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

Chapter 223 Hey, this is fun!
Hidden Leaf Village, deep beneath the Hokage Rock.

There is no sunlight here, only cold stone walls and a perpetually damp atmosphere.

The flickering light of the oil lamp barely illuminated Danzo Shimura's wrinkled and sinister face.

He sat alone behind the large desk, his only remaining left eye staring menacingly at the mountain of scrolls and documents piled on the table.

These are all intelligence reports about the emerging superpower in the West, the Star Kingdom, gathered through various channels.

His finger slowly traced across a scroll marked "Top Secret," which detailed how the Star Kingdom swiftly defeated the main force of the Snow Ninja, captured Kazeka Nutō, and then annexed the Snow Kingdom, the Swamp Kingdom, and the Dark Kingdom.

It even includes descriptions of some battlefield details, such as the boy who used bizarre bone spikes and ice magic, and the shark-faced monster who used a large sword.

“Shura…” Danzo uttered the name in a low voice, his single eye flashing with apprehension and deep doubt.

Currently, the identity of the leader of the Land of Stars is a top secret in the entire ninja world, and only a very few people, such as the Konoha leadership and Nagato and Obito Uchiha of the Akatsuki, know of his existence.

The other four major nations' understanding of the Star Kingdom is mostly limited to the vague notion that it is "an emerging force formed by powerful rogue ninjas."

Footsteps sounded, and Ryoma Aburame, an important member of the Root, appeared silently in the office and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Danzo."

"Ryoma, any new information?" Danzo asked without looking up.

"Regarding the intelligence from Iwagakure," Ryoma Aburame's voice was calm and even, "our spies in Iwagakure have confirmed that Yakushi Nonou, who was lurking there, is indeed dead. The official statement from Iwagakure is that she was attacked by mysterious ninjas while patrolling the border and unfortunately died in battle. Her body is said to be difficult to find due to the damage from the battle."

Danzo paused his tapping of the table, his one eye narrowing slightly: "Hmph, what a lame excuse. Yakushi Nonou may be skilled in medicine and infiltration, but she was also an experienced special Jonin. How could she have died so easily?"

"Keep investigating! We need to see the person alive, or...we need to see the exact body! I don't believe in coincidences."

"Yes." Aburame Ryoma bowed and accepted the order.

Danzo paused, as if remembering something more important, his tone becoming even more somber: "And... Uchiha Shisui. Haven't our spies scattered throughout the ninja world received any news about him yet?"

Ryoma Aburame shook his head, his voice tinged with confusion: "There are no reliable leads, Lord Danzo. It's as if he has completely vanished from this world. We even secretly searched all known hidden strongholds that might be connected to the Uchiha, including some long-abandoned Uchiha clan territories, but found nothing."

Danzo's brows furrowed deeply; this was a huge question and source of unease in his mind.

During that sneak attack, he had clearly succeeded, taking away Shisui's last Mangekyou Sharingan, and Shisui was seriously injured, making it impossible for him to escape far.

But no matter how hard he searched afterwards, Shisui seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of his life or body.

Where can an Uchiha who has lost his eyes go?

"Keep searching!" Danzo's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible impatience: "Even if we have to turn the ninja world upside down, we must find his trail! We must find him alive or dead!"

"Understood!" Aburame Ryoma bowed again, his figure slowly retreating into the shadows and disappearing from sight.

Danzo was the only one left in the empty and cold office.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the flickering lights with one eye, lost in deep thought.

The rise of the Star Kingdom, the disappearance of Shisui, the "accident" of Yakushi Nonou...

These events all seemed shrouded in mystery, making him, a man accustomed to being in control, feel a sense of unease about losing control.

Meanwhile, in the distant Star Kingdom, in the Star Capital.

The sun is shining brightly and the spring breeze is warm.

In stark contrast to the chilly atmosphere at the base of the tree, the tranquility and comfort under the veranda of the Menma family's courtyard are striking.

At this moment, Menma and Uchiha Shisui sat facing each other, with an exquisite Go board placed between them.

The black and white chess pieces are arranged in a staggered pattern, engaged in a silent battle.

With a black piece on his face, he moves calmly and unhurriedly, each move seemingly ordinary, yet often containing profound strategic planning and deadly intent.

Shisui, playing white, frowned slightly, his expression focused. His playing style was agile and sharp, as he tried to find a breakthrough in the grand layout of black.

Both are meticulous and exceptionally intelligent individuals, and their clashes on the chessboard are, to some extent, a collision of philosophies and ways of thinking.

"Tap." Mianma placed a piece, blocking the path of a large white dragon.

Shisui took a deep breath, twirled a white stone between his fingers, pondered for a long time, and then slowly placed it down, managing to make a small group of stones live with great difficulty.

“It’s rare to see you take the initiative to come to me,” Menma picked up the teacup next to him, took a sip, and looked at the chessboard instead of Shisui.

"It's not just for playing chess to relieve boredom, is it? Although Star City is still under construction, it already has quite a few entertainment facilities."

Shisui remained silent for a moment before placing the chess piece back into the jar. He knew that beating around the bush was pointless before this unfathomable Asura.

He raised his head, his transplanted eyes looking at Mianma, his tone becoming serious: "Yes, Lord Shura. I do indeed... have doubts in my heart that I cannot resolve."

Shisui paused, organizing his thoughts: "Recently, the Star Country... has successively annexed the Dark Country, the Swamp Country, and the Snow Country. Although the process seems smooth, it must have been accompanied by military conquest, suppression, and slaughter. This is far from my understanding of 'peace'."

"Excuse my bluntness, but your war with the Star Ninja will only bring more pain, create more orphans and tragedies, and perpetuate the endless cycle of hatred. Is this... really the right way to end the chaos?"

Zhi Shui's tone carried genuine confusion and a hint of doubt.

Although he was forced to stay in the Star Country and received treatment from Menma, his deep-seated ideals of peace clashed violently with the Star Country's aggressive expansionist approach.

Menma put down his teacup, finally shifting his gaze from the chessboard to Shisui's serious face.

He was not angered by Shisui's questioning. Instead, he gently shook his head, a faint smile, seemingly tinged with pity, appearing at the corner of his mouth.

“Shisui, your mind is still trapped in the cage of the old-era ninjas.” His voice was calm and profound: “What you see is the appearance of ‘war’ and ‘conquest.’ What you fail to see is the rotten foundation beneath the surface and the inevitable, more thorough destruction.”

Menma stretched out his finger and tapped the chessboard: "The old order is like the stagnant pattern on this chessboard. Daimyo and nobles, these parasites that have lived on the Ninja World for thousands of years, maintain their rule by relying on bloodlines and oppression, treat commoners like weeds, and can easily provoke wars between countries and villages for their own selfish interests."

"The so-called 'one country, one village' system is nothing more than another form of separatism and a breeding ground for chaos. Maintaining such an order is the greatest irony of 'peace'."

"A revolution that ends chaos is never a dinner party, nor is it about gentleness, kindness, frugality, and humility. It is destined to be accompanied by growing pains and bloodshed."

"But a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. Only by eradicating these rotten foundations can a new, stable order be truly established. What the Star Kingdom is doing is not a meaningless conquest, but a surgical cleanup and reconstruction."

Seeing Shisui's still confused and unconvinced expression, Menma smiled and said, "Alright, words are no proof. No matter how much I say, it's better for you to see for yourself. Tomorrow, a team will escort a batch of important relief supplies and administrative personnel to Youzhi County, which was formerly Youzhi Kingdom."

"You should go with the team. Use your own eyes to see the changes taking place on that land. See whether the faces of the common people, now free from the oppression of the nobles, show more pain or more hope. After you've seen it, come back and discuss with me what war and peace are."

Upon hearing this, Shisui's body trembled slightly.

He stared at Mianma, seemingly trying to determine the truth or falsehood of her words.

Finally, he nodded heavily, his tone solemn: "Okay! I will go and see. I hope... I really can see the 'hope' you mentioned."

Just then, a gentle female voice came from inside the house: "Come, come, have some fruit."

Kushina Uzumaki walked over with a smile, carrying a plate of clean, cut fruit.

She gently placed the fruit plate next to the chessboard between the two of them.

Zhi Shui subconsciously looked up, and when he "saw" the person's face clearly, he was struck dumb, straightened up abruptly, and his face was filled with disbelief and shock!

He even subconsciously made a defensive gesture, though he immediately realized it and forcibly suppressed it.

"You...you are...Lady Kushina?!" Shisui's voice trembled with extreme surprise.

How could he not recognize the Fourth Hokage's wife, the former Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
She should have sacrificed herself along with the Fourth Hokage during the Nine-Tails' attack!

Why does it appear here?
Appearing in the Land of Stars?

Appearing in Shura's house?!
And her appearance...

Although her face was somewhat ashen and had strange cracks, it was undoubtedly Kushina!

Kushina smiled gently at Shisui's shocked expression, a hint of nostalgia in her gray eyes: "You're Shisui from the Uchiha clan, right? I often heard Minato mention you, saying you were the most outstanding and kindest of the younger generation of the Uchiha, a junior he had high hopes for."

Her words were natural and friendly, as if she had just met a long-lost friend or relative, but they stirred up a storm in Zhi Shui's heart!

The Fourth Hokage... Lady Kushina... The Land of Stars...

What on earth happened?!
Shisui stared at Shura's face, with his short black hair and blue eyes, looking like he was fifteen or sixteen years old.

However, after thinking through all the ninjas he had seen in Konoha, he could not find anyone similar to him!
Shura...who exactly are you?

Zhi Shui felt his thoughts were completely confused. Countless questions filled his mind, leaving him at a loss for words. He could only stand there, frozen in place, the shock on his face lingering for a long time.

Lady Kushina is still alive, but what about the Fourth Hokage...?

A somewhat terrifying thought formed in Zhishui's mind, causing him to tremble slightly.

The game of chess has paused, but even greater mysteries and shocks are just beginning to flood into Uchiha Shisui's heart.

Seeing the shock on Shisui's face, Menma's faint smile seemed to deepen. He picked up a piece of fruit and casually put it in his mouth.

Hey, this is fun!
(End of this chapter)