Quests and Companions

"Lord Ninja, I leave Koyuki in your care," Fuyubana Sosetsu said, bowing respectfully to Kakashi, his tone laced with a hint of pleading.

As the Daimyo, he had set aside his dignity and status for the sake of his daughter.

Hidden in the shadows, Naraku felt a sense of melancholy as he witnessed this scene.

Though the world of ninjas was filled with cruelty and slaughter, it also possessed a tender side; no matter the place, the bond of family was something that could never be severed.

"Someone is coming," Naraku's expression suddenly shifted. Under his perception, several powerful auras were approaching.

He quickly signaled toward Kakashi.

Kakashi, having also sensed the anomaly, turned grave.

"Several people are approaching. They are..."

Fuyubana Sosetsu's face changed upon hearing this, and he urged, "Quickly, take Koyuki and go!"

"What is it, Father? Has something happened?" Despite her youth, Fuyubana Koyuki sensed that something was wrong.

"Go!"

Fuyubana Sosetsu did not answer her, only urging Kakashi once more.

Kakashi did not hesitate; he scooped Fuyubana Koyuki into his arms and vanished in a flash.

Only after watching Kakashi and the others disappear from sight did Fuyubana Sosetsu heave a sigh of relief, his expression turning calm.

"Since Koyuki is safe, I have nothing left to worry about. My brother, let me see what it is you truly intend to do."

With this thought, Fuyubana Sosetsu stepped out of the room, and coincidentally, three figures appeared before him.

"So this is Fuyubana Dotō," Naraku thought, identifying the man by his resemblance to Fuyubana Sosetsu.

"Dotō, what brings you here so late?" Fuyubana Sosetsu asked, feigning ignorance.

"What brings me here? Heh."

Having made full preparations, Fuyubana Dotō no longer had any reservations and dropped the facade entirely.

"I have come to take back what is rightfully mine."

"What rightfully yours? Dotō, we are brothers. If there is anything of mine you desire, you need only take it," Fuyubana Sosetsu said, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

If it were possible, who would not want to live?

"The position of Daimyo, and the Hex Crystal," Fuyubana Dotō stated bluntly. "Hand those two things over, and I may spare Koyuki's life. Otherwise..."

"Dotō, are you attempting a coup?" Fuyubana Sosetsu scolded, knowing full well that his fate was sealed.

"A coup? Heh." Fuyubana Dotō ignored him, gesturing for the two men behind him to enter the room. He intended to use Fuyubana Koyuki's life to blackmail his brother into voluntarily abdicating the throne.

Hidden in the shadows, Naraku hesitated. He knew that once Fuyubana Dotō discovered that Fuyubana Koyuki and the Hex Crystal were gone, he would surely kill Fuyubana Sosetsu.

"Forget it," Naraku shook his head slightly.

While he had the strength to save Fuyubana Sosetsu, he could not guarantee he could spirit him out of the Land of Snow. He could sense that Fuyubana Dotō's strength surpassed both his own and Kakashi's, not to mention that the man had the formidable Rouga Nadare under his command.

At that moment, Fuyubana Dotō's two subordinates emerged from the room, looking surprised. "My Lord, there is no one inside."

"How can there be no one?" Fuyubana Dotō's face twisted with rage. He knew his brother's temperament well; without Fuyubana Koyuki as leverage, it would be difficult to force a compromise.

But things had reached this point, and turning back was impossible. A fierce glint flashed in Fuyubana Dotō's eyes.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and he whipped his head toward a certain direction. Though he saw nothing, his instincts were piqued.

Without needing an order, the two men beside him began to search that area.

"Whew!"

Naraku, having already retreated, let out a breath. He had not expected Fuyubana Dotō's sensory abilities to be so keen; he had nearly been discovered just by using a tiny amount of chakra.

He did not hesitate, flooding his legs with chakra and speeding away in the opposite direction.

"My dear brother, it seems I underestimated you," Fuyubana Dotō sneered at Fuyubana Sosetsu.

Looking at that familiar face, the resentment in his heart surged once more.

In truth, when they were young, the two brothers had been close, and Fuyubana Sosetsu had looked after him well as an elder brother.

But that relationship had changed the moment their father passed the title of Daimyo to Fuyubana Sosetsu.

Power distorts a man, and Fuyubana Dotō was no exception.

His inner craving for power and his hatred for his brother had led him down the path of fratricide.

"Koyuki..." Fuyubana Sosetsu whispered his daughter's name, as if realizing something, before a large hand clamped around his throat.

Snap!

Fuyubana Sosetsu was merely an ordinary man; he had no means to resist the powerful Fuyubana Dotō, who snapped his neck in an instant.

Thud!

He tossed the body aside.

"Notify Nadare. He must intercept Fuyubana Koyuki."

"Yes."

The reason he did not appear particularly anxious regarding the disappearance of Fuyubana Koyuki was that he had already made preparations in advance.

His most capable subordinate, Rouga Nadare, was already stationed on the only path leading out of the Land of Snow.

"Mmph, you... let..."

On the other side, Kakashi looked at the constantly struggling Fuyubana Koyuki in his arms, his only visible eye filled with helplessness.

Thud!

With no other choice, for the sake of safety, Kakashi delivered a chop to the back of Fuyubana Koyuki's neck, knocking her unconscious.

Naturally, he controlled his strength; it would only keep her asleep for a while and would not cause any other harm.

With Koyuki's interference gone, Kakashi's speed increased, and before long, he arrived at a certain location.

This was a snow-white glacier, the meeting point he had agreed upon with Naraku.

"What is going on?" Kakashi's brow furrowed after waiting for a while.

Naraku's speed was not much slower than his own; under normal circumstances, he should have arrived by now. A sense of foreboding rose in Kakashi's heart.

Could some accident have occurred?

Thinking of this, Kakashi's brow furrowed deeper. He first created a shadow clone and had it take Fuyubana Koyuki into hiding, then, without a moment's hesitation, his original body turned back the way he came.

Having lost so many people he cared about in succession, the mission and his comrade no longer held any comparison in his heart.