Naruto slowly walked back to the small town with a longsword tucked at his waist. His hand rested on its hilt, and a smile crept onto his face as he murmured, "Honestly, that Sasuke. He actually remembered and came all the way to the Land of Snow. He didn't even stop to see Sakura or Kakashi. If Sakura knew he'd come here without visiting her, she'd be heartbroken. Better not tell her. That idiot never listens. I told him to be gentler and more considerate toward girls, but he's still the same. Honestly."
When Naruto arrived, Kakashi and the others had just finished making their plans. Naruto greeted them, and Kakashi smiled. "Yo, you're back. How did it go? You look pretty happy."
Naruto replied with a smile, "Yeah, I met a friend. I'm feeling pretty good. Have you finished making the plan? What are we going to do?"
Sakura replied, "We've decided. Kakashi-sensei plans to let Kazahana Dōtō capture Princess Koyuki, and she's agreed."
Naruto asked anxiously, "How can we do that? What if Koyuki gets hurt?"
Koyuki reassured him, "It's all right, Naruto. Kazahana Dōtō only wants to capture me for the Hexagonal Crystal I carry. Mr. Kakashi said he won't hurt me as long as he hasn't obtained the Land of Snow's secret treasure. I've agreed, too. This is the only way to minimize the damage. I'll just lead Kazahana Dōtō to the treasure, and then you and Mr. Kakashi can deal with him. Afterward, I'll convene a court assembly as the princess of the Land of Snow. That should settle almost everything and prevent unnecessary casualties."
Naruto considered whether it would work. It really is the best outcome, provided we can make sure Kazahana Dōtō doesn't hurt Koyuki. He nodded and said, "All right, but you