Feasting and revelry filled the air as cups clinked in toasts.
In the center of the crowd, Zabuza Momochi, dressed in a well-fitted suit, raised a wine glass while chatting and laughing.
The "Demon of the Bloody Mist" who once struck terror into hearts had now concealed his murderous intent, transforming into the helmsman of the Northern Border Chamber of Commerce.
"Cough, cough—Pfft—"
In the seat of honor, the old chairman of the Gemstone Chamber of Commerce suddenly coughed violently, staining his handkerchief red.
"The Chairman's lung disease has flared up!"
As the crowd panicked, Zabuza stepped forward and took a delicate vial from his robe, handing it over.
"Old Chairman, if you trust me, why not try this?"
"This is a Vitality Agent specially supplied within the Northern Border."
The old chairman drank it half-doubtingly.
In just over ten seconds, his ashen face visibly regained its color, his cloudy eyes sparkled with renewed vitality, and he even felt ten years younger.
"Miracle medicine—this is a miracle medicine!"
"Chairman Zabuza, how much?"
"I'll take it all!"
The eyes of the surrounding wealthy merchants instantly grew burning with desire.
Zabuza withdrew his hand.
"Apologies, this medicine is for exchange only, not for sale."
He looked around and spoke in a booming voice.
"Production of this item is extremely low."
"Only by becoming a partner of the 'Northern Border Mutual Aid Society' and accumulating enough points can it be redeemed."
"However—"
With a wave of his hand, waiters delivered a small gift box to every distinguished guest.
"To show the Northern Border's sincerity, these are trial samples gifted to all our friends."
In a corner, a kind-faced fat merchant, under the guise of turning around, secretly dabbed a bit of the liquid from the gift box and tasted it.
He was the chairman of the Thunderclap Chamber of Commerce and also a high-ranking intelligence officer from the Hidden Cloud Village.
A warm current instantly exploded within him, not only soothing old wounds but even slightly increasing the speed of chakra refinement.
The fat merchant's pupils constricted violently.
"This isn't just medicine—it's a perfect enhancer!"
"If Lord Raikage could use this—"
Greed instantly overwhelmed everything else, and he carefully tucked the gift box away close to his body.
"No matter what secrets that Northern Border hides, this kind of strategic resource must belong to Kumogakure!"
A messenger hawk took flight into the night sky.
Time flew by.
Three full months had passed since Naruto took over the Land of Snow.
On the northern sea, the cold wind whistled like cutting blades.
A massive merchant ship was laboriously crushing the floating ice on the sea, advancing into the depths of the mist.
"Waaaah—Princess!"
"Lord Ninjas of Konoha!"
Asama Sandayu knelt on the frozen deck, letting snot and tears flow freely.
Facing Princess Koyuki Kazahana, who was pale and wrapped in a thick trench coat, he delivered his tragic speech.
"Ever since that tyrant Doto Kazahana usurped the throne, the people of the Land of Snow have been living in dire straits!"
"They have no clothes to cover themselves and no food to fill their bellies!"
"Children freeze to death in the snow, and adults barely survive under the lash of the whip!"
"We have been longing for your return day and night, hoping the legitimate royal family will rescue them from this sea of misery!"
Nearby, the director who had come along to film the movie The Gale Princess completely ignored the heavy and awkward atmosphere.
He was excitedly directing the cameraman, jumping up and down.
"Quick!"
"Zoom in for a close-up, give Mr. Sandayu a low-angle shot!"
"This tragic emotion!"
"This patriotic fervor of an old official from a fallen nation!"
"It's perfect!"
"This is the artistic tension we want!"
Princess Koyuki buried her face in her upturned collar, her expression numb and resistant.
Looking at the gray mist in the distance, she only wanted to escape this place full of childhood nightmares, not play the role of some savior.
"That old man is so noisy."
On the other side of the deck, Sai expressionlessly put away his sketchbook.
He glanced back at the weeping Sandayu and turned to ask his teammate, his tone carrying a hint of confusion.
"The books say that at times like this, we should show sympathy to get closer to the client."
"But after my analysis, I only feel that his information might be full of subjective assumptions."
"At a time like this, should I pretend to empathize to gain trust?"
"Cough—cough, cough—"
Shin, standing beside him, suddenly bent over and coughed violently, a sickly flush appearing on his pale face.
Shin covered his mouth, steadied his breathing, and stared vigilantly into the depths of the mist.
"Don't do anything unnecessary, Sai—cough, cough—"
"Our mission is escorting, not psychological counseling."
"Instead of focusing on that old man, pay attention to our surroundings."
And beside the two of them...
Sakura Haruno leaned against the railing.
The sea breeze tousled her pink hair, but she seemed completely oblivious.
In her hands, she tightly clutched a thick book filled with dense notes.
Listening to Sandayu's heart-wrenching wails, Sakura's brow furrowed deeper, and a flash of annoyance crossed her eyes.
"...Honestly, what's the use of crying?"
She murmured softly to herself, as if speaking to Sandayu, but also to herself.
Once, she had been just like this old man.
When things happened, she only knew how to cry.
She knew how to hide behind Naruto and Sasuke and shout "save me," and how to pray for someone else to rescue her.
And the result?
Naruto had left, abandoning her without a backward glance; Sasuke had also vanished in pursuit of power.
Left behind, if she didn't run with all her might, she really wouldn't even be able to see their backs anymore.
"I want to become stronger—on my own—"
Sakura bit her lip and turned a page, forcing herself to memorize the complex hand seals.
Kakashi stood not far away, leaning against the mast, watching his three subordinates with mixed emotions.
Sai was still awkwardly learning how to be a normal person, Shin insisted on viewing himself as a tool despite his illness, and Sakura—
Was forcing herself to become hardened, perhaps even overcompensating.
"You're pushing yourself too hard, Sakura—"
Kakashi looked at the pink-haired girl who was still desperately studying in the cold wind and sighed to himself.
This child was trying to use excessive effort to mask the unease and fear of abandonment in her heart.
This patched-together "New Team 7," though everyone carried scars, was stumbling forward and growing in their own way.
Just then...
"Look!"
The ship broke through the layers of mist and gradually approached the port.
Sandayu suddenly pointed ahead, his voice reaching a peak of excitement, as if he had already seen corpses of the starved and refugees waiting to be saved.
"That is the land we need to save—the Land of Snow!"
Woooo—!!!
A deafening blast from a steam whistle, like the awakening of an ancient behemoth, instantly dispersed the last layer of sea mist.
Sandayu's outstretched arms froze in mid-air.
What met their eyes was not some desolate and ruined fishing village, nor were there any refugees with no clothes to wear.
Instead, it was a city standing upon the icy plains, brightly lit and rising with steam—
A steel fortress.
Massive industrial chimneys towered like a forest of steel, ceaselessly spewing columns of white steam day and night.
On the docks, dozens of giant cranes danced nimbly in the air, moving mountain-like piles of containers into warehouses.
A translucent barrier enveloped the entire port area, sealing out the bitter cold and snow.
And beneath that barrier—
Although it was thirty degrees below zero outside, the workers on the dock wore only thin overalls.
Every one of them had a ruddy complexion and bulging muscles.
Some were even sweating so much from the effort of moving goods that they had unbuttoned their clothes to fan themselves, laughing and chatting loudly.
It was busy, noisy, and filled with a suffocatingly vibrant vitality.
"This—"
Sandayu rubbed his eyes and pinched his thigh hard, grimacing in pain.
"Is this—the Land of Snow?"
"Did we—go to the wrong place?"
Looking at those healthy-looking "slaves" who were striving for a better life, Sandayu felt half of his worldview—about restoring the royal family and saving the common people—collapse in that moment.
"Cut!"
"Fantastic!"
The director let out an excited scream, trembling with agitation.
"This industrial aesthetic!"
"This is the set we wanted!"
Kakashi sighed.
"It seems—the way this country was 'saved' is a bit different from what you imagined, Mr. Sandayu."