Facing his opponent from ten years ago, Rōge Nadare wore a scornful expression, but his wary gaze lingered on Kiyosuke in the distance. Then, without hesitation—
"Ice Release: White Whale!"
"Ice Release: White Whale!"
As the Copy Ninja, Kakashi easily mimicked Rōge Nadare's technique.
The Ice Release of the Snow ninja was different from that of the Yuki clan. The Yuki's Ice Release was a kekkei genkai, while the Snow ninja's Ice Release came from the unique terrain of the Land of Snow. In essence, their jutsu were still Water Release.
So, with his water-natured chakra, Kakashi could copy their Ice Release and perform the same technique.
Two massive white whales surged up from the ground, colliding in midair with an ear-splitting roar.
Kakashi's white whale overpowered Rōge Nadare's, slamming down hard. The earth trembled, the glacier shattered, and it broke apart into countless drifting ice floes.
Kiyosuke leapt onto a chunk of ice, spotted Kakashi, and said,
"They've already run off, huh!"
"Yeah. That guy, Rōge Nadare, is ridiculously fast at running away." Kakashi pulled down his forehead protector to cover his Sharingan and said, "Looks like this mission won't be as easy as we thought."
Kiyosuke chuckled.
"They specifically named me for this job. There's definitely something fishy here. Seems we've gotten ourselves tangled in the Land of Snow's domestic affairs."
He had figured from the start that things wouldn't be that simple—though, in a way, they could still turn out very simple.
"All right, let's head back and get a clearer picture of the situation. If Yukie Fujikaze really is Princess Koyuki Kazahana..." Kakashi still remembered that night ten years ago, when he'd fled the Land of Snow with the princess in tow, in an utterly disheveled state. He wondered how she'd survived these past ten years.
"Let's go."
...
Returning to the ship with Kakashi, they found the sudden attack had left the film crew shaken. The director puffed on his cigarette in silence, while Kakashi went straight to Yukie Fujikaze's room.
The attack had triggered a flood of lost memories in Yukie Fujikaze, causing her to faint.
Kakashi's eyes fell on the hexagonal crystal pendant lying on the table. That confirmed her identity—ten years ago, Princess Koyuki Kazahana had worn the exact same pendant. And now, here it was again. There was no doubt that the famous actress Yukie Fujikaze was, in fact, the princess of the Land of Snow.
"So it's been ten years since then..." With a sigh, he picked up the hexagonal crystal pendant and left the room, only to return shortly after and put it back.
At that moment, Yukie's manager, Asama Sandayū, opened the door and said,
"We've already arrived at the port."
Setting down the fake pendant, Kakashi left the room with Asama Sandayū.
"Sandayū, you understand, don't you? You can imagine what will happen if she returns to the Land of Snow."
"To bring the princess back to her country, I had no choice but to do this. I'm sorry for deceiving you."
"Hahahaha, Sandayū-san, that lady just plays Princess Gale in the movies, she's not the real princess!" Naruto burst out laughing, still thinking Sandayū couldn't tell the difference between a film role and reality.
But Kakashi said,
"She is the real princess."
"Eh?!!"
Everyone was taken aback—the actress was actually a princess?!!
Kiyosuke spoke up,
"So Yukie Fujikaze is just her stage name. Her real name is Koyuki Kazahana, the princess of the Land of Snow. Looks like we've landed ourselves quite a mission."
He sat back in his chair, propping his feet carelessly on the table.
"They specifically called me in for this. Looks like they're hoping to use my strength to take down Kazahana Doto and his men. Quite the clever plan."
Sandayū admitted openly,
"The name 'Arsonist' Asakawa Kiyosuke is known far and wide. The man who slew the Third Mizukage and reshaped Kirigakure into one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Back then, you were about the same age as these kids. Not to mention later defeating the Fourth Raikage and his brother in battle. Kiyosuke-sama, I believe that with your strength, we can kill Kazahana Doto!"
As Sandayū listed Kiyosuke's achievements, the younger ones listened, stunned. They knew he was strong, but hadn't known the details of his record. Hearing it now... was he really that incredible?
"You've gotta be kidding! He was already that good when he was our age? Is Kakashi-sensei even the real deal then?" Naruto said in disbelief. To him, his lazy, mischief-loving uncle who spent most of his time slacking off didn't seem like the type to have been a powerhouse in his youth.
Kakashi scratched his head.
"Yeah, I was in that battle too. He really did defeat the Third Mizukage on his own, left the Fourth Mizukage at a loss, and had... let's say, a complicated relationship with the current Fifth Mizukage."
Right—Karatachi Yagura was already dead. Now Mei Terumī served as Mizukage, ruling over Kirigakure. The village had started opening up and interacting with the outside world—though not too frequently.
"Hey, what do you mean, 'complicated'? Mei and I are just friends!" Kiyosuke shot back.
Kakashi glanced at him.
"Really? If I recall correctly, when the Third Mizukage went berserk, you rushed over specifically to save her."
"She saved me first! Damn it, Kakashi, didn't you have something going on with that girl from Takumi Village? You were all over her back then!"
"Oh, come on—that was ages ago! And I was perfectly innocent!"
The conversation veered wildly off track. The six younger ones had been focused on Kiyosuke's feats and Princess Koyuki, but now their attention shifted entirely to the two men's love lives.
Sandayū quickly brought the topic back.
"It's precisely because we've heard of Kiyosuke-sama's strength that we believe—if we can borrow your power—we can defeat Kazahana Doto and restore the princess to the throne."
"Sandayū-san, are you from the Land of Snow?" Sakura asked the obvious question.
"Yes. I once served the previous ruler, Princess Koyuki's father, Kazahana Sōsetsu-sama. The princess was very young back then, so it's natural she doesn't remember me. The Land of Snow was a very peaceful nation, with calm, uneventful days. But Sōsetsu-sama's younger brother, Doto, coveted the throne. He joined forces with the Snow ninja and staged a coup.
"That night, the entire castle was engulfed in flames. We all thought Princess Koyuki had perished. But while searching abroad for the strength to reclaim our homeland, I found her—right there on a movie set. I was overjoyed... so relieved... so grateful you were still alive..."
His voice broke. This man, well into his fifties, could barely hold back his tears.
Rising to his knees before Kiyosuke, he said,
"Kiyosuke-sama, no matter what your terms are, we'll accept them—so long as you help us restore our country!!!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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