As soon as Hyūga Shigeo finished speaking, he took Fujikaze Yukie and vanished from the spot using Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique).
At the same time, Naruto — that ever-unpredictable ninja — used Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) to appear atop the armored train, engaging Kazahana Dotō's men in a fierce battle.
"Kazahana Dotō! We're heading to the treasure site!" Shigeo shouted, his voice echoing across the snowy expanse.
Everyone aboard the train heard him clearly. Dotō's expression twisted with fury.
"My treasure! No one is allowed to take it from me! After them!"
His men abandoned the train, jumping onto their chakra-powered snowboards to give chase.
Behind them came Team 7, moving at full speed, and behind them—the ever-persistent film crew, hauling their cameras and yelling over the storm.
"Wow, that guy they call A-Mo is really fast! No wonder Miss Yukie likes him so much. I thought he was just a pretty face, but turns out he's got real skills!"
"Hurry up! Don't miss a single good shot!" the director shouted, voice half-drowned by the wind.
Finally, Shigeo and Yukie reached the heart of the treasure site.
There, enormous mirror-like pillars stood in a perfect circle around the altar.
Yukie reached up to the Hexagonal Crystal hanging from her neck, held it to her chest for a moment, and then carefully placed it into the hollow slot at the altar's center.
Kazahana Dotō stopped dead in his tracks.
Once the treasure appears… I'll kill them all, he thought. The treasure belongs to me alone.
Time passed in silence.
Everyone stared at the altar, expecting riches or power to emerge — but nothing of the sort happened.
Instead, the thick snow atop the mountain began to melt, revealing layers of vibrant green beneath.
"This… this is the true treasure of the Land of Snow!" Yukie declared, her voice trembling with pride.
"It's our heat generator — the key to bringing spring to our country!"
Dotō's eyes went wide.
"No… impossible!" he screamed.
He couldn't accept it.
After more than twenty years of obsession and struggle, the "treasure" he sought wasn't gold or jewels — but a device to thaw the endless winter.
Rage consumed him. He activated his mechanical armor and lunged forward, intent on destroying everything.
His twenty or so subordinates charged as well, their disappointment and fury turning them reckless.
Kakashi and Team 7 moved to intercept them, but there were too many. Even stopping one or two wasn't enough to halt the tide.
Dotō's chakra surged violently, amplified by his armor until it roared like a storm.
"Hyōton: Kokuryū Bōfūsetsu (Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard)!"
The black dragon of frost burst forth, howling as it raced toward Yukie.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke shouted in alarm and rushed to block it — but Dotō's men intercepted them mid-charge, forcing them into chaotic melee.
Yukie shrank back instinctively, clutching the edge of Shigeo's cloak.
He looked down at her and raised one hand.
"Ranton: Shisan Sōkasu (Storm Release: Scattering Lotus Chains)."
The air crackled.
A thunderous roar split the heavens as a massive ring of radiant light erupted outward.
The glowing circle expanded, engulfing both the black dragon and Dotō himself.
In an instant, countless spears of light exploded within the ring, piercing through Dotō's armor, his technique, and the monstrous blizzard he had unleashed.
The resulting flash was blinding.
The beams struck the mirror pillars surrounding the altar, refracting across every surface.
Within moments, the entire valley was filled with dazzling seven-colored light.
The world changed.
The snow melted into rivers of crystal water.
The frozen land breathed again — flowers blooming, birds singing, sunlight pouring down through the mist.
Fujikaze Yukie threw herself into Shigeo's arms, tears welling in her eyes.
"We won!"
Everyone else stared, dumbfounded, at the glowing mountain.
Was that… the fabled seven-colored chakra?
Light like sunlight itself — radiating from a human body?
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Kakashi-sensei! Look! That's seven-colored chakra, right?!"
Kakashi's expression darkened slightly, eyes filled with old memories.
"…If it's him," he murmured, "then even if it looks like a miracle — it's entirely possible."
He remembered clearly — the day Shigeo had entered Sage Mode.
That golden aura, the seven-colored markings upon his face, the way even seven Tailed Beasts had been subdued by his power.
Even Konoha's strongest chakra seals couldn't restrain him; he had broken through with sheer will and mastery alone.
Those images were burned into his mind — the kind of memory one could never forget.
When the battle was finally over, everyone gathered to tend to the wounded and clean up the ruins.
"Hey! Hey, can I be your apprentice?" Naruto asked, circling Shigeo like an excited puppy.
"Come on, don't be stingy! Please? I'll work really hard!"
Sasuke, standing off to the side, watched silently.
There was longing in his gaze, but also reason — Storm Release was a kekkei genkai. Even if Shigeo took a student, few could ever reach his level.
Still, Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling that Shigeo's power went far beyond that.
He didn't just use Storm Release or Ice Release… there was something deeper — something unfathomable.
When the cleanup was done, the group prepared to return home.
Fujikaze Yukie's filming was complete, and she and Sandayū would stay behind to rebuild and govern the Land of Snow.
She couldn't go back with them.
On the snowy coast, she looked up at Shigeo, her eyes soft.
"Will you stay? Just for once… stay here with me. Forget the world — we could live quietly in the Land of Snow, just the two of us."
Shigeo lowered his gaze, his tone solemn.
"Thank you, Yukie. But… there's no such thing as a pure land in the shinobi world. One day, war will reach everyone. If we don't grow stronger now, we won't be able to protect anything when that day comes.
We can't escape this world."
Yukie understood.
He had his own life — his own path.
She couldn't chain him down for her dreams.
"…Then, one last wish," she whispered.
She reached out, took his hand, rose on her toes, and softly pressed her lips to his.
It was just a brush — like the touch of a dragonfly on water — yet filled with infinite tenderness.
When she pulled back, she smiled through her tears and held out her hand.
"Give me one more summoning talisman. If I'm ever in danger… you'll come for me, won't you?"
Shigeo nodded slightly.
He reached into his dimensional scroll and withdrew a talisman, handing it to her.
She took it gently, holding it to her chest like a treasure.
"I want one too! I want one too!" Naruto shouted, bounding toward them, waving his hands in excitement.
"Sensei, give me one too!"
Shigeo flicked him on the forehead. "Ow!"
Without another word, Shigeo turned and began walking away.
"Sensei! Take me as your student! I swear we're meant to be!" Naruto yelled, chasing after him down the snowy shore.
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews = 5 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]