"Now, isn't it time you honored that promise you made to pay 'any price'?"
Koyuki snapped back to her senses.
As she looked at Xin's face so close to hers, her breathing instantly quickened.
She had thought it was merely a bargaining chip, never expecting Xin to actually take it seriously.
Koyuki's cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She hurriedly stepped back twice, holding her hands protectively over her chest.
"Y-you... what are you planning to do?!"
"You're too young! This sort of thing has to wait until you're an adult!"
"Just how old are you this..."
Over the following days, Uchiha Xin lived a life of utter ease in the Land of Snow.
After Kazahana Dōtō died, the remaining forces throughout the Land of Snow were swiftly brought into the fold.
As Koyuki's foremost loyal retainer, Asama Sandayu naturally took charge of all the reconstruction work.
In front of the ruins of the daimyo's residence, Sandayu was diligently directing the craftsmen as they cleared away rubble.
When he saw Uchiha Xin approaching from a distance with his hands in his pockets, he immediately set down his blueprints and jogged over to greet him with a broad smile.
"Lord Xin, have you been resting well?"
Sandayu beamed, bowing deeply.
He had long since learned that Xin and Koyuki had become physically intimate.
Far from being angry in the slightest, Sandayu was positively delighted.
He knew all too well how much Kazahana Koyuki had suffered during her years wandering abroad.
The Land of Snow had always been weak. Although Kazahana Dōtō was now dead, quite a few neighboring small countries still eyed them hungrily.
With a Konoha ninja as unfathomably powerful as Uchiha Xin backing them, the Land of Snow would surely have nothing to worry about in the future.
A bloody coup like the one back then would never happen again.
"Not bad."
Xin answered casually.
Sandayu hurriedly rubbed his hands together and stepped closer.
"Lord Xin, plans are being drawn up to rebuild the daimyo's residence."
Sandayu's tone was extremely respectful.
"Princess Koyuki specifically instructed us to set aside the finest area for you."
Sandayu took out a thick album.
"Please take a look and see what style of room you prefer."
"Whether you like Konoha's traditional wooden courtyards or luxurious palace-style accommodations, just say the word, and I'll have the craftsmen get to work immediately."
Xin glanced at the album and waved a hand casually.
"Just give me a spacious courtyard with a hot spring. Don't make it too fancy."
Sandayu nodded repeatedly, firmly committing Xin's requirements to memory.
Ten days passed in a flash.
Only then had Kazahana Koyuki barely adjusted to Xin's domineering, forceful nature.
With a hand against the wall for support, she could finally walk normally.
Koyuki changed into a lightweight winter outfit, tightly clutching the hexagonal crystal.
"I want to find the treasure my father left behind."
Koyuki looked at Xin, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Xin did not refuse. He accompanied her to an enormous ice wall in the hills behind the daimyo's residence, along with several elderly engineers from the Land of Snow responsible for logistical support.
There was a hexagonal recess in the ice wall.
Koyuki took a deep breath and pressed the hexagonal crystal into it.
A muffled rumble sounded underground.
The ice wall slowly parted to either side, revealing a spacious underground chamber.
Inside, there were neither mountains of gold and silver nor powerful ninja tools.
Only a massive projector slowly operated in the center.
Amid flickering light, enormous images were projected onto the surrounding ice walls.
They showed scenes of Koyuki with her father, Kazahana Sōsetsu, during her childhood.
Kazahana Sōsetsu held the young Koyuki in his arms, smiling with boundless affection.
The footage also showed how Kazahana Sōsetsu had poured his heart and soul into researching geothermal generators to change the Land of Snow's harsh climate of perpetual winter.
As Koyuki watched these images, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
She covered her mouth, sobbing too hard to speak.
"So this was the treasure Father left me."
Koyuki turned and threw herself into Xin's arms.
"Father was always planning for my future. He left all the best things to me."
Xin patted Koyuki's back, letting her tears soak his clothes.
After watching the footage, Xin entered the secret warehouse Kazahana Dōtō had left behind.
It was piled high with all kinds of chakra armor components.
An unfinished, enormous modification machine also stood in a corner.
Xin activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Sharp five-pointed star patterns spun rapidly in his pupils.
His powerful visual perception instantly saw through the machine's internal structure and chakra pathways.
Xin formed hand seals, dazzling blue Lightning Release chakra lighting up his fingertips.
He used Lightning Release chakra to perform precision welding and reconfigure the circuitry.
His movements were so fast that only an afterimage remained.
The elderly engineers from the Land of Snow standing nearby to provide logistical support were all dumbfounded.
Their eyes widened as they gasped.
"Heavens, how is this possible?!"
One elderly engineer trembled all over with excitement.
"Lord Sōsetsu spent three years researching this machine without managing to finish it, yet he knew what was wrong with a single glance."
"This chakra control, this understanding of machinery... it's nothing short of a miracle."
In less than half an hour, a brand-new, fully finished modification machine took shape in Xin's hands.
Soon afterward, the Land of Snow's geothermal generators went into full operation.
The thick ice and snow began to melt.
Green grass and brightly colored flowers flourished once more in the sunlight.
The Land of Snow completely escaped its perpetual winter and welcomed a true spring.
That day was also the day of Kazahana Koyuki's coronation.
The square outside the daimyo's residence was packed with cheering citizens.
Dressed in magnificent queenly robes with a crown upon her head, Koyuki was breathtakingly beautiful.
She walked up to Xin and clasped his hand in both of hers.
"Xin, I want you to become the daimyo of the Land of Snow."
Koyuki's expression was utterly serious.
"Without you, I would have died at Kazahana Dōtō's hands long ago. This country should rightfully be ruled by you."
Xin withdrew his hand and reached out to pinch Koyuki's cheek.
"Don't be silly."
Xin's tone was calm, yet carried an authority that brooked no refusal.
"The Land of Snow is the legacy your father left you. You should rightfully inherit it."
"I'm a Konoha ninja. What would I be doing coming here to become a daimyo?"
Hearing this, Koyuki was so moved that her eyes reddened.
She thought Xin was looking out for her and did not want to take away her father's life's work.
In truth, Xin was secretly rejoicing.
As he looked at the noble, beautiful queen before him, a strong sense of accomplishment welled up inside him.
Having his woman become the ruler of a country truly felt especially satisfying.
Xin stood to one side, sincerely applauding and offering Koyuki his blessings.
The coronation ceremony was extraordinarily lively, with laughter and cheers everywhere.
Holding a glass of wine, Xin watched the fireworks bursting in the sky.
A sudden thought flashed through his mind.
Judging by the time, the third round of the Chunin Ninja Exams should have started long ago.
Xin abruptly slapped his forehead.
He had been so caught up in romantic pleasures in the Land of Snow lately that he had completely forgotten something so important.