Under the warm invitation of Asama Santayū, Naruto stepped into the carriage.
Inside, apart from Santayū himself, there was a girl who appeared a few years older than him, with black hair and a somewhat aloof expression.
"Let me introduce you, Naruto," Santayū said enthusiastically. "This is Fuji Kazehana Yuki-e."
Fuji Kazehana Yuki-e... Kazahana Koyuki...
So she already debuted at this point?
Naruto gave her a quick once-over, then smiled gently. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you."
He firmly believed in the old saying: When you leave home, you rely on friends. Back when he traveled solo on his motorcycle before transmigrating, it was often strangers who lent a helping hand when he got into trouble.
So unless someone truly rubbed him the wrong way, Naruto was never stingy with his smiles.
"Likewise," Yuki-e replied with a slight nod. Though her demeanor was a bit cold, her manners were impeccable.
"Say, Naruto, that song you were humming just now did you really come up with it yourself?"
Santayū looked at him expectantly, slightly worried he might have been too forward. After all, the boy looked far too young.
Naruto answered with a look of earnest innocence. "I don't know how to write music. I was just humming randomly."
Santayū's eyes lit up instantly.
Didn't know how to write music?
You know what that means?
It means this kid is a natural-born talent!
As a former royal minister of the Land of Snow, Santayū had dedicated his life to one goal: helping Princess Kazahana Koyuki reclaim her rightful throne and restoring the country to its true path.
But the princess was still too young and unaware of her true identity. Who knew how many more years it would take before his dream could be realized?
Before that could happen, his top priority was simply raising her safely into adulthood.
(Santayū had recognized Koyuki purely by chance while watching a movie. He'd maneuvered his way into becoming her manager and only revealed his true identity once the mission in the Snow Country began.)
He looked at Naruto with deep satisfaction. If this boy really possessed such talent, he could be a powerful force in speeding up the princess's journey.
"Do you have any other skills, Naruto?"
"I can whistle."
"..."
Santayū fell silent. For a moment, he wondered if he had misjudged the kid.
"Well then... do you know any other songs?"
"Yeah."
Santayū's face lit up again. "Can you sing one for us?"
Naruto thought for a moment. Time to let this guy feel the overwhelming power of Miyuki Nakajima.
"The wind blows down from the mountain,
Though it bows and bends, the bamboo never breaks...
Thick clouds rain heavily from the sky,
Though it bows and bends, the bamboo never breaks...
If you ask me what I want to become
I want to be a stalk of bamboo rooted deep into the earth…"
A childish yet charming voice filled the carriage, and the further Santayū listened, the brighter his eyes became.
Even Yuki-e, who had appeared indifferent at first, seemed momentarily entranced. The lyrics, brimming with resilience and positivity, brought a faraway look to her eyes.
The song Naruto sang was called Song of the Bamboo. Not many had heard the original version, but almost everyone would recognize its Chinese cover:
"In the dream of the dream of the dreamer's dream…"
Yes, it was the same melody used by a certain famous singer in Heaven's Edge.
As Santayū listened, his eyes grew misty. The uplifting lyrics reminded him of all the effort he had poured into the past two years.
The king had been murdered. He had fled the country. He found the princess and began planning revenge...
Wasn't that just like the unyielding resilience of a bamboo forest?
Of course, that was his perspective. From Naruto's point of view, the man had been pretty reckless charging headfirst at a ninja organization with a ragtag bunch of villagers.
The result?
A whole cart full of kunai wasted just to exchange for a single honorable death.
Granted, kunai weren't cheap.
In narrative terms, this guy basically dragged the entire film crew and Team Kakashi into a suicide mission.
Now, charging to your death alone? That's your business.
But dragging others with you? That's crossing the line.
Fortunately, the protagonist team was stacked with plot armor. Any normal ninja squad would have been shredded by that chakra armor.
Clap, clap, clap!
When the song ended, Santayū broke into enthusiastic applause. Even Yuki-e gave a gentle pat of her hands in appreciation. Regardless of the lyrics' meaning, from a musical standpoint, it was a beautiful piece.
"If you learn an instrument, study composition and vocal training... you could debut in no time!" Santayū said, his voice shaking with excitement. "What a song! I knew I wasn't wrong about you, Naruto you've got the potential to become a sensation across all Five Great Nations!"
Popular across the Five Great Nations?
That's it?
Give me a bit more time and I could conquer all Five Great Nations...
Then let's see who dares say I'm not famous.
Though Naruto dearly wished to live a carefree life, he knew he had to stay proactive if only to keep himself alive.
Sure, he had both the Nine-Tails and Wood Release at the start, but there wouldn't be much room for growth in raw strength anytime soon.
Right now, following Santayū was a solid choice.
First, he found it genuinely interesting. Second, the enemies in this movie arc were just about the right level for practice.
And being a star would open doors to powerful people with deep pockets. He could snoop around for information on the bounty exchange stations and maybe even sell Uchiha Obito out for a nice price.
Yeah, that guy had been on his kill list for a while now.
Honestly, even if Kaguya came back to life, Naruto would probably try to negotiate first:
"How about I help you fight the Ōtsutsuki clan, and you give up on this whole Infinite Tsukuyomi idea?"
I mean, the Allied Shinobi Forces are stronger than an army of White Zetsu, right? Surely we can talk this out?
Even with Madara, he'd try convincing him that Infinite Tsukuyomi was Black Zetsu's trick he might actually think about it.
But Obito?
Nope. That guy was nuts from the start.
And there was no point in sweet-talking crazy.
Naruto never wasted time talking to morons.
"Hey, Naruto."
Santayū's voice pulled Naruto out of his thoughts. There was hesitation in his eyes, and a faint glimmer of hope. "You're from the Hidden Leaf, right?"
"No, but I did come from there."
Naruto looked curious. "How'd you figure that out?"
Santayū pointed to his shoes. "Because those are ninja sandals."
"Oh... right."
Naruto finally realized. He'd grown so used to seeing them in Konoha, he hadn't given it a second thought.
In this world, civilians wouldn't casually wear ninja attire. It was too easy to be mistaken for a rogue ninja and get killed for it.
As a side note, each of the Five Great Shinobi Villages had their own unique sandal designs. Naruto's were clearly from Konoha.
Santayū's expression dimmed slightly. "So... you're not actually a ninja?"
"Nope," Naruto said with a nod. "The word ninja means someone who endures."
But he was terrible at enduring. Zero patience. If someone crossed him, they paid for it immediately.
Endure? Not a chance. Not in this lifetime. That'd be a disgrace to the term 'cheater.'
Upon hearing Naruto's reply, Santayū let out a soft sigh barely audible.
He had hoped Naruto might be from a shinobi family. If that were the case, maybe he could be trained...
But then again, he hadn't set his hopes too high.
After all... what were the odds that some random kid would have the power to defeat Kazahana Dōtō?