In a room aboard the ship, the group had gathered around a makeshift round table. Naruto, Karin, Sasuke, Kakashi, Sandayu, Makino, and his assistant Sandal were all seated, the air thick with tension and salt.
"I see... if Nadare is here, then Yukie must be—" Kakashi began.
"She is Koyuki Kazahana," Sandayu interrupted, his voice firm, carrying years of buried truth.
Silence settled for a moment as the weight of the revelation sank in.
"What, are we treating her name like some royal heir or something?" Karin scoffed, half-joking.
"Yes," Sandayu replied solemnly. "She is the heir of the Kazahana clan—Yukigakure's royal family. In other words... the rightful daimyo."
Karin's expression dropped. "Wait—seriously?!"
Kakashi nodded slowly, eyes narrowing in thought. "I knew she looked familiar... guess my instincts were sharper than I thought."
Naruto leaned forward, eyebrows raised. "Sandayu, you've got to spill the whole story now. Why are these guys coming after Yukie—or should I say, Koyuki?"
Before Sandayu could speak, a firm voice cut through the air from the doorway.
"I thought I told you not to meddle in things that don't concern you."
Everyone turned. Koyuki stood at the entrance, arms folded, her eyes guarded but intense.
Naruto immediately straightened and dramatically thumped a fist to his chest. "Ah! The princess graces us with her presence! As your loyal guardian knight, I live to serve you, Koyuki-hime!"
Koyuki blinked, clearly caught off guard by his sudden theatrics. "Wha—I..."
Even Sandayu had to hide a smirk. Sasuke facepalmed quietly.
"Don't worry, Princess," Naruto declared with exaggerated pride. "No one's laying a finger on you while I'm around!"
"As I thought," Makino whispered with admiration, adjusting his scarf like a connoisseur watching fine art, "this kid has serious acting chops."
Koyuki gave a long-suffering sigh, but the corners of her lips betrayed her—lifting into a reluctant, genuine smile. "As a knight, you do know you're not supposed to meddle in royal matters, right?"
Naruto, eyes gleaming with theatrical seriousness, dropped to one knee and placed a hand on his chest. "Yes, Hime-sama. I understand. I shall accept whatever punishment you decree."
That broke the room. Laughter erupted all around the table—Kakashi chuckled behind his mask, Sasuke shook his head with a smirk, and even Sandayu cracked a grin.
Koyuki couldn't help herself. She laughed too—light, musical, the kind of sound you didn't expect from someone so guarded.
Naruto beamed and sat back down, arms behind his head. "You look even more beautiful when you smile. So… you should do it more often."
The room went quiet for a beat.
Koyuki's smile froze halfway. Her eyes blinked, surprised, and then her cheeks began to flush a soft pink. Even the tips of her ears turned red as she tried to look anywhere but at Naruto.
"...Nii-san," Karin groaned, putting a palm to her face. "You're already doing your thing again. You've got your eyes on the princess now?"
Naruto blinked innocently. "Huh? What? No, I was just—uh—complimenting!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Right."
Makino, ever the opportunist, muttered to his assistant, "Get this angle. This might be the romantic subplot the film needs."
"But, sir, the cameraman isn't even here… and I don't have the camera!" Sandal protested, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Veins popped on Makino's forehead, his eye twitching with professional frustration. But he forced a deep breath. This one's on me. No point yelling.
Naruto waved a hand with a half-grin, then grew serious. "Alright, alright—let's stop stalling. Back to the point. Sandayu, spill it. What's the full story?"
Sandayu looked hesitant, glancing at Koyuki. She didn't speak, but her silence wasn't a refusal. Just… acceptance. Heavy, resigned.
He let out a sigh and bowed his head slightly, voice steady but laced with sorrow. "I am Sandayu. Currently working as a manager for Koyuki... but truthfully, I once served the Kazahana family. A loyal retainer."
Naruto and the others leaned in.
"Ten years ago," he continued, "the Kazahana clan ruled Yuki no Kuni. Lord Sotetsu Kazahana—Koyuki-sama's father—was the daimyo. A man of wisdom and warmth. He ruled with fairness, treated the people like family, and nurtured this frozen land with care."
He paused.
Koyuki's gaze had dropped to the table. Her fingers curled slightly. The mere mention of her father's name was like reopening a wound that never healed.
"He loved his daughter above all else," Sandayu said softly, looking at her with eyes full of old pain. "He dreamed of a peaceful future, one where Yuki no Kuni could thrive without war or fear."
The room fell into a solemn hush.
Karin's earlier teasing expression faded. Sasuke folded his arms, watching quietly. Kakashi's lone visible eye narrowed thoughtfully.
Naruto looked at Koyuki and then back at Sandayu. His voice was quieter now. "What happened to him?"
Sandayu's jaw clenched.
"…That's where it all went wrong."
"Sotetsu-sama's younger brother, Doto Kazahana… he betrayed him," Sandayu said bitterly. "He allied with a rogue ninja faction. Together, they staged a coup against the Kazahana family."
A cold silence fell over the room like a fresh snowfall.
"In that single night… everything burned. The royal residence was reduced to ash. Sotetsu-sama—" His voice cracked. "He was murdered. By his own blood."
Naruto's fists clenched under the table.
"They spared no one. No servants, no guards… not even the elders. I barely escaped with my life, stumbling through smoke and death. And then—by some miracle—I found her. Koyuki-sama, hiding, terrified, but alive."
He looked at her with sorrowful eyes. "After that, she chose a different life… an actress. I followed her. Became her manager. Not to control her—but to protect her. To wait for the right moment. To bring her back home, when it was safe."
"You were just pretending all this time?!" Sandal burst out, unable to contain his outrage.
Sandayu bowed his head. "Yes. I deceived many… and for that, I am sorry. But I had no other way."
Then, he turned toward Kakashi, his voice thick with gratitude. "And thank you—for saving Koyuki-hime."
Kakashi shifted awkwardly in his seat, scratching the back of his head. "Well… I didn't do much. Just got lucky, I guess."
But before anyone could respond further, Koyuki's voice rang out—low, broken.
"I should have just died in that fire."
Her words froze the air more than any Hyōton jutsu could. Everyone looked at her—Naruto, Sasuke, Karin, all silent.
She stared into nothing, her eyes glassy, her voice stripped of all her usual fire.
"If I hadn't survived… none of this would be happening," Koyuki continued, her voice barely above a whisper.
"But Hime-sama—" Sandayu tried to interject.
"Don't worry, Sandayu," she said, a bitter edge in her tone. "I lost all my tears that day. I don't have any left."
The room fell into a heavy silence once again.
Then, Naruto spoke, calm but firm. "Koyuki... do you remember that story I told you when we first boarded the ship? Don't try to deny it—I know you were listening."
Her gaze flickered, but she didn't respond.
"There are two types of pirates," Naruto said. "The second kind—the ones I admire—are the ones who chase their dreams with everything they've got. They'll go through any storm, any enemy, but they never lose sight of what's right. I believe... You had a dream too, once."
He stepped forward, his voice rising with conviction. "Then live for that dream. If not for yourself, then live for your father—who gave his life to protect you. Or live for Sandayu, who's risked everything to get you this far. But don't—don't—throw away their sacrifices by wishing you died back then. Don't defile your father's memory like that."
The silence that followed was deafening. Even the air seemed to hold its breath.
"Nii-san…" Karin started softly.
Naruto held up a hand, stopping her.
He walked over to Koyuki and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Do you know why I became your fan after watching just one of your films?" he asked.
Still processing his earlier words, she slowly shook her head.
"Because you didn't act in that movie—you lived it. Every emotion, every moment—you became the character. That's not something just anyone can do. Becoming an actress… that had to be your dream."
His voice softened, but it never lost its weight.
"So if nothing else… live for that dream. And if you're scared of your uncle—leave him to me. No… leave him to us. We'll take care of him."
He turned, walking toward the exit. "It's our job to protect you. And we will."
Then he paused, without looking back.
"And don't ever talk about dying again… at least not in front of me."
With that, he left the room, his footsteps echoing in the stunned silence he left behind.