Inoiki, who was still floating in the sky, immediately controlled the wind with his psychokinesis. The dust that had swallowed the entire battleground was swept away in a single powerful gust. The air cracked sharply as the gale rushed outward, clearing the view in an instant.

Finally, Raikage’s figure emerged from within the wreckage of shattered stone and fractured earth. His chest was marked with multiple bruises from the impact of the compressed wind sphere. He lay on the ground unconscious, his massive frame half-buried among the debris.

The spectators from Kumogakure rushed toward him at once, their footsteps pounding across the broken field. They surrounded their Raikage, checking his breathing and pulse, relief flashing across their faces when they confirmed he was mostly uninjured on the surface. But anyone who had seen the attack knew the truth—that kind of compression must have rattled his internal organs.

After all, Raikage was a user of the Lightning Chakra Mode, and that alone accelerated his natural healing. The superficial wounds Inoiki inflicted had already mended to an extent, faint lines of recovery visible on his skin. The real damage came from the compressed wind sphere; it had forced blood to seep through small cracks along his torso, though the bleeding was surprisingly light—nothing catastrophic, but enough to show the force behind the strike.

Mabui, Raikage’s ever-efficient assistant, immediately took command. "Go and bring the medical ninja. Raikage needs to be healed!" she ordered sharply. Her voice cut through the murmuring crowd.

Hearing this, Omoi stepped forward at once. Without hesitation, he turned to sprint toward the medical unit, his expression tightening with worry as he dashed off.

Inoiki drifted closer, descending just enough to be heard clearly while keeping a respectful distance so he wouldn’t be mistaken for a threat. Darui, still tense and ready to strike at the slightest suspicious movement, watched him with narrowed eyes.

Inoiki raised both hands slightly in a calming gesture and said, "Don’t worry. I mean no harm to Raikage. I’m good at healing injuries. If you allow me, I can heal him."

Omoi, who had been mid-stride, froze on the spot.

Karui, hot-tempered as always, immediately snapped, "No need! We don’t need your help. Kumogakure has plenty of good medical ninjas. We can take care of Raikage ourselves."

Inoiki had only offered out of politeness and responsibility. If they refuse, then that’s their choice. He didn’t intend to force anything.

But Mabui, kneeling beside Raikage, lifted a hand sharply to stop Darui, who was still standing with his guard raised, ready to strike if Inoiki so much as twitched wrong. Her eyes stayed calm and analytical as she spoke.

"There’s no need to be hostile," Mabui said firmly. "If he intended to harm Raikage, then after knocking him out like this, he would have gone for the kill. But he didn’t. That alone proves he isn’t our enemy, and he has no intention of hurting our Raikage."

Her words settled over the group like a steadying weight, easing the tension—if only slightly—as the wind continued to whisper through the damaged battlefield.

After hearing Mabui’s words, Darui finally exhaled, his shoulders loosening. He gave a small nod and stepped back, lowering his guard and allowing Inoiki to approach. Mabui rose to her feet and looked directly at Inoiki, her expression steady.

"Please, heal our Raikage."

Inoiki silently moved to Raikage’s side and knelt, placing his hand gently on the unconscious leader’s shoulder. The moment his palm settled, a soft green light began to bloom from his hand, spreading across Raikage’s massive frame. The glow pulsed rhythmically, casting shifting shadows across the cracked ground.

Bruises faded. Cuts sealed. The tension in Raikage’s muscles eased as the injuries rapidly healed. Soon, the wounds Inoiki’s earlier attack had caused were gone entirely.

A deep breath escaped Raikage’s lips. His eyes opened slowly, vision adjusting to the sight of Inoiki sitting beside him. Inoiki stood up immediately, stepping aside so Raikage could rise without feeling cornered. The Raikage pushed himself upright, fully aware—painfully aware—that he had lost both the battle and the bet.

Once Raikage was standing straight, Inoiki chose not to waste time. His tone was calm but firm as he said, "Now that you are defeated, Lord Raikage, can you fulfill the promise you made during our bet an hour ago?"

Raikage inhaled deeply, then let out a long breath. "A promise is a promise," he admitted. "You defeated me fair and square. So yes... you can have what you desire. I will allow you access to the method we have used to master the power of the Tailed Beasts until now."

Inoiki nodded, a subtle wave of relief passing through him. Good. At least he won’t go back on his word. Because if Raikage had tried to retract the promise now, Inoiki would not have hesitated to fight again—this time without restraint.

Raikage looked toward Inoiki, his expression solemn as he spoke. "Although we have a method through which we give our Jinchuriki a chance to control their Tailed Beasts, it is not easy. It requires immense willpower from the Jinchuriki themselves. If their will is weak, then the method we use in Kumogakure can kill them... or, at the very least, leave them forever unable to control the Tailed Beast. So, in the end, whether your Jinchuriki succeeds depends entirely on whether he has the will to withstand it."

Inoiki turned his gaze toward Naruto. "Naruto, I leave this to you. It’s completely your decision whether to go through with this method or not."

Naruto didn’t hesitate even for a heartbeat. He stepped forward and declared, "You don’t need to ask me. I’ll definitely do it. I can’t let your expectations, Granny’s expectations, or everyone in Konoha down. And you fought the Raikage just to get me this chance. There’s no way I’m backing out."

Inoiki nodded, a flicker of pride and satisfaction crossing his face. That’s the Naruto I know.

Then he turned back to Raikage and said, "You’ve heard what my friend said. We’re ready. Whatever happens from this point on is ours to bear. You don’t need to worry."

Raikage said, "I’m not worried about you. If you want to control the Tailed Beast inside you so badly, then that’s your choice. I don’t care."

He paused, his tone turning firm again. "I’ll have Darui escort you to the location. It is one of Kumogakure’s most secret places. He will take you there tomorrow."

Inoiki nodded at Raikage’s words, accepting them without argument. Raikage turned away and left, with Darui following right behind him. That left Mabui and Team Samui standing with Inoiki and Naruto.

Mabui addressed Samui, the leader of Team Samui. "Take them to the guest house. And make sure our guests are properly taken care of."

Karui immediately scowled. "Why us?" she muttered, her tone clearly dissatisfied. But one sharp look from Mabui shut her down instantly, and she turned her head with a small, irritated "Hmph!"

Team Samui then guided Inoiki and Naruto away. As they walked, Karui—still grumbling under her breath—continued rambling nonstop. Naruto had been patient so far, but even he reached his limit. He snapped back at her with equal intensity, and within seconds, the two hotheads were in a full verbal back-and-forth.

Omoi trudged behind them with a look that screamed headache incoming, while Samui and Inoiki brought up the rear, watching silently. Neither felt the need to step in; they simply observed the chaos unfolding ahead.

After they were finally brought to the guest house, Inoiki sat down at a small table and wrote a letter addressed to Hokage Tsunade. In it, he briefly described everything that had happened during their journey, including the outcome of his battle with the Raikage. He explained that he had obtained Raikage’s permission and the method for Naruto to control the Nine-Tails, and that they would be staying in Kumogakure for the next few days—both for Naruto’s training and for Inoiki to continue training himself.

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