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"Hm?! Uh huh..."
Several slacking Kumogakure guards abruptly looked up at Hatake Kuroshi's smiling face.
"When did you show up here?"
The guard took the teacher certificate, looking around blankly. Although they were huddled together reading the newspaper just now, surely they wouldn't fail to notice someone walking over?
"Hahaha, what a strange question~ Of course, I came up the stairs from over there." Hatake Kuroshi gestured vaguely. "There really are a lot of mountains here in Kumogakure."
"Ah, this is my younger brother. He's not feeling well, so he's a bit listless after coming up." Hatake Kuroshi slightly revealed Kimimaro leaning against his leg. Kimimaro's exhaustion from seasickness now looked more like an ordinary person overly tired from climbing stairs.
"I see! Your younger brother looks too thin. Come train properly with us here." The guard smiled enthusiastically, stamped Hatake Kuroshi's teacher certificate, and gave them each an armband.
An image of a muscular, aniki-like Kimimaro flashed through Hatake Kuroshi's mind. His lips curled up almost imperceptibly. No, let's spare Kimimaro from becoming an aniki. Anyway, he needs to take off his clothes when fighting. For the sake of eye protection, better be more restrained.
"Thanks, Uncle." Hatake Kuroshi smiled at the guards, then headed towards the stairs on the other side.
His civilian teacher certificate was from Konoha. Although he had resigned, news of a civilian teacher likely wouldn't reach other countries. So this certificate could practically serve as an all-access pass.
The guards looked at Hatake Kuroshi's smile and suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. They exchanged confused glances, then quickly flipped open the front page of the newspaper.
The teacher's smile just now was identical to the photo.
"No way... it's this teacher?"
"Looks quite low-key, maybe not..."
Hatake Kuroshi remembered from the original story that Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, should be training in the Unraikyō (Valley of Clouds and Lightning) around this time. This place wasn't some hidden, invisible location; it was clearly marked on the map. However, it was forbidden territory for outsiders.
"Seems like no matter where we stay, getting there will be a bit far..." Hatake Kuroshi scratched his head, looking left and right at the practically identical mountains, unable to help raising an eyebrow. There were huge gaps between each mountain. Actually, this feature made teleportation quite convenient for Hatake Kuroshi. But for now, distinguishing these mountains was a bit difficult.
Although teleportation is basically an all-purpose skill, anyone would still want to live somewhere relatively close to their destination, right?
"If it's far, I can just make a bridge directly." Kimimaro suddenly poked his head out from the side, the bone emerging from his palm nearly poking Hatake Kuroshi in the face.
After recovering from the negative state of seasickness, he looked around quite energetically. Whether the climate, architecture, or geographical environment here, everything was completely different from Kirigakure. Kimimaro, a child who had never seen the world, was greatly interested in this. At least much more interesting than boring things like repeatedly choosing odds or evens for gambling.
"Even if you have an amazing Kekkei Genkai, don't randomly use it in places like this..." Hatake Kuroshi paused. "That's not how it works at all." He pushed aside the pile of spiky, pale white bones, telling Kimimaro to retract them.
"Oh..." Kimimaro immediately lowered his head, like a rejected puppy.
This kid is too starved for affection! Hatake Kuroshi had completely realized this during their short time together these past few days. Kimimaro was too starved for affection from being locked underground. As long as he wasn't asked to do something with his bones, he felt uneasy, always feeling like a burden.
Orochimaru, that guy runs a black-hearted factory. Good grief, going there, he'd definitely be needed. That's why Kimimaro could follow Orochimaru so devotedly in the original story.
"I need you, and not just for your bones," Hatake Kuroshi said gently. "So stop always thinking about doing things with your bones. You're not a human weapon anymore; you're a person. Not just being used, being a tool. You need to have your own will."
Hatake Kuroshi grinned, flicking Kimimaro's forehead with a backhand, then found a nearby inn to drop off their luggage. Wonder if saying such things to a child is useful. But whether Kimimaro understands or not, for most of the time ahead, he'll have to live with me. There's still time to slowly correct this personality issue then. Otherwise, with this trait, it feels like he could easily be exploited and sacrificed.
".~Mm..." Kimimaro stood rooted to the spot, clutching his forehead, looking thoughtfully at Hatake Kuroshi's departing back.
"Why did you buy so many things?" Hatake Kuroshi stood beside a stall, frowning slightly, looking confusedly at Kimimaro standing before him. He held a bright red candy apple, a bit of red syrup still on his lips.
Kimimaro had just been sent out on an errand to buy some food he wanted. Hatake Kuroshi had called it 'time to show your value.' Kimimaro had dashed off immediately. His reaction was so eager, it made Hatake Kuroshi unsure if this was a good or bad thing.
Kimimaro carried large and small bags in both hands, at least seven or eight of them, enough even for a group of people.
"Everyone asked if I wanted to buy things. I couldn't refuse, so I bought them all..." Kimimaro's gaze flickered away, likely knowing that buying everything wasn't quite right, but he simply couldn't refuse others. As long as someone asked him, he wanted to agree. After asking the price, he felt he couldn't not buy it. After repeating this cycle several times, Kimimaro ended up with a pile of things.
If it were Hatake Kuroshi guiding Tenzo back then, it was because that guy was too blunt, completely inflexible, unable to read the room. Then Kimimaro is the exact opposite example. He's too sensitive; the moment someone shows expectation towards him, he absolutely cannot refuse their request.
"Sending you out alone really was hard on you." Hatake Kuroshi sighed almost inaudibly. "Alright, alright, go return them~ Although I'm rich, we can't finish this much stuff." He took half the things from Kimimaro's hands, pushing him back the way they came. "Don't just do whatever you're asked. If you don't want to, you can refuse—"
These are things your parents should have taught you.
None of the mountains near the Unraikyō showed traces of artificial stairs; they were all identical towering peaks rising from the ground. Although within Kumogakure, it was an uninhabited wasteland. Below the peaks was swirling mist, obscuring the view beneath. However, beneath these towering mountains lay endless rivers.
Hatake Kuroshi moved rapidly among the high mountains, the range of his Six Eyes expanded to its maximum. Most buildings within Kumogakure were quite distinctive and unique. For example, the mountains within the village were notably shorter, while the Raikage Tower stood taller than the surrounding mountains and buildings. But clearly, the Unraikyō's existence was more special, seemingly built to conceal its presence. Its construction location was lower down, hiding the entire structure as much as possible within the clouds and mist.
Among the scattered points of light he could sense, Hatake Kuroshi dropped straight down from the mountain peak. The clouds and mist were naturally damp, messing up his already untidy, fluffy short hair even more.
Hatake Kuroshi stood on the open ground, looking up at the words "Unraikyō," flanked by swirling golden dragon carvings beside the stairs.
"As expected, this place doesn't look easy to find." Hatake Kuroshi rolled up his sleeves, then took a firework out of his pocket, lit it, and instantly sent it flying high into the sky.
Fizzle.
A small, colorful firework flashed momentarily within the empty Unraikyō.
Just a few minutes after Hatake Kuroshi set off the firework, a man carrying several swords on his back emerged from the building atop the stairs, muttering something.
"You id—iot, you bast—ard."
"Setting off fireworks at someone else's doorstep is a bad habit. Don't disturb others' training."
The man's feet tapped rhythmically back and forth on the stairs, his sunglass-covered eyes looking down at Hatake Kuroshi. Dark skin, pale yellow hair, a physique more robust than average. Undoubtedly, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki currently training within the Unraikyō, Killer B.
Kimimaro barely landed beside Hatake Kuroshi, stumbling forward a couple of steps unable to stop completely. Looking up, he saw the large figure of Killer B twisting back and forth on the stairs. Kimimaro looked blankly at Hatake Kuroshi beside him.
"Won't he fall down if his left and right feet fight while going down the stairs?"
"Just make sure you don't do that~" Hatake Kuroshi grinned and patted Kimimaro's shoulder.
White-haired man and child, a strange combination. Wearing outsiders' armbands yet running in here... looks suspicious no matter how you view it.
Killer B, while rapping, suddenly leaped down from the stairs.
"Who are you people? Why come runnin' to Unraikyō?"
"This place is restricted, outsiders shouldn't show, ya know?"
"Trespassin' on my turf, be careful, only death's the way to go!"
The moment Killer B rushed down, a red-hilted blade dropped down out of thin air above Hatake Kuroshi's head.
Hatake Kuroshi still wore a calm smile, without a trace of panic.
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