"Sandayū-san, you don't need to waste your time. I don't need this man's help, and I have no desire to become the ruler of this country. At that point, I might as well be dead."
Fujikaze Yukie—no, Koyuki Kazahana—leaned against the doorframe in her coat and pajamas as she spoke.
Sandayū looked up and said, "Princess, please don't say such things! To us, the fact that you're still alive is our greatest hope!"
"Being alive while my heart is dead… what meaning does that have? Since that day, my tears have already run dry!"
Koyuki's gaze was clouded with sorrow, unable to see any hope for the future.
The terrible memories of her childhood made her unwilling to return to this country, let alone inherit the position of ruler. All she wanted now was to find a place to hide, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, refusing to face this frightening reality.
Escaping might be shameful, but it works.
"Princess, we've been waiting for so long just for you to return to the Land of Snow. You can't give up!"
The assistant director said, "So you're saying we were just being used by you?"
"I'm deeply sorry for deceiving you all! I apologize! But for the sake of the people of the Land of Snow, I had no choice. Please understand… Koyuki-sama, I beg you—defeat Nadare and become this country's new ruler! I, Sandayū, will protect you with my life if I must! Please, join me in rebuilding our strength!"
Sandayū pleaded, but all he received in return was Koyuki's cold rejection.
"But the people of the Land of Snow are still waiting for your return!"
"That has nothing to do with me! I refuse!"
"No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to defeat Nadare!"
"No! With Kiyosuke-sama on our side, we can! Princess, Kiyosuke-sama is practically the strongest existence in the ninja world. With him here, we can definitely defeat Nadare!"
Sandayū treated Kiyosuke as their last ray of hope, which left Kiyosuke feeling a little awkward.
It was the first time someone had pinned such high hopes on him...
"Him? He's good-looking, sure, but he looks more like a fancy pillow than a fighter."
Koyuki snorted, not understanding Kiyosuke's true strength.
Kiyosuke tilted his head and grinned.
"A fancy pillow? Not quite. I'm more the 'good at fighting' type. But this is beyond the scope of the escort mission. I can help you defeat Kazahana Doto, but you'll have to pay extra."
"No problem—no matter the price. As long as Princess Koyuki successfully inherits the position of ruler, she'll be able to openly control the Land of Snow's economy."
Kiyosuke shook his head.
"No, no, no. I'm more interested in your country's chakra technology. Here's my offer—once it's done, Konoha will send technical personnel to study your chakra technology, and you'll have to teach them without holding anything back. How's that sound?"
Sandayū thought for a moment.
"Agreed!"
No matter the cost, they had to secure Kiyosuke's help.
If they learned something, so be it—the Land of Snow's technology wasn't easy to master, and by the time they learned anything, it would have already advanced further.
"Then I'll take the job!"
Kiyosuke laughed heartily, standing from his chair and pulling Sandayū up with him.
"Since that's settled, Sandayū-san, I'll be counting on you from now on!"
"It's my honor!"
"It's because you refuse to give up that you can see hope, and because you see hope that you can move toward the future. Ah, how perfectly that matches the theme of Princess Gale's story!"
The director, who had been silent until now, finally spoke with a smile.
"Having the real princess star in this movie is fascinating. And… this gentleman here!"
He looked at Kiyosuke.
"That face is impressive. How about it, Kiyosuke-san—want to make a cameo as the final villain?"
Originally, the final villain role had been meant for himself, but now it seemed like Kiyosuke could play the part instead.
"Me?"
Kiyosuke pointed to himself.
"You've got to be kidding—I've never acted before."
"Don't worry, I'll teach you step by step. Also, I'd like to invite all you ninja to make cameo appearances as well."
"Acting, huh? Sounds fun!"
"Hahaha! Let's do it!"
"Yosh! I'm in, I'm in!"
The six kids suddenly got excited, and the director began revising the script right there—scripts were things that could be changed on the spot anyway.
"You guys…"
Kakashi sighed helplessly, getting the feeling the director just didn't want to use special effects and had decided to let Kiyosuke's ninjutsu act as the effects instead.
"Hey, stop talking among yourselves!"
Koyuki raised her voice.
"Once we reach the Land of Snow, Nadare's people won't let you go!"
Kakashi said, "Unfortunately, once Rōge Nadare returns to the Land of Snow, he's bound to report us to Kazahana Doto. That means we have no choice but to fight!"
"OK! Let's continue the mission—escort Princess Gale back to the Land of Snow and defeat the enemy!"
Naruto spoke with high energy, and Kiba added,
"Yeah! This sounds awesome!"
"Don't be ridiculous! Reality and movies are completely different things. I'm not Princess Gale, I'm just an actress! I don't have the power to turn the tide!"
"If you do nothing, that's the real despair!"
The director's tone was firm.
"You are the hope of the people of the Land of Snow—and Kiyosuke-san will be your hope. Don't waste Sandayū's dedication! No matter how difficult it is, there will always be a way!"
He continued,
"It's precisely because Princess Gale still had hope in her heart when facing despair that audiences loved her, isn't it? People love a princess who won't be knocked down by hardship. I can see it—at that moment, you were the real princess! That's why I choose to believe in you!"
Koyuki fell silent.
"Let's keep filming!"
The assistant director's passion flared.
"Let's make a movie with a perfect ending!"
"Yeah!!!"
The group's energy surged, though Koyuki's eyes still showed no hint of hope.
The film crew began moving again—their main goal was still shooting the film, but they needed to change locations.
One by one, the vehicles were unloaded from the ship. Everyone climbed into the cars and drove across the snow.
Under Sandayū's guidance, they reached the entrance of a tunnel. Beyond it was where they would meet the Land of Snow's resistance forces.
But shortly after passing through the tunnel, while preparations for filming were underway, they realized Koyuki—who had been sitting in the car—had vanished.
She had run away again.
She had no desire whatsoever to face her uncle, Kazahana Doto.
"Seriously… Kiba, Hinata, Shino, go find her! Naruto, you too!"
"Yes!"
The four immediately set out to search for the runaway Koyuki.
With such a short distance, she couldn't have gotten far.