The cold stung like knives as Anna pushed herself up from the snow. Her arms shook. Her knees buckled. But she forced herself upright, breath ragged in the freezing air.
Kristoff reached her in moments, Olaf bounding after him like a snowball with legs.
"Are you okay?" Kristoff asked, grabbing her arm and steadying her.
"I'm fine," Anna said quickly. But as she stepped forward, her body gave out — the world tilting, legs collapsing—
Naruto caught her before she hit the ground, arms steady, grip warm.
"Whoa. Careful," he said.
Anna offered a shaky smile. "I'm okay. Really."
Naruto didn't smile back. His eyes lingered on her face — pale skin, bluish fingers. The cold wasn't just outside her anymore. He recognized that kind of creeping threat — the kind that didn't show itself until it was nearly too late.
But he said nothing. Not yet.
Kristoff looked around, urgency in his voice. "You need help. Real help. I know someone — the trolls."
Anna blinked. "Trolls?"
"They raised me. They know magic. If anyone can help, it's them."
Naruto turned slightly, glancing back toward the palace. Behind those towering doors, Elsa was alone again — terrified of herself, of what she might do.
He clenched his fists.
"I'm staying," Naruto said.
Anna turned to him, surprised. "You're staying?"
He nodded. "She needs someone to stay. Someone who's not afraid of her." His voice softened. "I know what it's like to feel out of control. To think everyone would be better off without you."
His hand tightened slightly at his side.
"I used to think that way, too. But I didn't want to believe it was true. Maybe… if I stay, I can help her find her way back."
Anna's gaze dropped, her expression tender. She could hear the truth in his voice — this wasn't just about Elsa. It was about Naruto, too.
He gave her a small grin and raised his hands into a familiar seal.
"But you're not going alone."
Poof!
A burst of smoke exploded outward, and two identical Narutos stepped forward, each grinning confidently.
Kristoff stumbled back. "Whoa!"
Olaf's stick-hands clapped together. "There's more of you?! This is the best thing I've ever seen!"
"They're my shadow clones," Naruto said. "They'll stick with you. Just in case."
Anna looked at him, her eyes shining despite the cold gnawing at her.
"Thank you, Naruto."
He gave her a thumbs-up. "Believe it."
Kristoff nodded. "Let's go."
Anna leaned against him, breath short, steps unsteady. They turned toward the trail down the mountain, flanked by two vigilant clones.
Naruto watched until they vanished into the swirling snow — his heart pulled in both directions.
Then he turned back toward the palace. His steps weren't heavy. They were certain.
---
The castle was silent.
Naruto stepped into the frozen hall, the air sharp with cold and magic. The silence here wasn't peaceful — it was the silence of fear, buried deep.
At the base of the grand staircase sat Elsa. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, silver-white hair tangled and loose. Her hands shook in her lap.
When she heard footsteps, she flinched.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I didn't mean to…"
Naruto walked forward quietly. He crouched in front of her, not too close.
"I know," he said softly.
Elsa didn't look up.
"I hurt her. I nearly—" Her breath caught. "I'm not safe."
"I used to think that too," Naruto said.
That made her lift her eyes — just a little.
"I didn't have powers like yours," he went on, "but people looked at me like I did. Like I was dangerous. Like I'd break something just by being there."
Elsa stared at him, breath caught in her throat.
"So I smiled," Naruto said. "I acted like I didn't care. But it still hurt. Being alone always hurts."
Her eyes shimmered. "I don't want to be like this."
"Then don't be," he said. "Not by yourself."
Naruto sat beside her — close enough to share silence, far enough to give her space.
The cold was still there. The fear hadn't vanished.
But for the first time since she'd built the castle, Elsa didn't feel like the only person frozen inside it.
---
Farther down the mountain, wind howled through snow-laden trees.
Anna trudged forward, arm over Kristoff's shoulder. Olaf bounced beside them, still chatting, trying to keep the mood light.
But Anna wasn't listening.
The cold inside her chest had deepened — no longer just a chill, but a tightness, sharp and heavy, like something solid forming beneath her ribs. Her fingers had turned pale. Blue streaked the edges.
She pressed a hand to her chest, her breath catching.
The Naruto clones moved ahead, cutting paths through the snow, watchful and silent.
Kristoff glanced at her. "Almost there. Just a little farther."
Anna nodded faintly. She was thinking of Elsa.
And of Naruto, still in that palace — a boy who chose to stay in the cold, not just for someone else… but to prove he didn't have to be alone anymore.
She winced as another wave of pain pulsed through her chest.
They were running out of time.
---