Being a rogue ninja is worse than being Hokage.

But perhaps this is for the best, isn't it?

Anyway, I should have died in that snowy fire ten years ago.

She had already lived such a long and miserable life, but Feng Hua Xiaoxue didn't feel that the days she had lived were of any value.

She's just... just like her identity as an actress, she's deceiving herself, pretending that she's living a good life.

It's fine as it is now.

It's warm now... Just fall asleep like this, and never wake up again, amidst the gentle breeze and light snow.

As long as he doesn't wake up again, the nightmare called "Wind, Flowers, and Raging Waves" will no longer haunt him.

Feng Hua Xiaoxue began to give up the idea of ​​living and planned to close her eyes like this.

"Miss Yukie!"

But it's always like this; whenever she's about to give up, someone forces her to keep living.

Karin's shouts made Koyuki Fuuka open her eyes again.

Feng Hua Xiaoxue looked at the red-haired girl in front of her who was genuinely worried about her safety.

"Rosewood..."

After several days at sea, Feng Hua Xiaoxue became familiar with the young girl in front of her, whom she had taken the initiative to approach.

Deep down, Feng Hua Xiao Xue was actually quite concerned about this girl whose personality was similar to her own.

Kazakura Koyuki felt that Karin, like herself, was living according to the expectations of others.

I never dare to truly stick to my own opinions and ideas.

Fragile and ridiculous.

"Oh no, Miss Yukie's body has lost its temperature."

Karin helped Fuuka Koyuki up from the snow, minimizing the contact between her body and the cold snow.

Karin gathered chakra in her hands, precisely controlling the amount of chakra that wouldn't harm Koyuki Fuuka's body.

He infused this chakra into Koyuki's body to help her dispel the cold.

Fuuka Koyuki silently appreciated everything Karin had done for her.

Karin looked at Fuuka Koyuki and said, "Miss Yuki, don't run away anymore. It's very dangerous for you to be alone in the cold wilderness."

"……I see."

As her body temperature gradually returned to normal, Fuuka Koyuki softly responded to Karin's words.

After receiving a reply from Fuuka Koyuki, Karin then spoke to Naruko, "Naruko, after I quickly restore Yukie's body temperature, I can take her back to the film set."

But Naruko did not answer.

Karin, who was focused on warming the wind, flowers, and snow, finally noticed something was wrong.

Karin immediately rushed towards Fuuka Koyuki and hugged her tightly.

Naruko didn't have time to offer any further explanations; she suddenly pushed Karin and Koyuki, who were hugging each other, away forcefully.

The next instant, a massive explosion occurred where they had been standing!

Chapter 17 The Plan Ahead of Schedule

boom--!

The thick snow on the ground was blown up, like a huge splash caused by a boulder being thrown into a calm lake.

The thick snow also leaped back into the air, transforming into a pure white snow curtain that provided cover and isolation.

As the snow curtain in the sky fell back to the ground.

The enormous airship, hidden by the snow, came into Naruko's view.

Meanwhile, Kazama Koyuki, who had been pushed aside by her, had been caught in a grappling hook and taken into the airship.

The man wielding the grappling hook was a burly man with small eyes and thick lips, wearing a headband that signified his ninja identity—a triangle ∠ symbol composed of four dots, indicating that the man was indeed a snow ninja from the Land of Snow.

The grappling hooks held not only Kazahana Koyuki, but also Karin, who had previously protected Kazahana Koyuki in her arms during the explosion.

The two were caught together by the hooks because they were tightly embracing each other.

Damn it!

Naruko was preparing to chase after the airship that was flying at an increasingly higher altitude.

Ice Release—

—Swallow Blows Snow!

A flock of swallows, made of sharp ice, flew at high speed and rushed towards Naruko from her side.

To avoid the attack, Naruko had no choice but to abandon her pursuit of the airship and watch helplessly as it returned to its normal flight altitude and departed.

Akiko looked at the ninja who had used Ice Release on her to stop her actions.

"You brat, I, Crane Wing Snow, will take your life."

The ninjutsu attack on Naruto was launched by a female ninja with light purple hair.

Her ninja headband was also in the style of Yukigami, with an ear-covering hood that covered her entire head, but with two hair holes at the top of the hood so that her light purple short hair could peek out from the holes.

Naruko looked at Tsurugi Fubuki and threw several shuriken at her.

However, the shuriken were shattered around Crane Wing Snow.

"Don't waste your time. This chakra armor I'm wearing can release a chakra barrier that will nullify ninjutsu and genjutsu, and ninja tool attacks are useless against me!"

As he said this, Crane Wing Snowflake formed hand seals again.

Ice Release: Ice Prison Technique!

Layers of icicles rose from the ground, heading towards Naruko.

Once you touch these icicles, you will be imprisoned in the solid ice.

Naruko could only retreat step by step.

Naruko also noticed Tsurugi Fubuki's Ice Release hand seals—

—Wind Release Seal and Water Release Seal.

The female snow ninja in front of them did not actually possess the bloodline limit of "Ice Release".

It's simply a composite ninjutsu that combines wind and water release techniques, enhanced by the chakra armor and the natural climate of the Land of Snow.

It is different from the fusion of chakra nature transformations in the Kekkei Genkai of the Escape Technique type.

The composite ninjutsu used by Tsurugi Fubuki is still a single chakra nature ninjutsu that needs to be used separately. However, after using the corresponding chakra nature ninjutsu, it is combined together to create the illusion of "Ice Release".

Although Naruko had deciphered the true nature of the enemy's "Ice Release," dealing with this fake "Ice Release" was just as troublesome as dealing with the real one.

She was ultimately just a shadow clone; her regular chakra, composed of mental and physical strength, would not be replenished once used.

Even when incorporating natural energy to enter Sage Mode, the same applies; Sage Chakra is also a fusion of three types of energy: "nature," "spirit," and "body."

Sage Chakra requires a balance of three energies, and as a shadow clone, Naruto can only ensure the restoration of natural energy absorbed from nature.

Therefore, even though Naruto shares the main body's ninjutsu, she cannot use it freely.

"Die!"

The sound of Tsurugi Fubuki came from behind Naruko.

Her chakra armor has wings that allow her to fly as long as she injects chakra.

Crane Wing Fubuki used the Ice Prison Technique to block Naruko's vision, then flew into the air and launched an attack from behind Naruko.

But Crane Wing Snow's attack ultimately ended in failure.

As Tsurugi Fubuki approached Naruko, a yellow figure appeared out of nowhere between her and Naruko.

The figure still held a rapidly spinning chakra ball in its hand—the one caught in the battle between Tsurugi Fubuki and Naruto was none other than Naruto!

"It's no use, no ninjutsu can harm me!"

Although she was puzzled by Naruto's sudden appearance, Tsurugi Fubuki, who had fought many battles using the Chakra Armor and won every time, was full of confidence in the power of the Chakra Armor.

Whether it's one person or two people—they will all be killed by Crane Wing Snow!

Naruto's Rasengan struck towards Tsurugi Fubuki's chest.

Tsurugi Fubuki made no attempt to dodge, appearing confident that he would kill Naruto and Naruko together!

In the blink of an eye, Crane Wing Snow's confidence turned into fear.

The chakra armor continuously absorbed the chakra from the Rasengan in Naruto's hand.

But the Rasengan was still spinning wildly, and the amount of chakra within it did not decrease at all; in fact, it was increasing!

The chakra armor can no longer absorb the chakra from the Rasengan!

Crane Wing Fubuki hurriedly activated the wings on her chakra armor, trying to create distance between herself and Naruto.

But the Rasengan in Naruto's hand also changed at this moment.

What was originally just a chakra ball that was being compressed and rotated at high speed suddenly developed a sharp vortex around its body.

wind--!

Naruto infused the Rasengan in his hand with a nature transformation of chakra.

"hateful!"

Crane Wing Fubuki flew away from Naruto.

But the Rasengan, which had undergone a change in nature, actually broke free from Naruto's hand and chased after Tsurugi Fubuki!

Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!

The massive amount of chakra completely destroyed the chakra armor.

The "Wind Blaze" of the Spiral Shuriken, capable of destroying the body at the cellular level, shattered Crane Wing Fubuki into dust.

In an instant, Crane Wing Snowflakes transformed into a blood-soaked figure, plummeting from the sky and staining the snow-covered ground crimson.