Chapter 23: Becoming Envoy

[Yukigakure: Sōgen Pass]

The road north was barren and cold.

Snow deepened with each passing mile as Naruto and Hayato crossed into neutral lands. Here, no patrols roamed, no banners flew. The mountains themselves were the only witnesses.

Their breath hung in pale clouds as they moved toward the appointed place: Sōgen Pass — a windswept plateau long used as neutral ground for meetings between villages.

They arrived before noon.

A simple open-sided pavilion stood at the center of the plateau. The snow beneath had been cleared. No guards, no attendants — only cold wind and the weight of old agreements.

They stood beneath the pavilion's sparse shelter, waiting in still silence.

[Arrival of the Kiri Envoys]

The first sign came as a subtle shift in the air — chakra signatures approaching from the east.

Then, figures emerged through the falling snow.

Two men.

One broad-shouldered but boyish, bearing the long case of a sword on his back — Chōjūrō, one of the new Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

The other leaner, older, one eye veiled beneath a sensor-enhancing device — Ao, veteran of the Hidden Mist and trusted advisor to Mizukage Mei Terumī.

The two Mist shinobi approached without hesitation.

Ao's gaze swept the pavilion as they entered. His lone visible eye lingered briefly on Naruto.

Chōjūrō's eyes flickered toward Hayato, then to the sealed scroll at Naruto's side — faint tension visible in the younger man's shoulders.

Ao spoke first, voice cool but precise.

"You carry Kiba."

Hayato inclined his head. "By order of the Hokage — a peace offering, and a symbol of respect."

Naruto drew the scroll with deliberate calm, unsealing it in a smooth motion.

The Kiba blades emerged — steel gleaming cold beneath the pale light.

For a moment, no one moved.

Chōjūrō's breath caught faintly. His gaze softened — not with triumph, but reverence for the weapon of his village.

Ao's expression remained unreadable. "You return blade to its rightful home… after killing one of our own."

Naruto met his gaze evenly. "Raiga Kurosuki made his choice. We bring no insult — only the blade."

Ao studied him for a long moment. "You are Naruto Uzumaki."

A statement, not a question.

Naruto's voice was steady. "I am."

Ao's lone eye narrowed briefly — as if weighing unseen possibilities. Yet after a pause, he gave a small nod.

"No words of accusation, then. That is… acceptable."

He gestured to Chōjūrō, who stepped forward with visible respect.

Naruto handed the blade over without hesitation.

Chōjūrō accepted it reverently, bowing his head slightly. His voice was quiet. "Thank you. Kiba returns to Kirigakure. We honor this gesture."

Ao's gaze lingered once more on Naruto. "You walk a dangerous path, boy — yet… you walk it well. I will remember this."

Naruto gave a small nod. "As will I."

[Departure]

No further words were exchanged.

Mist and Leaf had no desire to test fragile courtesies here.

Ao and Chōjūrō turned, moving into the falling snow — the outline of Kiba faintly visible now across Chōjūrō's back.

Naruto watched them go, exhaling slowly.

Hayato spoke at last, low. "Well done. No misstep."

Naruto's voice was quiet, resolved. "They needed to see more than steel."

Hayato gave a faint smile. "And they did."

With the weight of the blade now lifted — and the first seeds of tenuous peace planted — the two Konoha shinobi turned south, into the long road ahead.

[Kiri Shinobi's Private Words]

The path east wound through ancient pine and silent snow.

Ao and Chōjūrō walked in purposeful silence for a time, the weight of Kiba now secure across Chōjūrō's back.

It was not until they were deep within the trees — out of sensing range — that Ao spoke.

"Raiga Kurosuki. Missing-nin. Dead by the Leaf's blade."

Chōjūrō's expression was uneasy. "Do you think there will be questions back home?"

Ao shook his head once. "No. Raiga abandoned the village long ago. The Council will not mourn him."

A pause. Then a harder tone. "But they will mark who killed him — and how."

He glanced sidelong at Chōjūrō.

"The boy fought with steel alone. No other force surfaced."

Chōjūrō frowned. "That was… deliberate?"

Ao's lone eye narrowed. "I believe so. That is what makes him dangerous."

He looked ahead again.

"Kiba returns to the Mist. The Mizukage will be pleased. The fact that Naruto Uzumaki handed it over without arrogance — that is worth remembering."

Chōjūrō exhaled. "So this is not over."

Ao gave a cold smile.

"Of course not. Nothing in this world ends cleanly. We watch. We wait."

And with that, the two Mist shinobi disappeared deeper into the falling snow.

[Road South — Naruto and Hayato Conversation]

The cold wind pressed harder as Naruto and Hayato made their way down the southern ridgelines.

Neither had spoken since the Mist delegation left.

At last, beneath a stand of wind-stripped cedars, Hayato slowed.

"Stop."

Naruto glanced over. "What is it?"

Hayato's gaze was steady. "I wanted to say this now. No audience. No reports."

He folded his arms.

"You killed a Missing-nin. And not just any — Raiga Kurosuki, wielder of Kiba. That will be remembered."

Naruto's eyes remained calm. "He gave us no choice. He would have slaughtered Kaigan if we hadn't stopped him."

Hayato nodded once. "You're right. And the Kiri knows it too — that's why they took the blade back without seeking blood."

A pause.

"You fought well. Efficient. No waste."

Naruto's gaze shifted toward the snow-cloaked path. "I had no other choice."

Hayato's expression eased — rare approval in his eyes.

"Remember that. Efficiency matters more than power. That's what the Kiri shinobi saw. What I saw."

Naruto gave a slight nod. "Understood."

They resumed their march — feet crunching through the snow.

[Emergency Summon]

An hour later, the mountain pass began to narrow.

Suddenly — a sharp flutter of chakra approached from above.

A pale hawk swept down through the cold air — sleek, fast, marked with the Hokage's seal.

Hayato caught it cleanly on his gloved arm, movements practiced. His brow furrowed as he spotted the small scroll tied to its leg, sealed in black wax.

"Direct summon," he said, voice tightening. "Level Three seal."

Naruto stopped beside him, watching as Hayato broke the seal and scanned the message quickly.

His expression darkened.

He passed the scroll to Naruto without a word.

Naruto read:

From: Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage

To: Jōnin Hayato Gekko, Genin Naruto Uzumaki

Priority: Immediate / Emergency

Encryption: Black Seal, Level 3

Relay: Direct Summon Hawk — no stops

Contents:Team 10 engaged hostile forces during reconnaissance south of Morimi Valley.

Engagement has escalated.

Possible ambush.

Unknown enemy numbers.

Team requests immediate support — extraction and counterforce.

You are the nearest available operatives capable of response.

Mission priority: Assist Team 10, stabilize situation, ensure safe return.

Reinforcements are being prepared, but your proximity is critical.

Move with all possible speed. Exercise full operational discretion.

Return report upon mission resolution.

Signed:Sarutobi Hiruzen

Hokage, Hidden Leaf Village

Naruto's fingers tightened slightly on the parchment.

Team 10. Shikako, Ino, Chōji.

He exhaled, eyes sharpening. "We move."

Hayato was already turning. "Fast and light. Minimal trail."

"No rest," Naruto said flatly.

Hayato gave a sharp nod. "No rest."

The hawk took flight again as the two shinobi vanished into the snow — shadows cutting south through the narrowing pass, urgency burning in every step.