I want to try and gather the unrestrained winds
I'll run toward the horizon, alongside the wave crests
I've made my decision,
even if there's a long way to go on that road.
I'll continue towards the future I've planned
Time rushes us The heartbeat speeds up
When I woke in the middle of a dream I kept searching for that same light
Under the shining star lit sky with countless constellations and shadows
There was something beyond that... What were you gazing at?
Is this really Moso's house?
Here he's a superintendant officer,
so I thought it'd be a more luxurious building with gold folding screens.
Your voices are too loud.
Lord Moso is a magnificent person with no self-interests.
So he lives frugally.
But you know, he's an old man
who's the second most important guy in the land next to the feudal lord, right?
He smacks of being really poor.
Naruto!
Well well, how shameful of me to present such a poor residence.
Lord Moso.
What?!
This old man like from some dumpling shop?
I'm an old man from a dumpling shop?
Geez, unbelievable!
Idiot!
What're you doing, Neji?!
Well, make yourselves comfortable.
So you are Ninja who came from the Village Hidden in Leaves?
From the right, this is Naruto, Neji and Tenten.
I hear you encountered the Cursed Warrior that appeared
in Lord Komei's residence last night.
Yes.
So, how did it go?
Did you figure out the true identity of the Cursed Warrior?
Yeah, it's a real ghost.
Oh, a ghost, huh?
Don't be jumping to conclusions on your own.
But he appears all of a sudden and flies around.
Yeah, and on top of that, the inside of his armor was empty.
No matter how bizarre the thing, there's always a trick.
I'll pin down the true identity without fail.
That is encouraging...
We have just changed feudal lords and the public is still anxious.
Please eliminate the rumors of the Cursed Warrior as soon as possible.
I beg of you.
Please!
Tsurucho Yakitori
Here are your chicken wings.
Oh, here we go!
They look tasty!
Hot!
That Moso superintendant officer seems like a good guy.
Yes. It was also Lord Moso who came to my rescue
and selected me to be a page.
The son of the feudal lord succeeds him
and an excellent superintendant officer offers him tutelage...
The government appears to be stable, but...
Then why is there a strange rumor going around
about the haunting of the previous feudal lord?
There's probably somebody displeased
with this dramatic replacement of the feudal lord.
Do you have any idea who it might be?
Well, it might be Lord Komei, after all.
Isn't that the name of the tactician you were talking about
who wanted to become the feudal lord?
Then why did the Cursed Warrior appear in his residence?
Perhaps to deflect attention.
That's it. I bet that's it.
All right, since it's come to this,
if we can nab that old man called Komei or whatever
and quickly get him to own up...
Guys, let's get fired up and get going!
Idiot. We can't do something like that without proof.
He is a tactician of this land more or less, so.
Oh man, that's no fun.
First, I want to meet Lord Sagi, the feudal lord.
That's not possible. Lord Sagi does not like to meet anybody.
Don't be such a stick-in -the-mud. Let us meet him, okay?
You're a "nipple" friend, right?
If you're going to say that, say, "childhood friend."
Huh?
Can we really meet him in a place like this?
This lake holds fond memories for Lord Sagi.
And... for me as well.
In our young days,
Lord Sagi always played with his little sister Lady Toki here.
He might come here around about today with his attendants...
If we're lucky.
It's up to luck, huh?
It's Lord Sagi.
Lord Sagi, we have arrived.
Thank you.
Oh wow... So that's Lord Sagi, huh?
He's cute. He is kind of my liking...
My watch has remained stopped since that time.
Hey, what's he doing?
He's probably reminiscing.
The only thing that can comfort Lord Sagi's heart
is his memories with Lady Toki.
Byakugan.
Where is it?
Where's this bloodthirsty aura coming from?
It's not above ground?
Could it be, underwater...?
Assassins! Protect Lord Sagi!
I don't think so!
Who the heck are you guys?
Damn it! I won't let you get away.
Wait, Naruto!
What is it?
A letter bomb in the water.
That was a close one.
If you'd chased after them as is, you would've been totally entangled.
Settle down.
Lord Sagi!
Are you all right?!
Yes, I'm fine.
Thank goodness!
Lord Sagi, these three are Ninja from the Village Hidden in Leaves...
They came to investigate the true identity of the Cursed Warrior.
That was unnecessary. I bet it was that Moso's idea?
It was all because he was worried for your life, Lord Sagi.
The fact is, if these people were not here now...
Silence.
Y Yes, my lord.
Hey hey, do you really not get how this guy feels?!
Chishima was seriously worried about you.
Without his passionate friendship,
the Hidden Leaf Village wouldn't have taken action with that low commission fee.
I am not obliged.
How bothersome!
Say what?!
Friendship is in the past.
I became a feudal lord and he is a mere page.
We are now standing on different surfaces.
Say that again! I'll slug the guy who tramples on friendship!
Let it go, Naruto.
What're you doing?! Let go of me!
I have to give guys like this a good thumping!
You are talking about a feudal lord!
It would have been better had it pierced my throat.
Go.
Yes, my lord.
Jeez, who does he think he is?!
Jeez, a feudal lord.
Please forgive him.
What? You don't have a problem with being told off like that?!
He wasn't like that in the old days.
His father and little sister died in succession
and he became cold hearted.
So that's what it was.
I'm sure the day will come
when he will turn back into the kind -hearted Lord Sagi.
I don't know about that.
The Shuriken from before.
This is an odd shape.
Hm? Let me have a look.
Oh!
Does it look familiar to you or something?
Y Yes. There are no Ninja in the Land of Birds.
But there are guardsmen receiving special training.
Is it a weapon those people use?
Yes.
Who commands those guardsmen?
The person who organizes them is Lord Komei the tactician.
Say what?!
Komei again.
Komei must have originally thought to mislead the public with the Cursed Warrior
and attempted to create a rift between Lord Sagi and Moso.
But the relationship between the two is tight.
And by Moso summoning us here, he probably sensed that the day
was approaching when the truth behind the incident would be revealed
and he plotted to assassinate Lord Sagi.
If we've figured out that much, let's charge on in!
Hold your horses, Naruto.
We have to find more hard evidence.
Hey, is that how it is?
Yeah, that's how it is.
Neji, look at that.
No doubt, it's Komei!
To think he'd go out without attendants
even though the Cursed Warrior might appear.
All right, let's follow him.
This is the temple where the Cursed Warrior appeared last night.
Something smells fishy.
He's shown up...!
Byakugan.
What's this?!
There's no need to waver anymore!
Hey! Wait.
I've witnessed the true identity of the ghost!
Who's there?
Hey hey, Komei!
You're the one responsible for controlling the Cursed Warrior, right?
What?
H-Hold it!
Naruto, get down!
I did it!
Damn it! No good.
This thing's not just a ghost, after all.
A tornado?
I can't see the Cursed Warrior!
Byakugan.
A Shuriken Shadow Clone?!
8 Trigrams Palm Rotation!
What're you letting your mind drift for?!
Sorry... I never thought a ghost could use Ninjutsu.
It's not a ghost inside the armor. It's a Shinobi.
And quite a wily one at that.
This is the same shape as the shuriken from this afternoon.
He's an important witness. Take him alive.
Leave it to me!
But we can't take him alive
if we don't do something about that tornado.
Naruto.
I'm counting on you!
Right. I'll try!
Tenten, use as many weapons as possible and draw his attention.
Roger.
No good. No effect at all.
That's fine. Just keep at it.
Neji... now!
Gentle Fist Technique, 8 Trigrams 64 Palms.
8 Trigrams 2 Palms.
4 Palms.
8 Palms.
16 Palms.
32 Palms.
64 Palms.
All right, we did it!
We'll find out the true identity for sure this time.
Show us your real face.
What's this?
It's empty again.
This can't be!
Lord Komei, we have seized from a storeroom in your residence,
one suit of white armor along with guardsmen Shuriken.
We would like you to report to the magistrate's office
as a material witness in the recent Cursed Warrior incident
as well as the attempted assassination of Lord Sagi.
I have no choice.
Thank you very much.
With this, Lord Sagi's heart should settle down somewhat.
Case closed.
Still, they were sure prepared.
Here an hour has barely passed since contacting Moso.
At that time...
- Huh? - Huh?
There was a human presence in tonight's Cursed Warrior.
The presence of someone alive.
A presence?
But you said you didn't feel such a presence in the first Cursed Warrior.
Yeah.
Hey, what does that mean?
In other words, the two Cursed Warrior are separate beings.
So many things happen on this endless road, huh?
Although you're strong willed, your voice wavered on the phone today
What dreams did you chase to get here?
Even I have times when I just don't understand, baby
When you're sad, I'll be close to you
Even on nights when we're apart, I'll be close to you
How can we go back to the village when there's all this mystery?
If we're gonna investigate, this has to be it.
What? Could this black thing be...?
I get it! We use this to get through the dark...
Hey, why did we end up in a place like this?!
Next: "Too Late for Help