Sakuya's P. O. V:
I decide to sing to pass the time for the rest of the journey through the tunnels.
"Ever ever after
Storybook endings, fairytales coming true
Deep down inside we wanna believe they still do
In our secretest heart, it's our favorite part of the story
Let's just admit we all wanna make it too
Ever ever after
If we just don't get it our own way
Ever ever after
It may only be a wish away
Start a new fashion, wear your heart on your sleeve
Sometimes you reach what's real just by making believe
Unafraid, unashamed
There is a joy to be claimed in this world
You even might wind up being glad to be you
Ever ever after
Though the world will tell you it's not smart
Ever ever after
The world can be yours if you let your heart
Believe in ever after
No wonder your heart feels it's flying
Your head feels it's spinning
Each happy ending's a brand new beginning
Let yourself be enchanted, you just might breakthrough
To ever, ever after
Forever could even start today
Ever ever after
Maybe it's just one wish away
Your ever ever after
Ever ever after
(I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss)
Oh, whoa, whoa
For ever ever after"
Sandayu says when I finish the song, "You sing beautifully, Sakuya-sama."
"Thank you," I say, smiling. "But, please, just call me Sakuya."
We soon exit the tunnel and come to stop. As everyone starts to get out of the cars, we discover that Koyuki has run away.
As we split off to search for her, Kakashi calls, "Fan out and look for her! Radio in if she turns up!"
"Got it!"
We split and I bound through trees.
I search for about fifteen minutes on an enlarged Homura but I see no sign of the Princess.
"Homura, can you sniff them out?" I ask and she huffs in response before taking off in a certain direction.
We soon reach the sight where we see Koyuki with Naruto in front of a train that has a man with dark hair at the front of it.
On a hill are Sandayu and a bunch of men in armor. I almost vomit at the sight before me. Homura stays in the trees. Sandayu and his men all have arrows in their bodies and blood stains the white snow. Doto had slaughtered them all.
Sandayu was still standing, however, but as a barrage of arrows fly towards him, a giant shuriken comes down and deflects them.
I blink my pink eyes as Sasuke appears then bounds towards the train, throwing a paper bomb that explodes. Then an explosive grenade comes down from a snowy hill and causes an avalanche upon impact. Snow pours over the train even as it trudges forward.
Kyo does the same.
I take out a kunai and attach a paper bomb to it before I thrust it at the front of the train. An explosion rocks it along the tracks. Ren doesn't throw his own kunai as he creates his weapons out of crystal.
Then there's another explosion from the back of the train, and I get the feeling it's Kakashi's and Hotaru's doing. The back end of the train car breaks off and the rest continues. Sasuke goes to pursue them but Kakashi appears beside the Uchiha and stops him.
Homura takes me to where Sandayu lays and I examine him. His wounds are fatal. He'll die very soon. I meet Kakashi's gaze and shake my head sadly. I see Koyuki with Naruto and Sasuke and I ask the men to carry Sandayu to the Princess. They gently set him on the snow, and the look I give my teammates tells them all they need to know.
Blood leaks down the left side of his face as Sandayu turns his head to Koyuki and says, "My Princess..." She steps up to him and gets on her knees. "Please, forgive me! I... I never should've gotten you involved in all of this. It's just... that every single one of us here... were able to keep believing, in spite of everything because... we knew you were alive! When you were little, and even now, you have always been, just as I, your loyal Sandayu, believed. So too must you believe in yourself. You have always been our purest hope, Princess! Please! Do not waste your tears on me!"
With a final groan of pain, Sandayu falls still, and his sword clatters on the ground.
Koyuki murmurs, "You are such a fool, Sandayu. I can't cry—you have my eyedrops." She then gets to her feet. "Are you all satisfied?! Let's go back. If you stay here, your lives will be in jeopardy. Let's go home, already."
As Koyuki begins to walk away, Naruto demands, "Go home to where?" This causes the Princess to stop short and look back at the blonde. "I thought this was your home, wasn't it?! What the heck do you need to go back to? Your place is here! Now face Doto and put your house in order!" Naruto throws out his arm for emphasis.
Koyuki says bitterly, "You know absolutely nothing." She turns her head away. "Spring doesn't come to this country. Our tears have frozen over, and our hearts harden with the cold."
I ask, "But! Aren't you the one with the power to change that?! I mean, at least... at least that's what Sandayu believed in, anyway... wasn't it?"
Without turning, Koyuki snaps as she continues walking, "I've had enough of this nonsense!"
"Hey! Hold on a minute!" Naruto exclaims as he runs up to her.
He grabs Koyuki's wrist to yank her back to him but Koyuki snaps, yanking her arm free, "Leave me alone, already!"
Naruto glares at her. He was about to say something, but then a huge flying machine rises up behind them. Mizore appears in the doorway of the ship and sends out his metal hand to grab the Princess. I gasp as she's yanked back to the Snow ninja.
Fubuki flies past and throws kunai knives.
Kakashi calls as they hit the ground, showing blue beads at the ends, "Careful!!"
We all jump away to dodge the spikes of ice that pop out of the ground. Makino is hugging a crew member while they cower with the assistant. Homura and I land not too far from Kyo.
Sasuke calls, "Sakura, Sakuya! Where's Naruto?!"
"Huh?!" She and I exclaim as we look around, only to see the Uzumaki using a kunai and rope to climb up the ship in the sky.
I grit put through my teeth, "Oh, you're kidding me! He didn't!"
Naruto then creates Shadow Clones to help him inside.
I face palm.
"Kakashi!" I call as we gather around him.
"I know. We will get Koyuki and Naruto back," He says as my other teammates join us.
"Any ideas?" Hotaru asks.
"I may have one," Says Kakashi with a closed eye smile.
🌸🌸🌸
Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, Hotaru, Ren, Kyo and I make a plan to rescue Naruto and Koyuki by going back to the castle and breaking in, before Kakashi and Hotaru steal a guard's uniforms.
We have entered the castle. Kakashi and Hotaru split off from Sasuke, Sakura, Kyo, Ren and I to go find the others. However, no matter where we go, we're met with guards.
The five of us turn down a corridor as we hear a commotion only to be met with more guards.
I channel chakra into my fists dash ahead of Sasuke. I swing my fists and they strike both men strongly enough to knock them out. They hit the ground and Ren, Kyo, Sasuke, Sakura and I run onto the bridge.
We see Kakashi and Hotaru standing with Naruto and Koyuki on a bridge.
I say as we run up to them, "This place is crawling with guards!"
Naruto says happily as we stop before them, "Ren! Kyo! Sakuya! Sakura! Sasuke!"
Koyuki says as she turns, "This way!" We follow her through the castle. As we run, Sasuke throws more kunai with paper bombs to throw off guards. We stop in a window, spacious room and a light comes on, causing us to look to our right. Beside us is an altar with a throne on which sits a dark haired man.
He laughs as he rises to his feet.
Kakashi says in recognition, "Doto!"
"Well done, Koyuki," Says Doto lowly. We gasp at her. She turns and runs up the stairs to her Uncle.
Kakashi yells as he goes to stop her, "Wait!" However, Nadare, Mizore and Fubuki block his path. "It can't be..."
Placing the Hex Crystal in Doto's hand, Koyuki says as she half turns to us, "This shouldn't be a surprise to any of you. I mean, really! I'm an actress, aren't I?"
Doto says, "And there you have it! Another brilliant performance by the great Yukie Fujikaze!"
Koyuki gazes at us as she takes out Sandayu's sword. "Yes," She says, unsheathing the blade. "It was all an act!" Koyuki then whirls around and stabs the sword into her Uncle's side. "I told you, didn't I?! I'm an actress!"
"You wretched...!" Doto grunts as he latches his hand around her throat.
"Princess!" Gasps Naruto.
"I always knew, Naruto, that if I ever returned to this country, I was going to die here!" She struggles for air. "At least... I could..."
Naruto urges her, "Don't you do it! Don't you stop fighting!"
"Naruto... it's only thanks to you that... I could stop running away... here at... the end..." Koyuki murmurs.
"No! Because all you're doing is running away!" Naruto exclaims. "Don't throw away your life like this!"
As she grows weaker, I hear Koyuki murmur, "I'm sorry, father, Sandayu..."
We all watch with stunned faces as the Princess throws Doto over the edge of the altar and falls with him. They hit the ground with a thud.
"Koyuki...!!" Naruto screams. He runs up to her and the Snow ninja make no move to stop him. However, the Uzumaki is thrown back by Doto who hits his jaw with an uppercut.
Doto chuckles, "You really thought you could kill me, did you, with this little toy?" Doto unties his kimono and the sword drops to the floor. We gaze at the sight of black chakra armor. "That's right; it's chakra armor, our latest prototype."
Koyuki coughs air back into her lungs as Doto slides an arm under her and picks the ravenette up.
Naruto growls as he sits up, "Don't you touch her with those filthy hands of yours!!" Naruto runs at the man but he's knocked back by a punch and tumbled across the floor.
"Naruto!" Koyuki screams.
"You're wasting your time," Says Doto. "Every ounce of your chakra has been completely sealed away." He ignores Koyuki as she starts hitting his side. Doto gazes down at her. "Come, let us go, Koyuki... beyond the rainbow."
She gasps as she remembers that as a line from her latest movie.
The ceiling caves in and a wire sprouts from Doto's back, pulling him and the Princess up.
"No!" Naruto yells as he throws a kunai with rope and it latches around Koyuki's outstretched wrist.
Naruto is pulled out after them.
The Snow ninja pull themselves out of the collapsing castle as my teammates and I do the same, the rest of the building on fire and crumbling.