49. Trouble in the snow

"Hmm?" frowned Aiko gazing into the clear sky, he poured some chakra into his eyes to increase his eyesight and his eyes widened in surprise at the scene he saw in the sky.

He saw two people flying in the sky wearing strange suits with wing-like protrusions on their back and the tear stained face of the girl they were carrying. He did not waste time pondering as he quickly gathered chakra in his feet and stepped on the ground, his shoes along with the snow around him got blasted away by the chakra release and he was propelled like a kunai tied to the exploding tag into the sky.

C2 was feeling quite happy in his heart as his part in the task this time was undoubtedly safest as he needed not participate in fighting and his only job was transporting a defenceless girl.

His good mood did not continue as few kunais came flying at him aimed accurately for his face, the only exposed part of the chakra armour, he did not fluster as he calmly activated the chakra shield and increased his speed thinking that some people were pursuing him.

But to his surprise a white shadow appeared in front of his eyes as the kunai neared him and he suddenly found himself on the ground tied up in pale red chains unable to move or use the abilities of the armour he was wearing.

..................…

Jiraiya was deep in thought, partially thinking about how to convince Tsunade to return to the village and partially wondering what he would tell her after their reunion, the talk with the boy made him rethink his priorities and analyse the things he considered as failures in his life.

He was forced to come out of his ponder as he subconsciously suishined away to a safe distance avoiding all the snow and rocks flying around him when the boy suddenly took to the sky.

'What the hell?' he thought, his eyes widening a little as the boy reappeared in his previous spot next to a kunai, carrying a girl around his age in his arm standing atop of a man dressed in strange armour tied in chakra chains.

"Are you okay?" asked Aiko looking at the girl in his arms directly in her puffy eyes, ' She smells like honey' he noted filing away the thought, he was able to pick up a mixture of fear, confusion and relief from her aura

He heard a slight shift in the air above him and before he could react two shurikens swiftly passed on the top of his head and sound of metal clashing soon followed as Jiraiya landed beside him looking at the sky.

"What the hell happened?" asked Jiraiya, deflecting the kunais raining down from the sky as he looked at a shadow hovering over them which was the source of the kunais.

Aiko shrugged a little. " They seemed to be kidnapping the girl," he said, pointing his chin towards the bundle in his arms. Jiraiya looked at the girl a bit speechless while he deflected the kunais based on the sound.

"Can you stand?" asked the red haired boy as he tried to set her down so he could free her from her bindings.

She held onto him tightly with a expression of fear, when he proceeded to set her down, "Its okay" said the boy in a low even voice, making it as gentle and reassuring as possible, and it worked as the girl seemed to calm down a little as he deftly cut her bindings freeing her from it, and quickly put his coat on her to keep her out of cold

Now with his hands free, he quickly formed a few hand seals as he looked up and saw an armored figure similar to the one tied under his feet, shooting kunais at them from its hands.

"Adamantine sealing chains." he muttered as more chains shot out from his torso crisscrossing on top of his head forming a barrier preventing the kunais from entering it.

Jiraiya nodded his head in approval and threw a few shurikens into the sky and formed hand seals thinking ' Shuriken shadow clone jutsu' , the shurikens multiplied in number filling the sky as they flew towards the armoured man..

....................….

C1 didn't think that the day would take such a drastic turn, not with the information and their superior chakra armour, he thought no one would stand a chance against him...his team, but here he was hovering in the air looking at his partner tied up like a animal defenceless by a little kid.

The problem became worse when a white haired man joined the fight the chakra meter in his hand was coloured red showing him that he was no match for his opponent.

'You can easily crush experienced chunnins from the five hidden shinobi villages, it is time for our hidden snow village to rise.' he remembered his captain's words when he had introduced these armours to their group.

'He must at least be a jounin.' thought C1 his face going pale as he stopped shooting kunai from the arms of his armour, looking at the white haired man and flew higher escaping from the range of the shurikens, he knew that the battle was as good as lost and looking at the remaining power in the chakra armour, he decided it was best to retreat and took to the sky.

Aiko gathered his chakra to follow him,but quickly stopped when Jiraiya placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Aerial combat is disadvantageous," he reasoned, looking at the red haired boy." and we already have a captive." he added scanning the surroundings for any potential threats with serious eyes, gone was his usual carefree and frivolous expression.

Aiko restrained his chakra, noticing that almost half of his stamina was used up in the fight, stunned the captured man before taking back the chains while keeping watch on his surroundings.

Soon a group of samurais arrived at the street and surrounded them with swords in their hands looking at them with hostility as jiraiya was now carrying the unconscious armoured man.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding." said Jiraiya with a smile to the surrounding samurais but his grip around the kunai tightened wondering why this trip was filled with troubles, prompting Aiko to go on alert as he got ready to summon chains momentarily if a fight broke out.

Soon when the atmosphere was tensing up, the girl who was hiding behind Aiko stepped forward, surprising him.

"They saved me from those people" she said, she was also scared in the beginning when people with weapons surrounded them, but soon she noticed her family's emblem on their armour, realising they were the guards hired by her family.

"Princess Koyuki." said the guard in the forefront, giving the girl a samurai salute, while he released a sigh of relief in his heart, he had just gotten the message that there was a attack on the castle and he was rushing to support the guards there while he met with this situation.

"Let's head to the castle." he said to the trio lowering his weapon and the surrounding guards did the same. "Respected shinobi please," he added, looking at Jiraiya's headband.

.......................

"Thank you very much for saving my daughter." said a man dressed in expensive clothes bowing towards Jiraiya. He had receding Black hair, large balck eyes, he wore a pair of circular framed glasses.

"It wasn't much effort, Daimyo-sama" said Jiraiya returning the bow, the man was Sosetsu Kazahana , the Damiyo of the land of snow.

Aiko and Jiraiya were inside a large hall surrounded by people in expensive clothes and samurais. They were brought to the Kazahana castle along with the girl after learning her identity.

Jiraiya had teased Aiko saying he had become a hero who saved a princess, but was disappointed when Aiko looked at him with a puzzled look as if asking 'So?', making Jiraiya sigh that the boy lacked common sense and thought it was his responsibility to teach him stuff as his sensei, meanwhile the girl who was sitting beside them with a sad expression, lowered her head her face going pink remembering all the stories she was told by her maid Yumi, when quickly sadness overtook her shyness thinking of the maid who was now dead as she pursed her lips trying hard to not shed tears.

Jiraiya who looked at this from the corner of the eyes shook his head at his failed attempt to cheer up the atmosphere, thinking it might take a few days for her to recover from the trauma.

"Yes, thank you for saving my niece, you shinobis are more reliable unlike the useless guards hired by my brother." said another man standing beside the first one wearing expensive clothes and jewels, as soon as he finished speaking the atmosphere in the room changed as the samurais grit their teeth in shame and anger as it was true that the castle was attacked under their watch and there was even casualty of servants.

Sosetsu frowned at the blunt way of his brother's speech but did not say much as he too was disappointed at the security of his castle.

Aiko looked at the second man for a moment, confusion flashing in his eyes as his words and aura did not match.