Naruto stood up slowly, his gaze cold as he locked onto the Snow Ninja ahead.
"You… you're looking for death." His voice was low, dangerous.
Naruto clasped his hands together and took a deep breath.
"Fire Style: Roaring Inferno!"
A massive sea of flames erupted from his mouth, surging toward the icy battlefield, instantly heating the freezing air.
"Nani?!" The expressions on the faces of Doto Kazahana's three henchmen—Fubuki Kakuyoku, Mizore Fuyukuma, and Nadare Roga—shifted from confidence to sheer terror.
Even Sasuke, who was normally unimpressed by anything, raised an eyebrow at the massive flames.
"Shit! Retreat, now!" Nadare ordered.
The three of them leaped toward the ocean, desperately trying to escape the overwhelming heat.
The iceberg, which once stood tall, melted away within seconds, collapsing into the sea. The ship rocked violently as the frozen landscape turned into nothing but floating shards of ice.
"CUT!" The film director screamed in excitement, his hands shaking.
"This… this is unbelievable!" his assistant echoed, unable to contain his amazement.
The entire film crew erupted into cheers, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
---
That Night
Kakashi sat near the deck, staring at the hexagonal crystal hanging from Koyuki Kazahana's neck.
"Ten years… it's been ten years." His voice was almost nostalgic.
San , one of the princess's loyal retainers, entered the cabin.
"Sir Kakashi, we've arrived at the port."
As everyone gathered for dinner, Kakashi turned toward San .
"You do realize what will happen now that she's returned to the Land of Snow?"
San nodded grimly. "I understand, but for the princess to reclaim her rightful throne… this must happen."
Sakura, confused, furrowed her brows. "Wait, isn't Koyuki Kazahana just the actress playing Princess Gale in the movies?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No. That's only her stage name. Her real identity is Princess Koyuki Kazahana—the rightful heir to the Land of Snow."
"...What?" Sakura's eyes widened.
San continued, "When I served her father, Lord Kazahana Sosetsu, the Land of Snow was peaceful. But ten years ago, his younger brother, Doto Kazahana, staged a coup, assassinating him and seizing the throne."
San clenched his fists. "I thought Princess Koyuki had been killed as well. But it turns out Lord Kakashi had rescued her."
"When I saw her in the movies, I recognized her immediately. I knew then that my princess was alive!" San 's voice cracked with emotion.
"I became her manager to protect her from Doto's spies. And I've been waiting for the right time to bring her back home."
At that moment, Koyuki stepped into the room, arms crossed.
"Ever since that day, I never wanted to return to that cursed country."
San fell to his knees. "Please, Princess! Defeat Doto and reclaim your throne!"
Koyuki clenched her fists. "No way! You're insane! There's no way I can defeat Doto!"
"But you must!" San pleaded.
Before Koyuki could argue, Kakashi interrupted.
"You don't have a choice. Doto already knows you're alive. He won't stop hunting you down."
"Why the hell is this happening?!" Koyuki shouted in frustration.
Kakashi sighed. "Normally, we'd return to Konoha to request reinforcements for a mission like this… but," he turned toward Naruto, thinking back to the inferno he had unleashed earlier, "we might not need them."
Sasuke smirked. "Tch. What a waste of time. We're more than enough to take him down."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Pretending to be humble—Bragging Jutsu."
Sakura, confused, turned to Naruto. "What did you just say?"
Naruto grinned. "Nothing, nothing." Then he turned to Koyuki, stepping closer. "I told you, I'll protect you, Princess."
Koyuki stared at him for a moment but didn't reply.
---
The Next Morning
The film crew's caravan traveled through the snowy landscape, finally arriving at the new shooting location.
Suddenly, the director came running toward them, panicking.
"Bad news! Koyuki's gone missing!"
"WHAT?!" The assistant director shouted.
"And not just her… Naruto's missing too!"
Everyone fell silent.
---
Meanwhile, In a Snowy Forest
Koyuki ran as fast as she could through the deep snow, her breath ragged.
"Dammit… I won't go back there! I'm not fighting that bastard Doto!"
However, the ground beneath her was slippery, and she tripped—falling straight into Naruto's arms.
She blinked, stunned.
Naruto smirked. "Running away? You still don't believe me, huh?"
Before she could respond, he lifted her onto his back and casually started walking back.
---
Back at the Filming Location
As Naruto returned with Koyuki, the ground suddenly rumbled.
A massive steam-powered train burst through the icy tunnel ahead, stopping right in front of them.
A loudspeaker crackled to life.
"Long time no see, Koyuki…"
Koyuki's body froze at the familiar voice.
Standing at the front of the train was none other than Doto Kazahana himself.
"Come closer, dear niece," Doto taunted through the speaker. "Let me take a good look at you before you die."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "You're this close to us, and you still need a loudspeaker? Are you an idiot?"
Doto twitched in irritation.
Suddenly, a loud CRASH rang out as a massive avalanche of logs rolled down the mountain, slamming into the train!
The train split in half as a group of armored samurai charged down the hill, led by San .
The old man raised his sword. "Brothers! Our princess is with us, and the Goddess of Victory smiles upon us! CHARGE!"
The warriors roared as they rushed into battle.
Doto, still standing on his damaged train, simply grinned.
"Let them feel true despair."
Suddenly, hidden compartments opened on the sides of the train, revealing dozens of kunai launchers.
The sound of whirring mechanisms filled the air.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Oh, hell no—"
Before Koyuki could even scream—
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Naruto slammed his hands onto the ground, and giant stone walls shot up from the earth, blocking the kunai barrage completely.
Doto, who had been laughing just seconds ago, suddenly choked on his own words.
"WHAT THE HELL?! WHO ARE YOU?!"
Sasuke, taking advantage of the distraction, hurled a kunai with an explosive tag—blowing up part of the train.
As Doto's train retreated, Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Naruto… just how much chakra do you have?"
Naruto just grinned.
Then, he turned to Koyuki and knocked her out with a single nerve pinch.
"Okay, let's go."
(To Be Continued...)
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