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

Chapter 207 Kushina Uzumaki and Hikaru Uchiha
Kushina's words were like a pebble thrown into a deep pool.

Ripples spread outwards from the depths of his dark blue eyes.

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the turmoil in his eyes was forcibly suppressed, leaving only a deep, calm expression.

The cold light from the laboratory fell on his young profile, casting a faint shadow.

"...Mom," a numb voice broke the silence, carrying a hint of hoarseness. The word still carried a slightly awkward weight as it rolled across her tongue: "I still have some questions...about what happened back then."

Kushina was stroking the cool metal surface of the lab table with some curiosity, feeling this creation she had never seen before.

Upon hearing this, she immediately turned around, the spiderweb-like black cracks on her face unable to conceal the concern and seriousness in her eyes.

Her ashen face held the unique expression of a mother, a willingness to give everything for her child: "Mianma, ask away! I'll tell you everything I know!"

The word "Mom" seemed to warm her heart, which was still covered in grime.

Menma's gaze pierced through the cold air of the laboratory, as if he had returned to that crimson night more than a decade ago: "Back then, during the Nine-Tails' rampage, why did you and... Minato Namikaze both ultimately choose to die?"

"With your strength, especially the Flying Thunder God Technique, is it really... that you have absolutely no chance?"

Kushina's eyes dimmed instantly, filled with a deep sadness and helplessness.

She walked to the window, gazing at the cold, metallic outlines of the Star City military district outside, and recalled in a low voice: "It wasn't a choice to die... it was having no other choice."

She shook her head bitterly: "That mysterious masked man was very strong, and his timing was perfect. He attacked me right after I gave birth, when my body and the seal were at their weakest, and stole you and extracted the Nine-Tails."

Her voice trembled with lingering fear: "Although your father moved the Nine-Tails out of the village, by then... I was already on my deathbed. The Adamantine Sealing Chains could only temporarily restrain the Nine-Tails, and could collapse at any moment. Once the Nine-Tails is freed, with its madness and power, it could rush back to the village in an instant... Konoha... would be finished!"

She clenched her fist tightly.

"The Third Hokage and the others... simply didn't have time to get that far. Every second felt like dancing on a knife's edge." Kushina's voice was filled with a desperate sense of urgency.

She raised her head, her eyes, now filled with a deep sense of self-reproach and pain, swirling with intense gray light: "The Reaper Death Seal... was the only ultimate seal he could complete instantly and that was absolutely effective. It separated the Nine-Tails' chakra, sacrificing half of it to the Shinigami along with him, and sealing the other half into the only vessel present at the time, the one with the Uzumaki bloodline... that was Naruto."

Tears could not flow, but the intense sorrow almost solidified into a tangible form.

Menma listened quietly, a sharp glint flashing in the depths of her azure eyes: "Third Generation...did he know that his mother was carrying twins?"

Kushina nodded firmly: "I know, the Third Hokage personally inquired about it during the prenatal checkup. But..."

Her tone grew even heavier: "Lady Biwako and the others who were responsible for delivering the babies were killed at the very beginning of the attack. Minato and I followed suit..."

“Even if the Third Generation knew they were twins, after that chaos and destruction, they probably wouldn’t have been able to find the other child…” She looked at Menma, her eyes filled with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Mianma... I'm sorry you had to suffer so much being away from home..."

“I see…” Menma murmured, his voice devoid of much emotion.

The puzzle of the truth seems to be complete, and the logic makes sense.

But the heavy, unresolved burden in my heart did not completely disappear as a result.

Minato Namikaze's choice was a demonstration of his responsibility as Hokage and his determination to protect the village; he still trusted the Third Hokage and the others too much.

I believe that after the couple's death, the Third Hokage will treat Naruto well, and that the village will find the other child who was kidnapped and went missing.

Kushina keenly sensed the quiet detachment in her son.

She sighed and tried to change the subject.

She walked to the window and looked out at the wider cityscape. In the distance, the cold military zone was no longer there, but rows of modern buildings. The wide and clean streets were bustling with people, and the lampposts along the roadside lit up with a soft glow in the winter twilight, outlining the silhouette of a bustling metropolis.

"This place... is so bustling." A childlike curiosity and amazement appeared on Kushina's ashen face, temporarily diluting her sorrow.

"Has Konoha changed that much over the years? I remember the tallest buildings in the village used to be the Hokage Rock and the Hokage Building..." She pointed to a high-rise building in the distance with a sleek design and glass curtain walls reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun.

"What's that? It's so tall!"

Menma walked to her side, also looking out the window at his city, his voice calm and even: "This is not Konoha, nor is it the Land of Fire. This is the country I founded, the Land of Stars. We are now in the administrative building of the Star Capital, its heart."

"The Land of Stars?" Kushina turned her head sharply, her reanimated face showing shock and confusion, her red hair seemingly moving even without wind.

"You...your country? Menma, you...you are now...?"

"It's a long story," Menma interrupted her potential questions, turning to walk towards a storage cabinet in the corner of the laboratory.

“That’s all for now. I’ll contact you again if I have any questions later. Now…” He opened the cabinet door and took out a brand-new, thick, dark gray wool cloak. It was simple and elegant in style and had no markings.

He unfolded his cloak, walked behind Kushina, and carefully draped it over her, covering part of the crack, though his movements weren't particularly gentle.

Menma said, "Mom hasn't been to any cities outside of Konoha yet, has she? Would you like to see... my city?"

Kushina paused for a moment, looked down at the soft wool cloak on her body, then at her son's profile, and noticed a hint of tenderness in his eyes.

She nodded vigorously, a radiant smile blooming on her ashen face: "Yes!"

Although the cracks made the smile seem somewhat broken.

The "Wanxiang Avenue" in the Xingzhidu commercial district is the most bustling pulse of the city. Even on a winter evening, it is still bustling with people and brightly lit.

Kushina, like a country girl visiting the city for the first time, seemed to have become a bit lighter in her reanimated body.

Wrapped in that dark gray cloak, she looked around curiously, her eyes, which had a purple halo, gleaming with an unprecedented light.

"Wow! Menma, look! That lamp changes color by itself!" She pointed to a chakra lamppost floating by the roadside, constantly and gently flowing between blue, white, and warm yellow, and excitedly tugged at Menma's sleeve.

Mianma stumbled as she was pulled, and sighed helplessly, but still managed a soft "Mmm".

"Oh my god! What is this? There are little figures inside that move?!" Kushina rushed to the floor-to-ceiling window of a large shopping mall, staring in disbelief at the puppets on display, which were powered by electricity and were practicing basic martial arts moves.

Her face was almost pressed against the glass.

“A puppet demonstration toy,” Menma explained, his voice not loud, but still clear in the noisy environment.

"Wow, amazing!" Kushina exclaimed, then was drawn to a nearby shop wafting an enticing sweet aroma.

"It smells so good! It's the smell of red bean soup! And... three-colored meatballs!" Like a little animal following the scent, she immediately pulled Mianma and squeezed over.

"Boss! Two bowls of red bean soup! Double portions of rice cakes! And... five skewers of three-color meatballs!" Kushina ordered generously, completely ignoring Menma's "you can't finish this" look.

The impure world reincarnated person is indeed unable to eat, but the longing for familiar tastes and the excitement of the moment made her not care at all.

"Alright! Please wait a moment!" The busy shop owner was a chubby middle-aged man who deftly ladled soup onto plates.

When he looked up and saw Kushina's ashen face and the fine cracks on her skin, he was clearly taken aback. A hint of surprise and pity flashed in his eyes, but his good professionalism made him quickly smile again and hand over the food: "Here's your red bean soup and dumplings, please take them!"

When Mianma stepped forward to pay, the owner couldn't help but take another look.

This handsome, dark-haired boy with an extraordinary air about him seemed vaguely familiar, yet she couldn't quite place where she'd seen him before. Kushina held a steaming bowl of red bean soup. Though she couldn't actually taste it, she took a deep breath of its sweet, warm aroma, a look of utter satisfaction spreading across her face.

She picked up a string of three-colored meatballs, took a bite in a serious manner, and mumbled to Mianma, "Mmm...it still tastes just like I remember! Mianma, you should have some too!"

As he spoke, he stuffed another string of noodles into Mianma's mouth.

Mianma turned her head away, saying, "I'm not hungry."

But I still accepted the string of meatballs.

The two walked along the bustling street.

Kushina was fascinated by all sorts of novel things: the exquisite shops selling various ninja tool models and chakra toys; the huge LCD screen playing promotional videos for Star Ninja, and when she saw the ninja figures flashing across the screen, Kushina exclaimed in surprise, "Eh!"

There was even a boutique that specialized in high-end kimonos and modified ninja costumes. Kushina lingered there, touching a red furisode kimono embroidered with flame patterns again and again, her eyes filled with affection.

"Try it if you like it." Mianma leaned against the shop entrance, looking at her mother who seemed to want to touch it but was afraid of breaking it, and said calmly.

"Ah? I... I look like this..." Kushina looked down at her pale hands and the cracks on her body, and withdrew her hands in self-consciousness.

"Try it on." Menma gestured to the shop assistant to take the kimono down without further ado.

Kushina finally couldn't resist. Under the somewhat strange but polite gaze of the shop assistant, she tried on the fiery red kimono and then hugged it to her arms with great joy.

Then she spotted a wool scarf with a cute little fox pattern and bought it without hesitation.

"This is for Menma!" Kushina said, her eyes sparkling.

Mianma silently took out her money and resignedly accepted the ever-growing pile of shopping bags handed to her by the shop assistant.

An exquisite kimono gift box, a well-packaged scarf, several boxes of Star Capital specialty sweets, and even a uniquely designed chakra wind chime…

As the sun completely sank below the horizon and the city lights came on, the Wanxiang Avenue was adorned with dazzling lights.

Kushina finally got a little tired of "strolling around." Although her reanimated body wouldn't get tired, her mental excitement gradually subsided.

She sighed contentedly, looking at the huge bags and purses that Menma was carrying, which almost overwhelmed him, and finally showed a slightly embarrassed expression: "It seems like I bought too much?"

With a blank expression, Mianma weighed the contents in his hand: "It's alright."

He turned and walked towards the administrative district: "Let's go home."

After passing through the relatively quiet tree-lined avenues of the administrative district, you arrive at a tranquil upscale residential area.

Menma stopped in front of a mansion that blended Japanese and modern styles and featured a charming little courtyard.

"arrive."

Kushina curiously surveyed the residence, which clearly belonged to her son. Her gaze swept over the meticulously manicured pines and stone lanterns in the courtyard. Just as she was about to offer a few words of praise, her eyes suddenly fixed on the gate of the courtyard directly opposite the mansion, across a quiet path.
On that heavy wooden door, the emblem of the Whirlpool Clan was clearly carved!

"Uzumaki?!" Kushina exclaimed in shock, her resurrected face filled with unbelievable excitement as she grabbed Menma's arm.

"Mam! Over there! That's...that's the emblem of our Uzumaki clan! Are there other Uzumaki clan members here? Who are they?"

Menma followed her gaze to the tightly closed gate opposite, and said in a calm tone, "Yes, the clansmen who were separated from their clan, Uzumaki Kasugano and her daughter Karin. When I found them, they were having a hard time in Kusagakure, so I brought them to the Land of Stars. You may see them later."

“Vanilla…Rin…” Kushina murmured the two unfamiliar names.

“That’s wonderful…” She couldn’t wait to learn more about the two surviving members of her tribe.

Pushing open the gate to my own yard, I walked along a short gravel path and arrived at the veranda of the main house.

Mianma was about to step onto the stairs when she paused slightly.

On the veranda, a figure stood quietly.

Hikari Uchiha was wearing her signature dark blue high-necked clan dress.

Her long, ink-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, with a few strands gently lifted by the evening breeze.

She crossed her arms over her chest, her delicate chin slightly raised, and her clear, cold eyes, like cold stars, were now fixed on the woman behind Menma, who was wearing a dark gray cloak and had striking red hair, with undisguised scrutiny and displeasure!

An invisible, chilly low pressure permeated the air.

Kushina immediately noticed the intense gaze directed at her.

Curious, she peeked halfway out from behind Menma, her gaze meeting Uchiha Hikaru's clear, sharp eyes.

His ashen face held a mixture of pure curiosity and a hint of doubt.

Who is this pretty girl who appeared at her son's house?

That arrogance seems a bit like that of the Uchiha clan, doesn't it?

She looks…

You seem a little unhappy?

Mianma seemed oblivious to the subtle atmosphere, or rather, completely indifferent.

He dumped the mountain of shopping bags he was carrying onto the clean wooden floor of the veranda, making a series of soft, disorderly noises.

Then he straightened up, looked calmly at Uchiha Hikaru, pointed to Kushina beside him, and spoke as naturally as if he were describing the weather:

"Hikari, this is my mother, Kushina Uzumaki."

Then, he turned his head to Kushina, who was blinking and curiously looking at Uchiha Hikaru, and introduced her: "Mom, this is Uchiha Hikaru, he lives here."

The air seemed to freeze at this moment.

The cool, slightly displeased expression on Uchiha Hikaru's face instantly shattered!
Her eyes, which always exuded calmness and even a hint of indifference, suddenly widened to their limit, filled with shock and bewilderment!

"Mother…?!"

A stuttering, completely devoid of his usual cool tone, and even tinged with a crack in his voice, escaped uncontrollably from Uchiha Hikaru's slightly parted lips.

Her arms, which had been wrapped around her chest, loosened and hung limply at her sides. She stood frozen in place, staring blankly at the "woman" under the eaves with a pale face, long red hair, and cracks on her face.

Then he looked at Menma next to him, who had a calm expression and seemed to have said something as ordinary as "I'm having ramen today."

A huge question mark almost materialized above her head.

A mother with a pockmarked face?!

Uchiha Hikaru's previous imposing aura collapsed instantly, and a slight blush appeared on her astonished face.

(End of this chapter)