"Whaaaaaat?!"
Kazahana Koyuki, Naruto, and the others stared in stunned silence at the scene before them, which had suddenly transformed from a frozen wasteland into a landscape filled with spring greenery.
The Hexagonal Crystal key that could unlock the "Kazahana Family Treasure" left behind by the Land of Snow's previous Daimyo now rested quietly in the center of the device.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is an activation device for a large-scale ground-heating system..."
Kakashi surveyed their surroundings. Even the area it covered wasn't particularly large.
"Did the Land of Snow's previous Daimyo build this to improve the country's harsh environment...
"With such immediate results, the device certainly looks expensive. But it clearly isn't finished. With its current range, it could improve the environment in only a few residential areas within the Land of Snow at most."
Kakashi murmured to himself.
"Father always told me that spring would come to the Land of Snow someday. So this was what he meant..."
Kazahana Koyuki's heart was filled with conflicting emotions.
Seeing that the treasure was actually the promise her father had always spoken of, she couldn't help being moved by what he had done.
On the other hand, she now had quite a headache.
She had promised to give Naruto and the others the treasure as payment for the mission. Now what was she supposed to give them?
"Um, Naruto-kun."
After thinking it over for a long while, Kazahana Koyuki finally gathered her courage and approached Naruto, who was still crouching on the ground, studying how the snow had suddenly turned into green grass.
Hinata's gaze immediately shifted toward them.
"What is it? Are we heading back?"
"This treasure... is very important to the Land of Snow. I'm sorry, but could you let me buy it from you?"
Kazahana Koyuki abruptly