章節 288: Chapter 288 This... This...
Naruto vaguely sensed something was off, but seeing Koyuki lower her head without saying anything more, he chose not to press further.
Once dawn broke, everything in the Land of Snow would change.
The runaway princess had grown up, returned to her homeland, and brought with her... a blade-wielding demon.
Although Naruto was just an outsider and this matter was nothing to him, but who made the new Daimyo's position illegitimate, and Koyuki was still alive?
Moreover, Koyuki had requested his help. This made everything justified… both morally and procedurally right.
Just as 20 years ago, Kazahana Doto led a rebellion and killed the old king, Kazahana Sosetsu. Now, the wheel of fate had turned, and it was time to repay blood with blood, an eye for an eye.
It was late into the night.
Both of them went to sleep with their thoughts swirling. Naruto closed his eyes and did not move. In contrast, Koyuki tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She walked back and forth by the fire several times.
It is unknown what she's doing, she even squatted in front of Naruto, as if looking at him carefully.
Fortunately, Naruto didn't want to pay attention to her because he probably had to work tomorrow, otherwise, he would've pinned her down to stop her antics.
Koyuki, under the dim firelight, meticulously examined Naruto. He was wearing his regular Shinobi combat uniform, a slim-fitting jacket, with a straight and neat posture, and smooth facial lines.
Koyuki felt conflicted. Though Naruto didn't seem that young anymore, in reality, he wasn't that old either. Perhaps the recent pressure had been too much, so her thoughts had become confused and erratic.
But this would be the last time. After all, they had already reached the Land of Snow. Whether there would be a future together or not was uncertain.
It wasn't that she doubted Naruto's ability to handle the situation in the Land of Snow, but she simply couldn't bring herself to feel optimistic. After all, it was just the two of them. How could they possibly overthrow her uncle's rule?
She prepared herself mentally, thinking that if things really couldn't work out, then so be it. In the second half of the night, she thought through countless scenarios. At one point, she even wondered if she should just give up and return to Konoha, waiting for Naruto to grow stronger.
She slowly closed her eyes in a daze, but she felt like she had only slept for a few seconds before someone pushed her awake.
"Wake up, how long are you planning to sleep?" Naruto asked in an indifferent tone. The snow at the entrance of the cave had been cleared, and a ray of bright sunlight streamed in.
"It's morning already?" Koyuki asked with dark circles under her eyes.
"Well, who told you to pace back and forth all night? Who can you blame?" Naruto complained and walked out first, "Hurry up and follow me. Let's settle this matter today."
"You knew about last night?" She followed him and suddenly felt like dying due to the embarrassment.
"I didn't, but you kept walking around, making so much noise." Naruto said unhappily, "If I didn't know, I would have thought you were dancing there."
"I wasn't!" Koyuki gave up the argument.
"So, what are you going to do?" She instinctively looked at Naruto, who had a broad back and looked very powerful. He didn't appear skinny but instead exuded a strong sense of power. His posture was as straight as a young tree.
"What do you mean, what am I going to do?" Naruto asked without turning his head.
"How do you plan to overthrow Kazahana Doto... my uncle?" She asked. "He has many Shinobi under his command, and I've heard that the Land of Snow has been researching Shinobi Technology and weapons in recent years."
"You sure know a lot." Naruto praised.
"During the time I was away from Konoha, I collected some information about the Land of Snow." Koyuki explained, "The source of the information should be accurate, but the Land of Snow is remote, so information is scarce."
"How did you collect it?"
"Spend money." She said proudly.
Naruto was a little speechless. He felt she could've just given him that money. After all, he knew even more details. But he couldn't say that directly right now, so he shifted the conversation.
"I have information too, how about buying mine?"
"I don't have any money left." She suddenly said in frustration, "Someone scammed me with fake information about the Land of Snow. I gave him most of my money to him."
Hearing this, Naruto sighed, "… Okay, but I think you might be able to get that money back."
"What?" Koyuki was stunned, and she looked up at Naruto and asked, "But... but that person has already run off. I have no idea where to find him. How could I possibly get the money back?"
As the two continued walking forward, Naruto glanced back at her and rolled his eyes.
"You said it yourself… The Land of Snow is remote, and information is hard to gather. So, how did you get all that information? Someone must've deliberately sold it to you?"
"Deliberately sold it to me?" Koyuki frowned, "If that's the case, the only person I can think of is... my uncle, Kazahana Doto."
"Although he's a very scheming person, if he deliberately leaked information to me but didn't make a move against me, it's hard to explain. What does he want?"
"Yeah, what does he want?" Naruto responded perfunctorily.
"How would anyone know what he's after?" She exhaled heavily, "Anyway, it's definitely not because of some damned blood relation. He probably wishes I were dead already."
"Fine then, let's go ask him directly and find out what he wants."
"What?" Koyuki was stunned.
Seeing her fall behind, Naruto turned his head to glance at her, seemingly displeased.
"Hmm?"
"No way, you mean..." She rushed in front of Naruto, waving her arms frantically in the cold, snowy air, her breath turning into puffs of white.
"Are you saying... we just go to the castle and ask him?"
"What else?" Naruto responded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "It's the fastest and simplest way. He killed your father, seized the position, and even swindled your money."
"Since you've been wronged and Konoha has accepted your mission request, then Princess Kazahana Koyuki, we're now the righteous side."
"But... but he's the Daimyo of the Land of Snow, and he has a group of Shinobi under his command." Koyuki stammered, struggling to adapt to Naruto's straightforward approach.
"I think you haven't grasped the situation. Konoha, as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, has the authority to investigate and gather evidence on injustices in the Land of Snow."
"And you, as the mission client, the victim, and the rightful heir to the throne of the Land of Snow, have already provided valuable information for my investigation. Kazahana Doto has committed many crimes."
"And I, conveniently, am one of Konoha's higher-ups. Though I don't hold much power, I do possess a small, temporary decision-making authority, which exceeds that of a regular Jonin. For example, your words just now have been recorded as evidence, and I will now file a formal request to investigate Kazahana Doto."
As he said this, Naruto took out a mission order that he had prepared long ago from his pocket, with the seal of Konoha engraved on the front.
"Now, on behalf of Konoha's higher-ups, I will review your request, and after careful consideration, I will use my temporary decision-making authority to approve it."
Then, he pulled out a red stamp from his pocket, blew on it for effect, and stamped it heavily on the temporary mission order.
Under Koyuki's stunned gaze, Naruto raised the dazzling official paper in his hand and gave a reassuring smile.
"Alright, all the paperwork's done. Let's head out."
"This... this…!!!" Koyuki was overwhelmed, and her brain barely able to keep up, "But he's the Daimyo of the Land of Snow! And he has a whole team of Shinobi."
"Do you really think the Land of Snow compares to Kumogakure?" Naruto asked.
"No…"
"Then why do you think I would be afraid? Even Elite Jonin and Raikage from Kumogakure can't get anything from me. So why would you think the Daimyo of the Land of Snow, your uncle, Kazahana Doto, could?"
"They're just a bunch of weaklings! I'll just wipe them all out!"
'Right…' Koyuki was left dumbfounded.
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章節 289: Chapter 289 Judgment
Koyuki clearly watched how Naruto had single-handedly crushed the terrifying Shinobi from Kumogakure before leaving casually.
Although she didn't fully understand his prowess, she knew that Naruto's strength was indeed terrifying.
Yet why was it that the moment she stepped back into the Land of Snow, her worries and fears kept surfacing?
After thinking it over, Koyuki could only arrive at one reason: the psychological trauma caused by Kazahana Doto and the Land of Snow had left a deep scar on her, intensifying her fear over time.
In her mind, Kazahana Doto was an insurmountable mountain of death. He had destroyed everything she held dear, forcing her to flee, unable to even recall memories of the Land of Snow.
And yet, the other party felt no remorse… he even intentionally leaked information to her, hoping she would return on her own.
"You're right." She took a deep breath and said, only to start coughing violently from the cold wind, with tears welling up in her eyes.
Naruto stood there lazily, looking at her as if to ask, 'Are you done coughing? Once you're done, let's get going.'
After a few minutes, once Koyuki had composed herself, she silently cursed Naruto in her mind but didn't make a fuss. She kept her head down and continued on the path.
She admitted to herself that she had misjudged him. Naruto wasn't just some Genin, nor was he simply a Shinobi with a bit of power. His thinking was crystal clear, always guiding her, who had been lost in confusion, forward.
From the beginning, Naruto hadn't really had any elaborate plan. His idea was simply to bulldoze through any obstacles. And his thinking makes sense, after all, how could a big Shinobi Village like Konoha take small countries like the Land of Snow seriously?
…
The massive palace of the Land of Snow, nestled halfway up the snowy mountain, loomed like an impenetrable fortress.
"Is that the palace?" Naruto shaded his eyes with his hand, peering at the structure in the snow-covered mountains, "Looks kind of gloomy. Living there would probably give you arthritis."
"That's what you're focused on right now?" Koyuki couldn't help but complained.
As she gazed across the snowy landscape, her body tensed up. Her mouth tasted sour, and her heart was pounding wildly.
'As expected, returning to this place filled me with a profound sense of dread.'
Suddenly, with a swish, Naruto removed his snow cloak and stuffed it into Koyuki's hands.
Koyuki was taken aback for a moment, and was about to feel touched, when she suddenly heard him say, "Please hold onto this for me. It's very expensive."
"…"
"Who are you?"
The sound of shuffling echoed as seven or eight figures landed in front of Naruto on the snow. A group of Shinobi from the Land of Snow, clad in chakra armor, emerged from the snow fog.
The leader glanced at Naruto but didn't recognize him. However, the moment he saw Koyuki, a twisted grin appeared on his face.
"It turns out that the Princess has returned."
Koyuki's face suddenly turned gloomy and she spoke through gritted teeth, "You were the ones who sent someone to sell me that information about the Land of Snow, right?"
"The Princess truly is sharp, but that doesn't matter now." The tall, skinny leader clearly had no concept of shame, and lied through his teeth without blinking.
After all, if Koyuki could be called 'sharp', then it would be an insult to the word itself.
"Enough with the pleasantries." Naruto interrupted and pointed at the people in front of him impatiently, "All of you should come at me together. I'm in a hurry."
"Who are you?" The leader narrowed his eyes at Naruto with hostility. It wasn't entirely his fault for not recognizing him, after all, Naruto had a smooth forehead as he had forgotten to wear the Konoha's forehead protector.
Naruto stepped in front of Koyuki, using his body to shield her. With a flick of his hand, he produced a mission order, stamped with the seal of Konoha.
"Konoha has received an investigation mission. The current Daimyo of the Land of Snow, Kazahana Doto, is suspected of defrauding our client of a significant amount of wealth. We are here to reclaim the stolen assets."
"Huh?" The Land of Snow's Shinobi were stunned for a moment and looked at each other in confusion.
Then, they burst into uproarious laughter as if they had just heard the biggest joke of the century. The leader clutched his stomach in an exaggerated manner, laughing so hard that tears streamed from his eyes.
"Are you some kind of entertainer? Hahaha!"
"Must be the famous star's lackey, huh?"
"Princess Fuun's lackey! Hahaha! I've seen that movie too! The Princess really put her heart into that role!"
Hearing this, Naruto glanced at these people and said nothing.
In an instant, seven or eight kunai flew out, followed by a loud boom! At this moment, the leader was already slammed into the snow with a single punch, and blood sprayed from his chest, staining the snow crimson.
"Ahhh!!!!"
Before the rest could even register what had happened, Naruto's afterimages suddenly appeared before them, colliding with them at lightning speed. They had no time to react as their Chakra Armor shattered and their bodies were blown up by a punch.
The howling wind swept through the scene.
Within moments, the seven or eight Elite Jonin from the Land of Snow were reduced to just one, standing frozen in place, trembling. The blood of his companions splattered everywhere, steaming in the cold, painting the snow red.
His face and body were covered in blood, while just a second ago, those people had been standing beside him, laughing alongside him at the seemingly insignificant Shinobi who wasn't even wearing a forehead protector.
The last remaining Jonin was frozen in place, completely devoid of the courage to flee. Even though they were a little inferior to the Jonin from the Five Great Shinobi Villages, they were at least Chunin-level with the help of Chakra Armor.
But now, they had been slaughtered without even a chance to struggle, dispatched in mere moments.
"You!!" His voice trembled as he stared at Naruto, whose clothes were untouched by blood. His face turned deathly pale, "W-Who... are you?"
However, his question was met with silence. Naruto slowly approached him, and in that moment, on the verge of life and death, the last Land of Snow's Shinobi found a surge of courage.
"Die!" He roared and activated the Chakra Armor. But before he could even form a his hand seal, there was a loud crack… Naruto had kicked his hand, breaking his fingers.
"Ahhhh!!!" Screaming in agony, he tried to kick Naruto, only for his knee to be shattered with a swift kick in return.
The man collapsed to the ground with a roar of pain, kneeling in the snow in despair.
"Where is Kazahana Doto?" Naruto asked casually.
Inside the palace.
Boom!
The palace doors were smashed open, splintering into a spiderweb of cracks before crumbling to the ground a moment later.
Two figures walked out of the dust and debris, and the young man in the lead spoke without delay.
"Kazahana Doto, current Daimyo of the Land of Snow, you stand accused of defrauding our client of a large sum. We are here to deliver judgment."
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