Chapter 18

Next up was Rock Lee versus Gaara.

The entire match played out exactly as he remembered—blood-pumping from start to finish. Watching from the side, Uchiha Yi had to admit that this taijutsu maniac was impressive.

The only difference was that Rock Lee still lost in the end, but this time, at least he came out of it in one piece instead of with shattered leg bones.

With Uchiha Yi around, how could he let that happen?

The preliminaries ended. Choji lost to Dosu, and the final roster was decided: nine genin advanced, with five from Konoha, three from Sand Village, and one Sound Ninja.

Once the lots were drawn, the matchups were basically the same as before.

Naruto came rushing over right after his match, shouting for him to go celebrate together.

But before they had taken more than a few steps, Kakashi stopped him. Naruto was still injured and needed to go to the hospital for a checkup.

Uchiha Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had a ramen date with Hinata that night, followed by a stroll around town. He had finally finished being busy—how could he let Naruto ruin his date when he was still worrying over how to raise their intimacy?

Unfortunately, those leisurely days did not last long.

The old Third Hokage summoned him again.

This time, he said Uchiha Yi's promotion assignment had been decided. "What the hell? My mission to become a chunin... is escorting a film crew while they shoot a movie?"

In the Hokage's office, Uchiha Yi stared blankly at the pipe-smoking Third Hokage across from him.

A chunin promotion—an exceptional promotion, no less—and the mission was actually this... this easy?

Yes, ridiculously easy.

And pretty absurd, too.

What did shooting a movie even mean?

The sudden shift in tone was seriously jarring.

If he were escorting some important figure from the Land of Fire, that would at least make sense.

But acting as a bodyguard for a film crew? What kind of mission was that?

Still, seeing the Third Hokage's smiling expression—the kind that said, "You know what I mean"—Uchiha Yi knew there was more to this. "Old man Third, there's something strange about this mission, isn't there?"

"Heh heh, I knew I couldn't fool a sharp kid like you." The Third Hokage smiled and called toward the door. "Come in."

The door opened, and a familiar face walked in. "Kakashi-sensei?"

Uchiha Yi froze.

Was Kakashi going on the mission with him?

That did not seem right.

The third stage of the exam would begin in a month. Kakashi had to keep an eye on Sasuke during this period—how could he have time for anything else? "Kakashi, give it to him."

While Uchiha Yi was still trying to figure it out, the Third Hokage had Kakashi take out a scroll. "Well... it may be a little troublesome, but with your current ability, it shouldn't be a problem."

With that, Kakashi stuffed the scroll into Uchiha Yi's hand, turned, and left.

This...

Seeing that he was still confused, the Third Hokage slowly said, "It's normal for you to be puzzled. Once you've read the mission details, you'll understand."

Uchiha Yi stepped forward, took the mission scroll, and unrolled it for a quick look. The moment he saw it, he was startled.

The client was actually... Sandaayu Asama?

Sandaayu Asama?

Wasn't that... Princess Koyuki?

The Naruto movie, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow?

Uchiha Yi understood everything in an instant.

Well, damn. It was actually movie-arc plot.

He had thought he would never run into something like this in this life. "Tch, the timeline's a little messed up."

After reading the scroll Kakashi had given him, Uchiha Yi casually rolled it up and tossed it onto the desk.

Everything written on the scroll—the situation in the Land of Snow, the identity of the woman named Koyuki, and the background of Doto's group—was already crystal clear to him. To him, this was no more than a confirmation letter. "Whatever. Who cares?"

He shrugged, without the slightest hint of pressure on his face. "This kind of plot isn't difficult anyway. I'll just treat it as a trip to the Land of Snow."

He had even considered bringing Hinata along. There would not be any danger along the way, so it could count as a vacation.

Kakashi had barely left when the client, Sandaayu Asama, arrived.

The man did not put on airs just because Uchiha Yi was young. The Third Hokage had most likely spoken to him beforehand.

This mission was neither entirely easy nor entirely difficult.

He was responsible for the security of the entire film crew, with special emphasis on protecting the woman named Koyuki.

The mission duration was three days. Once Koyuki entered the Land of Snow, he only needed to protect her for three days. After seven days, he could leave.

Uchiha Yi understood perfectly.

Sandaayu Asama and the other former retainers of the Land of Snow were probably planning to use this opportunity to help Koyuki reclaim the throne.

But the problem was—what could they do to Doto with so few people?

He could not help shaking his head.

The next day, Sandaayu Asama brought him to the film set. "This is our new bodyguard?"

A middle-aged man in sunglasses walked over and sized up Uchiha Yi. "Director, this is Lord Uchiha Yi, personally recommended by the Hokage. His strength is absolutely up to the task."

"Fine. If you say so, Asama, then I have no problem with it."

The director turned to Uchiha Yi. "Then I'll be relying on you for the next few days."

"It's my duty."

After chatting for a few moments, the director went back to work.

Uchiha Yi had arrived at a bad time. The crew was filming.

But before he could even get settled, a scream exploded across the set—

"Oh no! Fujikaze Yukie is missing!"

Uchiha Yi's mouth twitched.

Great. The mission target was gone.

He turned and headed straight out onto the street.

At the entrance to an alley, a woman wrapped up from head to toe was trying to blend into the crowd.

Uchiha Yi recognized her at a glance.

Fujikaze Yukie—Koyuki.

She had disguised herself, and ordinary people would never recognize her, but she could not fool him. "Tch, she really is pretty."

He did not beat around the bush. He walked straight over and blocked her path. "Hey, Ms. Fujikaze Yukie, please come back with me."

At the corner of the street, Uchiha Yi locked onto his target—Koyuki, also known as Fujikaze Yukie.

She had changed outfits and concealed her face. Ordinary people would never recognize her. But in his eyes, no disguise was good enough. "Tch, she's quite a looker."

Now that he had found her, he did not hide anything. He walked right up to her. "Hey, Fujikaze Yukie—or should I say Koyuki—come with me."

Koyuki instantly tensed. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Uchiha Yi. I'm your film crew's bodyguard. I'm responsible for your safety during this shoot in the Land of Snow."

Koyuki's face darkened. "I don't know you. You've got the wrong person."

"Hmm... right, your real name should be Koyuki." There was a teasing note in Uchiha Yi's voice. "You... who exactly are you?"

Koyuki was clearly flustered. Having her real name called out directly, she could no longer stay calm. "Didn't I make myself clear just now?" Uchiha Yi sounded a little helpless as he repeated himself. "I'm your bodyguard, a ninja from Konoha."

"A Konoha ninja? A brat like you?"

Koyuki looked him up and down, her face full of disdain.

Uchiha Yi's expression darkened. Fine, his age really was his current weakness.

But aside from being younger, what was lacking about him?

Besides, he practiced the Enhanced Eight Gates. His body had long since developed as if he had cheats enabled. Though he was only thirteen, he was already 1.7 meters tall. His face still carried a trace of youthful immaturity, making him look at most fifteen or sixteen. "You're a real pain, woman."

He could not be bothered to waste any more words. His figure flashed, and he appeared directly behind Koyuki, raising a hand and knocking her unconscious.

Over the following days, Koyuki tried to escape several times.

The result was always the same—every time, Uchiha Yi caught her, knocked her out, and carried her back.

Gradually, she finally understood one fact: this boy who looked five or six years younger than her really was a capable ninja.

As an ordinary person, she simply could not escape.

The more she thought about her status as the princess of the Land of Snow, the more she felt that she and this little brat were not even on the same level.

The boy in front of her looked five or six years younger, but he was a genuine powerhouse. She was just an ordinary person who could not do anything. Escape? Not a chance.

Inside a small tavern. "Hey, kid, want a drink?"

Koyuki smiled as she looked at Uchiha Yi. After spending the past few days together, she had figured out his temperament—though the kid was highly capable, he was lazy by nature, hated trouble, and had decent character.

As long as she did not try to run away, he would allow her to come out for a few drinks.

Uchiha Yi merely glanced at her and could not be bothered to respond.

What a joke. Could someone his age touch alcohol? Even after becoming an adult, he would not touch this garbage.

It was too low-class to suit him. "Hey, you know who I am, right?" Koyuki's expression suddenly turned serious. "Yeah, I know a little. Your name is Koyuki, and you're the former princess of the Land of Snow."

"Oh, to be precise, you're the daughter of the former daimyo."

"More than ten years ago, the Land of Snow changed hands. Your father, Sōsetsu, was taken out by his younger brother, Doto. Doto is the one in charge now."

At the mention of her father, a shadow passed through Koyuki's eyes, but she quickly returned to normal. "Heh, and you call that knowing 'a little'?"

"It really is only a little. For example, I don't know your measurements."

"You little brat, you're asking for a beating!"

Koyuki gritted her teeth in anger.

But she quickly suppressed her temper and stared at Uchiha Yi. "Kid, I'll admit you've got some skill. But since you know about the Land of Snow and know about Doto—"

"Then you should understand how strong Doto is. If you step into the Land of Snow, he'll definitely kill you."

"Oh? Are you worried about me? What, trying to rob the cradle?"

Uchiha Yi put on an alarmed expression. "You... you little bastard! I am so sick of you!"

Koyuki completely blew up, her cheeks flushed red—whether from the alcohol or from anger, who knew. She tipped back her head, drained the wine in her cup, then slammed the door as she left.

Uchiha Yi watched her departing back, his gaze darkening.

Honestly, he did not take Doto seriously at all.

At his current strength, he could not claim to be invincible across the ninja world, but in a mere Land of Snow, there was truly no one who could give him a headache.

After being shut down at the tavern, Koyuki was clearly much more obedient.

She stopped running, stopped drinking, and threw herself wholeheartedly into filming.

She could not even be bothered to say much to Uchiha Yi anymore.

A few days passed like that. The early parts of the movie were nearly finished, leaving only the scenes in the Land of Snow.

They set off for the Land of Snow!

This time, Koyuki obediently boarded the ship.

But in the middle of the night, the woman finally showed her true colors.

While everyone else was dozing off, Koyuki quietly slipped out of her room.

She lowered a small boat.

That's right, she planned to row away. "Hey, you drunk auntie, why are you messing around here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"