Rabbit Princess [Gaara] [1]

☾ Land of Snow - 3 ☽

"It's been a long time, Koyuki," a mysterious voice spoke, seemingly coming from the train itself. Yukie looked terrified as she gathered herself.

"Kazahana... Doto..." Yukie said. Tsukiko looked up and saw the three ninjas from earlier on the train, joined by another man.

"It's has been ten years," Doto said. "Now come closer and let me see your face,"

Tsukiko and Naruto instinctually moved in front of the princess. There were several loud crashes and Tsukiko looked up to the mountains to see that many of the men seemed to have gathered and were pushing down tree trunks at the metallic train underneath.

"Everyone!" Sandayu's voice sounded. "Princess Koyuki is looking after us! Victory is ours!"

They all cheered and Tsukiko furrowed her eyebrows.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Kazahana Doto..." Sandayu said as he pulled out his sword. "We have waited a long time for this day! I, Asada Sandayu, and fifty loyal warriors... will avenge our late Lord Kazahana Sosetsu... here and now!"

Tsukiko's eyes widened as the men came rushing down and the mortar-mounted compartments of the trains released huge waves upon waves of kunai – completely massacring the entire brigade right in front of their very eyes. She had never seen such blood bath before, without an ounce of remorse.

"Sandayu..." Yukie whispered when she saw the injured man push himself back onto his feet, still reaching to fight. Tsukiko saw the next barrage of kunai –

"Crystal Style: Crystal Encampment Wall!" Tsukiko shouted, causing a wall of blue crystal to sprout out in front of Sandayu, taking the brunt of the force and reconstructing itself as the kunai hit him.

This seemed to set everyone off – Sasuke threw a kunai, tied with a paper bomb, right at the train while Sakura used her bomb to set down an avalanche onto the machine as it tried to move away. But Kakashi already had a solution to that as well.

Yet still... Doto managed to get away.

"How cruel..." Sakura whispered as they regrouped, looking at the massacre.

"This is the result of not giving up," Yukie spoke up. "If they hadn't defied Doto, this wouldn't have happened," Tsukiko ignored her and her words.

"Princess, forgive me..." Sandayu croaked out. Tsukiko turned around to see him laid out in front of them. "... for embroiling you in such a thing. I... and all the others here... were able to keep believing because of your existence. When you were little... and even now... you are still our Princess. Just as I, Sandayu, believed... Please believe in yourself. You were our hope, Princess... Princess... please... do not cry..."

Tsukiko stared at him as he passed away. She gulped slightly, feeling horrible for the man, even though it was clear that none of them could do anything for him.

"You are such a fool, Sandayu," Yukie said. "You have the drops for my tears," She stood up and looked at the director. "Are you satisfied? Let's go home. If you stay here any longer, your own safety will be jeopardised! So, let's go home!"

Yukie started off from there.

"Go home where?" Naruto asked. "This is your home! If you want to go home, defeat Doto and back to your own home with head high!"

"You know nothing," Yukie responded. "Spring doesn't come to this country! The tears have frozen over and hardened our hearts!"

"But aren't you the one who can change that, Usa?" Tsukiko spoke up, genuinely frustrated with the older woman at this point. "At the very least, Sandayu-San believed in that! You should try believing!"