Koyuki sat in silence, slumped into the chair like the weight of an entire kingdom had settled on her shoulders. She didn't lift her head. She didn't speak. The tears she once claimed had dried up... began to fall again. Quiet, unrelenting, and free—like a dam finally giving way.
Karin stood up, her expression softening. She walked behind Koyuki and wrapped her arms around her in a comforting back hug."Don't take everything he said to heart," she said gently. "Maybe just a little. But there's one thing he was right about—don't ever say you should've died. Live on. Live happily. Live for your dreams."
Sandayu, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke, his voice hesitant."Why… why did he react like that?"
Karin turned her head toward him, her voice calm but heavy with meaning."Because… he lost his father too. On the day he was born, actually. His dad died protecting the village. A true hero. But Naruto never even got to meet him. So when someone says it would've been better if they died… it hits him deep. Because he knows what that loss feels like. And he never wants anyone else to carry that kind of pain."
Koyuki's fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress. The more she listened, the more the pieces clicked into place—how similar her story was to Naruto's.
But he wasn't drowning in it. He was living with it. And smiling through it. And now… he was trying to help others smile, too.
She rubbed the tears from her eyes, her breath shaky but more grounded now. Slowly, she stood up.
"Thank you… for everything," she said, her voice no longer trembling. "From now on, I'll live. For myself. For my people. For my father. For Sandayu. And… for myself again."
She smiled, and it was like the first sunlight after a long winter.
"That's the spirit," Karin said, beaming proudly.
Just then, the door creaked open and one of the crew members stepped in, slightly breathless.
"Sir, we've reached the dock. We're now in Yuki no Kuni."
Makino stretched his back with a yawn that somehow felt dramatic. "Oh? We're already there, huh? Time flies when the drama's real. "He turned to Sandal. "Alright, time to earn our paycheck. Go prep the set. We're rolling soon."
One by one, everyone began filing out of the room, the air shifting from emotional weight to the buzz of activity.
Koyuki lingered, her eyes scanning the ship like a radar.
She turned to a nearby crew member. "Excuse me… have you seen Naruto?"
The crew member tilted his head, then pointed toward the town below the ship. "Oh, he already got off. Said something about getting some air. You'll probably find him down there."
"Thank you," she said softly, but her voice was already distant—her heart was clearly elsewhere.
Karin, standing nearby, didn't let the moment pass. With a knowing smirk, she gave Koyuki a gentle nudge. "Well? Go on. Talk to him. This isn't one of your film scenes—you don't get a second take."
Koyuki hesitated for a breath, then nodded, her steps light but purposeful as she headed off to find him.
Koyuki stepped off the ship, the cold Yukigakure breeze brushing her cheeks as she wrapped her coat tighter. Her eyes scanned the bustling dock—workers, actors, and equipment—all moving in a dance of organized chaos. But she was looking for just one person.
She didn't expect to find him so quickly.
There he was. Naruto Uzumaki. Not training, not brooding, not giving some life-altering speech—but standing at a food stall, munching on grilled squid like a man who hadn't eaten since the Land of Fire.
Her elegant brows rose. Seriously?
Naruto glanced up mid-bite… and froze. Their eyes locked. He had been caught in the act.
"Oh crap."
Like a kid caught sneaking extra ramen, he fumbled a few coins onto the stall counter, gave the vendor a sheepish salute, and bolted—squid still dangling from his mouth like some kind of sea-animal samurai.
"Hey! Naruto!" Koyuki shouted, sprinting after him, her boots crunching over the icy ground.
"Stop! I need to talk to you!"
And just like that—he skidded to a halt.
Still chewing.
Still squid.
"…Y'know, if you wanted some too, I could've just bought you one," he said around a mouthful, barely turning.
She caught up, breathless but determined, face flushed from the cold—and maybe something else.
He looked over his shoulder, still mid-bite.
"You okay, princess?"
She huffed, not sure whether to yell or laugh.
"That's what I need to say!" Koyuki snapped, cheeks red from the wind—and maybe a little from chasing him. She shoved a folded sweater into his hands. "How are you walking around Yukigakure without a sweater?! You're going to freeze to death, idiot!"
Naruto blinked, holding the sweater like it was some foreign object. "You came all the way here just to give me a sweater?"
He raised an eyebrow, the grilled squid still stuck between his teeth like a ridiculous, edible accessory.
Koyuki crossed her arms. "Yes. No. I mean... mostly yes. Just take it!"
Naruto grinned, casually slinging the sweater over his shoulder like it was a ninja scroll. "If that's why you're here, then you're gonna be a little disappointed, princess."
He leaned in just slightly, voice playfully low. "I did have a sweater. I just didn't like wearing it."
"Why?" she asked, exasperated.
Naruto stretched his arms out, letting the icy wind nip at his skin. "Because I need to feel the cold air brushing over me. Reminds me I'm alive, y'know? After growing up in Konoha's cold winters with barely anything warm... guess I just got used to it."
Koyuki's eyes softened. The image of him, smaller, lonelier, in a silent house with no warmth except the wind—hit her harder than the breeze ever could.
Naruto burst out laughing—loud, unrestrained, and a little too proud of himself.
"You seriously thought I didn't have food or clothes as a kid?!" he cackled, nearly doubling over. "Man, your face! That pity! I can't—HA!"
Tears welled up—not from pain, not from sorrow, but from laughing so hard his stomach hurt.
Koyuki's face went crimson.
"You—! You absolute idiot!" she shouted, sweater still clutched in her hands.
Before he could react, she started swatting at him—not with fury, but with soft, flustered frustration. The sweater hit his chest with zero force, followed by her hands, delivering what could only be described as the most harmless attack in the ninja world.
"Don't laugh like that! I was worried!" she yelled, even as she continued to hit him.
Naruto didn't dodge, didn't stop her. He just smiled. That rare kind of smile—the one that said "Thank you for caring."
The villagers nearby glanced at the scene with raised eyebrows, but smiled and moved on. To anyone watching, it looked like two young lovers tangled in their own little world of teasing and warmth, sharing a winter afternoon on the streets of Yukigakure.
Koyuki finally stopped, breathing a little harder, hands still resting on his chest.
"You done?" Naruto asked, voice low and teasing.
She looked up at him, and suddenly realized just how close they were—how the cold didn't feel so cold anymore.
".....Thank you," she whispered, barely audible over the winter breeze.
Naruto blinked and dusted off his hands. "Huh? Did you say something?"
Koyuki's eyes darted away. "N-Nothing!" she said a little too quickly.
He smirked—he definitely heard it, but chose not to push.
"Alright then… Are you ready, Princess? For the storm that's coming?"
She drew in a breath. Not the icy wind, not fear—but resolve. "Yes. I am."
They stood there for a moment longer, just a shinobi and a princess… and then, as if nothing had happened, they walked back toward the shop, their footsteps light.
Naruto bought another round of grilled squid—because food is always priority number one—and handed one to her.
"Careful, it's hot," he said, biting into his with zero caution and immediately regretting it. "Agh—hot, hot!"
Koyuki chuckled, holding hers delicately. "Maybe take your own advice next time."
They wandered through the snowy streets of Yuki no Kuni, laughing over the sizzle of squid and the way Naruto's tongue felt like it betrayed him.
Lanterns flickered above, casting golden light on the frozen roads. Children ran past, throwing snowballs, and the village, despite its scars, felt alive.
"You know…" Koyuki started, eyes watching the snow settle on rooftops, "I don't remember the last time I felt… this light."
Naruto gave a sideways glance. "That's because you've been carrying the weight of a whole kingdom. No one can do that and still feel like air."
She smiled at that—tired but real. "And you?"
"I've been carrying ramen cravings and dumb ideas," he said, winking.
She laughed again, and it echoed through the empty street, soft and joyful like the first snowdrop in spring.
They kept walking. No rush. No expectations. Just two souls sharing grilled squid and the quiet promise of a coming battle—and whatever might bloom after it.