Chapter 86: A Father's Gift
Koyuki Kazahana stood on the frozen snow, the wind whipping fine grains of ice against her cheeks.
She stared in disbelief at the corpse Kakashi had dropped on the ground—her uncle, Kazahana Dotō.
In life, the body had started a rebellion, bringing war and ruin to the peaceful Land of Snow, leaving endless wounds.
Now it lay lifeless, armor shattered, revealing scorched marks.
It was... over just like that?
The thought circled her mind, unreal.
The nightmare that had haunted the Land of Snow for ten years, killed her father, driven her into exile, ruled by terror and iron—was it truly a cold corpse now?
A delayed wave of relief crashed over her, knees buckling.
Kazahana Dotō... was finally dead!
"That bastard Kazahana Dotō is dead at last!"
A hoarse roar shattered the silence.
It was Asama Sandayū.
The loyal minister, ten years in secret resistance, could no longer hold back.
Tears streamed down his wrinkled face, joy and grief indistinguishable.
He drew the katana symbolizing rebellion, charged like a lion uncaged.
He reached the corpse, raised the blade, and hacked with all his strength.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The blade struck flesh unprotected by Chakra armor, a dull, heart-stopping sound.
Sandaifu wept, laughed, screamed, every syllable blood from his soul:
"For Lord Hayuki! For Lady Yukiyuki! For every citizen of the Land of Snow you harmed these ten years!"
Each swing poured out ten years of hatred, humiliation, fear, and grief.
This was more than desecration; it was a nation's delayed, bitter reckoning.
In this violent act, he avenged his lord, cried for his people, ended ten years of shame in blood.
The wind howled, tugging his hair and bloodstained robes, his figure tragic and magnificent, his cries and the thud of steel the most stirring elegy on the snow.
Koyuki Kazahana looked away, toward the blond boy—Uzumaki Naruto—who had ended the nightmare beside her.
She drew a cold breath, suppressing the turmoil within.
She stepped forward, treading bloodstained snow, to Naruto.
Without hesitation, she bowed deeply, a formal bow.
Her hair hid her tears, her voice clear through the wind:
"Naruto... thank you."
The words carried weight beyond gratitude for saving her life; they were respect for restoring hope to a broken nation.
The thanks belonged to her and to the reborn Land of Snow.
The filming proceeded smoothly; Yukiyuki's inauguration as daimyō was recorded for the movie.
Yet Naruto's team was absent from the ceremony.
The glory and noise of the ceremony were irrelevant; they were on a practical mission—hunting remnant Snow Ninja across the Land of Snow.
At dawn, the palace corridors were vast and silent.
Yesterday's ceremony had faded, leaving only cold stone and howling wind.
Koyuki Kazahana walked alone, boots echoing in the emptiness.
She wore the ornate daimyō robes, but the crown and robes now felt only oppressive.
Kazahana Dotō's destruction had been vast; the Land of Snow, unable to farm, relied on seafood and minerals to trade for grain.
Because of this dependence, it was the first in the Ninja World to lay rails and develop the train.
Reconstruction felt like walking on bottomless snow, every step heavy.
Koyuki Kazahana lowered her head, burdened by responsibility and worry.
"Now I should call you Feudal Lord of the Land of Snow, client."
As she passed a corridor intersection, Naruto emerged from another hall.
"You're back?"
Koyuki Kazahana exclaimed in surprise.
Naruto nodded with a gentle smile, easing her tension.
His next words left her stunned.
"I found a place, probably left by your father—want to see?"
Father?
——————————
At the center of six towering hexagonal metal pillars, a small yet intricate shrine stood.
Like a keyhole embedded in the earth, waiting for its key.
Koyuki Kazahana's gaze locked on the clear groove inside the shrine.
The shape... the curves... the angles... familiarity struck her.
Her hand instinctively touched the pendant at her neck.
"This shape..."
She murmured, eyes wide with disbelief and intuition.
Without hesitation, she unclasped the necklace, aligning the pendant—her father's last token—with the shrine's aperture.
Click.
A crisp, perfect fit.
The pendant slid into the groove as if born for it.
Hum...!
A low, resonant hum rose from the earth, as if a beast ten years asleep had awakened.
The six pillars surrounding the shrine blazed.
Not harsh white, but soft, brilliant, living rainbow light.
Warmth spread from the shrine, from the pillars, unstoppable.
The ancient ice hissed, surface beading with moisture.
"This is?"
Naruto watched, awed, and replied calmly, "A Geothermal Device."
He gestured to the rainbow pillars and melting snow.
"Enough to cover... the entire Land of Snow."
Cover... the entire Land of Snow?!
Koyuki Kazahana's heart skipped.
She looked up at the warm pillars, down at the pendant key.
An indescribable warmth, stronger than the geothermal surge, broke her defenses.
Tears welled uncontrollably.
So this was it... Father!
This was more than a father's last birthday gift to his daughter.
It was a daimyō's ultimate gift to his beloved citizens, a destiny-changing, cold-dispelling gift!
BookRecommendations:
1: Naruto: Rise From Hidden Sand Village
2: Demon Slayer: My Breathing Technique Is Actually Haki?
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