Somewhere in a bustling town,
Hinata, wearing her Konoha forehead protector, walked ahead while Kaede followed a few steps behind her. Just up ahead was the set of the "Adventures of Princess Gale" movie series.
As they neared the entrance, Hinata instinctively slowed her pace and glanced nervously back at Kaede.
"L-Lord… Sensei…"
She wasn't quite used to leading the way while Kaede walked behind her.
He had made it clear beforehand, this was her mission. He was just there to observe, and unless something unexpected happened, he wouldn't interfere.
That meant she was responsible for negotiating with the client, planning the escort route, and handling everything else along the way.
"Relax," Kaede smiled. "Go greet the client. You've graduated, you're a full-fledged kunoichi now."
"Don't just stand there like a dummy! Go on already!"
The second voice wasn't Kaede's. It came from a fluffy little fox, around 25–30 centimeters tall, perched on Kaede's shoulder. Its tail and belly were adorably round, begging to be squished.
Yep.
The Nine-Tails.
He had become quite the house fox. Ever since he started watching the Princess Gale movies, he'd gotten hooked. Curious about how the films were made, and bored with the current state of games and TV shows, he decided to tag along after hearing Hinata's mission details.
"Y-Yes… Nine-Tails-sama…"
Hinata replied timidly to the voice coming from Kaede's shoulder, then mustered her courage and walked into the film set.
Kaede followed at a distance, soon entering the set with her.
Just as Hinata was about to greet the client, an argument broke out among the production crew ahead. Loud shouting echoed through the air.
"I absolutely refuse to go to Yukigakure!"
The Land of Fire's most popular actress, Fujikaze Yukie, or more accurately, Princess Kazahana Koyuki, the former heir to the Land of Snow, gritted her teeth and snapped at a man standing before her.
The shinobi world was now completely unified under the Land of Fire. Even the former Land of Snow had surrendered and been reorganized into Yukigakure, now a vassal territory.
Right after she shouted, Kazahana Koyuki turned and bolted from the set.
"Yukie-sama!"
Asama Sandayu, one of the crew, reached out to stop her, but she slipped past and dashed off.
Hinata, who had just arrived and witnessed the whole scene, froze in place, unsure what to do as Koyuki sprinted right past her.
Behind them,
"Oh hey, that's Princess Gale," Nine-Tails muttered, his nine chubby, furry tails swaying lazily as he watched Koyuki run in their direction.
His voice caught her attention, and her gaze landed on Kaede's shoulder, eyes widening slightly in surprise.
"A… talking fox?"
Koyuki's astonishment didn't sit well with the Nine-Tails. His tails all stood on end, bristling with indignation.
"Hey! 'Fox'?! How dare you! I'm Lord Kurama, you woman!!"
Aside from Kaede (who had long since earned the right), anyone else calling him a "fox" was a serious offense in Kurama's book. To him, it was a matter of dignity.
Seeing the Nine-Tails go full fluff-mode and bare his fangs, Koyuki hesitated for a moment, stunned.
That one-second pause was all Sandayu needed to finally grab her by the shoulder.
"Let go of me!"
She snapped, turning to face him. "No matter what you say, I will never go back there… to that country, no, that village!"
Koyuki was the daughter of Kazahana Sosetsu, former Daimyo of the Land of Snow and its rightful heir. But ten years ago, her uncle Kazahana Doto hired snow shinobi to assassinate her father and seize control. She had been rescued during the chaos and smuggled out of the country, and ever since, she'd completely given up on ever returning.
Just over a year ago, when the Land of Snow surrendered to the Land of Fire, it became the last independent nation to fall. It was reorganized into the Yurigakure, and Doto was kept on as a puppet Daimyo under the strict supervision of Land of Fire-appointed officials.
Koyuki had no strong feelings about it.
Whether it was the Land of Snow or Yurigakure…
She had long since lost all will to return, let alone take revenge, defeat Doto, or reclaim her rightful position.
"Yukie-sama, no, Princess, please return to the Yurigakure," Sandayu said earnestly. "The Land of Fire would surely support your claim to the Daimyo seat and remove Doto from power."
As a former retainer of the Kazahana family, Sandayu clearly understood the political landscape.
The Land of Fire had chosen not to completely erase the Kazahana name for stability's sake. Doto remained in name only, heavily monitored and politically neutered.
If Princess Koyuki returned, the Land of Fire would almost certainly install her as the new Daimyo. She had no political faction, no power base, just her pure royal lineage. That made her the perfect puppet.
Installing a compliant, native-born noble was far more stable than parachuting in a foreign administrator. Even if Koyuki would wield no real power, she could live a secure, long life as the figurehead ruler of Yurigakure.
"That kind of thing... means nothing to me."
Koyuki clenched her fists, then suddenly wrenched herself free.
But her forceful movement caused her to lose balance, and she stumbled sideways…
…right into Kaede.
Watching her crash clumsily into Kaede, such a far cry from the poised "Princess Gale" in the movies, Kurama suddenly lost all interest in actors.
He kind of just wanted to go home and play video games now.
Koyuki steadied herself by grabbing Kaede's arm. She tried to regain her composure and prepare to keep running, but then she looked up.
Their eyes met.
Clear sky-blue eyes like flawless gemstones.
Silver-white hair.
A handsome, almost ethereal face. Not a trace of makeup, yet more stunning than any actor she had ever worked with.
Koyuki froze.
"S-Sorry…"
She apologized awkwardly, flustered, then turned and ran off in the opposite direction.
Even as she fled, she couldn't help glancing back, stealing one more look at Kaede… and the talking fox on his shoulder.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria