Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 200: Sparring Exercise, Bullying Sasuke

The afternoon sun of late autumn, carrying a lazy warmth, shone on the spacious training ground of the ninja academy.

Clear white circles were drawn on the compacted earth, and the air was filled with the tension and excitement unique to teenagers.

All the students sat around on the stone steps at the edge of the field, their eyes focused on the two people who were about to fight.

Uchiha Sasuke stood on one side of the field, wearing a dark blue short-sleeved high-necked clan uniform. Beneath his short black hair, his handsome face was taut, and his dark eyes gleamed with the confidence of a genius and a hint of barely perceptible arrogance.

He slightly raised his chin, and his hands skillfully and quickly formed the "opposition seal" in front of his chest. The movements were clean and crisp, with a rhythmic quality unique to the Uchiha clan.

He was dubbed a "genius" from a young age, and under the strict and high-standard teaching of his father and brother, he believed that he was far superior to his peers in chakra refinement, ninjutsu, and the family's inherited taijutsu and throwing techniques.

The noodles across the street?
Although he usually gets good grades and performs above average in practical classes, Sasuke does not really regard him as an opponent he needs to go all out against.

His goal has always been to surpass that figure called "Itachi".

Menma stood opposite Sasuke, his simple black tracksuit accentuating his tall and straight figure.

Unlike Sasuke's tense demeanor, he appeared very relaxed, even somewhat lazy.

Beneath her black, tousled hair, a pair of clear blue eyes remained calm and undisturbed.

He casually raised his hand and formed a standard "opposition hand seal," the movement fluid and natural, but lacking some of the sharp aura that Sasuke deliberately displayed.

Teacher Iruka, holding a whiteboard and pen, stood at the edge of the arena, his expression serious as he surveyed the two: "Uchiha Sasuke, Menma! Rules of the battle: stop when you've made a point! Focus on taijutsu, basic three-body techniques, and basic ninja tool throwing taught at the Ninja Academy. The use of lethal ninjutsu is prohibited!"

“Ready—go!”

The moment the word "begin" was uttered, a glint flashed in Sasuke's eyes, and his movements were as swift as lightning!

He swiftly pulled three wooden training kunai from his ninja tool pouch with his right hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the three kunai shot out in a triangular formation with a slight whooshing sound!

The target was aimed directly at the upper, middle, and lower parts of the face, precisely blocking the main directions from which he could dodge!
The throwing technique is the foundation of the Uchiha clan's proud throwing skills, with tricky angles and great power!

The instant the kunai was thrown, Sasuke himself shot off like an arrow, following closely behind the kunai and rushing towards Menma!

He moved swiftly, assuming the starting stance of the Uchiha Fluid Technique, charging up his right fist, clearly intending to use the interference of kunai to quickly overwhelm his opponent with taijutsu at close range!
Wow! Sasuke-kun is so fast!

"What an amazing throw! It blocked out all directions in an instant!"

"My face is numb, I'm in danger!"

The girls gasped in surprise and the boys exclaimed in admiration from the sidelines.

Naruto clenched his fists nervously: "Menma! Watch out!"

Faced with this textbook-perfect combination of attacks, Menma remained unusually calm.

He didn't even take a step back.

He quickly reached into his ninja tool pouch with his left hand, pulled out a wooden shuriken, and flicked it gently at an extremely subtle angle!
Whoosh!
The shuriken didn't go directly at any of the kunai, but instead struck precisely at the tail of the kunai that was aimed at his chest!
Ding!
With a soft thud, the trajectory of the kunai that was hit instantly changed, and it flew off at an angle.

And the kunai that was knocked away happened to hit the side blade of the kunai that was aimed at Menma's knee!
Ding!
The second kunai was also knocked off course.

As a result of the chain reaction, the kunai that had been knocked away still had momentum, and in the end it crashed into the kunai that was aimed at the pockmarked face!

Ding! Clang!

The three kunai, which were originally quite menacing, collided and bounced off each other under the skillful impact of Menma's single shuriken, and finally fell limply to the ground beside Menma!
The whole process happened in the blink of an eye, smoothly and effortlessly, as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times!
"What?!" Sasuke's forward momentum suddenly halted, and for the first time, an incredulous look appeared in his eyes!
His triumphant throw was so easily neutralized by his opponent!
"Wow...that's amazing!" Choji exclaimed softly, holding half a bag of potato chips.

"How... how did you do that?" Kiba Inuzuka stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

"Menma-kun...so handsome..." Hinata covered her burning face with both hands, her eyes sparkling.

"Go! Menma-san! Teach this arrogant Sasuke a lesson!" Naruto shouted.

Shino Aburame pushed up her sunglasses, and even Shikamaru had changed his previous lazy demeanor.

Sasuke's shock lasted only a moment, his strong sense of pride instantly igniting his anger!

He let out a low shout, pushed off with his feet, and charged toward Mianma at an even faster speed. His right fist, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, aimed straight at Mianma's face!

A standard Uchiha Fluid Technique punch!
Mianma seemed to have anticipated this, and instead of retreating, he advanced!

He shifted his feet slightly and turned his body slightly to the side, using the most basic parrying stance in Konoha Fluid Technique. He raised his right arm and his forearm precisely blocked Sasuke's wrist, easily deflecting most of the force of the fierce punch!
boom!
A dull thud of flesh colliding rang out.

Sasuke missed his attack, and then followed up with a low sweeping kick with his left leg, aiming at Menma's lower body!

Menma, as if he had foreseen the future, took a half step back with his left leg, slightly bent his knee, and easily dodged the sweeping kick. At the same time, his right hand swiftly slashed with lightning speed, cutting straight at Sasuke's side ribs that were slightly exposed due to the sweeping kick!

Sasuke felt a chill and quickly pulled back his leg to defend, crossing his arms to protect his ribs!
boom!
Another muffled thud. Sasuke's arm went numb from the seemingly casual yet skillfully executed chop of Menma's hand, and he involuntarily staggered backward!
Mianma pressed his advantage relentlessly, or rather, his movements were fluid and seamless, without any pause.

The basic techniques of Konoha Fluid Technique—punch, block, side kick, hand chop, elbow strike—are all effortlessly executed and perfectly combined in his hands!

His movements were devoid of any fancy moves, yet exceptionally simple and efficient. Each attack precisely struck Sasuke at the point where his old power was exhausted and his new power had not yet been generated, and each block perfectly neutralized Sasuke's offensive.

Sasuke's proud Uchiha Fluid Technique was completely outmatched by Menma's simple yet impeccable Konoha Fluid Technique!
He felt that every attack he made was like hitting cotton, while the opponent's counterattacks were like a persistent infection, always finding a gap in his defense!

His speed and skill, which he was so proud of, seemed to have no effect in front of Menma!

He could only passively block and dodge, his steps became more and more disordered, and his breathing became more and more rapid. He was forced to retreat again and again by Menma's continuous and tidal wave of attacks!

The sidelines were completely silent!
Everyone stared wide-eyed, looking at the scene before them in disbelief!
Sasuke, the top student admired by countless girls and universally acknowledged as the best, was completely overwhelmed by Menma in a taijutsu sparring match, forced to retreat step by step?!
"This...this is impossible!" Ino covered her mouth.

“Sasuke-kun…” Sakura said with a worried expression.

"Hahaha! Did you see that! I told you Menma was the best! Beat him up! Menma!" Naruto was so excited that he was dancing around, as if he himself was the one who was showing off his power on the field.

Shikamaru watched Menma's fluid movements in the arena, a barely perceptible glint of shrewdness flashing in his lazy eyes: "This guy... his taijutsu fundamentals are a bit too solid..."

Teacher Iruka was stunned, forgetting to take notes.

He never imagined that the most basic Konoha Fluid Technique taught at the Ninja Academy could be used to such a masterful and overwhelming degree!
Menma's movements were incredibly simple, yet they contained an indescribable coordination and anticipation. Finally, in a fierce close-quarters sparring match, Menma seized a moment when Sasuke lost his balance, and his right leg swept out like a whip—a clean and crisp mid-section kick!

boom!
The kick landed squarely on Sasuke's forearm as he hurriedly blocked!

The immense force caused Sasuke to lose his balance, and he flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the muddy ground several meters away, kicking up a cloud of dust!
"Sasuke!" Ino, Sakura, and the other girls exclaimed in surprise.

Sasuke rolled on the ground before finally stopping.

He knelt on one knee, breathing heavily, his black hair soaked with sweat and stuck to his temples.

He raised his head, his fair face now flushed red, his dark eyes filled with shame, resentment, and unbelievable rage!

From childhood to adulthood, when had he ever suffered such a defeat in front of his peers?

Especially in full view of everyone!

Although he was annoyed by those infatuated girls, the sight of so many eyes on him made Erzhuzi blush.

"Damn it...!" Sasuke roared, suddenly standing up from the ground, the intense sense of humiliation completely clouding his mind!
He forgot the rules Iruka had announced, and he forgot that this was a classroom practice session!

He moved his hands rapidly in front of his chest, forming several complex yet familiar hand seals.

Si-Wei-Shen-Hai-Wu-Yin!
"Sasuke! Stop!!" Iruka's expression changed drastically when he saw the handprints. He shouted sharply and lunged forward to stop them!
But it's too late!
"Art fire escape ho fireball!"

Sasuke's chest bulged, and chakra surged wildly into his throat!

He took a deep breath and exhaled violently at the vortex surface that was still standing calmly a few meters away!

call--! ! !
A massive, bright orange-red fireball, two to three meters in diameter and scorching hot, appeared out of nowhere, roaring as it charged toward Mianma with an aura that seemed capable of burning everything in its path!

A scorching wave of heat instantly swept across the entire training ground, distorting the surrounding air!
The students let out a chorus of terrified screams!

"Menma!"

"Danger!"

Hinata was so frightened that her face turned pale and she almost fainted.

Naruto was also stunned, his mouth agape.

However, just as the terrifying fireball was about to engulf Mianma, a bizarre scene unfolded!

"Menma," who was standing still, was completely engulfed by the Fireball!

But the expected screams did not occur.

The fireball roared past, crashing into the specially made protective earthen wall at the edge of the training field, blasting a charred mark and scattering sparks everywhere.

All that remained was a charred wooden stake, standing alone and emitting wisps of smoke.

"Substitution Jutsu?!" Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply, his mind going completely blank!
when?
He was completely unaware that the other party was forming hand seals!

Just as Sasuke was reeling from the shock, a calm voice, like a ghost, sounded from behind him, carrying a barely perceptible hint of mockery:

"I won."

Sasuke's hair stood on end, and he turned his head sharply!
Suddenly, Uzumaki Menma appeared less than half a meter behind him, his right hand holding a cold wooden kunai, its blunt, rounded tip pressed firmly and gently against his vulnerable carotid artery!

He could even feel the cool touch of the wood!
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Sasuke stood frozen in place, the color draining from his face instantly, leaving only endless shame and frustration.

He lost…

A crushing defeat!
His proud physical skills were suppressed, and his final fireball was easily toyed with by the opponent using the most basic substitution technique. He was even silently "killed" at close range!
"Stop! The match is over! Menma wins!" Teacher Iruka rushed into the arena, his voice filled with lingering fear and sternness.

"You two! You're going too far! Sasuke! Who gave you permission to use a C-rank Fire Release technique in a classroom battle?! Menma! You..." He watched Menma calmly retract his kunai, and swallowed back the words of reprimand that were on the tip of his tongue.

After all, Menma only used basic physical techniques and substitution techniques throughout the entire process, and his reactions were practically perfect.

Iruka's stern gaze swept over Sasuke: "Sasuke! You broke the rules! You're punished by cleaning the practice field after class for a week! Now, return to the team immediately!"

Sasuke lowered his head, biting his lip tightly, his shoulders trembling slightly.

He didn't look at anyone, nor did he pay any attention to Iruka's reprimand. He turned around abruptly, rushed out of the practice field without saying a word, and his figure quickly disappeared on the path leading to the teaching building.

Menma watched Sasuke run away and shrugged helplessly.

I bet Sasuke will be crying in Itachi's arms again when he gets home.

Menma put away his kunai, patted off non-existent dust from his black tracksuit, and walked casually toward the stone steps where his classmates were.

"Wow! Menma! That's awesome! Did you see Sasuke's face? Hahaha! That was so satisfying!" Naruto was the first to rush over, excitedly patting Menma's shoulder as if he himself had won the victory.

"Menma-kun... are you alright? Just now... I was so scared..." Hinata's face was still a little pale as she timidly approached, her voice barely audible, her eyes filled with concern and lingering fear.

"Well done, Mianma." Choji handed over a potato chip, his chubby face showing admiration.

"Hmph, you do have some skill." Although Ya said this, his eyes were full of admiration.

"What a nuisance..." Shikamaru looked in the direction Sasuke had disappeared, then glanced at Menma, who looked completely relaxed, and let out his signature sigh once again.

Iruka looked at Menma, who was surrounded by his classmates, then glanced in the direction Sasuke had left in. He raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.

He thought with lingering fear, "Thank goodness... thank goodness Menma is strong enough and reacts quickly enough. If the Substitution Jutsu had been even a fraction slower, or if he'd been grazed by the Fireball Jutsu... the consequences would have been unimaginable! Sasuke, that kid, is just too competitive..."

He secretly decided that he must have a heart-to-heart talk with Sasuke after class.

(End of this chapter)