"Do you believe me now?"
Kitazawa asked, a faint smile playing at his lips.
Yukie snapped back to her senses and swallowed hard.
"We have always believed in Lord Kitazawa!" Sanzaemon declared without the slightest hesitation.
Yukie nodded as well, excitement and anticipation surging in her chest.
Though fear of Doto lingered deep within her heart, she had never forgotten the night her father was murdered.
"Then sign it."
Kitazawa pointed at the scroll. "Once it's done, we head straight for the Land of Snow."
"I'll sign it now."
Without hesitation, Yukie flipped to the final page and wrote her name. 'Koyuki Kazahana'
"Did you read the other terms?" Kitazawa reminded her calmly.
Beyond trade agreements, the contract also included railway construction, airship technology, and her role as a public spokesperson.
"I read everything," Koyuki replied firmly. "As long as I can avenge my father, I accept."
Without reclaiming the Land of Snow, those technologies would never belong to her anyway.
And if she could take it back, offering them to Konoha as payment was more than fair.
"I'll notify the director and suspend filming for half a month!"
Sanzaemon turned and left immediately.
Compared to Koyuki, his devotion to the Land of Snow was unwavering.
Even in the original timeline, he had secretly gathered forces to help her—though only forty-nine elderly and injured loyalists had answered the call, all of them wiped out in a single clash.
Even so, that attempt alone spoke volumes of his loyalty.
"I'll change clothes," Koyuki said. "This is just a costume—it's not suitable for travel."
Kitazawa nodded in response.
"Only Kitazawa-sensei could pull something like that off!"
Once she left, Ino burst into laughter. "Did you see their faces just now? Priceless!"
Kitazawa raised a hand and flicked her forehead.
"Ow!"
Ino rubbed the spot and stuck out her tongue.
Moments later, Sanzaemon and Koyuki returned, now dressed for travel.
"Let's move."
Kitazawa gave a short nod.
The Land of Snow lay west of the Land of Earth.
By nightfall, they crossed the border.
The climate shifted instantly—thick snow poured from the sky like feathers.
"No wonder it's called the Land of Snow," Ino muttered, gazing at the endless snowfall.
Konoha did see snow, but never like this—never so heavy, and never year-round.
It was precisely because of this harsh climate that Sosetsu Kazahana had once created a so-called secret treasure.
And it was that treasure that awakened Doto Kazahana's greed.
The reason Doto relentlessly hunted Koyuki was simple—she possessed the key to unlocking it.
In the original timeline, it was known as the Environment Modifier, a device capable of transforming the Land of Snow into a warm, spring-like paradise.
But it was never completed.
To Konoha, such a device held little value, so Kitazawa gave it no further thought.
"Lord Kitazawa," Sanzaemon suddenly asked, "there are still loyal warriors in the Land of Snow. Should we summon them?"
Summon them… to die?
Kitazawa's lips twitched slightly before he shook his head.
Seeing this, Sanzaemon wisely asked no more.
"We'll rest for the night," Kitazawa said casually, "and head straight for the Snow Country Royal Palace tomorrow."
Sanzaemon and Koyuki felt a rush of excitement.
It had been far too long since either of them had set foot in the royal palace.
With Kitazawa at their side, vengeance was finally within reach.
Wood Release: Consecutive Connecting Houses!
Hand seals flashed. Chakra surged.
Two wooden houses erupted from the frozen ground.
"There's… a jutsu like this?"
Sanzaemon and Koyuki stared in shock.
"This is Kitazawa-sensei's unique Wood Release!" Ino declared proudly.
"You two take the house on the right," Kitazawa said as he entered the left one.
Morning came swiftly.
The group set out once more—but halfway there, a shrill whistle tore through the sky.
Kitazawa looked up.
An airship hovered above them.
"That's Doto's airship!" Sanzaemon exclaimed.
Koyuki's face paled instantly.
The memory of her father's death surged back, and she instinctively hid behind Kitazawa.
"This saves us some time," Kitazawa said calmly.
Ino, Haku, and Kiba immediately took battle stances.
The airship descended and landed with a heavy thud.
The hatch opened.
Four figures clad in Chakra Armor stepped out.
At their head stood Doto Kazahana.
Behind him were Roga Nadare, Fubuki Kakuyoku, and Mizore Fuyukuma—
The infamous Snow-nin Trio.
"Koyuki, won't you greet your uncle?"
Ignoring Kitazawa entirely, Doto spoke coldly.
"You're not my uncle!" Koyuki forced herself to stand firm.
"You murdered your own brother and seized the throne—someone like you isn't worthy of that title!"
"I thought returning to the Land of Snow might knock some sense into you," Doto shook his head in disappointment.
"But it seems you're still hopelessly naïve."
The Land of Snow was already under his control.
From the moment Kitazawa's group finished breakfast and began heading toward the capital, news had reached him.
"Koyuki," Doto continued calmly, "hand over the treasure key, and I'll spare your life."
He paused, then added flatly,
"This is your final chance."
"This key is the last thing my father left me," Koyuki said without hesitation.
"I will never give it to you."
"In that case—"
Doto waved his hand dismissively.
"Kill them."
Ice Release: One-Horned White Whale!
Roga Nadare stepped forward, weaving seals at lightning speed.
Snow and ice surged together under his chakra, forming a massive white whale that thundered forward.
"Ice Release?" Ino cried out in shock.
"How can he use Ice Release?" Kiba blurted.
"Is he from Haku's clan?"
"This isn't Ice Release," Haku said calmly, already forming seals.
A translucent ice wall rose instantly in front of them.
"A Bloodline Limit…?"
Doto's eyes narrowed.
As a Jonin, he could tell at a glance—Haku wasn't manipulating existing snow.
He was creating ice directly from chakra.
Still, the boy was young. Doto felt only mild surprise.
Crack!
The white whale slammed into the ice wall, shattering it.
Ice Release: Shattering Ice Crystals!
Haku followed up immediately.
The shattered ice fragments shot forward like countless kunai, tearing through the air.
At that moment, the only woman among the Snow-nin Trio—Fubuki—leapt skyward.
Her chakra armor flared, granting her flight.
Ice Release: Swallow Snowstorm!
Chunks of hardened snow fired outward like razor-sharp shuriken.
Ice clashed with ice midair, exploding into a storm of frost.
"This ice girl is mine!"
With a burst from her back-mounted armor, Fubuki dove straight toward Haku.
"I'm male," Haku corrected politely.
"Male?"
She blinked, then grinned wickedly.
"Even better."
Ice Release: Ice-Breaking Tiger!
Nadare roared as wind and snow twisted together, forming a massive ice tiger that lunged forward.
"Leave it to me!"
Kiba summoned Cerberus and charged.
Boom!
The ground cracked beneath them, eight deep paw prints stamping into the earth.
Cerberus slammed into the ice tiger, pinning it down and opening its jaws.
Earth Release: Earth Fang Bullet!
Three massive earthen projectiles smashed into the tiger, blasting gaping holes through its body.
With a powerful flip, Kiba sent the tiger crashing onto its back.
War Stomp!
Cerberus brought its foot down mercilessly.
The ice tiger shattered into countless fragments.
"How… how is this possible?!"
Nadare stared in disbelief.
Kiba was far too young.
This kind of strength shouldn't exist.
At the same time—
Mizore flicked his wrists.
Ice shuriken formed instantly, filling the sky like a blizzard.
His target was clear.
Ino Yamanaka.
Ninja Art: Moonlight Beauty!
Petals burst into the air.
Mizore blinked.
She was gone.
The ice shuriken struck empty space. His eyes darted around instinctively.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
He raised his arms defensively.
His chakra armor coated them, hardening like steel.
Looking up, he spotted Ino hovering above him.
But she didn't attack.
She clasped her hands together calmly.
Ninja Art: Mind Butterfly!
Mizore's body convulsed.
Agony ripped through his consciousness.
Chakra armor meant nothing against Yin Release secret techniques.
Ino smiled brightly.
She hurled several shuriken straight toward his face.
The armor protected his body—but his head was exposed.
Just as death closed in—
Doto Kazahana moved.
His expression darkened.
He had been told a single Konoha Ninja was escorting Koyuki, accompanied by three children.
That report had made him careless.
What threat could three children pose?
Even if the escort was a Jonin, four chakra-armored fighters should have crushed him easily.
That was why they'd rushed here by airship.
Now he saw the truth.
These children already rivaled Special Jonin.
As Doto stepped forward, an ice wall suddenly rose before him.
Assuming it was Haku's, he threw a full-powered punch—
And stopped.
The wall didn't even shake.
"What…?"
Doto froze.
That split second of hesitation was fatal.
Ino's shuriken pierced straight through Mizore's skull.
Though stronger than her in raw power, he had never anticipated a Yin Release technique like Mind Butterfly—and he died instantly.
Once again, the battle proved a cruel truth of the shinobi world:
Ninja combat was a war of intelligence as much as strength.
"Amazing…"Koyuki gasped, covering her mouth.
She had judged them by their age—and been completely wrong.
Ino and Kiba hadn't been boasting at all.
The fearsome Snow-nin Trio had already lost one member at the very start.
And through it all, Kitazawa hadn't even lifted a finger.
He had done nothing more than block Doto, leaving the fight entirely to his students.
"Mizore!"
Nadare and Fubuki roared in rage.
They had fought side by side for years—closer than family. Seeing Fubuki fall drove them into a frenzy.
"Haku, I'll help you!" Ino called out as she moved.
Kiba, as Cerberus blocked Wolf Fang Avalanche's assault head-on.
But Haku was different.
His fundamentals were weaker, and Ice Release required hand seals—against Fubuki's relentless, flying assault, he was clearly at a disadvantage.
Doto shifted his gaze to Kitazawa.
By now, he was certain—the ice wall that had stopped him earlier hadn't been Haku's.
It was Kitazawa's.
"Three against three is fair," Kitazawa said calmly.
"Let them finish it."
"Insolent!"
Enraged, Doto vanished in a Body Flicker and punched toward Kitazawa.
Boom!
Doto was sent flying even faster than he had attacked.
He crashed into the snow, tumbling violently.
Struggling to rise, his eyes swam.
He hadn't even seen Kitazawa move.
"…?"
Sanzaemon and Koyuki exchanged stunned looks.
In their eyes, the once-invincible Doto had been blown away by a single casual strike—without even a chance to resist.
Doto staggered to his feet, his face dark and twisted.
Without hesitation, he formed seals.
The chakra armor on his body flared violently.
Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard Kill!
Terrifying Wind Release chakra surged outward.
Snow and ice were ripped from the ground and dragged skyward.
A deafening dragon's roar echoed across the battlefield.
Wind and ice fused, forming a colossal black dragon tornado—over ten meters tall and utterly terrifying.
"So it is Wind Release," Kitazawa murmured.
His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun calmly.
He had seen this technique before.
In the original timeline, Kakashi Hatake had copied it once.
Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard Kill!
Kitazawa formed seals without pause.
Countless winds surged upward, gathering snow and ice, expanding at an impossible rate.
"Impossible!"
Doto shouted in disbelief.
To Sanzaemon and Koyuki, it felt like they were trapped inside a genjutsu.
A black dragon tornado—more than twenty meters long—roared into existence.
It swallowed Doto's dragon instantly.
Layer upon layer of compressed wind wrapped around it, carrying endless snow and ice straight toward Doto.
He never imagined he would be killed by his own technique.
At death's edge, Doto desperately forced more chakra into his armor.
Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard Kill!
Two additional black dragons burst forth.
Violent gales tore through the battlefield.
One massive dragon clashed against two smaller ones, deadlocked in midair.
Maintaining them, Doto's face flushed deep red.
Meanwhile, Kitazawa stood unmoved—calm, expressionless.
"So… effortless…"
Koyuki suddenly felt hollow.
All those years of fear, of running—completely unnecessary.
"Lord Kitazawa is truly beyond compare," Sanzaemon murmured in awe.
"Break through!" Fubuki shouted.
She smashed through Haku's ice wall with brute force and rocketed toward him using her armor's flight system.
Ino stepped into her path.
Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!
Their eyes met.
Fubuki's vision blurred as massive roots wrapped around her body.
She reacted instantly.
"Genjutsu: Release!"
As a Special Jonin, she shattered the illusion in less than a second.
But when her vision cleared—
Ice mirrors surrounded her.
Each reflected a figure of Haku.
Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
Fubuki scanned the mirrors, unable to identify the real one.
She leapt upward, trying to escape.
From the mirror to her left, senbon flew.
She dodged, accelerated, and smashed into the mirror—Only for Haku's image to vanish, the mirror remaining intact.
Another Haku appeared behind her.
More senbon flew.
"Damn it!"
Realizing she was being worn down, Fubuki formed seals.
Ice Release: Swallow Blowing-Snow!
Dense ice spikes erupted, stabbing into a mirror ahead.
Crack!
The mirror shattered.
Fubuki's eyes lit up as she rushed toward the opening—
Only to be struck by an invisible shockwave.
It was Ino's Mind Butterfly.
She had been waiting for this exact moment.
Haku seized the opening.
Senbon flew from both hands, piercing Fubuki's body.
Her eyes cleared for a brief instant—
Then she collapsed, lifeless.
"Looks like we make a pretty good team," Ino said, clapping with a grin.
Haku stepped out from the mirrors and nodded quietly.
They turned toward the final Snow ninja—Wolf Fang Avalanche.
At the same time, the raging winds died down.
The black dragons vanished in a violent collision.
Panting, Doto realized the truth.
Two subordinates were dead.
The third was moments from defeat.
And the man before him—Kitazawa—was a monster.
Copying even one Black Dragon Blizzard Kill had pushed him to his limit.
Continuing meant certain death.
Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard Kill!
Summoning his remaining strength, Doto unleashed the technique once more—
Then turned and fled without hesitation.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
Left hand: Yang Release: Rasengan.
Right hand: Yin Release: Rasengan.
He merged them and hurled the fusion forward.
Midair, Yin and Yang united into a massive, two-meter sphere.
Taiji Rasengan.
It sliced through the twin dragon tornadoes effortlessly and pursued Doto.
"No!"
Doto felt death looming.
He slammed both palms against his chakra armor.
Chakra surged violently—
But it was meaningless.
The Taiji Rasengan engulfed him, shattered the armor, and detonated against the snowfield.
Snow erupted skyward.
A massive crater scarred the land.
"…Dead?"
Koyuki whispered, staring blankly.
"No one could survive that," Sanzaemon said, cold sweat running down his back.
They had once watched Doto murder his brother and seize the throne.
That despair felt like a lifetime ago.
"All of you… will die with me!"
Nadare roared in desperation.
Cornered by Ino, Haku, and Kiba—and witnessing Doto's death—he abandoned all hope.
Ice Release: Wolf Fang Avalanche Technique!
He slammed his palm into the ground, pouring every last shred of chakra into it.
"Too late!"
Haku instantly controlled ice shards to strike—But the technique had already activated.
The earth shook violently.
Nearby snow mountains collapsed.
Sanzaemon and Koyuki turned pale.
A tidal wave of snow thundered toward them.
At that moment—
A Wood Dragon surged upward.
"Everyone, get on!"
Kitazawa grabbed Sanzaemon and Koyuki and leapt.
Ino, Haku, and Kiba scrambled aboard.
The avalanche crashed down—
But the Wood Dragon glided through it like a fish through water.
All of them stared in stunned silence.
This was power beyond imagination.
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