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

Chapter 282 One Kick, One Wind Shadow

On the desolate Gobi Desert bordering the Land of Earth and the Land of Stars, several rock fortresses built against the mountains form the outposts of Iwagakure Village.

At this moment, the air was filled with a strong smell of blood and lingering gunpowder smoke.

Scattered stones and broken weapons littered the ground, and the corpses of several Iwagakure ninja lay in pools of blood, silently recounting the surprise attack that had occurred not long ago.

In a corner of the stronghold, a severely injured Iwa ninja leaned against the rock wall, breathing heavily.

His headband was already shattered, and blood was still gushing from multiple wounds on his body, staining his khaki ninja vest red.

He stared wide-eyed as three figures dressed in dark blue Star Ninja uniforms, with five-pointed star headbands on their foreheads, slowly approached.

"You...you Star Ninja..." The heavily injured Iwa ninja roared with all his might, his voice trembling with pain and rage: "Do you want to start a war?! We, the Hidden Stone Village, will never let this go!"

The leader, a "Star Ninja," had his lower half of his face covered, revealing a pair of scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan eyes.

Disguised as a Star Ninja, Kakashi raised his still-dripping ninja sword with an indifferent gaze; the blade reflected a blinding, cold light in the afterglow of the setting sun.

He clearly uttered a few words in a deliberately altered, slightly hoarse voice:
"The mere Hidden Rock Village..."

Before the words were even finished, a flash of light appeared!
puff!

The ninja sword pierced the heart of the severely wounded Iwa ninja with pinpoint accuracy, ending his life.

The light in Iwa ninja's eyes quickly dimmed, finally freezing into disbelief and resentment.

"Captain, all resistance inside the base has been eliminated." A Konoha Anbu member disguised as a Star Ninja stepped forward and reported in a low voice, his voice sounding somewhat muffled through his mask.

Kakashi nodded slightly, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over a pile of collapsed rock ruins not far away, where there seemed to be extremely faint and suppressed breathing sounds.

He deliberately raised his voice and ordered his two team members, "Clean this up! Make it look like the scene of that Sunagakure attack. Hurry up!"

"Yes!" The two members of the secret service understood immediately and sprang into action.

They skillfully moved the corpses, deliberately leaving behind several poisoned shuriken, a common weapon used by Sunagakure, and destroyed some signs of battle, attempting to shift the blame to the Land of Wind.

Not long after, Kakashi made a hand gesture, and the three of them quickly left the bloody stronghold and disappeared into the vast Gobi Desert.

Long after they had completely disappeared, the faint sound of teeth chattering came from behind the pile of collapsed rock ruins.

Two young Iwa ninja, their faces covered in dust and their eyes filled with the fear of surviving a disaster, huddled tightly in a crevice in the rocks.

They narrowly escaped death through a hidden ventilation duct.

"Have...have they left?" one of the younger ones asked softly, his voice trembling with tears.

"Don't move! Wait a little longer!" Another Iwa ninja, slightly older and calmer, pressed down hard on his companion's shoulder, warning him in a low voice, his heart pounding wildly.

He had just seen those chilling red eyes clearly through the crack in the rock, and the image was etched into his mind like a nightmare.

Sure enough, about an incense stick's time later, the sound of wind breaking rang out again.

Kakashi returned, quickly surveying the base. His sharp gaze swept over every corner, and only after confirming once again that there were no survivors did he finally leave.

The two surviving Iwa ninja, in fear and torment, hid in the crevices of the rocks for several more hours until it was completely dark. When a patrol of Iwa ninja discovered the unusual situation at the stronghold and entered to investigate with torches, they rushed out as if grasping at a straw, and reported the situation to their fellow village ninja with tearful voices.

The patrol team leader, his face ashen, looked at the corpses scattered on the ground and the two terrified survivors. He immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Escort them back to the village immediately! Report to Lord Tsuchikage!" he ordered in a deep voice. The team sprang into action, protecting the two key witnesses as they raced toward Iwagakure.

……

On a bare rocky hilltop not far from the attacked stronghold, three figures quietly emerged—it was Kakashi's returning squad.

A member of the ANBU observed the situation below through binoculars and reported in a low voice: "Captain, we've confirmed that the captured prisoners have been taken away by the Iwagakure patrol and are on their way back to Iwagakure Village."

Another team member added, "This is the second outpost we've attacked on the border of Earth. However... Captain, with just two border outposts, it's probably difficult to really provoke a large-scale war between Iwagakure and the Land of Stars, right? The Tsuchikage of Iwagakure is not an impulsive character."

Kakashi didn't answer immediately. He was slowly wiping the ninja sword, which was now spotless, as if there were still unseen traces of blood on it.

Then, he reached out and carefully removed the Sharingan contact lens from his right eye, revealing his original clear black and white eye.

His face remained expressionless, and his voice was so calm that it betrayed no emotion: "Two outposts are certainly not enough."

"Continue north and create several more 'incidents' along the entire border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Stars. Adjust the frequency and scale as needed."

He sheathed his ninja sword and turned his gaze to the northern border region, where the mountains stretched endlessly.

"We need to make Iwagakure realize that this is not an accidental conflict, but a deliberate and sustained provocation by the Land of Stars. Our mission will only be complete when they reach their breaking point and begin a large-scale retaliation."

"Understood!" the two members of the secret service replied in unison.

Before long, the three figures disappeared into the night again, continuing their stealthy northward journey along the border of the Land of Earth, searching for their next target to create chaos.

……

Iwagakure Village, Tsuchikage Office.

That evening, news of the attack on the second border outpost and the return of survivors with crucial intelligence was quickly reported to the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.

The atmosphere in the office was heavy.

The short but imposing Onoki floated in mid-air, his brows furrowed.

The tall and muscular Huang Tu, and the Jonin Wen Ya, who was in charge of intelligence and analysis, stood solemnly to one side.

Wenya pointed to the border map spread out on the table and reported in a deep voice: "Lord Tsuchikage, this is the second border outpost attacked in two days. Unlike the first one, there are two survivors this time. They both claim that the attackers tried to disguise the scene as being done by Sunagakure, and... provided crucial information."

He paused, then emphasized, "Among the attackers, the leader possessed... a pair of Sharingan with three tomoe."

"Sharingan?!" Onoki and Kyoto exclaimed almost simultaneously, their expressions instantly turning extremely solemn.

Huang Tu stroked his chin, his rugged face full of confusion: "The Sharingan... that kind of bloodline limit can't be faked. However, the Land of Stars has just annexed the Land of Darkness, the Land of Swamp, and the Land of Snow, and has also taken in the Uchiha and Hyuga members who defected from Konoha. They need time to digest and consolidate their internal affairs. At this critical juncture, what benefit would they gain from actively provoking a border conflict with our Land of Earth? This doesn't make sense!"

Onoki's wrinkled forehead was almost creased into a "川" shape as he gestured for Bunya to mark the locations of the two attacked strongholds on the map.

His old eyes widened as he stared at the area on the map that was located at the border between the two countries and consisted mainly of barren desert and rocky mountains.

"I've heard that the Star Kingdom has invested heavily in recent years, mainly in transforming the western Youhe Plain, attempting to turn those vast stretches of mudflats and wasteland into fertile farmland. The soil there is relatively fertile, and water resources are abundant, making it the focus of their development." Onoki's voice was hoarse, but his logic was clear.

"As for our Land of Earth, the border areas are mostly barren mountains and deserts, far less valuable than the Youhe Plain. Their choice to provoke trouble on our side at this time... their motives are indeed puzzling."

Although Onoki was stubborn and conservative, and sometimes appeared rigid, his ability to lead Iwagakure for decades demonstrated his extraordinary political wisdom and strategic vision.

His strategy and ruthlessness were fully demonstrated in the battle where he devised a plan to besiege the Third Raikage and wear him down.

Although he did not expect the Third Raikage to be so powerful, resulting in heavy losses for Iwagakure.

For this reason, in recent years he has hired a large number of wandering ninjas and mercenary organizations to participate in military operations in the Land of Earth, largely in order to preserve the strength of the new generation of native Iwagakure.

Huang Tu interjected, "Father, this information about the Sharingan is crucial. Currently, among all the ninja villages in the ninja world, apart from the Land of Stars which has taken in the Uchiha clan, which other ninja village can use the Sharingan so easily? Even Konoha probably can't find a single complete Sharingan now."

They clearly did not yet have information that Uchiha Sasuke was still in Konoha.

Wenya agreed, saying, "Lord Huangtu is right. Regardless of the Star Kingdom's motives, their continuous attacks on our strongholds are a fact. We must react immediately!"

"I suggest that, on the one hand, we should immediately send more ninjas to strengthen patrols and defenses along the entire northern border; on the other hand, we must organize elite forces to carry out retaliatory strikes against the border outposts of the Land of Stars, so that they know that our Hidden Stone Village is not to be trifled with!"

Onoki hovered in the air, his hands behind his back, and fell silent.

The only sound in the office was his occasional soft "hmm..." as he pondered.

Sharingan...

This word evoked a memory deep within him that could be described as terrifying.

That powerful Uchiha Madara.

He was filled with apprehension towards Uchiha Hikaru, who was suspected to be a descendant of Uchiha Madara from the Land of Stars, and the mysterious and unpredictable "Shura" whose strength was unfathomable.

If a full-scale conflict were to break out, the Uchiha clan alone would be enough to give Iwagakure a major headache.

However, as one of the five great ninja villages, the Kage cannot afford to fail to respond forcefully to such blatant provocation. Otherwise, Iwagakure's prestige will be completely destroyed, and the Land of Stars will be emboldened.

After much deliberation, Onoki finally spoke, his voice resolute: "Huangtu, do as Wenya says. You'll be in charge. Immediately dispatch two squads of elite ninja to strengthen patrols along the northern border. At the same time, form a strike team and find an opportunity... to take down one or two border outposts of the Land of Stars! We need to teach the Star Ninjas a lesson, but we can't let the conflict escalate too much. We need to be careful not to let it get out of hand!"

"Yes, Father!" Huang Tu replied solemnly.

“Wenya,” Onoki turned to the intelligence jonin, “Immediately issue the strongest diplomatic note to the Land of Stars in the name of Iwagakure and the Daimyo’s Mansion of the Land of Earth, strongly condemning their attack and demanding an immediate explanation, severe punishment of the perpetrators, and compensation for the damages!”

"Understood, Lord Tsuchikage!" Wenya bowed.

Just as the two were about to turn around and leave to carry out their orders, Onoki seemed to suddenly remember something and called out to Bunya again: "Wait! Bunya, there are two more things."

"Immediately notify Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, to cease all missions and not to leave the village without my order!"

"Then send more people to find that stubborn old man, Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, as soon as possible! Tell him that no matter where he's wandering around, he must get back to the village immediately! This is the Tsuchikage's order!"

Remembering how Old Purple had a big fight with him last time because of their differing ideologies and then stormed off the village, Onoki was furious.

"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!" Wen Ya bowed again, then quickly left Tu Ying's office with Huang Tu.

The office returned to silence, leaving only Onoki suspended in mid-air.

He rubbed his right eyelid, which kept twitching, the inexplicable unease in his heart still lingering.

He tried to comfort himself: 'It's just Uchiha Hikaru, not that monster Uchiha Madara... There's nothing to be afraid of... Yes, there's nothing to worry about...'

However, the more he tried to comfort himself, the more the unease quietly spread in his heart.

…………

In the northern part of the Land of Wind, deep within the "Sea of ​​Death".

It was noon the next day, and the scorching sun hung high overhead, baking the endless yellow sand until it was scalding hot, and the air distorted in the heat wave.

This desolate place, known as a forbidden zone for life, is now witnessing a scene beyond human imagination.

In the distance, the terrifying ten-tailed monster, hundreds of meters tall, was pinned to the sand sea, emitting a muffled and desperate wail.

Its ten giant tails were tightly bound by the Vajra Seal and the pitch-black chakra rod, and its massive body trembled violently, yet it could not break free.

The dark red nine-tailed fox, like a greedy parasite, clung tightly to the back of the ten-tailed fox, frantically devouring the immense chakra surging from the ten-tailed fox's body like a tangible torrent.

The Dark Nine-Tailed Fox seemed to be more solid and massive than it had been the day before, and the destructive aura emanating from it was becoming increasingly terrifying.

Mianma stood atop the highest point of the Sand City ruins, the broken walls casting long, narrow shadows at his feet.

He crossed his arms, gazing at the absorption process in the distance, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. In his mental world, he was communicating with the Dark Nine-Tailed Fox.

"What's going on, Xiao Jiu? The absorption speed this time is much slower than expected." Mianma conveyed the question in the spiritual world.

In his memory, even in the "Limited Tsukuyomi" world, when the Dark Nine-Tails devoured the other eight tailed beasts, it never took this long.

'Menma, this guy's chakra... is too vast! And its quality is extremely strange, carrying a... well, indescribable feeling.' Dark Nine-Tails' voice echoed in his consciousness.

"Hey, menma!" Then, Dark Nine-Tails said with a hint of excitement, "Is this really just a juvenile form? In my perception, its chakra reserves far exceed the total amount of all the tailed beasts I've devoured before!"

The pockmarked face understood perfectly.

The tailed beasts in the "Limited Tsukuyomi" world originate from the hatred in people's hearts and the aggregation of chakra, and there is no concept of the Ten-Tails.

The ten-tailed fox before them, however, was a sapling of the Divine Tree, and its essence was completely different.

"That's right, this is just the juvenile form. The true, complete Ten-Tails needs to absorb the natural energy of the entire planet to take shape," he explained, while his mind raced, recalling how Obito and Madara obtained the power of the Six Paths with the incomplete Ten-Tails in the original story.

So, what kind of transformation will the Dark Nine-Tails, which has fused with the chakra of the eight tailed beasts and is currently absorbing this young Ten-Tails, ultimately bring?
Can you help him reach the threshold of the Six Paths level?

Just then, I heard light footsteps behind me.

Tsunade's figure appeared at the edge of the ruins, her golden ponytail swaying slightly in the hot wind.

She looked at the two enormous creatures still entangled in the distance, her expression unusually grave. She took a deep breath, walked to Menma's side, and asked in a voice heavy with suppressed emotion, "What... exactly do you want to do?"

She didn't sleep a wink all night, the question constantly echoing in her mind.

She had heard of tailed beasts fighting, but the fact that one tailed beast could so systematically and greedily absorb the chakra of another completely overturned her understanding.

A thought popped into my head: what terrifying existence would be born if all the tailed beast powers were eventually united into one?

She couldn't imagine the impact that would have on the ninja world.

Menma turned his head to the side, looking at Tsunade's eyes, which were filled with confusion and vigilance, and pondered for a moment.

“It’s alright to tell you.” Menma’s tone was calm, as if he were talking about something ordinary: “However, it involves the Otsutsuki and higher levels of power, which you may not understand right now. You can simply think of it as me pursuing the power that the Sage of Six Paths is at.”

"The Sage of Six Paths?" Tsunade murmured, repeating the name from the myth, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

"Isn't that... an ancient legend? The founder of the Ninja Sect..."

Menma's lips curled into a faint smile, tinged with a hint of mockery: "Legend? No, the Sage of Six Paths is not a legend. In a sense, he is still 'alive' now."

'Although it's in the form of soul and chakra,' he added in his mind.

Tsunade was struck dumb, frozen in place!

Are the legendary figures from a thousand years ago still alive today?

If this is true...

Her mind was in complete chaos, and she could barely think.

Just as Tsunade was in a state of great shock, Menma suddenly raised an eyebrow, his left Byakugan opened instantly, veins bulging, and his gaze pierced through the layers of sand dunes, looking into the distance.

He sensed a large number of rapidly moving chakra reactions rushing toward him!

"Hmm?" Tsunade immediately noticed Menma's unusual behavior and the faint tremors coming from afar. She snapped out of her shock and followed Menma's gaze.

Soon, amidst the billowing dust on the horizon, the silhouette of a sizable ninja force gradually became clear.

“They’re from Sunagakure!” Tsunade’s sharp eyes immediately recognized the features of the leaders.

“The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and those two old guys, Chiyo and Ebizo… It seems that such a commotion has finally alarmed Sunagakure.” She turned to Menma, her tone carrying a complex meaning.

"What are you going to do?"

Menma lightly patted away non-existent dust from his divine robes, looking relaxed, as if the visitors were not the elite troops led by the Kage of the Village, but a swarm of uninvited flies.

"How?" He chuckled lightly, his eyes suddenly turning cold.

"Of course, we should get rid of these troublesome guys."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared from the spot, leaving Tsunade behind.

…………

On the outskirts of the Death Sands, the elite troops of Sunagakure Village halted their advance.

Thirty-six ninjas, led by Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizo, spread out in a fan shape. Everyone was utterly shocked by the apocalyptic scene before them!

"That...that's the Nine-Tails?! Has Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki gone berserk? How did it end up here?!"

"No! The color is wrong! It's dark red!"

"What...what is it doing? It's absorbing that monster's chakra?!"

"Ten tails... Do monsters with ten tails really exist in the world?!"

Exclamations and doubts rose and fell. Even these battle-hardened elites of Sunagakure could not help but be shaken when faced with such a scene that was beyond their comprehension.

Luo Sha suppressed his shock; as the Kazekage, he had to remain calm.

He was about to order a thorough investigation and formulate a response strategy.

at this time!

"Watch out! There's someone on the sand dune at one o'clock!" Ebizo's keen senses were the first to detect the anomaly, and he shouted sharply!
Everyone instantly became alert, their eyes all turning to the sand dune!
Suddenly, a black-haired boy stood quietly atop the hill, his black robe with red trim fluttering in the wind!
What's most unsettling is his heterochromatic eyes.

Three tomoe appeared on a scarlet patch in his right eye, while veins bulged in his left eye!

His icy gaze swept across the entire room, filled with undisguised contempt and murderous intent!
"Watch his eyes!"

"what is that?!"

"Sharingan and... Byakugan?"

"How can it be!"

The Sand Ninja looked into those eyes, and a chill swept through their bodies.

"How could there be such a combination of eye techniques?!" Granny Chiyo's eyes widened. Having lived for over fifty years and experienced three Shinobi World Wars, she simply couldn't understand it.

"Since you all want to die," the boy said, his voice not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying a chilling aura.

"Then I'll make it happen for you."

"Prepare for battle!" Luo Sha's pupils constricted, and he roared immediately!

However, before he could finish speaking—

Swish!
The boy's figure on the sand dune suddenly vanished!

The next instant, Rasa felt a gust of evil wind rush towards him!
Menma's figure appeared in front of him as if by teleportation, and a seemingly casual but lightning-fast spinning whip kick, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air, lashed fiercely towards his abdomen!

"What?!" Luo Sha didn't even have time to make any effective response.

boom--! ! !
A dull thud!

Luo Sha felt as if his internal organs had been displaced by that kick!

A sharp pain instantly spread throughout his body. He was thrown out as if by a catapult, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He flew back more than ten meters away and crashed heavily onto the sand, kicking up a cloud of yellow sand!

"Kazekage-sama!!"

"Protect the Kazekage!!"

Exclamations spread!
The surrounding Sand Village ninjas reacted extremely quickly, and countless kunai and shuriken rained down on Menma who had just appeared!

However, after landing a successful attack, Menma's figure flickered again, and he retreated lightly as if taking a leisurely stroll, leaving all his ninja tools lying in empty space.

He returned to the sand dune as if he had never moved, coldly looking down at the chaotic Sunagakure people below.

"Wow... such speed!" Granny Chiyo gasped, her aged face filled with horror!
She didn't even see how the other person moved!

This speed is completely beyond the scope of conventional teleportation techniques!

"Medical team! Quick!" Maki rushed to Luo Sha's side immediately, helped him up, and shouted anxiously.

Luo Sha coughed violently and struggled to his feet with Ma Ji's help, blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He ripped off his tattered white divine robe, revealing his battle suit underneath. Golden sand seemed to come alive, rising from his body and protecting him.

His eyes were filled with humiliation and rage!
"Damn it...we were ambushed!" Luo Sha stared intently at the face on the sand dune, his voice trembling with anger.

"But now it seems that this guy is the mastermind behind those two tailed beasts! We absolutely cannot let him get away with this!"

Ebizo's long eyebrows furrowed, and his tone was extremely grave: "No matter what his purpose is, we must stop him! Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Luo Sha took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his injuries and anger. The golden light of the sand sand solidified even more: "Attention everyone! Form defensive formation! Puppet troops, prepare! Sealing squad, stand by! The enemy is extremely fast; don't give him the chance to pick them off one by one!"

He refused to believe that, with some preparation, he could be hit so easily!
However, his confident order had only just been issued—

Swish!
Menma's figure suddenly disappeared again!
"Be behind! Watch out!" Granny Chiyo's voice rang out in alarm!
Luo Sha turned around in shock! He saw that Mu Ma had reappeared beside him at some point, still delivering that simple, direct, and extremely fast whip kick!

"Gold Sand Shield!" Luo Sha roared, and the gold sand around him instantly condensed into a thick shield that shimmered with luster in front of him!
This is his proudest absolute defense!

boom--! ! !
The numb-faced leg slammed hard against the sand gold shield!
A tremendous force erupted!
The sturdy gold shield was kicked into pieces as easily as fragile glass, scattering gold dust everywhere!

But the leg strike that had been numb barely weakened passed through the collapsing shield and landed precisely on the same spot in Rasa's abdomen!
puff--! ! !
Rasa spat out another mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, even more tragically than before, crashing into several Sand Village ninjas behind him before finally coming to a stop!
The entire Sunagakure team fell into a deathly silence!
Everyone stared in disbelief and terror at the sight!

twice!

The Fourth Kazekage, despite being on full alert and under the watchful eyes of numerous elite Sand Ninja, couldn't even withstand a single blow from his opponent?!

Even these elite Sand Ninja couldn't see the opponent's movements clearly?!

Granny Chiyo and Ebizo exchanged a glance, both seeing unprecedented shock and a hint of fear in each other's eyes.

This boy...

What kind of monster is this?!
[Image: Rasa and Gaara]

(End of this chapter)