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  "I'm sorry, I don't know the exact situation," Aoda said, "but I've heard that Lord Manda often curses Orochimaru for not providing him with enough sacrifices."

  Kakashi closed his book and asked, "Naruto, do you still believe Orochimaru isn't dead?"

  Naruto sighed helplessly. "Yeah, but it doesn't seem like we have any useful information for now."

  After Aoda sought Sasuke's permission, he dispelled the summoning technique.

  Sasuke then pulled out a scroll and handed it to Naruto. "Here's what you asked for."

  "Ah, the Chakra Wing Technique!" Naruto excimed, eagerly unrolling the scroll. It detailed the Peacock Seal and the method of chakra manipution required. This seemed like a fun technique for his shadow clones to try out.

  Sasuke pointed at the final lines of the scroll and warned, "Don't get too excited. This secret technique has some fws. It appears to demand high chakra quality, which most ninjas might not meet."

  Naruto grinned. "That's not a problem. Even if my chakra isn't perfect, Kurama's chakra is more than enough! There's no way the power from that tiny piece of meteorite could surpass the Nine-Tails' chakra."

  However, realizing he couldn't master the technique right away, Naruto decided to consult his father or Jiraiya to adapt it.

  After all, walking around with butterfly-like wings would look a little strange.

  Kakashi cpped his hands to get their attention. "Alright, let's focus. We're heading to the Land of Wind next."

  "What kind of mission?" Sakura asked, her expression immediately shifting to concern. "Wait, the desert?! That's going to ruin my skin!"

  "Rex," Kakashi replied, ignoring her compints. "It's a communication and escort mission." He held up a scroll. "We're delivering this to Sunagakure, then escorting their liaison officer back."

  "Sunagakure? Did something happen?" Naruto asked curiously.

  "I just received word that Gaara has been appointed as the Fifth Kazekage," Kakashi expined. "He's pnning to hold a joint Chūnin Exam in about two months."

  "Kazekage?!" Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were shocked. The st time they'd seen Gaara felt like just yesterday.

  Kakashi nodded. "Yes. The position has been vacant for nearly a year. In that time, Gaara has worked tirelessly, taking on countless missions and earning widespread respect."

  "It's no surprise he was chosen he's the son of the Fourth Kazekage, after all, and his transformation over the past year has been remarkable."

  After saying their goodbyes, Team Kakashi set off for the Land of Wind.

  Meanwhile, in Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage, Ay, roared as he hurled his desk out the window.

  "Damn it!" he shouted.

  Below, a passing ninja caught the desk mid-air, expertly shielding themselves from the shattered gss before calmly returning it to the office. "Phew, I thought Raikage-sama was in trouble. He hasn't thrown anything for a month. Good to see he's back to normal."

  Inside the office, Yugito Nii and Samui remained composed, while Omoi and Karui, being younger, appeared uneasy. Mabui sighed as she took notes, muttering about whether the windows should remain gssless in the future.

  "Lord Raikage," Mabui began, "we know the 'star' damages the human body. It's not worth pursuing. Instead, we should focus on the fact that there are two Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."

  "Hmph, you're right," Raikage conceded. "But is it some Konoha secret, or just Kurama's unique ability?"

  "Yugito, do you have any insight into this?" Mabui asked.

  Yugito shook her head. "Not at all. Matatabi doesn't know of the Nine-Tails having such an ability either. Perhaps we should ask Bee?"

  Raikage turned into a bald ninja. "Where is Bee?"

  The ninja hesitated. "He's... at a concert."

  Raikage's temple throbbed. Moments ter, he leapt out the broken window, reappearing five minutes ter with Killer Bee in tow.

  Bee sported a fresh fist mark on his face but immediately began rapping:

  "Yo, bro, why you gotta hit me?~

  Rhymes and beats, they come so easy!~"

  Raikage sighed and motioned for Mabui to expin the situation.

  After hearing everything, Bee fell silent, seemingly consulting Gyūki. Unfortunately, Gyūki had no answers either Kurama's chakra split was as much a mystery to the Eight-Tails as it was to everyone else.

  Bee finally broke his silence:

  "Even the Hachibi don't know the tale,~

  But let's rap it out and never fail!~"

  Raikage sent Bee flying again, this time through a wall. Bee stumbled to his feet, brushing off the dust, and began scribbling lyrics in his notebook.

  ---

  Elsewhere, Obito brooded in the shadows, digesting the test intel from Zetsu.

  "The Fourth Hokage sealed the Nine-Tails back then," Obito muttered. "Given the Uzumaki vitality, it's not surprising Kushina survived. But two Jinchūriki? This makes no sense. Kurama isn't a summon animal you can split apart."

  "How's Akatsuki's progress?" Obito asked.

  "At this rate, it will take two years," Bck Zetsu replied.

  "Too slow," Obito said, narrowing his eyes.

  "We're already moving as fast as possible. Funds are tight, and finding trustworthy recruits isn't easy. Any more pressure, and it'll raise suspicions," Zetsu expined.

  Obito clenched his fists in frustration. "Fine. But make sure there are no deys. The Moon's Eye Pn must succeed."

  ---

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