"Go back? Didn't you just answer that for me?"
Koyuki sighed, taking a sip from her flask. "Sandayu's people are no match for my uncle's army. Even if we overthrow him with Konoha's help... I'm just an actress. I did not how to run a country."
Because Makoto had previously voiced her inner thoughts and provided her with a new movie script, Kazahana Koyuki's attitude toward Makoto was completely different from her attitude toward Kakashi.
"Then develop movies," Makoto shrugged.
"Huh?"
"Since that's all you know, turn the Land of Snow into... Holly-Snow. A movie nation."
"It won't work," Koyuki shook her head, rejecting the idea immediately. "The environment is too harsh. There's no spring, just eternal ice and snow. It's fine for shooting niche winter films, but a 'Movie Nation'? Impossible. Actors don't like getting frostbite."
"Your... these..." Makoto pointed at her chest.
"Huh?"
Koyuki looked down and her face flushed bright red.
She immediately crossed her arms over her chest, covering her cleavage.
"Pervert!"
"I meant your necklace," Makoto deadpanned.
"...Oh."
Koyuki looked embarrassed. She released her collar and pulled out the crystal necklace she wore.
It was a hexagonal crystal that glowed faintly.
"This was left to me by my father," she muttered.
"This is the key," Makoto explained. "It activates a geothermal generator hidden beneath the ice. Once activated, it will melt the glaciers and bring actual spring to the Land of Snow."
"...How do you know that?"
Koyuki was stunned.
She didn't think Makoto was lying—his tone was too factual.
But she was puzzled.
Even she didn't know that. Her uncle Doto didn't know that. How did this random dude know?
"Intelligence," Makoto said simply.
"Understood." Koyuki nodded.
In the ninja world, information was god.
If Makoto knew, he probably has a lot of spy.
"Using geothermal devices to melt snow for farming is inefficient," Makoto continued his pitch. "But using them to create controlled, seasonal climates for movie production? That's practical. You can have a tropical beach in the middle of a blizzard."
"For daily necessities, the Land of Snow can join the 'Council for Mutual Economic Assistance'—a trade union I initiated. The nearby Land of Earth can provide you with food and raw materials."
Makoto pulled out a scroll and unrolled it on the table.
"Look. This is the trade agreement signed by the Fourth Tsuchikage."
"That's... kinda impressive..." Koyuki stared blankly at the signatures.
Fourth Tsuchikage... Kurotsuchi. Fifth Mizukage... Mei Terumi.
She froze.
She had originally thought Makoto was just a talented ninja, maybe like Jiraiya—a fighter who wrote books on the side.
She never expected him to be a mastermind who casually carried treaties signed by Kage in his pocket.
"Then... about Doto..."
Her mind overwhelmed by Makoto's grand vision, Koyuki suddenly felt that her terrifying uncle didn't seem so scary anymore.
He was just a small obstacle in a much larger plan!
"Don't worry," Makoto waved his hand dismissively. "That guy is a joke. He develops some budget 'Chakra Armor' and thinks he can sweep the Five Great Nations? If the Stone Village wasn't busy with their own revolution, a single squad of their demolition corps would have wiped him out."
Makoto didn't elaborate.
To a civilian like her, explaining power levels was pointless.
As for the terrifying "Shit missile" incident back in Konoha? Makoto felt it wasn't suitable proof of his competence.
So.... he blame Gaara.
"I... I believe you," Koyuki took a deep breath. She capped her flask. "Alright. I'll go back!"
She picked up the script Makoto had left on the table.
"Everyone! Pack up! We're leaving!"
"Just like that?" Kakashi tilted his head, watching from the doorway. "She's convinced?"
He felt like his worldview had been shattered.
Is this how diplomacy works? Just insult them and offer them a deal?
....
Port of the Land of Fire.
The film crew boarded the massive ship destined for the Land of Snow.
Throughout the journey, Koyuki sat in her cabin, obsessively reading Makoto's script.
She was immersed in the characters, crying occasionally.
"Can I take a look? Just one glance..."
On the deck, Naruto was practically vibrating with curiosity.
"Naruto," Kakashi lectured, sitting on the railing with his nose buried in Icha Icha Paradise. "If you read it now, you'll spoil the movie. Besides, this is a trade secret. Artists protect their work."
"Actually, it doesn't matter," Makoto walked over, holding a stack of papers. "As long as you sign a non-disclosure agreement, you can read it freely."
"Besides," Makoto shrugged. "You're going to see us filming it anyway. Spoilers are inevitable."
"Also, you're ninjas. By the time this movie hits theaters, you'll probably be busy saving the world or chasing cats. You might never get to see it."
Before Makoto could finish, Naruto had already snatched a blank scroll and a brush.
"Gimme! I wanna sign!"
"Since you put it that way... I'll sign one too."
Swish.
Kakashi instantly pocketed his porn book.
He appeared beside Naruto in a blur of speed and snatched the brush.
"Hey!"
Truth be told, Kakashi had been dying to read Makoto's script.
The man who orchestrated the "Shit" incident had a twisted mind, and Kakashi wanted to see what kind of story he wrote.
Sakura and Sasuke also came over.
They signed the NDA and grabbed copies of the script.
The title of the movie was: "The Lotus Lantern."
It was a heavily adapted version of the Japanese legend, rewritten by Makoto to fit the Naruto world.
The story:
A long, long time ago, a goddess named Kaguya descended to the mortal world.
She brought power and hope to humanity.
But she knew her origins would eventually come for her.
For this reason, Kaguya yearned for power.
Not for conquest, but to protect her children and her world.
But her eldest son did not understand her.
He believed his mother had abandoned love for power.
He saw her paranoia as tyranny.
He failed to realize the cruel truth: If his mother picked up the sword, she could not hug him.
But if she put it down, she could not protect him.
The son, blinded by righteousness, mercilessly sealed his mother into the moon.
Kaguya's newborn youngest daughter, Kagura (played by Koyuki), watched in despair as her mother was ripped away from the world.
She was powerless.
But Kagura did not give up.
Though weak compared to her god-like brother, she inherited the resilience of humanity and the longevity of the gods.
She vowed that even if it took a thousand years... even if she had to split mountains and cross seas of fire... she would rescue her mother.
She would break the moon!
...
While everyone on deck was engrossed in the script, Koyuki was in the recording booth below deck.
The melody of the theme song flowed through the speakers.
The lyrics, written by Makoto, were haunting.
"The stars in the sky are so beautiful... but without you, everything lacks vitality. I don't want to see you only in the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
And:
"I cross mountains and rivers for you, with no heart to admire the scenery. My destination is you."
Watching the story unfold in their minds and listening to the music...
Sasuke stared at the page.
He thought of his own parents. His mother, Mikoto. His father, Fugaku.
'Rescue the mother...'
His demeanor softened. The usual Uchiha brooding vanished, replaced by a quiet melancholy.
Naruto pouted.
He wanted to reminisce about his parents, but he didn't even know who they were.
It was frustrating.
Yet, he understood Kagura.
If his own mother were sealed away in the moon?
"I'd smash the moon to pieces," Naruto whispered, clenching his fist. "Believe it."
...
Meanwhile, in the woods outside the harbor.
A strange, plant-like figure merged with a tree trunk.
Black Zetsu was holding a stolen copy of the script and he was reading it intently.
His yellow eyes widened.
"If she picked up the sword, she could not hug him. But if she put it down, she could not protect him."
Black Zetsu sniffled.
A single tear (of black goo) rolled down his face.
"Makoto..." Zetsu whispered, clutching the script to his chest. "He gets it. He really gets it."
"He seems even more eager for Mother's revival than I am. It's... it's kind of absurd."
For the first time in a thousand years, the manifestation of Kaguya's will felt understood.
"I need to get this man an autograph from Mother when she comes back."