Koyuki's father had long ago told her where the treasure was hidden and how to open it. Originally, he had said they would wait until her birthday and go unlock it together.
But unexpectedly, that information somehow leaked out.
Less than a week before her birthday, Doto launched a coup and directly killed him.
Koyuki was forced into exile, and from that point on, she never had another chance to open the treasure.
To her, that treasure was her father's keepsake, the final proof of all the love and care he had given her.
Now that she could finally see with her own eyes what her father had left behind, she looked even more emotional than Sasuke, Naruto, and Gaara.
The group quickened their pace, and before long, they arrived deep within the snow mountains outside the capital.
There seemed to be traces of human craftsmanship here. At the very front stood an enormous platform, though it was now buried beneath thick snow.
Behind it towered several giant peaks, smooth and reflective like mirrors.
Koyuki took a deep breath, trying her best to calm herself.
In a slightly hoarse voice, she slowly said, "Lord Yuzuru, this is the place. I'll open the treasure now."
After speaking, she gripped the hexagonal crystal pendant in her hand and walked toward the platform.
At the center of the platform, a raised pedestal slowly emerged. In the middle of it was a slot that matched the hexagonal crystal pendant perfectly.
She placed the pendant into it, and a series of clicking mechanical sounds began to echo out.
Not long after, a warm breeze drifted past.
She froze for a moment and touched her face in disbelief.
The Land of Snow was cold all year round, so how could a warm wind possibly brush against her skin?
Before she could think any further, cries of surprise came from behind her from Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara.
"The snow is melting!"
"It's a rainbow, so beautiful!"
"Wow, Auntie Koyuki, hurry and look!"
Hearing their voices, she lifted her head.
The snow on the ground was melting at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly gathering into a gently flowing stream.
The distant mountains, smooth as mirrors, reflected brilliant seven-colored light, casting a breathtaking rainbow glow over the land.
"So... this is the gift Father left for me..."
Two streams of tears slid down her face as memories from childhood surfaced in her mind without warning.
Back then, she had always been troubled by how the Land of Snow looked the same in every season, and she constantly complained that she wanted it to become like other countries, full of spring warmth and blooming flowers.
Whenever that happened, her father would simply pat her head and smile without saying a word.
Later, she grew up, learned more about the world, and naturally stopped bringing it up.
But she had never imagined that her father had actually made it come true for her.
Although the geothermal device beneath their feet could only affect an area of a few kilometers nearby, it was still more than enough to show how deeply her father had cherished her.
The others all sensed her emotions, so they silently refrained from disturbing her.
After a long while, she finally came back to herself and walked down from the platform with a smile.
She bowed deeply to Yuzuru and said sincerely, "Lord Yuzuru, all of my wishes have now been fulfilled. Thank you."
Yuzuru replied calmly, "No need. We each got what we wanted."
At those words, her eyes dimmed slightly on their own.
She turned to look at Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara, then forced a smile and said, "And thank you too, you three little troublemakers."
Gaara smiled and waved a hand. "We learned a lot too. Without Auntie Koyuki, we probably never would've had the chance to experience what a mission like this feels like."
"In that sense, we should be thanking you instead."
Sasuke, meanwhile, lifted his chin proudly and said with complete confidence, "There's no need to thank me. I only helped because I wanted to sharpen myself. It's just a shame this mission didn't have any truly strong opponents."
After spending this much time with him, Koyuki more or less understood his personality by now, so she immediately replied, "Sasuke, is it possible that it's not because the enemies were weak... but because you're just too strong?"
He froze for a second, then the corners of his mouth immediately curved upward.
"Look at you," Naruto muttered under his breath before running over and leaning close to Koyuki's ear to whisper, "Auntie Koyuki, you might not know this, but Father is a pure-blooded Uchiha."
"So in certain situations, it's best to interpret what he says in reverse."
She blinked in surprise, and then her beautiful eyes lit up all over again. "Really?"
Naruto nodded. "I never lie."
She gently rubbed his head and said softly, "Naruto, thank you for the reminder."
"No problem. I'm also really looking forward to a big star like Auntie Koyuki becoming part of my family."
The infectious smile on his face instantly made her eyes curve into crescents.
"What are you two whispering about?"
"Nothing."
Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who was still secretly thrilled from being praised by Koyuki, and let out a smug little snort.
Sasuke, if you're going to make it in this world, you need background too.
You keep acting all cool all the time, but from now on, I'm going to stay one step ahead of you everywhere!
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Over the following days, with Yuzuru's help, Koyuki spread the truth about Doto murdering his older brother and seizing the throne.
Once the people of the Land of Snow learned that Doto was dead, the entire nation erupted in celebration.
They already lived in a bitterly cold land where life was hard enough as it was. After Doto took power, things only became worse.
In order to continue researching Chakra Armor, he constantly imposed taxes under all sorts of excuses, making life utterly miserable for the people of the Land of Snow.
Almost every day, someone failed to live long enough to see the sunrise, freezing to death or starving to death in the bitter cold of the night.
They had resisted several times, but every single attempt had been bloodily crushed by Doto and his subordinates.
Now that the bastard was finally dead, the people of the Land of Snow were naturally overjoyed.
After a grand ceremony was held, Koyuki followed Yuzuru back to Konoha.
Her original wish had only ever been to avenge her father. Now that her revenge had been fulfilled, she had no desire to remain in the Land of Snow any longer.
One thing worth mentioning was that, at her suggestion, Sandayu Asama was entrusted with great responsibility and became the true acting ruler of the Land of Snow.
This old man, who had drifted through hardship for half his life, had finally lived to see the clouds part and the moon appear. He swore over and over that he would serve loyally until death.
Yuzuru, however, remained noncommittal.
On matters like this, he and Orochimaru shared the exact same view.
Everyone changes.
The qualities a person can hold onto through poverty and suffering are not necessarily the same ones they can keep after obtaining power, wealth, and status.