Sakiya and Ino's performance left everyone stunned.
No one could understand how they had pulled it off.
The effects, the atmosphere, the sheer pressure—it felt real.
It was overwhelming.
After that scene, no one dared to underestimate these two seemingly harmless girls again.
—
Ino's face was flushed, her fists clenched tightly.
Now that it was over, she finally processed what had happened.
The way she had moved, how in sync she had been with Sakiya…
And then those dramatic lines…
The way she delivered that second attack…
It was so over the top that every cell in her body was shaking from embarrassment.
—
Sakura stepped up just in time, patting Ino on the shoulder.
"It was a great performance! So real! …Even though I have no idea what any of it was about."
That line hit like an arrow straight through Ino's heart.
She froze for a second.
Then, without a word, she dropped her head, her fists trembling.
—
Shikamaru smirked at the exchange.
"Ino, looks like you've still got it—once a magician, always a magician."
Another arrow.
Straight into Ino's soul.
—
Sakiya, full of energy, suddenly hugged Ino tightly, rubbing her cheek against hers.
"As expected from my number one magician! You really do understand me!"
—
A storm of arrows pierced Ino's heart.
Her face turned blank.
Lifeless.
She looked like a husk of a person, completely defeated.
"Stop talking… you idiot…"
—
"Hahahaha!"
Shikamaru and Chōji burst into laughter.
Naruto, who had just returned, looked at them curiously before breaking into a smile himself.
"Oh, everyone seems to be having fun."
"It's about time, Naruto," Chōji chuckled.
Sasuke, as usual, wasn't very expressive, but even he looked a little confused about what was so funny.
—
Sakuragi adjusted his glasses, standing in front of the group.
"You all look way too relaxed. If I hadn't captured the enemy, would you still be this carefree?"
"Well~" Naruto grinned. "As long as Sakiya's around, there's nothing to worry about."
Sakuragi sighed.
"I suppose that's true… but shouldn't you at least try to stay on guard?"
"Eh, whatever. The enemy's already caught. You handle the interrogation."
—
Meanwhile, the two surviving attackers from the Snow Clan stood trembling before them.
They had been thoroughly subdued.
Not daring to move.
Not daring to speak.
Shikamaru stepped forward, raising an eyebrow.
"Alright. I won't waste time. Just tell us everything you know."
His voice was calm, but the underlying threat was clear.
"The more you talk, the better your chances of survival."
Everyone's eyes turned toward the captured enemies, waiting for their response.
The director finally put the pieces together—it seemed that the jumping white ice whale had actually been the result of an attack.
—
Hyou and Fubuki were silent for a moment before they began talking.
Faced with the choice between life and death, and given that they had never been particularly loyal in the first place, they spilled everything they knew without hesitation.
After all, with Princess Koyuki standing right there, they had no way to deny the truth. If she exposed them, they'd be done for.
So, they told everything.
The Land of Snow.
The Snow Ninja.
Troop formations.
Battle strategies.
Everything.
—
Of course, there was no hiding the fact that Koyuki was royalty.
Naruto and the others were stunned—Koyuki was actually a princess?!
Even the director was taken aback.
No one had expected that an actress, who had risen to fame almost by chance, was the rightful heir to a whole country.
—
Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Ah… I knew something was off."
—
Sakiya, on the other hand, was thrilled.
"Yes! This is it! A real adventure!"
Seeing her older sister so excited, Nanako immediately joined in.
"I can't wait! A real adventure!"
—
Naruto scratched his head.
"This sounds like a huge hassle… And none of this is actually part of our mission."
Koyuki and Sandayū visibly tensed at that.
"Is that so…?"
Sandayū, unwilling to let this chance slip away, quickly pleaded,
"Please, take this mission! I'll pay you—whatever it takes!"
—
But instead of hesitation, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sasuke just exchanged knowing smiles.
Sandayū blinked, confused.
"…Is that a no?"
—
Naruto grinned.
"It's not about the money, old man. We'll help."
He shrugged.
"Honestly, we're used to this by now. Our C-rank missions always turn into A-rank or S-rank disasters anyway."
—
Everyone in the group knew it was true.
Time and time again, missions that were supposed to be straightforward turned into something much bigger.
—
Now that the nations were more united under a grand alliance, the overall number of ninja battles had decreased, and most missions rarely went above B-rank.
Still, that just meant when things did go wrong, they went very wrong.
And it wasn't uncommon for a mission to escalate like this.
—
Koyuki and Sandayū looked at them, a mix of relief and disbelief on their faces.
This wasn't just a mission anymore.
It was a revolution.
Naruto and the others had been through countless dangerous situations, so this was nothing new to them.
Naruto grinned.
"Don't worry, old man! We'll help you! As for the payment—"
Shikamaru smoothly interrupted.
"You can decide later."
Naruto blinked in surprise, then quickly nodded with a slightly awkward laugh.
"Yeah, just figure it out later."
Of course, anyone with common sense knew that "figure it out later" was just a polite way of saying "don't worry about it."
Sandayū and the others understood this as well. But regardless, if they succeeded in reclaiming the Land of Snow, these ninja would be heroes. No reward would be too great.
Sandayū's voice trembled as he bowed deeply.
"Thank you… Thank you so much."
Naruto was startled by the gesture.
"Whoa, no need for that!"
Sandayū straightened up, eyes full of gratitude.
"Even so, I can't thank you enough!"
Shikamaru's tone was serious.
"Helping others is part of our duty. But more than that—restoring Princess Koyuki to the throne will help unify the world. The Land of Snow should be part of the alliance."
Sandayū nodded. Having lived in the Land of Fire for years, he understood how beneficial the alliance had been. If the Land of Snow joined, it would open up trade and drastically accelerate the country's development.
But first, they had to overthrow Doto.
—
For Naruto and the others, taking down a warlord like him was nothing compared to the battles they'd faced before.
Shikamaru glanced at Sakiya.
And if things really got tough… Well, they had her. There was no way they could lose.
—
By now, the ship had reached the icy waters near the Land of Snow. The sea was dotted with floating ice, and massive icebergs lurked just beneath the surface.
The air grew colder with each passing moment. Every breath came out as a cloud of white mist.
Everyone had prepared for this and put on thick winter clothing.
Sakiya wrapped a scarf around her neck and pulled Nanako—who was still slightly dizzy—to the side of the ship.
Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the snow-covered landscape ahead.
"It's so beautiful! Everything is covered in white!"
Nanako, despite her dizziness, perked up instantly. She had never seen such a scene before, and her eyes shone with excitement.
"Wow~"
Sakiya suddenly hugged her tightly.
"Nanako! Let's go play in the snow!"
Nanako eagerly nodded.
—
And then—
A sudden gust of wind swirled beneath Sakiya's feet.
In the blink of an eye, she soared into the air, flying straight toward the snowy land ahead.
Shikamaru and Ino instinctively reached out to stop her—but it was too late.
The director, watching the scene unfold, blinked in disbelief.
"Wait… She can fly?"
Sakura, who had quietly appeared beside him, whispered,
"Maybe she just jumped really high."
The director stared at Sakiya, who was now gliding effortlessly through the air.
"...Jumped high?"
He turned to Sakura—
Only to find that she had already disappeared.
He frowned, confused.
"What is even happening…?"
—
Meanwhile, in the Land of Snow—
Doto sat on his throne, waiting.
Time passed.
Impatience flickered across his face.
Finally, he spoke.
"Where are they?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a Snow Ninja in chakra armor appeared, kneeling before him.
"Lord Doto, Master Fubuki and the others left on patrol… but they have not returned."
Doto's brow furrowed.
"What are they doing? They should have reported back by now."
Leaning on his fist, he thought for a moment.
Then, his expression hardened.
"Raise the alert level."
The Snow Ninja bowed.
"Understood!"
With that, he vanished into the shadows to relay the order.