A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm fresh out of my first surgery-hurts like hell!-and I managed to put this up here at points between the forced anesthetic. Bad news is I still have more surgeries ahead. Still, I'm feeling a bit better now. Really. I'm hanging tough though, having just come out of my first surgery...with two more to go! UUUUUGH! I'm on painkillers almost daily and I feel like crap, as to that effect. But I'm hanging tough, despite having a small heart attack the other day. God, that was NOT fun!

Anywho...here it is. Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rest of my surgeries! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! Hopefully I'll at least live long enuff to make it ta my birthday on the fourteenth! And just in case my health goes south...I hope you enjoy my works for all time!

Well then...here ya go! =D The first ever Naruto and Frozen crossover! I hope ya'll don't mind, but I decided to give the King and Queen of Arendelle actual names; its no good just calling them by their given titles or "Elsa's father" and "Elsa's mother" ya know? And with that, onward!

"Ice may be nice...but what about fire?"

~?

Ice is Nice

Three months later, Elsa saw the headband-and was drawn up out of her shell-for the very first time.

She woke one morning to find Naruto staring at it, turning its scarred and pitted surface end over end in his hand, finger the tattered blue cloth that somehow held it together. Just...staring. He was sitting opposite her at the foot of the bed, lost in the intriHis gaze was intense-almost haunted it seemed-as though just staring at it evoked sorrow and sadness. For some reason she did not yet understand, Elsa didn't like it when Naruto seemed sad. Even less when he sulked, nowhere near as often as she, but still enough of an ocurrence to readily remind the princess that his feelings could also be hurt.

For instance, Naruto did not like to be called whiskers. Not at all. Elsa had teased him once last week and he hadn't spoken to her for the entire day. She'd hated that. Hated it. Naruto was the one constant in her young life, an immutable pillar that weathered all her fears for those first few months, someone who accepted her, for all her flaws. They were both flawed in a way; Elsa, with her own fears of hurting those she held dear, and Naruto, with a quiet temper that-when provoked-threatened to send his powers spiraling out of control. Her powers cancelled him out, just as he did her.

They needed each other. Elsa had come to accept this early on. Indeed she'd learned early on that Naruto was just as vulnerable as her, that beneath fireiy temper was a lonely little boy. So it was with this thought that she pulled back the covers

"What's that?" she asked blearily, scrubbing the sleep from her eyes with a hand. When Naruto didn't answer she scooted closer to him until their shoulders brushed. She'd since found that even the lightest contact with the boy was more than enough to suppress her power, and that said effect lasted longer when she remained in his prescence.

Naruto raised his gaze, those eerie blue eyes regarding her curiously.

"Something important...I think."

Elsa blinked. "You think?"

Her companion nodded, his expression distant.

"I don't remember." He turned it over again in his hands. "I know that I should but I just...can't."

Elsa rocked back on her heels, considering.

"Then you don't know what that leaf means?"

"Well...

Naruto stared down at the headband and contemplated it, his finger idly tracing the leaf engraved into its surface. Truth be told, he wasn't even sure what it meant. What it signified. His memory was horribly foggy not just from washing up on the land of Arendelle, but from an older injury, gained a year before or that was what his jumbled mind seemed to be telling him. Whatever had done this to him clearly hadn't been plasant, he still had the scar on his forehead to prove it. In any case, wherever he hailed from-distant land or no-he sorely doubted he'd be going back there anytime soon.

Nor was he sure when he'd gained these pyrokinetic abilties, his most distant memory was of playing with the embers in his hand when he was but a babe. More than once he'd burned someone in the orphanage, but that was where his memories began to blur and fall apart. He supposed he ought to be grateful he even remembered his own name, let alone how to function. And then, there was this other mysterious possession he had on his personage, perhaps the only other clue as to who he was, perhaps even where he came from.

The necklace.

It was a simple little thing, a crystal bound by a leather cord. It shouldn't have instilled a sense of such awe in him. And yet he knew it was important. Somewhere, beneath all these lost memories, his mind just knew, knew it was important. But for what, and to whom remained a mystery. So too did so many other things. He was quite content with his newfound humility, the empathy he'd gained from the loss of his past had made a kind soul out of him in more ways than one, and yet...he felt as though something was missing. Perhaps...he had been just like this, unwilling to turn away a soul in need, before the accident. Perhaps not. There was so much he didn't know.

Himself, for example.

What had he been like before losing his memory, he wondered? Had he been brash and idiotic? A loudmouth who wanted to prove himself to everyone and anyone? One thing he did remember, was his love of the color orange. And blue. With a little bit of black. The king had said he'd been found wearing those orange-blue rags when he'd washed ashore last fall; now it was winter and he found his new garb to be much more pleasant, slightly lacking in the orange department with the blue overcoat and such, but more than making up for it with the black trousers, the cuffes of which were embroidered with just a the lightest touch of sunset orange. It reminded him of his gift. Or curse, when it acted up.

Fire was a frightful thing indeed. It was destruction, but it was also life. It gave of its warmth freely, and yet too much of that warmth could easily hurt. Harm. Destroy-

"May I see it?"

Naruto blinked, drawn from his reverie by Elsa's words. She was staring at him most strangely. Or more pointedly, his headband.

"See what?" his reply was short and succinct. He didn't like where this was going. Not one bit.

"Your headband."

"I'm not so sure you should-oi!"

Before he could even think to finish that sentence Elsa did three things. One, she snatched it out of his hand. Two, she reached back and parted her hair. Three, she took the headband and tied it around her forehead in a motion so swift it left his eyes and head spinning.

"Well?" she asked, offering up a small, tentative smile. "How do I look?"

"...not bad." Naruto was forced to admit. Damn, but the thing suited her. Even more when the lightest of flushes lit the teenager's cheeks.

"Really?"

Not a second after she'd spoken, a stray strand of pale hair escaped the headband's hold, wriggling free to tickle at her nose. Naruto knew what was going to happen next, even if she didn't. Elsa's face scrunched up as she tried to contain it, but fate had other plans. Nor would this catastrophe be be denied. She sniffed as the pressure built up in her head, traveled down her nose, took a deep breath-

"Aaaa...

"Elsa...

"Aaaaaa...

"Don't you dare!"

"AAAAAAAACHOOOOO!"

Her subsuquent sneeze blasted outward in a wave of cold air, smothering Naruto in a thick layer of ice. He sat there a long moment, covered in frost from head to toe, unable to move so much as a muscle. It might've been priceless were it not for Elsa's horrified expression. Poor thing, she thought she'd frozen her best friend! Elsa always had been too soft for her own good, she was a gentle girl who hated to hurt. If his eyes hadn't been frozen, behind the ice, Naruto would've rolled them. As it were, he merely heated a pocket of air around himself to blistering temperatures, slowly freeing him from his icy prison.

Elsa watched in awae as the frost began to thaw, wilting beneath those strange, red-gold flames. They were mysterious, intriguing even. They fascinated her, captivating her full attention. They were dangerous and she knew they powerful, capable of incinerating entire forests through sheer force of will. Well, maybe not entire forests but, she'd once seen him accidentally obliterate a score of trees, albeit unintentionally. Unfortunately, Naruto failed to account for what that much melted water might do to him and his clothes. In the end his grasp on the power deserted him, and he was left sopping wet from shoe to sternum.

"Oh."

"What?"

"N-Nothing!"

There was a silence. Then the blond looked down at his ruined clothes, first soaked by the melted ice then subsuquently scorched by the fire he'd created. Still nothing. Abruptly his mouth quirked into a frown. That was the only warning Elsa had before he started spouting gibberish-she was fairly certain he was cursing-in a language she neither knew nor recognized. Alas, his tone betrayed him, the venom with which he spoke syllables may have been directed at himself, but it still caused Elsa's ears to turn redder than the flames still wreathing his body. Finally, he dropped back into English, just long enough for her to catch a snippet of his rant:

"-does this always happen to me?!"

Elsa couldn't help herself anymore; at the sight of her sopping wet-and very much unharmed-friend she promptly burst out into uncontrolilable giggles. It felt good to laugh again, she thought to herself. It was...what'd her father once say? Freeing? Counting these last three months of Naruto's company, it had been nearly two years since she'd smiled-since she'd laughed like this. Two years! And she'd only just now started to open up to him; as near as she could remember this was her first ray of sunshine amidst the gloom in what felt like forever.

"Its not funny." Naruto glowered at her, his ire completely defused by his sopping state.

"Yes it is!" she snickered back.

His lips quirked, that should've been another warning. One she failed to heed.

"I suppose you're enjoying yourself, then?"

Elsa barely managed an affirmative nod beneath her giggling.

"Alrighty, then. My turn."

She barely had time to wonder what Naruto meant before he did something with his legs-heating the air around them?-and stepped forward. Forget the movement-just the motion was impossibly fast-he nearly reached her in a single bound, crossing the three feet between them in a blur of orange-red-and-black his forearm fully extended, poised to snatch the headband from here head. Elsa reacted; freezing not his feet, but the floors beneath them, coating everything in a thin sheet of ice before he could try and reclaim the stolen article. In hindsight, it wasn't the wisest thing to do. Here, in the moment, the result was nothing short of hilarious.

Naruto's swift advance turned into an equally swift flop, leaving him sputtering in surprise as he slammed facefirst into the floor. The ice melted quickly at his touch-but the damage-and the prank-was already done. His blue eyes glittered up at her, not with reproach, but...uh-oh. He was smiling again.

"Okay." he said. "Is there any chance you'll just give me the headband back if I ask nicely?"

Elsa burst into giggles again and shook her head; this time, her grin was entirely genuine. "You'll have to do better than that!"

Naruto sighed as picked himself up off the floor. Something registered in his memory, just then; he had the distinct impression this wasn't the first time someone had stolen his headband and tried to make off with it. But when? And whom? Once more, he received only the most vague of impressions. He reached out to reclaim it back from her, but once more she proved far too swift for him; clamoring off the bed with a frightened-delighted yelp, her smile wide and bright for the first time in their short-lived friendship. He tried to grab her again, his fingertips just brushing her pale blond hair as she danced away.

"Catch me if you can!"

"C'mere!"

The next five minutes were not very kind to Elsa's room. Whenever Naruto came close to catching her she would throw up a sheet of ice, either tripping him or allowing herself to slid harmlessly out of his path. Likewise he would use his heat to propel himself forward, destroying the carpet with his propulsion, ruinating wallpaper when he flung small, harmless -for Elsa- fireballs at the ice walls she constantly erected to hem him in. This was crazy. Chaotic, in every sense of the term. In those five minutes Elsa dared to probe the limits of her powers, and was pleased to find that Naruto matched her

Finally, they were exhausted; their stamina spent, their powers all but drained.

"I...give up!" Elsa gasped out with a laugh, flopping back onto her battered bed, her hair slipping free from its bun, coming loose from the motion. She didn't care if it was damp-or if the water ruined her dress. She was simply too tired to care. She still had enough strength to risk a haphazard glance at their improvised playground. What she saw there made her cringe a bit, though not in an entirely guilty way. Her room was a mess of melted water and frozen ice; the wallpaper had been scorched black in places, and her poor carpet was a shadow of its former self. Only her window had been spared the element's wrath, save for a small fire dancing a jig just at the edge of the wood. Was it worth it?

Definitely.

"Oops, missed a spot." Naruto raised an arm to extinguish the tiny flame still smolderng on the corner of the windowsill. Elsa beat him too it, extinguishing the ember with a burst of icy spray. Naruto shot her a scathing glare, his blue eyes smoldering like hot coals in the back of his head. She could feel his fingertips burning into hers, not painfully, just enough to cause a slight tingling in her hand.

"I said I had it."

Elsa stuck out her tongue teasingly, unfazed by his powers or his temper. Then an idea occurred to her."Hey, wanna see something cool?"

He perked up a little at that. "What's might that be?"

"This."

Elsa raised her arms and formed a small sphere of ice between them, just as she had all those years before. Then she raised her palms and flung it upward and into the ceiling. It scattered in a layer of frost, snowflakes falling immediately thereafter, the temperature plummeting as the flurries fluttered about the room. Within moments, a fine coating of snow had gathered

Naruto jumped up instantly, his black mood nowhere to be seen. A grin cut across his face, a look of boyish happiness taking over him entirely. "You're kidding! You can do that?!"

Elsa arched an eyebrow."

The blond realized his exuberance a second later and grunted noncommittally, but he didn't let go of her hand.

"Well, its nice." he muttered, missing the slight narrowing of her eyes. "Nothing special-

He released her hand and ducked abruptly; a second later her flung snowball whistled over his head. Unfortunately, in this hurry to dodge that first course, he failed to evade the second. Elsa's second conjured snowball struck him square on the nose and with an "Aack!" he tumbled off the edge off the bed. He popped up not a heartbeat afterward, covered in melting snow, armed with a small army of snowballs in his arms, filed nigh to the brim in his long arms. His grin could've put her worst fears to shame.

"Ohhh, you are so dead!"

Elsa squeaked, eyes wide as he came up swinging, hurling snowball after snowball at her. But she had some of her own, easily summoned with a flick of the wrist. To think-she'd been grateful when her father had given her those white gloves; now discarded, as she cast a snowball at him, pegging him dead center in the chest, knocking her fellow blond and his collection of wintery spheres back off the bed. Again. Naruto sputtered with surprise for effect as he fell, tumbling over the edged with a heavy "thud!" of motion. This time, he didnt get back up. Elsa felt her heart hitch in her chest.

"Naruto...?"

He was back up in an instant, grinning from ear to ear, armed with even more snowballs-if such a thing were possible.

"This means war!

Those words resulted in an all out-albeit shortlived-snowball fight, one that ended when one of Naruto's snowballs almost shattered the window. Once more they flopped back onto the bed, this time truly spent. Then he muttered an odd joke about her power causing her to elbow him in the side and then he was elbowing her and she

Elsa's bright eyes still glittered with the lightest hint mischief at the notion, a rare emotion, one he hadn't seen until now. Belatedly, it occurred to him that she was enjoying herself. But, there was only so much room in her well...room. He risked a glance out the window at this thought, momentarily amused to find snow outside. Really, he couldn't be blamed for what he said; or what happened next.

"You wanna go outside and build a snowman?"

Something in Elsa's face crumpled at the mention of that. All the joy seemed to fade away, replaced by a cold, empty feeling. Naruto failed to notice any of this, he was too intent on securing his prize. Playing with Naruto was one thing, but the mere mention of Anna was enough to sent her heart racing all over again. Not only did her sister not remember her "gift" but that gift had nearly killed her once. If she hurt her again, that would be even worse than death itself...

"Elsa?"

Now it was princcess's turn to blink, drawn from her reverie by the blonde's words.

"I think I'd like breakfast first." the lie tasted like ash on her tongue-soot and thick Erm, I mean..." she drew herself up suddenly every inch the princess her mother and father had raised her to be, using the full weight of her accent. "I request porridge, my good sir." All of an instant passed betweeen them, and for a moment, she thought he might rebuke her, not understand her little joke.

"Aye, me hearty," Naruto said as he put his feet together and gave a salute. It took all Elsa had not to giggle.

"Naruto, that's pirate. You're speaking pirate right now."

"Whatever you say, m'lady." he grinned, flinging himself off the bed with a deceptive grace, opening and closing the door behind him.

Elsa's smiled meekly and watched him go...

...painfully aware of the void his words had opened up in her heart.

"You finally got Elsa to play, didn't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Naruto offered a sheepish chuckle as he swept into the kitchen, his damp clothes drying with a quiet burst of hot air. He immediately set to work procurring a bowl of porridge-not even realizing who who had spoken to him until he'd gotten the bowl down onto the counter. That voice! He froze, nearly dropping the bowl-and he might have-were it not for a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, crap!" he swore, performed an about-face and an equally swift bow, finding himself face to face with the queen herself, leaning on the counter opposite him. "I mean shit! Arrgh, damnit!"

"Language," she chided softly.

"Sorry, sorry." Naruto apologized. "I tend to start swearing when someone sneaks up on me." he managed a nervous grin as he recalled her earlier words. "But yeah, I think I cheered her up. A little."

"I could've sworn I heard someone laughing halfway down the hall." It was not a question, nor could it be construed as a suggestion.

"I'm a people person."

Louise smiled at that one, an expression of genuine warmth, not ust for her daughter, but for him as well. Unable to think of anything else to say, Naruto averted his gaze and began rummaging through the cabinets in his continued search of Elsa's beloved breakfast. He wasn't quite sure what, if anything to say to her majesty. On the one hand, he owed her and the king his life and livelihood; had they not rescued him and taken him into the palace he'd most certainly be dead by now. On the other, he sometimes felt he wasn't worthy of their kindness. Or their trusts, for that matter. So was it so wrong of him to think that they shouldn't lock Elsa in her room? Away from her sister? From the world?

They were the closest thing he had to a family.

"You know, you remind me of Richard, when he was your age." the queen's voice came from over his shoulder. "So kind and dutiful, yet always willing to speak his mind."

"Richard?"

"I believe you've seen him in the paintings." one could hear the smile in her words. "The one wearing a crown and holding a sceptre?"

Naruto nearly facepalmed at his own stupidity.

"Ah, yes. His royal kingliness." Despite himself and the embarassment he felt, the former shinobi couldn't quuuiite keep the joke from leaving his lips. "The one responsible for my being here. And locking the gates. And keeping Elsa in her room like a damned hermit. All the time." He paused, realizing his verbal gaffe. "That...sounded a lot better in my head."

"I'm sure." Louise didn't chastise him, she simply sat there and listened. Mothers were good at that, he supposed. "We're just doing what we think is best for Elsa."

"It'd be better if the poor girl wasn't so afraid of her gifts. Even better if I knew what had caused that fear in the first place." Ouch. Could he have been any more blunt? Perhaps.

Queen Louise was, all things considered, a wonderful queen to her subjects, and an even better mother to her daughters. But what did that make her to him? She'd treated him like her own right off the batt, which was more than he could say for his parents, since he didn't remember his own mother or father. Speaking of parentage, where Elsa had gotten her pale hair from. Certainly not her mother, and definitely not her father...did it have something to do with her magic? And idle thought, best reserved for another time.

"Here we go," he muttered as he finally found the ingredients; within a few minutes he had a nice hot, steaming powl of porridge. Procurring a tray and spoon he set the former upon the latter alongside the bowl, did as graceful a bow as he possibly could, and turned to leave.

"Naruto?"

The blond paused, drawn back in by the queen's voice.

"Yes?"

"Take care of my daughter."

"Wait a second, did you just give me your bless-

Louise shooed him out of the kitchen before he could finish his sentence.

"Do you wanna build a snowman~?"

Uzumaki Naruto slowed in his stride, Elsa's breakfast-a bowl of porridge-sloshing precariously on the tray as he came to a dead halt in the hallway adacjent to her room. He'd heard a voice just now. Hadn't he? Was that...Anna? He dithered a moment longer, wondering whether he should investigate or not. Eventually his curiosity won out and he padded down the hall, risking a glance round the corner. Surely, his imagination must've been playing a trick on him of some sort. But no he realized, as he caught a flash of auburn tresses in the hallway, there she was.

Anna.

For a loong moment, he considered asking her what she was up to, asking her sister if she wanted to build a snowman. Yes, it was winter, and yes, he could understand a child's desire to play in the snow and such, but surely she knew of her sister's ice powers, didn't she? If so, why was she asking her to make a snowman when the poor girl was clearly terrified of her own ability? He himself knew precious little of the history between Elsa and her little sister-her father had been vague on the details in that regard- but Naruto knew trauma when he saw it. Why? Because he was a people person.

And that pale strand of hair amidst those bright tresses, why did it look so familiar...?

Wait. Wait a minute! That was it!

It all made sense! That stray strang of pale hair, Elsa's withdrawal whenever her sister was mentioned-she must've hurt Anna when she was younger! Either that had caused memory loss or something of a sort-hey, he doesn't know about the trolls, folks-it would explain a great deal of Elsa's phobia regarding her powers. Of course nobody wanted to talk about it! But if Anna didn't know, if she didn't remember, and was still trying with all her might to convince her elder sibling to come out...oh, kami, this can't end well.

...or can it?

Intrigued, he hung back and observed the most curious of scenes unfolding before his very eyes. There indeed was Anna, standing before the door. Mere moments passed before she did the most peculiar thing; she actually began to sing. Sing! As though a melody could somehow draw her sister out from behind that thick wooden door between them, actually form a chink in the armor she'd erected. If he hadn't done so himself a few minutes before, he would've dismissed it as hopeless. Or naieve. Oddly enough, he couldn't bring himself to decide which to favor.

He listened as she sang:

"Come on let's go and play

I never see you anymore

Come out the door,

It's like you've gone away

We used to be best buddies

And now we're not

I wish you would tell me why

Do you want to build a snowman?

It doesn't have to be a-

"Go away, Anna." Elsa's voice, muffled by the door, emerged to cut through her song like a hot knife through butter. "I don't want to play right now." The sadness and sorrow that flitted across the little girl's visage was sharper than any weapon could ever dream could be. Frowning, Naruto set the tray down, and the porridge with it.

"Okay, bye-

"It doesn't have to be a snowman~," Anna jumped as Naruto's voice drifted into her ear-picking up exactly where she'd left off, seemingly appearing from nowheres, those dulcet tones crooning softly to the girl behind the door, saying soft words of encouragement to her one and only sibling. "Oh won't you come out and play? There's nothing to be afraid of anyhow, why can't you see that now, just for today? Just have some courage, I know you're trying to, we're right out here for you, so let us iiiiin~. Dont'cha wanna build a snowman?" his grin grew slightly as he finished. "Don't grow up to be a snowman."

He paused, looking rather sheepish. Anna giggled.

"I thought it was nice."

The blond perked up a bit and they shared a laugh. That laughter was swiftly silenced when Elsa's soft voice emerged from behind the door:

"Of course I wanna build a snowman, but its not as easy as you say. You see I need to stay locked up inside, I hate to hide, but I know its for the beeeeeeest. I know if I come out there you'll just be scared, so please, Anna, don't you dare-

Naruto looked to Anna; apparently they shared the same thought.

"Hello Elsa, its me again, won't you let us in,

Anna looked to him for encouragement,

"Of course you can build a snowman, its really rather easy now you see-

Before he could finish, a loud bang on the other side of the door cut him off. There came a small click as the door unlocked.

Naruto paused, arched an eyebrow, his mouth frozen open in a small round O.

Then to Anna's infinite amazement, something incredible happened. The door opened the locking clicking to reveal just the tiniest fraction of an inch. Then another. And another, the girl within summoned forth from her icy prison by the sound of Naruto's voice. At once, Anna realized what was wrong. Her sister's large eyes, normally so calm and cold were wet, soaked with frozen tears. She stood there for a long moment, looking as if she might bolt at any moment, might slam the door shut in their faces. She took one look at Naruto and all but launched herself at him, latching onto him as though she were afraid he might disappear.

Naruto thrust a boot backwards for balance, surprised at the sudden between the door and the arch before could close it again.

"I didn't know you could sing." her words were the most naked of whispers, spoken to Naruto.

"Elsa!"

Naruto chuckled softly.

"Shall we build a snowman, then?"

Another year into his resdiency at the palace and things had improved markedly; Elsa was still terrified of her powers harming someone, but at least she let her parents touch her now. She had even ventured out of the castle a handful of times under his watchful eye. Their relationship was still a fary cry from what it'd once been, but it was a marked improvement to the stark isolation Elsa had preferred. Yes, she still refused to reveal, or even use her powers in the prescence of her sister, but it was a start. He wasn't nearly so secretive with his powers, however.

Unfortunately...some disagreed.

"What do you mean she shouldn't control it?"

A thirteen year old Elsa silently squirmed beneath her father's disbelieving stare; Naruto all that stood between her and her parent. The king was a kind and considerate man, all things considered, but even his patience had limits. Now he was practically incredulous, feeling that these last four years had all been for naught. Her gift had only grown that much stronger as time passed, and Naruto's along with it. There had been-would be-no control here.

Naruto, now fifteen years of age, remained firm in his words, trying to impress that point upom her father. It was just the three of them in her room and his voice cracked when he spoke but only just-it was clear in the way he set himself that he would not be swayed.

"Exactly what I said. She's in more control when she isn't afraid. And she isn't afraid when she's free from this room. But if you can't see that..."

"Naruto-!"

-THEN YOU CAN GO SODD OFF!"

Elsa would never forget that day; the day Naruto told her father off and slammed the door in his face.

(One year later)

Naruto beams radiantly as he pulls her up to the courtyard. "Are you going to tell me what we're doing yet?" Elsa asks as she feels his pace slow, hears him cease his humming. She's fourteen now, still awkward in her growing body, but nearly so much as she'd once been; stumbling only slightly as she speaks. Today, is her Birthday, and he wants to surprise her; here, tonight, after all the gifts have been given, he's roused her from her slumber and ushered her outside. To which she asks once again:

"What are you up to?"

Naruto gives her a secretive little smirk. "You'll see soon enough."

The blond threw the door open and steps out, taking Elsa's hand and helping her down the step. It's small gestures like this that are totally unnecessary, but surprisingly easy to get used to. Naruto wraps Els'as hand in his own, and leads her quickly across the field of snow before coming to an abrupt halt, just before the huge, sprawling expanse of the yard. There is still snow here but only barely, winter still clinging teniously to these lands, despite the encroaching march of summer.

At first, Elsa doesn't understand.

But then as she watches him rub his hands together and claps, she realizes what he means to do. She feels the moisture shrivel up-the night suddeny aflame with power and tension. A thin sheen of sweat glistens upon his forehead as he dredges up his gift and gives it life, lets it flow free from him-and pour out from his fingertips. The air is suddenly alight with fire and flames; tongues of gold dancing in the night sky overhead, for all of Arendelle to see and wonder. Creatures borne of the inferno, immaterial beasts given life by Naruto's power.

Elsa watches them wheel overhead, marveling at their majesty-at each of them-in quiet wonder; deadly dragons, lordly lions, terrible tigers, and countless other creatures she does not recognize. She know it then, that this is his gift to her, this delightful display that only he can produce.

"Happy Birthday, Elsa." These words echo in her ears endlessly as he takes her hand, sending her cheeks burning pink.

Elsa realizes it then as she watches the fireworks-literally, works made of fire!-spiral over their heads. It terrifies her to know that her feelings for him have become so strong, that they've progressed already so far, to know that deep in her heart she truly, completey...

...loves him.

(Severaly years later...

"Do you have to go?"

The words were thick in Elsa's throat. She was despondent, knowing that they would be gone for two weeks time. She had a horrible feeling about this, a terrible pit in her stomach. But she held it in and bowed to both of them in courtesy. Anna had bit them goodbye mere moments before, even now, Elsa could still feel the painful rift between her and her younger sibling as Naruto spent more and more time with her, instead of Anna as he'd done in their youth. It had shrank somewhat, but their was still a gap; quite possibly it would always be there...

But a small part of her was glad for it; that tiny, jealous part of her wanted Naruto all to herself. She didn't want to share Naruto, least of all her with sibling.

"You'll be fine, Elsa." The king's gaze traveled to Naruto beside, their disagreement forgiven and forgotten with time. "After all, you have him." Elsa sputtered at the mention of Naruto; at sixteen years of age, she'd had such thoughts about her companion/bodyguard of course, but as he remained two years older than she, it had always seemed inopportune. Inappropriate. Naruto made a noncomitittal noise, but anyone with eyes could see he was flattered by their words. His voice, no longer cracking with immaturity, rippled between them

"I'll keep her safe, your majesty. Believe it."

...you did not just say that." Elsa almost-almost!- smiled at those words.

"Hey, I don't know what came over me, just now."

Still, Elsa was grateful for him now, his hand on her shoulder, an immutable pillar of reliance as she saw her parents off to the harbor. She bid them farewell, thinking she would tell Mother how she felt about Naruto, to seek her counsel as to these feelings for her bodyguard. Such advice could wait until she returned of course, and until then she would content herself to do just that. Wait.

But she never saw them again.

Two weeks passed. Then four. Eight. Ten.

Word finally reached Arendelle that the ship had been lost at sea. There were no survivors. That night everything just...fell apart. She ignored Anna's attempt at comfort after the funeral, ignored...everyone. Everything felt dead to her, her normally calm power raging out control, causing havoc with her emotions.

Elsa remembered precious little of what happened after the funerals; she recalled locking herself in her room and screaming, her powers running amok as she tore into the furniture; deadly icicles piercing the walls and windows, an eternal layer of frost creeping forth fromher body, threatening to consume her very soul itself. And then Naruto was jut there. She recalled him melting the ice that entrapped her-taking her quivering form into those strong arms, holding her tight, crooning softly to her.

"It's alright...It'll be alright...

That night Elsa resolved she had lost enough already. Her relationship with Anna felt distant and cold, and now her parents were dead. Gone. She would never see them again. Never turn to her mother for advice when needed, never feel her father's comforting hand on her shoulder. But she hadn't lost Naruto. No. Not yet. That night she swore an oath. She would never lose Naruto.

Never.

(Three years pass...)

"So all these folks came just for your coronation, eh?"

Elsa froze, her pale cheeks flushing as a familiar voice whispered into her ear, accompanied by that all-too familiar rush of warmth when his hand brushed her cheek. God, when had he snuck up on her?! She turned to find him standing there, looking resplendent in his suit, a far cry from the boy she'd met on that cold lonely night, he'd grown into his own, a fine young man grinning from ear to ear as he stood in full splendor before her. And damn if he didn't look good in that suit...

Her arms were flung round his neck almost before she knew what was happening, pulling him into a tight embrace. She felt him stiffen against her, she was after all of age now, ready to be crowned Queen of Arendelle. And yet the cry that fled from her lips must've been the most girly-sounding thing in all of existence:

"Naruto!"

"Watch those wandering eyes, M'lady." his grin grew another inch as they pulled away. "Might give your bodyguard the wrong idea, ya know?

Elsa flushed.

He'd stood by her all these years, through the death of her parents, and more; it had been just as her father said; he'd been able to help her keep a lid on her power. He had been her bodyguard, companion, she even considered him to be more than that, more than a friend. But still, the question remained...

...would he ever feel as she felt for him?

Naruto's grin completely held her. Ensnared her. She would later realize he was still holing her hand when she finally said:

"Open up the gates!"

A/N: And there you have it! I couldn't think of a better way to go about past events than to do them in this fashion; already we see that so much is beginning to be altered sheerly by Naruto being present in Arendelle. Already events are changing-Naruto even managed to sneak in a duet with little Anna there in the beginning, drawing Elsa out of her shell more and more over the years until we finally reach the events of the movie. But all is not well on the horizon...

...The events of Frozen ought to be quite different with him involved...maybe Elsa'll have someone of her own by the time this is done *wink*wink* who knows?

So...in the immortal words of Atlas...

...Would You Kindly Review the story of this ailing man? And of course, enjoy the previews of two scenes to comee! Shits about to hit the fan!

(Preview)

Elsa felt her heart hammer in her chest as she was greeted by the men, these fearsome fellows wearing scratched headbands. Her heart heaves in fear as she sees their cloaks and though she does not know it, the fear in her heart is real enough to make her blood freeze in its veins.

"Greetings, Queen Elsa." one of them, a dark-haired man with darker spoke quietly, formally. "My name is Uchiha Itachi." He indicated the stranger beside him. "This is my partner, Kisame Hoshigaki. We've come from the Elemental Nations to visit an old friend of ours, Uzumaki Naruto. Might he be in attendance?"

His partner, Kisame, a fellow who could best be described as a cross between man and fish, grinned toothily.

"Yes, I'm sure he's just dying to meet us...

Naruto laughed, and the sound was like gravel being crushed underfoot. "You like that necklacke? Because I don't remember-

But then he realized she'd taken his necklace by accident-its comforting weight gone from his chest, now clutched tightly in one of her hands. That alone could be forgiven. But when Naruto saw she was about to slip it around her neck, everything changed. A sudden and inexplicable surge of dread filled him. He didn't understand it, he only knew that she couldn't wear that necklace.

Panic leapt in Naruto's heart at the sudden abscence of his mysterious possession, blotting out all else. His temper, buried so very deep was suddenly exhumed, roaring out of him in a rush of anger and power.

"Give it back!" Power flared in his fingertips, streaking an angry fireball past her head and into the wall, scorching the stone black, searing an furious line across her cheek. In the same instant she reocgnized the bloody cut she'd carved into his throat.

In her chest, her throat, on the tips of her fingers, Elsa could feel the throb of the power that scared them so. The power that had harmed the one for whom she cared most. In front over everyone...

They'd hurt each other, revealed their gits.

...here, at the ball.

R&R! =D