The balcony was so quiet, Naruto could hear his own breathing.
No soft whoosh of wind. No crunch of boots on snow.
Only a stillness so heavy, it felt like he was carrying it on his shoulders.
Naruto shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable. He hated quiet. In Konoha, people shouted at him, glared at him, muttered behind his back—but at least there was noise. This frozen silence felt... wrong. Like he wasn't supposed to be here.
Still, he wasn't about to back down. He hadn't come all this way just to chicken out.
He cleared his throat—loudly enough that it echoed off the stone walls.
"Sooo... you're really a queen, huh?" he said, flashing a lopsided grin. "That's kinda like being Hokage, right? Big boss lady and all that."
Elsa stood by the railing, stiff and silent, staring out over the snowy mountains. She didn't even flinch when he spoke. She just stood there, as still as a statue carved from ice. The only thing moving was the faint breeze tugging at her long, white-blond braid.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. Man, this was harder than talking to Iruka-sensei after pulling a prank.
"I, uh, I'm not here to cause trouble or anything," he added quickly. "I just—well, I've never seen a real castle before. Or a queen. So, y'know..." His voice trailed off, feeling stupid.
Still nothing. Not even a glance his way.
Naruto frowned, trying not to feel stung. She was just like everybody else—looking straight through him.
He kicked at a loose pebble, sending it skittering across the floor.
"So... Why looked... lonely," he mumbled.
That finally got a reaction.
Elsa flinched. A ripple of something—not quite wind—shifted the air. Naruto felt it prickle across his skin like static, sharp and cold.
"I'm fine," Elsa said quickly. Too quickly.
Naruto snorted. "Yeah, right. People only say that when they're not fine." He stuffed his hands deeper into his jacket pockets, rocking on his heels. "I mean, I get it. Nobody likes to admit when stuff sucks."
Elsa's fingers twitched where they gripped the railing.
"You don't know anything about me," she said, voice flat but trembling underneath.
"You should leave," she whispered.
Naruto hesitated. He should go. But something in her voice—tight and desperat —made him stay.
"I'm not scared of you," he said stubbornly. "You should meet my classmate Sakura when she gets mad, she's like a hurricane! And Sasuke—" Naruto scowled, "—he's always acting all cool and mysterious. Bet you'd get along."
Elsa blinked, thrown off by his rambling.
Naruto grinned, feeling stupid but pressing on. "I'm just sayin'... even if you're weird or scary or whatever... doesn't mean you gotta be alone."
Elsa's shoulders tensed. Her hands gripped the railing so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"Please," she said, voice cracking. "You have to go."
Before Naruto could answer, the air snapped.
A pulse of freezing energy burst from her in a wave. Frost exploded across the stones, racing toward Naruto's feet like white fire.
"Whoa!" Naruto yelped, leaping back just in time.
He stared, wide-eyed, at the frost spiraling over the floor, then at Elsa, then back again.
"That—" he choked, words tangling in his throat. "That was like... like Ninjutsu! But... different. Cooler!"
[Ding! You have completed the task: "Find a person who makes ice."]
Rewards pending. Will be distributed upon dungeon completion.
Naruto took a cautious step forward. "So you can make ice," he said, awe threading through his voice.
Elsa backed away, hands trembling. "You can't tell anyone," she said, raw fear cutting into each word. "Promise me. Please."
Naruto blinked, heart hammering against his ribs.
"I..." He hesitated, but then he saw the pure terror in her face—not just for herself, but for him.
He nodded fiercely. "I won't! I swear! Ninja's honor!"
Elsa's breath caught. Her hands dropped to her sides, still shaking.
"You don't understand," she said brokenly. "If they knew... they would fear me. They would never trust me again."
Naruto felt something ugly twist inside him. He knew that feeling. He knew it too well.
He grinned—big, reckless, and full of heart. "People are dumb sometimes," he said. "But not everyone stays scared forever."
Elsa stared at him like she didn't quite believe it—but she wanted to.
Before she could answer, a loud bang echoed behind them. The heavy palace doors swung open, and the clatter of boots filled the hallway. Guards, shouting orders, their voices harsh in the cold air.
Naruto tensed, ready to bolt.
"Go!" Elsa hissed, panic snapping back into her voice. "They can't see you here!"
Naruto nodded sharply, adrenaline surging.
But as he turned to sprint away, he glanced back once.
Elsa stood framed by moonlight and frost, looking more fragile than fierce. A queen made of glass.
"I'll come back!" Naruto shouted over his shoulder—a wild, reckless promise flung into the night.
The frost crunched under his sandals as he vanished into the shadows.
---