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

Chapter 265 The Grand Stage of Amegakure
early morning.

Tsunade woke up with a hangover headache, and the sunlight streaming through the window stung her eyes.

She sat up, rubbing her temples, and saw that Jingyin was already dressed and standing by the bed with a worried look on her face, holding a letter in her hand.

"Lady Tsunade, Lord Jiraiya... left this letter and has already departed." Shizune handed over the letter.

Tsunade took the letter and glanced at it briefly. The letter contained few superfluous words, simply reiterating the dangers of the Land of Stars and the necessity of the investigation, and urging them to take care.

She crumpled the letter into a ball and tossed it aside.

"Okay." Her voice was hoarse as she threw back the covers and got out of bed. "Jingyin, pack your things, let's get ready to leave."

Shizune was taken aback: "Leave? Lady Tsunade, where are we going?"

"The Land of Stars." Tsunade walked to the table, picked up the gourd of sake she hadn't finished last night, took a swig, and tried to suppress her headache.

"The Land of Stars?!" Shizune nearly jumped up in surprise. "But... Lady Tsunade! According to Jiraiya-sama, that Asura and his Star Ninja Village are extremely dangerous! Why do we need to go there?"

Tsunade walked to the basin of water and splashed cold water on her face, trying to clear her head. "It's nothing. I just overheard some gamblers from all over the country chatting at the casino. They said the Land of Stars is incredibly rich and prosperous. Since it's so prosperous, the casino must be huge. Maybe I can find some new games and turn my luck around."

She shook the water droplets off her hands, speaking casually.

Shizune, holding Tunade, looked at her helplessly: "Lady Tsunade... do you even believe that reason yourself?"

Tsunade glared at Shizune through the mirror, her tone leaving no room for argument: "Stop talking nonsense! Get ready! If you say another word, I'll take your allowance for this month and use it as gambling money!"

Jingyin immediately shut her mouth and resignedly began packing her bags.

She knew very well that once Tsunade made a decision, especially when it came to gambling and drinking, almost no one could change it.

Moreover, she knew deep down that Lady Tsunade's decision to go to the Land of Stars was not solely for gambling.

Tsunade didn't look at Shizune, but instead gazed at the increasingly bustling streets outside the window, her voice lowered slightly: "Some things... you have to see for yourself."

She remembered the Uzumaki clan that Jiraiya had mentioned last night.

Grandma Mito's clansmen...

If there are indeed survivors living in the Star Kingdom, she cannot ignore them.

After all, she also has a quarter of the blood of the Uzumaki clan flowing through her veins.

Moreover, the dramatic changes that occurred in Konoha and the defection of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans filled her with doubts and an indescribable sense of attraction.

…………

The rain in Amegakure Village seems to never stop.

Cold raindrops pounded against the towering iron towers and crisscrossing pipes, producing a monotonous and oppressive hum, enveloping the entire village in a hazy, damp mist.

Pedestrians hurried along the street, most of them wrapped in dark raincoats, heads down, as if trying to blend themselves completely into this gloomy background.

On the third floor of an old building near the center of the village, Menma stood behind a slightly open window, his gaze piercing through the rain and landing on a rather modern-looking building across the street.

The glass curtain wall of the building appeared blurry in the rain, and a metal sign that read "Regenerative Medicine Technology Company" hung at the entrance. Occasionally, people in white coats or suits would come and go, standing out from the dilapidated surroundings.

His Kagura Mind's Eye, like invisible tentacles, meticulously scanned the building.

The internal structure, the distribution of personnel, the fluctuations in chakra...

Everything slowly took shape in his perception.

Deep underground, he detected several unusually weak chakra reactions, lacking natural vitality, as if they were artificially cultivated, quite similar to the failed clone experiments of Orochimaru in his memory.

Amidst these chaotic fluctuations, one chakra stood out as particularly calm and refined, operating as steadily as a precision instrument, carrying an almost cold and rational aura.

“Sanzu Amado…” Menma muttered to himself, almost certain that the owner of this chakra was one of his targets.

This brilliant scientist's thoughts fluctuated like a bottomless pool of still water, making it difficult to discern his true ideas.

However, what bothered him even more was that he did not sense any chakra that might belong to Jigen, or rather, the Otsutsuki clan.

"They've hidden it really well..." Menma frowned slightly. Of all the people he had ever met, only the soul of Otsutsuki Hamura contained chakra that was closest to that of the Otsutsuki clan, so he was searching in that direction.

However, Cixian's ability to remain hidden for a thousand years is beyond imagination. Perhaps he is not in the Land of Rain at this moment, or perhaps he has used some extremely special method to completely conceal his existence.

Just then, a soft but hesitant knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

Boom boom boom!
The numbness in her face instantly returned to its original focus, which was on the doorway.

It is a hydrangea.

She stood alone in the corridor, carrying a waterproof oil paper bag, her heart pounding a little fast, filled with nervousness and a hint of inexplicable anticipation.

Her chakra was like a small blade of grass struggling to grow in the rain.

The sesame seed cake was a bit of a surprise.

After yesterday at the ramen shop, this kind but stubborn little ninja finally revealed the name of the "regenerative medicine" company.

It is the largest and only company in the Land of Rain that may be involved in advanced biotechnology, and it has many collaborations with the ninjas under Hanzo of Amegakure.

After receiving the information, Menma rented this temporary base across the street, intending to leave behind a shadow clone for long-term surveillance.

He didn't make things difficult for Ziyanghua at the time and simply let her leave.

Unexpectedly, she took the initiative to come to my door today.

Mianma walked over and opened the door.

Ziyanghua stood outside the door, her short purple hair dampened by the rain, a few strands clinging to her smooth forehead.

Her distinctive Chinese-style training clothes were also a bit wet, making her figure appear even thinner.

Upon seeing Menma, she instinctively shrank her shoulders, but still held up the oil paper package in her hand. Her voice was a little timid, but she tried her best to remain calm: "Um... thank you for the ramen yesterday. This is... a return gift. It's from my favorite shop."

Menma leaned against the doorframe, one hand on his hip, a playful smile on his face: "Oh? Just a return gift? Aren't you here on someone's orders to spy on this suspicious person?"

The hydrangea's cheeks flushed slightly, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

She puffed out her small chest, trying to make her voice sound stronger: "It's...it's about monitoring you! To prevent you from doing bad things to the village!"

Menma chuckled and shook his head: "You? A mere genin? If a real fight broke out, you probably wouldn't even be qualified to stand on the battlefield, little guy."

His tone was somewhat sarcastic, yet it also stated a harsh truth.

Hydrangea's eyes dimmed for a moment, but a stubborn flame immediately ignited again. She clenched her fists: "Even if... even if that happens! I will do everything in my power to stop you!"

Gollum-

Just then, a clear rumbling sound suddenly came from Mianma's stomach, which sounded particularly loud in the quiet corridor.

In an instant, the tense standoff was completely shattered.

Ziyanghua paused for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing, quickly covering her mouth as her eyes curved into crescents. Mianma's expression also stiffened for a rare moment, and he awkwardly touched his nose.

This body's craving for food always comes at such an inopportune time.

He sighed and stepped aside, saying, "Never mind... it's come to this now, let's eat first."

As if granted a pardon, the hydrangea quickly scurried into the house.

The room was very simple, with only a table and two old chairs.

The two sat down facing each other, opened the still steaming oil paper package, and the two buckets of ramen inside emitted a rich aroma that immediately dispelled the chill of the rainy day.

Mianma picked up his chopsticks and began to eat heartily without any hesitation.

Ziyanghua ate her noodles in small bites, secretly observing the mysterious young man opposite her.

He ate with great focus, even with a pure enjoyment, which was completely different from the powerful aura that occasionally emanated from him, as if he could control everything.

She found it difficult to categorize him as a "bad guy," yet everything he did was clearly fraught with danger and uncertainty.

This sense of contradiction left her extremely confused, and she could only try to convince herself that it was to monitor him so that he wouldn't pose a danger to the village!

"Why...why do you insist on finding that person named Amado?" Hydrangea finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Without even looking up, Mianmai said, "Do I need a reason to find someone? Maybe it's just because he owes me money?"

He just made it up on the spot.

The hydrangea clearly didn't believe her, muttering, "Liar..."

Mianma smiled but offered no explanation.

For this girl who lives at the bottom of Amegakure but whose heart remains pure, there are some truths that the less she knows, the better.

……

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Amegakure, in a river that had become turbid and swift due to the rain.

Pfft—

A bright green toad, no bigger than a palm, poked its head out of the water, its mouth wide open in a way that defied all logic.

Immediately afterwards, a hand belonging to an adult man reached out and grabbed the toad's mouth.

Then, Jiraiya's tall figure appeared as if emerging from another dimension, landing wetly on the water's surface and standing firmly.

He was wearing a red jacket, and his long white hair was wet with rain.

Wiping the water from his face, Jiraiya looked up at the village before him, shrouded in massive pipes and steel towers, appearing gloomy and cold in the rain.

"Amegakure... It's been so many years since I've been here." Jiraiya murmured the name, his eyes filled with complex emotions, nostalgia, heaviness, and a hint of barely perceptible pain.

His thoughts drifted back to many years ago, to that era of war, when he encountered three helpless war orphans in the Land of Rain.

Yahiko's idealistic eyes and orange hair, Konan's quiet gentleness as she folds paper flowers, Nagato's red hair despite possessing the legendary Rinnegan...

Their faces appeared clearly before my eyes.

“Yahiko…” Jiraiya murmured to himself, then sighed heavily.

He taught them ninjutsu, hoping they would have the power to protect themselves, and firmly believed that Yahiko could bring about change.

However, what followed was heartbreaking.

The Akatsuki organization seems to have deviated from its original ideals, and has even become dangerous and mysterious.

He shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions.

Although his primary mission was to go to the Land of Stars to investigate intelligence, since he was passing through the Land of Rain, he noticed that the Akatsuki organization in Amegakure seemed to have recruited many S-rank rogue ninjas, even accepting rogue ninjas like Itachi Uchiha who slaughtered his own clan. He really wanted to ask Yahiko and the others what had happened.
Jiraiya took a deep breath of the damp, cold air, his figure silently blending into the rain, stealthily making his way into the village like a ghost.

His stealth skills were superb. After changing into an ordinary raincoat, he walked through the village, avoiding several patrolling groups of Rain Ninja, carefully sensing and memorizing the distribution of chakra and defensive weaknesses within the village.

The rain continued to fall, as if trying to wash away all traces of the world, but in vain it only added new gloom.

…………

Burp! I'm so full!

Inside Amegakure Village, in a makeshift outpost, Menma and Azusana had finished their ramen.

The sound of rain outside seemed to have subsided a bit, but the sky remained overcast.

Menma stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the "Regenerative Medicine" company across the street again.

His Kagura Mind Eye continues to monitor, but so far there has been no indication of anything unusual about Amado leaving or anyone he has been in contact with.

Ziyanghua silently finished cleaning up the dishes and walked to the window. Following Menma's gaze, she couldn't help but ask, "Are you... really going to go in there? The guards there are very strict, and... I heard that there are some places inside that even our village's ninjas are not allowed to enter."

Mianma didn't turn around, but simply said, "There are very few places in this world that I can't go."

His tone was calm, yet carried a sense of confidence.

The hydrangea opened its mouth as if to say something, but in the end it just lowered its head.

Just then, Mianma's gaze suddenly sharpened slightly.

Within the range of his Kagura Mind's Eye perception, a powerful chakra reaction was stealthily infiltrating Amegakure and moving in that direction.

This chakra is wild yet carries a hint of righteousness, making it highly recognizable.

"This level of chakra is already at the Kage level, right..." Menma's eyes flashed with surprise.

But they came in from outside the village, and it seemed they were avoiding the patrolling Rain Ninja.

Menma immediately suppressed all his chakra fluctuations.

At the same time, he whispered to the hydrangea behind him, "Stay inside, don't make a sound, and don't use your chakra."

Although Ziyanghua didn't understand why, she subconsciously nodded when she saw Menma's suddenly serious expression and nervously held her breath.

Menma's senses were firmly locked onto this chakra fluctuation.

The mysterious intruder, like a seasoned assassin, skillfully used the sound of rain and the shadows of buildings to evade all patrols, making his way towards the village center, towards the tower where Hanzo the Salamander was located.

His goal seemed clear; he wasn't conducting a aimless investigation.

"The target is Hanzo?" Menma wondered. "But this chakra doesn't seem to be controlled by Nagato's Pain..."

Menma mentally calculated: 'Nagato, Konan, Obito, Zetsu, Amado, Jigen, and now a mysterious Kage-level ninja has infiltrated... Hanzo, your little Amegakure is truly teeming with talent!'

(End of this chapter)