Chapter 342: The Land of Snow and Ice
Chapter 342: The Land of Snow and Ice
"Look, Hinata! A huge iceberg!" Deidara, bored on the ship, scanned the surroundings and suddenly spotted a massive floating iceberg in the distance.
Hinata Hyuga followed Deidara's gaze, and her eyes sparkled as she beheld the gigantic iceberg glistening under the sun. It was indeed a sight unseen in the Land of Fire.
"This is nothing," Asuma Sarutobi laughed. "Wait until you get to the Land of Snow; then you'll see how common ice and snow are there."
The Land of Snow had little else, but it had an abundance of snow and ice, which covered the country all year round.
"At this time of year, there should already be heavy snowfall," Asuma remarked.
"It's only September," Deidara said, confused as he looked at Asuma. "Can it snow this early?"
"Yes," Asuma replied with a hint of resignation in his voice. "Hence the name, Land of Snow."
While a world blanketed in silver-white could be beautiful, constant snowfall was not always a welcome sight. Typically, people prayed to the Rain God for rain and to the Fortune God for wealth. But in the Land of Snow, people prayed to the Snow God to ease up on the snowfall.
As they drew closer, Mu Yue could make out the snow-covered country through her Byakugan.
Mu Yue had been using her Byakugan frequently during the journey, feeling the need for extra caution in the unique maritime environment. After all, if their ship were destroyed, the sea itself would become a perilous obstacle.
Of course, for a ninja of Mu Yue's caliber, the situation was not too dire. He had packed enough food scrolls to last the journey, and even if he lost the ship, he could run back to shore, treading water the entire way if necessary. If he tired, he could even create an ice platform with his Suiton jutsu to rest.
As they neared the Land of Snow, it began to snow just as Asuma had predicted, and it was a heavy blizzard. Deidara moved swiftly, cupping his palms to catch the falling snowflakes. Hinata exhaled, her breath forming a cloud of warmth as she gazed up at the swirling snow. Kakashi, ever vigilant, scanned their surroundings.
Mu Yue extended his hand, feeling the snowflakes melt upon his palm, bringing a fleeting touch of winter.
Mu Yue actually loved the snow and enjoyed playing in it. The joy of snowball fights with his friends during his childhood ranked among the happiest memories of his youth.
Though he loved snow, Mu Yue despised the cold, which created a constant internal conflict. He wanted it to snow yet dreaded the arrival of winter.
Transmigrating to the world of ninjas had solved this dilemma for Mu Yue. With his current physical prowess, he could stand in the dead of winter without wearing a single layer of clothing and not feel a chill.
"Welcome to the Land of Snow," Asuma said ceremoniously to Mu Yue and the others as they disembarked.
"Wow, look at all this snow!" Deidara exclaimed, scooping up a handful of snow from the ground, his curiosity piqued.
Despite knowing it was called the Land of Snow, Deidara had never imagined a country blanketed in ice and snow, especially since the Land of Fire wasn't all volcanoes.
"Watch out, Kakashi!" Deidara shouted as he spotted Kakashi with his back turned. Deidara quickly molded the snow in his hand into a snowball and threw it at Kakashi.
Kakashi, ever alert, sensed the incoming snowball and sidestepped nimbly. But Deidara had anticipated this, and as soon as he threw the first snowball, he grabbed more snow and formed two more snowballs, aiming at Kakashi's predicted dodging positions.
Knowing it would be difficult to avoid the snowballs, Kakashi decided to counter-attack. He scooped up some snow and, using his ninja tool throwing technique, hurled the snowballs back at Deidara. One of them landed squarely on Deidara's face.
"Hah!" Hinata couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Deidara's snow-covered face.
"Damn you, Kakashi!" Deidara roared inwardly and entered a state of full concentration, throwing even more snowballs with increased speed.
Kakashi, utilizing his Lightning Chakra Mode, dodged with lightning-fast reflexes and retaliated.
The snowball fight between Deidara and Kakashi left Asuma feeling a little embarrassed. He couldn't help but feel inadequate as he realized he couldn't even keep up with these nine-year-old ninja kids.
"This is what ninjas are all about," Asuma thought to himself, impressed. He had undergone some samurai training, but even that paled in comparison to the skills of these young ninjas.
Slap! Slap!
Two transparent chakra blasts struck Kakashi and Deidara on their foreheads, causing them to pause their playful scuffle.
"If you want to play in the snow, we can do that after the mission," Mu Yue said as he retracted his hand, which he had used to perform the chakra blast. "Let's focus on the task at hand first."
Mu Yue then offered an apologetic smile to Asuma, acknowledging that their playful behavior might have been inappropriate given the circumstances.
"It's fine," Asuma reassured him. "The princess is currently in Fuka Castle, and she's actually quite safe there."
Fuka Castle served as the royal palace of the Land of Snow and, in Asuma's opinion, was the safest place in the entire country.
"After all, it's an escort mission," Mu Yue said. "We should at least know who we're supposed to be protecting."
'I wonder what a living princess is like,' Obito thought, his heart filled with anticipation as he recalled the novel's description of the princess.
The snowy landscape of the Land of Snow left Obito in awe, but upon arriving in Fuhua City, he felt that the Land of Snow was rather ordinary. He had seen plenty of palace architecture like this before.
'Asuma, are these the Konoha ninjas who will be taking on the mission?' A man dressed in black with a stern expression called out to Asuma.
'Yes, Lord Fuka,' Asuma replied with a bow upon seeing that it was Fuka No Tao.
Fuka No Tao was not only the younger brother of the Daimyo of the Land of Snow but also a high-ranking official in the country, effectively making him the second most powerful person in the Land of Snow.
'Don't be fooled by their young age, Lord Fuka. They are all experienced Chunin, and Mu Yue is a dependable Jonin from Konoha,' Asuma quickly added, worried that Fuka No Tao might underestimate Team Mu Yue due to their youthful appearances.
'Hmm,' Fuka No Tao nodded dismissively and walked away, seemingly uninterested in Mu Yue and the others.
Mu Yue glanced at the departing Fuka No Tao and performed an appraisal on this future boss character.
Name: Fuka No Tao
Chakra: 10,500
Skills: Water Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficiency: 200/15000), Water Style: Black Dragon Blizzard (Mastered) [...]
As a future boss, Fuka No Tao's stats were rather ordinary, barely better than a regular Jonin.
Interestingly, according to the system's identification, all of Fuka No Tao's ninjutsu were water-style instead of ice-style.
Mu Yue wasn't surprised by this revelation. He figured that if Fuka No Tao's techniques could be copied by Kakashi's Sharingan, they definitely weren't bloodline limits. At best, they were snow secret techniques unique to the Land of Snow.
Mu Yue attributed the ice-style visual effect of their ninjutsu to the environment of the Land of Snow and the country's expertise in water nature transformation.
"Lord Fuka is the younger brother of the Daimyo and a key figure in the country's administration," Asuma briefly introduced Fuka No Tao to Mu Yue and the others.
"Speaking of which, Lord Fuka is also half-ninja. When he was young, he trained in ninjutsu in Yukigakure to strengthen his body. I heard he was quite talented, and if it weren't for his duties to the country, he might have become a formidable ninja," Asuma added.
Mu Yue wore a thoughtful expression, considering that Fuka No Tao's ninja training might have played a role in his later coup attempt. With both ninja prowess and a royal identity, it was understandable for his ambition to expand.
Obito, however, was uninterested in Asuma's story about Fuka No Tao. All he wanted was to meet the princess and fast-forward to the part where he saved her and became a hero.
Eventually, Mu Yue and his team were led to a spacious and well-lit hall to wait.
Tap, tap.
As Obito heard footsteps approaching, his face lit up with excitement, but his expectations crumbled when he laid eyes on the person entering the room. It wasn't the beautiful young lady he had imagined, nor was it even a woman. The first person to enter was a middle-aged man with glasses who exuded a kind demeanor.
The second person Obito noticed was a little girl in a purple kimono, who looked no older than five or six years old. She was followed by a group of guards, and no matter how hard Obito searched, he couldn't find anyone who resembled a princess.
"Kakashi, aren't princesses usually girls?" Obito asked Kakashi, confused.
Kakashi: [...]
He couldn't believe that someone would ask such an obvious question. Of course, princesses were girls; what else could they be?
"Your Highness, Princess Fuka!" Asuma knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully to Fuka Hayayuki.
Mu Yue and his team remained standing, observing the scene quietly. Ninjas had their own set of rules and didn't need to perform grand courtesies to nobles.
"Please get up, Asuma-san. This isn't a formal occasion," Princess Fuka said with a gentle smile.
Fuka Kosetsu held her father's hand tightly, her curious eyes fixed on the group of strangers before her.
"Greetings, Princess Fuka. I am Mu Yue," Mu Yue introduced himself and offered a brief greeting.
Princess Fuka smiled and nodded, then turned to Fuka Kosetsu and said, "Kosetsu, greet your new friends. They will be playing with you until the Snow God Festival."
"Hello, Brother Mu Yue," Fuka Kosetsu said obediently, her big eyes sparkling.
Despite it being their first meeting, Fuka Kosetsu could sense that Mu Yue was a kind person.
"She's the princess? Really?" Obito stared at Fuka Kosetsu's chubby little face, finding it hard to believe.
Mu Yue rubbed Deidara's head, feeling that it was still difficult to teach him.
Fuuka Yukikaze puffed up her cheeks after hearing Deidara's words, making her already round face look even rounder.
"Hahaha, I told you, Little Snow, that you should learn more etiquette. See, others think you're not a princess," Fuuka Soyuki laughed, teasing his daughter.
"Hey, Dad!" Fuuka Yukikaze, who hadn't expected her father to laugh at her instead of defending her, immediately let go of his hand and turned away, indicating that she was angry.
"I was wrong, Little Snow. You are the cutest princess in the world." Fuuka Soyuki quickly coaxed her.
Hearing her father praise her cuteness, Fuuka Yukikaze's mood improved, and she held Fuuka Soyuki's hand.
However, Fuuka Soyuki was ultimately the Daimyo, and he couldn't stay idle during the day. Soon, he had to leave due to official business, leaving only Mu Yue's team, the princess, Asama Santaro, and a group of guards in the palace hall.
"You rude guy, remember this: I am Fuuka Yukikaze, the princess of the Land of Snow, and the only princess." Fuuka Yukikaze spoke seriously to Deidara.
Deidara reluctantly nodded, thinking that he had fallen into a trap. He felt that it would be more appropriate to take on this mission ten years later.
"I'm not that guy either. I am Uchiha Deidara, the one and only Uchiha Deidara in the world." Deidara mimicked Fuuka Yukikaze's way of speaking.
"Hmph, that's not certain. The name 'Deidara' doesn't sound very special." Fuuka Yukikaze denied Deidara's uniqueness.
"Hello, cute Princess Yukikaze. I'm Nohara Rin." Nohara Rin smiled softly and greeted the princess.
When dealing with children like Fuuka Yukikaze, Nohara Rin knew exactly what to do—she just needed to flatter and compliment her to win her over easily.
"Hello, Sister Rin. You're cute too." Fuuka Yukikaze immediately smiled upon receiving a compliment.
"Hatake Kakashi. I will be responsible for your safety from now on." Kakashi said indifferently.
To him, it didn't matter if the princess was young or old. In fact, it was better that she was young because, at this age, she wouldn't be allowed to go out, and if she stayed in Fuka Castle, it would reduce the pressure on the guards.
"Mm-hmm, Brother Kakashi looks very dependable." Fuuka Yukikaze thought Kakashi's spiky hair looked nice.
"It's not a big deal to be called 'brother' by a little kid." Deidara felt a bit jealous, seeing Kakashi enjoying a treatment that he didn't receive.
"Fuuka Yukikaze is not a princess; she's just a little kid." Deidara could only frantically self-hypnotize in his mind, hoping it would make him feel better.
............
"Yuhino Muketsu, during the battle between Konoha and Iwagakure, defeated Iwagakure's Bakuton ninja Kari and played a crucial role in the battle against a jinchuriki..." Fuuka Dotou put down Mu Yue's intelligence report and furrowed his brows deeply.
Fuuka Hayayuki's sudden employment of Konoha ninjas made Fuuka Dotou very uneasy. As he was plotting a coup, he immediately sent people to collect information as soon as he learned about Mu Yue and his team.
This investigation startled Fuuka Dotou. While the general public might not understand the significance of this information, Fuuka Dotou, who was familiar with ninjas, was well aware of the implications, especially the part about battling a jinchuriki.
Jinchurikis were the ultimate weapons of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and anyone who could make a difference in such high-level battles was undoubtedly powerful.
Fuuka Dotou even believed that if Yukigakure had two jinchurikis, it could become one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
"How were they discovered when they were so secretive? Did something go wrong in Yukigakure?" Fuuka Dotou wondered where he had exposed a weakness.
He was sure that Fuuka Hayayuki had discovered something, otherwise, she wouldn't have refused to support their local ninja village. Moreover, the ninjas she had hired were too strong. Fuuka Yukikaze didn't need such powerful protection; it was just for a festival.
"I must investigate this thoroughly," Fuuka Dotou decided to find the insider first.
Although Mu Yue seemed strong based on the information, Fuuka Dotou didn't feel defeated. After all, Mu Yue was just one person, while he had the entire Yukigakure on his side.
Even if there was an insider in Yukigakure, Fuuka Dotou believed it was just an individual ninja. After all, Fuuka Hayayuki had cut the ninja village's funding, and he, Fuuka Dotou, had clearly expressed that he would focus on military development once he came to power. Any sensible ninja from Yukigakure would know whom to support.
PS: My brain was a bit fuzzy while writing today, and I only managed to write 4k words again. To discipline myself, I will set a self-constraint: if I don't write 10,000 words tomorrow, I will send a 50 red packet in the reader's group. Let's go all out!
(End of Chapter)
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