Walking to a place with thick white snow, Obito couldn't help but bend down to make a snowball and throw it at Kakashi.
But Kakashi, being so cautious, immediately sidestepped to dodge, and then the snowball hit Kazahana Koyuki, who was hopping about.
Kazahana Koyuki turned around with a bewildered face, looking around before finally locking her gaze on Obito, who had his hands behind his back.
"Seeing such beautiful snow, anyone would be tempted to make a snowball, right? And once you've made it, it would be a pity not to throw it." Obito thought he could explain himself.
"As expected, it's rude of you, Obito, to even dare attack the princess. Death penalty! Death penalty!" Following Mokgetsu's taught method, Kazahana Koyuki took a deep breath and then moved her hands to make two snowballs to throw at Obito.
Envious that Obito and the others could play freely in the snow, Kazahana Koyuki tried to consult Mokgetsu for guidance.
Considering Kazahana Koyuki's consistent cooperation and the Chakra ore promised by the Daimyo of the Snow Country, Mokgetsu modified the Basic Breathing Technique to be more suitable for ordinary people and taught Koyuki.
This version of the breathing technique only enhances an ordinary person's body and doesn't require regular exercise, making it useless for ninja but perfectly fitting Koyuki's needs.
After all, Koyuki is an ordinary person. Obito easily dodged the two snowballs, but he didn't anticipate that Kakashi would make a move at that moment, decisively hurling a snowball that hit Obito.
What followed was a chaotic snowball fight, with even Nohara Rin getting dragged in to join.
To better hit his opponents and avoid being hit, Obito concentrated on his breathing, activating his Sharingan.
Seeing Obito use his Sharingan, Kakashi was equally unrestrained and activated the Transparent World to enhance himself.
Nohara Rin didn't have as many techniques as they did but had the Water Prison Jutsu to block snowballs.
Watching a simple snowball fight gradually evolve into an epic battle, Kazahana Koyuki felt a bit bewildered, weak, pitiful, and helpless.
However, once Mokgetsu was involved, everyone became as pitiful and helpless as Kazahana Koyuki.
Mokgetsu first made snowballs and then used Wind Release to suppress, throwing them with such force it seemed like a barrage of arrows.
Of course, to cater to the client's emotions, Mokgetsu precisely controlled the snowballs to ensure only one flew towards Kazahana Koyuki, while most were aimed at Kakashi and Obito.
"Teacher Mokgetsu, you're totally cheating." Under Mokgetsu's overwhelming barrage, Obito had no chance to counterattack.
"Didn't you also use ninja powers?" Kazahana Koyuki saw Obito's misfortune and immediately stood out to mock him.
Obito: ...
Can his ninja powers even compare to Mokgetsu's? That's Sage Mokgetsu! Even with both his hands tied, he couldn't last long.
At the end of the day, Obito and the others were a bit tired, their so-called protection was just accompanying Kazahana Koyuki to play all day.
And Kazahana Koyuki, whose stamina was worse than Obito's, fell asleep shortly after returning.
This went on for three days, with their tasks completely finished when the Snow God Festival ended on the fourth day.
"Teacher Mokgetsu, can you stay a bit longer? I can have my father issue another task to Konoha." Kazahana Koyuki was somewhat reluctant to see Mokgetsu leave.
Although their time together wasn't long, she really liked Mokgetsu because he was handsome, told great stories, and complimented her cuteness, teaching her things.
"Of course not. Once the task is over, it's over. But if there's a chance, I'll come back to the Snow Country." Mokgetsu replied warmly.
During this Snow Country trip, Mokgetsu had gained quite a bit, obtaining plenty of Chakra Ore from the Snow Country and information on the Snow Ninja's Chakra Armor.
"Teacher Mokgetsu, can't you just leave one of your clones in the Snow Country?" Kazahana Koyuki was still trying to persuade him.
Without waiting for Mokgetsu to refuse again, Kazahana Sosetsu spoke, "Koyuki, don't make it difficult for Mokgetsu. Other places might need him too."
If someone as powerful as Mokgetsu could stay in the Snow Country, Kazahana Sosetsu would wholeheartedly support it, but he knew even with his innocence that it wasn't feasible.
"Goodbye, don't be sad and cry because we're leaving. I hope next time you can act more like a princess." Obito was still hung up on how Koyuki didn't quite fit the princess image in novels.
"I'll be sad when Teacher Mokgetsu leaves, when Sister Rin leaves, and when Brother Kakashi leaves. But I'll be happy when you leave." Hearing Obito say she didn't act like a princess, Kazahana Koyuki immediately responded.
As someone determined to become a kind and just princess, Obito's words were truly irksome to Kazahana Koyuki.
"Tch, I even prepared a farewell gift for you." Obito said with a feigned pout.
Hearing Obito's words, Kakashi twitched his mouth, thinking Obito was truly inconsiderate, as his gift was something he wouldn't want for himself but gave to others.
"Gift?" Kazahana Koyuki looked at Obito with suspicion.
"There really is one. Everyone prepared something for you." Nohara Rin replied softly.
Seeing Nohara Rin speak up, Kazahana Koyuki began to believe that Obito wasn't just bluffing.
"Then I take back what I said, I won't dislike you today. I'll be sad when you all leave." Kazahana Koyuki changed her words.
"Be sure to open the gifts only when you get home." Obito advised.
Though she didn't know why, Kazahana Koyuki suppressed her curiosity and nodded, thinking it might not be suitable to open them outside.
"Goodbye, Teacher Mokgetsu, make sure to come to the Snow Country to play when you can." Watching Mokgetsu and the others board the ship, Kazahana Koyuki waved and shouted with effort.
Mokgetsu replied with a warm smile, Nohara Rin waved with a smile, Kakashi nodded, and Obito burst into a scheming laugh as the ship set sail.
Back home, Kazahana Koyuki couldn't wait to open the gift packages.
On top was Mokgetsu's gift, a calligraphy piece he wrote specifically for Kazahana Koyuki, followed by a booklet detailing techniques for strengthening the body using breathing techniques.
Kazahana Koyuki smiled contently, deciding to treasure the calligraphy and train seriously so she could hit Obito more effectively in future snowball fights.
The second gift was from Kakashi. When Koyuki opened it, she found a statue of herself that was very exquisite.
Kazahana Koyuki was also pleased with this, carefully placing the statue on a shelf.
The third gift was from Nohara Rin, which was a painting of them visiting the Snow God Festival together.
Kazahana Koyuki had the painting framed and placed beside her bed so she could see it often and not forget those memories.
When she opened the last gift, which was from Obito, she showed a confused expression as it was a thick stack of paper, written with many words.
"Could it be a farewell letter to me?" Kazahana Koyuki examined the paper contents seriously.
"Who was the first person in the Snow Country to be awarded the title of Ice Hero?"
"1. Miyake Junpei 2. Tahara Natsuki..."
"Please analyze the cause of the Snow Country's perpetual harsh climate based on the above material..."
Kazahana Koyuki looked closely at the two sheets and realized they were not letters but just a series of questions.
She felt her fists clenching.
She vowed that if she ever became the Daimyo, she would assign Obito a mission to complete a thousand test papers.
"Hmph, I just won't do it." Kazahana Koyuki didn't think she had any obligation to complete Obito's tests.
Then, she saw the small handwriting left by Obito.
"This is a test modeled after Teacher Mokgetsu's, necessary training for becoming a qualified princess. If you complete it, maybe Teacher Mokgetsu will see you in a new light next time. Good luck!"
Kazahana Koyuki hesitated as she looked at the encouraging words next to a drawing of a small fist.
If becoming a qualified princess could make Teacher Mokgetsu see her in a new light, then it's worth it. The questions from Obito shouldn't be too hard for her.
...
"What a pity that I couldn't capture her expression when opening the gift." Obito spoke with some regret on the ship.
"Obito, how did you do it? There are so many points of knowledge on the test paper. Did you read a lot of books about the Snow Country?" Nohara Rin was curious about how Obito made the test paper.
"I just used Teacher Mokgetsu's test as a template, and the specific questions were made by the scholars of the Snow Country." Obito replied with a proud expression.
Kakashi looked at Obito speechlessly, thinking that only when tricking people does Obito's mind work exceptionally well.
And so, Mokgetsu and the others returned to Konoha without incident, concluding their mission in the Snow Country.