The mountainside howled with biting wind, flurries of snow lashing against Naruto's jacket as he climbed higher. Each step forward was a struggle against the cold, but he didn't stop.
Far ahead, he could see her — Elsa. A lone figure against the raging sky, her pale hair whipping in the storm, her hands weaving something out of thin air.
Naruto slowed, watching from a ridge as the ground itself began to change.
Spirals of frost exploded outward from Elsa's hands, stretching into massive arcs and columns. Glittering walls of ice grew in the blink of an eye, forming balconies, bridges, and soaring towers that stabbed into the clouds.
Naruto let out a slow breath, awestruck. He had seen powerful shinobi techniques before, but this was something else — something wild and beautiful and heartbreaking all at once.
"She's building a whole castle," he thought, eyes wide. "All by herself..."
He tightened the headband around his forehead, steeling himself. Whatever this place was, whatever power Elsa held, he couldn't just leave her alone out here.
Drawing closer, Naruto stepped carefully across the frozen ground, boots crunching softly in the snow. He didn't rush. He didn't shout. He knew — somehow — that bursting in would only drive her farther away.
He watched as Elsa moved to the center of a growing courtyard. Her arms stretched outward, and the very air shimmered, answering her command. The sky above churned, heavy clouds swirling in a great circle. The storm was no accident. It was part of her.
Naruto's gaze softened. She wasn't trying to destroy anything. She was trying to be free.
Summoning his courage, Naruto called out, voice firm but not harsh.
"Elsa!"
She turned. Her expression was guarded but not surprised. She remembered him.
"You shouldn't be here," Elsa said, her voice steady but distant, like the mountains themselves were speaking through her.
Naruto planted his feet in the snow, lifting his chin stubbornly. "I'm not here to fight," he said. "I just... wanted to see if you're okay."
The ice around Elsa rippled slightly, as if reacting to her hidden emotions. For a heartbeat, her face softened — uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
But then she shook her head, stepping backward. "I'm fine," she said, voice gaining strength. "I'm finally free."
Around her, the castle finished taking shape, doors rising tall and proud behind her. The walls gleamed in the storm light, dazzling and cold.
Naruto stood his ground as a blast of wind surged outward, tugging at his clothes and stinging his skin. It would have been easier to turn back — to walk away, pretend he hadn't seen anything.
But that wasn't who he was.
He watched silently as Elsa ascended an icy staircase leading to a grand balcony. Each step she took seemed lighter, more sure of herself, even as the storm raged harder around her.
Then, with a final, graceful sweep of her hands, the massive palace doors sealed shut, leaving Naruto standing alone in the snow.
He lowered his hands slowly, staring up at the gleaming spires. The storm's fury couldn't drown out the quiet determination rising in his heart.
"I'm not leaving you like this," Naruto whispered to the empty air. "You don't have to be alone anymore. I swear it."
The snow whirled around him in thick, blinding gusts, but Naruto stayed where he was, his bright blue eyes locked on the castle above.
Waiting.
Watching.
Promising.
No matter how strong the walls were...
No matter how high she built them...
He was going to reach her.
---