Chapter Twenty-Two

"Hold on, you're telling me Loki was after someone else this whole time?" Kakashi asked.

After Naruto's revelation, he and Sakura rushed out of the cell and went for Kakashi and Haku. Fortunately they were right outside so it didn't take them long.

"That's what I'm thinking now." Naruto said with a nod.

"Don't you think you're being paranoid?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto shrugged. "It's possible I admit, but is the idea unreasonable?"

The cycloptic jounin sighed in defeat. "Sadly no, it's a tactic that has been used many times by shinobi. Make your enemy think you want Target A so they won't be guarding Target B so much when you go for it."

"Any idea who the Target B would be in this case?" Haku asked.

Both Naruto and Sakura shook their heads.

"Damn, that's just perfect." Kakashi sighed sarcastically.

"Maybe it's someone who's taking the chuunin exams?" Haku offered. "Loki did choose this time for a reason after all. And with anyone looking for Loki checking on the Uchiha, no one would have thought to check the exams."

"It could just be a coincidence, but right now we can't ignore it. The question is who's in the exams that Loki would want?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "The only genin I know of taking it this year are on Guy's team, but they're not the only ones."

Naruto blinked. "Guy's team, isn't that the one that has Hinata-chan's cousin on it?"

Kakashi nodded. "You think he's the real target?"

"Can't be sure, but he's the one I know best."

"The problem is we can't legally interfere with the exams just because of a theory." Kakashi reminded them, then grinned. "But the laws don't apply to the dead now do they?"

Naruto nodded and quickly summoned his best einherjar for this. The next moment, Minato was there.

"Hi everyone, what's the occasion this time?" He greeted.

"Sensei, Loki's escaped despite everything the gods say and he's taking someone out of this village." Kakashi warned. "We thought it was Sasuke Uchiha, but now Naruto suspects we were deceived this whole time."

"Yeah that kind of is Loki's thing." Minato commented. "I might be able to stop him but I'll have to act fast. Where would he most likely be if not where the Uchiha is?"

"The Forest of Death." Everyone answered.

Minato nodded in understanding. "Then I better hurry." He rushed out of the hallway, faster than the genin had ever seen anyone move before.

"Should we help him?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi shook his head. "No, all we would do is slow him down."

"Hey, what's this?"

One Anbu went to Yugao, holding a walnut in his hand.

"It looks like a nut. I'd like to think an Anbu in a forest village would be aware of that." Yugao remarked sarcastically, cleaning the inside of her mask at the moment due to having sneezed moments ago.

"I know what it is. But when we collected the Uchiha and confiscated the items on his person, this was the only thing that was not standard."

Yugao resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "It's just a nut."

"And why would anyone carry a single walnut in their pocket? Besides, touch it and tell me I'm crazy."

Sighing in annoyance, Yugao put down her mask and took hold of the walnut. Only to drop it quickly and withdraw her hand.

"Geez that thing's cold!" She hissed, trying to warm her fingers. Her hand was bare but the other Anbu had been wearing a glove. "What's that thing made of? Ice?"

The walnut clattered on the floor, cracking a little. Streams of white vapor beginning to mist out of the crack.

"Now do you think I'm overreacting?" The Anbu asked, picking up the walnut. The glove made it easier to tolerate but the vapors were making his own fingers start to go numb.

"Then get it to the R&D department if you think it's something to be..." Yugao started, but the walnut practically exploded like a firecracker in his hand before she could finish.

The Anbu yelled and clutched at his hand, hurt but no physical damage done save for white marks on his palm. The white vapors from before grew into a smoke cloud that sounded like it was groaning. He stepped back since the cloud was getting downright frigid, but it seemed to cling to him and continue to get bigger.

"Captain, help me!" The Anbu pleaded, teeth chattered and skin going pale. He tried batting the cloud away as well as just moving away, but it was like the cloud was a predator refusing to let him go. And it began to take on a humanoid shape.

Yugao did some hand signs and attacked with a fire jutsu. It hit the cloud which reacted as if hurt, then finally released the Anbu before heading away, looking more and more solid as it did so. Yugao wanted to give chase, but she looked at her colleague and he appeared to be suffering early degrees of frostbite. She chose to get him to the hospital.

After making one small stop for a necessary item, Minato reached the border of the Forest of Death. He paused for a moment to access the situation.

'Okay, as far as I know this place isn't an access point, so Loki didn't arrive here and can't exit here either. He still needs to get there. I just need to figure out if he's still here, if he ever was.'

"Trouble?"

Minato looked behind himself, relaxing when he saw a familiar face. "Lord Frey, what brings you here?"

"Your son was awfully insistent that Loki would be here today, and if you're here he's got to have good reason to believe it."

"Wait, how do I know you're not Loki in disguise?" Minato asked, getting defensive.

Frey grinned. "You never drink the mead in Valhalla. You always claim it just doesn't taste right to you."

Minato relaxed. "Good enough. Lord Frey, where is the nearest access point from here?"

"Well the one I use is pretty far. It's that place with the two statues in the canyon."

"The Valley of the End? That's an access point?" Minato asked.

Frey nodded. "Yep, and I did check around with Odin, there aren't any others closer to this village. If Loki's going anywhere that would be the place."

"Then that's where I'm going. Will you join me Lord Frey?"

Frey sighed. "I just got here from that valley, but I suppose."

Minato rushed off as fast as he could without his hiraishin. Frey turned into a summer breeze and went on ahead of him.

"Ugh... my head..."

"What just happened?"

Lee managed to sit up, though his body was protesting his every movement. That was not normal for him and he knew it. His training had conditioned his body to favor motion, not hinder it. The only thing he knew that could create an effect like this was...

"Neji?" He asked, looking around with his eyes somewhat unfocused. "Did... did you just attack me?"

He got no answer, but when his vision cleared he saw Tenten on all fours looking as mobile as he currently was. She was gritting her teeth and clenching her eyes shut, looking like she was still in pain. Worse, there were burned scrolls by her on the ground, and Lee had a feeling that they weren't just the one they had been given at the start of the test.

"Lee, are you okay?" Tenten managed to ask.

"I am and I'm not at the same time." The sound of an animal could be heard, though he wasn't sure which one. "But I'm thinking we can't stay here much longer either way."

Danzou had been escorted by the men who found him up the slope and to a more level area on the mountain. The area was covered with forest, making Danzou feel more at home, even though the trees were of a different breed than the kind he was used to. The forest also worked as a sort of wind buffer, helping him to feel warmer. The journey did not take long, and after a while Danzou saw a collection of wooden buildings and open fires with a wooden fence surrounding the main area.

One man looked like he had been waiting, one with a bald scalp but a grey braided bear, smiled and came up to the group. {Ah, Wotanrita, it is good to see you my friend.}

The bald man extended his hand and Danzou returned the gesture, the two taking hold of the other's forearm and shaking it lightly. {It is good to see you too Arvid, though I sadly am not here just for a friendly visit.}

{You must be cold. Let's get you warm, then we can loosen that tongue of yours and have you tell me what troubles you.}

{That would be appreciated.}

Being a god, and being in the form of wind at the moment, Frey was naturally faster than Minato was. While it did take some time, he came across a large wolf running with a human boy riding it. Loki was an expert at disguise, so it was impossible to tell if it was him or not just by 'sensing' it. But wolves usually didn't allow people to ride them and this one was heading right for the access point, so Frey decided to take a chance.

The summer breeze quickly turned and buffeted the large wolf from the side like a sentient wind jutsu. The wolf was caught off guard and tumbled to its side, throwing off its passenger.

Frey then returned to his normal form. "You better pray that I'm wrong, because if I'm not then you're somewhere you're not supposed to be, Loki."

The wolf got up, glaring at the Vanir, then its shape fizzled and was replaced by a man. "Cheap shot Frey."

"So the kiddo was right, you really have somehow broken free of your confines. Odin's not going to like this." Frey then looked to the other one here, seeing a human he didn't recognize get up on his feet and take a stance. "And you're recruiting an apprentice now? What can he do that you can't?"

"I'm just giving Neji here an opportunity that none of us ever got. And it's one he's very very happy to be given." Loki grinned, as did Neji.

"Hey boy, I don't know what Loki's been selling you, but you won't get what you bargain for." Frey warned.

"Once I have what I want, the price will be irrelevant." Neji warned, byakugan active.

"And what is it you want?" Frey asked, taking ahold of the deer antler he kept strapped to his waist like it was a weapon.

Neji laughed. "Like I'm afraid of someone who can't even use a proper weapon."

Loki opened his mouth to warn the young boy, but Neji rushed towards the summer god as if he were an opponent in the chuunin exams. When he got in close, Frey extended his free hand and merely held it out, halting Neji's head like he was just a mere child trying to hurt an adult. Neji's lower body kept its' momentum, forcing him to lose balance and all on his ass at the feet of the Vanir, who looked completely unthreatened by the Hyuuga prodigy.

Neji looked up at Frey with a look that blended shock, confusion, and offense all at once. No one had ever stopped him like that, not even Guy. This made the shock and confusion fade away, increasing the offense turning it to outrage. This god was mocking him, calling him inferior. Unworthy to fight seriously. He would show this god the truth one way or another.

Neji jumped back to his feet and lashed out. Frey stepped around the boy, pivoting around to the other side, and pushing him away. Not enough to knock him over, but enough to force Neji to recapture his footing lest he fall over anyway.

"You can't escape Loki. Once I tell everyone in Asgard you'll be more wanted than the last cup of Kvasir mead." Frey warned, antler still in his hand. Neji tried to attack him from behind but Frey pivoted away again, not even looking at him.

"And how are you going to prove it?" Loki taunted.

There was a click sound that got everyone's attention, and they turned to see that Minato had caught up to them. And in his hands was a camera, preemptively purchased before he left Konoha.

"I think that will do the job." Minato claimed, quickly sealing the camera away so it wouldn't get destroyed.

Loki turned to his guest. "Neji, we're leaving!"

"Not until-"

"Now!"

Neji made it clear he was not interested in complying, only finally landing a hit on the Vanir. Loki sighed and pulled a walnut out of his pocket, then he threw it at the Hyuuga prodigy. It hit him then all of a sudden Neji's body was converted into mist, a surprised look visible on his face for a moment, then the mist was sucked into the walnut like a pokemon with the nut returning to Loki's hand.

'What the heck?' Minato asked himself, and judging from the look of it Frey was just as surprised as he was by this.

Without another word Loki then turned into a bird and flew off into the air, carrying the walnut in his talons.

"You can still get him, right Lord Frey?" Minato asked, knowing he was at a disadvantage against flying opponents. Not every Iwa nin he fought died after all.

"Chasing Loki is never that easy. But now we know he is free. I'll try to cut him off at the access point. Alert your son and get that evidence of yours to Odin promptly."

Minato nodded, then rush back to Konoha. Frey turned back into wind and headed towards the Valley of the End.

"Anyone hear some screaming?" Naruto asked.

Naruto, Sakura, and Haku were still by Sasuke's cell, having been told to wait there by Kakashi. The jounin had gone off to get them all something to drink, since tensions were high among them and they needed something to calm their nerves.

"I didn't catch anything." Sakura responded.

"Something's not right." Haku noted. "I'm feeling a chill."

"No offense Haku, but-"

"I know an unnatural chill when I feel it." She insisted, taking out some senbon. The other two decided not to argue with it.

From down the hall a figure turned around a corner and the air did get somewhat colder. The figure looked like a normal albeit very pale man, very muscular and tall, head nearly scrapping the ceiling. His hair was pale blonde, like if Ino had bleached her own, and he wore a furred vest that looked like it had come from a red bear with pants made of the same fur. The shoes were durable leather boots, and there was a scaled belt at his waist. Oddly, he gave them a friendly grin.

"Hi, listen I'm not from around here and looking for someone. Is a Sasuke Uchiha nearby?"

"Nope, not around here." Haku replied. Sakura and Naruto were shivering a little, not from intimidation though.

The tall man sighed. "Damn, I've checked every door so far. Where is that kid?"

"I'm right here!" Sasuke shouted from inside his cell, having been heard thanks to the window in the room. It wasn't soundproof so that guards could better monitor prisoners from the outside if needed.

The tall man had been starting to turn around but stopped. "What was that?"

"I didn't hear anything." Sakura covered nervously, with Naruto nodded.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha! Get me out of here!"

The tall man looked to the door. "Can I please look behind that door?"

"I'm afraid that's not going to be possible." Kakashi said from behind the tall man, holding a drink carrier in his hand. The tall man turned around. "You're here because of Loki am I right?"

"How did you know?" The tall man asked, sounding honestly surprised.

"So Loki really was after Sasuke, but maybe not just him?" Sakura whispered to Naruto, who just shrugged.

Kakashi put the drink carrier down. "Leave. Now."

"I'm afraid I'm not supposed to without Sasuke Uchiha."

Kakashi did some hand signs and created a chidori before pouncing at the tall man. He thrust his fist into the tall man's chest, skewering the place where the heart should be, making the genin gasp at the lethal maneuver visible from their position.

Then Kakashi screamed and pulled his arm back, stepping away and clutching his arm.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"What's that blue stuff?"

"What's happening?"

The genin moved around the tall man who stepped aside and ignored them, but remained standing. Kakashi's arm was covered in some kind of dark blue liquid that looked oddly like blood. Literal blue blood. Some of it had gotten on his other hand when he clutched it. Kakashi himself felt to his knees and looked like he was trying his damnedest not to quiver.

"Don't touch it!" He ordered, seeing Naruto about to brush off some of the blood. "I... I can't move my arm! It's frozen!"

The tall man held a hand over his wound and materialized some ice, sealing the hole. Then he turned to the door and pulled it open, but it was locked so he couldn't. He sighed and exhaled on it, freezing the hinges then pulling it with more force. The door came loose, and he looked inside.

"Are you Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Yes dammit now get me out of here!"

The tall man grinned. "Finally. Lord Loki will be pleased." He crouched down and stepped inside, but his foot was stuck, confusing him. He looked behind, seeing it covered in ice stuck to the floor.

"I don't know what you are, but you're not the only one who can use ice." Haku warned.

"You don't know what I am? Oh, is this your first time encountering a frost giant?" The tall man asked.

"You're a giant? Yeah right, I've seen swords bigger than you." Naruto taunted.

"Well I could show you my true size if you want."

The tall man started to grow bigger, head breaking through the ceiling, followed by his shoulders and chest. The growth was proportionate, he was getting wider too, breaking the walls and even cracking the floor with the extra weight.

"We have to get out. He's could compromise the entire structure of the building." Kakashi warned.

"What about Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"My priority is you guys. Those that abandon their comrades and all that." He said, rushing away while breathing deeply and encouraging them to go along. The three complied.

The tall man kept growing, breaking the building bit by bit and alerting everyone inside it. Soon enough he burst out the top of the building and all but demolished it, shoving away the fragments off him. The people inside ran out or jumped out, including Kakashi's team, and all nearby passerby stopped and looked on at the giant in shock.

"Dear Kami-sama, he's got to be as big as the hokage tower by now!" Sakura panicked as the giant stopped growing. Then all of a sudden there was a burst of power, like the giant had just farted with explosive power, sending tons of wind in all directions away from him. Some people were literally taken off the ground because of this blast. And to all exposed, it felt like an unholy blizzard just struck them.

"AAHHHH SO COLD!"

"MY EYES! I CAN'T SEE!"

"I'M TURNING BLUE!"

Ignoring the hysteria, the giant stepped away onto some clear open road and reached down. In his hands he now had a somewhat shivering Sasuke, chains tore off the wall.

"Now let's go see Lord Loki." The giant told the Uchiha.

Right away Chouza Akimichi grew to his own gigantic form, equaling the frost giant in height. "Hold it right there!" He held a bo staff in a warning manner, letting the giant know one wrong move would not be in the giant's best interests.

The giant looked confused. "What's a mountain giant doing here?" He looked closer. "You are one, aren't you? Something's not right."

Off to the side there was a huge puff of smoke and then everyone could see a large toad with a pipe in it's mouth. "Now what am I-holy crap what the hell is that?"

Despite the pain in his arm and hands, Kakashi smiled. "Okay kids, we've got a chance now."