Guests in the Wind and Snow

Dark clouds loomed over the city, a north wind began to rise, and snowflakes the size of a palm swirled down.

In the blink of an eye, the world became clearly divided into black and white.

The snow on the rooftops grew thicker and thicker, but the footprints of Kuyue became shallower and shallower as she walked, her graceful figure quickly disappearing into the wind and snow.

Winter is the season for the Yuki family.

Main gate of Konoha.

The heavy snow fell, and there were few pedestrians on the streets. The main gate was unusually deserted.

"Phew! The snow is really heavy today. It hasn't stopped since last night, and it seems to be getting heavier."

"Let it go, let it go. These are the only two months of the year when I can have some free time. Damn it, I sit at the door every day registering and writing, and my wrists are so sore that I dare not move them."

"Hey? If there's something wrong, why don't you just go to the hospital to get it checked out?"

"It's no use. Do you think I don't know to go to the hospital? I went to Miss Shizune, who is Lady Tsunade's apprentice, and she told me that it's just from being overworked and that I just need to rest more. But tell me, when can we ever rest with this job? When we're busy, we can't even find time to take a piss."

Inside the duty room, a group of people were chatting animatedly while warming themselves by a fire and cracking sunflower seeds.

This is probably the most enjoyable time of the year for them.

In such a heavy snowstorm, it would be virtually impossible for ordinary people to go out, and ninjas would always report their movements in writing.

Of course, two people were still left to guard the main gate. They were wrapped in thick leather coats and were shivering in the cold wind. They were keeping track of the time and waiting to relieve the group of bastards in the duty room!

Two figures suddenly appeared in the wind and snow.

The ninja on duty rubbed his eyes, looking at the figure in the snowstorm with suspicion. He tried to open his eyes wide to see the person clearly, muttering to himself, "In such bad weather, someone is actually braving the wind and snow to travel. They're really going all out."

Even ninjas would find it difficult to endure a long trek in such a snowstorm. Some were unlucky enough to misjudge their own abilities and the power of the snow, and ended up collapsing in the snowdrifts, frozen as hard as rocks when they were finally found.

"Black-clad? The Anbu? That shouldn't be the case! When the hell did the Anbu start using the main entrance?"

One of them asked his companion for her opinion, puzzled.

"No, it's not the Anbu, send the signal quickly!"

Before the other person could finish speaking, he succumbed to the crimson gaze.

In the blink of an eye, the figure that was dozens of meters away suddenly appeared a meter away. The Sharingan with Mitsudomoe turned, and the two guards stood there dumbfounded.

"Genso, thank you for your help with everything in the duty room as well."

"No problem, just watch me."

Uchiha Genso walked towards the duty room with a smile, pushed open the door, and Teuchi to the terrified guards.

In no time at all, all the visible and hidden sentries at the main gate were eliminated, and everyone was lost in the Genjutsu.

He didn't take their lives, even though Uchiha Genso really wanted to. But then he remembered he had to deal with Katsuki later, so he gave up the idea of killing them.

Hidden in the tree Roots, the skilled hand lay limply on a large branch, drool dripping from beneath his mask.

Uchiha Genso disdainfully jumped down from the treetop, the snow-covered tree not even trembling.

"Uchiha Genso, Senju Zen, how dare you come back? Are you tired of living?"

A clear, cold voice came from the wind and snow.

Kuyue stood beside the big tree, staring coldly at the two of them.

A murderous aura filled the air; every snowflake held a deadly intent, turning the light, drifting snowflakes into deadly weapons.

"Yuki? This kind of environment is truly terrifying!"

Senju Zen brushed the snow off his shoulder and looked directly at Kuyue. "Although I really don't want to fight you, we have important business to attend to here, so I'll have to trouble you to take a nap here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the big tree beside Kuyue suddenly shook, its branches coming to life like pythons of varying thickness, lunging at Kuyue standing below.

"Crackling sound."

The snow-white icicles surged up from the ground like a spring, freezing all the branches inside. The big tree was completely frozen. As for the Root members lying on the branches drooling, they had already been shaken off when the branches twisted, leaving a human-shaped pit in the snow.

"Ice Release, Lance".

Kuyue raised her hand, the wind and snow swirled, and pale ice spears, each five or six meters long and as thick as a teacup, shot out.

"Tch, what a troublesome woman."

Uchiha Genso clicked his tongue, took two steps back, and stood behind Senju Zen.

"Summoning Techniques."

The Senju Zen Master gently pressed his palm onto the snow, leaving a shallow palm print, with numerous tadpole-like black seal characters arranged in an orderly fashion.

A burly man, two meters tall and of imposing build, stood before Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso, like a towering, solid wall. Sharp ice spears struck the man's chest, as if poking a stone wall with a stalk of hemp. The ice spears shattered and broke, sending snow-white ice shards flying in all directions.

"The Third Raikage? He's using it so quickly! Alright, come with me! Our teacher's waiting for you!"

Without even glancing at Kuyue Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso, Kyuuya Tsukito left after uttering his words.

"Brother Zen?"

"Follow her. Yuki Kuyue, if I remember correctly, she's Uzumaki Katsuki's only disciple."

Senju Zen, carrying the Third Raikage who had been refined into the Asura Path, chased after Kuyue's retreating figure. Uchiha Genso sighed and followed.

Only after the three had gone far away did members of the Root appear and take away their unconscious companion.

"Uchiha Genso Senju Zen Kuyue- senpai, what are you trying to do?"

Uchiha Itachi stood in the wind and snow, gazing at the direction in which the shallow footprints extended on the snow, hesitating for a moment.

He was a little confused to see two recently notorious missing-nin and the current head of the Anbu mixed up together.

"My lord, we have found all our brothers. They were all knocked over by Genjutsu. No one is dead."

The report from his subordinates only confused him more.

"Gather all the brothers who are under the Genjutsu together. I'll remove the Genjutsu for them. Then, someone else will report the situation here to Minato and ask him to handle it."

After much deliberation, Itachi decided to pass the matter on to his superior. It was better to find someone tough to handle such a troublesome task, since the footprints were pointing directly towards the Uzumaki Clan's territory.

Of course, this alone doesn't prove anything, but adhering to the principle that it's better to be safe than sorry, it's still more convenient to leave the matter to Lord Minato.

"Yes, sir."

One of his subordinates bowed in agreement and quickly left, his figure disappearing into the vast snowstorm in the blink of an eye.

Itachi glanced at the empty gate, sighed, and walked through the wind and snow. (To be continued)