"So this is the Land of Snow?"
"So cold!"
"Brrr, why is it so cold?"
Guy burst out onto the dock, practically giddy. Compared to that awful ship, solid ground felt amazing. Ebisu and Genma, however, took one step out and immediately started shivering uncontrollably from the cold. Watching Guy already powering through the snowdrifts, they couldn't help a grudging admiration.
'Guy, you're really something else,' Takeshi had to admit, even to himself. Despite his cat fur and the vest he wore, the biting cold seeped through. The moment he'd poked his head out, a traitorous part of him had considered sneaking right back inside.
But seeing the three Genin, clearly freezing but trying to match Guy's ridiculous enthusiasm, Takeshi let out an internal sigh. 'Fine. What's a little cold, anyway...'
'I am the Neko Sage, after all. Might as well put on that other vest I got from the System Gacha too.'
"Meow~"
Takeshi gave the frozen landscape outside an unimpressed look, then flicked his gaze pointedly at Kakashi.
"Understood." Kakashi took a deep breath, pulled his thick travelling clothes tighter around himself, and stepped out of the cabin.
In contrast, the caravan crew were clearly used to this, already bundled in thick layers and starting to unload the cargo.
Takeshi, meanwhile, found a shadowed corner inside the ship's hold. He planned to follow discreetly. It would make his own mission easier, and he could still communicate secretly with Kanna to get timely intel. Once they confirmed the Land of Snow was secure enough, Yahiko's team could make their move.
"Kakashi!" Guy's voice boomed across the snowfield. "Let our flames of youth melt this snow in a passionate duel!" He flashed a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming so brightly Kakashi almost considered it genjutsu.
It practically burned his eyes.
He covered his eyes briefly and sighed. "This time, the focus is on training your abilities. I'll be providing support from the shadows and minimizing my direct involvement."
"I see! Just like Takeshi Sensei to be so thoughtful!" Guy bought it instantly, practically vibrating with passionate energy. His enthusiasm was so over-the-top that Genma and Ebisu subconsciously edged a few steps away.
'So embarrassing,' Genma thought. 'Also...' he mused, 'this explanation probably wasn't Takeshi Sensei's idea at all. He just wants to be lazy, or maybe just doesn't want to travel with us, right?' He had a strong feeling he was right, but now definitely wasn't the time to voice it. Not unless he wanted a taste of the black cat's 'loving education'. Those paws hit like Tsunade-sama's fists, one wrong move could be fatal.
The caravan leader let out a heavy sigh, worry etched on his face. He hadn't seen Guy and the others fight, but their jumpy reactions and theatrics didn't inspire confidence. One look at Guy's antics made him doubt the whole team.
Could this group really be trusted? This team came recommended by Konoha itself, and his cargo had already been stuck at the port for too long. If he didn't ship it out soon, he'd have to find other ninja or even samurai for hire.
With official Konoha ninja assigned, he'd felt he had little choice but to accept. But if he'd known these shinobi were such... characters... he might have reconsidered shipping this cargo at all.
"Rest assured, meow." Takeshi suddenly appeared beside him. "They are all excellent shinobi. And I will be protecting you from the shadows as well."
'A black cat?' The caravan leader tilted his head. He'd heard this cat was supposedly the leader, but it seemed ridiculous. He much preferred thinking the silver-haired kid was in charge. At least he looked reliable...
Soon enough, the caravan set off.
Snowfall was a year-round affair in the Land of Snow. The caravan had landed at the port, loaded the cargo onto the local railway freight train, and now traveled together towards the capital city.
Takeshi followed discreetly.
Of course, even riding the train, Takeshi didn't neglect its duties. From its storage space, it produced paper, pen, and ink. Using a Transformation Jutsu to form usable paws, or perhaps hands, it wrote a letter to Yahiko and the others.
'The plan begins!' It would take time to smooth things over with Hanzo, and factoring in communication delays, they'd need three or four days. Takeshi figured it would take his own group at least a day or two to reach the capital. Sending the message now was perfect timing.
'Now, let's hope nothing goes wrong on the Land of Snow side,' Takeshi mused, curled up in the back of a rattling freight car.
A day passed uneventfully.
The next day, Takeshi vaguely heard the sounds of a fierce, brief skirmish from up ahead, shouts and clashing metal that quickly died down. A quick sensory probe revealed it had just been a few petty bandits, easily dealt with by Guy and the others.
Takeshi hopped off the back of the carriage and activated Sage Mode, expanding its perception outwards... Within range, no enemies. Better yet, the cat could already sense the royal castle complex.
'All clear.'
He sent Kakashi a small packet of special cat food, their pre-arranged signal that he was leaving the main group.
Up front, Kakashi was leaning against the carriage wall when something soft landed in his arms.
'Hmm?' He glanced down. 'The damn cat bailed?' He pushed himself up and walked over to the window, peering out into the snowy landscape.
With Takeshi around, Kakashi hadn't felt worried. But the moment the cat left, a flicker of unease returned. Without Takeshi's jonin presence, could he really handle whatever came next? 'I am Kakashi Hatake, I need to stand on my own. I'm still a long way from being a true jonin.'
He took a deep breath, steadying himself.
This Kakashi was calmer than the one canon Naruto-verse eventually know. Less arrogant, less blindly confident, and surprisingly more cooperative with teammates, likely thanks to Takeshi's frequent 'training sessions'. Of course, Kakashi himself would never admit that.
People were funny like that.
Takeshi was used to it. Always the cat doing good deeds with no expectation of thanks. Leaving the caravan behind, Takeshi followed the directions on the scroll and map provided by the Third Hokage, heading for the supposed location of Yukigakure.
At this point, Yukigakure, the Village Hidden in Snow, was tiny. Calling it a 'village' felt generous, it was more like a small settlement founded by wandering ninja. They seemed to have settled here on this snow-covered mountain for some time, though.
'Go straight in, or observe first?' Takeshi pondered, crouching near the corner of a rough wooden house.
Just then, he overheard voices from inside.
"Leader, we received word from Kazahana-sama. That shipment has arrived, but the Konoha team leader is the son of the White Fang. Kazahana-sama says we should hold off for now."
"The White Fang's son? That kid?"
"We also heard there was a ninja cat on the ship, but it apparently disappeared after they disembarked. Situation unclear."
The conversation stopped dead. Because at that precise moment, they all saw the cat appear in the doorway. It was huge, as large as a snow leopard, pitch black without a single fleck of white. If not for the distinctly feline head, they might have mistaken it for some shadow beast.
The air froze in their lungs.
With every step the cat took, frost bloomed across the floorboards, spreading rapidly. The path it walked instantly iced over.
'Ice Release?' the leader thought, his mind racing. 'Or is it fake, like ours, just Water Release manipulated with the environment?'
"Meow," the cat's voice echoed, unnervingly calm. "You must be wondering if this is the same kind of Ice Release as yours."
Then, with a casual swipe of its massive paw, the exterior wall of the house simply disintegrated. Through the gaping hole, they could see the swirling blizzard outside, and dozens of crystalline mirrors, shimmering as they reflected the room's firelight.
'What is that?' many wondered, but the leader recognized the technique instantly.
"Kekkei Genkai... the Yuki clan?" he breathed, his voice tight with fear. 'Real Ice Release.'
The Ice Release of a bloodline limit wasn't like their cobbled-together imitation. The leader dimly recalled seeing diagrams of those mirrors in old scrolls. Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. And this cat... this cat had deployed it across their entire settlement. Everyone here was trapped, their lives resting entirely on its whim.
If it decided to strike... none of them could possibly block it.
The others stiffened at the words "Yuki Clan" and "Kekkei Genkai." They didn't understand the connection to Konoha, but they understood one thing perfectly: their survival now depended on this black cat. No one doubted its power. The sheer scale of the jutsu spoke volumes about its chakra reserves, and that casual swipe that demolished the wall...
"Meow. Do you submit?"
"Takeshi-sama," the leader stammered, forcing himself to kneel. "Your arrival... is Yukigakure's honor." He knelt, trembling. They had only settled here less than six months ago, they were essentially still just wandering ninja who'd found a place to rest. How could they possibly dare oppose a creature like this?
'Surprisingly easy,' Takeshi mused. Wandering ninja lacked deep-rooted traditions or secret techniques, most of what they had were imitations. And clearly, Kazahana hadn't developed his Chakra Armor yet.
Yukigakure ninja without that armor barely had the right to call themselves a hidden village, let alone act arrogantly. Under such an overwhelming display of power, they'd folded instantly.
Satisfied, Takeshi retracted the jutsu.
"Meow. Very well. I'll be staying here for the time being," Takeshi announced. "Inform your people. starting today, you belong to me."
'Belong... to you?' The leader felt a knot of unease tighten in his stomach, but he didn't dare voice any objection. Whatever this cat decreed, went. Survival came first.
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