Chapter 491: Spreading the Teachings in Kumogakure
"Start from the hardest?"
That sentence hit Uzumaki Naruto right in the heart.
"Mm-hm, start from the hardest! I also like saving the tastiest ramen for last", Naruto nodded vigorously, fully agreeing with Hatake Kakashi's suggestion.
"So which one is the hardest? First, let's rule out Sunagakure. Although we had some conflicts during the Chunin Exams not long ago, the Kazekage has a good relationship with Naruto-niisan."
Konohamaru stroked his chin as he analyzed. "The remaining three great ninja villages… their relationship with Konoha is basically the same, right? Practically no real ties."
"No."
Hatake Kakashi shook his head.
"As far as I know, some time ago, Third Hokage-sama, the old Roshi of Iwagakure, and Tsuchikage Ōnoki, along with Kirigakure's Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, who was reanimated through Impure World Reincarnation, all participated in some elderly recreational activities together."
"But the Raikage and Kumogakure didn't send a single participant."
"Also, you two are still young, so you wouldn't know this, but Kumogakure has attempted multiple times in the past to abduct people from Konoha. Among the victims were… cough, people you might even recognize."
Hatake Kakashi suddenly hit the brakes mid-sentence and changed his wording.
He had just realized that he didn't need to say everything so bluntly.
Right now, Uzumaki Naruto was acting as a friendly peace ambassador, traveling across the ninja world to spread his unique Sage Mode cultivation method. He was supposed to go with goodwill.
Kumogakure was already the hardest place to promote it. If Naruto went there holding resentment as well, things would only get more complicated.
That said, Kakashi figured that even if he had explained it, Naruto would probably still forgive Kumogakure anyway.
"People I might recognize? Who?" Naruto asked, confused.
"Don't worry about the details. Since it's decided, let's head out immediately."
"…."
And just like that, the three of them arrived at Kumogakure.
The first person to notice their arrival was Killer Bee, who was performing a rap show on a stage set up near the teleportation point.
Seeing Naruto appear, Killer Bee immediately jumped down from the stage.
The passing villagers all let out a sigh of relief.
Finally, they didn't have to suffer anymore.
Rap was like that—people who liked it loved it, but for those who didn't, it was pure noise.
"Yo Naruto, you finally came! I'll take you to see Big Bro!"
Killer Bee greeted Naruto with a perfectly synchronized fist bump.
"Oh? So it was Eight-Tails who told you? Looks like Kurama is doing a good job as the communication relay station."
Naruto immediately understood why Killer Bee already knew.
Inside Naruto, part of Eight-Tails could transmit chakra while also relaying consciousness and information to the main body.
"I'm going to Amegakure. Do you have anything you want me to bring along the way?"
Nii Yugito jumped down from a nearby rooftop, pulling two earplugs out of her ears and casually stuffing them into her pocket as she spoke.
"Hm?"
Hatake Kakashi paused and glanced at Naruto.
Had this already been relayed through the tailed beasts inside Naruto?
He had indeed mentioned to Naruto before that the "experience compilation manual" they had summarized together could be sent to Amegakure for Orochimaru and the others to review.
After all, even though Orochimaru didn't practice Ryūchi Cave Sage Arts, his understanding was definitely deeper than theirs.
It would be useful for analyzing some of the principles they still couldn't figure out.
At the same time, what they had compiled might also help Orochimaru's research.
A wise man may think a thousand times and still make a mistake; a fool may think a thousand times and gain something.
"Yes, there is something. I'll trouble you with it."
Hatake Kakashi took a scroll from his ninja tool pouch. It was a copy of Naruto's Secret Ultimate Technique.
They had prepared many copies like this specifically for distribution to the major ninja villages.
And among those villages, Amegakure was the only exception.
They didn't need to send information there about methods to counter the Ōtsutsuki clan—Amegakure was already the true core of research in that area.
Their visits to the other villages were simply because those villages lacked any countermeasures and had to be given second-hand solutions.
"Don't worry, I won't peek", Nii Yugito said, taking the scroll and hanging it at her waist before heading straight toward the Flying Thunder Formation teleport point.
"Uh."
Hatake Kakashi actually wanted to say it was fine even if she looked—it was meant to be spread anyway.
But after thinking about it, he stopped himself.
A ninja not peeking at entrusted intelligence was basic professionalism.
And he couldn't just ignore rules like that, could he, just because Uchiha Obito once said that anyone who doesn't follow rules is trash, and anyone who doesn't care about comrades is worse than trash.
Besides, some of the contents inside were a bit… inappropriate. If she opened it and got embarrassed, this somewhat cold Two-Tails jinchūriki might just tear the scroll apart.
What Hatake Kakashi didn't know was that the Two-Tails had already told Yugito everything.
Unlike Gyūki, who only told Killer Bee about Naruto's Sage Mode shortcut, Matatabi and Nii Yugito were similar in personality—both outwardly cold but inwardly gentle.
They were confidants to each other and naturally shared everything.
Yugito had already learned from Matatabi about Naruto's rather shameless shortcut to Sage Mode.
Matatabi had even told her about how Kurama deliberately prevented the tailed beasts from revealing that this method could also be learned by jinchūriki.
Yugito was someone who valued strength very highly.
Once she learned that jinchūriki could also train this way, her entire perspective immediately changed.
Matatabi had already explained the principles of Sage Mode to her.
If a jinchūriki succeeded in mastering it, the sheer chakra increase would be equivalent to adding the natural energy equivalent of an entire tailed beast's chakra reserves.
And Sage Mode was not a simple "1+1" improvement.
The boost in power was terrifyingly attractive.
However, Naruto's method was… far too shameless.
More importantly, it was not suitable for girls—especially innocent, unmarried girls.
So Yugito decided that while she would deliver the message to Amegakure, she would also check whether there were alternative methods.
At the same time, Matatabi took this opportunity to tell her about the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage regarding Naruto.
Naruto would only target tailed beasts; jinchūriki might not necessarily be in danger—but Yugito and Matatabi were already inseparable friends who shared one heart and one mind.
How could she bear to see the noble and elegant Matatabi be "corrupted" by Naruto, that shameless furry-loving pervert?
So, the trip to Amegakure would also involve resolving that matter.
After Yugito left, Killer Bee led the group to the training ground behind the Raikage building, where they met the Raikage, who was in the middle of training.
Ever since Kumogakure had adopted reforms modeled after Amegakure, the Raikage no longer had to sit in his office all day.
As a taijutsu specialist, the Raikage was naturally energetic, and sitting in an office handling paperwork was torture for him.
Now, he had dumped all administrative work onto Mabui and Darui, allowing himself to train freely here without any psychological burden.
(End of this chapter)