The Land of Snow's Miracle

"You broke through the armor's defensive limit in an instant with an extremely powerful move, destroying its defenses... You're impressive indeed! But... did you think defeating those few pieces of trash meant you'd won?" Kazahana Dōtō's face darkened, and he suddenly formed hand seals in rapid succession!

"Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard!"

Countless ice shards coiled together in Dotō's hands, forming a black dragon that roared as it charged toward us!

Boom! We all leaped aside to dodge the attack. The black dragon struck the open ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dust!

"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

I transformed my Chakra's nature into wind, concentrated it in my palm, and thrust it forward! A violent gale swept toward Dotō, but he didn't even try to dodge! The Ninjutsu tore apart his cloak, revealing a suit of dark armor beneath. When the gale struck Dotō, the armor absorbed it completely, leaving him unharmed!

"So you have a suit of armor too!"

"Hahahaha! This armor I'm wearing is the latest model of Chakra Armor! It's nothing like those suits you broke! Ninjutsu like that can't hurt me at all!" Dotō laughed wildly and triumphantly. "Did you think you could catch me just because you beat my subordinates? Dream on! I'm several times stronger than they are!"

"Don't make me laugh. As a ruler, you have to govern a country and fight. Who do you think you are, the Hokage?! A ruler should just stick to ruling. What are you doing playing ninja? At your age, you ought to know your own limits!" I retorted as I landed on the ground!

While we were talking, Haku quietly finished preparing her Ninjutsu-

"Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"

An ice mirror suddenly appeared behind Dotō. Haku's figure emerged silently from it, wielding Senbon as she stabbed viciously at him!

Crack! The Senbon struck the Chakra barrier and shattered into several pieces!

"I told you... that's useless!" Dotō said darkly. He suddenly spun around and punched at Haku!

Boom! His fist smashed a deep crater into the ground, shattering the ice and exposing the fresh earth beneath the snow. Whoosh! Haku used the Body Flicker Technique and landed beside us, completely unharmed.

"It seems... the armor not only amplifies Ninjutsu, but also greatly enhances Taijutsu!" I said calmly. "But even so, cracking open your turtle shell and beating you won't be difficult for us!"

That was right. No matter how powerful Kazahana Dōtō's armor was, he was only around Jonin level. As the king of a country, unless he left the governing to his subordinates and let them strip him of power, he couldn't train constantly like a ninja! The man before us was at least in his forties. An ordinary person's physical strength would already be in decline at that age, making it even less likely that he still had enough stamina to fight us. Even if we simply dragged things out, we could exhaust him. Kazahana Dōtō had no chance of winning!

But after seeing the black Chakra Armor on Dotō, I suddenly had a vague recollection. I couldn't remember the details, but I had definitely seen this armor in the Naruto anime! I'd only watched a few episodes, and I'd forgotten most of the plot. All that remained in my memory were a few scenes I'd thought were impressive at the time, and this armor was one of them.

I didn't know how far my actions had already strayed from the so-called "plot," but knowing how anime tended to go, there was probably more to this story than simply defeating the enemy. It was quite possible that the hidden treasure held another secret! In that case, the treasure probably wouldn't turn out to be a cliché pile of gold and silver, would it?

Interesting! I thought to myself!

Just then, a sound like a thousand birds chirping suddenly rang out behind me!

"Ordinary Ninjutsu can't deal with you, but what about this one?" Sasuke said coldly.

"Lightning Release: Chidori!"

Sasuke charged furiously at Dotō!

"Ice Release: Ice Prison Technique!" Dotō hurriedly formed hand seals and used a defensive Ninjutsu!

The thick pillars of ice couldn't stop the Chidori's power and shattered one after another! Sasuke's Chidori slammed into Kazahana Dōtō's armor without slowing down!

Crack! An ominous cracking sound came from the black armor!

"Damn it!" Kazahana Dōtō cursed angrily and kicked Sasuke away. Sasuke used the momentum to retreat to our side!

"Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard!"

This time, Fūun Dotō formed a black dragon in each hand. The two dragons intertwined as they blasted toward Sasuke, several times more powerful than the Black Dragon Blizzard!

"Azure Water Release: Absolute Defense!"

Boom! A water shield rose in front of Sasuke. The ferocious black dragons smashed into it and shattered, scattering into countless specks of ice dust.

Whoosh! Taking advantage of the moment the ice dust blocked our view, Kazahana Dōtō leaped into the air. Two wings extended from the back of his armor and flapped furiously as he started to fly away from us!

"Once I return and assemble my army, I'll come back and deal with you!" Kazahana Dōtō roared angrily, his voice growing more distant!

Hmph, was he pretending to fight us with all his might while actually looking for a chance to escape? It seemed that seeing us easily kill the three Snow ninja had made him realize he couldn't beat us! The Chidori, the Rasengan, and my Water Gun Technique were all powerful Ninjutsu that his armor couldn't withstand!

Quite an act! But leaving his back exposed to his enemies like that was far too foolish. Did he think we couldn't do anything to him just because he was flying so high?

"Damn it! He flew so high and got away!" Naruto shouted, looking thoroughly annoyed!

"Don't worry, he won't escape!" I said to Naruto with a smile.

"Ice Release Secret Technique-"

I struggled through the hand seals. I'd practiced this Ninjutsu for two months and could still barely use it. My progress was slower than with any Ninjutsu I'd learned before. It certainly lived up to its reputation as Haku's bloodline secret technique! Still, although I couldn't use it in combat, it was perfect for pursuing a target intent on fleeing-

"Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"

Keeping my eyes on Kazahana Dōtō as he flew away, I summoned an ice mirror in front of me and another silently behind him. I stepped into the mirror before me, and after a strange sensation of space twisting around me, I emerged from the mirror behind Dotō and flew in front of him!

"Long time no see!" I turned around and sneered at the panic-stricken Dotō!

A strange feeling of showing off welled up inside me. Somehow, this scene seemed a little like one from Dragon Ball!

"Damn it!" Kazahana Dōtō stopped and formed hand seals. "Ice Release: Air Cannon Attack!"

"Water Release: Super Water Gun Jutsu!"

The two Ninjutsu were completed at the same time!

A high-pressure blade of water as thin as a hair shot from my finger, slicing the mass of ice and the wings behind Dotō into several pieces. Dotō fell with a startled cry!

"Help-!"

My Azure Water Release had bound Dotō's hands, preventing him from forming hand seals. He could only watch helplessly as he fell to the ground! Boom! His fall sent a great spray of snow flying and blasted a massive hole through the thick ice!

I jumped down into the crater. Dotō lay at the bottom, his fate unknown, and his armor had shattered completely!

"Is he dead?" Sasuke walked to the edge of the crater and looked down at Dotō.

I bent down and felt beneath Dotō's nose. A faint breath brushed against my fingers.

"He's still alive. Go call the others out!"

When Asama Sandayu and his like-minded companions heard that we had defeated Kazahana Dōtō, every one of them burst into tears.

"Your Highness! Your Highness Sōsetsu! Did you see that?" Asama Sandayu knelt on the ground, looking up at the sky as he cried out, "We defeated Dotō! We avenged you! Princess Snow can finally reclaim this country and inherit your throne!"

By contrast, the protagonist of this story, Princess Kazahana Koyuki, seemed very calm-even indifferent. Rather than watch Asama Sandayu and his companions weep, she walked away alone, putting distance between herself and the scene.

"Princess Snow... we've defeated Dotō and avenged your father. Why..." Worried that Koyuki might run away again, I quietly followed her and spoke from behind her. "You don't seem happy at all."

"When I heard that you'd defeated Dotō and avenged my father, I really was happy," Koyuki said slowly. "But after that happiness passed, I felt lost and empty..."

"All these years, I hid my identity and became an actress, playing a princess on the silver screen. My life was peaceful, but I was afraid every moment! I often had a nightmare that one day my uncle, Kazahana Dōtō, would suddenly find me and send people to capture me, take me back to the Land of Snow, and execute me... I was terrified, terrified of returning to this country! And yet I desperately wanted to come back, defeat Dotō, and avenge my father! Those conflicting feelings kept me from ever living in peace...!"

"Thanks to you and Asama Sandayu, that nightmare has finally ended... But what comes next? As Kazahana Koyuki, I have a duty to protect this country and its people, but I don't know how! I've been Fujikaze Yukie for too long. I'm not capable of taking responsibility for this country!"

So that was what troubled her. Indeed, for the young Princess Snow, such a burden was far too heavy!

"Princess Snow... don't worry. Asama Sandayu and his companions will help you govern the country!" I said comfortingly.

"No, you don't understand... I know the situation in the Land of Snow very well!" Koyuki said agitatedly. "The Land of Snow is covered in ice and snow all year round. The climate is too cold to grow enough crops and food, and we don't have many unique resources. That's why the people here have always lived in terrible poverty. The only good thing is that it's so poor and cold that even bandits don't want to stay here, which has allowed the Land of Snow to maintain a measure of peace and stability!"

"My father devoted himself to developing this country for so many years, but before he could change anything, Kazahana Dōtō usurped the throne and seized power! My uncle, Kazahana Dōtō, was a ruthless, wicked man, but he wasn't a poor ruler. Even so, after ten years under his rule, the country still hadn't grown prosperous! We lack everything and have nothing. We can only live in poverty! The Land of Snow, covered in ice and snow, is a country with no future!"

I pondered for a moment and said, "If that's the case... perhaps Kazahana Dōtō saw this clearly, and that's why he was so determined to build up military power, start a war, and seize the fertile lands of other countries!"

Kazahana Koyuki closed her eyes and leaned wearily against a tree. "So only now have I realized that defeating Kazahana Dōtō meant nothing. I can't save the Land of Snow or its people. Defeating Kazahana Dōtō might even make the people of this country suffer more, because I can't give this country a future either... Rather than leave this country in my incapable hands, it would have been better to let Kazahana Dōtō remain king!"

The fact that she could think about these problems showed that the girl before me genuinely cared about this country and its people, and that she was capable enough to govern it...! I'd always thought Kazahana Koyuki was being unreasonable, a shallow woman who could do nothing but act. Only now did I begin to take her seriously!

But there was one serious oversight in what Koyuki had said!

"Starting a war and invading other countries to gain room to survive... won't succeed." As I said this, I thought of Japan in the Second World War. The two countries' situations were so similar. Without our intervention, the Land of Snow's militarism would definitely not have ended well!

I said seriously to Koyuki, "War... won't bring wealth and peace to the Land of Snow. It will only bring bloodshed and disaster to the countries caught up in it! The people are already living such difficult lives, yet Dotō still wants to squeeze them dry to arm his military. How could a ruler so bent on militarism protect his people?!"

"Koyuki, did you know that Dotō was seeking military power surpassing that of the Five Great Nations? That's an extremely dangerous idea! The farther he goes down that path, the closer the Land of Snow comes to destruction!"

No great power liked a small country on its doorstep suddenly acquiring nuclear weapons. In the world of Naruto, that "dislike" would be even more blatant. Once the Land of Snow truly possessed such power, or came close to possessing it, a neighboring great power would likely invade and destroy it immediately!

"Koyuki, do you know why Dotō was so eager to find you? Besides the fact that you're Princess Snow, there's another reason. The hidden treasure left by the Kazahana family needs the hexagonal crystal you carry as a key! I think perhaps that treasure is the key to solving the Land of Snow's problems!" Knowing how anime plots tended to go, I guessed that the hexagonal crystal was definitely a very important item!

"A hidden treasure? A key?" Koyuki took out the hexagonal crystal she wore close to her body and looked at it, puzzled.

"That's right. Kazahana Dōtō probably knows more about it than anyone! Let's go ask him directly!"

The Rainbow Ice Wall.

It was an enormous plaza, surrounded by several towering walls of ice. There was a pavilion in the middle of the plaza.

After defeating Kazahana Dōtō's remaining loyal troops, the four of us came to the plaza along with Kazahana Koyuki and Asama Sandayu, bringing the bound Kazahana Dōtō with us. The director and his crew had also shamelessly insisted on tagging along.

"We missed such spectacular battle footage. We absolutely refuse to miss the search for the hidden treasure next!" the director said. Kazahana Koyuki and Asama Sandayu didn't object, so we had no choice but to let him have his way. There probably wouldn't be any more fighting anyway, so he could film as he pleased!

"Your Highness Kazahana Dōtō, what do we do next?" I asked, looking at Dotō, who was bound tightly.

"Hmph. Just insert the hexagonal crystal into the slot in the middle of the pavilion!" Kazahana Dōtō snorted angrily but answered without resistance. "Konoha ninja, you came here to seize the Land of Snow's hidden treasure, didn't you? You've had your eyes on the great power hidden within it all along! I saw through you long ago!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Kazahana Dōtō," I said mockingly. "If Koyuki's father, His Highness Kazahana Sōsetsu, had possessed such great power, he would have used it against you long ago. Why would he leave it here for us?"

My Water Clone took the hexagonal crystal and carefully inserted it into the slot.

"Besides, even if the hidden treasure contained great military power, it wouldn't make the Land of Snow strong and prosperous. It would only bring disaster! Possessing a treasure invites trouble! Suddenly gaining great power would only attract the greed of the Five Great Nations!"

Naruto also spoke up impatiently. "You jerk! Can you stop imagining everything as a power for killing? I think this hidden treasure must be something that can bring a miracle to the Land of Snow!"

Machines began rumbling all around the plaza! The air suddenly grew warm, and clouds of water vapor rose into the sky!

Rush-

The ice was melting, and the sound of flowing water came from every direction!

"Wh-what is this?!" everyone cried out in bewilderment!

"It's a geothermal generator!" Kazahana Dōtō dropped to his knees and shouted in disbelief. "The Kazahana family's hidden treasure is a geothermal generator!"

"Haha! So this so-called great power," Sasuke said with a laugh, "is a geothermal generator?"

I smiled faintly. "No... Sasuke, this really is a great power... a power great enough to change the Land of Snow!"

The geothermal heat continued to spread, slowly melting the ice and snow on the ground into water. The ice grew thinner and thinner until earth and stone were exposed!

The cold was driven back bit by bit, and the land grew warmer and warmer! A current of Chakra quietly spread across the ground in every direction. Under its influence, the seeds of flowers and grass buried in the soil sprouted and grew leaves, turning into patches of green in the blink of an eye!

The ice and snow covering the ground gradually retreated into the distance, and greenery spread across the Land of Snow like never before!

"A miracle... has happened..." Haku murmured.

"So warm..." Asama Sandayu, Kazahana Koyuki, and the other people of the Land of Snow couldn't hold back their tears...

And so, a miracle descended.

The Land of Snow, a country so cold it had no future...

Had finally welcomed its first spring.