The mountains in the central part of the Land of Lightning are shrouded in clouds and mist.
A rugged mountain path wound its way upward through the peaks, where a merchant convoy of over a dozen horse-drawn carts advanced slowly.
The surrounding mountains were steep and treacherous, with a damp climate and perpetual thick mist. Anyone unfamiliar with the terrain could easily get lost.
"Oi, kid, we're almost at Kumogakure." Joey, a dark-skinned merchant on a carriage, looked up and shouted.
His eyes were slightly vacant as he gazed at the black-haired boy lounging on the roof of the cart, playing with a small fox.
The fox wore a mask on its head, with the character for [Three] etched on its forehead.
"Thanks, Uncle Joey." Menma replied, putting away the [Nine Masked Beast] and flipping down from the cart.
This convoy was made up of several smaller merchant groups. Since Kumogakure was nestled deep in the central mountains of the Land of Lightning, surrounded by perilous terrain and dense mist, outsiders often struggled to find it.
Therefore, Menma had used the trade routes of the Gato Company to locate a small merchant group heading to Kumogakure and placed its leader under a Genjutsu.
Soon, the convoy arrived at Kumogakure's entrance gate.
This place is guarded by two Kumogakure's Ninjas, who register all the civilians and Ninjas entering and leaving the village.
Menma hopped off the cart and gazed at Kumogakure, which is hidden among the clouds.
Amidst the misty peaks, oval-shaped platforms were built into the mountains, wrapping around them and forming a unique architectural style. Most villagers lived inside these oval structures.
Further away, the faint outline of a gourd-shaped building could barely be seen through the thick mist.
"What's your name? What brings you to Kumogakure?" The guard's voice snapped Menma out of his observations.
"My name is Danzo, no surname." Menma replied with a grin, mimicking Naruto's cheerful demeanor.
Anyway, the Blame Kage wouldn't mind taking on a few more blames.
He jerked his thumb toward the merchant behind him and said, "This time I came with Uncle Joey to sell goods from the Land of Tea. Also, I wanted to thank a Ninja from Kumogakure."
"Danzo, huh?" One of the Kumogakure's Ninjas made a quick sketch of Menma's appearance and registered it.
"What's the name of the Ninja you want to thank, or does they have any characteristics? Maybe I know them." The other Kumogakure's Ninja developed some good feelings for this guy who kept saying that he wanted to express his gratitude to the Kumogakure's Ninja.
"Hmm, he looked pretty fierce, with dark skin and bandages wrapped around his head." Menma recalled.
This answer made the guarding Ninja shake his head helplessly: "That description isn't very helpful. Plenty of people in Kumogakure dress like that."
"No worries. I brought some local specialties from my hometown. If I can't find him, I'll just give them out randomly." Menma said, pointing to the carts behind him.
The guarding Ninjas didn't investigate further, simply completing the registration before letting the convoy pass.
After entering Kumogakure, Menma parted ways with the merchant group and made his way toward the Raikage Building.
When he was in the Limited Tsukuyomi World, he had traveled extensively across the Ninja World and visited many villages. Most of Kumogakure's layout and architecture were nearly identical to what he remembered.
Yo~yo~yo~yo~yo~
As he climbed a staircase toward one of the platforms, music suddenly echoed from above.
'No way… can there be such a coincidence?' Menma's face twitched.
"Training since the break of dawn~ So hungry I could yawn~"
"The rapping master's favorite dish~"
"For lunch, it's sukiyaki I wish~"
"Yesh! Yesh! Yesh!"
When Menma reached the top of the platform, he saw Killer B standing on a high platform, microphone in hand, belting out his rap.
There were two Kumogakure's Ninjas nearby who were forcing themselves to smile and clapping along.
Villagers whispered among themselves, deliberately taking detours to avoid the area.
'I remember that in the Limited Tsukuyomi World, Killer B is a very popular singer.' Listening to B's off-key rapping, Menma couldn't help but feel nostalgic for the B of that alternate reality.
"Hey hey~ yo~ young man over there~"
"First time in Kumogakure? Yo~"
Perhaps drawn by the presence of a Tailed Beast, B suddenly noticed Menma not far away. His gaze locked onto the boy from behind his sunglasses as he called out loudly.
The two Kumogakure's Ninjas with B also turned their attention toward Menma. Seeing an unfamiliar face, they immediately grew wary.
"Hello, I'm a merchant from the Land of Tea. I brought some local specialties to thank a Kumogakure's Ninja who once helped me." Menma said, stepping forward with a friendly smile.
"I didn't expect to see a rap performance here too."
Menma added casually, making the two Kumogakure's Ninjas grimace in exasperation.
But B, as if finding a kindred spirit, leaped into the air with a dramatic flip and landed smoothly right in front of Menma.
Gesturing with his hands, he rapped: "Yo~ young man, you got good taste~"
"Wanna come to my~ solo concert~?"
B had been confined to the village by the Fourth Raikage for years. Aside from training in Kumogakure's Unraikyo, his only hobby was rapping.
While Kumogakure wasn't as openly hostile to their Jinchuriki as Konoha or Sunagakure, B had still faced ostracism after becoming the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, even surviving an assassination attempt by former comrades. And, well… his rapping was really annoying.
"Maybe next time. I should head to the mission center first." Menma said, scratching his head and politely declining.
Two other Kumogakure's Ninjas also approached.
One of them asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"I don't know his name, just his general appearance." Menma repeated the same vague description he'd given at the gate.
After listening to Menma's explanation, the Kumogakure's Ninja frowned and said, "Finding someone based on that won't be easy."
Ninjas were highly sensitive to intelligence leaks, and people like Menma who directly use appearance to find people is very suspicious.
Clearly, these two were now on guard.
"No worries. If I can't find him, I'll just leave the gifts at the mission center as thanks to Kumogakure." Menma said with an easygoing grin, radiating the energy of a cheerful, harmless guy.
Every village's mission center was located near the Kage's office, where Ninja's activity was highest. The two Kumogakure's Ninjas weren't too concerned about trouble brewing inside the village itself.
After all, in Kumogakure's long history, no one had ever dared to cause trouble within its borders.
The Raikage's infamous temper meant he'd likely smash through a window and start throwing hands at the first sign of trouble.
What's more, Kumogakure's Ninjas have always been known for their bravery.
As one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, Kumogakure's military strength was undeniable, as they'd fought Konoha to a standstill for years.
B and the two Ninjas didn't stop Menma, stepping aside to let him pass. They watched his retreating figure disappear into the mist.
"Yo yo~ brought gifts of gratitude?" B didn't know why, but he always felt uneasy as he watched the black-haired boy vanished.
"B! There's something wrong with that kid!" Suddenly, in B's mental space, Eight-Tails' voice boomed.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted from the Raikage Building!
A thick column of black smoke spiraled upward, staining the misty mountain peaks!