Chapter 233: Snow Ninja
Genda and the other two were stunned.
Good grief, how does this sound so ridiculously overpowered?
Amplifiers that boost ninjutsu and other advanced technologies—was this really a mission they could complete? The pressure mounted instantly.
"Haha, don't worry too much," Tonbo Tobitake said, deciding to stop teasing them. "The number of ninjas in their country is actually limited. The Land of Snow is just a small nation with very little arable land. They simply can't support a massive ninja population, so you can rest easy."
As he said, compared to Konoha, the number of ninjas in the Land of Snow was minuscule.
The three exhaled in relief. So that's how it is. If the numbers weren't high, then with the Captain, the Land of Fire's Royal Guard, and the Snow resistance, they should be fine.
"There are roughly five hundred ninjas under Doto Kazahana's command. This is a conclusion drawn from the Land of Snow's geography and the volume of food supplies they import from overseas. The estimate shouldn't be far off," Tonbo added.
"..." The three felt their eyelids twitch.
They really wanted to ask: Are you SURE we shouldn't be worried?
What kind of concept was five hundred ninjas? A single three-man squad could be overwhelmed in seconds. And the Royal Guard only had fifteen people. No matter how they looked at it, the odds were terrible.
"Does the resistance have a similar number?" they wondered.
"The resistance has about a hundred ninjas, plus many strong civilians. Combined with us and the Royal Guard, we can handle it," Tonbo said, smiling as if sensing their anxiety.
"Captain, could you please finish the intelligence brief all at once next time..." Yuuto Kido muttered. It felt like the Captain had a bit of a wicked sense of humor.
Honk! Honk!
Suddenly, the ship's horn let out a low drone. Something was ahead.
A man ran over from the distance, shouting: "Ice... Iceberg! An iceberg has appeared ahead!"
As he shouted, the actors and the director stopped their work and rushed to the bow of the ship. A massive iceberg loomed over the sea—towering, majestic... like a continent made of ice.
"What a spectacular sight! It fits the scene in my mind perfectly! Get us closer!" the director shouted excitedly.
"Director, wait. Let us investigate first," Tonbo stopped him.
The director figured it made sense. Safety first when traveling. If Konoha ninjas were willing to scout, that was for the best.
Meanwhile, Fujikaze Yukie seemed to remember something upon seeing the iceberg. She quickly moved toward Tonbo and stood timidly behind him, staring at his back.
Tonbo glanced at her. As long as she didn't cause trouble, it was fine. "Kido, Goenji, Genda—reconnaissance."
"Yes, Captain!"
Swish! Swish!
The three moved rapidly. As the ship neared the ice, they leapt down, sprinting across the surface of the water.
"As expected of ninjas, actually running on water!" A non-ninja crew member watched them with envy.
"Yeah, if only we could film them. It's way more realistic than our special effects."
"Nice idea, but a pity they aren't part of the crew."
The crew members sighed. They didn't have the aptitude to be ninjas; otherwise, they could use ninjutsu while acting and earn a fortune without needing post-production effects.
The director, hearing the discussion, had a flash of inspiration: "Cameraman! Quickly, capture their silhouettes! This might take our movie to the next level!"
It was a rare opportunity. The cameraman, being dedicated to his craft, quickly filmed their dash.
Meanwhile, Tonbo extended his sensory range. He was certain the people of the Land of Snow had arrived. They had likely known of the Princess's existence for a long time but hadn't dared to act within the Land of Fire. Now that she was within the Land of Snow's territory, she was a target.
Boar-Dog-Bird-Monkey-Ram
"Summoning Jutsu: Emperor Penguins!"
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Yuuto Kido bit his finger and released the jutsu the moment he landed on the ice island. "Go! Patrol the perimeter for enemies."
Quack! Quack!
The penguins nodded, straightened their legs, and began sliding across the ice at high speeds. Meanwhile, Goenji and Genda utilized their ninja training to leap forward and investigate.
Whiz!
The moment they separated, ice caltrops rained down from above, hitting the ground and instantly sprouting into a forest of ice. Thanks to their high alertness, they dodged the initial strike, though Genda's arm was grazed, drawing blood.
"Konoha ninjas? Meddlesome fools. You can stay here forever."
A squad of four stood coldly, looking down at the three who had boarded the island.
"Genda, Goenji, the enemy is here! Don't hold back—let's show the Captain what we can do!" Yuuto Kido's eyes were serious, but as a former team commander, he entered a combat state instantly.
"Yes!"
"Roger!"
"Ah! There really are enemies! Thank goodness Konoha is here!"
On the ship, the crew was shocked to see the Konoha team suddenly under fire. They hadn't expected a movie shoot to involve so many ninjas.
"Which rival company dares to attack us?!" the director roared. In his mind, this was clearly corporate sabotage fueled by jealousy. He'd have to investigate his competitors when they got back. He'd been in the business a long time and had backing; he wouldn't let this slide.
Beside him, Sandayu looked at the attackers and then at the Princess. He walked to Yukie and said, "Miss, please go inside. Leave this to the Konoha ninjas."
"No, I feel safer right here," Yukie said, her eyes fixed on Tonbo Tobitake, who stood with his hands behind his back, calmly watching his teammates fight.
"You're their captain, right? Don't you need to help them?" she asked, confused.
"Our goal is to protect the film crew. I am staying to protect you. As for the enemy, those three will handle it."
Tonbo's eyes never wavered as he watched the clash. He saw ninjutsu strike the Snow Ninjas, only to be deflected.
"Just as I thought. The scientific ninja tools of the Land of Snow are already at the forefront of the world," Tonbo mused.
Among the Five Great Nations, perhaps only the Land of Lightning could surpass the Land of Snow's technology in certain areas. It truly was a heavy-industry powerhouse.
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