The cabin was warmer than the deck, but the atmosphere was even more somber and stagnant.
The sudden attack was like a bucket of ice water, shattering everyone's illusion that "this was just an ordinary movie shoot."
The director was still excited about his "excellent material" on the deck, but the people gathered in the cabin lounge didn't look too good.
Asama Sandayu stood in the middle, facing Kazahana Koyuki sitting on the bench, as well as the Konoha Team 7, the four from Sunagakure, and several crew members who were still in shock.
He bent over deeply, almost at a ninety-degree angle, his gray hair trembling slightly in the dim light.
"Gentlemen, I am very sorry. I concealed the most important truth." Sandayu's voice was dry and hoarse, filled with deep exhaustion and profound guilt.
"Miss Fujikaze Yukie, her true identity is Kazahana Sōsetsu of the Land of Snow, Lord Kazahana Koyuki."
"Six years ago, our ancestor met with misfortune, and some of us managed to escape the Land of Snow, living in anonymity ever since. I always thought the princess was dead, but a few years ago, I spotted Princess Koyuki. That's when I realized that our Land of Snow could still be saved!"
He straightened up, every wrinkle on his face etched with heaviness. "Our return this time is not for filming a movie. The movie is just a pretext. The real purpose is to escort Her Highness the Princess back to her country, to contact the loyal former subordinates and the people, to resist the tyranny of the usurper Kazahana Dōtō, and to restore the legitimate dynasty."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, lingering especially on the Jonin Kakashi and Shira, the two Jonin: "Concealing the truth and dragging you all, especially the ninjas of Konoha and Sunagakure, into our internal strife, placing you all in perilous situations, is my fault, deserving of ten thousand deaths."
"But for Her Highness the Princess, and for the future of the Land of Snow, I have no other choice. As for the commission, if we are fortunate enough to succeed this time, I will certainly offer double the amount to compensate you for your risks."
The cabin was quiet, with only the faint sound of the ship cutting through the waves and the howling of the cold wind outside the window.
"Hoh? Your Highness?"
Naruto was the first to break the silence. He blinked his bright blue eyes, looked at the pale-faced, silent Kazahana Koyuki, and then at the grief-stricken Sandayu. His expression slowly changed from surprise to excitement. "So, this isn't a movie shoot, but a real mission to protect a princess in distress and bring her home? To fight against the evil villain?"
"This... this is exactly like the plot of ' Princess Gale '! No, it's even more amazing! This is a real hero saving a damsel in distress! It's fantastic! Woohoo!"
Naruto immediately started dancing with joy, completely forgetting the danger he had just experienced. He felt a surge of excitement rushing to his head, as if he had truly become the great hero in the story who saved the princess and the country.
"Idiot Naruto! Be quiet!"
Sakura couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder, but her gaze towards Koyuki became much more complicated, containing both sympathy and curiosity.
After all, protecting a real princess in distress sounds much cooler than simply escorting actors, even though it's countless times more dangerous.
Sasuke, hands in his pockets, leaned against the cabin wall. Upon hearing this, he merely raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, his gaze sweeping over Koyuki, then glancing at Kakashi and Shira, who seemed unsurprised. He understood.
Hmph, no wonder the reward was so high, no wonder the enemy who attacked this time was indeed quite capable.
Kakashi rubbed his temples and sighed, "Mr. Sandayu, you've given us a real problem. Interfering in another country's internal affairs is a cardinal sin for ninja missions. You saw the strength of those Snow Ninja just now, and that ruler named Kazahana Dōtō is probably even more difficult to deal with."
He spoke to Sandayu, but his gaze was fixed on Shira, the meaning clear—what does Sunagakure think about this? You've all been dragged into this too.
Shira remained calm; he had anticipated this.
He nodded slightly in response to Kakashi's inquiry and said, "Now that we've accepted the mission and the enemy has launched an attack, we have no reason to back down. Protecting the client's safety is our primary responsibility. As for other matters, we'll decide based on the situation."
His words left room for interpretation, indicating both his stance on continuing the mission and his implication that he would not easily get deeply involved in their internal struggles, which is consistent with Sunagakure's usual cautious approach.
"I don't want to go back." A weak, trembling voice rang out. It was Kazahana Koyuki. She finally raised her head, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears and unfathomable fear.
"It's all ice and blood there. Kazahana Dōtō is like a demon. What good would it do me to go back? In the end, it would only cause more people to die for me... The Land of Snow has no spring."
She remembered her father lying in a pool of blood, and the screams and cold wind she heard during her escape years ago. Her body involuntarily shrank back, as if she had become that helpless little girl again.
"Your Highness!" The Sandayu exclaimed anxiously, stepping forward. "Please, please don't say that! This old minister has already secretly contacted many patriots within the country who still cherish the memory of our late emperor and abhor the tyranny of the Dotō ruler!"
"As long as you return, return to everyone, and let them see hope, they will definitely stand up to support you! The people of the Land of Snow Land of Snow... have suffered enough from the Dotō rule and oppression of the wrathful rulers over the years. They have fire in their hearts, but they lack a spark to ignite it! That person is you, Your Highness!"
"The common people..." Koyuki murmured repeatedly, tears streaming down her face, "But why should they do this for me..."
"Because they're not doing this for you alone, Your Highness."
A clear and firm voice broke through. Everyone looked over and saw it was Sunagakure Chunin Shūji.
He had stood up straight without anyone noticing, and his usually bright eyes were now exceptionally clear as he intently gazed at the Kazahana Koyuki.
"They did it for themselves, for their parents and children, to survive, and to live even a little bit like human beings."
Shūji's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, echoing in the quiet cabin, "Mr. Sandayu is right, there is fire in the people's hearts. But this fire isn't bestowed by some princess or hero descending from the heavens."
"This fire has always been hidden in the hearts of everyone who is oppressed, humiliated, and unable to see tomorrow. What they lack is sometimes just an opportunity, a signal that tells them 'it is possible to resist,' 'they should resist,' a banner that can gather their scattered sparks together."
He paused, thinking of Brother Atetsu, and the people struggling to survive outside Sunagakure, his eyes hardening. "Perhaps you feel your strength is insignificant, and that going back would only be suicide. But if you don't go back, those who still have fire in their hearts will think their last hope has been extinguished, and they can only continue to Chunin in the darkness, or become completely numb."
"Even if you go back and just stand in front of them without doing anything, you are still telling them—look, the legitimate bloodline of the previous daimyo has not yielded, we still have reason not to yield, we still have something worth fighting for."
He looked at Koyuki, his gaze sincere and fervent. "Your Highness, strength is not just about fists or Ninjutsu. It's the will to fight for a better life, the courage to believe in hope even in dire straits, and the responsibility to never abandon one's people—these are all forms of strength."
"This may be small, but when millions of such small forces come together, they can change the frozen land. Please also have faith in your people, have faith in those ordinary people who are still waiting for something."
Shūji's words silenced the cabin once more. Naruto listened, somewhat lost in thought. Although he didn't fully understand the deeper meanings of "fire" and "flag," the spirit of "never giving up" and "fighting" in Shūji's words deeply moved him.
He nodded vigorously, loudly echoing, "That's right! Hiiragi-nii is right! That ' Dotō Shūji' guy, he sounds like a bad guy! Why should he keep bullying people! Princess, you should go back and take back your country! We'll help you! Right, Kakashi-sensei? Shira?"
Kakashi looked at the two passionate boys, then at the emotionally moved and thoughtful Kazahana Koyuki, and at the deep-set eyes of Shira, and sighed inwardly.
Ah, things are getting more and more complicated, but there seems to be a glimmer of hope.
He scratched his head, his tone both helpless and serious. "Ah, it seems this mission won't be easy. But since we've taken it on, we have to see it through. Koyuki Princess, it's too late to turn back now; the enemy has already set their sights on us. Rather than waiting for them to attack again, we might as well take the initiative and perhaps disrupt their plans."
Shira also spoke up, "While Shūji's words have an idealistic tone, the logic is sound. The will of the people is indeed a force. Moreover, since we've already been drawn into this, passively avoiding it will only make us more passive."
"Let's proceed with the original plan and act according to the circumstances. At the very least, we need a safe foothold and more intelligence."
His last words were pointed, and his gaze swept over Fubuki Kakuyoku, who was sealed away by Maki and lying in the corner.
Kazahana Koyuki raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at the people in front of her. The eagerness in the eyes of the Konoha Ninja, the determined light in the eyes of the Sunagakure boy, the earnest expectation in the eyes of Sandayu, and the Jonin yet supportive attitude of the two young Jonin, Kakashi and Shira.
Her icy fingers curled slightly as she grasped the Hexagonal Crystal that had been hidden in her sleeve. The cold, hard touch seemed to carry a faint warmth from a distant memory.
She was still afraid, so afraid that her heart was pounding. But a corner of her heart, which had been sealed by ice and snow for six years, seemed to have been gently pried open by the words about "fire" and "people" and Naruto's passionate spirit.
It's faint, it's very faint, but it definitely exists.
She took a deep breath of the cold air and closed her eyes.
"Whatever you want."
The Sandayu instantly burst into tears.
Kakashi clapped his hands. "Alright, since the goal remains the same, everyone stay alert. The ship is about to dock, and the 'welcoming ceremony' from the Land of Snow probably won't be limited to the one we just had."
"Everyone, check your equipment and stay alert. Maki, keep a close eye on the prisoners. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, be ready to respond to any emergencies. Jonin Shira, you should also be prepared."
"Yes!" the crowd responded.
This raging, spreading wildfire! It only needs such a tiny spark to ignite it...