Snow One Village

"Senior, there seems to be a village up ahead."

I brushed the snow off my head so I could see more clearly.

"If we head south from Kirigakure, this is indeed the nearest village." I asked, "Senior, is this the Snow One Village we're looking for?"

"According to the map, it is." Hyuga Makoto's Byakugan opened slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. "But..."

"But what? We've found it, so let's hurry and rescue them. What if the Kirigakure shinobi find them first? That would be bad!"

The whole journey had been uneventful, and Kusama Shigeo, the team captain, was getting more and more into his role.

I ignored him and turned to Hyuga Makoto. "Senior, what were you about to say? Is there something wrong with this village?"

Hyuga Makoto furrowed his brows, seeming to listen carefully for something.

"It's too quiet."

I looked up. Snow One Village, nestled in the mountain hollow, was buried beneath the snow, reduced to a blank expanse of white. Unless you looked closely, you wouldn't even realize there was a village here.

"Senior, maybe it's just because the snowstorm is so bad that no one's come out. That's why it's so quiet."

Thinking of the time limit Teacher Orochimaru had set, I began to feel anxious too.

After all, four days had already passed. If we couldn't find the people and return today, the mission would be a failure!

I thought of the expectant look in my mother's eyes, of Itachi's cheerful little face, and finally of my father's stern expression. A surge of resolve welled up inside me!

I refuse to fail my very first mission. Absolutely not!

"Let's approach and take a look first."

As soon as Hyuga Makoto spoke, Kusama Shigeo and I shot downhill, like mice scurrying through the snow—sneaky, yet swift as the wind!

The snowstorm intensified as the village came into clearer view. I studied the surroundings carefully and suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity.

The village was ancient and dilapidated, with thatched huts standing everywhere.

Why does it look so familiar? It's like I've seen it somewhere before...

As I pondered this, a hand pressed down on my shoulder. I looked over and saw Kusama Shigeo's smug face leaning close again.

"Let's split up. You search the east and north sides of the village, Senior Hyuga searches the west and south, and I, the team captain, will take the middle. How does that sound?"

I rolled my eyes and cursed inwardly. What's there to search in the middle? You might as well say you don't have to do anything at all.

But since he was a medical ninja and had little combat ability to begin with, I reluctantly agreed.

After all, the medical ninja held the highest status on a team. He ought to stay in the safest position and wait for us to return.

"Senior, do you agree with this plan?" I turned to Hyuga Makoto, who had just landed. He was observing the surroundings, his pale eyes looking especially clear against the snow.

"Let's split up." Just as Hyuga Makoto finished speaking, a gust of wind swept past. The cold breeze lifted our hair, revealing his striking features more clearly. His white pupils looked even more transparent, like ice crystals inside a cave.

So beautiful...

In this world of pure white, dressed in black, he almost looked like a snow spirit.

I swallowed, growing even more curious about the face beneath his mask.

Why does he always wear a mask?

Could he really be hiding some secret?

"Return here before sunset."

"Did you hear me?"

I actually froze for a second before hurriedly nodding. "Yes!"

"Then..."

Just before Hyuga Makoto could give the order, Kusama Shigeo rushed over and cut in. "Scatter!"

As the command was given, I used the Body Flicker Technique and darted into the village alley first, searching as I went.

The village wasn't large. If I searched with all my strength, maybe I could find the children before dark! I could do it!

But this village really was frighteningly quiet.

I ran for a long time, yet all I could hear were my own footsteps and the sound of falling snow. I couldn't see a single sign of life.

That made sense. Ever since Kirigakure began enforcing the Bloody Mist Village policy, whether they were Kekkei Genkai users, shinobi caught up in political machinations, or even ordinary people, none could escape their bloody fate.

Who knew how many people were still alive in this village?

When I think about it, Konoha really is better. I sighed over the tragedy here, and found myself missing my hometown even more.

That was why we had to win this war!

If we won this war decisively, Konoha would enjoy peace for a long time. Maybe those tragedies would never happen at all!

That thought spurred me on. I was about to push open a door and sneak inside when I suddenly heard a strange sound behind me.

I turned around and found that the door behind me had opened!

I drew my kunai and peered inside from beside the door. It was a small courtyard, covered in snow and seemingly uninhabited. But I didn't dare let my guard down. After checking the area, I grabbed the wall and climbed onto the roof, sneaking carefully across it until I could see the entire courtyard below.

"There's no one here. Did the wind blow the courtyard gate open?"

I cautiously leaned out to look inside the house, just in time to catch sight of a faint figure moving by the window! My heart lurched. I hurried down the wall and crept up to the window to peer inside.

At that very moment, a bloodied face suddenly appeared right in front of me!

My heart nearly stopped. Before I could react, a hand yanked me through the window. The sound of glass shattering, a kunai plunging into flesh, and furniture crashing to the floor rang out all at once!

But soon, the sounds fell silent beneath the enormous snowstorm and eventually faded away.

After a long while, I shakily pushed the corpse off me and staggered to my feet amid the glass shards. Cuts covered my body.

Two people had died in this house.

The first was an ordinary villager, killed by Kirigakure.

The second was the Kirigakure ninja I had just killed.

He had sensed my arrival and used the villager's corpse as bait to lure me inside and kill me.

But he hadn't expected me to kill him instead.

I looked at the ninja lying in a pool of blood and noticed that he hadn't even drawn the blade in his hand. He had still been clutching the hilt when he died. I didn't know whether he hadn't had time to react or hadn't wanted to kill me.

Had he underestimated me because I looked like a child?

I knelt down expressionlessly and pulled my kunai from his abdomen. The heavy scent of blood quickly spread through the air.

But think about it. If I were an ordinary child, would I be here in the Bloody Mist Village, where deathly silence and danger lurk everywhere?

I stood up, closed the door, and started back the way I had come.

If I had already encountered a Kirigakure ninja, this village was no longer safe. I had to warn Senior and Kusama Shigeo to be on their guard!

I soon returned to our meeting place. Kusama Shigeo was still standing there without a care in the world. He had even built a snowman!

"Hey, why are you back already?" He was still waving at me when I suddenly noticed something unbelievable. The snowbank behind him began to move. I jumped, then realized what was happening and shouted, "Get out of the way! It's dangerous!"

The next moment, the snow transformed into a group of black-clad shinobi, each holding a kunai and lunging at Kusama Shigeo!

Damn! There's no time!

"Duck!"

Kusama Shigeo froze, then instinctively obeyed my command. I drew a string of shuriken and hurled them at the group, but they clanged against the enemy's weapons and were all knocked away!

Only then did Kusama Shigeo see the attackers. He scrambled toward me, while I drew Murasame and met them head-on. The instant my blade clashed with an enemy kunai, pain shot through my wrist!

What incredible strength!

"I-I'll go find Hyuga Makoto!"

Kusama Shigeo started to run, but I yelled at him, "Don't go running off! We have no idea how many enemies are nearby!"

As I spoke, I heard the twang of wire. My already-injured ankle suddenly throbbed as the wire wrapped tightly around it!

These people are deliberately targeting our weak spots!

I had just escaped with a Substitution Technique when Kusama Shigeo shouted, "Grass Style: Rosemary Flower!"

I looked down. A gigantic flower was growing in front of him, and thick mist poured endlessly from its mouth!

I was so furious I nearly had a heart attack!

Using mist against the enemy? You've got to be kidding me. Take a guess why this place is called Kirigakure!

I heard a few hoarse chuckles, and the enemy figures vanished into the mist!

"Th-they left?" Kusama Shigeo was drenched in sweat, but he broke into a delighted grin. "As expected, they're no match for me!"

"Shut up and get behind me!" I crouched into a defensive stance, my nerves taut to the breaking point, afraid I'd be struck by a hidden blade the moment I blinked!

The mist made the enemy's movements even harder to track. A faint breeze brushed past, and I felt a cold current skim over my face. A new line of blood appeared across it!

Kusama Shigeo cried out too and dropped to his knees with a thud, blood streaming down his right leg!

Damn it!

"Shigeo, cover me!"

This wasn't working. I decided to risk everything, plunged Murasame into the ground, and began forming hand seals—

"Wind Release—"

As I formed the seals, I could clearly hear the wind swirling around me. Danger was so close it seemed to whisper in my ear, a breath away from my throat!

Damn it, I won't make it!

I was covered in sweat, almost able to smell death!

Then came a sharp clang!

Amid the endless mist, I suddenly heard metal striking metal. The terrifying killing intent was knocked aside by something, away from my body. The weapon clattered to the ground.

Did I deflect it? I had no time to think. In an instant, I unleashed the jutsu—

"Wind Release: Breakthrough!"

The moment I completed the final hand seal, a gale roared out, scattering the mist in an instant! I saw five Kirigakure shinobi surrounding us, no more than a few steps away!

No, that wasn't right!

Footsteps approached from farther away, growing into a mass of sound!

Enemy reinforcements!

How could this happen?

My heart sank.

"Got anything else up your sleeve? Now's the time to use it." I took a step back, gripping my sword in both hands as I fixed my eyes on the enemies and counted. "Five... six... seven... eight..."

Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it! How could there be so many? It's almost as if they... as if they'd been lying in wait for us!

"I... I'm a medical ninja. I don't have any combat equipment!" Kusama Shigeo's back was pressed against mine, and his voice trembled. "C-can you beat them?"

I didn't answer. I was so tense I could barely breathe!

"Hey, according to the wartime treaty, if a medical ninja is captured, they're supposed to be sent safely back to their own country..." Kusama Shigeo babbled on, but before he could finish, dozens of kunai with Explosive Tags attached came flying toward us, blasting his hopes to pieces!

"Stop dreaming and fight."

I shoved Kusama Shigeo aside. The Explosive Tags had only been a test, so I had dodged them easily.

Amid the dust, I gripped my sword with both hands and shook the dirt off my face. Murasame's blue light suddenly flared through the white mist!

"Kirigakure has never followed any wartime treaty."

As Kusama Shigeo watched in terror, I charged forward and went straight for the first enemy!

"Cover me!"