Back Mountain, waterfall.
Naruto cultivated quietly beneath the waterfall. Golden light flowed across his bare upper body, like fleeting glimmers. Even in broad daylight, his body remained dazzling.
Just yesterday, he had fulfilled his first major dream.
That was to leave Konoha and become good friends with ninjas from all the other Ninja Villages.
Naruto had accomplished that dream perfectly.
In Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning, he had become good friends with the hot-tempered Raikage and his rap-loving sworn younger brother, Killer B.
Of course, Naruto had not left out the other people of Kumogakure either.
After becoming friends with the ninjas of the Land of Lightning, Naruto had gone to Kirigakure in the Land of Water. After several months, Mei Terumi had more or less cleaned up the mess left behind by the Bloody Mist Incident caused by Karatachi Yagura.
After not seeing him for several months, Mei Terumi had been extremely enthusiastic and attentive. She had lined the streets to welcome Naruto, and in return for her hospitality, Naruto had naturally not held anything back, teaching her everything he knew about Vibration Force.
One had lined the streets to welcome him, while the other had shared everything he knew. It was a fair exchange, and neither had gotten a free ride.
After overthrowing Karatachi Yagura's regime, Mei Terumi had selected some Mist Ninja to accompany her in delivering the spoils of war to Naruto in Konoha. Back then, the Mist Ninja who had come along had seen that Naruto treated Ao and Chojuro very differently.
At the time, those Mist Ninja had wished that they, too, could become Naruto's friends like Chojuro and Ao. What an honor that would have been.
After returning to Kirigakure, whenever those Mist Ninja spoke of the matter with their friends, they