Kazahana Koyuki climbed down from Naruto's back. The snowy mountain peak had already collapsed, and the exposed train car could vaguely be seen. Her eyes brightened a little.
Looking at him expectantly, Kazahana Koyuki asked, "Did it work?"
Kazahana Dōtō and the others had Chakra Armor, so they naturally would not be crushed to death so easily by a collapsing mountain, especially while they were inside the train. But Koyuki's words made Naruto think of a certain man who could not drink, eat, fly a plane, and so on.
Naruto joked, "Princess, if you put it that way, Kazahana Dōtō and the others definitely won't die just like that!"
"Huh?" Kazahana Koyuki's pretty face went blank.
Boom!
A tremendous force burst from the mountain rubble, shattering the ice. Kazahana Dōtō, clad in the newest Chakra Armor, emerged at the front, followed by the trio of Snow Ninja.
The instant she saw Kazahana Dōtō, Kazahana Koyuki was overcome by terror. He had always been a mountain pressing down on her heart.
"Long time no see, Koyuki. It's been ten years, hasn't it? And you've brought the Hexagonal Crystal safely too," Kazahana Dōtō said calmly. Even though Naruto had just severed the tracks and derailed the train, he had not lost his composure.
Naruto shielded Kazahana Koyuki behind him and stared coldly ahead.
"Hm?!" Kazahana Dōtō frowned slightly when he saw Naruto and the Konoha symbol on his forehead.
Looking at Naruto's back, Kazahana Koyuki felt all the tension and insecurity in her heart disappear. She remembered what Naruto had told her in the dark cave.
"I'll protect you!"
Thinking of the faintly visible profile she had seen in that dark cave, Kazahana Koyuki gently clenched the Hexagonal Crystal in her right hand, smiled, and stepped forward to stand beside Naruto.
"Kazahana