How Kurama Leads Naruto Astray

As mentioned, the Land of Snow's advanced technology was impressive. Creating something like a train in a world that relied heavily on personal strength was no small feat. It wasn't that it couldn't be done—it was just that most ninja believed their speed was faster than these so-called machines, so the idea didn't occur to them. 

But Kazahana Doto had broken new ground. Chances are, the Thunder Train from Boruto had roots in this chakra-powered rail system from the Land of Snow. 

Of course, that Thunder Train being slow enough for genin to catch was probably a safety measure to reduce speed. Naruto didn't care about that right now—he just wanted to keep running. 

Luckily, the tunnel wasn't very long. On foot, it took about ten minutes to walk through. For ninja, it was less than a minute. With a train chasing him, Naruto's speed was even faster. Within ten seconds, he could already see the light ahead. 

Kazayahana Koyuki pointed excitedly. 

"Naruto, look! There's the exit!" 

Naruto's eyes widened, and he shouted, 

"Hold on tight!" 

Kazayahana Koyuki instinctively tightened her grip on him. In the next second, crimson chakra burst from Naruto's body, swirling around them like a whirlwind. His already fast speed surged again, turning him into an arrow shooting out of the tunnel. With a powerful kick, he leapt to the right. 

"Ha~" Naruto stood some distance away with Kazayahana Koyuki still on his back, his eyes fixed on the tunnel entrance. 

A second later, a massive steel train burst out, its headlights cutting through the darkness as it barreled forward. The ground trembled under its weight. 

"That's amazing!" Naruto panted, staring at the train in awe. 

"The Land of Snow has something like this? That's so cool!" 

His amazement was genuine. For someone who had never seen a train, it truly was impressive. 

"You haven't seen real speed," Kurama said lazily, flicking his tail. The fox looked utterly uninterested. 

Naruto ignored him, still excited, and turned to look at Kazayahana Koyuki. Their eyes met. 

Naruto didn't notice anything unusual and kept smiling brightly. 

"The Land of Snow is so cool!" 

Even though they had already left the Land of Snow, hearing Naruto praise it made Kazayahana Koyuki happy. She smiled, reached out, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with her sleeve. 

"All that sweat, aren't you worried about catching a cold?" 

Feeling the hand on his forehead, Naruto froze for a moment, then smiled and shook his head. 

"My body's strong, no worries." 

"Yeah, it sure is," Kazayahana Koyuki nodded in agreement. 

"After all, among everyone I know, you're the only one who can outrun a chakra train." 

Though, to be fair, Kazayahana Koyuki hadn't met many ninja. 

"Hehehe," Naruto grinned proudly, tilting his chin up at the compliment. 

Meanwhile, the train slowly came to a stop. Two figures stepped out from the front car and stood on top of the train, looking down at Naruto and Kazayahana Koyuki. 

"Long time no see, Koyuki." 

The sudden, familiar voice made Kazayahana Koyuki freeze completely. The smile on her face disappeared as she stiffly turned her head, her eyes full of fear. 

"Kazahana Doto!" 

Naruto blinked, then followed the sound of the voice. Standing there was a burly man in a cloak, with a smug expression that seemed to say no one in the world could challenge him. 

"Is that… Kazahana Doto?" Naruto asked, confused. 

Kazayahana Koyuki didn't answer. She bit her lip and grabbed Naruto's arm, her body trembling uncontrollably. 

Feeling her tension, Naruto frowned and immediately shouted at Kazahana Doto. 

"Hey! You idiot! Do you know you almost ran us over with that train? Next time, give some warning before you drive that thing!" 

Kazahana Doto furrowed his brow and turned to the man kneeling beside him, Nadare Rouga. 

"Is this the brat who almost beat you?" 

"No, it's not him," Nadare Rouga replied, his voice calm. He seemed to have recovered from his earlier meltdown. 

"It was someone else, an Uchiha." 

"I see," Kazahana Doto said with disinterest, glancing at Naruto with disdain. 

"Then kill him." 

From a distance, Naruto was speechless. 

"…" 

He turned to Kazayahana Koyuki and asked, "Where does this guy get his confidence from?" 

Kazayahana Koyuki still didn't respond. The fear in her eyes grew even stronger. 

Well, seeing that, Naruto decided to speak directly to Kazahana Doto. 

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, but can you tell me who gave you the courage to think you can kill me? is it Liang Jingru?

(Idk who he is, meh, maybe it is just chinese novel reference)

Not that Naruto had any idea who Liang Jingru was, but it felt like the right thing to say. 

And really, it wasn't wrong. Never mind whether Kazahana Doto could actually kill Naruto—if he did try, Jiraiya would probably wipe out the entire Land of Snow in retaliation. Naruto had no doubts about that. 

Kazahana Doto's scowl deepened. 

"Koyuki, this is the bodyguard you chose? Some mouthy little brat?" 

"At least he looks better than you," Naruto muttered under his breath. 

Kazahana Doto: (╬￣皿￣) 

Oh, this brat thought he couldn't hear that? 

"Pfft—" Kazayahana Koyuki couldn't help but laugh but quickly stifled it. 

Kazahana Doto clenched his fists, his calm demeanor cracking as rage consumed him. 

"Koyuki, seeing you laugh so happily makes me even more certain—I need to kill this brat." 

Kazayahana Koyuki panicked, grabbing Naruto tightly without thinking. 

"If you want the hexagonal crystal, I can give it to you. But in exchange, you must let us leave the Land of Snow!" 

"Fine. I only need the hexagonal crystal," Kazahana Doto said, his smile turning satisfied before his expression grew cold again. 

"But this brat… I won't let him go. He must die here in the Land of Snow, as payment for insulting me!" 

Naruto: "…" 

Kurama: "…" 

"No!" 

Kazayahana Koyuki clung to Naruto, her eyes filled with sorrow. 

"Anyone but him… please…" 

"You don't have a choice," 

Kazahana Doto said with a smug smile. 

At this moment, he felt as if the world was under his feet, as though he were the god of this world. 

Kurama covered his face, sounding numb to it all: 

"Where does he get all this confidence? Why is he so confident? What's the secret? Naruto, can you ask him for me?" 

"I'd like to know too," 

Naruto replied, his expression just as puzzled. 

At first, when Naruto faced Fubuki Kakuyoku and Mizore Fuyukuma, he thought their blind confidence was unmatched. Then he encountered Rouga Nadare, though by that time, Nadare's self-assurance had already started to crack. 

Naruto had thought he'd seen the peak of overconfidence—until he met Kazahana Doto. 

Seriously, is this guy overdoing it? 

Does he not gather any intel on his enemies? If he had even a bit of information beforehand, he'd know what the Three Legendary Ninjas are, what a Jinchuriki is. Would he still be saying these things then? 

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