Confession! Kazahana Koyuki!

At the border of the Land of Snow, the wind and snow howled.

As far as the eye could see, everything was blanketed in white.

After several days of travel, Tobirama and his group finally arrived in the Land of Snow. It was just that the locals were far too rude, actually giving them such an enthusiastic welcome.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several piercing sounds suddenly tore through the howling blizzard.

Several ninjas wearing strange armor and riding snowboards came racing down from the snowy mountains, taking advantage of the terrain.

They were incredibly fast. The kunai in their hands were connected by specially made steel wires, weaving a deadly net through the air as they closed in on Tobirama's group.

"Snow Ninja! Reinforcements sent by that traitor!"

Kazahana Koyuki's face turned pale as she instinctively looked for cover.

Although she knew Tobirama was powerful, these Snow Ninja were equipped with Chakra Armor. It could not only amplify ninjutsu but also form chakra shields, making them extremely troublesome opponents.

"A bunch of trash."

Tobirama did not even stop walking, nor could he be bothered to take his hands out of his coat pockets.

He merely raised his eyes slightly.

The eerie Six-Tomoe Rinnegan flashed with purple light amid the snowstorm.

"Come here."

Banshō Ten'in!

Buzz!

A terrifying, irresistible gravitational force suddenly erupted.

The Snow Ninja, who had still been stylishly snowboarding through the air moments ago, did not even have time to scream. Like dust caught in a vacuum cleaner, they instantly lost their balance and flew helplessly toward Tobirama's palm.

"What? My body won't listen to me!"

"Activate the shields! Hurry, activate the shields!"

The Snow Ninja were horrified and hurriedly activated the mechanisms on their armor.

Blue chakra shields lit up.

Absorption activated!

Sizzle!

The chakra shields, capable of blocking B-rank ninjutsu, melted away the instant they came into contact with Tobirama's aura, like snow beneath a blazing sun. They were completely drained.

Along with the chakra inside their bodies.

"How is this possible... my chakra..."

The Snow Ninja collapsed onto the ground, terror filling their eyes.

Shinra Tensei!

Boom!

Centered on Tobirama, a visible wave of repulsive force exploded outward.

The Snow Ninja were like people struck by a speeding train. Their armor shattered inch by inch as they sprayed blood and flew hundreds of meters away, embedding themselves deeply in the distant ice wall so firmly that they could not be pried out.

Instant kill.

Beside him, Kazahana Koyuki stood with her cherry-red lips parted, her beautiful eyes full of shock.

She knew ninjas were powerful.

But powerful enough to flick their fingers and throw fully armed Snow Ninja elites away like garbage... that was beyond her understanding.

That man's title truly was no exaggeration. He was practically a god!

"It'll be dark soon."

Tobirama looked up at the dim sky, then glanced at Kazahana Koyuki, who was shivering from the cold.

"There's a sheltered cave ahead. We'll rest there tonight and continue tomorrow."

The campfire crackled, driving away the bitter cold outside the cave.

Pakura tactfully went to keep watch at the entrance, leaving the two of them alone.

Kazahana Koyuki sat beside the fire with her arms wrapped around her knees. The firelight reflected off her delicate yet sorrowful face.

She secretly glanced at Tobirama, who was resting with his eyes closed, while struggling inwardly for a long time.

Everything she had witnessed along the way, along with the absolute strength Tobirama had displayed, made the guilt and unease in her heart grow heavier and heavier.

If she kept hiding it, it would not only be disrespectful to such a powerful man, but also a torment to her own conscience.

"Um... Lord Hokage."

Kazahana Koyuki bit her lip and finally gathered the courage to speak.

Her voice was soft, carrying a faint tremble.

Tobirama opened his eyes and turned toward her. "What? Can't sleep?"

"N-No."

Kazahana Koyuki took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed deeply to Tobirama.

"I'm sorry! I lied to you!"

"I'm not really an ordinary actress named Fujikaze Yukie..."

"My real name is Kazahana Koyuki. I'm the daughter of the former Feudal Lord of the Land of Snow, which means... I'm this country's princess."

"I issued the mission because I wanted to use you to take me home, but I was afraid you'd find out the truth, think it was too troublesome, and refuse me... I'm sorry!"

After saying that, she closed her eyes and waited for Tobirama's anger.

Deceiving a Kage Level powerhouse was a major taboo in the Ninja World.

Yet the rebuke she expected never came.

Instead, she heard a soft laugh.

"That's it?"

Tobirama picked up a branch and poked at the campfire, his tone indifferent.

"I already knew."

"Huh?"

Kazahana Koyuki suddenly raised her head, her face filled with disbelief. "Y-You already knew?"

"Did you think Konoha's intelligence network was just for show?"

A confident smile curled across Tobirama's lips. In truth, he had simply read the script long ago.

"From the moment you stepped through Konoha Gate, I had already investigated eighteen generations of your ancestors."

"The only reason I didn't expose you was because watching a princess in distress put on such clumsy acting was rather entertaining."

Kazahana Koyuki's face instantly turned red to the tips of her ears.

Konoha's intelligence capabilities... were actually this terrifying!

But at the same time, a huge weight lifted from her heart.

So he had known all along, and he did not mind...

"Come sit over here."

Tobirama patted the spot beside him.

Kazahana Koyuki hesitated for a moment, but obediently shifted over and sat less than ten centimeters away from Tobirama.

At that distance, she could even smell the unique, reassuring masculine scent on him.

"Don't make such a miserable face."

Tobirama pointed outside the cave.

At some point, the snowstorm had stopped. A huge full moon hung in the night sky, illuminating the snow-covered plains.

Crystal-clear and breathtakingly beautiful.

"The view is nice. You can't see anything like this in the Land of Fire."

"I don't like it."

Kazahana Koyuki looked at the beautiful snowy landscape, but a hint of disgust and sorrow showed in her eyes.

"Snow represents cold. It represents death."

"Ten years ago, it was a snowy night just like this one. My uncle killed my father and burned down the Imperial Palace... The flames turned the snow red. It has been my nightmare for my entire life."

She hugged herself tightly, as though she had returned to that freezing night.

"My greatest wish is to escape this place."

"I want to go somewhere without snow. I want to make films in spring, see rainbows, and bask in the sun..."

"Even if I could only be an ordinary actress, as long as I never had to return to this cold Hell, I would be content."

"But I can't... because I carry this hatred..."

The girl's voice choked with emotion, carrying ten years of pent-up grievance and fear.

At this moment, having shed her disguise, she was no longer the aloof star. She was only a little girl longing for warmth.

Suddenly.

A large, warm hand landed on her head and gently ruffled her hair.

Kazahana Koyuki froze, then turned her head and met Tobirama's deep eyes.

For once, they held a rare gentleness.

"Idiot."

Tobirama's voice was low and magnetic, like the strings of a cello plucking at her heart.

"Running away won't solve anything."

"Since you don't like snow, I'll help you melt all the snow here."

"Since you want spring, I'll give you an eternal spring."

"M-Melt the snow?"

Kazahana Koyuki stared at him blankly. "How could something like that be possible? That's the weather..."

"In my world, nothing is impossible."

Tobirama smiled confidently, and that smile seemed especially dazzling in the firelight.

"As long as I want it, anything can be done."

Kazahana Koyuki's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

For a young girl who had barely experienced the world, such domineering words had the destructive power of a nuclear bomb.

"Lord Hokage... why are you so good to me?"

Kazahana Koyuki asked quietly, her face red. "I'm clearly just a fallen princess, and I'm only causing you trouble..."

"Why?"

Tobirama suddenly leaned closer, until their noses nearly touched.

He looked into Kazahana Koyuki's flustered yet glistening eyes and slowly spoke.

"At first, it was for the Land of Snow's technology."

"But after spending these past few days with you, I changed my mind."

"Kazahana Koyuki."

Tobirama directly called her by her real name, his tone earnest and blunt.

"I've taken a liking to you."

"Not because of your status, but because of who you are."

"That tenacity of yours, struggling to survive even in despair, and how stunning you looked when you took off your sunglasses... they're both exactly my type."

Kazahana Koyuki felt as though something had exploded in her mind.

Her cheeks instantly burned, and even her earlobes turned pink.

A-A confession?

Wasn't this far too sudden and straightforward?!

"Y-You're talking nonsense..."

Kazahana Koyuki lowered her head in panic, not daring to look at Tobirama. Her hands twisted the hem of her clothes as her heart raced wildly.

"We've only known each other for a few days... and you're the Hokage, while I... I..."

Though she called it nonsense, the sweetness and secret delight in her heart melted like honey.

What young girl did not dream of love?

Faced with a powerful, handsome man who could give her such an overwhelming sense of safety, saying she felt nothing would have been a lie.

Especially after he had just promised to give her a spring.

"Time isn't a problem."

Tobirama reached out and gently lifted her chin, looking at her shy expression.

"Tomorrow, I'll kill Kazahana Dōtō and put you in the Feudal Lord's seat."

"Then, how about you give me the entire Land of Snow as your dowry?"

"Ah! W-Who said I wanted to marry you?!"

Kazahana Koyuki blushed so fiercely that she slapped Tobirama's hand away. Like a startled rabbit, she shrank into the corner of the cave and buried her face in her knees.

"I won't talk to you anymore!"

Though she said that, the corners of her lips, hidden between her arms, could not stop rising.

On this cold, snowy night.

For the first time, flowers bloomed in her heart.

Tobirama looked at the shy little ostrich in the corner and felt delighted.

"Get some good sleep, Your Majesty, the future queen."

"When you wake up tomorrow, your nightmare will be over."

He closed his eyes again.

Done.

Winning hearts came first. The Land of Snow and its princess were already in the bag.