Vol 1 – Chapter 21 – Strongest
Jay was standing in the snow, watching the filming preparations.
Koyuki was standing near a heater, ready to act, but something different about her.
Spiritually and physically, there was a sword on her waist.
Jay was watching her with a smile, but someone else wasn't that happy. Naruto was standing beside him, sulking. The brooding look might look good on Sasuke, but there was something wrong when on Naruto.
Moreover, Sakura and Sasuke were nearby, waiting to overhear whatever the talk was about.
That was probably the reason that he was trying to avoid it.
"Uncle..."
Until he couldn't avoid it anymore.
"Yeah?"
"What's the price of using that sword of yours?" Naruto asked. He remembered it; ever since they were children, Jay had been careful with that sword.
He would even let them use it; they grew up listening that the use of a sword comes with a price.
But right now, he would just give away the sword, letting Koyuki use it. Just thinking about the price made him sulk.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I just want to."
Jay glanced at him, "Say, Kid, do you have a crush on Koyuki?"
Naruto turned, blushing red, pointing at him, "Who has a crush on that woman!!! I don't!!!"
Suddenly, the working people of the crew stopped, looking towards him before chuckling and giggling.
Koyuki looked towards Naruto - she sighed, shaking her head.
Naruto's face became even redder, but next instance, it all disappeared.
He stood straight, exhaling, "Uncle...don't change the topic."
"Mmm..." Jay rubbed his chin, "She'll die after using it the third time."
Abruptly Naruto jumped up, kicking towards his face, but Jay blocked it with his hand.
"How could you!!!" Naruto's face was colored in anger.
But there was a smile in Jay's red eyes as he watched Naruto, "Price of power is never small."
Naruto ground his teeth, "You didn't have to give her that power!"
Jay narrowed his eyes, sitting down in the snow, "But I had to make her step up and come out of the shadow she had lived in the past ten years. She's so bright, pure, brilliant...I wanted to see her shining at her best."
Naruto clenched his fist, "but that would kill her!"
Jay turned to him, smiling, "then, Naruto, make sure you lend her your strength. So she doesn't have to use that power."
"I will protect her! And make sure she never uses that sword! Believe it!" Naruto said, shouting out loud.
A smile on Sasuke's face as he stood straight while Sakura clenched her fists, nodding.
Jay exhaled, standing up, "Then make sure you fight against the coming enemy."
"Everyone! Retreat!" Sandayu shouted, watching the train tracks that appeared from beneath the ice.
It was chakra that was running through the tracks, melting the ice.
Everyone retreated, Sandayu ran away to everyone's surprise. They didn't know what he was doing.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura appeared beside Koyuki; the three were determined to stop Koyuki from using Enryakyoten.
It took a while, but a massive train appeared; Jay watched it and narrowed his eyes, "That's quite advanced."
He pulled Koyuki closer, "Get ready to use it."
"No, don't!" Naruto shouted, but Koyuki didn't listen.
"Sip from the four seas when the heavenly shore intertwines. Duplicate the ten thousand, and Sharpen!"
A blinding light flashed, causing Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to cover their eyes.
"Shatter, Senbonzakura!"
When the three opened their eyes, their surroundings were covered by beautiful sakura petals, landing on the ice in the distance.
"Why would you!!" Naruto complained but shut up the next moment.
Jay's scarlet eyes were staring right at them, and it was different from when he was their uncle.
The pressure was unbearable for the three of them, "Shut up and watch."
"It had been a while since we last met, Koyuki."
Koyuki had a mocking smile, "It has been, Uncle."
Suddenly, wood logs slid down from the slope above, colliding against the train. But they failed to cause any damage.
Men covered in armor appeared; Sandayu stood in front, "There you have it, men, our beloved princess is watching over us! With her at our side, victory is ours!!"
Koyuki widened her eyes, looking at all the men standing and cheering. A smile appeared on her face, "To think...there are still some..."
"Dato! Today you will breathe no more!!" Sandayu shouted, yelling as he ran down the slope to attack with his fifty men.
"Ready?" Jay whispered in Koyuki's ear.
Koyuki turned her eyes, seeing the wooden machines with metallic partitions in the front. It seemed they were the machines that would fire something.
Partitions like these were on the train, built-in. All pointed towards the men that were running towards them.
Kunai shot forth from the machines built on the train, shooting towards the fifty men.
Koyuki's eyes shrunk - the sakura petals rushed up, covering the fifty men's front, protecting them from the kunai.
The attack continued, but the sakura petals kept protecting the men without wavering, leaving them stunned.
Koyuki raised her hand, and the petal moved; they covered the train parts with a kunai machine.
Koyuki clenched her fist, and the petals rushed inside the machine, tearing everything apart.
Dato clenched his fist, balancing himself. He looked towards Roga, still alive, "You said she had the power to control ice!" He thought it was some armor that his brother created, Not this.
"I don't know!!" Roga said, staring at Koyuki in surprise.
The fifty men rushed up, protected by the petals; they attacked the men that were operating the machines.
Roga stared at them, "I'll take care of them!"
He rushed towards the crowd, but Kakashi appeared in front of him.
"We have unfinished business."
Dato clenched his fist, staring at Koyuki, "This isn't over yet!" The train started, moving towards the distance.
Kakashi looked towards the few shaken-off men, falling on the ice. He moved so fast that he disappeared, picking the leftover men, appearing on the ice.
The train went off the wooden bridge, blasted off by Kakashi. Some of the back compartments fell off while the front parts separated themselves.
There was a blast of steam, and the train shot forth in the distance.
Enrakyoten reverted to its original look, and Koyuki felt the weakness take over her.
She nearly fell, but Jay caught her.
"Princess!!" Sandayu came running with his fifty men. They were cheering happily for their princess.
Koyuki tried to keep her smiling face as she looked at them, but the worry hid deep in her eyes.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura weren't as happy as the other - they looked at Koyuki with worry.
Naruto clenched his fist, but he knew if Koyuki didn't use the power, all these people would die.
But he also knew that she could only use this power one more time.
Just as they were talking, a blimp appeared from the mountainside.
The blurry man Mizore was on the gate, his mechanical equipment shot forth, hooking on the tired Koyuki.
Enrakyoten slipped out from her hand; her eyes widened she looked towards Jay.
Jay raised his hand, pointing his finger towards his left hand was covered in the black armor-like carapace. His finger was aimed at the blimp when he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Don't."
"Kakashi," Jay said out loud but stopped. His hand returned to normal; Jay exhaled, "I guess I'll let Naruto keep her safe."
Sasuke hmphed, "That idiot can't take care of himself."
Sakura nodded, agreeing with him.
Jay picked Enrakyoten, thinking back on how she'd instead drop the sword and ask for his hand, then keep it with her, "You overthink things..."
The only reason she could use the sword was that he lent her spiritual energy.
For her to drop the sword in worry that Dato would use it, "Stupid."
Sometime later,
Jay sat in front of a pedestal with a shrine roof over it. He looked at the hex crystal in his hand and its hole.
He wondered how Dato found it, but it was pretty obvious.
When Jay first saw the hex crystal,
He realized that it was made from complicated technology, rare to see.
He looked over the panels that were the height of the three or four-story buildings surrounding this area, making a circle.
A man in black armor and the bat-like wing came down from the sky when he was waiting, holding Koyuki diagonally as a hostage.
"You are here," Dato said.
"Jay!" Koyuki shouted in worry. She punched Dato's leg, but his armor was too strong to even be dented.
"Give me the hex crystal, and I'd let her go." Dato glared at the man. He was so close, so close to getting the crystal. But the crystal turned out to be fake e, and then those pesky ninjas from Konoha came, but they didn't have the crystal either.
And now, he stood here; the crystal was in front of him, the treasure was in his reach.
Jay showed him the crystal, "I'll throw it towards you, and you will let go simultaneously."
Dato let go of Koyuki but pointed his arm towards her, "Fine."
Jay threw the crystal, Koyuki looked at it, ran towards Jay.
Dato put down his hand, watching the crystal. He wondered if there was a trick, but the crystal fell down his hand.
He could tell after seeing it this was real. Finally, the treasure was in his hand.
"Jay!" Koyuki hugged him, burying her face in his chest, "I'm sorry...I failed..."
Jay stroked the back of her head, "You didn't fail."
"Hahahahahahahaha!!! Finally, the treasure is mine!" He put the crystal inside the keyhole on the pedestal.
A light shined, causing the ice to shine, the six panels surrounding the area.
They shined with rainbow light, "Can you feel it?"
Koyuki looked towards the beautiful light shining, "It's beautiful...?"
"No, feet it again?"
"It's hotter?"
"Yeah..."
"Heat generator!! The treasure is the heat generator?!!!!"
"It's so warm...what is this...?" Koyuki asked in a daze.
"Koyuki!!!!" The three of them turned towards the shout.
Naruto was riding some kind of vehicle with Makino and the camera crew.
His presence seemed to be perfect for Dato to take out his anger. He made a few hand signs, "Ice style: Black Dragon Blizzard!"
A black dragon that looked like the eel tore the wind apart, hitting where Naruto was.
"Naruto!!" Koyuki shouted, looking for him.
She turned back, staring at Jay, "Enrakyoten! I need it."
Jay took the sword out, looking at it, "You know the cost."
Koyuki held Enrakyoten, biting her lips, "I don't mind. There is no need for anyone to die for me."
She turned around, staring at Dato's back; her lips shivered.
Just as she was about to speak, Jay whispered, "You know...those who have the power believe in themselves. But the ones that can believe in others are the powerful ones. And the ones that can make others believe in are the strongest...do you know anyone like that."
"Don't use that!" Naruto, who had crashed in the ice, stood up.
He stared at Koyuki, "I'll defeat him ...so don't use it."
"How the..." Dato was taken aback, looking at the gadget on Naruto's stomach. It was supposed to hold all his chakra in; it should be impossible for the kid to do something like this.
Was there a crack? That was the first thought in Dato's mind; he got annoyed about the possibility and the power needed to crack that.
"Haaaaaaarhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He punched Naruto to the ground, forcing him inside the cold water, taking deep breath.
"Ahah!!!" Koyuki took a shocked breath, hoping that Naruto would be ok.
She gripped the Enrakyoten harder, "Sip of the four seas!"
"Don't use it!!" A young boy's voice, followed by the sharp sound of a thousand birds, resounded. Chirping echoed in the surrounding.
Koyuki stopped, looking in the direction, "Sasuke?"
Sasuke's left hand was covered in chirping thunder; his eyes had turned red with three tomoe rotating. He rushed in, creating a tear in the ice and snow at his feet, attacking Dato's shield, "Chidori!" His right hand held a pink core that collided with the generated shield.
There was a clash between the shield generated by the armor and Chidori. Before Dato punched Sasuke to the distance, crashed on the ice wall, and fell.
"There's a crack in his armor! The rest is up to you! Naruto!!" He shouted, before falling on the floor, fainting.
Dato looked at Sasuke falling, turning away, but hundreds of Naruto burst out from the ice moments later.
"It's not over, Pal!!!"
Dato became even more pissed off, using a large amount of chakra, "Twin Dragon Blizzard!!!"
Two black ice dragons rushed towards Naruto, destroying the shadow clones; more and more ice turned, creating a black tornado, destroying all the clones.
Koyuki leaned back, "Naruto..." When Jay patted her shoulder, she held Enrakyoten, ready to use it, "Don't give up."
She twitched, looking at a laughing Dato, "This farse is over!!!" He laughed, but his laughter was cut short.
"No, It's not!!"
Snow and dust cleared, revealing Naruto with a circular ball of chakra on his hand.
Koyuki bit her lips, shouting, "Naruto!! I believe in you!!! You are by far the strongest ninja I have ever known!!"
"Heh, I could have told you that!" Naruto laughed, speeding towards
Dato punched him, but Naruto's shadow clone appeared in his way.
Sun rose; the panels started shining, the Rasengan in Naruto's hand shined with rainbow light.
"Rainbow chakra..." Koyuki muttered.
Naruto bent down, "Every story should have a happy ending!!! Rasengan!!!" He smashed the Rasengan on Dato's stomach, getting launched in the air, rotating, sticking one of the panels.
Dato caused the panel to crack, to fall, revealing the light behind it.
The ground turned into grassy planes; there were flowers, butterflies, grass, and tree.
The director and producer, Makino, looked at it, shouting, "We are going 3D!!!!"
"Belief in the future; if you do...the spring will surely come."
Koyuki turned towards the center of the panels; there was a holographic image of her childhood.
Jay picked up the Enrakyoten that slipped out of Koyuki's hand, putting the sword into the sheathe on his back.
"Happy ending...huh..." He muttered, glancing towards Koyuki, who was crying, seeing the holographic projection of her and her father.
Over the next few days, Koyuki was busy with the throning ceremony.
Sandayu was the happiest as his years-old dream had come true.
But Jay didn't go there; he sat by the heat generator, studying its mechanics.
From what he could tell, it was incomplete.
It might work a few days, maybe weeks, but then it would stop working. There was also the thing with the Land of Snow's treasury being empty. Even though Koyuki earned a lot as an actress, it was nowhere near enough to fund something like this.
"I thought you'd be here."
"And I am surprised you are here."
Jay glanced back at Koyuki wearing the royal dress.
Koyuki took a few steps forward, hugging him from the back, "You didn't come to my ceremony."
"Ah, about that..."
"Worried about facing the kids?"
"Kinda...they never saw this side of me before."
"Which side?"
"The harsh, evil one..."
Koyuki slid in front of him, looking in his eyes, "If giving a helpless woman the power to fight against her fate is evil. Then I don't mind you being evil."
Jay caressed her cheeks, "You know you paid the price of using that power."
Koyuki held his hand, smiling, "So what? I paid the price, knowing what I was doing. It's not your fault."
Jay wrapped his hand around her waist, kissing her lips, sucking on it.
Koyuki kissed him back before putting her heels back down, putting her head on his shoulder, "Jay..."
"Hmm..."
"Nothing...I just wanted to say your name."
"Oh..."
She turned around, looking at the heat generator, "It will stop working soon..."
"I know..."
"But we will build it, make it work again..."
"And your work?"
"I can do both of them!" Koyuki looked up, grinning.
Jay stroked her hair, smiling, "Ok..."
Koyuki stopped smiling, looking in his eyes, "You are married..."
"Mhm..."
"You have a child..."
"Yup..."
Koyuki closed her eyes, raising her body on her toes, kissing his lips, wrapping her hands around his, "And I can't stop myself."