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

Chapter 224 Why don't the Star Ninja suffer from war-related psychological illnesses?
As night deepened, the courtyard of the mansion in Star City returned to tranquility.

Uchiha Shisui left with a belly full of questions and shock, leaving Menma alone on the veranda.

Mianma sat quietly for a while, his gaze fixed on the bamboo shadows swaying in the moonlight in the courtyard, as if he were pondering a deeper game of chess.

Compared to Itachi Uchiha, at least Shisui was someone worth changing.

But it doesn't mean that Menma wanted to save him; she just wanted to take Uchiha Shisui to see the night of the massacre.

He couldn't wait to see what kind of interesting expression Shisui would have when he saw Itachi, the man he had given hope to, slaughtering the elderly, women, and children.

Just thinking about it makes me happy.

A moment later, Menma began to slowly tidy up the chess pieces on the board, black and white, just like his black-and-white judgment of the world.

In the living room, under the warm yellow light, Kushina Uzumaki sat cross-legged on the carpet, holding the fluffy, red, pom-pom-like dark nine-tailed fox in her arms.

Little Nine-Tailed Fox was holding a sweet, tri-colored dumpling, eating it with her eyes squinted, her little tail swaying contentedly.

"Menma, look how cute she is!" Kushina gently stroked the little nine-tailed fox's soft fur with her fingers, her face radiating a gentle maternal glow, but then she pouted and her tone became sullen.

"Sigh, if only that big guy sealed inside me back then was as well-behaved as Xiao Jiu! He's so fierce and irritable, and always trying to take control. I hate him so much!"

Mianma put away the chessboard and walked into the living room. Seeing this scene, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

He walked closer and gently patted the little nine-tailed fox's head.

The little nine-tailed fox nuzzled his palm contentedly, but still held her dessert tightly in her arms.

"Don't feed her too much sweets," Menma said with a rare hint of ease in his voice.

"Be careful not to turn into a round, chubby fox-pig."

"Chirp! No way!" The little nine-tailed fox immediately raised its head, baring its teeth in protest, its mouth still stuffed with dumplings, its voice muffled: "This fox lord is the supreme tailed beast! Not some pig! You big idiot!"

That huffy look only made him more adorable.

Mianma chuckled softly and stopped teasing her.

He looked at Kushina, his expression becoming slightly more serious: "Mom, after some time, once the situation in the Swamp County, the Dark County, and the Snow County has completely stabilized, I'm preparing to begin efforts to free Father from the clutches of death."

Kushina paused slightly as she stroked the little Nine-Tails. A complex emotion flashed across her ashen face, a mixture of expectation and deeper sorrow.

She sighed softly: "Actually... being able to see you occasionally and know that you brothers have all grown up safely is already a stolen happiness for me. Resurrection... is too difficult, there's no need to force it."

Menma shook his head, his eyes firm and deep: "No, that won't do. This is not just about resurrection. I also want you to... witness firsthand how Konoha, that village that has borne so many mistakes and hypocrisy, gradually leads to its deserved end."

Upon hearing this, Kushina let out a soft "Ah," and instinctively tightened her grip on the little Nine-Tails.

Although she already knew that Menmana's ambition to unify the ninja world would inevitably clash with Konoha, and that the way the Konoha leaders and villagers treated Naruto chilled her to the bone, it was, after all, the place where she grew up, fought, and ultimately sacrificed herself.

The thought of its potential destruction still evokes a complex and indescribable feeling, like a jumble of emotions.

On one hand, there were more than 20 years of feelings and memories; on the other hand, there was heartache over what her sons had suffered. These two emotions intertwined and struggled within her.

The next morning.
Uchiha Shisui arrived at the Star Ninja Camp, located in the southern suburbs of the eastern military district of Star City, right on time.

This military camp was completely different from the relatively loose ninja gathering places he remembered in Konoha, which were mixed with residential areas.

The area is well-planned and heavily guarded, with towering watchtowers, neatly arranged barracks, and a spacious training ground where Star Ninjas are engaged in energetic morning exercises. Shouts and the sounds of ninjutsu clashing rise and fall, filled with vibrant energy and strict discipline.

On the training ground, he met the person in charge of this mission, Hoshinojo Jonin Natsumi.

She was still wearing the Star Ninja standard vest, her long reddish-brown hair tied back, making her look capable and heroic.

Her team members had also assembled: Chino Miyajo, a girl from the Blood Pond clan who had fully recovered and whose eyes held a newfound determination; and Toshito Morishita and Hazuki Murahashi, who had become much more composed after several missions together.

"Mr. Shisui, you've arrived." Xia Ri greeted him with a smile, her attitude gentle but maintaining a sense of distance: "The main task this time is to escort this supply convoy and several administrative officials to Youzhi County. The journey is long, but the trip will be quick."

Zhi Shui nodded, his gaze sweeping over the massive convoy.

Hundreds of uniquely designed and sturdy-looking trucks were neatly lined up, each loaded with supplies covered with tarpaulins.

Many people dressed in Star Kingdom administrative official uniforms are busy conducting final inventory checks and work arrangements.

What surprised him most was that Xia Ri told him they didn't need to travel on foot, but could instead ride directly in these trucks.

"Are these vehicles... powered by lightning-attribute chakra?" Shisui couldn't help but ask curiously.

Mechanized transport teams of this scale are extremely rare in the ninja world.

Xia Ri and her teammates laughed when they heard this.

Chino eagerly exclaimed, "This is the latest achievement of the Star Capital Research Institute—a chakra-powered truck!"

Summer explained gently, a hint of pride in her voice: "It's not entirely based on ninjas directly inputting chakra. These vehicles are equipped with special 'chakra batteries,' which can be pre-charged and stored by Lightning Release ninjas, and can also recharge some of the kinetic energy during operation through a specific conversion device. Just like the 'Lightning Trains' connecting major cities, they are practical applications of chakra technology. This greatly improves transportation efficiency and load-bearing capacity, and reduces manpower consumption."

Shisui was deeply moved by what he heard.

Chakra battery?
Kinetic energy recovery?

These concepts were incredibly new to him.

He recalled the slow, bumpy, and limited-capacity horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts he used to use when he was on escort missions in Konoha. Compared to the steel torrent of convoy before him, it was like night and day.

The Star Kingdom is not only militarily powerful, but it also seems to have taken a completely different path in terms of civilian technology and ideology.

Soon, the convoy set off.

As arranged, Shisui sat with Natsumi on the roof of the lead truck's cab, in a special observation post for ninjas with a wide field of vision.

Chino, Toshito, and Hazuki patrolled and kept watch by jumping back and forth in front of and behind the convoy.

The convoy sped along the flat and wide auxiliary road of the Thunder Cars, and the speed was indeed extremely fast, with the wind whistling in their ears.

Shisui looked at the scenery rushing past on both sides, feeling a mix of emotions.

After a period of driving, the convoy arrived at the border of Youzhi County, an area where a fierce ninja war had broken out more than a month ago.

However, at this moment, the place has changed dramatically!
The land, which had become uneven, scorched, and icy due to the battle, has been initially leveled and compacted by a large-scale earth-style ninjutsu.

Although some traces remain, the outline of a new city has already risen from the ground!

A large number of workers and ninjas are busy at work. The foundation has been laid, the frames of many houses have been erected, and tall cranes and scaffolding can be seen in the distance.

This place has become a huge construction site, full of noise and energy.

Xia Ri explained, "This place is planned as 'New Star Town,' serving as an important material transit hub and emerging industrial zone connecting Star City with Youzhi County and Swamp County. Many refugees and craftsmen recruited from the former Three Kingdoms have been settled here to participate in the construction."

The convoy stopped at a temporary supplies distribution center on the outskirts of Xinxing Town.

Having already received the news, Firefly arrived with several Star Ninjas to provide assistance.

"Summer!" Firefly said with a bright smile as she strode forward.

"Firefly!" Summer jumped off the truck, a bright smile spreading across her face, and naturally hugged her husband.

"Hey~ Captain and Hotaru Jonin are showing off their love again!" Chino teased from the side, while Morishita Toshito and Murahashi Hazuki couldn't help but chuckle.

Shisui watched from the side and could feel the deep affection between the couple and the relatively relaxed atmosphere within the Hoshinin, which was completely different from the oppressive atmosphere within the Konoha Anbu and even the Uchiha clan.

The handover process was carried out efficiently and in an orderly manner.

Large quantities of food, medicine, building materials, and winter clothing were quickly unloaded and taken over by local administrative officials and Xingren of Youzhi County. They were registered and prepared for distribution to various resettlement sites and construction sites.

Summer's team mission is complete; they now need to escort some supplies and officials to a city further inland in Youzhi County.

Shisui decided to bid them farewell here, wanting to see more of the true face of this "newly conquered" land.

After saying goodbye to Xia Ri and the others, Zhi Shui strolled into the new city that was in the process of being built.

The scene before him gradually dispelled many of his doubts, replacing them with an increasingly powerful sense of awe.

Although spring has not officially arrived and the weather is still cold, the entire town of Xinxing is bustling with activity.

There was no sign of the imagined plight of displaced people suffering from hunger and cold, nor of the scenes of nobles and their private armies swaggering and oppressing the common people.

What he saw was...

Rows of simple but sturdy and warm temporary houses are neatly arranged, with smoke rising from the chimneys.

The people wearing the uniform cotton-padded clothes distributed by the Star Kingdom looked tired, but their eyes shone with a light and hope that they had never seen before.

There was a long queue in front of the huge soup kitchen, but it wasn't a scramble; it was orderly.

People dressed as administrative officials and medical ninjas stood by to maintain order and were ready to help some of the frail elderly and children.

The porridge stall was filled with thick, steaming rice porridge, and you could even see some minced meat and vegetables.

More young and middle-aged people, under the unified organization of the government, participated in the construction of the new city, or carried out preparations for spring plowing on large tracts of newly planned land outside the city.

They cleared away the gravel, dug irrigation ditches, and used the newly distributed farm tools to cultivate the land.

Some Star Ninjas skilled in Earth Release or Water Release also assisted in land leveling and water conservancy construction under the command of officials and engineers.

Zhi Shui even saw a temporary "Government Affairs Disclosure Board" surrounded by a large number of people.

The notice posted above contained a public notice and a draft land allocation policy, stipulating that whoever reclaims the wasteland owns it and that it is exempt from taxes for the first three years.

Job postings, information on building a new city, participating in mining development, and... the public trial announcement and results of the crimes committed by the nobles of the former You Kingdom.

He overheard the people around him talking:

"Has the Ito family received that plot of land in the east?" "Yes, yes! Although the soil is a bit poor, the government said they'll send someone next year to teach us how to compost. The harvest will definitely be better than when we were tenant farmers for noble lords!"

"My wife's illness is much better, thanks to the medicine given by the medical ninja from the Land of Stars..."

"I heard that if you go to the mine, they provide three full meals a day and you get paid! It's just tiring..."

"Those damned nobles finally got their comeuppance!..."

His words revealed aspirations for the future, satisfaction with the present, hatred for the old aristocratic rule, and acceptance of the new order.

Although life remains difficult and construction has only just begun, something called "hope" has indeed taken root and sprouted on this land that has suffered so much.

Shisui stood quietly in the crowd, his transplanted Sharingan clearly capturing every detail and the expression on every face.

He saw the busyness, the exhaustion, but even more so, the look in their eyes that, though bewildered, were full of energy after breaking free from heavy shackles.

Shisui recalled Shura's words: "...Go and see the changes taking place on that land...see whether the common people who have lost the oppression of the nobles have more pain or more hope on their faces."

The answer is self-evident.

His understanding of "war" and "conquest" seemed to bring destruction and suffering.

What the Star Kingdom did was more like a cold but necessary surgical operation, removing the rotten tumor. Although the process was bloody, it quickly sowed the seeds of new life on the ruins.

An unprecedented shock washed away Uchiha Shisui's established beliefs.

For the first time, he realized with such clarity that peace might not be achieved by simply maintaining the status quo.

Breaking down the old, outdated framework may indeed lead to the establishment of a fairer and more vibrant new order.

He observed, listened, and pondered in Xinxing Town.

Strolling along the slightly muddy streets, Shisui's Sharingan silently captured every detail.

His inner world was far from as calm as it appeared.

What he has seen and heard in recent days has been constantly challenging his beliefs that he has held for more than ten years.

Contrary to expectations of the suffering and hardship of the conquered, there was instead a vibrant, even fervent, enthusiasm for construction.

He saw in the faces of those refugees an expectation for a better future that he had never seen before.

The air was filled with a mixture of smells of earth, herbs, and simmering rice porridge.

His footsteps unknowingly led him to a camp on the edge of town marked with a bright red cross.

This is clearly a medical facility.

The scale far exceeded his expectations.

The simple yet sturdy tents stretch out in a row, clearly dividing the consultation area, medicine dispensing area, and rest area.

A large number of people, some looking sick and others dressed in rags, lined up in long queues, yet the order was surprisingly good.

While their faces showed signs of fatigue and illness, their eyes, unusually, lacked the numbness and despair often seen in the lives of the lower-class migrants. Instead, they displayed an urgent desire to receive treatment and then quickly embark on a new life.

On one side of the camp, several medical ninjas wearing Star Ninja vests were busy at work.

They were either intently diagnosing patients or skillfully performing palm techniques, with green chakra halos dancing at their fingertips.

Further out, dozens of specially made medicine pots were placed on a makeshift stove, steam rising from the pots and a rich aroma of herbs filling the air. Several volunteers in white coats were carefully watching the heat under the direction of a medical ninja, dividing the decocted medicine into individual ceramic bowls.

Zhi Shui's gaze swept across the camp, then suddenly stopped at the sunniest open space in the center of the camp.

There were several chairs there, and several Star Ninjas, their bodies still wrapped in bandages and clearly injured, were leaning lazily against the back of the chairs, enjoying the warm afternoon sun.

Some of them were talking and laughing in hushed tones, some were resting with their eyes closed, and one was clumsily trying to turn the pages of a book on his lap with his uninjured hand.

A sense of unease suddenly swept through Zhi Shui's mind.

He knew the battlefield and the wounded all too well.

In Konoha, even the most elite ninjas, after recovering from the brutal battlefield, will always have lingering traces of weariness, fear, or hidden rage in their eyes.

That is the mark of war etched into the soul, a psychological shadow that is difficult to dispel.

But these few Star Ninjas in front of me...

Their expressions were relaxed, their eyes clear, and they even had a kind of contented calm.

It was as if what they had just experienced was not a life-or-death battle, but just an ordinary task that consumed their energy.

This mental state is completely different from the "wounded" in Zhishui's understanding.

Just as he was in a daze, a cheerful voice came from the side.

"Hey! Isn't this Mr. Shisui? What brings you here all by yourself?"

Shisui turned around and saw Hotaru leading two Star Ninjas, escorting a truck piled high with sacks.

The burlap sack smelled of fresh herbs.

Firefly's face was covered in a thin layer of sweat, but his smile was very bright. He was also wearing a Star Ninja vest, which made him look capable and efficient.

"Hotaru Jonin." Shisui nodded in greeting, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the group of wounded soldiers sunbathing.

Firefly followed his gaze and exclaimed, "Ah, it's those guys from the 'Black Rat' squad. They ran into some wandering ninjas when they were clearing out the remnants of the Daimyo in the Land of Darkness last time, and got hurt. They recovered pretty quickly though."

Shisui pondered for a moment, but ultimately couldn't suppress his question. He pointed in that direction, his tone genuinely puzzled: "Hotaru Jonin, please forgive my intrusion. I've observed these ninjas from your village, and they seem to..."

"They had just experienced combat and their wounds had not fully healed, but their mental state was very different from the wounded soldiers I had seen before. It seemed that they did not have much psychological stress left by the war? Why is that?"

"Psychological stress?" Firefly paused for a moment, then scratched his short, slightly stubble-like hair, seemingly lost in thought. "Oh, you mean that kind of... 'war sickness' that causes nightmares, irritability, fear of going to the battlefield, and in severe cases, even chakra disorder after the war?"

"That's one way to understand it," Zhishui nodded.

Firefly told her companions to help unload the goods and supplies, while she walked over to Shisui and looked at the group of wounded soldiers, her gaze becoming somewhat distant.

"These things were indeed common in the old ninja villages. Especially after the great war, there were always ninjas like this in the hospitals." Hotaru's voice was a little lower.

"But in our Star Country, this situation is much less common. Especially ninjas who voluntarily join the Star Country are almost nonexistent."

"Why is that?" Shisui pressed.

Firefly turned his head and looked earnestly at Shisui, his eyes open and firm: "Because of our different beliefs, Mr. Shisui."

"You ninjas of the old era fought for the village, for missions, for orders, and even for hatred. The purpose of the battle was sometimes vague, sometimes narrow, and sometimes you even doubted its meaning. Killing, destruction, loss of comrades... these negative emotions piled up, and without an outlet for venting or support, it was easy for a person to be crushed."

He raised his hand, pointing to the bustling scene around him, to the displaced people queuing to receive medicine, and to the construction site further away where the sounds of tamping earth and shouts could be heard.

"But we Star Ninja, at least the vast majority of us who chose to stay here and agree with Lord Shura's path, know very well why we are fighting."

"In your eyes, it is our Star Kingdom that launched the war, invading the Swamp Kingdom, the Dark Kingdom, and the Snow Kingdom. But please look, look at them—" Firefly's fingers traced across the emaciated refugees whose eyes were filled with hope.

"What kind of lives did they lead before we arrived? They were starving and freezing, exploited and oppressed by nobles, treated like pigs and dogs. A natural disaster could lead to the tragedy of cannibalism. It was the greed and incompetence of the daimyo and nobles that pushed their people into hell first!"

His tone gradually became more impassioned: "We are not bringing destruction, but liberation! We are sweeping away the garbage! War is inevitable, and the pain of bloodshed cannot be avoided, but we know clearly for whom this blood is shed, and for what kind of future this battle is for."

Firefly patted her chest: "We Star Ninjas, apart from a small number of those who came from surrendered ninja clans, are mostly ordinary people, even refugees and orphans from the lowest rungs of various countries! We know better than anyone what hunger, cold, and the loss of dignity taste like!"

"We fight not to perpetuate hatred, but to end this old era that has created countless hatreds! To ensure that everyone has enough to eat, clothes to wear, and shelter to live in, so that no more children will become victims of war like we have in the past!"

He paused, his tone softening but becoming even more forceful: "When you know that every slash you swing, every shuriken you throw, is paving the way for such a goal, your heart will be filled with power, not emptiness and fear. The wounds of battle remain, but we will feel it was all worthwhile. Seeing these people rejuvenated is the best medicine for us."

Shisui listened quietly, his Sharingan taking in every sincere emotion on Hotaru's face.

He looked around again.

Beside the wounded soldier who was awkwardly reading, a little girl skipped over and placed a freshly picked wildflower on his lap. The wounded soldier was stunned for a moment, then revealed a shy but incredibly genuine smile.

Among the volunteers preparing the medicine, an elderly man shakily picked up a bowl of medicine and handed it to a woman who was coughing incessantly, muttering, "It'll make you feel better after drinking it. The medicine from the Land of Stars works... At least there's some hope in this world..."

Several children, who had just received thick cotton-padded coats, excitedly chased each other, their faces flushed with the relief of hunger and cold.

All of this, intertwined with the fireflies' words, formed a powerful torrent that violently assaulted Zhi Shui's defenses.

The peace he has always pursued is about maintaining the village, avoiding conflict between the Uchiha clan and Konoha, and gaining recognition for the Uchiha clan within Konoha's framework, thereby eliminating the internal rifts within the village.

He never imagined that peace could be achieved in a more intense and thorough way.

Smash the old framework of injustice and rebuild a new order on the ruins.

Everything the Star Kingdom did was undoubtedly accompanied by bloodshed and violence, but the result was that it gave birth to a breathtaking vitality and hope on this land.

This stark contrast plunged Shisui into deeper contemplation.

What is the true nature of the "jade" he upholds and the "village" he cherishes?
Is it to maintain an existing system that may already be corrupt from the inside out, or to truly protect every individual living on this land?
Shisui suddenly recalled a sentence that Shura had once said: "The peace you seek is too narrow-minded, so narrow-minded that it cannot tolerate even a slightly rebellious ninja clan."

The fireflies did not disturb his thoughts; they simply stood quietly to the side.

The sunlight shone down, making the Red Cross symbol of the medical camp even more vibrant. It also deeply imprinted the peaceful faces of the wounded, the expectant eyes of the refugees, and the silhouettes of the buildings rising in the distance into Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan, and even more so into his heart.

This newly cultivated land is healing physical wounds and quietly smoothing out the cracks in the soul. At the same time, it is also silently reshaping the understanding of "the path" of a genius ninja from the old era.

The warm spring breeze carried the scent of melting snow and new life, mixed with the herbal aroma of the camp, and ruffled the hair on Zhishui's forehead, as if urging him to make some kind of decision.

The doubts in his heart had not completely dissipated, especially his concern about the possible future conflict between the Land of Stars and Konoha.

But he gradually began to understand, and even to some extent, agree with, the controversial but potentially transformative path chosen by Shura and the Star Kingdom.

(End of this chapter)