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

Chapter 267 Menma and Jiraiya
The continuous drizzle tapped against the wooden lattice windows of the izakaya, producing a dull and persistent sound.

Jiraiya, with women on either side of him, seemed to be indulging in a life of pleasure, his hearty laughter mingling with the coquettish whining of the hostesses. However, the corner of his eye was always fixed on the street outside the window, which had just been washed by blood and rain.

"Oh my, that was terrifying!" A glamorous woman next to him patted her chest, looking out the window at the gradually dispersing crowd with lingering fear.

“These kinds of things happen every now and then. If we ordinary people are accidentally caught up in it, we won’t even know how we died.”

Another woman curiously sized up Jiraiya's unrestrained attire and striking white hair: "Guest...you're not from our village, are you? You dare to come drinking at a time like this, you're really bold."

Jiraiya laughed heartily, took a swig of sake, the aroma mingling with his characteristic boldness: "Hahaha, I'm a traveling writer who's been all over the world. I've come to Amegakure specifically to gather inspiration and collect writing material! The more chaotic the place, the more stories there are!"

He casually leaned closer and lowered his voice: "By the way, I heard there's an organization called 'Akatsuki' in Amegakure. Have you heard of it?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the smiles on the two women's faces froze instantly, and a clear look of fear flashed in their eyes.

They subconsciously looked around, as if afraid of being overheard by something unseen.

"Guest, guest..." The first woman to speak spoke in a very low voice, almost drowned out by the sound of the rain: "Please don't mention that name casually... If those ninja masters hear it, they'll... they'll lose their lives!"

“Yes,” another person nervously chimed in, “There used to be such an organization, quite active in the village, but several years ago it suddenly… just disappeared. They issued a strict order forbidding anyone from mentioning the word 'Xiao' again, and anyone who disobeyed… well, nobody dares to talk about it now, so please don’t inquire about it anymore!”

Jiraiya's smile remained unchanged, but his heart sank.

A gag order?
Vanished without a trace?
It seems that something big happened to Yahiko and the others a few years ago!

He tried to probe further, but the two women knew little and were deeply fearful, so he couldn't get any more valuable information out of them.

After a few rounds of drinks, Jiraiya left some money and, citing the need to use the restroom, staggered away from the increasingly noisy izakaya.

As soon as he stepped into the cool, damp alley, the drunkenness on his face vanished instantly, and his eyes became sharp and clear.

'The Akatsuki organization has indeed run into trouble, and it's very likely connected to the higher-ups of Amegakure, possibly even Hanzo himself,' he thought to himself. 'I must capture someone and question them, preferably one of Hanzo's direct subordinates; they must know the inside story.'

He quickly weaved through the rain and found a secluded alleyway.

This place is not far from a regular patrol route of the Rain Ninja, and the environment is relatively secluded.

He formed hand seals and uttered a low shout: "Spirit Summoning Technique!"

A wisp of smoke appeared, and a strangely shaped giant toad appeared in the spot.

"Thank you for your help, Genshin Impact Toad!" Jiraiya greeted it.

"Is it still the same as before?" The toad's shell quickly deformed and expanded, transforming into a rather cozy-looking ramen shop that blended seamlessly with the surrounding Amegakure architecture.

The fake steam rising from under the signboard filled the air with an enticing aroma of food.

Jiraiya slipped inside, disguising himself as a busy shopkeeper, quietly waiting for his prey to take the bait.

What he needed were one or two lone Rain Village ninjas, perhaps greedy for food.

……

Meanwhile, at the center of Amegakure, on the top floor of a tower that overlooks most of the village.

Pain, the Deva Path, stood atop the outer rooftop, his Rinnegan gazing indifferently at the city below, forever shrouded in rain. The tiny specks of dust stirred up by the insignificant rebellion and suppression in the distance had long since been completely submerged in the rain.

Wearing a Rain Village uniform and carrying a strange umbrella sword, Green Aoi appeared silently behind him and knelt on one knee: "Lord Pain. Hanzo sent twelve Anbu members. The rebels were five Chunin who were dissatisfied with the rule and have been executed in the street."

Green Aoi, a former Konoha traitor, successfully established herself in Amegakure by stealing the Second Hokage's Thunder God Sword and a lot of Konoha information, and even gained the right to meet Hanzo of the Salamander.

However, he had already been impressed by Nagato's power and joined the Akatsuki organization, becoming a thorn in Hanzo's side.

"Hanzo himself remains holed up in the deepest part of his fortress, not leaving for a moment," Green Aoi added, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm.

The once fearsome "demigod" has now been completely consumed by old age, suspicion, and fear of the power of the Rinnegan, and dares only to rely on iron-fisted suppression and layers of guards to maintain his crumbling rule.

"Continue monitoring." Pain's voice was completely flat. "Report any unusual activity immediately."

"Yes." Green Sunflower bowed her head in response, and her figure quietly disappeared.

……

On the other side, Mianma found the distraught hydrangea in a damp alley.

She walked alone in the rain, seemingly oblivious to the patter of the cold rain.

Her purple curly hair was soaked through, clinging to her cheeks and neck, and her distinctive training clothes were also completely drenched, making her look even thinner and more pitiful.

She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she were crying silently.

Mianma, holding an oil-paper umbrella that appeared out of nowhere, silently walked to her side, tilting the umbrella towards her to shield her from the continuous rain.

The hydrangea raised her head blankly, rain and tears mingling on her pale face.

Her face was numb, her lips trembled, and her voice choked with sobs: "...They...Kenta is one of them...He's a friend I used to wander with...We wandered together, became ninjas together...He said he couldn't take it anymore, he wanted to change everything...He joined an organization...But...But..."

She couldn't continue; overwhelming sadness and helplessness gripped her.

She couldn't even manage to collect her friend's body. Hanzo's spies circled nearby like vultures, ready to tear anyone who tried to get close to them to shreds.

Menma looked at her silently.

He knew that there were countless Amegakure ninjas like "Kenta" who were filled with resentment towards Hanzo's rule. They formed small groups that were full of hope but extremely fragile, like moths drawn to a flame. Every slight act of resistance would be met with the most brutal suppression, ultimately turning them into another pool of blood on the streets.

"Why..." Hydrangea's voice broke in the rain: "Why is this world like this? As far back as I can remember, this country has been at war, with people dying... war, poverty, hunger... it has never stopped... Could it be... that other countries are like this too?"

Menma sighed softly, a rare hint of pity in his eyes. He gazed at the hazy, oppressive outlines of buildings in the distance through the rain, his voice calm yet carrying a heavy, penetrating force: "Other places? Ha, perhaps they appear more glamorous on the surface, but in essence, they are no different. The Five Great Nations, countless smaller nations, fighting each other, hatred cycling endlessly. Amegakure is merely a microcosm of the thousand-year-long war in the entire ninja world."

He lowered his head slightly, looking into the bewildered eyes of the hydrangea: "The only way to truly end all of this is to completely destroy all existing national and ninja village systems. Let the entire ninja world be left with only one voice, one will, and one powerful, unified nation. Only absolute unity can bring absolute order, and... the true peace you desire."

Hydrangea listened in a daze; these words were too grand and too terrifying for her to comprehend.

Her limited understanding and kind nature made it impossible for her to immediately comprehend, let alone agree with, this cruel logic of seeking new life through destruction.

She simply felt an overwhelming sense of fear and bewilderment.

Mianma did not delve deeper into this topic.

He pointed to a ramen shop on the street corner ahead, its sign reading "Grand Opening Special" and bathed in warm light.

“It’s getting dark, and the rain is getting cold. Let’s go get something to eat first.” His tone returned to normal: “You can think about what I said before. If you’re tired of the rain and death here and want to find a different future… I can take you away.”

After saying that, he pushed open the door of the ramen shop and went inside.

The wind chimes under the eaves made a crisp sound.

Ziyanghua hesitated for a moment, wiped away the rain and tears on her face, took a deep breath, and followed them inside.

Her heart was still heavy, but the hunger in her stomach and her curiosity about the two boys still propelled her inside.

Inside the ramen shop, Jiraiya, dressed as a chef and disguised as the owner, thought he had finally found his target and enthusiastically greeted them with "Welcome!" However, he was immediately disappointed to see two teenagers enter, one of whom was a girl wearing a Rainbow headband.

But seeing Ziyanghua's obviously tearful, childlike, and tired face, he couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

Such young children have to bear the identity of ninjas and struggle in this quagmire-like village.

Menma walked naturally to the counter and sat down, saying to Jiraiya, "Boss, two bowls of ramen, please."

His gaze swept over the simple menu on the wall, and he asked casually, "Do you have any signature dishes to recommend?"

While secretly wondering why two brats had interrupted his plan to catch the "tongue," Jiraiya put on a businesslike smile: "Oh, we have our signature tonkotsu chashu ramen, beef ramen, and udon..."

His gaze darted between Menma and the hydrangea who sat down next to him, and he asked with a hint of gossip, "Are you two... a young couple? Eating ramen together so late?"

Hydrangea's face flushed instantly, and she hurriedly waved her hands, "N-no, that's not it! We just... we just..."

She was unsure how to define her relationship with the mysterious young man beside her.

Mianma smiled and replied, "We're friends."

Upon hearing this, the hydrangea nodded vigorously.

"I see, how are you, my friend!" Jiraiya chuckled, turning around and pretending to go to the kitchen to get busy, but in reality he was frantically rummaging through the instant bread he had brought from Konoha, still complaining in his heart.

A short while later, two steaming bowls of ramen were served.

Ziyanghua was starving. She picked up her chopsticks and took a bite, then frowned slightly and whispered to the noodles, "This taste...it seems like instant noodles...no wonder there are no customers in the shop..."

Her voice was soft, but how could it escape Jiraiya's ears?

Jiraiya stumbled and almost fell, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

Mianma took a bite, then nodded thoughtfully, saying, "The taste is indeed just average. However... I do get a very familiar feeling from this broth."

"Oh?" Jiraiya immediately became interested, moved closer to the counter, and asked curiously, "What did the customer find in their food? Our soup base is a secret recipe!"

He was trying to save face.

Menma raised his head, his azure eyes calmly looking at Jiraiya. His gaze seemed to pierce through Jiraiya's clumsy disguise, causing Jiraiya's heart to skip a beat. He vaguely felt an inexplicable familiarity with the boy's face and eyes.

"It tastes a bit like those mass-produced instant ramen noodles from Konoha." Menma pointed out calmly, "Boss, is your secret recipe made with seasoning packets imported from Konoha?"

Jiraiya's inner alarm bells were ringing!
There's definitely something wrong with this guy!

How could an ordinary boy possibly taste the flavor of Konoha instant noodles in just one bite?

How can it pinpoint the place of origin so accurately?
He forced a calm demeanor and chuckled, "Guest, you jest... You've been to Konoha? Judging from your appearance, you don't seem to be from Amegakure."

He tried to take the initiative and find out about the other party's background.

Menma ate his noodles at a leisurely pace, as if he were just chatting casually: "I'm a traveler who enjoys tasting food from all over the world and have been to many places. When it comes to ramen, my favorite is Ichiraku Ramen from Konoha Village. The craftsmanship is truly unique."

Jiraiya's suspicions deepened, and he pressed on, "Which other countries have you visited, guest? Have you tried any special ramen? To be honest, I'm quite knowledgeable about food!"

He tried to elicit more information by using the topic.

Menma recounted the story with great familiarity: "The ramen in the Land of Hot Springs uses hot spring water to make the broth, giving it a unique flavor; the ramen in the Land of Lightning is known for its use of ingredients from high mountain valleys, giving it a rugged, rustic charm; the ramen in the Land of Water is surrounded by the sea, and its seafood ramen is exceptionally delicious; the ramen in the Land of Earth is rather ordinary and unremarkable; the ramen in the Land of Wind is quite distinctive, incorporating spices unique to the oasis and meats from desert animals, resulting in a unique taste; and finally, the ramen in the Land of Stars..."

He paused, his tone seemingly carrying a subtle hint of admiration: "The capital of the Star Kingdom is exceptionally prosperous, gathering ingredients from all over the world. In the ramen shops there, you can eat a kind of 'family reunion' ramen, where all kinds of top-quality ingredients are gathered in one bowl, and the richness of the flavor is simply unparalleled."

Jiraiya grew increasingly surprised as he listened.

The young man's knowledge of the customs and traditions of various countries, especially his insights into food, far exceeded his expectations.

Some of these countries were even ones he had never explored in detail.

"You've actually been to so many countries?" The two of them started chatting about the food and culture of various countries, and the atmosphere became unusually "harmonious" for a moment.

(End of this chapter)