Chapter 17 - 15.2 (1/2)
Kutsuzawa could hear Koyuki moving about in the room below his perch on the roof. He scowled at hearing another of his squads calling for back-up to deal with the women blocking the hallway to the princess. Dropping to the balcony below, he could see Koyuki staring at the door of her room worried. Although her back was to him and he could probably enter the room quietly. He wanted the bitch to know he was there so kicked the balcony doors open.
Koyuki spun around saying, ”Kutsuzawa, what's going on.”
”The end of the Kazahana,” he replied stepping into the room slowly pulling a kunai.
Koyuki backed up saying, ”I-I trusted you.”
Kutsuzawa smiled amused before replying, ”If it makes any difference know that the real Tessai Kutsuzawa was a loyal servant your highness. But he should have been just as concerned with his own security as he was with yours.”
”Bastard!”
”Indeed,” the fake Kutsuzawa said taking another step forward as Koyuki backed into a wall.
He was about to move in to finish her off when a shout of, ”Nadare,” caused him to turn. He caught sight of Fubuki wearing her old outfit and chakra armor that she had liberated from the prison storage. Flying into the room she tackled him around the waist but Nadare rolled backwards and grabbing the wings of her armor kicked her in the stomach. She flew through the air but managed to land on her feet frowning as she noticed the henged Nadare Roga holding the wings his kick had pulled free.
”Fubuki, how nice of you to join us, I guess it was too much to hope Mizore would be able to handle you.” Tossing the wings away, Nadare dropped his henge revealing he was also wearing chakra armor although unlike Fubuki's his was charged and working.
”Princess, get out of here. I'll handle him.” Fubuki frowned when Koyuki didn't budge but was forced to focus back on Roga as he shifted his stance.
”Will you now,” Nadare said amused, ”Still trying to find atonement for betraying her father, are you? How pathetic, we were destined for so much more than to serve a weak fool such as that.”
”Shut up,” Fubuki yelled. ”You and Doto lied to me. Lord Sōsetsu wasn't squandering our village's money. He was trying to save our country.”
Pulling the strange kunai she had found Fubuki prepared to charge at Nadare saying, ”When wolves move to attack the sheep it's the shepherds job to protect them. I will not allow you to throw my home into chaos again.” Running forward she stabbed the blade into the armor and was surprised when she was violently repelled backwards by an electric shock.
”How do you like the modifications I've made? It's a little something I had our engineers work on to remove the flaw Kakashi pointed out to me.” Fubuki tried to get back to her feet but a kick from Nadare to the jaw sent her to the floor landing on her back. Kneeling he pressed his knee against her throat saying, ”Not so tough now are you little shepherd?”
”How…how…” Fubuki struggled to say as she was finding it difficult to breathe.
”How did I recover from my injury at Kakashi's hands? Well, I had a little help with that I admit. Thanks to Sōsetsu's inventions this country's loaded with resources just waiting to be exploited. One of the many people interested in getting their hands on them sent someone to heal me. Oh I spent some time pretending to still be paralyzed, civilian doctors are so easy to fool you know, setting things up for our grand prison break. After I killed Tessai, it was just a matter of switching his men with mine. I planned to carry all this out months ago till I learned Koyuki had invited Kakashi and his team here. I was a little disappointed he didn't show, but figured killing his student would almost be worse for him than his own death at my hands.”
The sound of Koyuki making a break for the door pulled Nadare's attention from the struggling kunoichi. Pulling a kunai he said, ”Oh, no you don't,” before letting it fly. He smiled wickedly as the blade buried itself in her back. However his joy was short lived as she burst into smoke, seconds later a red flash appeared where she had been standing.
Nadare's eyes grew wide as Naruto without breaking stride closed the distance between them holding a red Rasengan in one hand. Slamming it into Nadare's c.h.e.s.t it easily overloaded the chakra power crystal and destroyed the plastic armor beneath. Nadare smashed into a wall before sliding down it slowly and from the blood trail where his head had hit the wall it was apparent he hadn't survived the attack.
Naruto cursed wanting to question him about who had healed him but knew against Chakra Armor anything less than full strength would have left him open to attack. Sighing at the missed opportunity and worried one of the other Kages or even Orochimaru may have been behind it, hoped the failure of Nadare's scheme would cause them to think twice before meddling in Spring Country again.
He turned to the coughing kunoichi who was rubbing her throat as she attempted to stand. As soon as she got her feet beneath her she asked anxiously, ”The princess…”
”Is safe,” Naruto answered calmly, ”She hasn't been here since the bombing. I've been using a shadow clone in hopes of drawing out whoever was behind this. Sorry, I didn't arrive sooner. The clone was supposed to get killed by Nadare to alert me that he was out in the open. Since he felt like running his mouth it sat back to learn as much as possible, before attracting his attention.”
”Safe,” Naruto said, ”I'll retrieve her once all the escaped Snow-nin are accounted for.”
”There are a few held up in the armory,” the captain said, ”We'll go root them out immediately.” The captain motioned to two of his men who pointed their spears at Fubuki. ”We'll also secure the prisoner,” he added almost challenging Naruto to say otherwise.
Naruto nodded but said, ”She came here to defend Koyuki. If I hear she's been mistreated along the way. Whoever's behind it will answer to me.”
The captain swallowed heavily but with a small head motion to his men led them from the room. Hana stepped up to Naruto saying, ”If she came here to help how can you let them lead her away in chains?”
”Because she did it for the right reason,” Naruto said picking up Nadare's corpse to deliver it to Tsunade in hopes there was a way to learn something of value from it, before retrieving Koyuki.
”Which is?”
”She didn't expect a reward,” Naruto said disappearing in a flash of red.
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Fubuki was being escorted to the palace in the red prison jumpsuit she had been given upon her return to her cell. Although she may have been imagining it she could almost feel a small measure of respect coming from them. As she tried to figure out why Koyuki was summoning her so late at night, her group was met by the two Leaf kunoichi that had become something of local celebrities. Nodding to the men, Anko said, ”We'll take it from here boys. The princess still isn't feeling well due to all the stress what with the bombing and would be rebellion.”
Both kunoichi took up guard positions on the sides of the door so Fubuki entered and was surprised to find herself in a spare bedroom. However as she focused on the princess, who was wearing only a nightgown that covered up to mid-t.h.i.g.h and was see-thru although the material darkened around her b.r.e.a.s.ts and pelvis, that if she was that stunning when she wasn't feeling good then she couldn't imagine how beautiful she'd be if she was.
”Welcome,” Koyuki said smiling at her, ”I never got the chance to thank you for coming to my defense.”
”Your thanks are not necessary Princess and I'm not worthy of them.”
Koyuki moved to a high backed chair that resembled a throne. Sitting in it regally, she crossed her legs and Fubuki blushed as she could see that the Princess wasn't wearing any p.a.n.t.i.e.s. Looking away, she missed Koyuki's smile as she stood back up to walk towards the woman. ”Tell me, what reward would you like for your services?”