It took quite a while to dock the ship.
The director, now wearing sunglasses, stepped onto the snow-covered land with the rest of the crew.
Taking in the frozen landscape, he nodded in satisfaction.
Yes, this is exactly the kind of setting I need—perfect for filming Snow Princess!
"Hurry up! Props! Cameras! Get everything set up! We're starting soon!"
At his command, the crew rushed to work, arranging equipment and preparing the set.
—
Meanwhile, Sandayū and Koyuki were having a serious conversation.
Sandayū looked at the land before them, his expression filled with sorrow.
"After all these years… Your Highness, we've finally returned."
Koyuki let out a sigh.
"Sandayū…"
"There's no need to say anything, Your Highness. I've been preparing for this moment. In this country, I've secretly gathered a militia—volunteers who oppose Doto's tyranny! They'll be overjoyed to know their princess has returned."
With that, Sandayū solemnly pulled a badge from his coat and placed it in front of Koyuki.
"This is our symbol. There's also a secret passphrase. I've done everything I could, Your Highness. Now… are you ready?"
Koyuki stared at the badge, then instinctively reached for the pendant around her neck—the only keepsake her father had left her.
A hexagonal crystal.
Her fingers tightened around it, and a new determination filled her gaze.
Ever since meeting the ninjas—especially Sakiya—her confidence had grown.
This was it.
She clenched the crystal tightly and met Sandayū's eyes with resolve.
"I understand now! I'll fight Doto to the end! For the Land of Snow! And for its people!"
Sandayū's eyes welled up as he saw the strength returning to her.
"Your Highness… This is wonderful!"
—
And then—
An utterly disruptive voice shattered the moment.
"Koyuki! Get over here! We're starting!"
…The director.
He had walked up to them and was now gesturing impatiently at Koyuki.
"Come on, everyone's waiting for you."
Sandayū was stunned.
"Hey! Show some respect! This is Her Highness!"
"And we were in the middle of a serious discussion about our nation's future! How is filming more important than that?!"
The director shrugged.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it—big political stuff. But filming won't take long. Let's go."
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Koyuki's wrist and pulled her along.
She glanced back at Sandayū, giving him an apologetic look before hurrying toward the set.
Sandayū could only watch in exasperation.
"I mean… I know it's not an emergency right now, but can you guys at least pretend to take this seriously?! Damn it!"
—
Despite the chaotic interruption, the filming went smoothly.
Koyuki quickly immersed herself in the role, her acting as captivating as ever.
With each scene, she transformed—no longer Koyuki Kazahana, but the Snow Princess herself.
----
Naruto and the others were simply enjoying themselves.
It was their first time in such a snowy environment, and the experience felt new and exciting.
Naruto, wrapped in a wind-resistant cloak and a warm scarf, watched the snow-covered horizon. As he exhaled, a long white mist formed in the air.
"This place is incredible."
Ino and Sakura were just as thrilled, their faces lighting up with joy.
"It looks like we can actually have some fun in the snow. Let's go find Sakiya!" Ino suggested.
Sakura blinked.
"Find Sakiya?"
Then, a mischievous smile crept onto her face.
"Ohhh, I see… Ino wants to play the kind of game we can't play without Sakiya, huh?"
Ino's expression froze, her cheeks turning pink.
"Don't be ridiculous!" she huffed, glaring at Sakura. "Sakiya and I have been friends since childhood. It's only natural that I'd want to find her first!"
Sakura kept smirking.
"Sure, sure. Go on, Ino. Go find Sakiya."
With a huff, Ino spun around and stomped away.
"Whatever! I'm going to find her."
—
Meanwhile, Sasuke had climbed to the top of an iceberg, scanning the snowy landscape below as if sensing something.
Shikamaru, standing nearby, observed the group running around in excitement while Choji contentedly munched on his snacks.
"We're still on a mission, you know," Shikamaru muttered. "You guys do remember that, right? Or do none of you take this job seriously?"
He turned to Choji, who was happily crunching on his chips.
Choji simply kept eating, not saying a word.
Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Yeah… I should've known better than to ask you."
Just then, Sakuragi and Tsuchiya approached from behind.
Tsuchiya clapped a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder, his expression calm and relaxed.
"Come on, the mission's under control. There's no danger as long as Sakiya is around."
Sakuragi adjusted his glasses and smiled.
"Exactly. Instead of stressing about the mission, why not just enjoy the journey?"
With that, the two of them walked off toward a nearby iceberg to take in the view.
Shikamaru watched them leave, then stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm… Maybe they have a point. Still, shouldn't we at least stay somewhat alert? What do you think, Choji?"
Choji popped another chip into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch…
Shikamaru sighed.
"Yeah, I figured you'd say that."
Crunch, crunch…
"…Never mind."
---
Sakiya and Nanako had arrived at a vast, snow-covered field.
They were close to the inland now, where heavy snowflakes drifted from the sky, covering the ground in a thick white blanket.
The two were busy competing to see who could build the best snowman.
Sakiya had already stacked up a massive two-meter-tall snow figure, shaping it with great enthusiasm.
Not wanting to be outdone, Nanako had built a snowman of her own. It wasn't as tall as Sakiya's, but it stood well over a meter and was crafted with great care.
"My Akilabres will definitely not lose!" Nanako declared, struggling to shape a snowball larger than herself. "It's a mighty snow demon, blessed by the forces of light and darkness!"
Sakiya, wearing a confident smirk, patted her massive snow structure, shaping it further.
"Hah! Mine is the strongest! I call it the Death Winter Snow Knight! There's no way yours can compare! Just give up now, Nanako!"
Nanako shot her a determined look.
"Size doesn't mean strength! Your giant lump of snow doesn't stand a chance against mine!"
Sakiya smoothed out a section of her snowman's round body and grinned.
"Well then, let's see whose creation is truly the strongest masterpiece!"
Nanako quickly grabbed several more snowballs from the ground, stacking them onto her snowman with absolute focus. She pointed at Sakiya dramatically.
"Prepare yourself! The Messenger of Light and Darkness won't lose so easily!"
Sakiya laughed, taking a battle stance beside her own creation.
"Come at me! Witness the power of the Eye of Death!"
The competition was heating up as both girls threw themselves into their work, completely immersed in their imaginary showdown.
—
Not far away, five Snow Ninja had been silently watching the scene.
One of them turned to their leader with a bewildered expression.
"Boss… why do I feel so hyped watching this?"
The moment he said it, the other four stared at him like he'd lost his mind.
The leader let out an exasperated sigh before smacking the back of his head.
"Hyped?! What, you wanna go make snowmen with them too?"
The ninja rubbed his head, looking dejected.
"N-no… I was just saying… Sorry, my bad."
The boss shook his head and refocused on the two girls.
"Who are they? They're definitely not from around here. No one in Snow Country builds snowmen like that."
The ninja beside him nodded.
"Yeah, the locals wouldn't waste time playing in the snow. It's everywhere—we treat it like dirt. Only outsiders would be doing something like this."
One of the others sighed.
"Boss, they're just two girls. Do we really need to keep watching them?"
The leader shot him a sharp look.
"You think threats always look threatening? A harmless-looking person can still be a ninja in disguise—someone who could kill you in an instant. Stay alert!"
"Yes, sir!"
The group straightened up, suddenly much more serious.
The leader gave a firm nod, satisfied with their response.
"Good. Now, let's go ask them what they're doing here."
"…Eh?!"
The four turned to him in shock.
The leader frowned at their reaction.
"What? You don't actually think a real warrior would be standing in the middle of nowhere, playing with snow, do you?"
The group fell silent.
As much as they wanted to argue… he had a point.
But still, their boss's attitude was so frustrating that, at that moment, they all kind of wanted to punch him.