The next day.
"Shigure! News that you're the Jinchūriki of two Tailed Beasts from the Hidden Mist Village has already spread across the Five Great Nations!"
Mei Terumī's tone was serious, her expression mixed with concern.
"Before long, your face and name will be known to shinobi everywhere."
She studied him carefully. There was no need to explain just how valuable Shigure had become to Kirigakure.
His existence was already on par with a national treasure.
"I know," Shigure replied calmly, his confidence unwavering.
"Don't worry. With the Flying Nimbus Ninjutsu, I can leave whenever I want—and no one can stop me."
It wasn't arrogance; it was simple truth.
With his current strength and mastery of flight, there was hardly anyone in the entire Ninja World who could truly restrain him—if he chose to leave, he would.
Mei exhaled softly. "Alright then. Just… be careful out there."
Her sharp eyes drifted over him again, this time with faint surprise.
"You've grown taller, haven't you?"
She stepped closer, raising a hand to measure his height. Shigure now stood at her chest level—a remarkable growth in such a short time.
His development was far from ordinary, and she knew it.
His rapid physical growth meant the Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) bloodline was continuing to integrate more deeply within him.
"Not only taller," Mei added, a teasing smile forming on her lips, "but you've become more masculine too. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that you're still a boy… You're starting to look like a young man."
Her finger lightly tapped his chest as she spoke.
Ringo—watching from the side—turned bright red, and the surrounding Kirigakure shinobi froze in disbelief.
The atmosphere grew awkward in an instant.
"Alright, enough of that," Shigure quickly interjected, gently stopping Mei's hand before things escalated.
"Let's get going."
He turned toward Haku, who was supporting the injured Ringo.
The three of them stepped onto the Flying Nimbus.
With a soft hum and a surge of speed, the golden cloud burst forward, shooting up into the sky and racing across the horizon.
Below, the Mist shinobi watched in awe.
"That speed… incredible!"
"To actually fly through the sky like that…"
Their envious voices faded as the trio vanished into the clouds, leaving a trail of white mist in their wake.
...
High above the sea.
The wind rushed past as Ringo clutched her cloak.
"Lord Shigure, where are we headed next?" she asked.
"The Land of Fire," Shigure replied, eyes fixed on the horizon.
"The Land of Fire? You mean… you're taking me there to find someone who can heal me?"
"That's right."
He turned slightly, motioning for Haku to steady her. "Hold on tight. I'm about to speed up."
Ringo hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Who is this person? Where can we find them?"
A faint smile appeared on Shigure's lips.
"You'll see soon enough."
He raised one hand and formed a hand seal. A swirl of mist gathered in his palm, coalescing into a small, glowing cloud.
Then—with a quiet hum—the mist began to take shape.
One dove.
Then two.
Then dozens.
In an instant, hundreds of white doves burst forth from his hand, scattering into the skies like radiant snow.
Haku's eyes widened. "So many…!"
He had seen Lord Shigure perform countless powerful techniques, but this—this was something else. The sheer number was overwhelming. Each dove radiated faint Chakra signatures, spreading outward in every direction.
Cloud Release: Eye of God.
The Eye of God technique was complete.
It released exactly 27,814 white doves, each one crafted from condensed Cloud Chakra.
These doves could exist for seven days, tirelessly traversing the skies in every direction.
No matter where they flew, once any of them spotted a target, they would instantly dissolve into mist and drift toward it—leaving behind a faint Chakra mark before disappearing.
That mark acted as a signal Shigure could sense from afar.
While he couldn't pinpoint the exact location, he could feel the general direction.
And that was more than enough.
This Ninjutsu consumed nearly all of Isobu's Chakra—the Three-Tails' entire reserve.
The drain was instant and complete, but it only affected the Tailed Beast's external Chakra; Isobu's own power would gradually recover in time.
Until then, however, the technique couldn't be used again.
Still, the results were worth it.
A storm of white doves filled the sky, scattering like radiant snowflakes against the blue horizon.
Ringo smiled, her expression soft for the first time in days.
"So beautiful… I've never seen so many doves flying together before."
Shigure nodded, gazing at the countless white wings glittering in the sunlight.
"Now we wait. It'll take a few days before we get results."
He needed to travel through multiple regions of the Land of Fire, releasing the doves at intervals to cover more ground.
Otherwise, it would take nearly a full day for them to cross from one end of the Land of Fire to the other—too slow for his liking.
He urged the Flying Nimbus forward, setting their course straight for the heart of Fire Country.
...
At that same time, elsewhere in the Land of Fire—
Jiraiya and Naruto had arrived at a small town on the border.
The appointed time for Jiraiya's secret meeting with Danzō was drawing near, but the Toad Sage seemed in no rush.
He still prioritized finding Tsunade first.
"Hey, Pervy Sage! Any sign of Granny Tsunade here?"
Naruto asked, dragging his feet behind Jiraiya. His voice was weary, his eyes half-lidded.
The constant traveling had taken its toll. Every day since they left Konoha had been one long march after another.
If Jiraiya hadn't at least taught him the Summoning Jutsu along the way, Naruto probably would've stormed off back to the village already.
This endless search was eating into his precious training time.
Jiraiya sighed.
"Pray we find her soon. If we don't meet Tsunade in this town, Konoha might face some serious changes."
His eyes briefly flickered toward a street corner. For a moment, he felt as though someone—or something—was watching them.
The sensation passed as quickly as it came.
Overhead, a flock of white doves passed by, glittering faintly in the sunlight.
Jiraiya gave them a cursory glance, thinking nothing of it, and continued into the town.
Meanwhile, Shigure had just arrived in the same town.
After three days of releasing and monitoring his Cloud Release: Eye of God, he had finally located Tsunade's Chakra signature.
He, Haku, and Ringo had just checked into an inn. The long journey had clearly strained Ringo's recovering body, and Shigure decided to let her rest.
He left Haku behind to tend to her while he stepped out to buy some food.
However, just as he walked down the market street, a deep rumble stirred within him.
The Chakras of Isobu and Saiken—the Three-Tails and Six-Tails—began to tremble restlessly.
'What's wrong?' Shigure asked inwardly.
Isobu (Three-Tails): "Master… it's the Nine-Tails' Chakra. The Nine-Tails is nearby!"
The Nine-Tails?
That could only mean—
Naruto.
Shigure smirked faintly.
"So, Jiraiya brought him here too, huh?"
Saiken (Six-Tails): "Master, the Nine-Tails' Chakra is straight ahead!"
At that same moment, deep inside Naruto's subconscious, the Nine-Tails slowly opened its eyes.
Its crimson pupils narrowed as it sensed the mingled Chakras of Isobu, Saiken, and Shukaku.
"This Chakra… those three idiots—Isobu, Saiken, and Shukaku. Why are they all together?"
The beast's voice rumbled low with irritation.
It considered speaking to Naruto but ultimately didn't bother.
Its hatred toward humans hadn't faded. Whether Naruto lived or died mattered little to it.
If the boy died, the seal would break, and the Nine-Tails would be free again. That was enough.
Still, something tugged at Naruto's instincts.
When Jiraiya stepped away to gather information, Naruto found himself drawn down a side street—toward a familiar presence.
Then he saw him.
A figure standing in front of a snack stall, his silver hair catching the sunlight.
Naruto blinked hard. "No way…"
He rubbed his eyes once. Then again.
"It's real… it's really him!" he shouted, grinning from ear to ear.
"Shigure!!"
His voice echoed through the market, loud enough for everyone nearby to turn.
Naruto waved frantically, sprinting across the street.
Shigure turned toward the sound, meeting the boy's bright, familiar gaze.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"I didn't expect Naruto to be the one to find me first."
Naruto reached him, panting heavily but grinning wide.
"This is crazy, Shigure! What are you doing here? Man, I've missed you! You don't know how rough it's been—I've been traveling nonstop, day and night, and—"
Mid-sentence, Naruto froze.
His eyes dropped to Shigure's forehead protector.
The symbol carved into the metal wasn't Konoha's.
He stopped cold, the smile slowly fading from his face.
Clang—
The crowd's chatter seemed to vanish around them.
Naruto's expression darkened.
"…You're… wearing the Mist Village headband?"
...
TN:
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