In the central mountains of the Land of Lightning, clouds and mist swirled eternally.
A rugged mountain path meandered upward through the peaks, where a merchant caravan of a dozen wagons was making slow progress. The surrounding terrain was treacherous—steep cliffs and damp air created a thick fog that could easily lead a stranger to their doom.
"Oi, kid! We're almost at the Hidden Cloud," a dark-skinned merchant named Joey called out from the lead wagon.
His eyes were slightly vacant, his gaze fixed on the black-haired youth lounging on the roof of the carriage. The boy was idly playing with a small fox figurine that wore a mask with the kanji for 'Three' (San) on its forehead.
"Thanks, Uncle Joey." Menma tucked the Nine Masked Fox away and flipped down from the roof.
This caravan was a patchwork of several small trading groups. Because Kumogakure was tucked deep within the central peaks, shrouded in natural barriers, it was nearly impossible for outsiders to find. Menma had used the Gato Company's trade routes to locate a small group heading for the village and placed the leader under a subtle Genjutsu.
Before long, the caravan reached the main gates of the Hidden Cloud Village.
Two Cloud shinobi stood guard, meticulously logging every civilian and ninja entering or exiting the hidden stronghold.
Menma hopped off the wagon and looked out at the village nestled among the clouds. Built into the sheer faces of the mountains were unique, elliptical platforms that wrapped around the peaks, creating a stunning architectural hive. Most of the villagers lived within these rounded structures.
Further in the distance, he could see the silhouette of a building shaped like an inverted gourd flickering in and out of the thick mist.
"Name? And what's your business in the Hidden Cloud?" a guard's voice interrupted his observations.
"The name's Danzo. I don't have a family name," Menma said with a bright, wide grin, mimicking Naruto's boisterous personality.
After all, the "Godfather of Shinobi Darkness" wouldn't mind carrying a few more black marks on his record.
He jerked a thumb toward the merchants behind him. "I'm traveling with Uncle Joey to sell goods from the Land of Tea. I'm also here to find a certain Cloud ninja and offer my thanks."
"Danzo, huh?" One guard sketched a quick likeness of Menma for the records while the other registered him.
"What's the name of the ninja you're looking for? Or do you have a description? I might know them," the other guard said, feeling a rare bit of goodwill toward a kid traveling all this way just to show gratitude.
"Hmm... he looked a bit fierce. Dark skin, bandages wrapped around his head," Menma recalled aloud.
The guard shook his head with a helpless sigh. "That description covers half the village. It'll be hard to find him with just that."
"That's okay. I brought some local specialties from my hometown. If I can't find him, I'll just give them out to whoever," Menma pointed to the back of the wagon.
The guards didn't press him further. After finishing the paperwork, they waved the caravan through.
Once inside, Menma slipped away from the wagons and headed straight for the Raikage's Office. Having spent years traveling the continent in the Limited Tsukuyomi world, the layout of the Hidden Cloud was etched into his memory; most of the paths and buildings were exactly as he remembered.
Yo~ Yo~ Yo~ Yo~
As he was climbing a staircase toward a residential platform, a rhythmic sound drifted down from above.
'No way... talk about a coincidence.' Menma's face twitched.
"Training since the crack of dawn~ now my stomach's feeling drawn~"
"The great me loves rap, it's a total snap~"
"For lunch, it's Sukiyaki, don't be so cocky~"
"Yesh! Yesh! Yesh!"
When Menma reached the top of the platform, he saw Killer Bee standing on a high ledge with a microphone, rapping at the top of his lungs. Two Cloud shinobi stood beside him, clapping with forced, awkward smiles. The surrounding villagers whispered among themselves, taking wide detours to avoid the noise.
'I remember in the Mirror World, Bee was a world-famous superstar,' Menma thought. Listening to this version's tone-deaf bars, he actually found himself missing the other Bee.
"Hey, hey~ Yo~ Kid over there~!"
"First time in the Cloud? Show me some flair~ Yo~!"
Perhaps it was the mutual pull of the Tailed Beasts, but Bee's gaze suddenly locked onto Menma from behind his sunglasses. He called out loudly. The two shinobi with him also looked over, their postures tensing as they realized this was an unfamiliar face.
"Hello. I'm a merchant from the Land of Tea. I brought some local specialties to thank a Cloud ninja who helped me once," Menma said, walking up to them proactively.
"I didn't expect to find a rap performance here," Menma added.
The two shinobi couldn't help but crack a dry, sympathetic smile.
Killer Bee, however, looked like he had found a kindred spirit. He performed a massive leap, flipping through the air before landing perfectly in front of Menma. He began gesturing with his hands, speaking in a rhythmic cadence.
"Yo~ Kid, you've got taste, no time to waste~!"
"How 'bout you come to my~ solo concert haste~!"
Bee had been confined to the village by the Fourth Raikage for years. When he wasn't training at Unraikyo, he was obsessing over his rap. While the Hidden Cloud didn't discriminate against Jinchuriki as harshly as Konoha or Suna, Bee had still faced isolation and even assassination attempts from former comrades. Plus, his rapping was genuinely annoying to most.
"Maybe next time. I need to head to the Mission Center first," Menma scratched his head, politely declining.
The other two shinobi approached. One asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"I don't know his name, just his general appearance," Menma repeated the cover story he had used at the gate.
The shinobi frowned. "Searching based on looks alone is going to be difficult."
Shinobi were naturally sensitive to information. A stranger wandering around looking for people was a red flag. Suspicion began to flicker in their eyes.
"It's fine. If I can't find him, I'll just leave the local specialties at the Mission Center as a gift to the village," Menma offered a candid, sunny smile, looking every bit like an innocent, bright-eyed boy.
The Mission Centers were usually located near the Kage's office—the most heavily guarded area of any village. The two shinobi weren't particularly worried about trouble. Kumogakure had stood for years without an internal security breach.
Besides, with the Raikage's explosive temper, anyone causing a scene would likely find the man jumping through his own window to crush them. The Cloud was famous for its ferocity.
Bee and the others didn't stop him, stepping aside to let him pass. They watched as his back disappeared into the mist.
"Yo, yo~ brought gifts for the crew?" Bee murmured. For some reason, watching the black-haired boy vanish into the fog gave him a lingering sense of unease.
"Bee! Something is wrong with that kid!" Inside his mental landscape, the Eight-Tails, Gyuki, shouted a sudden warning.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from the Raikage's Office not far away!
A plume of thick, oily black smoke began to rise slowly, curling through the mist-shrouded peaks.