the ice queen | hatake kakashi

52; and rise again

The lights that keep glowing when the people of Snow Islands touched the ground reminded Iruka of one thing- chakra. The lights are their source of strength and each people have a different amount of lights that they could use, judging from the lights that both Kōri and that other guy had produced.

So, from a ninja's perspective, Kōri should have some troubles controlling his powers, the chuunin made a little note as he aided his partner. Compared to Ryu, Kōri wasn't used to long-term combat as Iruka noticed the latter's weakening attacks. "Try to break the shield. I'll deal with him."

"But-"

"Your light. thingy is better off trying to break that shield or help Nami break it." Iruka pushed both of them away from the incoming icicles. "Strength-wise, you could beat him in 5 minutes but since he's a trained shinobi and you're not... I think I'll take it from here."

Kōri stepped away from the fight as he inched closer to his queen. 'She's doing fine though. I mean, look at her finally breaking the shield.' The servant finally sat in front of the shield as he observed the cracks slowly increasing. He could feel the queen's bright light fighting the shield's dark light intensely- Kōri didn't expect Hachi's light to be this dark.

Meanwhile, on Nami's side- she was almost on her way to victory. Almost being the main keyword as the counselor was not giving up that easily. The gruesome fight was consuming more energy than Nami expected. She was tired, both physical and mental-wise.

But she can't back down now. It was now or never. Kakashi- she shivered after thinking about for the first time after that terrible day- was in the mountains fighting someone he couldn't beat by himself. Kōri and Iruka were using every single of their blood, sweat, and tears for their freedom. She can't step down now.

"Finally thinking about that guy, my queen? Is the heartache still there?" Hachi was trying to shake her again. If Hachi was in front of her at this very moment, she would have sliced her throat with a kunai. Nami gave a loud tch before strengthening her powers again. "I know you were involved in whatever happened that day. You don't have to play dumb."

"My, my. Nami, I didn't do anything- other than telling that warden to do what I told her to. No magic. Why can't you just see that?"

Kōri felt the dark powers were overpowering the surroundings again. No, they can't lose. Nami has to get to the throne. As he focused to help his queen, a sharp icicle pierced through his arm. "Kōri, please think of it, we're going to build a utopia together. Why go against us?"

The blood wasn't stopping easily as Kōri tried to use his powers on it. It wasn't healing at his own average speed. He was tired. All of them were. He saw Iruka unconscious at the end of the wall. No...

"Your meaning of utopia is just hell for me and my family. My brother won't fight if what you guys are planning was something right and fair for all of us."

"You talk a lot." was Ryu's last sentence before he threw a storm of icicles towards the injured swordsman. "Tell your brother I said hi." The icicles pierced through him endlessly, echoed by his screams that softly died down.

Hell broke loose.

The dark aura splurged the barrier and engulfed the queen within. Iruka who was conscious again let out a voiceless scream as he saw the queen and the swordsman defeated. "No... it can't end like this."

"Sadly for you, it is." Ryu pulled Iruka with his hair as he pulled a kunai to his neck. "You shouldn't have come here. You would have been the Headmaster at the Academy if you just ignored our situation."

"She's my sister. We may not be related by blood but I swore to protect her until the end." He looked at Kōri, who was hidden dead under all those icicles and at Nami, surrounded by the dark aura under that shield. "And I will never give up. We will win."

"Such an optimist guy, any more last words?" Iruka closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact as he felt the strong presence of chakra near them. He tried too hard to not show that he was smirking as he looked at Ryu directly in the eye.

"Yeah, if I were you, I would still be aware of my chakra senses."

Before Ryu could reply with anything, a sharp kunai impaled through his chest while the sound a broken barrier could be heard clearly. Iruka loosened his grip by force before weakly leaning against the wall. The barrier was now completely destroyed, exposing a young, panting Ice Queen.

"That took you long enough, Nami. I knew you still had it in you-" Iruka's jaw dropped upon looking at the queen's face.

"Less talking more rescuing." The queen raised her brows when Iruka was still silent. "What?" She asked as she removed the icicles to see a wooden block being cruelly pierced. "You taught him a jutsu?!?!??" Still no response from the latter. "Umino Iruka-"

"I-I-I... I'm sorry." Iruka held Nami's face which, now that he stood nearer, was paler than her usual skin tone and scratched with bruises and scratches. And her eyes were still the emerald green he remembered clearly, yet still, it showed emptiness and pain in it. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you. I failed."

"Hey, I'm okay. Sure my mind is still a bit messy but I'm here now. Thank you, for saving me. Couldn't get out of there without you guys. Now, I would ask how and why did you teach him a jutsu, but I have to save someone in the mountains. Tell Kōri to delay the coronation, wherever he is. I just hope he's okay since you know- he wasn't trained to be a shinobi but someone taught him how to substitute."

"Don't worry!! I taught him how to teleport too!"

"Iruka."

"He was the one who was curious!" Iruka held the small hands in his. "On a serious note, stay safe, Nami. You'll be okay, right?"

"Of course I will." definitely not be fine. She kept the last part of the sentence to herself.

——

guys this is so off topic but suju... is the love of my life.