Three days later.
Under the effects of the geothermal generator, spring flourished throughout the Land of Snow, replacing the cold of years past.
On a sunlit hillside facing the sea stood Team 3, Hongshi, Yuhan, Kazahana Koyuki of the Land of Snow, and the others.
Before them was a small mound of earth, with a cross planted on top. A pair of glasses rested on the cross-Hieimon's glasses.
Hongshi: "(*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ) Boo-hoo, Hieimon! What a horrible death you suffered!"
Yuhan also showed a rare display of "genuine emotion": "(*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ) My foolish little brother!"
Rock Lee: "(*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ) Hieimon! Has your youth truly burned out here?"
Yes, Hieimon had "died." When Kazahana Kinji and Tenten charged into Snow Castle, they saw Hieimon fighting a dozen or so snow ninja. In the end, he was overwhelmed, and Explosive Tags blasted him into nothing but a pair of glasses.
Hongshi wept as though his very organs were tearing apart, his tears and snot dripping all over the ground. Even the green grass was poisoned black, giving off black smoke. "Oh, Hieimon, my disciple! How can I live without you?"
Yuhan could not bear to watch anymore and pulled Hongshi up. "This is how ninja end up. Boss, don't be too upset. Dying in battle is an honor."
Rock Lee: "Yuhan is right! Devoting your youth and life to protecting others is a ninja's highest honor! I will follow Hieimon's example!"
Hongshi stood up and wiped his snot with his sleeve. "I understand. Let's go. Back to Konoha."
Kazahana Koyuki: "Hieimon is a hero of our Land of Snow. His death gave us tremendous courage, inspiring us to keep growing stronger."
Hongshi: "I feel like I've heard those lines somewhere."
Sandayu wiped away his tears too. "We must build a statue of him."
Yuhan said to Kazahana Koyuki, "Princess Koyuki, we're heading back to Konoha."
The Konoha party walked toward the ship moored by the shore. Kazahana Koyuki remained beside Hieimon's grave, silently watching everyone leave.
Kazahana Kinji and Sandayu were now Kazahana Koyuki's right-hand men. "Princess Koyuki, Konoha is a very powerful presence. We can use this opportunity to form an alliance with them."
Kazahana Koyuki: "."
The Konoha party slowly boarded the ship. Hongshi gazed at the Land of Snow. "Mm, so this is the other side of the rainbow."
Director: "Cut! Perfect! That's a wrap on Hongshi Ninja Scroll! This will be the greatest work in film history!"
Lord God: "I've never seen anyone as shameless as you!"
"Water Release: Flying Water Glide!" Hongshi used his improved version of Water Glide. Seawater gathered beneath his feet in the shape of a small boat, while he stood aboard it with the bearing of an immortal. "Yo-ho-ho-ho~ I'm the strongest!"
"Keep it up, Tenten!" Neji followed closely behind, using Water Glide at a respectable speed himself.
"Neji, wait for me!" Tenten was a little slower.
"Running on water! Burn, my youth! Yo-ho-ho-ho!" Though Rock Lee could not use ninjutsu, he could now exercise basic control over the chakra clinging to his feet. Running swiftly across the water, he soon caught up to Hongshi. "Hongshi-kun! I'm going to pass you!"
Meanwhile, Yuhan was aboard the ship with the director's party, watching the edited film. The director marveled, "What a flawless masterpiece! It looks like it's time for me to retire."
Yuhan covered his mouth and chuckled. "Hehehe, you still look full of drive to me! It's far too early to talk about retiring!"
"Is that so!" The director laughed heartily. "You're right. I'm still young! The god of cinema has only just begun to favor me. I've still got a long road ahead!"
Yuhan chuckled and pointed at the four speeding along ahead of the ship. "Look, aren't they perfect for filming right now?"
The director looked at the four, then suddenly jolted. "I see! Hongshi Ninja Scroll, part two! Yes, yes, yes! After rescuing the princess, Hongshi sets out on a journey of training, only to be pursued by a demon queen, before finally reaching the far shore of the sea safely! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! After the far side of the rainbow comes the far shore of the sea. This truly is a revelation from the god of cinema!"
Yuhan: "(°ー°〃)???"
Director: "But who will play the demon queen? Princess Koyuki is already back in the Land of Snow, after all!"
Yuhan: "...What do you think of me?"
The director took a look at Yuhan. He really did have the air of a demon queen. "You-you'd do it?"
"Hehehe." Yuhan chuckled, green light erupting from his eyes as he leaped up. "Water Release: Water Dragon Glide Jutsu!"
"Roar!"
Under the director's astonished gaze, Yuhan summoned an enormous water dragon three stories tall, traveling alongside the ship.
Hongshi: "Oh! Yuhan, are you joining our training too?"
Yuhan: "O warriors named Hongshi and Lee, prepare to die! Water Release: Sky-Filling Scattered Rain!!"
Hongshi: "(°ー°〃)???"
The water dragon opened its enormous maw, spraying countless water balls that became afterimages and struck Hongshi and Rock Lee.
Rock Lee: "Big Sister Yuhan, what's going on!"
Neji and Tenten stopped and looked at Yuhan in midair. "What's going on? Heroes? Are they filming a movie?"
Yuhan continued unleashing ninjutsu attacks on Hongshi and Rock Lee. "O my subordinates named Neji and Tenten, please help me defeat these two feeble heroes."
The two exchanged glances, then stared at Hongshi and Rock Lee as they dodged in panic, wicked smiles curling their lips...
Tenten: "At your service!"
Neji: "I fight for you, my lady!"
"Twin Rising Dragons!"
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
Hongshi: "What's gotten into you all!"
Rock Lee: "Oh! Tactical evasion training! What a brilliant idea! Eight Gates Released Formation: Gate of Pain, open!"
Director: "Quick, quick, quick! Keep up!"
"Camera, okay!"
"Microphone, okay!"
"A blessing from the god of cinema!!!!"
Watching Hongshi's party recede into the distance, Sandayu frowned. "Huh, look, Princess. They seem to be fighting..."
Kazahana Koyuki shook her head and turned to face Kazahana Kinji and Sandayu, her expression serious. "Uncle Kinji, Sandayu, you're the people I trust most now. There's something I need to tell you."
Seeing Kazahana Koyuki suddenly turn serious, neither dared take it lightly. They dropped to one knee. "Please give us your orders, Your Highness."
Kazahana Koyuki: "First, from this day onward, the Land of Snow will be renamed the Land of Spring. Second, Sandayu, you will serve as the Land of Spring's foreign minister. In a few days, you will travel to Konoha in an official capacity and use the Chunin Ninja Exams as an opportunity to establish diplomatic relations with the various nations' daimyo."
Sandayu hesitated. "But, Princess Koyuki! The Land of Fire is a powerful nation. How could it possibly establish diplomatic relations with a small country like ours?"
Kazahana Koyuki shook her head. "Just go, and take the Snow Ninja Group with you. Someone will tell you what to do when the time comes."
Sandayu: "Yes!"
Kazahana Koyuki: "Uncle Kinji, you will serve as the Land of Spring's great general and protector, with authority beneath mine and Red Beard's."
Kazahana Kinji: "Red Beard?"
Red Beard was one of the clones Hongshi had left in the Land of Spring, and the only "nuclear bomb clone" capable of existing for an extended period. He possessed Kage Level strength.
Kazahana Koyuki fought to keep herself from laughing aloud. "That's right. Red Beard was one of Father's trusted aides. He has spent all these years hiding somewhere in the Land of Spring, awaiting my return. He alone has truly mastered the Land of Spring's technology. With his help, I believe we can soon become a powerful nation."
"Achoo!" Hongshi's nuclear clone, who was studying new blueprints with Hieimon in Snow Castle's classified archives at that moment, said, "Who's cursing me?"
Kazahana Kinji continued, "Your Highness Kazahana Koyuki, then what is my assignment?"
Kazahana Koyuki: "Your assignment lies not within the Land of Spring, but beyond it. I need you to pose as a merchant. During my time abroad, I had a very good business partner named Gato, a genius merchant. You are to travel to the Land of Iron to purchase metal ores."
Kazahana Kinji asked no further questions. "As you command!"
A butterfly flew before Kazahana Koyuki and settled on her delicate hand. "I hope that, through our efforts, it will always be spring in the Land of Spring."