The Land of Frost lay directly north of the Land of Fire—a small country bordered by the Land of Waterfall and the Land of Rice Fields, while also pressed tightly between the great powers of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
For the Land of Frost, the ideal was simple: a nation where its people could live freely, prosperously, and in peace.
But for a country trapped between two major powers like Fire and Lightning, such ideals often felt little more than wishful thinking.
A nation's territory was closely tied to its strength. Vast land allowed for flexible ninja deployment, strong defenses, and the ability to stand firm in the shinobi world without fear of invasion. Unfortunately, the Land of Frost's territory was simply too small.
That said, the Land of Frost was not entirely without countermeasures.
They understood one fundamental truth very well: they would rely on whoever was stronger. And at present, the stronger side was clearly Konoha. Thus, the Land of Frost became an ally of the Leaf.
Through generous financial contributions and mutual defense agreements, the country secured a degree of stability. Coupled with its perpetually cold climate and severe frost—conditions that made prolonged occupation difficult—the Land of Frost avoided attracting too much attention from other nations.
Now, however, Konoha was the one in need of their assistance.
That was why Uchiha Ran had been dispatched here.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't a plea for help—it was a matter of mutual defense. To safeguard the Land of Frost's own borders, Frost-nin would need to dispatch at least one jōnin.
For a small shinobi nation like Frost, two or three jōnin already represented the upper limit of their military strength.
Between the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Waterfall lay the Land of Frost. Unless one detoured deep into Konoha territory, one of Frost's main routes was unavoidable.
And it was precisely because of this unavoidable route that the Land of Frost had earned enormous profits over the years—profits that were, in turn, used to curry favor with the Fire Daimyō and Konoha.
On this day, along that forest-choked critical passage…
A three-man Frost-nin squad had just completed their patrol. They set up a small roadside camp and lit a fire to ward off the cold.
At that moment, a small snow-white bird fluttered down from nowhere, landing lightly on a nearby branch. Suddenly, it flapped its wings, shaking loose a cascade of snow that scattered across the ground.
The three Frost-nin immediately tensed, snapping their heads up as they scanned their surroundings, ready for combat.
But when they realized it was only a bird, they relaxed.
Still, curiosity lingered.
Birds rarely appeared in Frost Country during this season. Spring here was bitterly cold—most birds either migrated south or sought warmer regions to survive the winter. They began wondering whether the little creature had lost its way… or whether something unusual had driven it here.
"Damn, it's freezing," one of them complained. "Ah Tai, even in spring our country's still this cold. Makes me jealous of Konoha—bet they're enjoying warm sunshine by now."
"Brother Yong, still not used to it?" another replied with a laugh. "You've lived in Frost Country for years. This should be normal by now. Once the mission's over, why not go to Konoha to relax? Or maybe soak in some hot springs in the Land of Hot Water."
"Tsk, you youngsters really know how to enjoy life," the third said. "I wouldn't dare go to the Land of Hot Water—my wife would kill me. I'd rather visit the Land of Lightning. Those high-altitude electric hot springs are something else."
"The Land of Lightning's electric hot springs, huh? Not bad," a strange voice suddenly chimed in. "I just came from the Land of Lightning myself."
The three Frost-nin were startled. They spun around—
—and instantly felt their bodies seize up.
Their muscles locked. Nerves screamed. They couldn't move.
"Damn it—who's there?!" one of them shouted.
With immense effort, they turned their heads.
Behind them stood a man dressed entirely in black—black clothes, black pants—no forehead protector in sight.
Cold sweat poured down their faces.
"Scared?" the man said calmly. "Relax. It's just Lightning Release. Not lethal. But unfortunately for you three… you happened to be standing on a very inconvenient road."
His eyes were cold and indifferent.
"So I'll have to ask you to die quietly. Don't worry—I'll be quick. You won't feel much pain."
Just as the black-clad man prepared to strike, the three Frost-nin forced their chakra to surge—and barely broke free of the paralysis.
"Damn it!" the apparent leader snarled. "No headband, but that Lightning Release… You're from Kumogakure! Bastards—Cloud Village actually tore up the ceasefire agreement!"
"Correct," the man replied flatly. "But there's no reward for guessing right. No—your reward is dying faster."
"Water Release—Water Fang Bullet!"
"Water Release—Raging Waves!"
"Water Release—Water Flow Whip!"
Three Water Release techniques surged forward simultaneously, crashing toward the black-clad man.
"Pathetic tricks."
He sneered and rapidly formed seals.
"Storm Release: Black Lightning—Ransacking Chains."
Three streaks of black lightning erupted forth, colliding head-on with the incoming Water Release techniques.
The difference in power was absolute.
The black lightning pierced straight through the water techniques—and in the next instant, impaled all three Frost-nin.
Their combat instincts… their reactions… were abysmal.
They hadn't even managed to use a substitution technique.
This was the reality of shinobi from small nations—the gap between them and the great powers was overwhelming.
"Black lightning…!" one Frost-nin gasped weakly. "You're… Ōsai… the Third Raikage's guard… Damn it… Captain… looks like I can't… damn it… Xiao Li… we promised we'd go home and get married after this mission…"
His voice faded.
"I'm… not satisfied…"
Three dull thuds followed as the Frost-nin collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
"Heh. Too easy," Ōsai muttered. "Frost-nin? Such pitiful strength."
Just as he turned to leave—
Crack.
A branch snapped.
Ōsai's eyes instantly locked onto a tree in the distance.
"Who's there?"
"Uh… sorry," a voice said lightly. "If I said I was just passing through and didn't see anything… would you believe me?"
A young man stepped out, hands raised apologetically above his head.
It was Uchiha Ran.
Even Ran hadn't expected that a simple courier mission would turn into something this intense. The man before him—Ōsai—was an aide to the Third Raikage.
An elite jōnin, without question.
"Konoha headband… Uchiha clan crest…," Ōsai said slowly. "You're an Uchiha from the Leaf, aren't you, brat?"
Ran pushed up the glasses resting on his nose and gave an awkward laugh.
"Haha… Cloud-sama, how about we just pretend you didn't see me?"
Ōsai burst into laughter.
"Hah! Looks like I've hit the jackpot. A living Uchiha, wandering near the border. You've awakened the Sharingan, haven't you? Don't worry—I'll kill you quickly and present your eyes to the Raikage."
The cruel grin on Ōsai's face made it clear—
There was no easy way out of this.
"…What a pain," Ran muttered softly.
He reached for the sword at his side and slowly drew it, the blade whispering through the air.
"Well then, sir," Ran said calmly, eyes sharpening, chakra stirring deep within his soul,"looks like I'll have to fight with everything I've got."
His gaze darkened as illusion and steel began to intertwine.
"Bloom… Floating Life, Dreamlike Illusion."