Chapter 71

Last Time:

"Doto, we have awaited this day of reckoning! Today, before you stand 50 loyal warriors stand before you to avenger our fallen hero! On this day, you will breathe no more!" Sandayu yelled and unsheathed his sword, then pointed it to Doto, signifying the battles beginning.

Now:

~ With Doto ~

Doto sighed as he looked at the small force charging towards him. "I thought you had eliminated the small groups of insurgents." Doto hissed to Nadare. "I did as well. I apologize, sir." Nadare said, making Doto sigh in irritation. "No matter, they will be made an example of." Doto muttered. One of the carts on the train suddenly made a large noise as the wall covering it fell, exposing various tubes facing towards the oncoming forces. 'No. They're pretty advanced, but you don't honestly believe they could have already replicated guns?' Naruto wondered to himself.

He quickly made several shadow clones and set four of them to guard the princess. "Fire!" Doto yelled. Naruto quickly moved in as the volley of kunai fired from the train cart. His clones grabbed as many of the men as they could while Naruto appeared before Sandayu and blocked the incoming kunai with his shield. "Where are the others?!" Naruto demanded as he held strong against the Kunai slamming into his shield. "We were.. The distraction!" Sandayu yelled, a loud painful cry coming as a kunai managed to slip through and stab into his chest. Naruto cursed and looked directly at Doto. 'You're going to pay for this, you slimy son of a bitch!' He silently vowed.

Naruto was about to question more, but couldn't as another volley of kunai was fired. Before they could get close to him, an explosion rocked the train, nearly tipping it over."What was that?" Naruto wondered as he looked up. Samui was throwing various Kunai with explosive tags attached to the hilt at the train. "Shit! Somebody, get her!" Doto yelled. The large train holding the kunai launchers was opened and the same Kunoichi with pink hair flew out. 'Shit!' Naruto thought as he unsealed his bow and fired a few arrows below the large cliff of snow where Samui was firing from.

"Boom." Naruto muttered as the arrows went off. Doto looked up to see a large wave of snow descending on them from the top of the cliff. "Shit, we need to move!" Doto yelled out. As if on cue, the train whistled loudly and began moving as the large wave of snow impacted against it. Doto quickly headed back into the train before he was buried as the train began making its way onto the tracks. Naruto was about to charge, but was stopped as Samui threw a Kunai before his feet. Naruto growled, but watched as the large metal contraption made its way out of the area. Before it could get far, however, the track seemed to give away, pulling it down.

'What the hell?' Naruto wondered until Yugito scaled up the side of the cliff with chakra, a large blue flame in her hand. "Amazing how easily steel melts, no?" She asked with a proud grin, making Naruto smirk. "Who came up with the idea?" Naruto asked as he looked at her. "Well, when we heard about the train, we knew we had to get it out of play. Your basic distract and destroy." Yugito said. Naruto smirked, but was stopped as he heard coughing behind him. "Shit!" He thought as he turned the downed form of Sandayu behind him. "I need clean clothes, antibiotics, and a needle!" Naruto yelled as he hefted the man onto the inside of his shield and carried him towards the others.

Naruto quickly lowered the shield onto the ground and pressed his fingers against his neck. "He's still got a heartbeat, but its decreasing!" Naruto yelled as he took the kunai out and dug the pieces of cloth out from the wound. "Where the hell are those pieces of cloth and the antibiotics? Someone get me hydrogenated water too!" Naruto yelled out. "This is what happens when you never give up! This only happened because he went up against Doto!" Koyuki yelled at him, making him glare at her. He grabbed her scarf and pressed it into the man's open wound, letting the blood seep into her hands.

"You see that? Feel it? That's a heartbeat. That's a life! He's alive just like me. He's more alive than you, because he decided to get up and fight back against life when it got him down!" Naruto yelled at her. "You just laid down and took it! Now, there's no damn room here for your pity party here! You want to give up, fine! But if you had stepped up, this wouldn't have happened! Now, apply pressure here while I get the damn supplies!" Naruto yelled at her and left to go get the supplies. 'This is Sandayu's life in my hands..' She thought, but was stopped as Naruto kneeled besides her.

"Alright, get off!" He yelled as he poured the hydrogenated water into the wound, making Sandayu yell out in pain and snap back into reality. As Naruto was applying the antibiotic cream into Sandayu's wound, he looked up to see the cold stare of the princess. "Princess, I am sorry for having gotten you mixed up in all of this. I should have never dragged you into this. It's just that..For these men, to me. To all of us, ever since you were little, you have always been our purest..form.. of hope." Sandayu said, making the princess' eyes water. Naruto was still working on the injury when Sandayu spoke again.

"Please, don't waste your tears on me princess.." The man said and drew his last breath. His hand dropped, revealing what appeared to be a copy of the Hex crystal. Naruto growled as he slammed his hands down on the man's chest. "Come on, you old son of a bitch! Don't give up on me!" He yelled as he began to give the man CPR and press into his chest. "Come on! Come on!" He yelled, but it was too late. The Kunai had dug too deep and in his old age, the injury had been too grave for the man. "Sandayu, you are a fool. I can't cry.." Koyuki began, getting everyone's attention. "You have my eye drops." She finished, then turned to Naruto and the others.

"Are you satisfied now? Let's go back." Koyuki said and began to leave, but saw no one following her. "If you stay here, you're all bound to be killed! Let's go home.." Koyuki finished. "Go home to where? Unless I'm mistaken, this is your home! Now man up and take responsibility! These people need you so they can finally live in peace!" Naruto yelled, then turned to Sandayu. "This man gave his life to see you back on that throne and to see you happy! Does that mean nothing to you?!" Naruto demanded as he picked up the supposed copy and pocketed it. Yugito placed her hand on his shoulder, a sign for him to simmer down.

"You know nothing. This place is one spring never comes to. The cold freezes not only your tears, but your heart as well. There is nothing waiting for me here." Koyuki said. Naruto growled and grabbed her by her hands, pulling her back."Sandayu believed you could bring spring. Was he wrong?" Naruto asked " Let me go! You don't know anything about me! Let's just..go." Koyuki finished. Naruto was about to retort until a large balloon like shape emerged over the cliff behind the trucks. 'What the hell? A blimp?!' Naruto internally yelled as he saw the large Cabin underneath it. "Shit, duck!" Naruto yelled as he tried to push Koyuki out of the way.

A large claw-like hand suddenly sprang from the blimp and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into the helium-powered monstrosity. "Hey!" Naruto yelled until Fubuki flew by and threw several kunai with small deep blue orbs attached to them. "Shit, move!" Yugito yelled, making Samui jump out of the way. As soon as the kunai hit the floor, large amounts of ice spikes began blooming from the floor, impaling anything within arm's reach. Darui quickly sprang into action and pulled as many people as he could from the danger zone. "Wait, where's Naruto-kun?" Samui asked out loud, making everyone look around.

"Wait, you don't think.." Yugito muttered as she looked up to see a figure being dragged by the blimp in the air. 'That man!' Yugito thought in an angry tone. 'Oh come on, Yugi-chan. You love it!' Nibi said to Yugito, making the girl turn to her inner self. 'Nibi, where the hell have you been!' She demanded. 'Apparently, a porn theatre. By the way, real kinky.' Nibi said with a wink, making Yugito blush. 'Why, oh why did I have to get stuck with the one perverted demon out of the entire Bijuu?' Yugito thought as she looked to the retreating blimp.

~ With Naruto ~

Naruto groaned as he looked to the arrow holding him in place. It may have been a bit out of the norm, but he really had to start packing his black retractable box with the rest of his arrows. 'Yea, hind sight is 20/20' He mused as he began climbing up towards the surface. As soon as he got close enough, he unstuck his arrow and put it away. He unsealed his bow and arrow and slowly loaded an arrow into it. 'This is bad. This is their damn territory..' He thought as he slowly made his way to the entrance to the blimp. "Hey, stop right there!" A voice called out behind him.

'Shit!' Naruto thought as he turned and fired the arrow. It pierced the incoming lackey in the heart and before he could scream, put his hands over his mouth. With a quick snap of the neck, the man fell back, dead. 'That was close..' He mused, until he felt a sharp point in the back of his neck. "Any sudden movements, and you're dead!" The man behind him called out. Naruto sighed and put his hands up. "Alright, now slowly turn to face me.." The man instructed him. Naruto slowly turned and as soon as he was face to face with the man, let the bow go. He quickly smacked away the hand holding the kunai and before the man could scream, he grabbed the man by the back of the head and slammed him into his knee, knocking him out.

Naruto picked up the man's body and looked down from the observation deck behind the blimp. It might not have been much, but there was enough for him to stow away.

~ With Koyuki ~

Koyuki growled as she looked to her uncle standing before her. "My, you've grown quite beautifully, Koyuki. Am I right to assume you have the Hex crystal?" Doto asked Koyuki. She sighed, but nodded. "Yes." She confirmed. "Good. It is the key to the treasure of the Kazahana clan." Doto informed her. "What do you mean?" Koyuki asked. "When I ..liberated this country form the hands of your father, I found the large vault was lacking in funds. I supposed he hid them away some time ago, and I was right. Deep in the valley of the ice, there is a keyhole to which the Hex Crystal fits perfectly." Doto informed her.

"Once I have my hands on the Kazahana fortune, the land of snow can rise in superiority to that over the hidden villages!" Doto said in a maniacal tone and snatched the hex crystal from around Koyuki's neck. "Now, let's see.." Doto said as he began inspecting the crystal with a critical eye. Koyuki sighed, but was surprised as he grabbed her by her coat and pulled her towards him. "What the hell is this?! This is not a game! I know this is a damn fake!" The man yelled, making Naruto's eyes widen as he listened in from his hidden position on the observation deck.

~ With Naruto ~

Naruto fished into his pockets and pulled out the crystal he had retrieved from Sandayu. He inspected it carefully. 'You don't think… Sandayu, you old coot!' Naruto thought with a grin as he pocketed the crystal. Now, he held the most important card in the whole game, and it was up to him to make sure he played it right.

~ With Koyuki ~

Koyuki growled as she looked at the fake. "Someone must have switched it out with a fake! Maybe one of the Shinobi or someone from the set!" Koyuki said. "We can have them rounded up in a matter of a few minutes.." Fubuki, the pink haired Kunoichi said in an affirming tone. "Don't bother.." Doto said as he put the fake crystal under his heel and crushed it into dozens of tiny pieces. "We have her. She should be more than enough to draw them out." Doto finished, then motioned to Nadare. The snow-nin nodded and apprehended her, cuffing her hands behind her back.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Koyuki demanded, but was stopped as Doto slapped her, making her fall to the ground. "When we get to the castle, chain her up in one of the dungeons. I can guarantee you her friends will show up for her." Doto said as he looked towards his approaching fortress.

A/N: Koyuki's been captured, now what will happen? Will we be in trouble? Maybe, or maybe not!