The central mountain range of the Land of Lightning was perpetually wrapped in thick clouds and mist.
A winding, rugged mountain road snaked upward through steep peaks as a merchant caravan of more than a dozen horse-drawn wagons slowly made its way forward.
The terrain was treacherous, the climate damp, and the heavy fog made navigation nearly impossible for outsiders unfamiliar with the area.
"Oi, kid! We're almost at the Hidden Cloud Village!"
On one of the wagons, a dark-skinned merchant named Joey called out.
His gaze was slightly unfocused as he looked up at the black-haired boy lying casually on the roof of the cart, fiddling with a small fox doll.
The fox wore a tiny mask on its head, with the character "Three" printed on its forehead.
"Thanks, Uncle Joey."
Menma tucked away the Nine-Faced Fox and hopped down from the wagon.
This caravan was a temporary coalition of several smaller merchant groups.
Because Kumogakure was located deep within the mountainous interior of the Land of Lightning—surrounded by fog and dangerous terrain—it was nearly impossible to find without an experienced guide.
Using Cardo Company's trade routes, Menma had located a small merchant team heading toward the village and discreetly placed their leader under genjutsu control.
Before long, the caravan arrived at Kumogakure's main gate.
Two Cloud ninja stood guard, carefully registering all incoming and outgoing travelers.
Menma jumped down from the cart and gazed toward the village hidden high among the clouds.
Between mist-shrouded peaks, oval-shaped platforms were built around the mountains themselves, forming a unique and striking architectural layout.
Most villagers lived inside these massive structures.
In the distance, barely visible through the thick fog, a gourd-shaped tower hung upside-down among the clouds.
"Name? Purpose for entering the village?" one guard asked, interrupting Menma's observation.
"I'm Danzo. No surname," Menma replied with a cheerful grin, deliberately mimicking Naruto's bright and carefree personality.
After all, Lord Pot Shadow Danzo wouldn't mind taking on a few extra black marks on his reputation.
He pointed behind him with his thumb.
"I'm here with Uncle Joey to sell goods from the Land of Tea. Also, I wanted to thank a Cloud ninja who once helped me."
"Danzo, huh…"
One of the guards quickly sketched Menma's appearance and made an entry in the registry.
"Do you know the name or any details of the ninja you're looking for?" the other guard asked with mild curiosity. "Maybe I know him."
"Hmm… he looked kind of fierce, dark skin, bandages around his head," Menma replied after pretending to think.
The guard shook his head helplessly.
"That description fits a lot of people in Kumogakure. Hard to narrow it down."
"No problem," Menma said brightly. "I brought some hometown specialties as thanks. If I can't find him, I'll just give them out randomly."
He pointed toward the wagons behind him.
The guards didn't investigate further. After completing the paperwork, they waved the caravan through.
Once inside Kumogakure, Menma parted ways with the merchants and headed confidently toward the Raikage's office building.
During his time in the Limited Tsukuyomi World, he had traveled extensively across the ninja world. The layout of Kumogakure was nearly identical to what he remembered.
As he climbed a long stairway leading to one of the upper platforms, a familiar sound drifted down from above.
"Yo~ yo~ yo~ yo~ yo~"
"…You've got to be kidding me," Menma muttered, his expression twitching.
"Training since morning~ now I'm starving~
Rapping master Bee's favorite craving~
For lunch today it's chicken sukiyaki~
Yesh! Yesh! Yesh!"
At the top of the platform stood Killer Bee, microphone in hand, loudly performing his usual off-key rap.
Two Cloud ninja beside him clapped along awkwardly, forcing strained smiles.
Nearby villagers whispered among themselves and quietly took detours to avoid the scene.
'In the Limited Tsukuyomi world, Killer Bee was actually a famous superstar…'
Listening to the current Bee's painfully tone-deaf performance, Menma couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic.
"Yo yo~ that little bro over there~
First time in the village, yeah?"
As if drawn by something instinctual—perhaps the resonance of another tailed beast—Bee suddenly noticed Menma and called out enthusiastically.
The two ninja accompanying Bee immediately grew alert upon seeing an unfamiliar face.
"Hello. I'm a merchant from the Land of Tea," Menma said, approaching calmly. "I brought some local specialties to thank a Cloud ninja who helped me before."
"Didn't expect to run into a rap show here," he added with a grin.
The two Cloud ninja couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly.
Killer Bee, however, seemed thrilled to have found a kindred spirit.
With an exaggerated flip, he jumped down and landed right in front of Menma.
"Yo~ kid, you've got taste~
Wanna come to my personal rap showcase?"
Bee had been restricted from leaving the village for years by the Fourth Raikage. His days consisted mostly of training in the Cloud Ravine and indulging in rap.
Although Kumogakure didn't ostracize its Jinchūriki the way Konoha or Sunagakure did, Bee still faced plenty of discrimination and even assassination attempts.
And most importantly—his rap was absolutely terrible.
"Maybe next time," Menma laughed awkwardly. "I need to check out the village mission center first."
The two Cloud ninja walked over.
"Who exactly are you trying to find?" one asked.
Menma repeated the same vague description he'd given at the gate.
The ninja frowned.
"With only that to go on, it'll be hard to track anyone down."
Ninjas valued information highly, and someone searching purely by appearance naturally raised suspicion.
"Don't worry," Menma said casually. "If I can't find him, I'll just leave the gifts at the mission center as a general thank-you to Kumogakure."
He smiled with the innocent expression of a cheerful young boy.
Since mission centers were always located near the Kage's office—where ninja activity was highest—the guards weren't too worried.
After all, in all its history, Kumogakure had never suffered an internal attack.
And given the Raikage's explosive temper, any disturbance would be met with immediate violence.
Kumogakure's ninja were renowned for their ferocity and strength—one of the five great villages capable of going toe-to-toe with Konoha.
Neither Bee nor the two guards stopped Menma as he walked away into the mist.
"Yo yo~ bringing gifts of gratitude, huh?" Bee murmured, watching the black-haired boy disappear into the clouds.
For some reason, he felt an uneasy chill.
"Bee! Something's wrong with that kid!"
Suddenly, within Bee's inner world, the Eight-Tails Gyūki issued a sharp warning.
BOOM!!!
In the distance, the Raikage Building suddenly erupted in a massive explosion!
Thick black smoke rose violently from among the misty peaks.
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