it's been.... more than 2 months..... i'm sorry....
"Now what do we do?"
"I don't know... Don't ninjas always have to prepare in case scenarios like these happened during missions?" Kōri took a closer look at the deserted bed. It's been a long time since it was occupied, it seemed, judging from the amount of dust that had gathered on the Queen's pillow. Iruka looked lost, hesitated for a second before he answered the swordsman's question. "I didn't expect this kind of scenario to happen if I have to be frank...."
"There must be something we've accidentally look through!!" Kōri sat on the soft, big mattress as he calmed his breathing. "Come on, Kōri, think." The chuunin observed his partner before he investigated the whole room. The bedroom gave out an aura that seemed off to him, there wasn't that warm aura that Nami usually radiates every second. They couldn't give up now, Nami needs them- no, this whole kingdom needs them. If they couldn't save Nami, goodness, he didn't want to imagine the after effects.....
He looked back at the silent Kōri. Though it was small, he could see that the younger's hands were shaken quite intense. Of course, he would be scared by now. His queen is missing and all hopes seem to be lost by now. Iruka sat next to him as he tried to soothe down the servant's panic attack. "Take a few deep breathes, Kōri. You can't think if you're in a panicking mood. I can't pull some magic tricks like you guys so this is the only thing I could do to help."
'Magic....' Kōri's breath started to slow down. The Snow Islands... Magic.... That's it!
The young swordsman finally managed to clear his mind- hands still shaking but not as vigorous as before. He left the bed, walked towards one of the walls and placed his hands on it. As his hand glowed, he whispered a silent plea to the gods to help him.
"Please, let my brother's sacrifice be worth it."
The light covered the whole room before it disappeared into thin air the next ten seconds. A few minutes past before a taper-sty on the other side of the wall fell off to reveal a newly built hidden tunnel.
"Well, look's like that's our Plan B. Didn't know you could pull a magic trick too. I thought you could only make winds and hurricanes only."
"This land-" Kōri started sensing a powerful aura the second they entered the tunnel. Nami must be at the end of this tunnel. "- is a gift for us. Literally, as long as we're standing on this land, we're connected to each other; we can sense auras and send impulses and such." He looked at the faint light across them, a finish line waiting for its participants to walk through it.
"And I believe, the Queen is just on the other side."
———————
"Are you planning to kill the girl after marrying her?" Kakashi's face was as red as it was when he remembered seeing Nami killed by her own aunt during the war. No, he couldn't lose her again. Never ever.
Kuro let out a loud laughter as he inched closer to the Hokage. "Why kill her when you can trap her and make a doll? Let her see how I'm going to turn the kingdom she abandoned for years into a utopia. Do you really think we would accept someone who's been exposed to the bloody shinobi ways to become our leader when we only prioritise peace and harmony?"
"That's not what Kōri said." Kakashi felt bad for bringing up the swordsman's name but desperate times call for some sacrifices.
"I knew I should have killed him when I sliced his brother's neck." Kuro's eyes darkened as he let out a few ice swords from behind. "Enough chit-chat, I have to kill you before meeting my soon-to-be wife."
The ice began its assault as the older ninja ran to save his life. 'God, she's going to kill me if she sees this mess- that is if both of us make it alive.'
He left the castle to the heavy snow outside. Cursing himself for neglecting his winter attire, Kakashi ran to the top of the mountains. A wild idea but he has no other way.
Time to ride or die.
———————
It was so, so cold. It reminded her of the times when her body would give up on her if she overused her powers back at Konoha. Surprisingly, she's never felt that when she's at the Snow Islands. 'This is really a blessed land for us.' She let her hand touched the hard ground beneath her as her hand glowed a silver light. Nami has tried to use the light to escape Hachi's indestructible shield but there were just fruitless results. Her anger was her weakest point at the moment. If only she could just learn to forgive and forget... The light fainted as Nami stopped wasting her energy.
Are they going to just abandon her here alone ton rot? Her eyes glanced to Ryu- the shinobi that scared her during the Chuunin Exams. Blue eyes locked with green as she softly asked him a question. "Why?"
"Why? Why??" He scoffed. "You really want to know why?" Ryu slammed his hand to the ground as he channels his energy to the ground. "Everyone knows when you're officially coronated, you'll have the strongest connection to the lands. And Hachi... she wants that power. Ever since she saw how your grandfather used it to protect us during the worst civil war in Snow Islands history, she's been dying to want to use it for her own good. I want to create a utopia- a land where we would agree and think the same way every single time. Not sure how she's thinking of doing that but well... I don't care."
"You... don't care?"
"I'm just doing this because she promised me I'll get to toy around with you once her plan succeed." Nami's face changed drastically as she distanced herself from the latter. "Well, you're really pretty and you have a great appearance so-"
Nami thanked the gods for the sudden explosion as Ryu stopped talking almost instantly. As Ryu walked to see what was the commotion about, Nami felt a friendly presence approaching from behind. Her eyes became watery suddenly at the sight of her most trusted people in the world.
"What kind of barrier is this????" Iruka threw a shuriken at the barrier. Nothing happened to the shield nor the shuriken. "It's a magic shield, Iruka. Unless we kill Ryu or Hachi, it's not gonna fall by itself." Kōri looked at his queen with a relieved expression. "The last barrier must be something really personal, is it? You could have broken this in the next 3 minutes after you were trapped in."
Nami gave him a weak nod before signaling them to be aware. Ryu's back and he seemed to have noticed the two intruder's sudden appearance. "Huh, it's that chuunin shinobi and the whimpy swordsman. Finally came to rescue the damsel in distress, I see." He looked at Nami with a disgusted look. "What a wimp, depending on others to save you. No wonder Hachi beat you so easily."
His words cut through the future queen's heart at lightning speed. That's what she is- weak, pathetic, an embarrassment. All her achievements and success as a shinobi is nothing if she couldn't even stand up for her own kingdom. Nami didn't realize she was crying until her hands were wet with the tears. As she watches Kōri and Iruka fight for her freedom, the words continued to haunt her.
Weak.
Pathetic.
Useless.
No.
That's not the Fuyuhana Nami she swore she would be.
The Fuyuhana Nami her aunt had trusted the kingdom with is smart, bright and a strong queen.
A queen that would die for her people.
A queen that would break bones for her kingdom's sake.
'Rise.' The inner voice inside her spoke. 'Rise and reclaim what is yours.'
Her hand glowed and she could suddenly sense everything. How much magic Kōri used to open the hidden tunnel, how the citizens are all in their respective houses, anxiously waiting for the sound of the horn to notify that the coronation ceremony is starting.
How on top of the mountains a Fuyuhana is fighting a white-haired ninja.
Kōri managed to dodge an ice attack- although one of it managed to scrap his cheek. But that dodge was definitely worth it as he noticed the barrier started to crack.
———————
im sorry for the long disappearance.