"Lord Ninja, I'm entrusting Koyuki to you," Kazahana Sōsetsu said respectfully, bowing to Kakashi. There was a hint of pleading in his voice.
As the Daimyo, he was setting aside his dignity and status for the sake of his daughter.
Watching this scene from the shadows, Naraku felt a little downcast.
The world of shinobi was full of cruelty and slaughter, but it also had its tender side. No matter where you were, family bonds were impossible to sever.
"Someone's coming," Naraku said suddenly, his expression changing. He sensed several powerful presences approaching.
He quickly signaled to Kakashi.
Kakashi had also sensed something was wrong, and his expression turned serious.
"Several people are approaching. Are they...?"
Kazahana Sōsetsu's face changed when he heard this. He hurriedly said, "Take Koyuki and leave. Now."
"What's wrong, Dad? What's happening?" Though she was young, Koyuki could tell something was amiss.
"Go!"
Kazahana Sōsetsu didn't answer her. He simply urged Kakashi again.
Kakashi didn't hesitate. He scooped Koyuki into his arms and vanished in a flash.
Only after Kakashi and the others disappeared from sight did Kazahana Sōsetsu let out a breath. His expression grew calm.
"Now that Koyuki is safe, I have nothing left to worry about. Little brother, let's see what you're really up to."
With that thought, Kazahana Sōsetsu stepped out of the room. By coincidence, three figures appeared outside.
"So that's Kazahana Dōtō," Naraku thought, identifying the man by his resemblance to Kazahana Sōsetsu.
"Dōtō, what brings you here so late?" Kazahana Sōsetsu asked, pretending he knew nothing.
"What brings me here? Heh."
Now that he had made all the necessary preparations, Kazahana Dōtō no longer had any reservations. He openly turned against Kazahana Sōsetsu.
"I've come to take back what's rightfully mine."
"What do you mean, what's rightfully yours? Dōtō, we're brothers. If there's anything of mine you like, just take it," Kazahana Sōsetsu said, still clinging to a sliver of hope.
Who would choose not to live, if they had the choice?
"The Daimyo's seat. The Hex Crystal," Kazahana Dōtō said bluntly. "Hand them over, and I'll spare Koyuki. Otherwise..."
"Dōtō, are you planning a rebellion?" Kazahana Sōsetsu snapped. At the same time, he knew he wouldn't make it out of here alive.
"Rebellion? Heh." Kazahana Dōtō ignored him and gestured for the two men behind him to search the room. He planned to use Koyuki as a hostage to force his brother to surrender the title of Daimyo.
Hidden in the shadows, Naraku hesitated. He knew that once Kazahana Dōtō realized Koyuki and the Hex Crystal were gone, he would kill Kazahana Sōsetsu.
"Forget it," Naraku murmured, shaking his head.
Though he was strong enough to save Kazahana Sōsetsu, he wasn't sure he could get him out of the Land of Snow. He could sense that Kazahana Dōtō was stronger than both him and Kakashi. Besides, the other side had Nadare Rōga, a powerful fighter, at their command.
Just then, the two men returned from the room, looking surprised. "My lord, there's no one inside."
"How can there be no one?" Kazahana Dōtō's face darkened. He knew his older brother well; without Koyuki as leverage, it would be difficult to make him give in.
But things had already gone too far for him to give up now. A vicious glint flashed in Kazahana Dōtō's eyes.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened and he whipped around to look in one direction. He didn't see anything unusual, but he was on alert.
The two men beside him didn't wait for an order. They searched the area he had looked toward.
"Phew!"
Naraku, who had already left, breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected Kazahana Dōtō's senses to be so sharp. He had used only a little chakra, yet he'd nearly been detected.
Without another moment's hesitation, he channeled chakra into his legs and sped away.
"My dear older brother, it seems I underestimated you," Kazahana Dōtō said with a cruel grin.
The sight of that familiar face stirred his resentment once more.
When they were children, the two brothers had actually been close. As the older brother, Kazahana Sōsetsu had often looked after him.
But their relationship changed after their father passed the title of Daimyo to Kazahana Sōsetsu.
Power could change a person beyond recognition, and Kazahana Dōtō was proof of that.
His longing for power and hatred for his brother had led him down the path to fratricide.
"Koyuki..." Kazahana Sōsetsu seemed to realize something and softly called his daughter's name. Then a large hand closed around his neck.
Crack!
Kazahana Sōsetsu was just an ordinary man. Against the powerful Kazahana Dōtō, he had no chance to resist. In an instant, Dōtō snapped his neck.
Thud!
Then he tossed Kazahana Sōsetsu's body aside.
"Notify Nadare. Make sure he intercepts Koyuki."
"Yes, sir."
He hadn't been too worried about Koyuki's disappearance because he had already made preparations.
His most capable subordinate, Nadare Rōga, was already waiting along the only route out of the Land of Snow.
"Mm... You... let..."
Elsewhere, Kakashi looked down at Koyuki, who was struggling in his arms. His only visible eye was filled with helplessness.
Thud!
With no other choice, Kakashi struck Koyuki with a karate chop to knock her unconscious, just to be safe.
He controlled his strength carefully. She would only be unconscious for a little while and wouldn't suffer any other harm.
With Koyuki no longer slowing him down, Kakashi moved faster. Before long, he reached their destination.
It was a snow-white glacier, the meeting place he and Naraku had agreed on.
"What's going on?" Kakashi murmured, frowning as he waited.
Naraku wasn't much slower than him. Under normal circumstances, he should have arrived by now. A sense of foreboding rose in Kakashi's heart.
"Did something happen?"
Frowning, Kakashi created a Shadow Clone and had it hide with Koyuki. Then his real body immediately headed back the way he had come.
After losing so many people he cared about, there was no longer any comparison between a mission and his comrades.