The Runaway Heroine

At a harbor dock, Masayo and Team 3 were filming behind-the-scenes footage. Seeing stars who could only normally be seen on the big screen right before their eyes left Tenten and Rock Lee extremely excited.

"The Land of Snow... we probably won't be back for over a month!"

Masayo sat in a deck chair, sipping a drink as he sighed. And this was an A-rank mission, too!

Tenten asked Masayo, "Masayo-senpai, I heard that all the teammates assigned with you were eliminated by Kakashi-sensei. Did your Genin team only have one person back then?"

Masayo nodded and replied, "That's right. They failed Kakashi-sensei's test and gave up on becoming ninja."

Leaning against the wall, Neji Hyuga gave a cold snort. "Hmph. Everyone's abilities and fate are determined from birth. They cannot be changed at all. Those two teammates of yours knew their own limits."

"Neji!"

Tenten, Might Guy, and Rock Lee spoke softly. They understood perfectly well what Neji Hyuga meant.

Masayo glanced at the Konoha forehead protector he wore and replied, "That is indeed true. Yin and yang, good and evil, light and darkness... all of us are caught in the cycle of yin and yang, as though everything has already been predetermined."

Silence! The entire place fell quiet. Neji Hyuga's eyes widened. Masayo agreed with him, didn't he? But it did not sound like agreement either. Yin and yang... what was that?

Tenten complained, "No way. Masayo-senpai actually used Neji's own words to leave him speechless!"

Masayo turned to Director Kitano and asked, "Director, you're heading to the Land of Snow to film Princess of the Wind and Clouds: Final Chapter. Don't tell me it's for the legendary Rainbow Ice Wall?"

Director Kitano nodded and replied, "Yukie's manager, Sandaime, will be leading the way this time. I heard that once spring comes to the Land of Snow, the Rainbow Ice Wall shines with seven-colored light!"

Masayo smiled without answering immediately. "So you only heard about it. In truth, the Land of Snow has no spring at all. It is a country locked in winter year-round. Not only that, I heard its people have very poor living conditions. Although its technology is advanced, it is still impoverished. Even the newly appointed daimyo, no matter how hard he works, has been unable to change that situation. Am I right, Mr. Sandaime?"

"Ah, that's right, Mr. Masayo. You know so much about the Land of Snow!"

Sandaime answered somewhat unnaturally. Masayo's gaze in particular made him feel as though he had been seen through. He had a feeling that what lay ahead would definitely not go as smoothly as he had imagined, and Masayo was not as simple as he had thought either. Could it be that he truly would not live to see the Land of Snow reopen its borders?

"This is bad, Director! This is bad! Yukie ran away again!"

Suddenly, a crew member rushed over in a panic, shouting loudly.

"Huh? She ran away?"

Tenten's mind went blank. Yukie Fujikaze, the actress playing Princess of the Wind and Clouds, was the female lead. Why had she run away?

"Is this what they call throwing a tantrum?"

Tenten asked in confusion.

Masayo spread his hands and looked teasingly at Sandaime, making the man's scalp tingle. "Who knows? Maybe she has some other reason. Come on, Guy-senpai. Let's go take a look at that crazy woman too!"

"C-Crazy woman!"

Sandaime could not help wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. He felt that Masayo and Yukie Fujikaze might very well come to blows next. The journey ahead was likely going to be rough.

Without Team 7 from his memories interfering, Yukie Fujikaze was quickly brought back. She was currently locked in her room, sitting on the bed. No matter who tried to persuade her, she stubbornly refused to board the ship.

When Masayo and the others arrived, they happened to see the screenwriter trying to talk Yukie Fujikaze into it.

"Miss Yukie, the ship to the Land of Snow is about to depart. If we don't hurry..."

Yukie Fujikaze was not wearing makeup at the moment. Barefaced and elegant, she had the fresh beauty of a lotus rising from clear water. Even without makeup, she was stunning. Her aloof demeanor gave her an undeniable presence.

"Enough. Princess of the Wind and Clouds will not board this pirate ship anyway!"

Sandaime's expression changed drastically. He pushed through the crowd and hurried over nervously. "Th-That won't do! What are you talking about, Miss Yukie?"

Resting her chin on her hands, Yukie Fujikaze wore a faint smile. "Isn't this common? Replacing the lead actress, director, and so on during the filming of a sequel."

Director Kitano answered firmly, "No one but you can play Princess of the Wind and Clouds. This is the final chapter of Princess of the Wind and Clouds, Yukie. I have to give Princess of the Wind and Clouds a complete ending."

"Hmm..."

Yukie Fujikaze narrowed her eyes. She noticed Masayo and Team 3 beside Director Kitano, then reached out and shoved Sandaime aside, her gaze fixed on Masayo with open scrutiny.

Masayo showed no fear whatsoever. Amid everyone's puzzled stares, the two spoke at the same time.

Masayo: "Crazy woman!"

Yukie Fujikaze: "Dirty pervert!"

Huh!

Masayo and Yukie Fujikaze froze. The moment they heard what the other had called them, they instantly exploded with rage.

Masayo: "Who are you calling a dirty pervert?!"

Yukie Fujikaze: "Who are you calling a crazy woman?!"

Masayo and Yukie Fujikaze looked at each other with utter disgust and said in unison, "Why are you copying me? Huh! You're still copying me!"

The almost perfectly synchronized exchange between Masayo and Yukie Fujikaze left everyone dumbfounded. Tenten directly complained, "What is going on? Why can I already imagine the plot of a thousand romance novels?!"

Yukie Fujikaze crossed her arms over her chest, making no effort to hide her disgust. "So you're the ninja Sandaime hired. Haha, even better. Now I have another reason!"

Although Masayo was smiling, he gave off an eerie feeling. Might Guy and Rock Lee even felt as though their youth had vanished!

"Some actress thinks awfully highly of herself, doesn't she? Oh, right. I heard that industry is a mess. I wonder whether our Princess of the Wind and Clouds is part of it too."

Masayo's words showed no mercy. Even though he no longer cared about it, she had provoked his anger again. Yukie Fujikaze was the drunk he had encountered at Konoha's night market before, the one who had sprayed him with her earring mist.

"Mr. Masayo, don't say such things. Princess of the Wind and Clouds rose to fame entirely through her own ability!"

Director Kitano's face turned pale with fright, as though he had thought of something terrifying. He hurriedly replied.

Heh, even if you wanted to sleep with her, would you dare?

Masayo could not help muttering inwardly. There were quite a few people like Sandaime supporting Yukie Fujikaze. Although they had declined now, that did not mean they could be pushed around by anyone.

Moreover, Director Kitano's body was somewhat hunched. Though he was not even as old as Hiruzen Sarutobi, his steps were unsteady, and he lacked Hiruzen Sarutobi's composed, sharp presence. Clearly, Director Kitano had lived quite the wild life himself. He was simply smart enough not to lay a hand on Yukie Fujikaze.

Masayo had briefly studied things like Medical Ninjutsu, so he could still recognize some simple ailments. He could use the Mystical Palm Technique as well.

Yukie Fujikaze also remained silent. Her gaze fell upon the hopeful Sandaime. He had put in tremendous effort to help her become an actress and a superstar beloved throughout the Ninja World. Otherwise, she would have long since been swallowed by that chaotic entertainment industry, just as Masayo had said.