Chapter 343: Scheming from Both Sides
Chapter 343: Scheming from Both Sides
"Sigh, novels indeed exaggerate and make things up. This task of protecting the princess is so boring." Deidara sighed as he squatted on the ground, poking at the snow with his fingers.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Deidara's disappointment now matched the excitement he had felt earlier.
Deidara's imagination of the princess protection mission: "A kind and beautiful princess, a powerful and evil enemy, and a climactic ending where the hero triumphs over the villain to save the princess."
The reality of the princess protection mission: "The princess is just a brat, there's no sign of any enemies, and the prospect of becoming a hero seems nonexistent."
"Let's look on the bright side," consoled Konan. "If there are assassins targeting the princess, they must be formidable foes, and that would make for a challenging battle."
"But how can one become a hero without defeating formidable enemies?" Deidara sulked.
"If you're that bored, why don't we build a snowman together?" Konan suggested, rolling a snowball. "It would be a shame not to make the most of this wonderful snow."
"Then let's have a contest to see who builds the better snowman!" Deidara's eyes lit up at the idea, and he readily agreed.
Although the mission had been a letdown, building a snowman with Konan was certainly something to look forward to.
"Kakashi, why don't you join us too?" Konan invited Kakashi to join in the fun.
Deidara's smile dimmed slightly at the prospect of Kakashi's company; the dynamic would undoubtedly change with another person.
"Sculpting skills don't necessarily translate to snowman-building prowess," Deidara remarked, insinuating that Kakashi's sculpting prowess was reliant on his ninjutsu.
"Is that so?" Kakashi, who had initially planned to decline, decided to show Deidara what true skill looked like. "Even so, I'm confident my snowman will be better than yours."
"We'll see about that!" Deidara scanned the area with his eyes, quickly selecting a spot to start building his snowman.
Hyuuga Hinata, who went by the nickname "Snowflake," watched the trio having so much fun and longed to join their snowman-building contest.
Children are notoriously bad at hiding their emotions, and one of the nearby guards instantly picked up on Hinata's yearning. "It's too cold out, young lady," he cautioned. "Playing in the snow could make you sick."
"I know," Hinata pouted. "I didn't say I wanted to play in the snow."
Although she understood the guard's concern for her well-being, Hinata couldn't help but feel left out as she watched the others enjoying themselves.
However, as a well-mannered princess, Hinata knew she shouldn't lash out. She kept her father's teachings in mind and chose to express her displeasure solely through her facial expressions.
"Little Snowflake, would you do us the honor of being the judge for our contest?" Mu Yue asked with a smile. "Every competition needs a judge to determine the winner."
Considering Hinata's young age, playing in the snow could indeed lead to a cold. Mu Yue came up with an idea that would allow Hinata to be involved without exposing herself to the cold—being the judge would give her a sense of participation.
"Can I?" Hinata looked at Mu Yue with excitement, then quickly composed herself, feeling that her initial reaction wasn't quite befitting of a princess. "Ahem, I mean, although I am a princess, I am a kind and generous one. Since you've made such a request, I shall reluctantly agree."
"Thank you, Princess Snowflake," Mu Yue smiled in response.
Although Hinata could only watch from inside the house as Deidara and the others played, she felt a spark of anticipation at the thought of being the judge. She contemplated how she could nitpick Deidara's lack of manners and find something to praise if Konan's snowman turned out ugly.
"Mu Yue, do you get snow like this in your country?" Hinata was curious about the outside world.
"Yes, we do get snow, but usually not as heavy or frequent," Mu Yue explained. "And it tends to come later in the year, during what we call winter."
"Oh, I see," Hinata said, her expression reflecting her partial understanding. "I always wondered why there were four distinct seasons. They all seem quite similar to me."
"That's because the Snow Country has a unique location," Mu Yue elaborated. "Each season actually has its own characteristics. For example, spring may not be hot, but it's much warmer than winter, and that's when many flowers bloom. Summer, on the other hand, is the hottest season of the four..." Mu Yue went on to explain the distinct features of each season.
Considering Hinata's young age, Mu Yue provided a detailed description to aid her understanding.
As Hinata listened to Mu Yue paint a picture of spring blossoms, a glimmer of longing flashed in her eyes. She had never witnessed such a scene in the Snow Country.
If Deidara had described such a scene, Hinata might have even questioned its authenticity, as it seemed almost fantastical to her.
"Konan, what do you think of my snowman?" Deidara called out to Konan after finishing his creation.
Deidara was extremely proud of his snowman and had even used his Sharingan to ensure precise proportions.
Not wanting to be outdone by Kakashi's show-off moves when it was time to present their gifts, Obito had diligently practiced various skills, and now his efforts had paid off.
"Wow, Obito, I didn't know you were so good at building snowmen!" Nohara Rin praised, and then proudly presented her own snow creation.
Unlike Obito, Nohara Rin had not built a snowman of herself. Instead, she had made two smaller snowmen, both with less-than-pleasant expressions, as if they were arguing. One of the snowmen had a black cloth over its face, while the other had a branch and goggles on its forehead.
Although a bit abstract, Obito immediately recognized that they represented him and Kakashi in their daily bickering.
"You two argue too much," Nohara Rin commented gently. "It seems like every time I turn around, you're fighting about something different."
"It's not me who wants to fight all the time; Kakashi is just so infuriating!" Obito retorted, shifting the blame.
"I think that's my line," Kakashi countered, refusing to let Obito tarnish his reputation.
It was only then that Nohara Rin noticed Kakashi's snowman, which resembled Fu Yah Snow, and it was even more intricately crafted than Obito's.
"Kakashi, you seem to be good at everything," Nohara Rin remarked, looking at the snowman's puffed-up cheeks, as if it were pouting.
Hearing Nohara Rin's praise for Kakashi's snowman, Obito hurried over to take a closer look. He was amazed at the lifelike sculpture, especially considering it was made of snow and in such a short time.
"Are you all done? Then it's time for the judge to give her verdict!" Fu Yah Snow called out from inside the house, having overheard their conversation.
"You're the judge?" Obito asked, looking skeptically at Fu Yah Snow as she stepped outside. He wasn't sure if her sense of aesthetics could be trusted.
"Hmph, if it weren't for Brother Mu Yue inviting me, I wouldn't even bother looking at your snowman," Fu Yah Snow pouted.
Hearing that Mu Yue had arranged for Fu Yah Snow to be the judge, Obito had no further arguments.
Fu Yah Snow then proceeded to inspect each of their snowmen and offer her critiques.
For Obito's snowman, she said, "Putting a real pair of goggles on the snowman ruins the effect. It's not aesthetically pleasing."
For Nohara Rin's creation, she said, "I don't quite understand it, but Sister Rin's snowmen are just so cute!"
"You little brat from the Snow Country!" Obito grumbled, his face reddening at Fu Yah Snow's blatant double standards.
Although he had to admit that Nohara Rin's snowmen were quite charming, he refused to accept that his own could be anything but handsome.
When Fu Yah Snow finally reached Kakashi's snowman, she was astonished. Despite the pouting expression that made her feel a bit embarrassed, it was an uncanny resemblance.
"Why did you make this strange expression?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
"I did it because I wanted to," Kakashi replied nonchalantly.
His reason for making a snowman that looked like Fu Yah Snow was simple—he just wanted to include her in the fun, and he thought the pouty expression would add a touch of humor.
"Something's not right... There's something off about this snowman," Obito said, eyeing Kakashi's creation with growing suspicion. He reached out and poked the snowman's arm, only to discover that it was filled with rocks!
"Why are you poking my arm?" Fu Yah Snow glared at Obito, annoyed.
"Kakashi, you cheater!" Obito accused, ignoring Fu Yah Snow's protest.
"Did you use Earth Style Ninjutsu to make a statue first and then build the snowman around it?" Obito demanded an explanation.
"Yes, I did. But is there a rule against that?" Kakashi admitted without shame, not considering it cheating.
Obito was left speechless. When had there ever been rules for building snowmen?
"Well, I don't approve of this method. It's not pure!" Obito declared, deeming Kakashi's snowman an outcast in the world of snow art.
"But it's faster and looks better, doesn't it?" Kakashi saw no issue with his approach.
"I think you're just jealous that Kakashi's snowman is better," Fu Yah Snow, the impartial judge, sided with Kakashi.
Mu Yue, witnessing this exchange, chose not to intervene. Sometimes, saying a little too much was better than not saying anything at all.
"I wonder how things are going on the other side," Mu Yue mused, gazing into the distance.
Although they were on a mission, Mu Yue had not been idle, spending all his time telling stories to children. He had been using his shadow clone to stay by Fu Yah Snow's side, using his real body to research sealing techniques and breathing methods. The only exception had been the first day they arrived in the Snow Country.
Mu Yue's plan was to continue his research uninterrupted until the mission was complete, as long as no one disturbed him.
Mu Yue's main body conducted an investigation and found that the ninja was working for Fu Yah Rage, and based on their data panels, he identified them as Snow Ninjas from the Snow Ninja Village.
With his knowledge of the original plot, Mu Yue instantly guessed that Fu Yah Rage might already be plotting a coup. After all, such a significant event as a coup d'etat required careful planning, so it was only natural to make preparations beforehand.
Mu Yue did not act rashly. Instead, he first observed the current daimyo of the Land of Snow, Fu Yah Early Snow, to gauge his character. After confirming that he was indeed a benevolent ruler, Mu Yue decided to put an end to this coup attempt before it could even begin.
Mu Yue was not a pushover, but he was often willing to go out of his way to do good deeds when he could.
If someone like Fu Yah Rage, a hawkish leader, were to succeed in a coup, Mu Yue believed that the people of the Land of Snow would suffer greatly.
Based on the performance of the snow ninjas in the original story, Mu Yue was confident that he could handle the situation in the Land of Snow with ease, so he took action.
However, this was still the real world, and the original story had only mentioned a handful of snow ninjas. Out of caution, Mu Yue chose to investigate all of Fu Yah Rage's forces first, a task made easy by his Appraisal Technique.
………
"Have you found out anything about the insider?" Fu Yah Rage asked, holding a cup of hot tea but not drinking from it. His primary concern was the insider, and he wouldn't be able to rest easy until he found out who it was. For his safety, he had his subordinates use transformation techniques to disguise themselves as him during meetings, while also keeping a close eye on the Konoha ninjas, prioritizing safety above all else.
"I've had my ninjas conduct a thorough investigation, and we haven't found any signs of the insider you mentioned, Rage. Are you sure you're not being too paranoid? Perhaps those Konoha ninjas are truly here just to protect the princess," Han Hu Bingfeng said, shaking his head as he finished his tea.
Given the seriousness of a coup d'etat, Han Hu Bingfeng had immediately launched an investigation into the snow ninjas as soon as he received Fu Yah Rage's message. However, they hadn't found any issues.
"Our plans are still in the preliminary stages. It would be difficult for them to be exposed so easily. Furthermore, only the village's upper echelons are aware of our intentions, and they wouldn't betray Fu Yah Early Snow, who is a naive daimyo, by going against our village," Han Hu Bingfeng explained.
"Everything we do is for the strength and prosperity of the Land of Snow. Not a single snow ninja would betray their country," he added, setting down his cup.
As a member of the royal family of the Land of Snow, Han Hu Bingfeng didn't consider his actions as betraying his country. Instead, he believed that Fu Yah Rage's vision was what was best for their nation.
"After all, it's someone like Neji Hyuga, a ninja with a renowned reputation. If Fu Yah Early Snow truly invited him to deal with us, it would be a troublesome situation," Han Hu Bingfeng continued.
Hearing Han Hu Bingfeng's analysis, Fu Yah Rage relaxed a little and then shared his concerns.
"So what if it is? Do you doubt my abilities, Bingfeng? He's just a brat who's not even twenty years old," Han Hu Bingfeng replied, exuding confidence.
If it had been one of the Sannin, he would have been more concerned, as they were true legends in the ninja world. But against Hanyu Mu Yue, he believed that his skills as the leader of the snow ninjas were more than sufficient.
"I have faith in your strength, Bingfeng," Fu Yah Rage said with a smile, his words intended to elicit that very response from Han Hu Bingfeng.
"By the way, how is the development of the Chakra Battle Armor coming along?" Fu Yah Rage asked, now completely at ease.
"We've achieved preliminary results. It can enhance the power of ninjutsu, but due to funding constraints, further development has become difficult," Han Hu Bingfeng replied with a frown.
"Don't worry, we'll have the necessary funds soon after our plan succeeds," Fu Yah Rage assured him.
Han Hu Bingfeng nodded with a smile, as this was one of the main reasons he supported Fu Yah Rage's ambitions.
However, unbeknownst to them, someone was watching from the shadows not too far away.
"A Chakra Battle Armor that can enhance ninjutsu, huh? That's intriguing. I wonder if it can be used as an external power source," Mu Yue said, his white eyes gleaming with interest.
The Byakugan allowed him to spy on them from a distance, and as a former member of the Root Organization, he also possessed the skill of lip-reading, allowing him to understand their conversation despite the distance.
Mu Yue decided to use his Appraisal Technique on the leader of the snow ninjas to understand the source of his boldness.
There will be another chapter after this, but I'm not sure if I can reach 5.8k words. I hope I won't be bombed with gold coins for this!
(End of Chapter)
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