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Paradise Island, the Hidden Cloud's sacred ground.
The island basked in a gentle breeze under a brilliant sun. But more dazzling than the sun over the ocean… was the sight of Samui.
Kee, stationed on guard duty, swept the temple courtyard as always. Today, however, his cleaning was meticulous, especially the section of wall Samui was leaning against. It was as if a stubborn stain there refused to come clean.
On a bench beneath the wall sat Darui, Ōmoi, and Karui, each in a different pose.
Samui lazily kneaded her heavy shoulders, easing the fatigue from her journey.
Ōmoi sat with one leg crossed over the other, hands cradling the back of his head, a lollipop in his mouth.
Karui's posture was pure defiance. She, too, had her legs crossed, but her tanned arms were spread wide across the backrest, head tilted slightly, chin lifted high in a stance that screamed, "Got a problem?"
Why were these three here? You probably don't care, but the story must be told.
Though the Raikage had called for the Five Kage Summit over Killer B's apparent capture by the Akatsuki, he was cruder than he was stupid. While knocked out cold by Sasuke, a thought had pierced the fog of his unconsciousness: Killer B could have escaped using the Eight-Tails' power. His total silence wasn't a sign of death, but of him seizing the chance to sneak out of the village to have some fun.
Upon waking, the Raikage sent word back, dispatching these three to stake out places B might be "sightseeing," hoping for a miracle.
But days had passed with no sign of him.
Ōmoi and Karui, both former students of Killer B, were in a dark mood.
Ōmoi sighed. "Ahh… Lord B. He's probably, most definitely, dead."
Karui's voice was venomous. "Damn that Akatsuki! If I ever get my hands on them, I'll chop them into a thousand pieces!"
"I… I'm getting a little worried now," Ōmoi said.
"About what?" Karui snapped.
Ōmoi pulled the lollipop from his mouth, his tone gravely serious. "They say after a person dies, their soul wanders to the places they cherished in life. This Paradise Island… it's where Lord B perfected his Tailed Beast control. Logically, his spirit would return here, right?"
"And?!" Karui demanded, her eyes narrowing.
Ōmoi's gaze darted around. "And if it is Lord B's ghost… he'd probably be hiding somewhere, peeking at Big Sis's… assets. To lure his ghost out, Big Sis, you should make a small sacrifice. Open your collar a bit wider…"
Gulp…
Kee, who was passing by with a bucket of water, swallowed hard. His eyes drifted sideways, seemingly of their own accord.
Samui's icy gaze landed on them. "Keep talking nonsense, and I'll gouge your eyes out."
CLANG!
Ōmoi, used to her threats, remained calm. But Kee's hand trembled. Water sloshed from the bucket, drenching Samui's top, soaking her legs down to their wrappings, and splashing all over the bench.
Kee's face went pale. "S-Sorry! Miss Samui! I… I…"
Samui sighed and stood up. She pulled off her outer jacket, staring at the soaked black shirt now clinging to her skin. "This is a problem. I didn't bring a change of clothes."
Karui offered shyly, "I did. If you don't mind, Big Sis, you can wear mine."
Ever considerate, Samui thought of Karui's feelings and made an excuse. "Ah, you're a lifesaver. But… you know, having my clothes wet feels kind of cool and relaxing. Letting the breeze dry it isn't so bad…"
The bench was unusable. Samui's gaze fell on a nearby set of stone steps flanked by symmetrical bull-headed pillars.
She walked over, swung a long leg over the left bull's head, and sat down.
A strange, muffled sound seemed to come from the stone itself. "Ooh, spongy~!?"
Samui blinked. "Strange. Did I hear something?"
A trickle of blood ran down from the bull pillar's nose.
Whoosh! A sudden wind kicked up, and along the coastline, the waves began to churn.
The lollipop was back in Ōmoi's mouth, his expression growing more melancholic. "This wind came from nowhere… It feels like it's bringing something unpleasant to the island."
Karui scoffed. "There you go again with your gloomy talk."
WHOOSH!
The words had barely left her mouth when a wave surged nine feet into the air. Standing atop it, a boy in a black cloak appeared before them.
BOOM!
The boy leaped. Twenty meters into the air. A flurry of flips. He landed in the open plaza, the impact cracking the reinforced paving stones beneath his feet.
Karui saw the Leaf headband on his forehead. Her brow furrowed deeply. "A Leaf ninja? What's one doing all the way out here?"
"It's probably a mission exchange or something," Samui cautioned. "It's happened before. Let's ask before we do anything rash."
None of them considered the boy a threat. It was common sense. He was just a teenager. Even with a flashy entrance, they just figured he was a show-off.
The black-cloaked youth was Naruto-Madara. He had learned from a White Zetsu that Kabuto was heading to Paradise Island with the other half of the Nine-Tails, and he had rushed here immediately.
Seeing only a few Cloud ninja, his brow tightened. Something felt wrong.
But he was here now. He had to investigate.
He fixed his gaze on Ōmoi and Karui, who had risen from the bench. "You two. Cloud ninja. Tell me, where is Kabuto Yakushi?"
"Hah?"
Karui put her hands on her hips and strutted forward. She got right in the boy's face, bending down, her expression a pure challenge.
"Listen, punk. You're on our turf, so watch your mouth. Kabuto? How about I give you a good smack instead?"
She reached out, her finger moving to flick his chin.
SMACK!
In the next instant, Naruto-Madara's hand shot out. A merciless slap sent Karui spinning to the ground.
She sat there, stunned, one hand covering her red, swelling cheek. Her wide eyes filled with disbelief.
"Hey! That's enough, you rude brat!" Kee roared, moving to confront him.
"WAIT!"
Samui and Ōmoi shouted in unison, stopping Kee in his tracks.
"Why are you stopping me?! He went too far!"
Samui rose from the stone pillar, her expression grim. "With Karui's skill, even caught by surprise, she should have been able to dodge at that range. That's no ordinary kid. He's several times stronger than she is."
Kee's heart pounded. Miss Karui is one of the village's youngest Special Jonin! And that kid is several times stronger?! Who is he?!
"You damn brat! You've really pissed me off now!"
Karui had never been so humiliated. Her temper exploded. Scrambling to her feet, she drew the sword from her back and charged.
SWISH!
In a flash, Ōmoi and Samui were in front of her, blocking her path.
Ōmoi's hand rested on the hilt of his own sword as he warily attempted a more diplomatic approach. "Friend from the Leaf, you're looking for someone, right? The person you mentioned… we haven't seen or heard of him. He's probably not here."
Naruto-Madara crossed his arms, his expression indifferent. "Oh. And?"
Ōmoi's tone grew firm. "Paradise Island is Hidden Cloud territory. My companion's tone may have been harsh, but you attacked without a word of warning. We can interpret that as a deliberate provocation against our village, can't we?"
Naruto-Madara looked amused. "And what do you intend to do about it?"
Ōmoi's eyes hardened. "Apologize to Karui! Then, if you're here on official business, state it. If this is personal… you'll need to explain yourself. And if your explanation isn't good enough, our interrogation unit has ways of making things clear."
Naruto-Madara chuckled. "How interesting. Fine. Let's consider it a way to kill some time."
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