Naruto: Let the glory of the giants spread throughout the ninja world!

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, casting a golden glow across the sea.

Sasuke leaned against the wooden board with his eyes closed, pretending to sleep, while Sakura wrung out Yukie's soaked sleeves.

Yukie sat quietly, her knees together and her hands folded on her lap.

She stared at her hands for a few seconds, her brows slowly furrowing.

It shouldn't be shaking.

She told herself, "There's nothing to be afraid of."

She was very clear about her own state.

I returned to the Land of Snow simply because I was tired.

Having acted for so many years and worn so many masks, she can no longer distinguish which one is her true self.

The Land of Snow wasn't her "hometown"; it was just another film set, another place where she needed to play "Kaze Hana Koyuki," and she didn't care.

Moreover, her father had said that he owed Wolf Fang Avalanche a debt, so he didn't care if she killed him.

It really doesn't matter.

When the ship was torn apart, when the purple monster opened its mouth and spewed out poisonous mist, even now that she is out of danger, she doesn't feel afraid.

But my hands are shaking.

"Why?" she asked herself silently.

Her body speaks louder than her mind; she played far too many "brave" roles over the years.

A female ninja who saves people from an avalanche, a princess who is not afraid of death on the battlefield, and a chivalrous knight who would rather die than surrender to evil forces.

She thought she had long ago rid herself of fear.

"Miss Yukie?" Sakura's voice came from beside her, filled with concern. "You don't look well. Is your wound hurting?"

Yukie looked up and gave a well-trained smile: "It's nothing, just a little cold."

Sakura glanced at her, didn't ask any more questions, and took off her half-dry coat and draped it over Yukie's shoulders.

Only then did everyone realize that the sky was now flashing with the aurora borealis, which seemed...dangerous?

A low, rumbling sound came from the horizon.

A black dot rapidly expanded in the northeastern sky; it was a huge disc composed of two layers. The bottom layer rotated continuously, spewing out large amounts of cold air, which condensed into streaks of aurora wherever it passed.

Three people stood on the second floor, wearing white cold-weather combat suits, goggles on their faces, and foreheads embroidered with the ninja village headbands of the Land of Snow.

Snow Ninja.

The aircraft hovered above the wreckage, the engine's hum changing into a steady, low rumble.

The middle snow ninja was tall and appeared to be the leader. He glanced down at the five people on the wreckage, his gaze lingered on Yukie for a moment, and then a smile appeared on his face.

"Found it." His voice came down from the device in the air, "Little Snow Princess, you've made us search so hard."

Yukie's body stiffened.

"Are you my uncle's subordinates?" she asked calmly.

"The person escorting you back," Xue Ren on the left interjected, her tone even more flippant than the leader's, "Don't be nervous, we just need you to go back and finish filming that movie. After all, the contract isn't finished yet, right?"

Yukie didn't say anything, but slowly stood up.

Kakashi slowly stood up, and although his body was heavy, he did not hesitate at all in stepping in front of Yukie.

His right eye calmly surveyed the three Snow Ninja in the air, his tone indifferent: "Sorry, she is currently our Konoha's mission target. She won't be going anywhere until she is escorted to the Land of Snow."

The leading snow ninja glanced down at Kakashi, as if she had just noticed him.

"Konoha ninja..." he began slowly.

The snow ninja on the right let out a short laugh: "Judging from the looks of it, you seem to be in quite a mess. Did you run into some waves?"

"Kakashi with the Sharingan, quite the reputation." The leader of the snow ninja removed his goggles, revealing a young face, his eyes full of mockery. "But today, it seems the reputation is undeserved?"

Kakashi didn't reply, but silently reached for his ninja tool pouch with his right hand.

Although he didn't have much chakra left, he could still squeeze out one or two ninjutsu.

The leader of the snow ninjas noticed his movements but showed no sign of nervousness.

He drew a short sword from his waist, a pale blue chakra light flashing on the blade. "We don't need to fight you head-on, we just need to take Princess Xiaoxue away."

The moment the words were spoken, the aircraft began to move.

The engine noise suddenly became sharp, and the aircraft drew an arc in the air.

He swooped down from directly above Yukie, the sides of the aircraft folding forward into the shape of a grabbing device, precisely passing through the gap between Naruto and Sakura, and grabbing Yukie's arms.

"Damn it! Give her back to us!" Naruto shouted angrily, grabbing Yukie's ankle and dragging her into the air with her on his back.

"Naruto!"

"Found you, but it seems you're carrying a burden?" Xue Ren's voice carried the relief of someone who had completed a mission.

Yukie didn't struggle; to her, this was just an unexpected process before the end.

Her feet left the wooden planks of the wreckage and she was hanging in mid-air.

"Damn it!" Naruto grabbed Yukie's ankle and started shaking it, but unexpectedly, Fujiyama Yukie started kicking Naruto.

"What are you doing! I'm saving you!" Naruto's cheek was pinned down by Fujiyama Yukie's other foot, and he could only ask incoherently.

"Do I even need to ask? I don't need to at all, you nosy bastard! Get out of my way!"

"Impossible. You're not the kind of person who gives up on people easily. The Fujiyama Yukie I know isn't like that."

"Stop chasing them." Kakashi's voice was calm, but the hand holding Sakura and Sasuke's hands was tightening slightly.

Sakura looked up unwillingly: "Kakashi-sensei, Naruto is still up there!"

"He's right," Sasuke's voice came from the side. "We have no means to pursue them in the air, and we're out of chakra. Chasing after them is just suicide."

"Don't worry, that idiot won't die that easily."

The lead snow ninja lifted Yuki to the side of the aircraft, suspending her in mid-air, and then looked down at the three disheveled figures on the wreckage.

He adjusted the amplification device to ensure the sound reached everyone's ears clearly.

"The ninjas of Konoha are nothing special."

The Snow Ninja on the right added, "Go back and tell your Hokage that the Land of Snow will handle its own affairs. No need for Konoha to worry."

The Snow Ninja on the left had already turned its aircraft around, and the engine sound had become steady and powerful again.

"Let's go," said the leader, Yuki-nin. The three aircraft accelerated simultaneously, dragging Yuki-e towards the northeastern sky.