Return to the Land of Snow

Naruto's charisma.

And the respect shown by those Snow Ninjas.

Do not think this was merely Utakata's illusion.

He truly believed that this place of refuge he had chosen was excellent.

To fight for oneself.

This was the reason Utakata chose to defect from Kirigakure.

And now.

Even though they had not yet reached the Snow Ninja Village.

Utakata already felt a sense of belonging growing within his heart.

And for Utakata.

This was naturally an extremely good beginning.

The voyage lasted a full eight days. This was only because they had to take a slightly longer route; otherwise, following their trajectory without stopping at any ports for supplies, they could have arrived in the Land of Snow much sooner. After this journey of over a week, Naruto, Utakata, and their party finally returned to the territory belonging to the Land of Snow. Looking at the bright, white, snow-capped mountains in the distance that seemed to pierce the clouds, even though he had lived in the cold climate of the Land of Water, this was the first time Utakata had seen such exaggerated snow-covered peaks, and he felt the temperature drop sharply.

"Is this the Land of Snow?"

Utakata stood at the very front of the ship's deck, gazing at the endless expanse of white before him. A faint look of emotion flickered in the depths of his eyes as he spoke in a low voice.

"That's right, this is the Land of Snow—the edge of the world."

Naruto, who had also stepped out of the cabin onto the deck, walked lightly to Utakata's side, a faint smile on his face as he spoke.

"The edge of the world? It certainly lives up to the name. The temperature here is much colder than the coldest days in the Land of