Fuyukawa Koyuki was startled by Yoruha's actions, but after calming down, she remained very fearful of Fuyukawa Nadare. Sitting on the floor, hugging her knees, she spoke with a sob in her voice, "Idiot, going to the Land of Snow is a death sentence. I don't want to go and die." Asama Sandayu tried to persuade her, "Miss Yukie, with Mr. Yoruha as your escort, there won't be any danger."
Fuyukawa Koyuki didn't respond, merely burying her head between her knees. She absolutely did not want to go. The atmosphere in the room became heavy. Yoruha leaned against the window, also silent.
The decision to continue the mission lay with Asama Sandayu. After all, he was the one who hired Yoruha. Seeing Fuyukawa Koyuki's prolonged silence, Asama Sandayu spoke again, "Miss Yukie, this journey will be safe. I'm confident Mr. Yoruha can ensure your safety."
Still, Fuyukawa Koyuki remained silent. The shadows cast by Fuyukawa Nadare during her childhood were too great, making her terrified to return to the Land of Snow. After a long pause, Yoruha finally spoke, "Please rest assured, Miss Yukie. As your protector, I won't let any harm come to you before the mission is complete."
"I can guarantee it." Yoruha spoke calmly. He was well aware of the potential incidents on this mission.
However, he was confident in resolving them. Moreover, upon completion, the mission would clearly upgrade from B-rank to Super S-rank. Yoruha could earn a substantial commission.
With this mission completed, he could relax for several years. Of course, that depended on the Third Hokage not assigning him more tasks. Fuyukawa Koyuki shuddered at Yoruha's words.
Yet thinking of the terror of Fuyukawa Nadare, she still said, "You have no idea how dangerous the Land of Snow is. Even if you might be strong, you're just a kid, just like that Konoha ninja back then." The Konoha ninja she referred to was a young Kakashi. Back then, Kakashi accepted the Land of Snow daimyo's commission, but he wasn't a match for Fuyukawa Nadare, so he couldn't defeat him or save the Land of Snow.
Ultimately, under her father's instructions, Kakashi escorted Fuyukawa Koyuki out of the Land of Snow. Yoruha was aware of this. However, he still asked, "Does Miss Yukie seem to know our Konoha ninjas?"
Fuyukawa Koyuki lifted her head to glance at Yoruha, sneering, "That person was a jonin, and you're just a chunin. If he couldn't do it, how could you possibly be his match?" Asama Sandayu said nothing.
He understood what Fuyukawa Koyuki meant. Yoruha wasn't offended, calmly looking at Fuyukawa Koyuki, he asked, "Do you realize someone in the Land of Snow wants to kill you?" Fuyukawa Koyuki paused, turned her head, and remained silent.
Yoruha didn't press further. "No matter who the opponent is, I will protect you, at the very least, I won't let you fall into despair. You should know that I have this capability."
Fuyukawa Koyuki trembled slightly. She looked up at Yoruha again, seeing his calm and determined gaze.
Fuyukawa Koyuki shook her head, "You'll die. You can't possibly be his match." In her heart, Fuyukawa Nadare was incredibly powerful, to the point of being unbeatable. However, what she didn't know was that Yoruha didn't see him as a threat at all.
Yoruha wanted Fubuki Koyuki to cooperate a bit more so he could complete his mission sooner. It would be even better if they could pay an extra commission after upgrading the mission. He walked up to Fubuki Koyuki, looked her in the eyes, and said earnestly, "No matter who it is, nothing will prevent me from earning— I mean, nothing will prevent me from completing the task of protecting you."
Fubuki Koyuki looked at Yoruha with confusion, unsure of what he was trying to say. However, she was indeed moved by his sincerity.
Behind her, Asama Santarou watched Fubuki Koyuki with anticipation. He hoped she would return to the Land of Snow. Many people there were dissatisfied with Kazahana Dotou's rule, but they lacked a leader.
To them, Fubuki Koyuki was extremely important. With her, their resistance would have meaning. She was nearly persuaded by Yoruha, but she still couldn't overcome her fear of Kazahana Dotou.
Just as she was about to refuse, Yoruha frowned. The next moment, Fubuki Koyuki's eyes widened. With a "thud," she fell to the ground, lifelessly.
Asama Santarou was startled. "Miss Yukie," he exclaimed, clearly frightened by her sudden collapse.
Standing up, Yoruha looked at the fallen Fubuki Koyuki and said calmly, "It's alright, don't worry. She's just under a genjutsu and will wake up in a couple of days. Mr. Asama, let's proceed according to the schedule tomorrow. I'm going to rest now." As he walked towards the door, Asama hesitated but finally asked, "Mr. Yoruha, are you truly confident in ensuring Miss Yukie's safety?"
"You know, Konoha's Kakashi, a jonin, also failed previously." Yoruha paused.
After a moment of silence, he replied, "I will make up for the mistakes of Kakashi-sensei. Rest assured of that." With those words, Yoruha left. Asama Santarou stared at the door for a long time before regaining his composure.
"Let's hope so. I hope you maintain such confidence when you realize the strength of your opponent," he thought. Compared to Fubuki Koyuki, Asama Santarou had more faith in Yoruha. Ever since Yoruha demonstrated the Flying Thunder God Technique, Asama had great confidence in him.
He believed that even if Yoruha couldn't defeat Kazahana Dotou, he could still help Fubuki Koyuki escape. Looking at the unconscious Fubuki Koyuki, Asama sighed, "Princess Koyuki, you probably don't remember me, but Mr. Yoruha might be able to help you restore the kingdom."
"It seems Kakashi was Yoruha's teacher. Indeed, even back then, Kakashi was already a jonin."
"Now Kakashi has made a name for himself, so his disciple surely isn't weak either." Even if Yoruha wasn't a match for Kazahana Dotou, he could use space-time ninjutsu to take her to safety. Ultimately, Asama decided to place his trust in Yoruha.
In truth, regardless of his beliefs, he had always been working towards restoring the kingdom. Yoruha's appearance gave him more hope for success. "Not only can he use the legendary space-time ninjutsu, but his genjutsu is also incredibly powerful. Yoruha seems to be stronger than Kakashi was back then."
Earlier, when Yoruha used genjutsu without forming seals, Asama, who had some understanding of ninjas, knew how terrifying that was. Casting genjutsu without seals wasn't something just anyone could do.
In the ninja world, jutsu that didn't require seals were extremely rare. Even Kakashi's Chidori needed seals.
The Rasengan, aside from its great power, didn't require seals, which was its greatest advantage. Minato developed the Rasengan to complement the Flying Thunder God Technique. He needed an instant-cast jutsu, and the Rasengan served that purpose.
In other words, to Minato, the Rasengan's lack of need for seals was its only advantage. In the ninja world, those who could perform jutsu without seals were exceedingly rare. Yoruha had executed it without forming seals and did so with such speed that Fubuki Koyuki had no time to react before falling under its influence.