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

Chapter 228 The Mad Woman of the Uchiha Clan!
“...Nagato…”

The name, uttered by Shura, resounded across the battlefield like a thunderclap. For Nagato, who was manipulating Pain from behind the scenes, the blow was even greater than the devastating golden pillar of light from before!
The face of Pain, formed from Yahiko's corpse, which should have been expressionless, seemed to freeze for a moment.

Through Pain's Rinnegan, Nagato stared intently at the figure enveloped in dark red chakra, his inner shock like a raging storm.

For the first time, those Rinnegan eyes no longer held an indifferent divinity, but were filled with incomprehensible, almost human-like shock.

How could he know? !

Deep within the dense forest, Nagato's main body, tightly protected by the paper tree, was struck as if by lightning. A violent cough erupted uncontrollably once again, his thin body curled up in pain, and a tearing pain came from the black rods connecting his back to the Gedo Mazo.

"Cough...cough cough cough! Cough..."

"Nagato!" Konan's anxious voice came through the paper wall, filled with deep worry: "What happened? Your reaction is very strange!"

Nagato breathed heavily, forcibly suppressing the metallic taste in his throat and the fear that almost burst from his chest.

He couldn't answer Xiao Nan; his mind was a complete mess, with only one voice echoing wildly:

How could Shura possibly know!

He not only knew that Pain was a puppet, he knew about the Rinnegan, he knew about 'Uchiha Madara', he even knew my real name!
Shura...

Who exactly is this mysterious guy?!

How much more does he actually know?!
The fear of being completely seen through, with no secrets left, coiled around Nagato's heart like a cold, venomous snake.

Combined with the incomprehensible and undefendable "divine punishment" attack that had just descended from the sky, the power and unfathomable intelligence capabilities that Shura had displayed made him feel intensely apprehensive for the first time.

“Konan…” Nagato’s voice came through the Animal Path, carrying a hint of hoarseness and exhaustion: “Prepare… for retreat.”

"Retreat?" Xiao Nan's voice was filled with astonishment.

"But..." The battle seems to have only just reached its climax. Although two Pain bodies were lost, the power of the Deva Path has not yet been fully revealed.

"Execute the order!" Nagato's tone unusually carried a hint of anxiety and forcefulness.

Since the true form of Shura has not yet appeared, he cannot take any risks, especially since the Heavenly Dao made from Yahiko's remains must not be destroyed here!
On the battlefield, Pain slowly suppressed the raging storm in his heart, and his Rinnegan regained its cold gaze, but the lingering tremor in his heart could not be completely erased.

He stared at the still water in the sky, his voice low and calm, like the calm before a storm:

"Those who recognize this face either died in that battle on that rainy night, or they are Amegakure and Konoha ninjas who participated in that battle."

He paused, a hint of inquiry mixed with the icy killing intent in his Samsara Eyes.

"What...is your relationship with Shimura Danzo of Konoha?"

This conjecture is not unfounded.

Danzo and the "Root" organization he led were not entirely secret in the Land of Rain during the Third Shinobi World War, and Nagato was well aware of the dark and ruthless nature of their methods.

Danzo Shimura of Konoha and his Root ninja were directly involved in Yahiko's death.

But Nagato himself immediately rejected the idea.

'No, that's not right. Shura attacked Konoha, stole the Byakugan from the Hyuga main family, and fought against the Third Hokage and Konoha's elite troops. How could someone who was an enemy of Konoha be associated with Danzo?'

and many more……

The bounty offered by the Hidden Cloud Village...

Nagato suddenly recalled the scattered information about Shura circulating in the underground gold exchange. Apart from his iconic fox-face mask and descriptions of his powerful strength, there seemed to be some confusing information mixed in, including the vague phrase "operating under Danzo's name."

At the time, Nagato and Konan both thought it was a case of Kumogakure's intelligence being wrong or a frame-up, and did not think it through.

Could it be... that this wasn't just a rumor?
Is there some unknown connection between Shura and Konoha, and between Shura and Danzo?
No matter how hard he tried, Nagato couldn't figure out what the connection was between Shura and Konoha.

But one thing he was certain of: Shura definitely had a very deep connection with Konoha! Whether it was an enemy or... something else entirely!
Just as Nagato was racking his brains, trying to piece together a clue from the chaotic mess, Shisui, controlled by Menma, spoke again.

"Shimura Danzo is nothing but a rat in the gutter, a pathetic worm indulging in a laughable Naruto dream. He is not worthy of having anything to do with me." The disdain in his words was undisguised.

That cold voice carried an indifference that looked down upon all living beings: "The ninja world holds no secrets for me."

This statement is extremely arrogant, as if he were the god of this ninja world!

Immediately afterwards, that arrogant voice continued, dropping an even more shocking message that shook Nagato to his core:

"Including the true cause of death of your close friend, Yahiko, and the original Akatsuki members."

Pain's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

"That so-called 'voluntary sacrifice' tragedy nipped Akatsuki's initial ideals in the bud, killed Yahiko and many Akatsuki members, and plunged you into a painful 'script'..."

Mianma paused, as if appreciating the other person's silent tremor, before slowly dropping the real bomb.

"The real culprit who orchestrated all of this has actually been right beside you all along. He's been manipulating your hatred and using your power to achieve his ulterior motives."

"What did you say?!" For the first time, Pain's voice lost its composure, filled with barely suppressed shock and anger, and a hint of panic that even he himself was unaware of!
Always by my side?

The real culprit?

Not Hanzo? Not Danzo? Not Konoha?

Who is that? !

Nagato's mind went blank for a moment, and then a mysterious figure wearing a vortex mask and calling himself "Uchiha Madara" appeared uncontrollably.

It's him?

The one who appeared when he and Konan were at their most desperate, told them the "truth," guided them in their plan to collect the tailed beasts, and provided them with funding and technical support—"Uchiha Madara"?
The timing of that man's appearance was too coincidental; he possessed immense power yet remained elusive, harboring a deep obsession with the Uchiha clan and Konoha…

He wasn't without suspicion about this secretive fellow.

The other party's appearance was too coincidental, their purpose seemed grand but was unclear, and their words and actions were full of strangeness.

However, at that time, the Akatsuki organization was almost destroyed, and he had a blood feud with Hanzo and Danzo. He desperately needed power and allies. In addition, the other party's space-time abilities and understanding of the Uchiha and Sharingan made him have no choice but to temporarily trust and cooperate with them.

Could it be... could it be that Yahiko's death, and the destruction of Akatsuki, were actually...

Nagato's breathing became heavy, and the air in the tree hole where his main body was located seemed to freeze.

Konan sensed the unusual emotional fluctuations emanating from Pain outside, as well as the increasingly unstable chakra of Nagato's main body, and her unease reached its peak.

"Nagato? What's wrong? Your chakra fluctuations are very intense!" Konan keenly noticed his abnormality, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her usually cool face was filled with worry.

Nagato did not answer; his entire mind was immersed in the immense shock and doubt.

He didn't completely believe what Shura said, but this sudden accusation was like a poisonous seed that instantly took root and grew wildly in his heart!
All the suspicious aspects of past contacts with "Uchiha Madara" are now vividly clear.

"Do you think you can sway my will with a few divisive words?" Pain's voice remained cold, but he no longer considered himself a god.

Menma watched Pain with great interest, not caring whether Nagato believed him or not, and simply tossed down the seed: "Believe it or not, it's up to you. The truth never changes because of denial."

"When you stare into the emptiness beneath that mask, you might think about who truly benefits from the Akatsuki's transformation, and who is leading you down that path destined for destruction."

Pain did not answer.

Shisui's lips curled into a smile that no one could see, hidden beneath the dark red chakra.

The purpose was achieved.

Give Obito some trouble, don't let him have too much free time.

Just then, a flash of red light appeared on the horizon.

Menma, controlling Shisui, raised his head and looked towards the western horizon, a hint of amusement flashing in his dark red eyes.

"Oh? That guy... seems pretty angry." He said abruptly, with a hint of mockery in his tone: "Hopefully you don't get caught next, Nagato."

Before Nagato could even process the meaning of those words, the dense, dark red chakra surrounding Uchiha Shisui receded like a tide and surged into the mark on the back of his hand.

As the massive and violent chakra dissipated, Menma's will also vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

Shisui groaned as he regained control of his body, but the immense difference in strength left him feeling weak, and his body fell uncontrollably from mid-air.

He struggled to flip his body in the air, finally managing to regain his balance. He staggered to the ground, kneeling on one knee, breathing heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Shisui raised his right hand, looking at the slowly fading dark red mark, his eyes filled with extreme complexity.

At the same time, the nine powerful masked spirit beasts also emitted a ripple-like wave and disappeared into thin air, as if they had merged into the air.

The battlefield suddenly became empty and silent, leaving only a huge crater, a messy ground, and Pain, the Deva Path, who was suspended in the air and was also temporarily silent due to shock and doubt, and Pain, the Animal Path, who stood blankly to the side, having lost most of his summoned beasts.

Shisui suppressed his physical weakness and inner turmoil, looking warily at Pain, and then subconsciously following the direction in which "Shura" had last looked.

Almost the instant he looked up, a terrifying aura of immense power and fury swept in from the western horizon like a tsunami!

At the edge of the azure sky, a dark red dot of light was growing larger at an astonishing rate! In just a few breaths, the outline of the dot of light became clearly visible!

It was a colossal war god, burning with dark red chakra!
It has two wings on its back, wears a Tengu helmet, has a ferocious face, and holds a chakra sword that is larger than its body in the hand of its right wing. Wherever it passes, the clouds are torn apart and the air emits a shrill howl!
"That's... Uchiha Hikaru's Susanoo?!" Shisui's pupils shrank.

Uchiha Hikaru, controlling the complete Susanoo, swept past a hundred meters above Honmatsu Castle like a vengeful meteor!

The massive shockwave rolled downwards, rattling the roof tiles of houses and causing trees to sway violently. The common people, overwhelmed by this divine aura, knelt in terror, muttering incantations as if they had witnessed a god descending to earth or a demon in a fit of rage.

The common people in the city had never seen such a sight before, and they all knelt down in terror, as if worshipping a god.

On the castle tower of Honmatsu Castle, Natsumi, Chino Miyajo, Toshito Morishita, Hazuki Murahashi, and Miroku, among others, were nervously watching the movements of the distant battlefield.

The sudden, terrifying pressure and the enormous dark red giant turned everyone's faces deathly pale instantly.

"What...what is that?!" Morishita Toshito asked, his voice trembling as he leaned on his cane, his legs still bandaged.

“So…so terrifying chakra…” Murahashi Hazuki subconsciously took a step back.

Xia Ri shielded his three disciples behind him, his expression grave.

Just then, Chino Miyajo's blood-red dragon eyes widened suddenly as she pointed at the rapidly flying head of the Susanoo giant and cried out, "Teacher! Look! There's someone inside the giant's forehead! It's... it's Lord Hikaru!"

Upon hearing this, everyone strained to look in that direction.

Sure enough, in the center of the dark red Susanoo's forehead, within a space resembling a rhombus-shaped crystal, a petite and slender figure could be vaguely seen standing, her long black hair flying wildly amidst the raging chakra currents!

Even from such a great distance, one could almost feel the chilling rage contained within those scarlet eyes!

It's Uchiha Hikaru!
"It's Lord Guang!" Xia Ri breathed a sigh of relief, but then her heart jumped again.

Guangda's attitude is terrifying!
At this moment, Uchiha Hikaru had only one thought in his mind—anger!
The Land of Stars is the home she and Menma built little by little, a place that carries her hope of escaping the darkness of the past and gaining a new life!

Anyone who dares to destroy this place or harm its people is her irreconcilable enemy!

When she learned of the attack on the Summer Squad through the chakra imprint network, and especially when she sensed the massive chakra transmitted remotely by Menma and witnessed the earth-shattering battle that followed, her anger was completely ignited!
Without any hesitation, she activated her Mangekyou Sharingan and used her complete Susanoo to traverse the counties at top speed, ruthlessly attacking the enemy!
"You bastard! How dare you destroy my and Menma's home..." Inside Susanoo, Uchiha Hikaru's voice was cold and murderous, his Mangekyou Sharingan locked onto the Deva Path Pain and Animal Path Pain on the battlefield below.

"Even if you are a god, I will kill you!"

Without a word, and without even paying attention to Uchiha Shisui, who had just recovered and was in extremely poor condition on the ground, the wings on the back of the complete Susanoo suddenly flapped, and its huge arms stretched behind it, grasping the hilt of the giant katana wrapped in terrifying chakra!
Clang——!
The chakra katana was drawn, emitting a hum that sent chills down one's spine!

The blade sliced ​​through the air, leaving behind a dark red arc of death, and with the force of splitting the heavens and earth, it slashed fiercely towards Pain of the Deva Path and Pain of the Animal Path!

Before the attack even arrived, the incredibly sharp blade wind had already torn a deep trench in the ground!

Nagato was terrified!

He sensed a power from this dark red Susanoo that was far more violent than that of Madara Uchiha!

Moreover, his opponent also possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan, and the oppressive aura emanating from that eye power made him dare not be careless at all!
"Shinra Tenzheng!"

Without hesitation, Pain unleashed the full power of his Rinnegan, instantly unleashing a powerful repulsive field to meet the descending chakra blade!

Boom! ! !

The terrifying explosion resounded through the heavens and earth once again!
An invisible repulsive force collided violently with a solid chakra blade, unleashing a deafening roar powerful enough to tear eardrums!
The shockwave generated by the collision spread wildly in a ring in all directions, lifting up another layer of debris from the already ravaged ground!
"How is this possible! It can actually withstand the power of Shinra Tensei!" Pain's figure sank downwards under the impact of this enormous force!
The ground beneath our feet is cracking inch by inch!
Forces are reciprocal. When the opponent is strong enough to withstand the repulsive force of Shinra Tensei, Pain will also be devoured by the repulsive force of Shinra Tensei.

[Image caption: The rampaging Six-Tails Naruto withstands Pain's Shinra Tensei]

Uchiha Hikaru's Susanoo was also slightly hindered by this powerful repulsive force, and the huge blade bounced up slightly.

But the attack of light is not limited to a single strike!

Susanoo clenched its other arm into a fist, and a giant fist burning with dark red chakra followed closely behind, smashing down on the Animal Path Pain like a battering ram!
"Summoning Jutsu!" Animal Path Pain hurriedly formed hand seals and summoned Cerberus to defend himself.

However, the few remaining summoned beasts, which had just been severely injured by the Nine-Faced Beast, had not yet recovered and reacted a beat too slowly!
boom! ! !
The giant chakra fist slammed into the Animal Path of Pain, and the hellhound that tried to block the attack was instantly smashed into mincemeat.

Even with the shared vision of the Rinnegan to anticipate the attack, the Animal Path still couldn't completely dodge this powerful blow!
Click!

A sickening sound of bones cracking rang out!

Animal Path Pain's body was smashed away like a rag doll, his chest was clearly caved in, and he crashed heavily to the ground. He struggled for a few moments and then stopped moving. It was clear that his internal structure had been devastated!
Another one lost!
Nagato's heart is bleeding!

These Pain puppets were extremely difficult to make, and each one cost a fortune!

"Damn it!" Pain roared, his Rinnegan blazing with purple light!
This time, he held nothing back, injecting even more powerful chakra into the Rinnegan, and a repulsive force far more terrifying than before was about to erupt!

He wanted to completely push away and even crush this area, along with this damned Susanoo!

However, Hikaru Uchiha's combat instincts were terrifyingly sharp!
The moment Pain was charging up, the wings on Susanoo's back suddenly flapped, and its massive body instantly took off with an agility completely disproportionate to its size. At the same time, the chakra sword in its hand changed from a slash to a sweep, and a crescent-shaped dark red slash wave left the blade and cut towards Pain's waist first!
"Shinra Tensei!" He forcibly interrupted the charging up of power, and while repelling the force forward, he himself flew backward to the side.

boom!
After a brief repulsive force, the slashing wave missed its target, severing a grove of trees behind it cleanly at the roots, leaving a smooth, mirror-like cut!
Uchiha Hikaru pressed his advantage, and his Susanoo pounced again, its wings flapping at incredible speed. Each swing of the chakra sword was powerful and heavy, launching a relentless attack on Pain like a storm!
Her fighting style was ferocious and precise, full of the Sharingan's unique insight and sharp killing intent. Every strike was aimed at vital points, forcing Pain to constantly dodge and parry. Occasionally, he would use Shinra Tensei to deflect attacks, but he could never find an opportunity to unleash a powerful technique that could turn the tide of the battle.

boom! boom! boom!
The earth trembled continuously, and new pits and cracks kept appearing.

The dark red chakra clashed and annihilated with the purple light of the Rinnegan.

Uchiha Shisui had already retreated to a great distance, watching in awe this fierce battle that far surpassed the level of his previous battles.

The woman named Uchiha Hikari was so powerful and her fighting style was so wild that it made his heart tremble.

He finally understood why Shura had said, "The battle that follows is not something you can interfere with."

"This is... the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan..." Shisui murmured to himself, still feeling somewhat melancholy about losing his eyes.

Far away in the dense forest, Nagato's face grew paler and paler, and sweat soaked his brittle hair.

Controlling Pain in such an intense battle placed a tremendous burden on him.

Wrong!

I felt incredibly frustrated!
Since obtaining the Rinnegan and summoning the Gedo Mazo, this was the first time he had felt so powerless and frustrated in a battle!
The opponent didn't even show his true form, but only transmitted power remotely through a subordinate. And now, this crazy Uchiha woman who suddenly appeared with ridiculously strong strength has caused him to lose three precious Pain puppets and put the strongest Pain, Deva Path, into a tough battle!
The opponent hasn't used their Kaleidoscope Eye Technique yet, but my own trump card...

The techniques of Super Shinra Tensei and Chibaku Tensei require a charging time.

Once the demonic statue of the heretic is exposed, the consequences are unpredictable, especially under the nose of this Asura who knows him inside and out.

These were originally killing moves that Nagato had prepared for Shura, but at this moment, he hadn't even seen Shura's face!
He was actually being overwhelmed by a crazy Uchiha woman!
We can't go on like this anymore!

"Konan! Retreat immediately! Move towards the Land of Wind!" Nagato's voice suddenly rang out, filled with urgent panting.

Although Xiao Nan didn't understand what was happening, she carried out the order without hesitation, and the paper scraps flew around.

On the battlefield, Pain suddenly swung his arm, and a powerful repulsive force temporarily forced Susanoo back with another slash, using the force to fly backward rapidly.

"Trying to escape?" Uchiha Hikaru's killing intent intensified, and his Susanoo flapped its wings, giving chase!

"Universal Pull!" Pain suddenly raised his hand, but instead of aiming at Susanoo, he forcefully sucked up a large amount of shattered boulders and soil from afar.

The boulder, pulled by gravity, hurtled towards the pursuing Susanoo like a cannonball, attempting to slow its advance.

At the same time, he retreated rapidly, turned around without hesitation, and sped off towards the northeast without looking back!

He was going to lure away that terrifying, crazy Uchiha woman!

"Trying to escape?!" Uchiha Hikaru's killing intent intensified within Susanoo. He controlled Susanoo to cleave through the flying boulder array with a sword and took huge strides to give chase.

However, Nagato made an extremely decisive decision. While his main body was being transferred by Konan, Pain used the terrain to quickly maneuver and steer Uchiha Hikaru in the opposite direction.

Along the way, Pain relentlessly used the Rinnegan's power, using the giant rocks he had attracted with Bansho Tensei to create brief obstacles, and even managed to withstand a chakra slash from Susanoo with Shinra Tensei. In the end, he turned into a black dot and disappeared into the horizon.

Hikaru Uchiha's Susanoo stopped at the border and did not pursue further.

Maintaining the complete Susanoo is extremely taxing. Even though her 'Eight Thousand Spears' are connected to Menma and can obtain a continuous supply of Dark Nine-Tails chakra, which she can refine into eye power to achieve the strength of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, this battle still left her eyes somewhat sore.

"Hmph—" Uchiha Hikaru snorted coldly and released Susanoo.

The figure slowly descended from the sky, standing on the cliff at the border. Long black hair and clothes fluttered in the wind. The scarlet Mangekyou Sharingan coldly stared in the direction where Pain had disappeared, and finally slowly closed.

When it opened its eyes again, they had returned to their normal black state, but the coldness and murderous intent in those eyes remained undiminished.

Outside Honmatsu Castle, Uchiha Shisui stood still, gazing at the devastated battlefield, his emotions a complex mix of feelings. Dragging his weary body, he slowly walked towards Honmatsu Castle.

What he saw and heard today completely overturned many of his preconceived notions, filling his heart with countless questions: about Asura, about Akatsuki, about the Rinnegan, about Uchiha Hikaru, about Konoha, about the ninja world, about peace...

Everything that happened today has had a huge impact on his long-held beliefs.

As Nagato departed, through Pain's vision, he took one last look at the gradually shrinking dark red Susanoo and the land that had brought him such shock and loss. His Rinnegan eyes were filled with resentment, doubt, and anger.

And a trace of something he himself was unwilling to admit—

fear!

If it weren't for the fact that the real Uchiha Madara had died decades ago, and that this Uchiha madman was a woman, Nagato would almost have thought that Uchiha Madara had been resurrected.

(End of this chapter)