A Growing Affection

Chapter 47: Protecting the Twice Princess

Despite having been there before, Naruto and Sakura goggled at the movie studio as much as Hinata did. The sets, the props, the actors and actresses; their heads darted around, taking it all in. Kakashi shepherded his students though the maze of overhead lights, backdrops, and three-quarters rooms.

"Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi," Makino, the director of the Princess Gale films shouted, and waved them over.

"We're getting set up for the next scene. Yukie is still in her dressing room," he told them, "I'll have one of the kids show you the way."

The director flagged down a page, and instructed the young woman to take the shinobi to the actress. The intern led them swiftly past the castle wall set, to a line of rooms along the outer wall. She indicated one of the rooms with a large star on the door, and then nervously hurried off. Kakashi knocked on the door.

"Come in," a familiar voice. Without hesitating, Kakashi opened the door and entered the princess's sanctuary.

Koyuki Kazahana was already garbed in the costume of Princess Gale. But her hair was still loose, and her face unmade, not that it hurt her looks in the slightest.

"We'll have to hurry, Kasumi, to make the call," she said as they slid into the dressing room, not looking back.

"I'm not sure who Kasumi is, Koyuki-sama," Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "but I hope you trust her."

She glanced into the large mirror before her, and then turned to face them with a brilliant smile.

"Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura," she rose to greet them, "I'm so happy to see all of you again."

"It is good to see you to, Koyuki-sama," Sakura responded

"No need to be so formal," she admonished, shaking Kakashi and Sakura's hands, "And on the set, I still go by Yukie. Most of the people here don't know that I am Daimyo of the Land of Snow. I thought you were my stylist."

"Naruto, you've grown a lot," she looked up at him, before hugging him.

"You haven't changed much," he told her, "though you do seem more cheerful."

"That's thanks to you guys," she released him and turned to the last shinobi, "And you must be Hinata Hyuga. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Hinata blushed as the princess turned actress shook her hand, "Likewise, I'm sure."

"So why did our Daimyo hire us to protect you?" Kakashi queried.

"Yeah, shouldn't you have your own Snow Ninjas for bodyguards?" Naruto added.

"Normally, I would," she grinned, "But we just found a substantial vein of iron and copper ore. We are still working to rebuild, so I am negotiating with both the Land of Fire and the Land of Water for the mineral rights. So your ruler decided my guards were a security risk; that they might engage in some espionage."

Her smile grew even more ironic, "Of course, the real reason he did it, was so he could assign you three to guard me, so I would feel indebted to him."

Then her smile faded, and she looked more thoughtful, "Unfortunately it might be a good thing he did. There have been a few incidents on the set recently."

"What kind of incidents?" Sakura asked, suspiciously.

"Last Thursday, my costume came back from the cleaners two sizes smaller. Then, on Monday, all the mail to all of the actors was stolen. And just yesterday one of the lights came loose, and crashed between Michi and me," she looked a little scared, "If all of that happened over the course of the entire filming, it wouldn't raise an eyebrow. But this all happened in just one week."