Chapter 19

Chapter 19: I’m Here to Deliver Local Gifts!

Lightning Country, central mountain range. Clouds and mist linger everywhere.

A winding mountain road snakes upward through the peaks. A caravan made up of more than a dozen wagons advances slowly along it.

Surrounding peaks are steep and treacherous, the terrain harsh, and the climate humid with year-round fog. Anyone unfamiliar with the area would easily get lost.

“Oi, kid, we’re almost at the Cloud Village,” a dark-skinned merchant named Joey called from one of the wagons.

His gaze drifted toward a black-haired boy lying on the roof, playing with a small fox.

The fox wore a mask over its head, marked with the character “Three” on its forehead.

“Thanks, Uncle Joey,” Menma said, putting away the Nine-Faced Fox and flipping down from the wagon.

This caravan was formed from several smaller trading groups. Because Kumogakure lies deep within the central mountains of the Lightning Country, surrounded by difficult terrain and dense fog, it is hard for outsiders to find.

Through Gatō’s trade network, Menma had found such a caravan and used genjutsu to control its leader.

Soon, they reached the entrance gate of the Cloud Village.

Two Kumogakure shinobi stood guard, registering all civilians and ninjas entering or leaving.

Menma stepped off the wagon and looked toward the village hidden in the clouds.

Between the mist-covered peaks, oval-shaped platforms were built along the mountainsides, wrapping around them and forming a unique architectural structure.

Villagers lived inside these oval structures.

Farther in the distance, a giant inverted gourd-shaped building could be faintly seen through the fog.

“Name. Purpose of visit?” the guard interrupted his observation.

“My name is Danzō. No family name,” Menma said with a grin, mimicking Naruto’s carefree tone.

He casually pointed back at the merchant.

“I’m here trading goods from the Land of Tea with Uncle Joey, and I also want to thank a Kumogakure ninja.”

“Danzō?” one of the guards wrote down his appearance in a sketch and registered it.

“What does the ninja you’re looking for look like?” the other guard asked.

“Hm… kind of fierce-looking. Dark skin. Bandages wrapped around his head.”

The guard sighed. “That description fits too many people in Kumogakure.”

“No problem. I brought some local gifts. If I can’t find him, I’ll just give them randomly,” Menma said, gesturing toward the wagons.

The guards did not investigate further and allowed the caravan to pass.

After entering the village, Menma separated from the group and headed toward the direction of the Raikage’s building.

He had traveled through many villages before in the “Inifinite Tsukuyomi World,” so the layout here was familiar.

While climbing a staircase toward a platform, a strange sound came from above.

“Yo~ yo~ yo~ yo~ yo~”

Menma’s expression twitched.

“From morning I train~ stomach’s hungry~”

“Rap is my favorite thing yo~”

“For lunch I’ll eat chicken sukiyaki~”

“Yesh! Yesh! Yesh!”

When he stepped onto the platform, he saw Killer B standing on a raised stage, rapping loudly into a microphone.

Two Kumogakure shinobi nearby forced awkward smiles while clapping along.

Villagers nearby whispered and deliberately avoided the area.

Menma felt a faint sense of nostalgia. In the Inifinite Tsukuyomi World, Killer B had actually been a wildly popular star.

“Yo~ yo~ hey there, kid~” Killer B suddenly noticed Menma and pointed at him.

“First time in Kumogakure? Yo~”

The two guards also became alert upon seeing an unfamiliar face.

“Hello, I’m a merchant from the Land of Tea. I brought some local gifts to thank a Kumogakure ninja who helped me,” Menma said calmly.

“Oh, there’s even a rap show here.”

The guards forced a bitter smile.

Killer B, as if finding a kindred spirit, leapt forward and landed in front of Menma.

“Yo~ kid, good taste~”

“Wanna come to my personal concert~”

The two guards added, “Who are you looking for?”

“I only have a rough description: dark skin, bandages on his head,” Menma repeated.

The guards frowned.

“That’s not enough to identify anyone easily.”

Ninjas value intelligence. Such vague descriptions could easily raise suspicion.

“We can’t help much with that,” one guard said.

“It’s fine. If I can’t find him, I’ll just leave the gifts at the mission center as thanks,” Menma replied with a bright, harmless smile.

The mission center was near the Raikage building, an area with heavy ninja presence. No one expected trouble there.

Kumogakure had never suffered internal infiltration incidents.

The guards let him pass.

Killer B watched Menma disappear into the mist.

“Yo~ that guy’s giving off a weird vibe,” he muttered.

Suddenly, inside Killer B’s mind, the Eight-Tails spoke.

“This guy is dangerous.”

BOOM!

A distant explosion erupted from the Raikage building.

Black smoke slowly rose into the mist-covered peaks.