Heading to the Land of Earth!

Uzumaki Gamu, Mito, and Lala headed north, leaving Season with You behind and making their way toward the Land of Earth.

Of course, leaving the Land of Wind did not mean they would immediately reach the Land of Earth. Three countries lay between them: the Land of Demons, the Land of Birds, and the Land of Rain.

The Land of Demons was where the movie about Naruto's death took place. It was a mysterious country with a Miko in every generation, which meant there was one in this era too. The Miko could seal monsters and predict the future, and her predictions had never been wrong. Sealing monsters, however, cost her her life. Anyone hoping to romance a Miko could take a trip around that country.

Unfortunately, Uzumaki Gamu had no such plans.

The Land of Birds appeared in an anime-original storyline. There was nothing particularly special about it; it was just an ordinary small country.

Finally, anyone who had read the manga would be familiar with the Land of Rain-the home of the Akatsuki, the antagonists of early-to-mid Shippuden!

The country experienced a perpetual rainy season, hence its name. The rainwater flowed into an inland lake that looked like a sea, making for a spectacular sight. For that same reason, the country had no shortage of water-quite the opposite. It had far too much!

It really made one marvel-some places died of drought, while others drowned in floods! The Land of Wind was so dry that finding water was a struggle, while the Land of Rain had so much rain that it never stopped. Couldn't the two of them share a little?

Besides its poor climate, the country had another problem: it bordered the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Fire. Whenever those three nations went to war, the Land of Rain became the first battlefield!

Enemies on three sides? Wasn't that a little too much pressure just to survive? Well, it certainly was, which was also why the Land of Rain had the most abandoned war orphans!

Of course, it was not entirely without benefits!

Located at the junction of three regions, its local ninja were driven by immense pressure to squeeze out every last bit of their potential. They pushed each ninja's abilities to the limit and developed many unique moves along the way. In short, they were troublesome ninja who specialized in unconventional tactics!

Of those three countries, then, the Land of Birds was the most peaceful. In theory, it also had the best scenery, so Uzumaki Gamu planned to enter the Land of Earth through it!

Of course, Uzumaki Gamu and the others were still slowly making their way through the Land of Wind~

There was no helping it. They now had someone slowing them down. If the two of them wanted to move quickly, they would have to carry Lala, but that would defeat the purpose of training-hmm? Training what?

Training Lala, of course~

A ninja's training began with physical conditioning. Without a strong body, even chakra extraction would suffer. The journey to the Land of Earth was a perfect opportunity to train her body, and since Uzumaki Gamu and Mito were in no hurry, they could simply train as they traveled~

The first exercise was a weighted cross-country trek-walking across the sand while carrying fifty jin of weights.

Uh... wasn't that a little too heavy? She was only nine years old! Did this count as child abuse?

Uzumaki Gamu said, "Heaven knows I'm innocent! She asked for this herself. I even told her to carry less~" Originally, he had only planned to give her ten jin as a token effort, but the little girl was extremely competitive and refused to accept anything too light. She also seemed to have trained on her own before and was in excellent physical condition, so they went straight to fifty jin.

Uzumaki Gamu's assessment was: This kid's willpower might give Rock Lee a run for his money~

Well, since Lala herself had asked for such a heavy load, Uzumaki Gamu naturally had nothing more to say. Mito, meanwhile, worried about the girl's condition-she had reached the age when her maternal instincts were starting to overflow-and kept a close eye on Lala to prevent any accidents.

With Mito watching over her, Uzumaki Gamu did not need to devote his attention to Lala. Instead, he could first sort things out with Shukaku!

Inside Uzumaki Gamu, Shukaku thought, Finally found time to pay attention to me?

"Don't make it sound like I've been ignoring you. I've had plenty of things to deal with," Uzumaki Gamu said, speechless. "It feels like you've got a lot to say, so you go first!"

"...Your soul is a lot older than your body, kid. And... what's with all those bizarre memories?" Shukaku asked curiously.

"Shit, you peeked at my memories?" Uzumaki Gamu snapped. On reflection, it was fairly normal for a tailed beast living in his mental world to see a few things, but... Uzumaki Gamu had plenty of memories nobody could be allowed to see. For example... those things he had done while single in his previous life~ And the websites on his computer he could never tell anyone about... He had to preserve his good name!!

Wait, that's not what matters! Rolling his eyes, Uzumaki Gamu shoved all that nonsense aside. No need to make him sound like some sleazy pervert!

What really mattered was the information about Naruto. Letting that slip could ruin everything!

I urgently need Occlumency!! Uzumaki Gamu thought seriously.

"I only saw a few fragments. You don't need to get so worked up~" Shukaku said, speechless.

"...Well, in a sense, we'll be sharing the same fate from now on, so there's no real harm in telling you." Uzumaki Gamu briefly explained that he was a reincarnator.

"...Oh!" Shukaku replied calmly.

"Uh... you don't find that strange?" Uzumaki Gamu asked, scratching his head.

"Strange? Wouldn't that just make me look ignorant?" Shukaku answered with a perfectly straight face.

"..." Uzumaki Gamu felt as though he was talking to a brick wall!

Shukaku continued, "Anyway, whatever you were before, you're still you, right?"

Uzumaki Gamu nodded!

Shukaku said, "I acknowledged you and gave you power because of what you said earlier. So I don't care what happened to you before that!"

"You're surprisingly clearheaded~ I thought you'd have the personality of a little kid~" Uzumaki Gamu quipped.

"I haven't lived all these years for nothing, brat!!" Shukaku said irritably. "But in that case, you don't have anything to do with the Sage of Six Paths, huh~"

Uzumaki Gamu thought for a moment and asked, "...I suppose I'm one of his descendants? Does that count?"

"The old man's got descendants everywhere. What's that worth?" Shukaku shook his head, then continued, "Then why did you say you were the second Six Paths?"

"To show off!" Uzumaki Gamu answered just as honestly.

"...I feel scammed!! I want off this ride!" Shukaku shouted.

"No way. If you get off now, I'll croak!" A jinchūriki died when they lost their tailed beast! Although Uzumaki Gamu had received only a small portion of chakra, he was still a jinchūriki. If he died over something like this... he would be too ashamed to face Yama! He might as well find somewhere to annihilate his soul completely!

"...I was joking~" Shukaku wore an expression that seemed to say, Why is this guy so boring?

Uzumaki Gamu's face darkened. "Believe it or not, I'll use the Eight Trigrams Seal to lock you in a cage!" The Eight Trigrams Seal was a Sealing Jutsu improved by the Fourth Hokage, consisting of a double seal formed from two Four Symbols Seals. The Four Symbols Seal was used to seal powerful enemies or demons, employing the cycle of the four symbols to contain evil. The improved Eight Trigrams Seal could convert the Nine-Tails chakra leaking between the Four Symbols Seals into Naruto's own chakra. It served as another aid to Naruto's growth!

The Four Symbols Seal was a family Sealing Jutsu that Uzumaki Gamu had learned long ago, while he had developed the Eight Trigrams Seal after mastering it. Had he pirated someone else's ninjutsu again? Well, Minato would not mind!

"...Why can't you take a joke~" Shukaku said, speechless.

Uzumaki Gamu suddenly smiled. "...I was joking too! Why can't you take a joke~" With that, the man and beast both burst into hearty laughter.

These two belonged together. They were a real pair of clowns!

Shukaku laughed. "Well, even if you have nothing to do with the Sage of Six Paths, you're an interesting guy! Traveling around with you sounds like a lot of fun, so I don't really care anymore~" Having spent so long cooped up inside a pot, Shukaku was now happy with anything as long as he could enjoy himself! Traveling around with Uzumaki Gamu was therefore perfectly fine by him.

Uzumaki Gamu smiled too. "Well, having another companion should make the trip more interesting, so I don't mind you hopping aboard my pirate ship... Here's to getting along, Shukaku!" Just like that, the two reached an understanding!

Shukaku then asked about something else. "What's going on with those eyes of yours? They're not the Sharingan or the Byakugan, much less the Rinnegan, but they don't feel any weaker than those three..."

"For now... let's call them a gift from Lord Yama?" Uzumaki Gamu said, covering his eyes. "Well, explaining it now would be a little troublesome. I should be able to tell you what they are after a while!"

"Oh~" Since Uzumaki Gamu had said that, Shukaku was in no hurry. He settled down to wait until Uzumaki Gamu explained exactly what those eyes were!

Then Uzumaki Gamu asked something he was curious about too. "Um... how much chakra did you transfer to me?" The amount would affect future battles, so naturally, Uzumaki Gamu felt the more, the better!

"...About one-fiftieth, I guess?" Shukaku answered.

Uzumaki Gamu froze. "No wonder I didn't feel all that much power. That's all there was?" He was speechless... What could he do with one-fiftieth?

"That's what you get for cutting it off so quickly. If you'd stood there dumbly for a little longer, I could've sent more over~" Shukaku quipped.

"So now it's my fault? If you'd discussed it with me beforehand, would I have disagr-" Uzumaki Gamu stopped awkwardly.

According to his original plan-to pursue the Nine-Tails, the beast of his dreams-Shukaku was not supposed to be part of the picture. If things had followed the normal process, Uzumaki Gamu probably would have refused Shukaku's offer of chakra. So... it really was his own fault?

Uzumaki Gamu scratched his head sheepishly. "Well... it was my fault. Sorry!"

"Mm, I forgive you!" Shukaku immediately put on airs!

Uzumaki Gamu said, "I was just being modest, and you actually went and forgave me... Forget it, it doesn't matter. Even if it's only one-fiftieth, compared to what I've got now... it feels about the same. Well, does that mean my chakra has doubled?" Doubling his chakra was a good thing, at least!

Besides, having Shukaku as a power bank offered more than just extra chakra. Uzumaki Gamu could also use Shukaku's ninjutsu-powerful Wind Release and Magnet Release Sealing Jutsu! Magnet Release Rasengan unlocked! He could even deepen his understanding of Magnet Release and use some special Magnet Release ninjutsu.

The healing ability that came with tailed beast chakra was another great benefit. It rivaled Hashirama's seal-less healing ability. Had Uzumaki Gamu finally shaken off his established image as a glass cannon?

"At least... I won't have to worry about dying if I'm cut in half, right?" Uzumaki Gamu said, rubbing his chin. He never mentioned it directly, yet somehow never strayed from it!

There was no helping it. With his current setup, the only things separating Uzumaki Gamu from 2.5 were his hair color, Limitless, and a domain. Give him Limitless, and he really could cosplay Satoru Gojo and fool people.

In short, after this brief conversation, Uzumaki Gamu and Shukaku reached an understanding: from now on, they would have fun together!

At the same time, Uzumaki Gamu came up with a new idea. Since his dream-beast plan had fallen through, he might as well be more straightforward-the dream power-beast plan!! His goal would be to win over every tailed beast and gather the power of the Ten-Tails!

"That sounds pretty good, but it also sounds like a lot of trouble, so I'll leave it to fate. If I run into one, I'll talk to them and see whether they're willing to give me some. If not... then forget it~" In short, Uzumaki Gamu would not actively search for them. He would leave everything to chance!

When fate allowed it, he would naturally collect all the tailed beasts!

Time continued to pass, and evening arrived.

The three, looking like a party on a pilgrimage to the west, found a spot sheltered from the wind and prepared to spend the night!

Exhausted from the day's exertion, Lala fell asleep after dinner.

Looking at Lala's sleeping face, Uzumaki Gamu remarked, "She really is a good kid."

"Mm." Mito nodded in agreement. "She's working so hard. She must want the strength to protect her Rōran, right?"

"Mm... she can do it." Even without considering the storyline Uzumaki Gamu had seen, the sheer effort she put in would make anyone believe she was bound to succeed!

Then Uzumaki Gamu looked at Mito and asked, "How do you feel about coming out here with me... Are you happy?"

"Yes, very happy!" Mito said with a smile. "Honestly, I never thought I'd get to leave the Land of Fire one day. Even if I did, it would've been to take part in a war between ninja clans. A trip like this... would've been completely impossible!"

"Well... as long as you're happy!" Uzumaki Gamu smiled in satisfaction. Whatever happened during their journey, as long as his younger sister was happy in the end, the trip would have been worthwhile!

-Preparing ninja tools-

A few days later, the three finally left the Land of Wind and arrived in the Land of Birds!

Uzumaki Gamu explained to the girls, "The capital of the Land of Birds sits beside a lake where migratory birds gather. It's a beautiful, peaceful city full of greenery along the lakeshore. We can stay there for a few days and experience another country's local customs!"

Hearing this, Lala said admiringly, "You're amazing, Master! You know everything!"

Mito nodded in agreement. "Mm, my second brother is basically an encyclopedia of the Shinobi World. He knows everything. If there's anything you want to know, Lala, you can ask him!"

"I wouldn't quite call myself an encyclopedia, but I do know a fair bit~" Uzumaki Gamu nodded. "Ask whatever you'd like!"

"Um..." After hesitating a little, Lala finally voiced a question she had wanted to ask for a long time. "Why do you look younger than Mito when you're her older brother, Master?" Lala had actually been wondering about this all along, but she had held back for fear of upsetting Uzumaki Gamu.

Hearing her question, Uzumaki Gamu scratched his cheek and explained, "For certain reasons, I stopped growing for a few years. Well... I won't explain the exact reason for now. It's a bit of a hassle to explain, and you'll see it yourself someday~"

Lala nodded to show she understood.

Just then, Mito suddenly said, "Second Brother, there's a large group of ninja lying in ambush ahead... Is it a trap?"

Uzumaki Gamu looked in the direction Mito indicated. "Whoa~ Someone really is blocking our path. Reto's warning was right. Someone really does want to ambush me. There's always someone plotting against me!" Looks like I'll need to find out exactly who's trying to harm me!

With that thought, Uzumaki Gamu created a clone, then told Mito, "I'll go ahead and deal with those idiots. Protect Lala. I'll leave this clone here, and if anything happens, I'll use it to send you a message!"

"Mm." Mito nodded!

Then Uzumaki Gamu left with the Body Flicker Technique.

-Preparing ninja tools-

On a hill two kilometers away, a group of ninja lay in ambush.

Just then, a ninja wrapped so tightly that only his eyes showed quickly arrived with the Body Flicker Technique and asked one of them, "Captain, the target still hasn't entered our encirclement. Has our operation been exposed?"

The man who appeared to be the captain replied, "...According to our information, the target seems to have sensory abilities... Looks like the information was true. In that case, we'll..." As he spoke, the captain suddenly attacked. He whipped out a kunai and stabbed the ninja who had just arrived, killing him!

Holy shit, why had he suddenly killed someone? Was this captain out of his mind?

Well, although his actions seemed a little strange, judging by the other squad members' calm reactions... there did not seem to be a problem?

The captain said disdainfully, "My squad members would never act freely without my orders. Who are you really?" Well, there it was. That was the flaw he had spotted!

The deputy beside him said, "Captain, he's already dead. I don't think he can answer your question anymore."

"...True. Then pull off his mask and see who he is," the captain ordered.

"Yes!" The deputy immediately complied, but after pulling off the mask, he suddenly froze. "Ji... Jimmy!" Wow, that reaction-did they know each other?

Hearing the disbelief in his deputy's voice, the captain froze for a moment, then rushed over. "Your younger brother Jimmy? Impossible, absolutely impossible!! Your brother was very obedient. He wouldn't disobey my orders and come here on his own! This is fake. It's the Transformation Technique, or a disguise!" If it really was Jimmy, then the captain's judgment had been wrong!

Unable to admit that, the captain began examining Jimmy's body. He was completely dead, so it definitely was not the Transformation Technique. There were no signs of stitching on his face either, ruling out a disguise. And the other identifying features of his body... were Jimmy's too.

That conclusively proved... the captain had killed the wrong person.

"...Captain." The deputy suffered in silence. The man was his superior, so he could not question him, but his own younger brother's death caused him unbearable pain... The feeling was driving him mad!

"How brutal. He only came over to ask a question, and you killed him just like that?" Uzumaki Gamu's voice rang out.

Everyone looked up at the sound and saw Uzumaki Gamu crouching in a tree, watching them.

They were all shocked. When had he gotten here? How had none of them sensed a thing?

"That face? That hair color? You're Gamu Uzumaki!!" The captain identified the target immediately.

"That's right. It's your grandpa~" Uzumaki Gamu taunted. "You actually chose to wait here for your grandpa. What a dutiful grandson you are~ But stabbing your own comrade to death was a little much, wasn't it?"

"Damn you... You're the one who made him come back, aren't you?" Whether Uzumaki Gamu had done it or not, the captain needed to pin the blame on him. Otherwise, the others would no longer respect him.

"Oh, come on~ Heaven knows I'm innocent. I just followed him here. You're the one who overthought things and stabbed him to death, and now you're trying to pin it on me... If you're incompetent, you're incompetent. Why pretend you're some hotshot~" Uzumaki Gamu said venomously.

"You're lying!!" No matter what, the captain could only stubbornly insist that Uzumaki Gamu had done it. "Don't think your sensory abilities let you come and go as you please. I'll avenge Jimmy!"

"Wow! You knew I had sensory abilities, yet you still dared to wait here out in the open. Do you think I'm a pushover?" Uzumaki Gamu retorted. "Besides, you're planning to avenge Jimmy? Perfect... I'll avenge him right now!" Uzumaki Gamu chuckled wickedly.

Then screams rang out one after another.

Two minutes later.

Uzumaki Gamu declared with flair, "Against me, a man who can use over a thousand ninjutsu, you have no chance of winning!!" The battle was over, but he could not skip the show-off ultimate-move portrait! Kakashi: Stealing my title wasn't enough? You had to steal my ultimate-move portrait too? Uzumaki Gamu: What do you mean, steal? I used it first, so it's mine!

As for the enemy ninja, Uzumaki Gamu had used Storm Release Beam Saber to cut the captain in half and turn him into 2.5. The others were heavily wounded and unable to move. Why were they still alive? Well, mainly so he could extract information!

Uzumaki Gamu still needed to know why these people had blocked his path. He could not kill them all!

So Uzumaki Gamu told the others, "Tell me everything you know. If you make me happy, I'll spare your miserable little lives~"

The surviving deputy captain gritted his teeth. "We won't talk even if you beat us to death!"

"Hey, hey, hey. I avenged your younger brother, you know. Don't be so heartless~" Uzumaki Gamu quipped.

The deputy captain said disbelievingly, "Hmph. My brother wouldn't act on his own. You must have done something~"

"Well... I only used a genjutsu I recently learned on him to make him come back and report to you. I never told you to kill him~ That was entirely the result of your captain's recklessness~" Uzumaki Gamu did not believe he deserved any blame.

"..." The deputy captain also knew the responsibility lay with his captain, but he could hardly curse his own teammate, could he?

Uzumaki Gamu continued, "Listen, you've still got bright futures ahead of you. There's no need to throw your lives away here for nothing. Just tell me the truth."

In response, a young man around Uzumaki Gamu's age asked, "...Will you really let us go?"

"Of course... Wait, you look a little familiar?" Uzumaki Gamu was somewhat surprised... There was something oddly familiar about this young man.

Where had he seen him before?