Night fell.
Kitazawa's group arrived in the Land of Grass.
A chain of small countries lay between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, and Kitazawa chose the Land of Grass without hesitation.
That was because the current head of Kusagakure was Mui.
Mui had been propped up by Kitazawa, with additional guidance from Itachi's genjutsu suggestions.
Saying that present-day Kusagakure answered to Konoha would not be an exaggeration.
Even so, Kitazawa didn't spend the night in Kusagakure. Instead, he once again used Wood Release: Four Pillar House to construct a wooden residence in the wilderness.
Ino and the others had accompanied Kitazawa on many missions and were long accustomed to Wood Release: Four Pillar House.
Once the wooden residence rose from the ground, they entered the living room and began choosing rooms.
The first room on the second floor was tacitly reserved for Kitazawa, so none of them chose it.
Kitazawa glanced at them and walked into the kitchen.
Konan appeared right after. Without saying a word, she quietly began helping—washing and rinsing vegetables, among other things.
After dinner, with some time left before sleep, Ino, Kiba, and Haku voluntarily went outside to train.
Kitazawa stood at the doorway and watched for a while.
Ino was practicing the Mind Body Transmission Technique. She hadn't made much progress in the short time she'd been learning it.
Haku was training Water Release: Water Bullet Technique. Like Ino, he was still far from proficient.
Kiba's Earth Release: Earth Fang Bullet, however, had already reached a basic level of mastery. With a little more practice, he could move on to a new ninjutsu.
Kitazawa suddenly let out a soft sound of realization. If he remembered correctly, Kiba's ninken—Akamaru—would be born this year.
"Kiba," Kitazawa spoke up. "Any luck finding your ninken?"
"Not yet, sensei." Kiba paused briefly and replied while continuing his training.
"You might get one this year. Spend some time scouting when you can." Kitazawa said casually.
"Mm." Kiba nodded.
He, too, wanted a ninken as soon as possible. That way, when using Three-Headed Hellhound, he wouldn't have to act as the dog himself.
The Shadow Clone Technique simply had too many flaws. Kiba once again complained inwardly about the Shadow Clone Technique.
Kitazawa withdrew his gaze and leapt onto the roof.
Konan was fulfilling her ANBU duty, standing guard on the roof and surveying the surroundings.
"Come sit." Kitazawa pulled out a two-seater sofa from his summoning storage scroll.
When traveling, he always came fully prepared, never short-changing himself.
He had money now. Summoning storage scrolls, furniture, and daily necessities could all be bought at will.
Konan walked over and sat down beside him. She suddenly remembered something, raised her hand, and removed her ANBU mask.
Kitazawa placed a hand on her shoulder.
Konan instinctively looked at him.
"You've worked all day. You must be tired—rest for a bit." Kitazawa blinked, his expression serious.
Konan was momentarily startled, then understood. She was perceptive enough to know what Kitazawa felt for her.
After hesitating for two seconds, Konan leaned back and settled into his arms. She closed her eyes and drifted into a light doze.
Kitazawa tilted his head slightly, his cheek brushing against her hair. He raised his right hand and gently ran it from her hair down to her cheek.
Konan's eyelashes trembled, but she didn't stop him.
Kitazawa couldn't help but smile. Who wouldn't adore such an obedient, beautiful older woman?
But he didn't go any further, simply holding her like that.
Kitazawa closed his eyes and began pondering which Wood Release technique to learn next. He had already mastered quite a few mid- and low-level Wood Release techniques.
Now that he possessed the Source of the Dragon Vein, he felt ready to learn an advanced one.
At present, he only has two advanced Wood Release techniques: Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence and Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique.
Sage Art Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands was out of the question.
Without Sage Mode, he couldn't learn it, and he had already triggered the related system mission.
Since a system mission existed, there was no need to learn it manually—he could save a year or more.
After weighing his options, he settled on Wood Release: Hōbi Technique.
It was a defensive Wood Release ninjutsu. In the original story, Hashirama's Wood Release: Hōbi Technique had blocked the slash of Madara Uchiha's Nine-Tails-clad Susanoo.
Undoubtedly, it was the absolute defense of Wood Release.
Both Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence and Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique were offense-oriented.
At present, hardly any ninja could withstand those two techniques. However, Kitazawa's own defense still lagged somewhat behind.
He had Summoning Technique: Triple Rashōmon, but it clearly couldn't compare to Wood Release: Hōbi Technique.
The night grew deeper.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Kiba's voice rang out.
Konan's eyes snapped open. She slipped out of Kitazawa's embrace and quickly put her ANBU mask back on.
She felt a brief sense of relief—then immediately realized the problem. Her hurried actions only made her look guilty.
Konan glanced back and met Kitazawa's teasing half-smile. She hurriedly averted her gaze, not daring to look at him again.
"It's late. Go to your room and rest." Kitazawa laughed softly. "As for keeping watch, don't worry."
Wood Release: Four Pillar House was his own technique. If anyone intruded, he would sense it immediately.
In theory, there was no need for a night watch at all.
Moreover, Wood Release: Four Pillar House was sturdy and highly defensive, capable of withstanding an initial assault.
"Mm." Konan nodded and quickly headed up to the second floor.
Her room was right next to Kitazawa's. Usually, only Hinata would choose that room; when that happened, Konan would switch.
Kitazawa jumped down and landed on the ground.
Kiba and the others had already stopped training. That was his rule—tonight's practice ended at ten o'clock sharp.
"Get some rest early. We still need to travel tomorrow." Kitazawa instructed.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei." The three of them each returned to their rooms.
Kitazawa closed the door and went back to his own room as well.
The night passed without incident.
---
A new day began.
After breakfast, the group set off once more.
About two hours later, they officially entered the Land of Earth.
"Kazahana Koyuki is filming in the mountains near the Land of Earth's capital. We can head straight there."
Kitazawa reminded them as they traveled.
Ino and the others nodded without slowing their pace.
By afternoon, Kitazawa's group smoothly reached their destination.
Deep within the Land of Earth, it was inevitable that they would encounter Iwagakure ninja along the way.
However, Kitazawa wanted no unnecessary complications and deliberately avoided them.
Given his current strength, unless Ōnoki personally appeared, ordinary Iwagakure ninja had no chance of detecting them in advance.
"Kitazawa-sensei, there are people ahead!" Kiba spoke up immediately.
"It should be Koyuki Kazahana's film crew." Kitazawa glanced ahead and replied calmly.
"I've heard Koyuki Kazahana is really pretty?" Kiba asked with curiosity.
"How should I put it…" Ino thought for a moment. "She has a very 'princess' kind of aura. Though it might just be good acting—she played a princess in the movie I watched."
Kitazawa couldn't help but chuckle.
Much like a certain actress from his previous life whose name was hard to pin down, Koyuki Kazahana was essentially playing herself.
She was an actual princess, so portraying one came naturally, which was precisely why she had become a famous movie star.
"I've never seen a real princess before." Kiba's eyes lit up.
"Isn't Shion one?" Ino shot back.
"Oh, right." Kiba's interest instantly faded.
Shion was the priestess of the Land of Demons and also its daimyō. In a sense, she really had been a princess of the Land of Demons.
"Who are you people?" As Kitazawa's group approached, the film crew noticed them and called out warily.
"I'm a ninja from Konoha," Kitazawa replied calmly. "Sandayū Asama asked me to come. Please inform him."
"Wait here for a moment." The crew member sized them up briefly, then turned and left to look for Sandayū.
Not long after, a bespectacled middle-aged man appeared before them.
"I'm Sandayū Asama." He looked at Kitazawa with confusion. "Do we know each other?"
"We don't." Kitazawa shook his head.
"If you weren't a ninja from Konoha, I wouldn't have bothered coming out." Sandayū frowned, clearly displeased.
"The fact that you came out means you haven't forgotten Kakashi's life-saving favor." Kitazawa smiled faintly.
"You know Kakashi?" Sandayū asked in surprise.
"My name is Kitazawa," Kitazawa answered, seemingly changing the subject.
"Kitazawa?" Sandayū Asama froze on the spot, his pupils trembling in shock.
As Princess Koyuki Kazahana's manager, he had followed her on film shoots across many countries. Naturally, he had heard the name Kitazawa before.
"Lord Kitazawa, what can I do for you?" Sandayū quickly regained his composure, his attitude undergoing an immediate change.
Although ninja were essentially mercenaries, Kitazawa's strength and status placed him far beyond ordinary ninja.
"There is indeed something I'd like to discuss." Kitazawa took out a scroll. "I've already drafted the terms. If you have no objections, we can sign it."
"It seems Lord Kitazawa came well prepared." Curious, Sandayū unrolled the scroll.
With just a single glance, his expression changed drastically. There were many clauses written on it, but the first one alone was enough to make his heart pound.
Konoha Village will assist Koyuki Kazahana in becoming the new daimyō of the Land of Snow. In return, the Land of Snow will form an alliance with Konoha and engage in free trade.
"Is this… really true?" Sandayū instinctively looked at Kitazawa and asked.
"I didn't come all this way just to deceive you," Kitazawa spoke calmly. "And even without you, we can still defeat Kazahana Dotō."
Sandayū immediately recalled the fearsome reputation Kitazawa enjoyed throughout the ninja world and nodded reflexively.
No matter how strong Dotō was, he couldn't possibly compare to the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura of the Hidden Mist.
After all, the Kage of the Five Great Villages were universally acknowledged as the strongest among ninja.
"Please come with me." Sandayū raised a hand. "I'll take you to the princess."
Kitazawa nodded. The four of them followed him into a large tent.
"So many beautiful clothes!" Ino exclaimed as she looked around.
The tent was clearly Koyuki Kazahana's dressing room and wardrobe.
"Sandayū, who are they?" A girl turned around to face them.
She wore pink eyeshadow and red lipstick, making her look far more mature than her actual age.
"They're ninja from Konoha Village." Sandayū stepped forward, handed her the scroll, and said, "Princess, please take a look."
"How many times have I told you not to call me 'princess' in front of outsiders?!" Koyuki's expression darkened instantly.
"They're friends of Kakashi," Sandayū explained quickly. "They've known our identities for a long time. They won't leak anything—and soon, we won't need to hide our names anymore!"
"What do you mean?" Koyuki blinked in surprise.
"You'll understand once you read the scroll." As he spoke, Sandayū spread the scroll open.
Koyuki's gaze fell onto it almost reflexively. As she read the contents, her fists clenched and loosened repeatedly, her emotions clearly in turmoil.
"Princess, this is our best chance!" Sandayū urged anxiously.
"How many ninja does Konoha intend to send?" Koyuki Kazahana took a deep breath and looked directly at Kitazawa.
"Just the four of us," Kitazawa answered plainly.
"…?" Suspicion immediately surfaced on her face.
"Princess, he's Kitazawa. Four people are more than enough." Sandayū guessed her thoughts and hurriedly reminded her.
He knew Koyuki well. After witnessing her father, Sōsetsu Kazahana's death as a child, she had developed deep psychological scars and an intense fear of Kazahana Dotō.
In the original story, she had initially distrusted Kakashi and his group, even attempting to flee.
Only after a series of events did bonds slowly form—and in the end, like every movie heroine, she kissed Uzumaki Naruto.
"You're really Kitazawa?" Koyuki still couldn't bring herself to believe it completely.
"Who in the ninja world would dare impersonate Kitazawa-sensei?" Ino put her hands on her hips and retorted.
"You may be strong, but with three kids tagging along, can you really defeat Dotō and his men?" Koyuki glanced at Ino and asked skeptically.
"Hey!" Kiba immediately protested. "We might be kids, but our strength isn't inferior to a Chūnin's!"
"Exactly!" Ino lifted her chin proudly. "Don't underestimate us!"
"Dotō and his three subordinates are all jōnin!" Koyuki's doubts only deepened.
She wasn't a ninja and couldn't accurately judge Kitazawa's true strength. In her mind, jōnin were roughly on the same level.
"We've defeated plenty of jōnin!" Ino boasted confidently.
"I can give you a demonstration." Kitazawa smiled. "Come with me."
"…Alright." Koyuki still felt deeply uneasy.
Until she personally confirmed Kitazawa's power, she couldn't bring herself to agree to return to the Land of Snow.
The group exited the tent.
Kitazawa glanced around briefly, then headed toward a nearby valley.
Koyuki and the others followed behind.
"Kitazawa-sensei, are you going to use Wood Release?" Kiba asked excitedly.
"Kitazawa-sensei can amaze them with any jutsu!" Ino looked like a completely star-struck fan.
Koyuki glanced at her, disbelief filling her heart. She had personally witnessed Dotō's power. He and his three subordinates had conquered the Land of Snow.
"This place will do." Seeing that there was no one around, Kitazawa casually drew his blade—Lightning Blade.
To truly convince Koyuki Kazahana, he needed a grand display.
Lightning Release: Kirin!
Kitazawa formed a one-handed seal and raised Lightning Blade. In an instant, fierce winds rose, and dark clouds churned as a massive black cloud gathered overhead.
With a thunderous boom—
Brilliant lightning exploded across the sky.
Koyuki's eyes flew wide open. She knew a little about ninja, but she had never heard of anyone capable of changing the weather itself.
Countless bolts of lightning illuminated the heavens. Even in broad daylight, they were blinding.
Lightning descended from the sky, converging midair into a gigantic Kirin.
The Kirin crashed down into the valley, obliterating it completely.
The ground split apart. Grass, flowers, and trees were all reduced to ash under the lightning's fury.
When everything finally settled, a massive black crater scarred the valley.
"Amazing!" Ino shouted in excitement.
"If I could use a jutsu that strong, I'd die happy!" Kiba sighed in admiration.
Haku said nothing, but silently resolved to train even harder once they returned. Otherwise, he might never be able to repay Kitazawa for saving his life.
Kitazawa sheathed Lightning Blade and turned his gaze to Koyuki.
She stood frozen in place, mouth agape, unable to close it for a long while.
Sandayū Asama was equally stunned. He had heard of Kitazawa's reputation, but had never truly understood the extent of his power.
Now, after witnessing Lightning Release: Kirin, he finally grasped it.
"Do you believe me now?" Kitazawa asked with a faint smile.
Koyuki snapped back to her senses and swallowed hard.
"We've always believed in Kitazawa-sama!" Sandayū declared without hesitation.
Koyuki nodded as anticipation and excitement surged in her heart. Though she feared Dotō, she had never forgotten her father's murder.
"Then sign." Kitazawa pointed at the scroll. "Once it's signed, we head for the Land of Snow."
"I'll sign it right now." Koyuki flipped to the final page and wrote her name.
"Did you read the other terms?" Kitazawa reminded her.
Besides mutual trade, the agreement also included railways, airship technology, and Koyuki serving as a spokesperson.
"I've read them. As long as I can avenge my father, I accept." Koyuki replied decisively.
Without reclaiming the Land of Snow, railways and airships wouldn't belong to her anyway. If she could take it back, giving those technologies to Konoha in exchange was more than worth it.
"I'll find the director and have filming paused for half a month!" Sandayū turned and left without another word.
Compared to Koyuki, his loyalty to the Land of Snow was absolute. In the original story, he had secretly organized forces to help her reclaim the nation.
Only forty-nine old, weak, sick, and disabled volunteers—wiped out in a single encounter. Yet even that showed his unwavering devotion.
"I'll go change clothes," Koyuki explained. "This is just a costume. It's not suitable for travel."
Kitazawa nodded.
"Only Kitazawa-sensei could pull that off!" After Koyuki left, Ino laughed. "Their expressions just now were priceless!"
Kitazawa raised his hand and tapped her on the forehead.
Ino rubbed her brow and stuck out her tongue.
Moments later, Sandayū and Koyuki Kazahana returned.
"Let's go." Kitazawa nodded.
West of the Land of Earth lay the Land of Snow. The group traveled westward and reached the Land of Snow by nightfall.
The weather shifted abruptly, and heavy snow filled the sky.
"No wonder it's called the Land of Snow." Ino couldn't help remarking as she watched the goose-feather snowflakes fall.
Although Konoha Village also saw snow, it was never this heavy and only lasted for two winter months.
The Land of Snow was different—snow fell all year round. Because of this, Sōsetsu Kazahana had created a so-called secret treasure.
That treasure, in turn, sparked malicious ambition in his younger brother, Dotō Kazahana.
The reason Dotō Kazahana relentlessly hunted Koyuki Kazahana was because she carried the key to unlock this treasure.
In the original story, this treasure was called the Environment Modifier.
Its function was to alter the environment, allowing the Land of Snow to become warm and spring-like.
However, it was never completed in the original timeline.
The Environment Modifier was useful to the Land of Snow, but meaningless to Konoha Village, so Kitazawa paid it little attention.
"Kitazawa-sama." Sandayū Asama suddenly recalled something and asked, "There are still many loyal warriors in the Land of Snow. Should we summon them?"
Summon them to die? The corner of Kitazawa's mouth twitched as he shook his head.
Seeing this, Sandayū Asama said no more.
"We'll rest for the night and head straight to the Snow Country Royal Palace tomorrow," Kitazawa spoke casually.
Sandayū and Koyuki felt a surge of excitement. It had been a long time since they had last set foot in the Snow Country Royal Palace.
Now, with Kitazawa present, they could finally have their revenge.
Wood Release: Serial Pillar Houses Technique! Kitazawa formed hand seals. Chakra surged, and two wooden houses rose from the ground.
"There's a jutsu like this?!" Sandayū Asama and Koyuki Kazahana stared in shock.
"This is Kitazawa-sensei's unique Wood Release!" Ino declared proudly.
"You two take the house on the right," Kitazawa spoke as he stepped into the wooden house on the left.
---
A new day dawned.
The group set off once more, but halfway through their journey, a sharp whistle suddenly tore through the sky.
Kitazawa looked up and saw an airship hovering overhead.
"That's Dotō Kazahana's airship!" Sandayū Asama exclaimed immediately.
Nervousness flashed across Koyuki Kazahana's face. The memory of Sōsetsu Kazahana's death resurfaced, and she instinctively hid behind Kitazawa.
"This saves us some time," Kitazawa said calmly.
Ino, Haku, and Kiba instantly prepared for battle.
The airship descended and slowly landed on the ground. The hatch opened, and four figures clad in Chakra Armour stepped out.
At their head stood Dotō Kazahana.
The other three—Nadare Roga, Mizore Fuyukuma, and Fubuki Kakuyoku—were Dotō's Three-Man Team.
"Koyuki, won't you greet your uncle?" Ignoring Kitazawa entirely, Dotō Kazahana spoke coldly.
"You're not my uncle!" Koyuki gathered her courage. "You murdered your own brother and seized power—someone like you is unworthy of being my uncle!"
"I thought returning to the Land of Snow would bring you to your senses, but you're still deluded." Dotō shook his head.
The Land of Snow was now firmly under his control.
When Kitazawa's group finished breakfast and set out for the Snow Capital, he had already received the report.
"Koyuki, hand over the key to the treasure, and I'll spare your life." Dotō paused briefly before adding, "This is your last chance."
"This is the keepsake my father left me. I will never give it to you!" Koyuki refused without hesitation.
"In that case, don't blame me." Dotō Kazahana waved his hand. "Kill them."
Ice Release: One-Horned White Whale!
Nadare Roga stepped forward first, rapidly forming hand seals.
Chakra surged as he drew in the surrounding snow and ice, shaping it into a gigantic white whale in the blink of an eye.
"Ice Release?" Ino exclaimed in shock.
"How can he use Ice Release? Could he be from Haku's clan?" Kiba blurted out.
"This isn't Ice Release." Haku shook his head while forming seals. A translucent ice wall instantly rose in front of them.
"A Bloodline Limit?" Dotō, a jōnin, immediately noticed the difference.
Haku wasn't manipulating existing snow—he was creating ice directly from chakra. Still, Haku was so young that Dotō only felt mild surprise.
Crack! The white whale slammed into the ice wall, shattering it.
Ice Release: Blasting Ice Crystals!
Already prepared, Haku unleashed a second Ice Release technique.
The shattered fragments of the wall shot forward like countless kunai, flying straight toward the four enemies.
At that moment, the only woman among Dotō's Three-Man Team—Fubuki Kakuyoku—took to the air. Her flight came from the Chakra Armour she wore.
Ice Release: Swallow Snowstorm!
Long chunks of snow shot out like shuriken. Countless ice shards collided midair, scattering frost in every direction.
"This Ice girl is mine!" With a flap of the armor on her back, Fubuki Kakuyoku dove straight at Haku.
"I'm male." Haku corrected calmly.
"Male?" Fubuki blinked, then grinned. "Even better!"
Ice Release: Tearing Dragon Fierce Tiger! Nadare Roga once again stirred the wind and snow, forming a massive ice tiger.
"Watch me!"
Kiba summoned the Three-Headed Wolf and charged forward.
Boom! The ground cracked as eight deep paw prints were stamped into the snow.
Pinning the ice tiger in place, Three-Headed Wolf opened its jaws.
Earth Release: Earth Fang Bullet!
Three massive earth bullets smashed into the tiger, blasting huge holes through its body.
With a powerful heave, Kiba flipped the ice tiger over.
War Stomp!
Three-Headed Wolf stomped down heavily. The ice tiger shattered completely.
"How is this possible?!" Nadare stared in disbelief.
Kiba was far too young. That kind of strength felt utterly unreal to him.
At the same time—
"Ice Shuriken!"
Mizore flicked his wrists. Chakra condensed the snow into countless shuriken, filling the sky.
His target was Ino.
Ninja Art: Moonlight Beauty! Ino scattered a storm of petals.
Mizore blinked—Ino had vanished.
The ice shuriken struck nothing. He instinctively scanned his surroundings.
A sharp whistle cut through the air. He raised his arms to shield his head.
His Chakra Armor granted his arms tremendous defensive power. Looking up, he saw Ino hovering in midair. But no attack came.
Ino floated there, hands clasped together. Ninja Art: Mind Butterfly!
Mizore shuddered violently as a splitting pain tore through his mind. Chakra Armor was useless against Yin Release secret techniques.
Ino smiled triumphantly and hurled several shuriken straight toward his head.
His armor protected his body—but left his face exposed.
Just as death closed in on Mizore, Dotō Kazahana frowned and moved.
He had heard that a Konoha ninja was escorting Koyuki, along with three children. That report had made him careless.
What threat could three children possibly pose? Even if the remaining Konoha ninja was a jōnin, one person was nothing to fear.
The four of them, equipped with Chakra Armor, could easily deal with a single jōnin.
That was why they had rushed here by airship to intercept Koyuki. Clearly, their judgment had been catastrophically wrong.
These three children already rivaled Special Jōnin in strength.
As Dotō stepped forward, an ice wall suddenly rose in front of him. Assuming it was Haku's work, he instinctively threw a punch.
But the wall didn't budge in the slightest, even under his full force.
"What?!" Dotō was stunned.
That brief delay was enough. Ino's shuriken pierced straight through Mizore Fuyukuma's skull.
Though he was stronger than Ino, he had never anticipated a Yin Release technique like Mind Butterfly.
He died instantly. Once again, the battle proved that ninja combat was ultimately a contest of intelligence.
"Amazing…" Koyuki gasped, covering her mouth.
She had underestimated them because of their age. Only now did she realize that Ino and Kiba hadn't been exaggerating at all.
The fearsome Dotō Three-Man Team had lost one member right at the start. And all of it had happened without Kitazawa lifting a finger.
Kitazawa had only blocked Dotō—he hadn't interfered in their fight at all.
"Mizore!" Nadare and Fubuki's eyes turned red with rage.
The three of them had been together for so long that they were like family. Seeing Mizore fall, they roared and launched even fiercer attacks.
"Haku, I'll help you!" Ino glanced over and shouted.
Kiba used the Three-Headed Wolf to block the assault of Nadare.
But Haku's fundamentals were weaker, and Ice Release required hand seals. Against the Fubuki, he was clearly at a disadvantage.
Dotō turned his gaze toward Kitazawa. By now, he had already guessed that the ice wall blocking him earlier had been Kitazawa's doing.
"Three against three is fair. Let's stay out of it for now." Kitazawa spoke calmly.
"Insolent!" Furious, Dotō used Body Flicker and lunged at Kitazawa, throwing a punch.
Boom! He was sent flying back even faster than he had advanced.
Dotō crashed hard into the snow.
Struggling to rise, he looked completely dazed. He hadn't even seen Kitazawa move before being blown away.
"…?" Sandayū Asama and Koyuki Kazahana exchanged stunned looks.
In their eyes, the seemingly invincible Dotō had been sent flying by a single punch—without the slightest chance to retaliate.
Regaining his senses, Dotō's expression darkened, twisting into something ugly.
Without hesitation, he formed hand seals, and the Chakra Armour covering his body flared brightly.
Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard!
Terrifying Wind Release chakra surged outward in violent currents centered on him. The snow covering the ground was swept skyward in an instant.
A dragon's roar shook both heaven and earth. Wind chakra fused with snow and ice, forming a colossal black dragon.
The black, dragon-shaped tornado towered more than ten meters high, an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight.
"So it really is Wind Release after all?" Kitazawa had already activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
In the original story, Kakashi had once copied Ice Release: One-Horned White Whale.
Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard! Kitazawa immediately formed hand seals.
Countless winds surged into the sky, wrapping around the ground snow and spreading rapidly.
"Impossible!" Dotō cried out instinctively upon seeing this.
Sandayū and Koyuki felt as if they had fallen into a genjutsu.
A black-dragon tornado more than twenty meters long burst forth. It swallowed Dotō's smaller dragon the moment they collided.
Layer upon layer of wind coiled around the massive black dragon, carrying endless snow and ice as it charged straight at Dotō.
Dotō had never imagined that one day he would be attacked by his own Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard.
At the brink of death, he desperately poured chakra into his Chakra Armor.
Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard! Two ten-meter-long black dragons appeared out of thin air.
In an instant, ferocious gales erupted. One massive dragon and two smaller ones locked into a stalemate midair.
Maintaining the two dragons, Dotō's face flushed deep red. In stark contrast, Kitazawa stood calmly in place, his expression indifferent.
"So effortless…" Koyuki suddenly felt that all those years of fleeing had been completely unnecessary.
"Kitazawa-sama is simply too strong." Sandayū sighed in admiration.
"Break for me!" Fubuki's voice rang out sharply.
She shattered Haku's ice wall with a punch, then accelerated, using her armour's flight function to rush straight toward him.
At that moment, Ino stepped directly into her path. Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!
Their eyes met. Fubuki felt her mind blur as a massive tree bound her body.
She reacted instantly. Genjutsu: Release!
As a Special Jōnin, Fubuki dispelled the illusion in almost an instant. Her vision flickered—and mirrors of ice appeared all around her.
In every mirror stood a figure of Haku. This was Haku's Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
Fubuki glanced around, unable to tell which figure was real. She leapt upward immediately, trying to fly out of the formation.
From the mirror to her left, Haku unleashed a rain of senbon.
Fubuki dodged, accelerated, and smashed straight into that mirror. But Haku's figure vanished, and the mirror itself didn't even tremble.
In the next instant, Haku appeared in a mirror behind her, hurling another dozen senbon.
"Damn it!" Forced to evade again, Fubuki realized this couldn't continue.
She rapidly formed hand seals.
Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm!
Nearby snow and ice gathered into dense spikes, stabbing violently toward the mirror in front of her.
A cracking sound rang out. Unable to withstand the assault, the ice mirror shattered.
Fubuki's eyes lit up as she rushed forward. But the instant she reached the opening, an invisible shockwave slammed into her.
It was Ino's Ninja Art: Mind Butterfly. Ino had been lying in wait for a long time.
Seizing the opportunity, Haku hurled senbon with both hands. The needles pierced straight through the dazed Fubuki.
She regained consciousness for a brief moment—only to fall into eternal sleep the next.
"Looks like we make a pretty good team." Ino clapped her hands and smiled.
Haku stepped out from the ice mirror and nodded lightly in agreement. They then turned their attention to the final Snow Ninja—Nadare Roga.
At that moment, the violent winds finally died down.
The three black dragons vanished as they collided with one another.
Panting heavily, Dotō sensed that the situation had completely turned against him. Two of his three subordinates were dead, and the last was on the verge of death.
And the Kitazawa standing before him felt like an outright monster.
Merely copying Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard had already pushed Dotō to his absolute limit.
Continuing the fight would only end one way.
Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard! With that thought, Dotō unleashed his strongest technique once more.
Vast Wind Release chakra churned into violent tempests, whipping up snow and reforming two black dragons.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he turned and fled.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow and extended both hands.
Left hand—Yang Release: Rasengan.
Right hand—Yin Release: Rasengan.
He brought the two spheres together and hurled them forward. Midair, Yin and Yang chakra fused, forming a massive two-meter-wide Rasengan.
This was the Yin–Yang Rasengan. It sliced straight through the twin black-dragon tornadoes and shot toward Dotō.
"No!" Dotō felt a level of danger he had never experienced before.
While running, he slammed both palms against his Chakra Armour. Chakra surged like raging flames, completely enveloping his body.
But it was utterly useless.
The Yin–Yang Rasengan swallowed him whole, shattered the Chakra Armour, and then slammed violently into the snowfield below.
Snow exploded in every direction as a deep crater was carved into the ground.
"Dead…?" Koyuki stared blankly at the overwhelming scene.
"No one could survive an attack like that." Cold sweat broke out across Sandayū's back.
He and Koyuki had once witnessed Dotō murder his brother and seize power.
At that time, they had been consumed by despair. Now, the once-invincible Dotō had been erased so effortlessly—it felt like a different lifetime.
"All of you will die with me!" Nadare suddenly roared.
Surrounded by Ino, Haku, and Kiba, and driven to despair by Dotō's death, he completely abandoned hope.
Ice Release: Wolf Fang Avalanche Technique! He slammed his palm into the ground, pouring every last trace of chakra into it.
Ice Release: Blasting Ice Crystals! Haku instantly controlled ice shards, piercing Nadare's body and killing him.
But the dying Nadare's Ice Release: Wolf Fang Avalanche Technique had already been activated.
The earth trembled violently as nearby snow-covered mountains collapsed.
Sandayū and Koyuki's faces turned deathly pale. Countless tons of snow crashed down like a tidal wave, ready to engulf them all.
At that moment, a Wood Dragon surged skyward.
"Everyone, get on!" Kitazawa grabbed Sandayū and Koyuki and leapt upward.
Ino, Haku, and Kiba scrambled aboard as well.
The avalanche thundered past, but the Wood Dragon moved like a fish through water, gliding freely through the sea of snow.
Whether it was Sandayū, Koyuki, or Ino and the others, all of them stared in awe at the unbelievable sight.