Although the overall strength of the Snow Ninja was lacking, and in a one-on-one fight, they might not even be a match for Tenten or Neji, their approach to ninjutsu differed significantly from Konoha's, and indeed, from most other ninja villages. They placed a greater emphasis on technological aids.
First, there was the war machine known as the Armored Train, capable of unleashing a massive barrage of kunai. The colossal train could create a veritable rain of kunai, a deluge so dense that even the Substitution Jutsu would struggle to cope.
Fortunately, Sasuke's team members each showcased their unique skills. Neji used his Rotation, which Sasuke emulated with his Shield of Lightning. Added to that were Kakashi's Water Style, Guy's taijutsu, and Tenten's weapon mastery. Together, they barely managed to withstand the initial onslaught.
However, faced with the enemy's sheer volume of weaponry and ninjutsu, they still found themselves struggling to keep up. After all, no matter how weak the Snow Ninja were individually, Yukigakure was still a hidden village. Its resources were not something a single ninja squad could easily overcome.
After several bombardments from the enemy's weaponry, Kazahana Koyuki was abducted by a rogue ninja airship.
Watching this unfold, Sasuke's heart seethed with frustration. It felt just like when Naruto had left the team to join Root—he was utterly powerless!
In that critical moment, the chakra within him surged, and his form transformed into a streak of lightning as he leaped onto the airship.
Once aboard, Sasuke descended like a vengeful deity, decimating the ranks of Chunin and Genin. With an absolutely overwhelming display of power, he rescued Princess Koyuki.
Nestled in Sasuke's arms, Kazahana Koyuki gazed at him, her eyes filled with an indescribable emotion. She realized then that this boy, merely twelve years old, already possessed the sense of responsibility of an adult. It turned out that, besides the ninja loyal to her, even strangers would risk their lives to protect her. And that person… was so handsome, his features matching the Prince Charming of her fantasies.
Kazahana Koyuki's face suddenly flushed red.
"Hmph. Woman, hold on tight," Sasuke's voice was cool. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, but they quickly evaporated due to the lightning crackling around his body.
Held in his embrace, Kazahana Koyuki gave a soft hum of agreement. The surrounding electricity didn't cause her the slightest discomfort.
"Chidori!" Sasuke's eyes were ice-cold. His right hand suddenly blazed with lightning, the sound of a thousand birds chirping. He slammed the Chidori into the airship's wall.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted. The entire airship belched smoke and shuddered violently, then lost control and plummeted towards the ground.
Sasuke leaped from the gaping hole, making several agile bounces down the snowy mountainside before landing steadily on the ground.
Just as he landed, he saw a Snow Ninja enveloped in a blizzard.
Opposite them stood a white-haired ninja wearing a smiling mask, calmly observing. Behind this figure sat another man on the snow, wearing a white fox mask.
Who are these people? Sasuke's brow furrowed.
"Kazahana Doto?" Koyuki, in Sasuke's arms, recognized the man collapsed on the ground, coughing incessantly, his face contorted in pain. She was instantly aghast. "He's the leader of the rogue ninja."
Hearing Koyuki's words, Sasuke looked at Naruto and Haku, then gently set Koyuki down.
He called out from a distance, "Hey, who are you people?"
"Our identities are unimportant. What matters is that we are not your enemies," Naruto stood up, patting the snowflakes off his clothes, and slowly walked towards Kazahana Doto.
Thwack.
A single chop to the neck knocked Doto unconscious. Naruto slung him over his shoulder and started to walk away as if no one else was there.
"Hey! You! Aren't you being a bit too arrogant?" Sasuke's icy voice came from behind him. "He's my enemy."
Naruto's form paused. His tone was mocking, "Uchiha Sasuke, the sole survivor of Konoha's Uchiha clan. Talented, yes, but failed to get promoted to Chunin."
"So you didn't even make Chunin," Kazahana Koyuki whispered from behind Sasuke, urging him, "Kazahana Doto is Jonin-level. These people defeated him, so they're clearly very strong. Maybe we should run for it."
"Hmph!!" Sasuke snorted coldly. The Chunin Exams were a sore spot for him. He possessed strength nearing Jonin level, yet he hadn't even passed a single Chunin Exam. Meanwhile, Naruto, whom he considered his best friend and rival, had passed and even joined Root, undertaking all sorts of dangerous missions. The gap between them had widened once more.
Now, he finally had a mission of decent difficulty and had wanted to test his strength against Kazahana Doto, only to find Doto had already been taken care of by someone else. These two were almost entirely cloaked in black robes, their faces and headbands obscured; they probably weren't Konoha ninja. Since they could defeat Kazahana Doto, their strength must be considerable.
Sasuke defiantly lifted his head, his eyes filled with hostility. "Whether I'm qualified or not, you'll find out once we fight."
"This looks like it's about to get interesting," Haku chuckled, a surprisingly bewitching quality to the sound. She sheathed her sword, released her Shikai, and reverted to her male form.
"Angel, you go and complete the remaining tasks," Naruto said lightly, Kazahana Doto still slung over his shoulder.
Haku nodded and vanished from sight using Shunpo.
"Come on, then," Naruto said, looking at Sasuke, his tone calm. The voice, altered by Reiatsu, sounded to Sasuke like that of a middle-aged man. Naruto still carried Kazahana Doto, showing no intention of putting him down.
"Are you sure you want to fight me while carrying that guy?" Sasuke said, wiping his nose.
"That depends on your skill."
Infuriated by Naruto's blatant disdain, Sasuke's tone turned frigid. "Then you'd better watch carefully. Don't go straining your neck."
Swoosh!
His figure shot through the pristine white snow, closing in on Naruto, and he threw a direct punch. The force of his fist seemed to momentarily suspend the falling snowflakes.
Whoosh.
Naruto leaned slightly to the side, effortlessly evading the blow, then spun and delivered a side kick that connected with Sasuke's raised left arm, which he'd brought up to block.
Thud!
Sasuke flew backward even faster than he'd come, but he quickly tapped his toes against a large tree he was about to crash into. His Lightning Release chakra surged, and he used the reactive force to instantly close the distance with Naruto again. The tree trunk even began to crack and splinter from the immense force and the boiling lightning chakra.
"Such speed, at such an age… you barely meet the definition of a genius," Naruto chuckled softly, then lightly stomped his right foot on the ground.
Boom!
The snowy ground beneath him disintegrated, revealing a massive crater. Then, a terrifying updraft launched Naruto skyward, allowing him to evade Sasuke's attack.
Vwom.
Naruto's free right hand suddenly condensed a Rasengan made of pure Reiatsu.
"Seal-less Kido: Infinite Rasengan!"
He casually tossed the Rasengan towards Sasuke.
The small Rasengan was a pale white, with what looked like a spinning black hole at its core, continuously compressing the energy within. Though only palm-sized, the terrifying Reiatsu brewing inside it caused the surrounding snowflakes to momentarily freeze in place.
"Is that… a Rasengan?" Sasuke's eyes widened. "No. It's different from a Rasengan." He had seen a similar ninjutsu from Jiraiya before and dared not underestimate it. His knees bent slightly, and his right hand erupted with blinding lightning, the chirping of a thousand birds filling the air.
"Chidori!" Sasuke roared, meeting the Rasengan head-on.
BOOM!
An explosion powerful enough to sweep away everything erupted, and an endless torrent of light and heat madly ravaged everything within the blast radius. The intense heat melted the snowfield below, and the very earth trembled.
CRASH!
A nearby snow-capped mountain gave way to an avalanche, thundering down towards the land below like a colossal tsunami.