Naruto: Snow Cold

At the Raikage's office.

The Raikage's booming voice echoed through the room, shaking the very walls. His fists slammed against the sturdy desk, papers scattering like leaves in a storm.

"Damn it! You're telling me that stupid blonde brat burnt down the forest, again?!"

The shinobi standing before him flinched, visibly uneasy under the Raikage's glare. "Y-Yes, Raikage-sama. It was... a larger fire this time. The damage extended beyond the training grounds and into the main forest area. We've already dispatched a team to control the spread."

"Tch! I've only allowed her antics so far because of her talent in manipulating Fire Release. Tell me, who the hell can use the Great Fireball Technique at the mere age of 6?! It's a C-Ranked technique! A fucking C-Rank!" He slammed his fist on the table once more after saying that, breaking it and sending splinters all over the place.

The shinobi hesitated to answer, his gaze fixed nervously on the shattered remains of the table. The guy supplying the tables must be making good money, huh? "W-Well, Raikage-sama," he stammered, choosing his words carefully, except... The Raikage interrupted him.

"Everytime she burns something down, I think to myself, 'Maybe this time she'll learn some self-control?!' But no—she just keeps pushing, testing my damn patience! What do you even expect me to do, just keep cleaning up her mess every damn time?! At this rate it's not a nuisance anymore, it's a liability!" The Raikage's voice roared, his frustration was something else. His fists clenched at his sides as he stared down at the shinobi in front of him, his gaze sharp and unwavering.

The chuunin stood frozen, a bead of sweat running down his temple. He knew better than to speak too hastily in this situation. Who knows? Perhaps the Raikage would have his head if he said even just one thing wrong.

"Raikage-sama," he began cautiously, his voice low and measured, "I understand your frustration. But this little freak's potential—"

It looked like the Raikage was about to burst a vein. He cut the shinobi off sharply, his voice rising with barely contained fury. "POTENTIAL?! Potential, you say?!" he roared.

"She may have talent, but that doesn't mean she should be running around setting everything she can on fire! This time, it was just a forest near one of the training grounds. But what if next time it's one of the granaries?! We'd lose enough food to feed an entire platoon for a whole year, maybe more!" He slammed his fist into the wall, his fury evident as he no longer had a desk to destroy.

The shinobi before him flinched at the impact, his gaze fixed on the cracked wall where the Raikage's fist had made its mark. He could feel the tension in the air, thick enough to choke. There was no doubt—this was not just frustration; it was something far worse. The Raikage's patience had run out, and now, there were consequences to consider.

He sighed, his palm moving to his forehead, "Hoh, I'm done. I'm absolutely done. What the hell does the council want me to do with her?"

"Raikage-sama, they're requesting an execution. She has caused far too much damage to be left alive. If she becomes any stronger, she'll affect the locals as well."

The Raikage's eyes narrowed, his gaze darkening. "Execute her?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "So you want me to kill a future weapon? When we could harness her power and turn her into a tool that works in our favor?"

He stepped forward, his imposing presence causing the room to feel even smaller. "She's volatile, yes. Chaotic and dangerous, yes! But do you really think I haven't considered that?!" he snapped, his voice low but filled with unrestrained fury. "If I were to execute her, I'd be throwing away a powerful tool that could serve the village earnestly. She's just an inferno waiting to be tamed."

He stood there, his gaze unwavering as he let the silence hang in the air for a moment. "I'm not going to execute her. Instead, I'm going to exile—no, release her," he corrected himself, his voice tinged with determination, "I will put her through a survival test of sorts. She'll have to handle herself—survive on her own, in the wild, alone. She'll naturally mature along the way, face her own limitations, and maybe, just maybe, she'll learn some fucking restraint!"

The room fell quiet, tension hanging thick in the air. The Raikage's words certainly carried weight, and his gaze didn't soften, his decision clear and unyielding.

"If she survives, she proves she's worth something more than just a weapon. If she fails..." He trailed off, a cold edge to his voice, "Then at least we won't have such a liability anymore."

The chuunin hesitantly spoke up once more, "R-Raikage-sama, you're putting a lot of faith in her. What if she becomes a threat to other villages and we attract unwanted attention? Or worse, a rogue force beyond our control?"

"Bah, I'm not blind. I'll have a talk with her myself, and give her a little warning. I shall dispatch one of my KUBO ninjas to monitor her discreetly, make sure she doesn't cause any more trouble," the Raikage said, his voice hardening with finality. "If she steps out of line again, KUBO will be there to deal with it—swiftly and without hesitation. I'm done, get out of my sight."

The chuunin bowed deeply, careful not to meet the Raikage's fierce gaze. "Understood, Raikage-sama," he said quietly before turning to leave, the door closing behind him with a resounding thud.

Once he was out, he started sweating bullets and clutching his chest. 'Holy shit, I actually survived again!' he thought. His heart raced as he hurried down the hallway, trying to shake off the tension that clung onto him like a vice. Ay was truly terrifying when he was enraged, and somehow, he'd managed to avoid his wrath.

"God, I thought I was gonna die from the nerves," he muttered under his breath, still clutching his chest. "He's a ticking bomb... a ticking bomb, I say. I really should be grateful to the gods above that he didn't take it out on me. If he did, I'd probably be 6 feet below the ground!" He exhaled shakily, trying to regain his composure as he continued down the hall.

The weight on his shoulders lightened slightly, though he knew that the real danger was far from over. Once they got rid of that thing—that freak—he wouldn't have to risk his life trying to put out the fire she caused any longer. But the thought of her, roaming free, untamed... It unsettled him.

Truly.

...

Somewhere at the training grounds.

"Achoo!" Scarlet sneezed, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand as she blinked in confusion. "...Is someone talking trash about me?" She glanced around the training grounds, but it was empty—of course, she had to move to another one since she had burned the last one down, more specifically the forest.

"Ehh~ I'm certain they'll just let my little mishap slip like before. Genuinely, they should've seen how powerful that fireball was! And I was the one honored to unleash it!"

Unfortunately or fortunately, she was blissfully unaware of what was coming for her.