Uchiha Seiryu [187-192] (Patreon)

Chapter 187: Team 7's First Battle

"What?" Tazuna's face changed dramatically upon hearing the news. He gritted his teeth, "Gato, how could he do this!"

"Mr. Zabuza, how about we lay low for a while?" Tazuna turned to Zabuza with a suggestion.

"What's the point of running!" Zabuza frowned impatiently. "If they dare come for me, perfect—I'll kill a few Leaf shinobi and avenge our Mist ninjas."

However, before he finished speaking, every hair on his body stood on end. He whipped out his executioner's blade and held it in front of him, shielding Tazuna.

A thick beam of chakra, as wide as a thigh, blasted down onto the sword, erupting in a violent explosion. Tazuna's small house was instantly reduced to rubble.

As the smoke cleared, Zabuza, panting, glanced at the executioner's blade in his hand—it was now covered in cracks.

Behind him, Tazuna and the boy who'd just run in with a message had collapsed to the ground, faces full of terror.

Without a word, Zabuza pulled a vial of blood from his ninja pouch and poured it over the sword. As the blood touched the blade, the cracks from the explosion slowly began to heal.

Zabuza's gaze shifted to the shore, where a huge wave surged. Riding the crest was a giant blue serpent, upon whose head stood three teens, each wearing a Leaf forehead protector.

The boy in front had his right hand resting on his sword hilt, looking down at Zabuza from above. "Konoha ninjas?" Zabuza narrowed his eyes, pointing his now-restored executioner's blade at the trio. "State your names!"

"Leaf genin, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Leaf genin, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Leaf genin, Hyuga Neji."

"Just three genin?" Zabuza's eyes flashed with contempt. "An Uchiha and a Hyuga main family member? Leaf really sent me a fine gift."

He licked his lips. "I'll take your eyes as souvenirs."

"Too bad for you. We were planning to use you to ransom back the Byakugan your rogue Mist ninjas once stole from my clan." Neji smirked as his sniper rifle vanished into a summoning seal.

"Cocky brats." Zabuza's hands blurred through hand signs. A thick mist rose from nowhere, shrouding the area.

"The Hidden Mist technique, huh?" Neji calmly watched the fog. "You really think this works against my Byakugan?"

Zabuza said nothing. Using the cover of mist, he instantly appeared behind Naruto. In his view, the Sharingan and Byakugan both countered Mist's assassination techniques, so the best move was to take out the blonde—the one without a bloodline limit first.

"Kid, behind you." Kurama's voice echoed in Naruto's mind.

"I can see him!" With his sensory ninja gear, Naruto spun and delivered a heavy kick to the side of the executioner's blade, knocking it aside. Using the momentum, he twisted and punched at Zabuza's temple. Zabuza blocked with his other arm, but was shocked at the force.

In the next instant, a flash of purple lightning and a palm wreathed in wind struck simultaneously. Zabuza could only escape using a substitution jutsu.

Back in the mist, Zabuza shook out his hand, face full of disbelief. Were these really just genin?

Before he could recover, bolts of lightning rained down. Zabuza barely dodged, craters erupting behind him.

"This fighting style…" As Zabuza ducked and dodged, he glanced at Sasuke, surrounded by sticky purple lightning, red eyes glowing—the scene overlapped perfectly with the man who'd once cast a dark shadow over Mist years ago.

"Sasuke, careful. Remember, we need him alive," Neji reminded, tossing strange metal rods into the mist.

"Fine." Sasuke restrained the lightning. But before Zabuza could breathe easy, a blonde figure burst from the fog with a shout.

Zabuza sliced it apart, but another blonde attacked from a different direction.

"Shadow clones, how does this brat have so many shadow clones!" Zabuza grew agitated as he cut down over a dozen Narutos. Normal people couldn't make this many clones, and even if they could, each would have weak chakra, incapable of launching real attacks. Yet every clone's strike forced Zabuza to take them seriously.

With no choice, Zabuza dispelled the mist. As it faded, he saw an ocean of yellow all around him, sweat beading on his brow.

With the mist gone, Naruto's clones swarmed. Zabuza quickly formed hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"

From the nearby sea, a massive dragon made of water surged forth, roaring at Naruto's clones.

The clones shattered under the onslaught, and Zabuza let out a breath.

'Good thing we're by the sea, or I'd have been done for.'

Standing on the water left by the attack, Zabuza wiped his brow.

"You're getting happy a bit too soon."

Zabuza looked up to see the youth with the purple lightning blade standing atop the water.

Sasuke stabbed the blade into the water, purple electricity spreading out instantly.

Back in the Third Great Ninja War, there was a saying among Mist ninjas: Never use wide-area water jutsu against Uchiha Seiryu. They'll be your death.

Zabuza hadn't understood then. Now he did.

He could only leap high, but six purple thunder dragons erupted from the water, sealing off all escape.

Zabuza looked frantically for a way out. Even if he used substitution jutsu, there was nowhere to go—within a hundred meters, every surface was electrified. Landing meant total paralysis. Gritting his teeth, he shielded himself with the blade, planning to take the hit and use the force to escape.

He succeeded, but at a cost: the blade was now filled with cracks, and he coughed up blood midair, clearly injured.

Landing heavily, Zabuza staggered up and ran, ignoring his pain.

Those two brats he'd fought—both had jonin-level strength! The Uchiha kid especially was almost a copy of Seiryu, the dark legend over Mist. If he didn't escape and report this, Mist's future was doomed.

But after only a few steps, strange runes appeared on the ground. His chakra was drained instantly, and chains rose from below, binding his limbs.

Looking to the edge of the rune circle, Zabuza saw metal rods at intervals—now he understood what Neji's rods were for.

"This trap's pretty effective." Sasuke approached, inspecting Neji's linked sealing trap that shut down chakra.

"Tenten and Karin developed it. Still in testing—Tenten made me bring some," Neji explained.

"Let's tie him up." Sasuke pulled out special ropes from a sealing scroll.

Suddenly, Zabuza lunged with a kunai at Sasuke.

"Die, Uchiha brat!" Zabuza's eyes flashed with final resolve. He'd die, but if he could take out an Uchiha prodigy—possibly Seiryu's own student—it was worth it.

But then he saw Sasuke's Sharingan—the three tomoe spinning calmly.

The next instant, Zabuza collapsed, powerless.

"Hey, Sasuke, looks like he reminds you of sensei." Naruto joked, finally catching up. "He even dared to meet your eyes since sensei's getjutsu suck."

Neji's mouth twitched, then he warned, "Don't say that where sensei can hear, or he'll beat you up again."

Sasuke bound Zabuza tightly and layered two more seals for good measure.

"Sasuke, what about the people here?" Neji asked, looking at the damaged village. Tazuna and his grandson had fled in the chaos, and many houses were ruined.

"Not our concern. With the ninja threat gone, Uncle Gato will handle things," Sasuke replied.

…

A week later, news of Zabuza's capture reached North Mist, along with Konoha's demand: If you want Zabuza's life spared, trade back the Byakugan you stole.

Mei Terumi, the Mizukage, was at her wits' end. Trading a hard-won Byakugan for a jonin's life was a terrible deal. Zabuza was strong, but the Byakugan could change the course of war. No reasonable village head would agree.

But North Mist was different. The village barely held together under Mei's empty promises, struggling against South Mist's financial pressure. If Zabuza died because the leadership wouldn't trade a Byakugan, morale would collapse.

Mist ninjas suffered daily, hungry and cold, for Mei's vision of a better future. If she wouldn't even save a comrade, her followers would rebel.

"Mizukage-sama, Zabuza's men are gathering outside the tower. What do we do?" Kisame entered Mei's office with a sigh.

"Do we have a choice?" Mei gave a bitter laugh. "Have Ao come here."

A long silence fell. After a while, Mei asked, "Do we know who beat Zabuza?"

"According to survivors from Wave, he lost to three Leaf genin," Kisame reported.

"Genin?" Mei couldn't believe it. "You're kidding."

"One is an Uchiha—their fighting style matches Uchiha Seiryu's. It seems this team is his personal students," Kisame added.

"Another Leaf genius?" Mei gritted her teeth. "They churn out geniuses, while we…"

...breed nothing but worms, Kisame finished silently in his mind.

As much as he hated to admit it, Mei was right. If Konoha was a cradle of genius, Mist had become a breeding ground for mediocrity.

Chapter 188: Movie Star Princess? Sasuke's Exam

On their way back to the Leaf escorting their prisoner, Team 7 bumped into Shikamaru's group, who were catching crickets for a noble.

"Sasuke? Naruto?" Ino ran over eagerly—she was sick of searching forests for the feudal lord's perfect cricket, while their teacher wasted time reading dirty books.

"Ino! Where's Shikamaru and Choji?" Naruto grinned.

"Over there." Ino pointed to the two figures in the bushes.

"Heard you passed the Hokage's test, so you don't have to do D-rank missions," Ino said. "So jealous! You get real missions, and we're babysitting a brat for crickets. Our teacher's just a pervy old man obsessed with dirty books."

"Cough, cough—can you not talk about crickets behind my back?" A deadpan voice dropped from the trees above. "As Konoha ninjas, we should show the lord a little respect."

"Big Brother Kakashi!" Naruto greeted warmly, hauling out the tied-up Zabuza like a trophy. "Look! We caught a Mist rogue's elite jonin!"

"Oh?" Kakashi's eye crinkled in a smile when he saw his old Water Country foe. "It's him, huh?"

Then he eyed the executioner's blade on Naruto's back. "If you want to keep that as a trophy, you'd better have your sensei or Karin put a sealing formula on it. Otherwise, Mist can summon it back."

He explained that all seven Mist swords had summoning contracts; even when an owner died abroad, the blades always returned home.

"But if you do, the sword's special powers might be suppressed," Kakashi warned.

"So troublesome," Naruto sighed, disappointed. Ever since Sasuke got his purple lightning blade as a graduation gift, Naruto had wanted a cool ninja sword too.

"Or you could have it melted down and reforged into a new blade," Kakashi suggested.

Naruto brightened at the idea.

"Enough about that!" Naruto cheered up and invited Ino, "Let's go for ramen later—my treat to celebrate our first mission!"

"You just want ramen. Stop making excuses," Shikamaru muttered as he joined them.

"Hehe, you caught me." Naruto scratched his head. "Where's Kiba's team?"

"They're out looking for the Minister of Construction's lost dog," Shikamaru replied.

"Okay, we'll hand in our mission. If you see them, tell them I'll treat them to ramen tonight. See you!"

…

After Team 7 delivered Zabuza, negotiations began between Uchiha Seiryu and Mei Terumi. Finally, Mist agreed to trade a Byakugan for Zabuza's life.

When Ao's Byakugan was returned to the Hyuga shrine, over a month had passed. In that time, Team 7 had completed two more C-rank bandit suppression missions.

Then, Uchiha Seiryu spotted an interesting mission in the assignment stack:

"Escort movie star Fujikaze Yukie to the Land of Snow for filming. Client: Sandayū Asama."

Seiryu tossed the report aside and called, "Inaho, send Sasuke to me."

Sasuke arrived soon after, and, seeing Seiryu busy, went to prepare tea. "What would you like today, sensei?"

"Snow velvet tea, second shelf, fourth box from the left."

Sasuke brewed the tea and served it respectfully.

"Not bad, you've improved," Seiryu nodded.

"Still a long way from you, sensei. Why did you call me?"

"I have a mission for Team 7." Seiryu handed over the assignment.

Sasuke skimmed it, puzzled. "Escort a movie star to Snow Country? Is this really worth calling me in?"

"Of course—because it's also an exam for you," Seiryu smiled.

"An exam?" Sasuke was confused.

"Not a ninja skills exam, but a test of the strategic skills I've taught you all these years." Seiryu handed over intelligence on the Snow Country coup.

"Fujikaze Yukie, real name Kazahana Koyuki, is the only daughter of the previous Snow Country daimyo, killed in a bloody coup. In short, the hottest actress in the ninja world is actually an exiled princess," Seiryu explained.

Sasuke's face grew serious. "What's the passing standard, sensei?"

Seiryu produced a draft contract for Snow Country joining Konoha's alliance. "This is the minimum. Get the Snow daimyo to sign. But to earn a higher grade, bring back as much benefit as possible."

"You can use any resource or connection you have. If you want, you can ask your father in Water Country. But I won't help you at all. All costs are on you. If you succeed, any benefits beyond the contract are yours."

Seiryu smiled. "Well? Confident?"

Sasuke's face broke into a grin. "As long as you don't restrict my resources, I'd like to try."

"Neji's ANBU status isn't revoked yet, right?"

"Not yet."

"Then please don't assign missions to Teams 8 and 10. I'll have Neji mobilize them to assist us."

Seiryu chuckled. "So you want Kakashi and Shisui's strength. But Kakashi can't leave Konoha for long—at most, you get Shisui. But if you want to hire him as muscle, you'll have to pay him yourself."

"Why me? Our client, Sandayū Asama, has made a fortune off the princess. If they want an S-class ninja to help restore a country, they'd pay, right?"

"But if we just storm the Snow palace and replace the daimyo, it'll mess with Konoha's stance of not interfering in other nations' politics."

Seiryu nodded for Sasuke to continue.

"So, our target is to get drawn into the succession dispute accidentally, protecting the princess, and end up fighting the current daimyo only as a result of her being attacked. The best is if we appear to be manipulated by the princess, with no knowledge of her identity."

"Then… ninja battle, daimyo dies," Sasuke finished.

"Excellent!" Seiryu applauded. "You're getting the hang of reading the board. But the game never goes as planned. Steering it as it changes is the real test. Don't let me down."

"Just watch, sensei," Sasuke replied confidently, then left to gather Neji and Naruto.

They soon found Sandayū Asama at the posh hotel with the film crew, explaining their credentials.

"You're the ninjas for this job?" Sandayū Asama eyed them. "Where's your jonin?"

"Our situation is special. Our nominal team leader is the Fifth Hokage himself," Neji said calmly. "We're his personal students. We may have just graduated, but we're jonin-level, with a record of capturing a rogue Mist jonin. You can check our mission logs. We're more than enough to protect a film shoot."

"Yeah, don't underestimate us!" Naruto piped up.

Sandayū Asama's eyes flashed as he looked at the three.

Chapter 189

Sandayū Asama considered the trio.

'They wouldn't lie about something so easily checked. These three really are jonin-level. And they're the Hokage's students. If I use their youthful sense of justice and reveal Koyuki's true identity, maybe I can persuade them to help her reclaim the throne.'

He grew excited—maybe the restoration of Snow was possible after all.

Both Sasuke and Neji caught his calculating look, but kept up their proud prodigy act, further convincing Sandayū Asama. Naruto, of course, didn't need to act.

"Well, well, we're lucky to have such talented ninjas," Sandayū Asama said, barely concealing his excitement.

"So, where's our other client? Won't she meet us before departure?" Sasuke asked.

"That's a long story," Sandayū Asama replied. "Why don't you come to the set?"

Excited to see a movie set, Naruto eagerly agreed, and Sasuke and Neji played along.

But soon, bad news arrived—the star, Fujikaze Yukie, was missing. The whole crew panicked and started searching.

Naruto volunteered to help, and Sasuke and Neji went along to keep up appearances.

It wasn't until evening that Koyuki returned to the hotel.

Sandayū Asama rushed over and scolded her: "Koyuki, where were you? Everyone's been looking for you all day!"

"I wasn't feeling well, so I went for a drink," she said coldly.

"A drink? If you were recognized, it'd cause a huge stir! We worked hard for filming privileges in Konoha!" he pleaded.

"Then don't film," Koyuki said with annoyance. "You took this job without my consent anyway."

"Koyuki, I know you're tired, but this is a series. The previous films were hits. The investors insist on a sequel. But I promise, after this, we'll take a break, okay?"

"Does the sequel really have to be filmed in Snow Country?" she frowned.

"Sasuke, is that really the Princess from the movie?" Naruto whispered. "Her attitude's nothing like the character."

"That's just acting. Who knows what she's really like?"

Their voices were quiet, but in the silence, Koyuki heard.

Annoyed, she snapped at Sandayū Asama, "Who are these brats?"

"They're Konoha ninjas I hired. They'll ensure our safety on the journey," Sandayū Asama explained.

"Just these three?" She scoffed.

"Hey! You looking down on us?" Naruto protested.

"Koyuki, these are the Hokage's students—geniuses who beat a jonin. Don't underestimate them," Sandayū Asama insisted.

"Beat a jonin? Them?" Koyuki was incredulous.

"Of course. Every mission is logged. Our first job was A-rank—fighting jonin-level enemies. So protecting a film crew is easy. According to Leaf intel, Snow's strongest ninja is only jonin-level," Neji said calmly.

"Is that so?" Koyuki's brow furrowed. "Well, I'm not going to Snow Country with you."

"Then as per Leaf rules, the deposit is non-refundable if you cancel," Neji replied.

"Naruto, Sasuke, let's go." Neji gestured to leave.

"Wait!" Sandayū Asama rushed after them, desperate. "Please, don't go!"

"Unless your client agrees, we can't accept," Neji said.

"Koyuki's just being stubborn. I'll persuade her. The film is important to her career. Please wait a few days," Sandayū Asama begged.

"Mr. Sandayū Asama, you misunderstand," Sasuke said coolly. "We don't need your job. We took it for the unique experience. But now you question our ability."

"I'm very sorry," Sandayū Asama apologized, deeply worried. "Koyuki's spoiled, but I'll talk to her. We truly want to hire you."

"Fine. When do we leave?" Sasuke asked.

"Give me three days, at most," Sandayū Asama said.

"Alright, we'll wait," Neji agreed.

After leaving, Naruto finally burst out, "Why did we threaten to quit? Isn't this our sensei's mission? Won't we get in trouble?"

After hanging out with Sasuke and Neji, Naruto had learned to just follow their plans and ask questions later.

"Who said we were really quitting?" Sasuke grinned.

"But weren't you serious?" Naruto was confused.

"We just wanted to gain leverage in the mission," Neji explained.

"Weren't you worried the client would really cancel?" Naruto asked.

"He wouldn't," Sasuke said. "This is an A-rank mission, meaning jonin-level enemies. Why would a film crew need that? Clearly, there's more going on."

"Like what?" Naruto asked, still baffled.

At that moment, the Nine-Tails spoke up inside Naruto: "Kid, that guy harbors ill intent. He's plotting against you three."

"Huh?" Naruto relayed Kurama's warning.

"Plotting against us?" Sasuke smirked. "We're plotting against him, too."

"Scheming Uchihas…" Kurama grumbled, changing position in his cage.

…

Three days later, Sandayū Asama somehow convinced Koyuki to agree to the trip.

The whole crew set out for Snow Country, with Team 7 riding in a luxury carriage behind Koyuki's.

For the next few days, Sandayū Asama checked on them daily, while Koyuki rarely left her carriage.

Sasuke's team enjoyed the peace. As they entered Snow Country, temperatures fell, and Naruto, just for fun, cooked hotpot in their carriage.

Naruto reverently dipped beef slices in boiling water. "Slowly soak it, slowly savor it," he chanted.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, baffled by the ritual.

"Don't interrupt! I learned this from sensei at dinner," Naruto said seriously.

Just as Naruto was about to eat, a blast rocked the carriage. The beef dropped, and the water spilled.

"Damn! What now?" Naruto flung open the door and froze.

All around, ice walls had shot up across the snowfield, throwing the convoy into chaos.

"They're here," Sasuke and Neji stepped out. Neji activated his Byakugan. "Thirty enemies."

Wind whipped snow and ice shards across the gorge as thirty Snow ninja appeared, their icy headbands gleaming.

Koyuki huddled in her carriage, trapped by ice walls, as the Snow ninja closed in.

"Ice Style: Tyrant Dragon Strike!" the Snow leader slammed his hands down. A dragon of ice erupted from the glacier, diving at the princess.

Lightning ripped through the snowstorm.

Purple lightning, ringing with a thousand birds' cries, split the ice dragon's head. Sasuke's black cloak fluttered in the arcs. Before the shards landed, he was a blur in the enemy ranks, slicing through ice armor like paper, lightning crackling across the ground.

Twenty Naruto clones dropped from above. "Ninja Art: Multi Rasengan!" Golden spheres hammered the enemies, blasting a thirty-meter-deep crater. The real Naruto, leaping from clone to clone, charged a giant Rasengan in his palm:

"Big Ball Rasengan!"

Chapter 190: Pressure and Persuasion

The Snow ninja hurriedly formed hand signs. "Ice Style: Ice Shield!" Hexagonal ice crystal shields formed, but the Rasengan, roaring with storm winds, was already upon them.

Ice shards and chakra fragments blasted everywhere. Twelve Snow ninja were flung into the very ice walls they'd created, the ice shattering inch by inch, their blood seeping into the cracks.

Neji's veins bulged around his eyes as he charged forward with Eight Trigrams footwork, appearing instantly in front of several enemies.

"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" His form blurred, fingertips glowing with chakra, striking the Snow ninja's chakra points with pinpoint precision.

Six enemies attempting to ambush him froze mid-sign, blue chakra halos erupting from their chakra points.

"Lightning Style: Chidori Current!" Sasuke's roar shattered ice pillars. Snakes of lightning exploded outward, melting armor into molten iron before the seven Snow ninja's jutsu could even form. The purple blade stabbed into the ice, and spiderwebs of electricity raced through the cracks, shocking five hidden ambushers beneath the glacier into convulsions.

The Snow ninja captain's eyes bulged in horror. What should've been a simple ambush had become chaos—a few minutes and they'd suffered devastating losses. But Sasuke's team was already charging at him, so he desperately began to weave signs. "Ice Style Secret Art: Extreme—"

Before he could finish, Neji flashed behind him, spinning into a Rotation. The chakra hurricane blew apart the forming ice crystals, and a Trigram Air Palm punched through three layers of ice mirrors. The captain spat blood and flew backward, his chakra network completely sealed.

Naruto leapt high atop shattered ice. A five-meter-diameter Big Ball Rasengan howled down, engulfing the last ten Snow ninja and their jutsu.

The shockwave swept the canyon clean, revealing bare rock ten meters across where once was eternal snow.

As Sasuke sheathed his sword, the last crackles of lightning still danced across the ice.

Thirty bodies lay scattered across the snowfield, crimson stains glaring on the white plain.

Neji scanned the field with his Byakugan and shook his head. "All chakra flows have stopped."

Koyuki stood up shakily, ice crystals clinging to her lashes. She saw the three Leaf ninja before her—no snow on their clothes, as if annihilating thirty elites was just a warm-up.

Sometime during the battle, the blizzard had stopped. Sunlight broke through the clouds, making the glacier shimmer with a rainbow.

Sandayū Asama hurried over to Koyuki, confirming her safety. "Koyuki, are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" Koyuki was still in shock. The Snow ninja who'd once haunted her childhood nightmares had been reduced to toys by three Leaf teens, all younger than her.

"Thank you all so much. Who knows what would've happened otherwise." Sandayū Asama rushed to thank Sasuke and his team as they approached.

"Mr. Sandayū Asama, instead of thanking us, why don't you explain why a mere film crew was attacked by Snow Country's official ninja forces?" Neji ignored the gratitude, holding up a forehead protector he'd just taken from a fallen Snow ninja.

"Mr. Sandayū Asama, you hid information when you requested the mission, didn't you? A job involving a foreign government—even a small country like Snow—is S-rank. Not just anyone can issue those." Sasuke's face was frosty. "Out of respect for international order, Konoha never takes S-rank missions involving other nations in peacetime, not even for small countries. Should I take this as you trying to drag our village into a war?"

"That—" Sandayū Asama was terrified. Even as a former Snow minister, Konoha was a behemoth he could never afford to offend.

"Naruto, detain everyone in this film crew. I suspect they might be spies from another ninja village," Neji ordered.

Naruto silently made dozens of shadow clones, each moving to control a crew member.

"Wait, wait, we'll talk! We'll talk!" Sandayū Asama, seeing Neji about to act personally, immediately gave in.

Sasuke took out a clock from a sealing scroll, set it to five minutes, and stabbed a kunai next to it. "You have five minutes to explain everything. Otherwise, you can answer to the Konoha police."

The chill in Sasuke's eyes stunned both Sandayū Asama and Koyuki. Koyuki, especially, was on the verge of tears, staring at the cold glint of the kunai.

"Crying? That still counts against your time!" Sasuke barked, showing no sympathy.

Sighing, Sandayū Asama realized he'd pushed things too far and confessed the whole story to Sasuke.

"So, this Princess Fuyukaze really is an exiled princess?" Sasuke scrutinized Koyuki, frowning. "Any proof?"

"Kakashi Hatake—your Hokage advisor. It was he who rescued me from the Snow palace." Koyuki spoke up.

"Big Brother Kakashi? He never mentioned that…" Naruto was surprised.

"We'll verify that," Neji said. "But for now, let's assume your story's true. Then why did you hide the truth? Did you want us to help restore her to the throne?"

"To be honest, yes." Sandayū Asama sighed. "But I take full responsibility—Koyuki knew nothing. Please, spare her."

"And you?" Sasuke turned to Koyuki.

She hung her head, silent.

"Hey, Sasuke, Neji, maybe… we could help them? They seem pretty pitiful," Naruto suggested.

"Naruto, it's not about pity," Sasuke explained. "If we help, we risk Konoha getting blamed for interfering in another nation's affairs. And even if their story's true, tricking the village like this is inexcusable. What if a weaker ninja squad had taken this job? They could've died."

Naruto fell silent. Those thirty Snow ninja hadn't troubled them, but for weaker jonin, that could've been deadly.

"If they genuinely wanted Konoha's help to restore the princess, they should've gone through official channels. If we can confirm her identity and that the current daimyo took power in a coup, I'm sure sensei would help set things right," Sasuke said.

His words reignited hope in Sandayū Asama's eyes. "I'm willing to pay any price—please, let Konoha help Koyuki reclaim her home! The people have suffered enough under Dotō Kazahana's tyranny!"

He knelt and bowed deeply to Sasuke's team.

Koyuki, too, looked up, hope finally dawning in her eyes.

"So, should we help them?" Naruto asked, looking to his teammates.

Seeing the time was right, Sasuke turned to Koyuki. "You said Kakashi can confirm your identity? You know what happens if you lie, right?"

The whole point of this act was to intimidate them and seize the upper hand in future negotiations. Now that they'd caved, it was time to lay out terms.

Sasuke summoned a messenger snake, wrote a report on a scroll, and sent it off.

Then came a long, silent wait. No one dared speak.

Half an hour later, the snake returned, bringing Seiryu's prepared reply.

As Sasuke read the message, the tension in the air grew icy. Sandayū Asama's sweat had already frozen on his brow.

Finally, Sasuke looked up and said coldly, "Mr. Sandayū Asama, the Hokage says you and your crew must pay for hiding mission details. Since the consequences weren't disastrous, you'll just pay five times the mission fee in compensation. Of course, this mission is now terminated."

"I understand." Sandayū Asama nodded. If all he had to do was pay, he could accept that. "Then, about restoring our country…"

"Kakashi has confirmed your story. He did rescue a Princess Koyuki from the palace. The Hokage is now aware of the people's suffering under Dotō's rule, and for justice's sake, will assemble a special operations team—under my command—to help you reclaim your home."

"Really?" Sandayū Asama was overjoyed. "No wonder Konoha is the most just village in the ninja world! The people of Snow will never forget this!"

"Let's hear from the person concerned." Sasuke ignored the flattery and turned to Koyuki. "Princess—may I call you that? What is your decision? If you disagree, Konoha can't intervene."

"The terms?" Koyuki asked calmly. "Surely Konoha doesn't help for free."

"The terms are simple." Sasuke smiled warmly. "We want friendly cooperation after you're restored."

"Friendly cooperation?" Koyuki took a deep breath. "Like the Treaty with the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Rice? Join your Konoha Pact?"

"Why not?" Sasuke replied easily. "Those lands have prospered with Konoha's help—tourism, agriculture, and livestock have all boomed, and people's lives have improved every year."

"More importantly, we guarantee their security against any major nation. For Snow, we won't garrison troops after the treaty, but if anyone attacks you, it's a declaration of war on Konoha. We'll send reinforcements immediately."

"Princess, imagine if Snow had such an ally before—would your uncle have dared stage a coup?"

Sasuke's words were gentle and persuasive. Koyuki found it hard to believe this warm young man was the same icy, knife-wielding ninja from before.

For Sasuke, switching masks was nothing. The time for threats was over; now it was time for promises.

Chapter 191: The Restoration Plan

After listing the benefits of joining the Konoha Pact, Sasuke smiled at Koyuki and said, "Most importantly, Princess, do you really want to see your father's hard-won nation continue to suffer?"

Those words broke her last resistance. Koyuki finally nodded. "Alright. Once I reclaim the throne, I'll sign the treaty on behalf of Snow."

"A wise choice. Here's to our cooperation, Princess." Sasuke smiled.

"So what next?" Koyuki asked.

"We wait for Konoha's support. We can't storm the palace with just the three of us," Sasuke shrugged. "And, let's finalize our plan. Princess, what's your preference?"

"My preference?" Koyuki was puzzled.

"Yes. Do you want us to storm the palace and kill your traitor uncle as soon as backup arrives, or take a more careful approach?" Sasuke asked.

"If possible, please don't damage the palace too much…" Koyuki hesitated.

"I get it. It holds precious memories of you and your father," Sasuke chuckled. "But that'll cost extra."

"Fine, but you must keep the city safe, and avoid harming civilians," Koyuki insisted.

"Spoken like a true princess." Sasuke grinned. "You can trust Konoha ninjas to fulfill their contracts."

With the restoration decided, the entire film crew was temporarily detained, and everyone relocated to a small town in the Land of Demons.

…

Two days later, Uchiha Shisui arrived with Teams 8 and 10 to join up.

In a hotel room, the strategy meeting began.

"Sasuke, the Hokage put you in overall command for this operation," Shisui declared, making Sasuke the undisputed leader.

This surprised some, but for Shisui, it was standard procedure. Ever since Uchiha Seiryu's rise, he'd learned that every mission—large or small—must have a clear chain of command. That was how the Uchiha, once paralyzed by endless clan meetings, became the village's most effective force.

"Alright." Sasuke took the lead seat.

"Let's talk objectives." He spread out a map. "Here's Snow's capital. They don't have a ninja village—their ninja answer directly to the daimyo and are stationed around the palace."

"Intel says they have at most two or three jonin. A direct assault isn't hard, but that risks damaging the palace, which our client doesn't want. So I propose we lure Dotō out and eliminate him."

"How do we lure him?" Sasuke asked. "Shikamaru, ideas?"

"Dotō probably knows the princess is alive, and there must be a spy in the film crew. The ambush was less than 20 kilometers from the border."

"Agreed. That's why I had everyone detained. But rooting out the spy will be tough—these people only signed temp contracts, and they're already upset," Sasuke said.

"If we can't find the spy, let's move everyone elsewhere," Shikamaru suggested. "Mr. Sandayū Asama, are there other filming locations?"

"All others are done except Snow," Sandayū Asama replied.

"Then invent one. Move everyone far away. The spy probably hasn't had time to report in, and we can't let them now," Sasuke ordered. "Shino, can your bugs monitor every crew member?"

"Yes," Shino nodded.

"Perfect," Shikamaru said. "Once we split, the spy will act, and we'll catch them."

"Spy situation sorted," Sasuke said. "Now, how do we lure Dotō out? The ninja sent to kill us are gone, so he'll be spooked—unlikely to leave the palace."

"Princess, do you have a token proving your identity?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes." Koyuki removed a hexagonal crystal pendant. "It's the key to Snow's treasure. My uncle's been after it for years."

"I see. Do you know where the treasure is?" Shikamaru asked. "We have no interest in it—just need to know for planning."

"Yes. It's at the Rainbow Glacier. But my father's treasure isn't money."

"Good. With this, we can lure him out. But Princess, you'll have to cooperate," Shikamaru said.

"What do I need to do?" Koyuki asked.

"Naruto, can you use shadow clones and transformation to pose as the whole film crew?" Shikamaru asked.

"No problem," Naruto replied.

"Then we'll march right into the capital. Mr. Sandayū Asama, I need you to 'accidentally' let slip the princess's identity in town, in vague terms," Shikamaru said.

"Understood. But Dotō is cautious. Even if rumors spread, he won't act unless he's sure," Sandayū Asama warned.

"I know. That's why the second phase is to stir up controversy," Shikamaru said. "Once the people hear rumors of the princess's return, we spread word that it's just a movie publicity stunt, and her identity is fake."

"Why?" Sandayū Asama was confused.

Shikamaru nearly facepalmed. How did you even become her manager?

"I get it," Sasuke nodded. "Once the topic heats up, Dotō will get nervous. At the peak, the princess appears in public, shows the pendant, and announces she'll open the treasure in front of everyone."

"By then, Dotō won't be able to stay hidden," Shikamaru said.

"But Princess, you'll be in danger," Sasuke cautioned. He turned to Shisui. "Shisui, I'll need you to personally guard the princess."

"No problem," Shisui smiled.

"Kiba, Shino, Hinata—Team 8 will handle recon in the city, keeping the princess safe."

"Understood!" Team 8 replied.

"Shikamaru, Ino, Choji—Team 10 will help us manipulate public opinion using transformation jutsu."

"Got it!" Team 10 replied.

"Then tomorrow, we set out to win back Snow Country's throne!" Sasuke declared.

"Yes!" everyone replied in unison.

Shisui, watching Sasuke steer the whole plan, smiled. Compared to Itachi at twelve, Sasuke was even stronger—and his leadership far surpassed his brother's. Itachi could never have united so many peers at that age.

After the meeting, Sandayū Asama arranged to move the crew, Shino set his bugs to monitor them, and everyone else prepared in their own way.

Afterwards, Hinata found Neji. "Neji-nii, this is from Tenten, and I made you a bento."

"Thank you," Neji smiled, taking the scroll and box. "How's the mission so far?"

"Alright… Kiba, Shino, and Shisui-sensei all take care of me," Hinata replied softly.

"Good. And no trouble from the elders at home?"

"No. After you scolded that elder, no one dares bother me or Hanabi."

"Good. But if anything happens, tell me. Those old men still want the Caged Bird seal on you and Hanabi. Give me a little more time—I'll fix it for good," Neji promised.

"Okay." Hinata nodded.

Neji, who'd suffered the seal himself, was determined to protect his sisters.

"I'll go now," Hinata said.

"Where to?"

"Um…" Hinata blushed. "I made an extra bento to give Naruto-kun."

"Uzumaki Naruto, you'll pay for this!" Neji muttered darkly.

Chapter 192: The Princess Has Three Goals

With the crew situation handled, the next morning Naruto used shadow clones and transformation to pose as the whole film crew, and they headed for the Snow capital.

This time, everything went smoothly. Dotō, having suffered defeat and not knowing their true strength, dared not act again.

Upon arrival, they began the pretense of filming.

The next day, after work, Sandayū Asama, drunk at the crew's dinner, started rambling:

"Did you know? Our movie's lead actress is really a princess!" he slurred, banging the table.

"Really?" Sasuke, disguised as a crewman, topped off his glass, playing along.

"Hic—of course! I was once a minister of Snow! The current daimyo only got the throne through a dirty coup—he's nothing compared to the last daimyo!"

Sandayū Asama's outburst drew everyone's attention.

"Sir, please! No politics!" the restaurant owner rushed to hush him.

—

After dinner, Sandayū Asama's words spread quietly through the capital—helped along by Sasuke and Neji.

Soon, most commoners had heard the rumor: their princess had returned.

For the people, ground down by Dotō's rule, Koyuki's return was a beacon of hope.

The news also rattled Dotō in the palace. He sent a jonin assassin after Koyuki, but Shisui took him out so quickly that Koyuki never even noticed.

Losing another elite panicked Dotō. Thirty ninja wiped out—maybe the enemy was just strong—but a jonin with chakra armor and special ice jutsu, gone without a trace? Only a Kage could do that.

Did Koyuki bring the Hokage himself?

…

A few days later, Koyuki—Snow's princess to the people—publicly argued with two Leaf ninja outside her hotel, while Sandayū Asama announced to the press that the rumors were just a publicity stunt for the movie.

The city erupted. Some believed Koyuki was truly their princess, others mocked the idea.

Dotō, seeing the reports, grew suspicious. He was certain Koyuki was his niece, escaped from the coup, but now she publicly denied it, and there were reports of her fighting with the Leaf ninja.

Did Koyuki fall out with Konoha? He hesitated to send more assassins—he'd lost too much already, and if it was a trap, he'd lose everything.

But while he hesitated, the next day, Koyuki appeared in the city's busiest shopping street.

—

"What should I do?" she asked nervously. She was used to facing fans as a star, but she had no idea how to win over her people.

"You must convince them you're the princess, and that you can lead them to a better life," said Sasuke, disguised as her assistant.

"Isn't it enough to show them the crystal?" she asked.

"That proves your identity, but if you want them to support you against Dotō, they need to believe you'll change things for the better," Sasuke said.

"But I don't know what to say…" Koyuki admitted.

Sasuke shook his head. She clearly wasn't ready to be daimyo—she was acting from necessity, not conviction.

But that makes her easier to control, Sasuke thought.

Poof!

A cloud of smoke, and Sasuke transformed into Koyuki.

"I'll show you once. Watch and learn." He held out his hand. "The crystal, please."

Koyuki, dazed by his aura, handed over her necklace.

By the time she realized what happened, Sasuke had already turned away.

Disguised as Koyuki, Sasuke walked to the center of the shopping street, fired a signal flare, and drew everyone's attention.

"Hello, everyone. Please give me a moment," 'Koyuki' said, climbing to a high step.

"Let me introduce myself: I am Kazahana Koyuki. You may also know me as Fujikaze Yukie."

"In the past few days, you may have heard rumors of my identity. It's true—I am the only daughter of the late daimyo, the one who vanished ten years ago during the coup."

"You might wonder: why only return now?"

"My father always told me his greatest joy was seeing happiness on his people's faces. But my uncle, Kazahana Dotō, who murdered my father and seized the throne, has turned Snow into a place of suffering."

"By right, I am your princess. I have returned to do three things!"

"Justice! Justice! And more justice!"

"I want to restore the country my father loved, so all of you can smile again."

"Princess!" a middle-aged man in the crowd shouted. More and more joined in.

Watching from hiding, Koyuki was stunned. She'd known the adulation of fans, but the look in these people's eyes was different—it was hope.

The commotion drew the city's samurai, but faced with the growing crowd, they could only call for backup.

Soon, a squad of Snow samurai arrived. 'Koyuki' walked down the steps to face them.

"You are Snow's samurai, right?" she asked softly.

Before they could answer, she continued, "You came here on Dotō's orders, to crush innocent people and take your princess's head as proof?"

Her forceful tone cowed the squad leader, who instinctively gripped his sword. But Sasuke straightened his back and stared him down.

"Go ahead! Strike your princess down!" Sasuke's words stoked the crowd, who glared at the samurai, ready to revolt if violence broke out.

"Prove you're really the princess!" the captain demanded.

"Good question!" Sasuke lifted the hexagonal crystal into the sunlight. "This is Snow's most important relic—the key to the treasure beneath Rainbow Glacier, handed to me by my father. Today, I will open the treasure for all to see! This will be the first step to righting Snow's wrongs!"

With that, 'Koyuki' strode forward. The samurai parted before her like a queen reviewing her troops.

"Don't just stand there—follow her! You have to open the treasure yourself," Neji whispered to the stunned Koyuki.

"How… how did he do that?" she muttered, watching Sasuke's retreating back.

"It's not so hard," Neji explained. "After years of Dotō's tyranny, the people were desperate for a savior. Even if you weren't really the princess, they'd believe you were—and you'd have to be."

"Sasuke learned from our sensei. Compared to what our teacher faced, this was easy," Neji said.

"Neji, that's enough," Shisui, guarding Koyuki, smiled.

"Your sensei?" Koyuki asked, but Shisui quickly ushered her after the crowd heading for Rainbow Glacier.

—

"What? She's got guts! And those samurai are really following her to Rainbow Glacier?" In the palace, Dotō was livid when he heard.

But he knew he had no choice. If Koyuki opened the treasure before everyone, proving her identity, all she needed was to offer a deal, and any of the great villages—especially the Stone—would help her take him down.

His only option was to kill her before she could open the treasure, crush the rebels, and then claim there had been an attempted coup.