandayu.
"Mr. Sandayu?"
Kakashi confirmed his identity, his voice remaining clear despite the howling wind.
"That is correct!"
When Sandayu saw the Konoha forehead protectors, especially Kakashi's calm and composed demeanor, he became excited as if he had finally grasped a lifeline and hurried forward.
"Thank you for coming, honorable shinobi of Konoha! Princess Koyuki... She's inside!"
Under Sandayu's guidance, the three quickly entered the ice valley.
The temperature inside seemed even lower than outside, while the light reflected through the distorted ice walls, creating a bizarre and dazzling sight.
Deep inside an ice cave sheltered from the wind, they finally found their mission target, Koyuki Kazahana.
She was a little girl of about three years old, wrapped in a thick snow fox fur cloak.
Her little face was pale from the cold, but her delicate features and innate noble bearing were still unmistakable.
At this moment, however, her eyes were filled with fear and unease.
She clutched the corner of her clothes tightly and warily watched Kakashi and the others who had suddenly appeared.
"Princess, don't be afraid. They're shinobi from Konoha Village in the Land of Fire. They've come to protect us!"
Sandayu hurriedly reassured her.
Koyuki timidly looked at Kakashi, then at the gentle-looking Rin behind him and Obito, who was somewhat boisterous but did not look like a bad person.
Her tense nerves relaxed slightly, and she gave a small nod.
"...Please."
Kakashi was concise.
"This place isn't safe. The pursuers could arrive at any moment. We need to leave immediately and head for the border of the Land of Fire."
However, just as they stepped out of the ice cave and prepared to retreat along the route Kakashi had planned, several sharp sounds suddenly tore through the air.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Senbon and shuriken wrapped in ice shot toward them from different angles like venomous snakes, all aimed directly at Koyuki.
"Enemy attack! Protect the princess!"
Kakashi's eyes sharpened as he shouted.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Kakashi reacted instantly and formed hand seals.
A massive earthen wall engraved with the image of a dog head erupted from the ground, blocking most of the attacks.
Rin immediately shielded Koyuki and Sandayu behind her.
She already had a kunai and medical kit in her hands, ready to deal with any sudden situation.
Three figures appeared at the entrance of the ice valley, accompanied by cold chakra, blocking their path.
The man in the lead wore a strange mask that covered half his face and a chakra armor over his body.
His eyes were arrogant.
He was the leader of the Snow Ninja's Three-Man Team, Nadare Roga.
To his left stood the voluptuous Fubuki Kakuyoku.
She licked her lips and looked over Kakashi and Obito with evident interest.
On his right stood the massive Fuyukuma Mizore, whose build was as imposing as a bear and whose strength was astonishing.
He grinned viciously and clenched his fists, the joints cracking loudly.
"Hmph. Konoha shinobi? What a bunch of busybodies!"
Roga said coldly.
"Hand over Koyuki Kazahana, and I'll spare your lives!"
Kakashi held his short blade horizontally before him, his dead-fish eyes showing no emotion.
"The mission target must not be lost."
"Looks like there's nothing left to discuss!"
Roga snorted coldly.
"Attack! Capture the princess! Kill them all!"
"Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard!"
Roga struck first.
A massive ice dragon intertwined with the form of a tiger roared toward Kakashi.
"Ice Release: Swallow Snowstorm!"
Fubuki waved both hands, sending countless ice crystals sweeping toward Obito and Rin like flying swallows.
They contained a force capable of disrupting chakra.
"Ha!"
Mizore charged straight toward Obito like a human tank, his enormous fist crashing down with a biting gust of cold wind.
"Scatter!"
Kakashi's command was brief and precise.
He himself moved toward Roga, lightning flashing along his short blade.
The concentrated Lightning Release chakra made the blade incredibly sharp, and it sliced precisely into the ice dragon's neck, shattering it.
Facing Mizore's overwhelming charge, Obito's Three-Tomoe Sharingan clearly saw through his movements.
He nimbly slid to the side to evade the heavy punch while simultaneously thrusting his kunai toward the joint connecting the opponent's chakra armor.
Although he failed to penetrate it completely, he still forced Mizore's movements to pause.
Rin remained in front of Koyuki and Sandayu.
She held her breath and concentrated.
Her precise chakra control as a medical ninja allowed her to easily distinguish between physical attacks and genjutsu interference.
"Release!"
With a soft shout, the genjutsu dissipated.
She used her kunai to precisely deflect the physical ice crystals flying toward them.
The battle erupted throughout the ice valley.
Kakashi's calm commands and precise tactics, Obito's increasingly mature taijutsu and perception aided by his Sharingan, and Rin's steady defense and support allowed the three to work together seamlessly.
They actually managed to suppress the Snow Ninja's Three-Man Team, despite their considerable strength and chakra armor.
"Damn it! These brats from Konoha..."
The longer Roga fought, the more alarmed he became.
Their ability to adapt and their tactical skill were far beyond what he had expected.
"Ice Release: One-Horned White Whale!"
He attempted to unleash an even more powerful technique.
"I'm not giving you the chance!"
Kakashi's eyes sharpened as his speed suddenly exploded.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
His figure appeared beside Roga like a ghost.
The short blade wrapped in lightning stabbed directly toward the energy core of Roga's chakra armor.
"Thud!"
Roga barely managed to avoid a fatal blow, but his shoulder armor was still pierced.
Lightning surged into his body, leaving him momentarily paralyzed.
On the other side, Obito and Rin worked together.
Using a small opening created by Rin, Obito unleashed Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique with perfect timing.
Although Mizore blocked it with an ice wall, the explosion and intense heat still forced him to stagger backward in embarrassment.
Fubuki's genjutsu and sneak attacks were almost completely ineffective against Rin.
Obito seized the opportunity to close the distance and placed his kunai against Fubuki's neck.
The battle was decided.
"Retreat!"
Roga clutched his shoulder and unwillingly glanced at Koyuki, who was being protected tightly.
He gritted his teeth and issued the order.
Mizore and Fubuki could only reluctantly retreat as well.
Kakashi did not pursue them.
His objective was to escort the target, not annihilate the enemy.
"Let's go!"
He immediately gave the order and led everyone out of the ice valley, heading rapidly south.
Once they had put considerable distance between themselves and the ice valley, the snowfall seemed to weaken as well, and everyone finally breathed a little easier.
Sandayu's face showed the relief of someone who had narrowly escaped death, while the tension between Koyuki's brows also eased slightly.
Obito was even feeling somewhat smug.
"Haha! So that's all their pursuit amounts to? In front of Uchiha Obito..."
Before he could finish, Kakashi suddenly stopped.
The visible eye above his mask contracted sharply.
An unprecedented solemnity appeared on his face.
"What is it, Kakashi?"
Rin noticed something was wrong and asked nervously.
Kakashi did not answer.
He slowly turned around and held his short blade horizontally before his chest, his gaze fixed on a snow-covered slope a short distance ahead.
At some point, a figure had appeared there.
A young man wearing a black cloak, with striking short red hair.
His features were handsome, yet there was something faintly sinister about them.
More striking, however, was the complete absence of youthful vitality in his eyes.
There was only a deathly, icy emptiness.
Most conspicuous of all was the enormous scroll wrapped in bandages on his back, emanating an ominous aura.
"Is... Is there another enemy?"
Koyuki's voice trembled with fear.
The hope that had just risen in her heart was once again swallowed by terror.
The red-haired youth's gaze swept over Sandayu and Koyuki before finally settling on the Konoha forehead protectors worn by Kakashi, Obito, and Rin.
In that instant, the deathly stillness in his eyes was like an ancient well disturbed by a stone.
A violent wave of emotion suddenly surged through them.
It was hatred carved into his very bones.
It was killing intent suppressed for countless years.
"Konoha... shinobi..."
His voice was hoarse and low, as though he had not spoken in a very long time.
There was a metallic rasp to it.
"What a disgusting symbol."
Every muscle in Kakashi's body tensed.
He could feel that this seemingly young enemy exerted pressure far beyond that of the Snow Ninja's Three-Man Team.
"Who are you?"
Kakashi asked in a low voice, trying to obtain information.
The red-haired youth did not answer.
He merely raised his hand slowly.
Three strangely shaped humanoid puppets painted with colorful patterns appeared before him amid clouds of white smoke.
Their joints made clicking sounds as their hollow eye sockets turned toward Kakashi and the others.
"Konoha shinobi. You really are asking to die."
He murmured the words as though stating an established fact.
"A puppet master?!"
Kakashi's heart sank.
"Be careful! Rin, Obito, protect the targets and fall back!"
Before he could finish speaking, the three puppets launched their attack.
They moved as swiftly as the wind.
Blades coated with poison shot from their arms, while poisoned senbon were fired from their mouths, attacking from three different and treacherous angles.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito was the first to act, spitting out a fireball in an attempt to block them.
However, the puppets were extraordinarily agile.
They easily avoided the fireball, and one of them thrust a blade directly toward Obito's face.
"Clang!"
Kakashi's short blade arrived in time to block it, sending sparks flying.
Rin wielded her kunai and struggled to fend off another puppet's attacks.
Her taijutsu was somewhat inadequate against these specialized killing machines.
Kakashi's eyes sharpened.
He infused his short blade with Lightning Release chakra once again and precisely slashed toward the fine chakra threads connecting the puppet.
However, the red-haired youth curled his lips into a mocking smile.
With a slight movement of his fingers, the chakra threads dodged with a flexibility that seemed almost alive.
At the same time, the puppet's attacks became even more violent and unpredictable.
"Too slow... Too weak..."
His voice carried a trace of impatience.
"Is this really all Konoha's shinobi are capable of? What a disappointment!"
The memory of his parents dying in Konoha's prison echoed through his mind like a nightmare.
His hatred for Konoha had already penetrated to the depths of his bones.
The man before them was none other than Sasori.
Seeing that his ordinary puppets were unable to defeat them, and that Kakashi and Obito, who was gradually adapting to their rhythm, had even managed to destroy one, the coldness in Sasori's eyes was completely replaced by violence.
"I don't have time to play house with you anymore..."
He suddenly pulled down the enormous scroll from his back and unfurled it.
"Since you want to die so badly... I'll let you see what true 'art' is!"
The seal was released.
A massive surge of chakra erupted.
The symbols on the scroll lit up with dazzling light.
A puppet far larger than the others slowly rose into the air.
It wore the clothing of the Third Kazekage and had a cold, stern expression.
An oppressive aura that made the heart tremble surrounded it.
"What... is that..."
Kakashi's pupils contracted violently.
For the first time, genuine disbelief and shock appeared on his face.
Those clothes...
"The Third Kazekage?! How is that possible?!"
The Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest Kazekage in history, had actually been turned into a puppet.
"Feel despair... insects of Konoha."
Sasori's fingers began moving like a conductor directing a symphony of death.
The Third Kazekage puppet raised both hands, and an enormous amount of chakra gathered.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
In an instant, countless black iron sand particles poured down like a torrential rain.
The coverage was enormous, and the speed was terrifying.
There was almost nowhere to escape.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Kakashi desperately circulated his chakra and raised an earthen wall.
"Useless!"
Kakashi's brows furrowed tightly as he desperately searched for a way to break through the situation.
He could feel the terrifying penetrating power contained within the iron sand.
"Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!"
The earthen wall was pierced and shattered with ease by the iron sand, as though it were made of paper.
"Watch out!"
Kakashi suddenly pushed Rin and Obito away.
He himself swung his short blade desperately to block the incoming barrage.
"Shk!"
Although his reaction was extremely fast, several iron sand projectiles still pierced through his arm and thigh.
Blood instantly soaked through his clothes.
The intense pain forced a muffled groan from him as he dropped to one knee.
"Kakashi!"
Rin cried out and tried to rush over to treat him.
"Don't come over!"
Kakashi shouted harshly.
More iron sand projectiles shot toward them like relentless parasites.
Obito's eyes widened with rage.
The tomoe in his Sharingan spun frantically, almost merging into a single blur.
The chakra within his body surged violently under the pressure of his anger and anxiety.
His Mangekyo Sharingan was almost about to activate beyond his control.
"Obito! Stay calm! You can't use that!"
Kakashi endured the pain and shouted a reminder.
"Your eyes won't be able to withstand it!"
Obito gasped heavily and forcibly suppressed the urge to activate his Mangekyo.
He could only use ordinary Fire Release and taijutsu to desperately defend against the iron sand coming from every direction.
It was utterly futile.
Rin's medical ninjutsu could not be used under such a dense barrage.
She could only dodge desperately while protecting the trembling Koyuki and Sandayu.
The situation suddenly took a drastic turn.
Under Sasori's control, the Third Kazekage puppet was like an incarnation of death.
The iron sand constantly changed its form.
At times, it became a storm of senbon.
At times, it transformed into enormous spikes.
At times, it became a cage that bound its targets.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin struggled desperately to survive as their chakra rapidly drained away.
The snowfall seemed to grow heavier.
The cold despair, like the endless snow surrounding them, tightly enveloped the three of them.
Sasori stood in the distance and watched coldly, as though admiring his own masterpiece.
"It's over."
He controlled the Third Kazekage puppet and gathered its final and most powerful attack.
An enormous cube of iron sand descended toward Kakashi and Obito, who had nowhere left to evade.
"Kakashi! Obito!"
Rin cried out in despair.
Obito stared at the shadow of death blocking his vision.
He looked at the heavily wounded Kakashi.
He looked at the helpless Rin and the mission targets.
His lowered head suddenly lifted.
At this critical moment, an explosion of power erupted.
"Boom!"
"Argh!"
Obito could no longer afford to hold anything back.
His overwhelming desire to protect his comrades and his fury at his own helplessness erupted in his chest like a volcano.
The three tomoe in his crimson Sharingan suddenly twisted and transformed.
They finally connected into the pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Get... away from them!"
Obito's gaze locked onto Sasori in the distance.
The Mangekyo pattern spun violently.
At the focal point of his vision, space suddenly began to distort.
Sasori was preparing to deliver the final blow when the indifferent smile on his face suddenly froze.
He suddenly felt an irresistible and incomprehensible force of distortion coming from the space around his right shoulder.
It was as though an invisible hand had grabbed his shoulder.
"What?!"
Sasori's pupils contracted violently.
He tried to break free, but the distortion of space was so overbearing that it completely exceeded his understanding of ninjutsu.
"Crack!"
A sharp sound of breaking bone rang clearly in everyone's ears.
"Urgh!"
Sasori let out a pained groan, his face instantly turning deathly pale.
His right shoulder twisted and collapsed at an unnatural angle.
His shoulder blade, along with the surrounding muscles and pathways, had clearly been forcibly twisted apart by the strange spatial force.
His control over the Third Kazekage puppet suddenly faltered.
The enormous iron sand cube paused in midair, and the chakra within it became momentarily unstable.
Although Obito had not managed to completely disable Sasori, the sudden injury interrupted his fatal attack and bought Kakashi and Obito precious time to breathe.
However, forcibly using the power of the Mangekyo came at a tremendous price.
Obito felt an excruciating pain shooting through his eye.
His vision was instantly blurred by blood.
He staggered and dropped to one knee, gasping heavily.
"Obito!"
Rin cried out and rushed over.
Green medical chakra appeared in her hands as she tried to treat him.
Sasori clutched his shattered shoulder.
The pain caused a fine layer of cold sweat to appear on his forehead, but the killing intent in his eyes surged like a tangible force.
He stared coldly at the kneeling Obito.
"Konoha. The Sharingan."
His voice trembled from the pain, but it became even colder and more venomous.
"Very good... There have certainly been plenty of 'surprises' today!"
He knew that he had lost.
Facing that strange ocular technique, he had suffered a serious injury.
Continuing to fight would bring him no benefit.
"I'll remember this debt..."
Sasori cast a venomous glance over the Konoha shinobi, especially Obito, before abruptly yanking the scroll.
"Bang!"
A cloud of white smoke erupted.
The Third Kazekage puppet and Sasori himself vanished instantly, leaving only the wreckage scattered across the snow.