Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 253 Act 1

A sliver of sunlight peeked through the clouds, and the intermittent snowfall finally stopped. This was a rare treat for the land of snow, where the sun is rarely seen in winter, and the sky is usually dominated by a gray hue.

However, by this time, the early risers were already floating in the sky. Thanks to the all-powerful research team, although the suspended compartments below the airship were severely damaged, the most important air hull was basically intact, with only a small hole. This antique contraption was originally salvaged by Nu Tao from Feng Hua's warehouse, and the technicians who maintained the airship were extremely skilled at repairing it; the only problem was finding the knife.

"Why do I feel a little cold?" A staff member who wasn't dressed warmly hugged himself and muttered to himself.

Tian Dan, who was leading them, said, "This airship was severely damaged in the battle. The cabin is a newly installed experimental section, and the insulation layer probably wasn't done well. Thank you for your feedback; we will continue to improve it. We prepared some blankets for you to use when you go up the mountain. You can use them if you don't mind."

"Thank you so much!" The young man, who was freezing cold, accepted the blanket with a flattered expression. It was the first time he had received such meticulous care from someone who was probably a leader. He didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.

"It's what we should do, you are our guests." Tian Dan maintained a polite smile. "We're almost at the anchorage. The captain's skills might not be up to par, so please sit tight and hold on."

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped what they were doing and gripped the fixed objects near their seats tightly. The reason was simple: their takeoff was quite thrilling, giving them a spiraling ascent. This made everyone, who were experiencing this for the first time, feel as if today was the last day of their lives...

Thankfully, the crash everyone had imagined didn't happen. They landed safely on the highest mountain in the Snow Country amidst the turbulence, successfully reaching their destination. From here on, they couldn't use the airship anymore. Hui didn't know what would happen after activating the treasure, but it certainly wouldn't be a minor incident. Therefore, the airship absolutely couldn't land on the ice; it could only land on the outer rock face.

Due to a severe shortage of personnel, Tian Dan's team was sent to accompany the crew today; at least familiar faces could provide some reassurance. Fortunately, the route to the summit was clearly well-maintained, and Feng Hua Nu Tao was genuinely concerned about the treasure, so their journey wasn't difficult. They even filmed a scene of their arduous progress along the way.

"Actors, take your positions! Cameramen, everyone else, get out of the shot!" The director's booming voice echoed through the valley. This was a gentle depression, and right in the center was the place where the key to the secret treasure was used. Before filming the scene of opening the treasure, they would have to go through a "difficult" battle, placing the "key" in a desperate situation.

The trio that appeared last time has reappeared, but their target is the Demon King's henchman—Kakashi-sensei, who used a transformation technique, inspired by the image of Fuuka Naoto.

"Let's make this clear first, no Flying Thunder God Technique allowed." Before finalizing the script, Kakashi, bearing the Flying Thunder God Technique mark, put down the book and made his condition.

"Okay, I promise I won't need to." Naruto nodded readily.

"You're not allowed to use ninjutsu with too much single-target damage." Kakashi turned his head and glared at Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't speak and his gaze drifted away.

"And you're not allowed to use the full version of Super Strength either." Kakashi squinted at Sakura again.

Sakura smiled and waved her hand, saying, "How could that be? If you're injured, I'll have to treat you. That's too much trouble."

But suddenly, countless black dots flew out of the snow-white world in the lens, and the terrifying number of kunai rained down on the "Demon King" first.

Kakashi sighed deeply, then tossed the "Demon King" far away. His Sharingan wouldn't miss Naruto's shifting gaze as he charged ahead. The "Demon King" landed safely in a soft, springy snow. Meanwhile, the distracted Naruto was overtaken by Sasuke, who immediately unleashed a massive fireball—no single-target ninjutsu, after all...

The fireball must be seven or eight meters in diameter, right? And this is in the snow! That's a huge improvement. Even a mudslide might not be able to stop it.

Kakashi retreated while rapidly forming hand seals, unleashing a water dragon that smashed through the fireball. The collision of water and fire generated a large amount of vapor, quickly obscuring visibility. However, the two Sharingan users were completely unfazed. They clashed within the mist, the sounds of clashing blades echoing throughout the scene.

However, this wasn't a lone battle. With a deafening roar, a large section of the ground collapsed, centered on the fog. The two fighters within the fog were naturally disrupted, and Kakashi decisively decided to leave the area immediately. Having the Sharingan didn't mean he could see everything; his vision was still significantly impaired, so playing it safe was better. Although he was cautious enough to choose a direction where no chakra traces could be seen during his retreat, he couldn't withstand the long-range artillery on the other side, whose incredibly fast wind blades were simply unreasonable.

Oh, so this is what it means to not use Flying Thunder God Technique and not use the full version of Super Strength, right? As long as what flies towards them isn't human, and as long as the fist doesn't land on them, it doesn't count as using it, right?

Kakashi dodged the wind blade with a rather tricky maneuver, and the moment he regained his vision, he saw Naruto in the direction from which the wind blade had come. This guy launched this surprise attack from dozens of meters away, and it was incredibly powerful. If he didn't destroy this turret, he would only have the option of engaging in close combat with the two kids, preventing Naruto from launching a sneak attack.

However, his opponent most likely knew what he was thinking. Naruto symbolically formed a hand seal, and a giant tiger made of ice crawled out of the ice and roared as it charged at him. As for Sasuke and Sakura, one jumped onto the tiger's back, while the other flanked him from the other side, seemingly intending to destroy his footing, disrupt his counterattack, and block his escape route using Earth Release.

Should he be amazed that the kids can actually work as a team? It would be even more perfect if he wasn't the one getting hit.

Kakashi, who had promised not to use single-target destructive ninjutsu, was the first to break his rule. If he didn't use this move again, he might really be in trouble. Kakashi looked like he was going to fight the charging Ice Tiger and Sasuke, but just as Sakura's fist was about to hit the frozen ground, another Kakashi suddenly sprang out of the ground, and the flying lightning forced her to dodge.

Kakashi was just feinting; he didn't actually use Lightning Blade on her. His real goal was to bypass the seemingly most difficult combination and go straight for the core.

"Hmph, I'll take the princess's life!" The "Demon King's" henchman said this as he rushed toward the "Wind and Cloud Princess" who was heading toward the altar.