Chapter 87: The Perfect Ending
As the geothermal core released a soft, steady hum, vast heat—like the pulse of the earth—surged into every frozen corner of the Land of Snow.
The heavy snow that had smothered this land for untold years began to whisper, a faint rustling like winter's sigh.
The ice thinned and crumbled, melting into slender streams that kissed the long-parched soil.
Where the snow vanished, the impossible bloomed.
Beneath the once-pure white tundra, tender green shoots forced their way through, unfolding at a speed the eye could follow, greedily breathing the warmth they had missed for so long.
Next, buds of every hue—crimson, violet, gold—burst forth, blooming in the breath of the new-found heat.
Scarlet, yellow, purple… the colors spilled across the land like an overturned palette, turning the dead white kingdom into a living springtime garden.
The Land of Snow, imprisoned by frost for far too long, had finally welcomed its long-delayed spring.
Just as this fresh, hopeful season unfurled, a familiar, gentle, infinitely loving voice—seeming to travel across time itself—sounded clearly beneath the reborn sky:
"Believe in the future, and spring will surely come."
Koyuki Kazahana, stunned by the miracle before her, lifted her head sharply, tears blurring her sight.
She searched frantically for the source of the voice.
In the newly thawed, crystalline sky, an image slowly appeared.
That voice… Father's voice? Sōsetsu Kazahana's voice!
The voice continued, warm and doting:
"What would you like to do when spring arrives, little Yuki?"
With those words, a faint light gathered within the warm glow of the Geothermal Device, solidifying into clarity.
A small girl in Snow Country winter wear emerged—innocent face, eyes full of wonder: young Koyuki Kazahana.
Little Yuki tilted her face upward and declared in bright, childish certainty:
"I'll be a princess!"
The gentle voice returned, patient and encouraging:
"And what kind of princess will you be?"
Young Yuki thought for a moment, then answered firmly:
"A kind one, a strong one, a princess of justice!"
Sōsetsu Kazahana's laughter rang, rich with pride:
"Hahaha, that will be very hard indeed."
Now the grown Yuki, standing amid blooming flowers while her nation tasted its first spring, stared at the tiny dreamer she had been.
She murmured, half-dazed, half-wistful:
"I… actually said that?"
At that moment the loving voice answered, as though guiding her across the years:
"But if you hold that dream as faith and chase it without quitting, it will come true."
The image brightened, taking firmer shape.
A man in traditional Snow robes—resembling Kazahana Dotō yet without a trace of harshness, only grace and quiet wisdom—Sōsetsu Kazahana himself—stepped into view.
He bent gently and fastened a sparkling hexagonal crystal pendant around the child's small neck.
His gaze lingered on his daughter, reaching across time to the grown woman watching now:
"Can you see? Here stands a beautiful princess."
At the sight of her father, at those beloved words, the adult Yuki could hold back no longer.
Years of longing, loss, and burden poured out as hot tears, falling like broken strands of pearls.
Yet the child in the vision tilted her head, puzzled:
"But I'm worried—there's another dream!"
Both the father in the memory and the tear-streaked woman in the present froze.
Sōsetsu Kazahana asked, curious:
"Oh? And what is this other dream?"
Little Yuki's eyes sparkled as she shouted:
"An actress!"
The sudden, childish declaration shattered the solemn mood.
The Sōsetsu Kazahana of the vision blinked, then burst into delighted laughter:
"Hahahahaha!"
And the grown Yuki, cheeks still wet, found herself laughing too, carried by the echo of her father's joy.
Their laughter—one from past, one from present—blended in release and delight.
At that instant a brilliant seven-hued rainbow arced across the reborn sky, a bridge between heaven and earth.
Naruto, hands on hips, grinned at the spring-filled land, the rainbow overhead, and Yuki's happy tears.
This is how the story should end!
"Wow! It's gorgeous!"
Sakura's delighted cry from behind snapped Naruto out of his reverie.
He turned to see Team 7 standing on the newly awakened soil.
"The commotion was hard to ignore."
Sasuke meant the geothermal flare that hurled the nation from winter into spring in a heartbeat.
"We only meant to watch. The Director seems thrilled with the footage."
Kakashi's gaze slid from the spectacle to Naruto and the tearful yet smiling princess. "Yes," he murmured, "it was quite a show."
"A miracle indeed."
Behind them the old Director and his cameraman beamed like children, art itself come alive.
Mission complete, perfect shots captured, Yuki restored to her throne and her father's springtime gift awakened—everything had fallen into place.
Warm sun, vivid rainbow, blooming flowers, echoing laughter.
Snow's long winter had melted, and every heart felt the thaw.
A flawless, joyful end to the tale.
That was the happiest of all possible endings to the Land of Snow.
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1: Naruto: Rise From Hidden Sand Village
2: Demon Slayer: My Breathing Technique Is Actually Haki?
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