Revered Furen

"What did you say?!" On the throne, Kazahana Dotou slammed his hand fiercely on the armrest.

The shinobi kneeling below him didn't dare utter a word. The three strongest ninja of the Land of Snow had been deployed, and in just one encounter, one had been killed and another captured alive.

Only he managed to return.

Kazahana Dotou sat on his throne, contemplating for a long time before casting aside his long robe, revealing the black chakra armor underneath.

Kazahana Dotou, after all, was also a ninja!

"The Hexagonal Crystal is still in Koyuki Kazahana's hands, correct?" Dotou asked.

"Yes, the Hexagonal Crystal is still with her," Rouga Nadare replied, bowing his head. Dotou's strength, combined with the newly enhanced chakra armor, made him even stronger than before.

"It seems I'll have to personally retrieve it. My dear niece…" Kazahana Dotou's face twisted into a sinister smile.

"Are you sure Kazahana Dotou's men will pass through here?" Furen asked as he and Santafu lay in ambush atop a glacier valley.

Below them, an ice-covered railroad stretched across the valley. The Land of Snow had developed a system where they could melt the ice on the tracks by infusing small amounts of chakra into them.

Dressed in armor, Santafu wore a confident expression. "Kazahana Dotou conducts all of his transportation through this railroad. Based on past schedules, he's guaranteed to pass through here today."

Furen eyed Santafu, hesitating. If he remembered correctly, in the original story, this was the place where Santafu met his end…

Seeing Santafu's unwavering confidence, Furen didn't want to dampen his spirits. He nodded and asked, "Did you distribute the Ice Release Explosive Tags I gave you?"

At the mention of the explosive tags, Santafu's eyes lit up, and he immediately showed a look of deep respect toward Furen.

"Please forgive me for doubting your identity earlier! I am truly ashamed of my suspicions!" Santafu bowed deeply to Furen to express his gratitude.

Furen, having learned that the Snow Country's resistance forces didn't even have enough kunai to fight with, had personally crafted a large number of Ice Release Explosive Tags for them, giving them an advantage in their upcoming battle against Kazahana Dotou.

Furen waved his hand dismissively. "Save the thanks for after we've defeated Kazahana Dotou."

"Yes!" Santafu now held just as much respect for Furen as he did for Princess Koyuki. After all, without Furen, overthrowing Dotou would have been impossible. Furen's contributions accounted for more than half of their efforts.

How could they fight Kazahana Dotou without weapons?!

Next to Furen, Kakashi lay prone, watching him with a pleased smile. "Furen is growing rapidly…"

Suddenly, Kakashi pulled up his headband, revealing his Sharingan, and stared intently below. He could see a small amount of chakra starting to flow through the ice-covered railroad tracks.

In an instant, the ice on the tracks melted completely, exposing the steel rails to the air.

"The train is coming! Stay alert!" Kakashi signaled to everyone, warning them. The entire group held their breath, staring intently at the tunnel from which the train was about to emerge.

Woo~

The heavy hum of the train sounded, followed by the black, iron-armored train rushing out of the tunnel.

"Release!" Santafu raised his sword high above his head.

At his command, the resistance fighters hidden in the snow stood up and pushed the large logs buried underground. The logs rolled down from the snowy mountain, gathering more and more snow as they fell. By the time they reached the train tracks at the foot of the mountain, they had formed an avalanche that brought the train to a sudden halt.

Puff~

The train emitted a weak sound as it stopped. Moments later, a man clad in black chakra armor stood up on top of the train.

"Kazahana Dotou," Koyuki Kazahana whispered when she saw the man in the black armor from the back of the group.

Beside her, the masked Haku gently held her hand. "Don't be afraid. Furen is here."

"Yes," Koyuki nodded firmly.

"Charge!" Seeing the train come to a stop, Santafu swung his sword down again.

With his command, the resistance fighters of the Land of Snow, who had been lying in wait for so long, drew their swords and charged toward the train!

Kazahana Dotou's lips curled into a sneer as he watched the resistance charge at the train. However, before his smile could fully form, it froze on his face.

The resistance fighters weren't just charging; they were pulling out kunai with blue spheres attached to them and throwing them at the train.

"Those are... Ice Release Explosive Tags that only Fuyuzora can make!" Rouga Nadare exclaimed, his eyes wide.

How could this be? Could it be that Fuyuzora had betrayed them?

Knowing the power of the Ice Release Explosive Tags, Kazahana Dotou had no intention of engaging head-on. He quickly ducked back into the train.

He had initially wanted to put on a show for Koyuki, but Furen's Ice Release Explosive Tags had forced him to retreat... and he felt incredibly frustrated.

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A/N:

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