A moment later, as the convoy reached the border, four Kusagakure Ninja blocked their path.
"Hello, we are Ninja from Kusagakure. Are you the client for this mission? I am Jonin Mamura Tsuchiishi, in charge of this mission."
Among the four Kusagakure Ninja, the middle-aged man leading them spoke in a deep voice. He was tall and burly, with a hideous scar on his face.
"Oh, you must be Jonin Mamura?"
Okamura Tensai stepped out of the car: "I am Okamura Tensai, the client for this mission."
"Hello."
Mamura Tsuchiishi nodded slightly: "I am truly sorry that we could not escort you along the way."
"Oh, it's fine, it's fine, you're too kind."
Okamura Tensai waved his hand with a smile. He was a true native of the Land of Fire, and because of filming, he often traveled to various countries around the world, so he naturally understood the complex relationships between nations.
Simply put, Ninja from small nations were not allowed to enter the territory of large nations without a special permit approved by the Land of Fire's government. Without one, it would be considered an act of invasion.
Of course, there was no such rule for Ninja from large nations.
Regardless of national strength, many missions for the Five Great Nations came from nobles in these smaller nations. Firstly, these nobles would not allow their own country's Ninja to obstruct such missions.
Okamura Tensai had indeed arranged the relevant permits for the other party, but for Ninja from these small Villages, even with permits, they were unwilling to easily step into the territory of a large nation.
On one hand, it was to prevent the large Ninja Villages from using it as an excuse to provoke conflict and start a war.
On the other hand… the condescending attitude of the large nation's Ninja was truly unpleasant.
Although Mamura Tsuchiishi was unwilling to admit it, compared to their small Ninja Villages, Ninja of the same rank from the Five Great Ninja Villages were indeed more than just one level stronger.
Therefore, when facing mission clients who had slipped through the fingers of the Five Great Nations, their attitude would naturally be much more humble.
With the arrival of several Kusagakure Ninja, the team's travel speed also increased, reaching the filming location before dark.
Before their eyes was an endless grassland, with lush green grass as tall as a person's knees.
As dusk fell, the crew members quickly set up camping tents, while the female staff gathered in groups of three or five to prepare dinner.
Naruto glanced at the popular lead actors and noticed that they were also helping to set up tents and cook, seemingly without any celebrity airs.
"This is really nice…"
The evening glow filled the sky. Naruto took out his guitar and sat on Kazehana Koyuki's suitcase.
The moment the poetic, dreamy string music began, people turned their heads in surprise to look at Naruto, and then they all smiled knowingly, busily working while listening intently to the melodious music.
"The horizon in the distance shines with light…"
"Because behind that light, is your home…"
The boy's clean singing drifted across the wilderness. Okamura Tensai sat on a folding chair, holding a slender pipe, listening in a daze.
The distant and ethereal singing seemed to come from the far reaches of the sky, pulling him back into the purest, most beautiful torrent of time.
"That child…"
The assistant beside him had eyes full of admiration and was about to say something, but Okamura Tensai shot him a glance.
The assistant quickly covered his mouth, wisely backing away to listen to the song quietly.
Kazehana Koyuki stood behind Naruto with her arms crossed, her gaze gently fixed on the boy's back.
Naruto slowly played and softly sang, his gaze fixed on the evening glow in the sky.
"Kimi wo Nosete" was the name of this song, which translates to: "Carrying You."
And if one were to discard the lyrics and only listen to the instrumental, it would have another name: "Castle in the Sky."
"The Earth keeps turning, carrying you, carrying us, until the day we meet again…"
As the guitar music faded with the evening breeze, people gradually recovered from the distant and melancholic song.
Clap, clap, clap…
Okamura Tensai clapped softly, his eyes approvingly on Naruto. Soon, a round of warm applause followed in the camp.
"That's a beautiful piece, Naruto-kun."
Okamura Tensai chuckled: "How about we use this song as the lead single for your first album?"
"Okay."
Naruto nodded. Actually, he thought he could also make a movie about "Castle in the Sky."
Perhaps influenced by Hayao Miyazaki, the first few Naruto movies had a Miyazaki-esque feel.
Like Crescent Moon Island, and the Phantom Ruins of the Underground, some small nations outside the influence of the Five Great Nations, whether in architecture or technology, always had a fantastical artistic style reminiscent of Miyazaki's films, which would certainly not feel out of place if filmed.
Speaking of which, perhaps the Sky Ninja's Sky Fortress could be modified to be a filming location for "Castle in the Sky?"
Beside the director, Mamura Tsuchiishi glanced in Naruto's direction and nodded slightly.
"That child's singing is excellent. He will probably become a famous singer in the future. What is his name?"
"Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto."
Okamura Tensai chuckled: "He's our company's future ace!"
"Uzumaki… Naruto?"
Mamura Tsuchiishi was slightly startled.
The Uzumaki surname…
He suddenly remembered the mother and daughter living in the small house on the edge of the Village, who were said to be survivors after the destruction of the Vortex Clan.
So, would this child also possess that ability?
That ability… to quickly recover from any injury, no matter how severe, just by taking a bite!
Thinking of this, a hint of eagerness rose in his heart. If this brat also possessed that ability, it would undoubtedly relieve a lot of pressure on the Village's medical department…
Moreover, if he could have offspring with that girl, then the Village would never have to worry about medical issues in the future!
In the mental space, Nine-Tailed slightly raised its eyelids.
"This is… malice?"
"Indeed, malice…"
Naruto's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Mamura Tsuchiishi's direction, and he imperceptibly scoffed.
"It's really been a while since I felt this…"
Nine-Tailed sat up with interest: "Could it be that your identity has been exposed?"
"Who knows…"
Naruto chuckled.
This Village of Kusagakure…
It's truly incredible!
Whether it was Karin's experience or its portrayal in the movie "Blood Prison," his impression of this Village had become extremely negative.
Although, there weren't many Villages in the Ninja World that he thought highly of anyway.
But if he had to pick the most disgusting one, it would still be Kusagakure…
Naruto put away his guitar. Kagura Mind's Eye clearly sensed Mamura Tsuchiishi's movements.
The other party seemed to have said something to his subordinate Ninja, who then quietly left the group.
Sharing Naruto's perception, Nine-Tailed snorted disdainfully: "Hmph, foolish ant…"
"That's good, isn't this an opportunity for actual combat?"
Naruto, on the other hand, was delighted by this, even feeling a bit eager.
After transmigrating for so long, besides that one Tailed Beast Ball he used against Jiraiya earlier, he hadn't had a proper fight yet.
So, should he use Nine-tails Mode? Or Senju True Several Thousand Hands?
It's truly troubling…