So what exactly went wrong?
First, a little background is necessary.
To begin with, the average Kumogakure ninja possessed slightly better raw physical conditioning than ninja from the other villages.
They also recovered more quickly.
Unfortunately, this meant the prerequisite state for Sage Mode—the absolute mental and physical calm of the Sage State—did not last as long for them.
That was the general baseline.
As for individual traits, Motoi was a single man. In other words, both his overall health and his individual stamina were practically peaking.
The biggest problem, however, was that Motoi and Killer B had finally reconciled.
All the guilt from attempting to assassinate B, along with years of other bottled-up emotions, suddenly erupted inside Motoi's heart.
And at the exact moment his emotions were surging, he forcibly began his Sage Mode training.
In other words, while performing the physical shortcut, his mind was filled with thoughts of Killer B performing the exact same shortcut right beside him.
Did that sound familiar?
That's right.
Naruto and Sasuke experienced something similar not long ago.
To ensure Naruto thought of no one but him during that period, Sasuke explicitly created a genjutsu world where nobody beside him existed.
After Motoi completed the "shortcut," he prepared to enter Sage Mode and began working with the owl perched on his back to gather senjutsu chakra.
Then, he instinctively opened his eyes and glanced at Killer B.
Although Killer B was also a Kumogakure ninja and therefore possessed higher physical srength than average, B was secretly a shameless degenerate himself.
On top of that, he constantly trained his right arm for the Lariat.
As a result, his individual endurance in that particular area was relatively low.
That meant Killer B finished the process and reached the tranquil Sage State much faster than Motoi.
Of course, entering the Sage State was only the first step.
Since Killer B required a Tailed Beast to help gather natural energy, the sheer quantity involved was enormous.
Naturally, his training time could not be compared to that of an ordinary person.
The only advantage was that all the real difficulty fell on Gyūki.
Killer B's own chakra was insignificant by comparison.
Even if they failed to gather the energy properly and ruined the balance of senjutsu chakra, it would not cause the host any serious biological blowback.
By the same logic, when using an ordinary summon beast, the weaker the summon was, the less help it could provide if its human partner made a mistake.
That was exactly what happened to Motoi.
Naruto's experience learning the Summoning Jutsu already proved that the strength of a summon was directly connected to the user's chakra volume.
Motoi was only a chūnin.
Naturally, an owl summoned with a chūnin's chakra reserves could not be particularly powerful.
When Motoi opened his eyes and saw that Killer B had completed the Sage Mode prerequisite but completely forgot to put his clothes back on...
His heart immediately began fluttering.
Distracting thoughts flooded back into his mind, and his body instantly withdrew from the calm Sage State, snapping right back to attention.
The senjutsu chakra Motoi gathered immediately collapsed. Even though the owl on his back did everything it could to stabilize the natural energy, it could not regain control.
Fortunately, Gyūki noticed Motoi's abnormal condition and hurriedly called out to Killer B.
Killer B and Gyūki immediately halted their senjutsu training, jumped up, and rushed over to examine Motoi.
"Motoi! Are you alright?!" Killer B was beside himself with worry.
Naruto had warned them that failing senjutsu training at Mount Myōboku would turn a person into a solid stone toad.
But nobody knew what happened when someone failed while using the degenerate shortcut.
Every person who trained with it so far had succeeded on their very first attempt.
Killer B frantically checked Motoi's paralyzed body.
"Oh no! Motoi's already turning to stone!"
"Stone, my ass! You're grabbing the wrong place!" Gyūki's exasperated voice echoed inside Killer B's mind.
"Then that makes even less sense!"
Killer B took a closer look. Gyūki was right.
But why?
Had Motoi started gathering natural energy before successfully completing the physical shortcut?
That made no sense!
Killer B transformed into a master detective and began inspecting the surrounding area for clues.
He quickly found evidence.
According to the scene, Motoi had definitely completed the shortcut.
That only made things stranger.
What happened to cause his Sage Mode training to go horribly wrong?
Killer B carried the unconscious Motoi aside.
He had already checked his friend thoroughly. Fortunately, the incident was not life-threatening.
The owl summon reduced the blowback, so Motoi merely suffered a severe mental shock and lost consciousness.
His body sustained no permanent harm.
Killer B returned to the spot where Motoi had been sitting and tried to imagine himself in Motoi's exact position.
What exactly would Motoi have seen?
A moment later, Killer B's eyes flew wide open. Covered in cold sweat, he rose to his feet on trembling legs.
"Dangerous... Way too dangerous!"
Killer B decided he absolutely could not remain alone in a cave with Motoi for a single second longer.
After fleeing the cavern, however, he realized he couldn't be totally irresponsible.
Motoi really was the best candidate for the training.
As long as Killer B was no longer there to tempt him, Motoi would certainly succeed on his next attempt.
So, Killer B found one of the Kumogakure guards stationed on the Island Turtle, briefly explained that Motoi needed rest, and immediately ran for his life.
He had no intention of informing his big brother, the Raikage.
If he told the Raikage a story like this, his brother would definitely assume he invented the whole absurd excuse just to sneak away and slack off!
...
After commandeering a boat and sailing far away from the Island Turtle, Killer B finally let out a lingering sigh of relief.
"Hachi, I finally understand how you feel." Killer B wiped the heavy sweat from his forehead.
Only after leaving the island did he truly understand what it meant to feel safe.
He was referring to the Great Toad Sage's prophecy that Gyūki had warned him about.
Killer B considered Naruto a friend, so he previously wondered whether the prophecy might simply be a misunderstanding.
He never took it too seriously.
But now that Killer B had personally experienced the chilling sensation of danger approaching from behind, he finally understood Gyūki's sheer terror.
What a precious and moving scene of mutual understanding between a jinchūriki and his Tailed Beast.
How touching!
...
Back in Kumogakure, the Raikage learned that his little brother had once again disappeared without a trace.
By now, he was used to it and couldn't even be bothered to get angry.
He only hoped Killer B would manage to complete his Sage Mode training while he was out goofing off.
According to the intelligence they gathered on the Ōtsutsuki clan, Tailed Beasts—living masses of condensed chakra—were basically delicious meals waiting to be eaten by the enemy.
The Raikage sent an Anbu to summon Kakashi.
"Kakashi, we've selected our candidate, and he has already begun training. We may receive results within the next few days." The Raikage informed Kakashi that Motoi had started the regimen on the Island Turtle.
After Killer B fled, Motoi finally managed to calm his mind and could now enter and maintain the Sage State properly without any... distractions.
"Then allow me to congratulate you, Lord Raikage." Kakashi offered a polite, formal congratulation, then fell silent and waited for the Raikage to continue.
The Raikage would not have called him into his office merely to report that.
"Kakashi, I'm pleased that Kumogakure was your first destination. Have you decided which village you'll visit second?"
"Not yet." Kakashi's visible eye narrowed.
He knew they had finally reached the important part.
"In that case, I have a suggestion." The Raikage tapped his fingers against the desk. "I highly recommend your second destination be Iwagakure."
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