The Turning Point

Land of Snow Part 4

Arriving at the famed Rainbow Glacier Sakura thought it was an extreme miracle that neither she nor Sasuke had suffered severe frostbite or hypothermia. After insisting that Sasuke take his cloak back so that neither of them would completely freeze to death, Sakura led the way towards where they thought the Rainbow Glacier was.

Getting lost a few times seemed inevitable and Sasuke cursed the frozen wasteland which inhibited their vision and muscle movement. Standing at the very edge of the seven glaciers Sakura and Sasuke could see Doto placing the hex crystal into a mechanism in the centre of the glaciers which promptly activated and began to light up the ground in the shape of a snowflake. The glaciers began to reflect different colours and Koyuki watched them completely transfixed.

"I don't see Naruto" Sakura muttered to Sasuke as both ninja crouched behind a smaller glacier so as not to be seen.

Steam began to burst out from hidden pipes around each of the glaciers which had stopped reflecting colours. The snow began to melt quickly and water began to flow out of crevices and formed a strong stream.

"What's going on? Why is it warm all of a sudden?" Sasuke asked shrugging out of his cloak still keeping a close eye on Doto.

"I don't know it's really strange" Sakura replied removing her own cloak.

"What is this? The Kazahana clan's treasure is nothing but a heat generator!?" Doto said enraged and seized Koyuki by the throat.

Digging into her ninja pouch Sakura coiled her hand around her kunai and poison senbon needle. If she could get close enough and find a spot his armour didn't cover Sakura knew Doto's chakra absorption techniques wouldn't protect him against a fast spreading poison in the bloodstream.

"Hn wait I see the dobe" Sasuke said pointing in the direction of a small snowmobile which carried their teammate and the director of the Princess Gale movies.

"Koyuki!" Naruto called out, jumping off the fast moving vehicle and running straight for the princess.

This can't be good, Sakura thought and Doto let out an angry cry at the appearance of Naruto, he quickly threw Koyuki on the ground and made a quick series of hand signals, "Ice Style Black Dragon Blizzard!"

Throwing his fist forward Doto released a black coloured blur which quickly took on the form of a dragon. The body seemed to stretch on for metres as the creature obtained bright red eyes and sharp fangs. Setting its sights on Naruto the dragon flew forward and slammed into the blond boy smacking him into the air with the back of its tail. Upon contact the jutsu quickly dissolved and the dragon disappeared. From their position Sakura and Sasuke saw Naruto fall from high into the air to land face first on the hard ground covered in a thick layer of ice.

But just as quick as he had been knocked down Naruto was back up and looking determinedly at Koyuki hell bent on saving her from Doto. The chakra absorption contraption that had been placed on his stomach began to seep out orange coloured chakra which amazed Sasuke and Sakura. Doto too had noticed that his device seemed inadequate which only fuelled his hatred of the obnoxious blond boy. Taking a few tentative steps forward Doto quickly broke into a run straight for Naruto who was still regaining his balance and slammed his fist downwards. In a replication of one of Sakura's punches Doto hit Naruto under the ice and into the freezing cold water below.

"He can't stay down there for too long or he'll freeze to death, we need to use that part from the chakra armour of the snow ninja's to crack Doto's" Sakura whispered to Sasuke and pulled the purple object out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"Hn right. I'll use the Chidori" Sasuke said taking purple chakra piece and activating the Chidori in his right hand, the sound of birds chirping echoing off the glaciers.