Thawing the Frozen Heart

10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

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I can't get the concept of idolization. I have people whom I respect for their deeds or the principles they live by, but I never feel even the slightest amount of desire to become like them. I believe everyone should live true to themselves—to make a path of their own instead of following in other's footsteps.

"That is Fujikaze Yukie in the flesh! I can't believe that I am lucky enough to see her directly."

As such, I could never call myself someone's fan.

"Who is she anyway?"

"Don't you know, Sasuke-kun? She has played important roles in a lot of movies already!"

"I don't watch movies."

The discussion that my teammates had garnered a look of annoyance from the audience around the set of the shooting. The damned Jōnin Sensei Kakashi wasn't even around, leaving me babysitting these kids.

"Quiet, you two. You are ruining everyone's immersion."

"Ah, sorry."

"Hn."

They had gotten a lot more obedient ever since we began sitting and snacking together during laidback missions. It was a blessing, so I didn't want to question them about it. Though, I would prefer them not to bother me so much. They had been coming to me for everything that they should ask their Jōnin Sensei.

Sighing, I stepped to the side when I heard the clacking sound of horseshoes. A horse stopped beside me a few seconds later, causing me to face it. I found a dress-covered leg hanging off the back of the horse. Looking up, I was met with the flat face of an attractive black-haired woman. She was no other than Sakura's idol, Fujikaze Yukie.

"Are you here to ask for an autograph, too?" she asked disinterestedly.

"Do I look like I—"

"Yes! Sign my copy, please!" Sakura shouted.

I glared at her, causing her to rub her head sheepishly. I sighed and waved my hand to let her proceed.

"I am not interested in giving people autographs."

The woman was an asshole for saying that after stopping before us, but I approved of her attitude. There is a reason why you should never meet your hero. It is also why you shouldn't date your idol. What you perceive is different from how they behave. It was a good lesson for Sakura.

"What…? But you just…"

Paying no mind to Sakura, Yukie urged her horse to move. A couple of steps later, men in Samurai armor shouted at her and told her to come back. She responded to their shout by making her horse run faster. I watched the scene in amusement, but the same couldn't be said for my teammates. They perceived that as a threat, so they jumped and dismantled the bunch of stunts in Samurai armor.

"Where do you think you are—"

"Sakura, Sasuke," I called, causing the two to look at me. "They are stuntmen. Yukie just ran from the set and they were trying to get her back."

I seriously wondered if they had ADHD. Kakashi had told us to enjoy the show. How could they forget that we were dealing with civilians who couldn't do shit against us? They wouldn't survive the Third Shinobi War if they were born in that era.

As my teammates awkwardly let go of the men and apologized to them, Kakashi showed up. A stupid look flashed across his face as he watched the unfolding scene. He talked to the manager of Yukie and then revealed that our mission was to escort Yukie to the Land of Snow for her next movie.

"Wait… this sounds familiar," I mumbled. "Isn't it featured in one of Naruto: The Movies?" Mulling over it, I eventually shrugged. "Well, it doesn't matter. I don't even remember how the movie went."

Since the escort would start tomorrow, I bid my farewell to Team 7. My teammates looked like they wanted to follow me, but Kakashi's lecture held them back. It was quite disorienting seeing the scarecrow in his lecture mode. In the anime, he had never cared about what his team did, after all. Then again, it was anime. Like the media in general, it only showed us what the director wanted us to see.

I decided to pay a visit to Ichiraku Ramen. It had been a week since I had last eaten there. The father and daughter ramen makers had always been sweet to me. Ramen would mess with my diet, but it was worth it if I could contribute to their shop's earnings.

On my way there, I spotted a suspicious figure wearing a comically large hat. She seemed to want to hide herself, given the way she acted, but that hat only attracted everyone's attention. Of course, it was not a problem, so I just walked away.

"You... help me out."

It would have succeeded if the said suspicious figure hadn't grasped the hem of my shirt and would not let go.

"I don't know you. Please, don't bother me."

"I saw you at the set!"

Facing the demanding woman, I ran a hand through my hair. "Listen, princess, my mission to escort you will only start tomorrow. You should go back to your manager as he is worried about your safety."

"…I want to look around." She sounded flustered, but it might be my imagination. "Please, escort me around. I will pay for your service."

"You should have said that earlier."

Smiling in satisfaction, I knocked her ridiculous hat off. It allowed me to see her astonished look. I didn't understand why she was surprised. Ninja did missions for money. We were glorified odd-job workers.

"Why did you do that?" Yukie asked in a panic once she regained her bearings. "I can't be seen—"

"Stop feeling so important," I interjected. "Look around you. No one gives a flying fuck about you."

It was not quite accurate. Most of the people were oblivious to her status, but some people did look intrigued by her presence. Anyway, she got my point, so it didn't matter. I offered her my arm and she took it without complaining. I did it as a joke, so I was quite floored when she took it.

"I have to say that walking like this with a man shorter than me feels different."

Yukie didn't say that in a bad way, but as a man (in a child's body), I felt slightly disgruntled. Yukie was not a tall woman. She was probably around 165 centimeters tall, but I was only 158 centimeters tall. I would outgrow her soon, but I was short at the moment.

"I am still a boy, Yukie. You would have to look up to see my face if I were already a man."

"I don't doubt that, but don't you prefer to be called a man?" she looked at me wonderingly.

"I may think like a man, but my body still belongs to a boy. I don't mind being called a boy," I shrugged. "Anyway, we are visiting a ramen shop first. I need to see my pseudo-family."

Yukie nodded her head in understanding. It was cool that she didn't complain, but I was slightly disappointed that I couldn't give out my reasons. I could rarely verbally jostle with people these days. Most people listened to what I said even before I manipulated them to do what I wanted them to do. It made me wonder why they were so obedient.

"Hey, Naruto-chan, it has been a long time since I last saw you!" Ayame greeted me as soon as we arrived at the shop. "And who is this fine lady you bring with you? She looks familiar."

"She is Fujikaze Yukie. I am going to escort her to the Land of Snow tomorrow," I introduced.

Ayame squinted her eyes at Yukie for a moment before shrugging. "Well, have a good time, Yukie-san. Call me when you have decided what to order."

As Ayame retreated into the kitchen, Yukie turned to me. She looked puzzled that someone didn't recognize her. I wondered if famous people thought that everyone knew them all the time. What a narcissistic bunch.

"Are you interested in having some ramen?" I asked, not expecting her to say yes.

"Do you have any recommendations?" she said curiously.

"Do you want something heavy?"

"Give me the light one."

Nodding in confirmation, I shouted, "Ayame-chan, one Tonkotsu Ramen and Miso Ramen, please!"

"A moment!" Ayame shouted back.

We waited for the ramen in silence. I was not interested in making a conversation and Yukie was quite a reclusive person. When the ramen arrived, we immediately dug in. We ate our ramen in silence, savoring the taste. Yukie seemed to like what she ate.

Ayame talked to me when I almost finished my ramen. She asked if I was busied by missions and I had to lie to her. She and her father had been kind to me, so I couldn't say that the food they made would ruin my diet which was why I rarely came. Yukie watched from the sideline, intrigued by our conversation. Though, I would appreciate it if she didn't pin her gaze on my face.

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Honorary Mention:

Faisal Salih

Florin Durbaca

Friday

Luck George