After Kazahana Koyuki dashed out of the temporary venue rented by the film crew, she ran all the way.
Afterward.
She found a random izakaya and drank herself silly inside.
One cup after another, memories of the past rose to the surface.
Afterward.
Kazahana Koyuki took a pendant from around her neck.
From the outside, it was a transparent hexagonal crystal.
Inside, snowflakes drifted down as though they would never stop, just like in the Land of Snow.
Aside from being slightly more finely crafted, it was no different from the crude little trinkets sold at street stalls.
Even thieves would not take an interest in it.
"What a joke..."
With a half-drunken gaze, she stared at the "Hexagonal Crystal" in her hand.
Kazahana Koyuki casually placed it on the table.
As if I'd ever go to the Land of Snow...
In a place Kazahana Koyuki failed to notice.
A customer dressed like an ordinary person, who had been drinking, put down his cup and staggered to his feet.
He seemed to have finished drinking and was preparing to leave.
One step... then another.
He appeared to pass by expressionlessly.
In reality, he was approaching Kazahana Koyuki.
And Kazahana Koyuki, who was drinking again, had yet to notice the danger behind her.
The instant he reached out his hand.
His swift movement was caught by an even faster afterimage.
Smack.
Something fell to the ground.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!!!
"?"
The man raised his palm and glanced at it.
A large amount of fresh blood sprayed from the severed stump as if from a spring.
"Ah, ah, aaaaaahhh~~!!"
He stumbled back several steps, screaming, then began rolling on the floor.
What had been severed was the palm that had been cut off his hand.
Uchiha Izumi put away the short blade