Start with the hardest one?
That struck a chord with Naruto.
"Yeah! Let's start with the hardest. When I eat ramen, I always save the best part for last too." Naruto nodded firmly, fully supporting Kakashi's suggestion.
"So which one is the hardest?" Konohamaru asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "We can rule out Sunagakure first. Even though we had that conflict with them during the Chūnin Exams not long ago, their Kazekage is on good terms with Naruto-niichan."
"As for the other three great villages, their relationships with Konoha are all about the same, right? Basically, we don't have much of a relationship with any of them."
"No." Kakashi shook his head. "As far as I know, Lord Third recently took part in an elderly brain-training activity alongside Rōshi and Tsuchikage Ōnoki from Iwagakure, as well as the Edo Tensei Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki, from Kirigakure.
"But the Raikage and Kumogakure didn't send a single person.
"Also, you two are too young to know this, but Kumogakure has tried several times to come to Konoha and abduct our people. Those attempts even involved... cough, people you might know."
Kakashi suddenly stop and changed his wording.
He abruptly realized that saying this much was enough.
Naruto was currently acting as a goodwill ambassador, traveling through the shinobi world to spread his unique Sage Mode training method.
He was supposed to arrive with friendly intentions.
Kumogakure was already going to be the hardest place to promote it.
If Naruto went there carrying a grudge as well, wouldn't that make things even more troublesome?
Although, in Kakashi's opinion, even if he told Naruto the whole story, Naruto would probably forgive Kumogakure anyway.
"People we might know? Who?" Naruto looked confused.
"Don't worry about the details. Since we've decided, let's leave immediately."
"..."
And just like that, the three of them arrived in Kumogakure.
The first person to notice their appearance was Killer B, who had built a stage right beside the teleportation point and was performing a rap concert.
The moment he saw the familiar face of Naruto, Killer B jumped down from the stage.
The pedestrians nearby let out huge sighs of relief.
At last, the torture was over.
Rap was one of those things where people who liked it really liked it, while those who hated it heard nothing but pure noise.
"Naruto, you finally came! I'll take you to see Big Bro!" Killer B walked over and exchanged a perfectly synchronized fist bump with Naruto.
"Hachi told you, right? Looks like Kurama's doing a pretty good job as the Tailed Beasts' communication relay."
The instant their fists touched, Naruto understood how Killer B knew he was coming.
A portion of the Eight-Tails' chakra was inside Naruto.
While transmitting chakra, it could also send consciousness and information back to the main Eight-Tails.
"I'm heading to Amegakure. Do you have anything you want me to deliver while I'm there?"
Yugito jumped down from a nearby rooftop.
She pulled two earplugs from her ears, casually stuffed them into her pocket, and spoke to Naruto's group.
"Hm?" Kakashi paused and glanced at Naruto.
Had the Tailed Beasts inside Naruto even passed along that information?
Kakashi had indeed mentioned earlier that the instruction manual Naruto and the others compiled could be sent to Amegakure for Orochimaru's group to examine.
After all, even though Orochimaru could not use Ryūchi Cave's senjutsu, his understanding of natural energy was definitely far deeper than theirs.
It would be useful to have him study some of the principles they could not understand.
At the same time, the conclusions they had reached might also help Orochimaru's research.
Even the wisest person could overlook something, while even a fool might occasionally contribute one useful thought.
"There is something. Thank you."
Kakashi took a scroll from his ninja pouch.
It contained a copy of Uzumaki Naruto's Secret Sage Mode Ultimate Technique.
They had prepared many copies specifically to spread among the major ninja villages.
Amegakure, however, was not included among those villages.
Amegakure did not need them to deliver a method for fighting the Ōtsutsuki.
That village was the true center of research into countering the Ōtsutsuki clan.
They were only visiting the other villages because those places had no effective countermeasures, forcing them to settle for this secondary solution.
"Don't worry. I won't look inside." Yugito accepted the scroll, attached it to her waist, and walked directly toward the Flying Raijin Formation.
"Uh..."
Kakashi wanted to tell her that it would not matter even if she read it.
The entire point was to spread its contents.
But after thinking about it, he realized that not reading confidential information one had been entrusted to deliver was a basic quality expected of a ninja.
They could not just stop following rules because Obito had once said that those who broke the rules were scum, while those who abandoned their comrades were worse than scum.
Besides, some of the content inside was hardly suitable for casual reading.
If this somewhat aloof Two-Tails jinchūriki opened it, became overwhelmed with humiliation, and tore the scroll apart on the spot, what then?
What Kakashi did not know was that Matatabi had already told Yugito everything.
Unlike Gyūki, who had merely informed Killer B that Naruto was coming to spread a Sage Mode training method, Matatabi and Yugito had very similar personalities.
Both were cold on the outside but gentle within.
They were true confidantes and hid nothing from each other.
Yugito had long since learned from Matatabi about Naruto's highly inappropriate Sage Mode shortcut.
Matatabi had even revealed that Kurama was deliberately hiding the fact that jinchūriki could also train using this method, preventing the other Tailed Beasts from telling their human partners.
Yugito was highly competitive and cared deeply about strength.
The moment she learned a jinchūriki could train this way too, her entire view of the method changed.
Matatabi had already explained Sage Mode's principles to her.
If a jinchūriki successfully mastered it, then in terms of chakra volume alone, it would be equivalent to adding an amount of natural energy equal to an entire Tailed Beast's chakra.
And Sage Mode was not something as simple as one plus one.
The terrifying improvement in strength was far too tempting.
But Naruto's method was also far too inappropriate.
More importantly, it was extremely unsuitable for women—especially women with no experience in that area.
That was why Yugito intended to use the excuse of delivering information to Amegakure to see whether they had an alternative method available.
At the same time, Matatabi had taken the opportunity to tell Yugito about the Great Toad Sage's prophecy concerning Naruto.
Naruto would only target the Tailed Beasts.
Their jinchūriki might not necessarily be in danger.
But Yugito and Matatabi had long since become inseparable partners.
How could she bear to watch the noble and elegant Matatabi be violated by that fury-obsessed pervert, Naruto?
So, while she was visiting Amegakure, she also intended to find a solution to that problem.
After Yugito left, Killer B led the three of them to the training grounds behind the Raikage Building, where they found the Raikage exercising.
Ever since Kumogakure had copied Amegakure's reforms, the Raikage no longer had to spend every day trapped inside his office.
As a taijutsu practitioner, the Raikage naturally preferred staying active.
Sitting behind a desk and handling paperwork was torture to him.
Now, he had delegated all official affairs to Mabui, Darui, and the others, allowing himself to train his taijutsu here without the slightest trace of guilt.
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