After Sailing with the Pirate King, I Returned to Konoha - 206

Chapter 206: Blazing Cat, GET!

"Spiraling Flash Super Round Dance Howl Style Three."

Essentially a combination of Flying Thunder God Technique and flash grenades. Using the momentarily blinding light to make opponents think it's a ninjutsu, but actually delivering close-combat attacks.

Looking at the Flying Thunder God Technique variations recorded in the scroll, Naruto couldn't help making some adjustments to his image of that father who died young.

The technique's essence was fine, but the naming style was truly unimpressive.

They'd already stayed in the Land of Rain for three days. As expected, Akatsuki's participating members seemed to have received information and didn't foolishly deliver themselves. However, this didn't particularly matter to Naruto. Both sides would clash eventually anyway.

These three days hadn't been without progress. Though the manuscript's analysis of Flying Thunder God principles wasn't very clear, Naruto still managed to roughly understand. But it stopped at "roughly."

It couldn't be helped—compared to learning directly through hands-on practice, trying to master this technique through text descriptions alone was too difficult. Unfortunately, his "father" in the sealed space couldn't be summoned again. If he could personally demonstrate it once, Naruto might have some confidence in learning it.

The Flying Thunder God technique's principle wasn't actually complex. The two key points were placing the mark and performing reverse summoning by sensing the mark. This was also key to understanding space.

Unfortunately, Naruto hadn't learned it yet. However, he wasn't very worried. As Konan said, that guy's intangibility had time limits. If she could create a finishing move of continuous bombardment for ten minutes, so could he.

Continuously swinging a sword for ten minutes—child's play for someone of his level. Though it looked somewhat foolish.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Karin also seized these days to improve their strength, especially Sasuke. After several battles, he'd realized his inadequacies. His Haki training became even more rigorous while deeply developing the Misfortune Wolf's abilities.

Sasuke always had a feeling—if he could progress further in controlling the Misfortune Wolf's power, perhaps his Mangekyō Sharingan would truly manifest.

As for Karin, though she was also learning Haki, her talent was insufficient. So she turned to studying ninjutsu instead. At least this way she could leverage her Uzumaki clan advantages.

Physical Activation, Physical Regeneration, and the Eight Gates were also added to her study list, but more crucially, mastering the Adamantine Sealing Chains. When transforming into her giant Garuda form, the golden chains trailing behind were actually Adamantine Sealing Chains.

In her transformed state, the Adamantine Sealing Chains consumed far less chakra and stamina than in her normal form. They could even be used for long-range combat. And more importantly, Adamantine Sealing Chains were fundamentally a sealing technique with natural chakra suppression abilities. When facing enemies that her wind blades and feathers couldn't handle, the Adamantine Sealing Chains might prove surprisingly effective.

As for Jiraiya, he seemed to have finished brief research and writing and was now discussing something with Konan. Perhaps future arrangements.

Only Killer Bee had nothing to do, occasionally bothering Sasuke, occasionally teasing Karin. Anyway, he'd completely liberated his "street wanderer soul." In Hidden Cloud Village, Raikage A always confined him to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning for training.

Though he was quite diligent, Killer Bee was ultimately a rap artist yearning for freedom. How could a caged bird sing beautifully? These were his exact words to Naruto.

Currently, Killer Bee had just finished a trip to certain unspeakable small shops in Hidden Rain Village, his dark face beneath sunglasses somewhat flushed. Despite his age, he remained quite innocent in certain aspects.

"Alright, things are basically finished. Time to depart again."

Naruto stored away his father's manuscript, then clapped his hands, attracting others' attention. Since they couldn't wait for Akatsuki members, they should leave.

"Iwagakure has—your brother said there are two tailed beasts, right?"

"Yes, yo! Four-Tails and Five-Tails!"

Killer Bee gestured four and five with his hands. Unfortunately, he hadn't met these jinchūriki and didn't know their identities. To truly find them required starting from Iwagakure. That meant another battle.

But Naruto didn't particularly care. Tailed beasts had already been classified as "combat weapons" by major ninja villages, long violating the First Hokage's original purpose in distributing them. Villages viewing tailed beasts as forbidden weapons wouldn't willingly surrender them without military defeat. This applied to any village.

"By the way, doesn't your village have another jinchūriki? When will he arrive?"

"It's 'she'! Yugito is female!"

Killer Bee corrected Naruto's language error, then counted time on his fingers. From the night Raikage left until he returned to the village, then having Yugito depart here—it should take five or six days minimum.

"Still needs time, yo!"

"I see—so that person over there isn't from your village."

Saying this, Naruto suddenly turned his head toward a direction, eyes seemingly penetrating building and forest concealment.

"Huh?"

Killer Bee was still somewhat confused. But as a tailed beast, the Eight-Tails Gyūki had already sensed the Two-Tails Matatabi's chakra signature. Both were Hidden Cloud Jinchūriki who had trained together for years. Killer Bee had even served as Yugito's mentor for a period, so both tailed beasts were quite familiar with each other's presence.

"Idiot Bee, it's Yugito. Stop that kid quickly."

Gyūki's warning came too late. After receiving Killer Bee's denial, Naruto's form vanished from his position.

In the forest outside the Hidden Rain Village, Yugito Nii was crouched low on a tree trunk, concealing her presence. Originally, she couldn't have arrived this quickly. But coincidentally, on his return journey, Raikage A happened to encounter Yugito out on a mission.

That's right. Though both were Hidden Cloud Jinchūriki, Yugito possessed the authority to leave the village on solo missions. This wasn't just because Raikage A viewed Killer Bee as a brother, but also because compared to the somewhat unreliable Killer Bee, the cautious and experienced Yugito was more trustworthy.

This outwardly cold and proud, yet actually gentle woman—besides her Jinchūriki identity—was also a veteran jōnin who'd completed 260 A-rank and 34 S-rank missions. Her B- and C-rank missions numbered in the hundreds.

When Yugito finished her mission and was preparing to return, she encountered the departing Raikage A. Perhaps genuinely considering the threat of that "organization specifically targeting tailed beasts" Naruto mentioned. Or possibly simply fearing consequences if Naruto truly attacked the Hidden Cloud Village demanding the Two-Tails.

Ultimately, Raikage A reluctantly ordered Yugito to rendezvous with Killer Bee. He also told her to protect herself, warning her not to trust that Naruto Uzumaki kid too much.

So planning to scout the situation first, after reaching the Hidden Rain Village, Yugito didn't rashly enter.

"Hey, are you an enemy?"

Just as Yugito was about to tap into her tailed beast power to expand her sensing range, an unfamiliar voice rang out. Instantly, Yugito recoiled like a startled cat, her kunai flashing forward in a deadly thrust.

But Naruto was faster. One large hand grabbed the woman by the collar, while his other fist—capable of shattering mountains—stopped just before her Hidden Cloud forehead protector.

Thank god for that forehead protector. Otherwise, Yugito would have been paste right then and there.