Seven days later, beneath the cover of night.
"We're almost at Kumogakure. Let's rest here for the night and recover our strength."
After setting traps and a sensory barrier around the area, the three of them sat casually against tree trunks.
Kakashi glanced at Uchiha Shion and asked, "You know, I only recently heard that you left the Anbu. That really surprised me."
Shion raised a brow.
Kakashi gave a faint smile. "I imagine you didn't care much for the way Anbu operates, right?"
Shion nodded. "You served in Anbu too. Back then, you were much gloomier than you are now. But to be fair, the missions we experienced there opened my eyes and showed me what I truly wanted to pursue."
At that moment, Guy—who had been listening the whole time—suddenly reacted, his face lighting up with admiration.
"So Shion was an Anbu member?!"
Both Kakashi and Shion froze for a second and turned toward him. Only now you figured that out?
Guy scratched the back of his head. "Of course, no matter where I am, I burn with the flames of youth! But when I once applied to Anbu along with Lord Fourth Hokage and that man, Danzō… they all rejected me outright."
Shion chuckled. "So, you wanted to join Anbu for Kakashi's sake?"
"Hah!!"
Guy suddenly flipped in the air and landed dramatically, pointing straight at Kakashi.
"As his eternal rival, how could I stand by and watch Kakashi sink deeper into despair? That's why…"
With a burst of dazzling light in his eyes, he shouted:
"…That's why, as his rival, I decided to enter Anbu and save Kakashi from his path of sorrow! Such moving friendship… this, this is the power of youth!"
"But unfortunately, Lord Fourth and Danzō both rejected me, without hesitation!"
Shion looked at the glittering figure before him, exactly as he remembered from his past life's knowledge, then cast a glance at Kakashi.
"Actually, I think we could bring this up with the Fourth Hokage…"
Kakashi blinked. "Bring what up?"
Shion pointed his thumb toward Guy. "If this guy joined Anbu, it might actually be a good thing. With Konoha's 'Blue Beast' in the unit, who knows? Anbu might stop being so dark and gloomy—it might turn into the 'Bright-bu' instead."
"Uh…"
Kakashi just stared at Guy blankly. Given his personality, that might actually happen.
Shion rubbed his chin. If Guy really joined Anbu, wouldn't that be like sneaking a husky into a pack of wolves?
Not a new style… a total style mutation!
Suddenly—
"…Hm?"
All three immediately dropped their smiles. The sensory barrier had been triggered.
They exchanged sharp looks but made no sudden moves. Guy, unfazed, just kept grumbling about how Root had rejected him.
"Swish!"
A shadow dropped down from above, and three cold blades simultaneously pressed against their throats.
"Konoha shinobi are such fools. Fall to a sneak attack and you're finished—oh yeah!"
Killer B, the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, had just finished his rap when he realized cold steel was also pressed against his own back and neck.
"B… long time no see." Shion smiled faintly.
"Is this how Kumogakure greets its guests? Truly… unique," Kakashi muttered, his eyes narrowing.
"YAAAHHHHHH!!!"
A sudden roar split the night sky.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
A green blur crashed down, Guy's leg aimed squarely at Killer B's head.
"Guy!!"
Kakashi shouted in alarm, trying to stop him.
But Guy, mid-air, didn't even slow down. He just wondered why Kakashi was yelling his name right now.
BOOM!
A deafening crash shook the forest. When the dust cleared, a woman stood with her body cloaked in crackling lightning, arms crossed as she blocked Guy's kick.
"Lord B, I told you not to do this. We were only supposed to welcome the Konoha shinobi."
Guy leapt back, shaking his slightly numb leg. "So… not enemies?"
At the same time, Killer B sheathed his blades with a flourish. "Haven't seen ya in years! Just wanted to test this kid—see if he's kept up, oh yeah!"
But the "Shion" he had just struck dissolved with a puff into smoke.
"A shadow clone?"
Shion smiled. "As the Fourth Hokage's disciple, it's only natural I'd know how to set up sensory barriers."
B blinked, then nodded. "Yeah… makes sense."
Mabui, the kunoichi who had blocked Guy, sighed and rubbed her temple.
"Lord Raikage only allowed you to come because you insisted you knew Uchiha Shion. If you keep acting recklessly, you'll cause misunderstandings."
This time, Killer B didn't rap. He shook his finger seriously. "No, Uchiha Shion isn't weak. But compared to the great Killer B… he still falls just a little short."
"What fierce confidence! That unshakable belief in yourself—this is youth!!" Guy exclaimed, flashing him a thumbs-up.
And just like that, the two seemed to recognize each other as kindred spirits, leaning close and muttering excitedly.
Mabui, however, frowned. Her orders had been to make sure Konoha's shinobi felt Kumogakure's sincerity. Yet with Killer B's antics…
Kakashi wisely stepped forward to redirect things. "We had planned to reach Kumogakure by morning. I didn't expect you to come so far to meet us tonight."
Mabui's voice was calm but formal. "Lord Raikage places great importance on this alliance with Konoha. He calculated your travel time and sent us to welcome you."
"Originally, Lord B wasn't supposed to come. As you've just seen, that's precisely why. Forgive us for the disturbance."
Kakashi waved it off. "He just wanted to test Shion's skills. In a way, thanks to you both, we won't have to camp out here tonight."
Mabui nodded. "Please, follow us. The official welcoming ceremony is tomorrow, but tonight we've prepared a proper feast for you three."
Kakashi and Shion exchanged a glance. Unlike the excitable B and Guy, Mabui's tone was polite yet cool—welcoming on the surface, but without true warmth.
It felt as though Kumogakure's leadership wasn't truly invested in this alliance. And yet… they had sent people this far, even prepared a ceremony.
What was their real intention?
Meanwhile, deep within Kumogakure—
Inside the Raikage's office, the Fourth Raikage, A, scowled. "The Hokage actually sent those two? Clearly, the incident with the Second Hokage still weighs heavily on his mind."
Darui, standing behind him, replied, "According to Lord B, this Uchiha Shion has awakened a special form of the Sharingan. That much was confirmed by Gyūki himself."
The Raikage nodded. "The Sharingan does have some restraining effect on tailed beasts. But B is no ordinary jinchūriki, and the two of them never settled their fight back then. Perhaps…"
Before he could finish, Darui interrupted. "If we move against them here in Kumogakure, war will be inevitable."
"Tch. Kumogakure has never feared Konoha…"
"…But that would make things far too troublesome."