The next day.
The sea sparkled under the sun like a bed of scattered sapphires, and the salty breeze carried with it the scent of excitement…and breakfast leftovers.
Makino stood tall with a megaphone in one hand, a storyboard in the other, and a twinkle in his eye that only directors and madmen share.
"Places, everyone! Camera ready! Sound rolling!"
"Aaand… ACTION!"
With that, the magic began.
The crew scurried into position like well-trained ants on caffeine. Yukie stepped into the frame, her expression calm and graceful—like a true noblewoman lost at sea, searching for answers.
Naruto, meanwhile, was glued to the sidelines, eyes wide as ramen bowls.
"Yo, Karin, this is how they do it?! All this for a walking scene?"
Karin smirked. "Told you it's not just lights and screaming 'cut'. It's like... real ninja work. But with better outfits."
He nodded solemnly, arms folded. "Yukie is really doing a good job… look at that intensity. That posture. That gaze into the distance... I think I felt emotions."
Behind them, Kakashi glanced up from his book. "Maybe you should audition too. You've already got the drama."
Naruto whispered, "One day"
The ship rocked gently beneath them, the ocean playing the background score.
Makino called, "Cut! Beautiful! Print that! Yukie-sama, flawless as always!"
The crew cheered quietly.
Naruto gave her a small, proud smile.
But Yukie? She didn't even look back. Classic.
"Sandayu-san, how many more days until we reach Yukigakure?" Karin asked, gazing out at the endless stretch of ocean.
"Hmm, it should take another two to three days," Sandayu replied thoughtfully. "But once we're close... that's when the real danger begins. Please, protect Yukie-sama."
Naruto gave him a confident grin, his voice full of spirit. "Don't worry. It's our mission—we'll handle it perfectly!"
But Karin's curiosity wasn't done. "Back when we first met Yukie, she was so reluctant to go to Yukigakure. Why is that?"
Sandayu hesitated. His lips tightened as if weighing whether to speak the truth. Then, with a sigh of resolve, he nodded."She might act like she doesn't care, but deep down… she does. A lot. She's scared—scared that her return will only bring trouble to others."
Naruto chuckled. "So she's a tsundere, huh? Didn't peg Yukie-sama as the blushing-secretly-sweet type."
Karin blinked. "Wait, she really is kinda tsundere…"
Sandayu gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah… something like that. She keeps people at arm's length, thinking it's for their own good. But once we near Yukigakure, we'll likely be attacked. That's the risk she's been trying to avoid—"
"Sandayu."
A cold voice sliced through the air.
They all turned.
Yukie stood behind them, arms folded, eyes narrowed like a queen who just caught someone gossiping about her in court.
Sandayu paled instantly. "Y-Yukie-sama! We were just… talking about ship safety!"
She glared, then turned sharply, walking away with a dramatic swish of her cloak.
Sandayu let out a long, nervous breath. He gave a deep bow to Naruto and the others."I'll take my leave now… there's still much to prepare." And like a man fleeing a battlefield, he vanished into the lower deck.
Naruto leaned toward Karin. "Yup. Grade-A tsundere."
Karin just nodded, suppressing a grin.
"Hey! What was that about?" Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms with a frown."I was seriously curious about what Sandayu was saying!"
Yukie didn't flinch. Her gaze was sharp, her voice sharper."Your job is to protect me, not poke your nose into things that don't concern you."
That hit Naruto like a cold wave.
His mouth opened to fire back—but he stopped. The heat in his chest simmered down, replaced by something heavier. He looked away, silent, and walked off without another word.
Yukie hesitated, just for a moment. But then she turned too, disappearing down the corridor like a storm that refused to change its course.
The tension melted into the salty air.
Karin, sensing the shift, tried to change the subject. "Kakashi-sensei, have you ever been to Yukigakure before?"
Kakashi didn't even lower his book right away. "Mmm… yeah," he murmured, flipping a page. "About ten years ago, I think."
Karin's brows rose. "Really? What for?"
He finally looked up, his tone strangely reflective. "It was a mission. We were supposed to protect the Daimyō of Yukigakure."He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "But we arrived too late… the mission had already failed before we set foot on the snow."
There was a quiet beat.
"But I did manage to save his daughter. No idea what became of her. Hope she found peace."
Karin blinked. Her eyes slowly shifted toward Yukie's distant silhouette on the deck.
Naruto, from where he was adjusting some rope with a scowl, caught the last part. His ears twitched.A thought flickered in his head—but he said nothing.
For now.
With Yukie…
She sat alone in her room, the ship gently rocking beneath her."So… he was the one who saved me back then," she thought, fingers resting on the windowsill, eyes distant.
Memories flooded her mind like a storm: her father's warm smile… then the screams…The cold steel of betrayal in her uncle's eyes.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
She wiped it quickly—angrily.
"I have to escape… before we reach Yukigakure. I can't face it… not yet."
On Deck…
One day passed quietly. Too quietly. No bandits, no drama. Just wind and waves.
The film shoot was almost done. Cameras packed. Crew relaxed.
The air, though, was biting cold—every crewmember bundled in thick sweaters and scarves, noses red from the wind.
Except for one lunatic.
Naruto Uzumaki.
"Put on a sweater, baka nii-san!" Karin grumbled, pulling at her own collar.
Naruto grinned like the frost was his friend."This is training! Cold tempers the body, Karin! This is how real shinobi forge themselves!"
He even tried to dive into the icy waters, much to everyone's horror.
Makino, Sandayu, and half the crew tackled him down before he could jump."Are you trying to die for no reason?!" they yelled in unison.
Naruto pouted like a kicked puppy but got over it in seconds—leaping around the deck like a cold-proof monkey.
"I'm gonna swim in it eventually! Believe it!"
Then… a tremor.
The ship jerked—just a little.
Karin leaned over the railing and froze.
"Uh… guys…"
In the distance, stretching across the ocean like a frozen mountain, was a massive ice block.
Not a cute little floating cube.
A Titanic-level obstacle.
Solid. Silent. Deadly.
If the ship hit it—
Jack wouldn't be the only one freezing tonight.
The crew rushed to the front, panic setting in.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Captain! Can we steer around it?"
The ship's captain was already turning the wheel frantically.
"It's too big! If we don't act now, we'll hit it!"
And the storm clouds above? Oh, they were starting to gather.
The cold wasn't just weather anymore—it was a warning.
The iceberg was behind them now.
Everyone exhaled in relief—some slumped to the floor, others laughed nervously.
Too soon.The sea had other plans.
With a thunderous crack that shook the ship to its bones, the iceberg split open.
From its frozen core, a monstrous Ice Dragon burst out—shards of frost flying, its roar echoing across the sea like a winter storm screaming.
Eyes glowing blue. Body sculpted from ancient frost.This was no summon. No genjutsu. It was raw jutsu-born terror.
"Tch—no rest for the awesome," Naruto said, cracking his knuckles.
"Show-off," Sasuke muttered, already in motion.
The two leapt into the air like twin comets.
Naruto pulled out his chakra kunai, his breath fogging in the air.
Sasuke's hands moved fast—Fire Style: Phoenix Flame shrouding his blade to counter the ice.
Together, they sliced through the dragon's head—ice and chakra clashing in a blinding burst of white.
The beast howled, shattering into sparkling pieces midair, raining frost on the deck like stardust.
Back on the ship, Makino's eyes were practically glowing.
"CAMERA! ROLL! ROLL, DAMN YOU, ROLL!" he shouted like a war general.
The cameraman, a man who once dreamt of quiet documentaries and cooking shows, held the camera like it was a life preserver.
"Sir, that was... phenomenal!" he gasped.
Makino grabbed him by the shoulders. "Listen carefully. If you miss a single frame of what's about to happen, I will personally haunt your descendants."
The cameraman stared, unblinking.'So… I'm not just gambling with my life. I'm gambling with my bloodline.'
He sighed, memories of his wife and three kids flashing in dramatic slow-mo.
"Alright, sir. I'll film it. But if I die—please wire the footage royalties to my family."
Makino nodded solemnly.
"I promise. And I'll make sure the film's name is… 'Kōri no Ikari: Shinobi no Nendaiki' ."
The cameraman blinked. 'Cool title, at least.'
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke stood back-to-back, scanning the horizon.
Naruto grinned. "This isn't just a mission anymore, Sasuke. We're in a movie now."
Sasuke sighed. "Great. Just what I needed. A front-row seat to your overacting."