"There's no proof they were Mist ninja," Nara Kazuki said as he dumped the corpses overboard.
The fish would take care of the remains.
"Makes sense. Everyone knows Kirigakure's shinobi moonlight as pirates, but they've never admitted it," Kakashi added casually, lounging on a deck chair and enjoying the sea breeze.
Might Guy was finally looking better. He had stopped vomiting—mostly. During the earlier skirmish, Guy managed to stabilize himself using taijutsu techniques like the Front Lotus, which helped him regain control of his equilibrium. He still looked a bit dizzy, but at least he could move around again.
"Tch. Looks like Kirigakure's economy isn't doing so great either. These guys didn't have much on them," Kazuki muttered as he rummaged through the remains. The total loot from the three shinobi added up to just about 10,000 ryō.
"They were probably only Chūnin-level," Kakashi remarked, glancing over. He reached down, picked up a pocket watch from the pile, and casually slipped it into his pocket.
Kazuki gave the coin purse to Guy and kept a single scroll for himself. It contained a basic Suiton jutsu—Hiding in Mist Technique. A standard Kirigakure ninjutsu, easy to learn and pretty much everywhere. Strange that someone would carry a scroll for it.
"Here, Kazuki, take some of this," Guy offered, dividing up his share.
Kazuki hesitated, then accepted. Originally he hadn't planned to take anything—he had money. But seeing Guy also share with Kakashi, he figured it was a gesture worth respecting.
With the three enemies dealt with, the voyage continued peacefully. But as they got closer to the Land of Snow, the temperature steadily dropped. Kazuki changed into insulated clothes early.
"Damn, it's cold..." he muttered, sneezing and rubbing his hands.
"That's normal for the Land of Snow," Kakashi said. "According to the intel I reviewed, they have year-round snowfall. That makes some of their regional goods pretty popular in Konoha."
Kazuki nodded thoughtfully and looked over the side of the boat. Down in the sea, Guy was swimming alongside them—his speed so fast that he occasionally had to pause and wait for the ship to catch up.
"Hey Kakashi... if the products sell well back home, why don't we stock up while we're here?" Kazuki asked with a glint in his eye.
The trip to the Land of Snow was long, and the threat of pirate attacks made goods expensive. Since they were already here, why not make a little side profit?
"...How much money did you bring?" Kakashi asked after a pause. At first, he hadn't intended to get involved in anything like that, but with his household budget steadily shrinking, the idea had its appeal.
"Thirty thousand ryō," Kazuki replied, patting his belt pouch.
"I brought forty," Kakashi added smugly.
Kazuki narrowed his eyes at him. Once you got to know Kakashi, you realized he was surprisingly quirky.
"Hey Guy! How much money do you have on you?" Kazuki called toward the sea. But with the wind howling, Guy didn't hear.
Kazuki formed a small Lightning Release ball and lobbed it near him. Guy saw it and immediately leapt onto the deck.
"Me? Uh... none," Guy admitted sheepishly. Most of his funds went toward food—he ate a lot to support his intense training.
Kazuki wasn't surprised. Guy had no clan backing, no special stipends—just the standard support from the village. He wasn't even sure if the village gave Guy any extra compensation for being the sole user of the Eight Gates.
To make things fair, Kazuki and Kakashi handed over part of their earlier loot to Guy. He was now officially part of the "business venture."
When the ship finally docked in the Land of Snow, Kazuki laid eyes on the country for the first time.
Just like Kazahana Dotō had described—it was buried in white. Snow blanketed everything, and the port was bustling with merchants and travelers. The area surrounding the docks was dense with shops and trading posts.
"Thank you for your protection, shinobi-dono," Dotō said politely.
As the ship anchored, the port was chaotic. Dotō seemed eager to disembark.
"Please stamp this," Kazuki said, pulling out the mission scroll. Dotō quickly pressed his seal onto it. The document would serve as proof of mission completion, allowing them to claim their reward upon returning.
"Brother!" a man's voice called.
Kazuki saw Dotō's face twitch momentarily before returning to its usual expression. Curious, he looked toward the source.
A man who resembled Dotō—wearing extravagant clothes—was walking toward them, accompanied by a small girl.
"Brother, I told you there was no need to greet me," Dotō said with a smile as they embraced.
"That's Kazahana Sōsetsu, the Daimyō of the Land of Snow," Kakashi whispered to Kazuki.
Kazuki nodded. He scratched his head. That sense of déjà vu was growing stronger...
"You're my little brother, of course I'd come! Was the trip smooth? Little Koyuki missed you," Sōsetsu said cheerfully, ruffling the young girl's hair.
Kazuki's eyes widened.
Kazahana Sōsetsu. Kazahana Koyuki.
He remembered now.
This was it—the Land of Snow movie arc.
Koyuki Kazahana… the little girl from the Naruto movie, the one where Naruto helped her regain her rightful place as princess.