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?
What is it?
Who are you?!
It was you...? You killed him, didn't you?
N-No... I don't know anything...!
The Cursed Warrior...?
The Cursed Warrior
Old man's... snot!
I just can't get myself into training doing it alone...
I wonder if we won't get a mission connected to Sasuke or something.
The Land of Birds? From such a remote land...
That's what's troubling us.
The "Cursed Warrior" apparition has been disturbing the castle town
and misleading the public, huh?
So they want us to exterminate a ghost?
I declined once saying we can't go so far
as to accept the extermination of a ghost, but...
I must have you accept this at any cost. Please accept!
Is it because the money isn't enough?
We in the Land of Birds are experiencing financial difficulties.
Even this is the very limit the budget will allow...
It's not an issue of money.
In other words, it's the mission details.
Be that as it may,
indeed there isn't even enough to cover travel expenses with this amount...
Now that things have come to this pass...
I shall commit harakiri...!
Don't be hasty!
Yikes!
It's the little bit of pocket money I have saved up.
I'll pay out of my own pocket. So with this, please...!
And that's why you accepted it?
It's indulgent even for me...
Nonetheless, most of the Jonin and Chunin are out on missions.
I was thinking of how to handle this...
I guess someone's talking about you.
Everyone's busy with missions, so they don't have time for such things.
Who's that guy...?
He's been like that since earlier.
Even tasty ramen won't go down the throat right being watched like that!
Come inside and eat if you're hungry!
No, I'm not hungry...
So? Tasty, huh?
Yes!
Thanks for your business.
Come back and have Naruto treat you again...
Again and again like that? Give me a break.
Thank you for treating me. In appreciation...
N-No, you don't need to worry about it...
But hey, what's your name?
You're not a familiar face from this village...
Yes, my name is Chishima and I have come from the Land of Birds.
I came to the Village Hidden in the Leaves to commission a mission...
You're flat broke even though you came as a messenger of your land?
There wasn't enough money for the commission,
so I even used up my own pocket money...
Then it must be a very important mission, huh?
It might even cost an important friend of mine's very life...
Your friend...? What the heck do you mean?
Ever since I was little,
I was raised like a brother with Lord Sagi, the feudal lord of the Land of Birds...
You're friends with a feudal lord?!
I said feudal lord,
but he was only just appointed last year and actually he's the same age as me.
No kidding? The he's a totally young feudal lord.
Y Yes... The previous feudal lord, his father Lord Owashi died from illness
and after that he even lost his twin sister...
Ever since then,
Lord Sagi, who was so cheerful, has become a totally different person...
He wouldn't show his face even if I visited...
I'm worried about him as a friend rather than a feudal lord.
I was thinking something might have happened to him...
So if there is something I can do,
I want to do whatever I can, as a friend...
I couldn't...save Sasuke. But this guy's still...
Leave it to me.
What?
Let's save your friend!
Right!
Old Lady Tsunade! You're mean!
Listen, you could at least knock when entering my office.
More importantly! What do you mean by fleecing bro of his pocket money
and then not accepting the mission?!
Huh?
People call stuff like that devilish! You old lady devil!
Try saying that again!
I'm sorry!
I wonder if Naruto... is okay...
He'll be fine.
You've gotten to know a good guy...
He may not look it, but he's quite dependable.
What?!
R-Right...
Who said I wouldn't accept the mission?
Oh, I see. So you were waiting for Neji to finish his mission and come back.
Half cocked jerk.
Lee is on a mission with Guy.
You and Tenten will form a three man team with Neji as the leader, got it?
Then did you hear from that kid about the mission details?
Well actually, not yet...
It's the extermination of a ghost.
A ghost?
It seems that it appears when you're walking through town at night...
A ghost clad in white armor.
That's what you'II...
I I didn't hear anything about a ghost...
Are you scared of it?
I'm not scared. I couldn't be a Ninja if I got scared at stuff like that!
But does Ninjutsu work on ghosts?
Who knows...?
Try testing it out yourself.
Jeez, why didn't you say at the start
that it was a commission to exterminate a ghost?!
I didn't tell you?
Not even a word. But that's just a rumor anyway, right?
I haven't seen it, but...
See?
But it seems my master, Lord Moso, saw it close up.
F-For real?!
The Land of Birds, huh...? That's sure far...
Village Hidden in the Leaves
Land of Birds
Umm, is there more...?
You sure eat a lot considering you're thin.
I'm sorry. I'm often called a skinny voracious eater.
Hey, by the way, is there really such a thing as the Cursed Warrior?
There are people who say
it's the disembodied spirit of the previous feudal lord, Lord Owashi.
The disembodied spirit of a dead feudal lord...
Rather than ghosts,
tell us a little more about the Land of Birds.
Sure...
The capitol of the Land of Birds stretches across the banks of the lake
where migratory birds rest...
It was a peaceful town with lots of green
and where water from the lake would be drawn into the canals...
However, after the sudden death of the previous feudal lord,
there was much uproar.
His son Lord Sagi and Lord Komei, the tactician from previously,
were nominated to be the next feudal lord...
But Lord Komei thought Lord Sagi was still too young
and was vehemently opposed to him assuming the feudal lordship.
But in the end, Lord Sagi took the seat of feudal lord
and the matter was closed with Moso the high priest
providing tutelage as a superintendent official...
However, before even half a year passed,
Lady Toki, his twin sister, died suddenly...
After that, Lord Sagi who was so cheerful
turned into a totally different person, became coldhearted
and he now conducts governmental matters confined in his mansion...
From about that time,
the Cursed Warrior began appearing in the castle town...
Those in the castle town say that Lord Owashi was killed by someone...
There are even those who say that the Cursed Warrior
is the ghost of Lord Owashi searching for the person
who drove him to death and is attempting to have his revenge...
That's scary...
There's no such thing as ghosts.
But...
That priest Moso is the one
who gained the most from Owashi's death, huh...?
Lord Moso is a magnificent person of virtue with no self interests!
Then the suspicious one is...
The only one left is Komei the tactician!
I bet he assassinated Owashi
in an attempt to become the feudal lord, but failed!
He has complained whenever opportunity offered itself,
after Lord Sagi became the feudal lord as well!
A tactic like tormenting Lord Sagi by starting the rumor
about the Cursed Warrior might be a piece of cake for Lord Komei...!
All right! There's no doubt.
It's settled. The true identity of the Cursed Warrior is Komei!
The true identity of the ghost is revealed, huh...?
Lord Komei, there was nothing unusual on the scheduled patrol.
You may step down...
Yes, sire.
Aren't we at our destination yet?!
Just a little further until Lord Moso's residence.
Where is he?! This way?
Where did he go?!
Th There he is!
Get him! Drag him down!
Cursed Warrior!
He vanished.
Lord Komei! Are you all right?!
I'm fine. Don't panic!
What's that?!
It's flying?!
Clad in white armor, possesses a halberd,
and wears a mask with a frightening look...
There's no doubt... It's the Cursed Warrior!
After him!
Are you going to ride on my shoulders forever?
Wait here! I'll pin down the true identity of the ghost!
Huh? R-Right...
Where'd he go?!
Over there!
Byakugan!
I can't see him...
What does that mean?!
There's no human presence in here...
At least, a living presence...
Wh Why do you put it that way...?
Shh! Didn't you hear something just now?
I thought you didn't feel a human presence!
I told you... living presence.
Wh What do you want?!
Damn it, damn it.
You little!
Chain Weight!
Th -There can't be something like ghosts. No such things as ghosts!
Stop, Naruto! He's...!
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
U!
Zu!
Ma!
Ki!
Naruto Barrage!
Yes! Now I'll verify the true identity!
This is...
The insides are empty.
That means...
it's a real ghost!
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