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

Chapter 347 You say, who is the fox demon?
Night fell like thick ink, spilling across the rows of rooftops.

Mianma stood in front of the window on the third floor of her small courtyard, her hands resting on the windowsill, her gaze calmly fixed on the tranquil night outside.

This is a three-story detached villa located in a relatively quiet residential area of ​​Konoha, directly opposite the Hyuga clan's territory.

The architectural style blends traditional Japanese and modern design, with a simple off-white exterior and a dark gray roof covered with tiles. The courtyard is planted with several cherry trees and carefully trimmed shrubs.

The night breeze blew in through the open window, carrying the faint lingering fragrance of fallen cherry blossoms.

Menma was wearing dark-colored loungewear, her short black hair swaying slightly in the wind.

His gaze seemed to casually sweep across the street, rooftops, and tree shadows outside the window.

But deep within those calm eyes lay a scene that ordinary people could not see.

Kagura silently activated her Mind's Eye and compressed it into the area of ​​Konohagakure's protective barrier.

Centered on him, the chakra fluctuations within a radius of tens of kilometers were clearly presented to his perception, like twinkling stars in the night sky.

The ordinary villagers were already asleep, their chakra weak and steady, like sleeping fireflies.

The ninjas were different. The ANBU on duty had sharp and vigilant chakra, the Chunin on patrol had steady and regular chakra, and occasionally a few Jonin-level chakra would quietly lurk in key locations in the village.

But tonight is different.

"Tonight is really lively." Menma frowned slightly.

In his perception, at least twenty streams of chakra belonging to the elite Anbu were moving at high speed throughout Konoha.

Their movements were chaotic and hurried, as if they were searching for something, or dealing with some kind of emergency.

These ANBU members possess extremely high stealth skills, making it difficult for ordinary ninjas to detect their movements. However, in front of Kagura's Mind's Eye, their chakra is as conspicuous as a torch in the dark.

whoosh-

A dark shadow swept across the rooftops of the Hyuga clan's territory across the way, moving so fast that it left only a blur.

Then, two more, three more...

Menma's gaze followed those fleeting shadows, further expanding the range of Kagura's Mind's Eye perception and increasing its precision.

He filtered out the stable, regular chakra fluctuations and focused on finding abnormal, rapid, or familiar chakra characteristics.

Soon, he found it.

In the direction of the forest on the western edge of the village, Naruto's familiar chakra was fluctuating violently.

More importantly, there was another chakra near Naruto, filled with malice and greed.

That chakra...

Mianma quickly searched his memory and soon locked onto his target.

Mizuki.

The ninja academy teacher with short, light blue hair usually had a gentle and approachable demeanor, but Menma had long noticed the ambition and dissatisfaction hidden deep in his eyes.

“That Mizuki guy…” Menma slowly opened his eyes, a cold glint in them: “He still lured Naruto to steal the Scroll of Seals?”

The events from the original story still happened on this altered timeline.

But Mianma quickly realized a problem.

In the original story, Mizuki was seduced by Orochimaru and used Naruto to steal the Book of Seals in an attempt to obtain forbidden techniques.

In this world, Orochimaru had already been "subdued" by himself several years ago. Now he is conducting research in a laboratory in the Land of Stars. Although he still maintains his own Sound Village and ambitions, there should be no reason for him to tempt Mizuki again.

So, who is the person behind Shuimu?
Menma turned away from the windowsill and walked to the desk in the center of the room.

Several ninjutsu scrolls, some business documents, and a few oddly shaped small devices were neatly arranged on the table; these were the latest research results from the Star Kingdom's Science Department.

Mianma picked up one of the black metal devices, about the size of a little finger.

The device has a simple appearance, with no buttons or interfaces on the surface, only a faintly glowing pale blue crystal embedded in the center.

This is an ultra-long-range communicator developed using the principle of chakra networks. It can communicate in real time across thousands of kilometers, and the signal is encrypted multiple times. With the current technology of various countries in the ninja world, it is almost impossible to intercept or crack it.

Most importantly, it solved a practical problem for Menma: his shadow clones could not communicate in real time.

Memories only return to the original body when the shadow clone is dispelled, which causes communication difficulties.

This communicator allows him to communicate in real time with his shadow clones scattered around the world.

The mahjong communicator is inserted into the ear and automatically adheres to the inner wall of the ear canal, making it completely invisible. It can only be activated through a specific chakra frequency.

As chakra was injected, the crystal lit up and emitted a soft humming sound.

A few seconds later, the communication was established.

"This is the Star Capital Science Experiment Zone, Shadow Clone number 007." A voice that sounded exactly like Menma's, but even more calm and composed, came from the communicator.

"There's something going on in Konoha." Menma's main body stated succinctly: "Mizuki lured Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals, and now the Anbu have mobilized on a large scale. Investigate whether Orochimaru is behind Mizuki."

"Understood, will get back to you later."

Communication is interrupted.

Mianma walked to the wardrobe, opened the door, took out a black tracksuit, and quickly changed into it.

After changing his clothes, Menma picked up the Konoha headband from the table and skillfully tied it to his forehead.

The mirror reflected a boy who looked only twelve years old, but whose eyes were far more mature than his age.

A few minutes later.

The communicator buzzed again.

Menma activated the communicator with chakra: "Speak."

“We’ve already questioned Orochimaru,” the shadow clone’s voice came through. “He denied ordering Mizuki, but revealed that a few years ago, when he was still in Akatsuki, he used several of Konoha’s ‘spies’ as bargaining chips to exchange for some of Akatsuki’s technology and resources. Mizuki was one of them.”

"The Akatsuki..." Menma's eyes turned cold.

In this timeline, the Akatsuki organization, led by Nagato and Konan, has taken a slightly different trajectory from the original story due to his involvement.

But the core objective does not seem to have changed.

They collect the tailed beasts, create the Ten-Tails, and achieve "world peace" through extreme means.

"Orochimaru also mentioned something," the shadow clone continued, "The Akatsuki's search for the Tailed Beasts has entered the intelligence gathering phase. Mizuki's activation likely means that the Akatsuki has begun operations targeting the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"Understood." Menma replied briefly: "Inform Uchiha Hikari to increase the level of vigilance on the borders and important facilities of the Land of Stars."

Since the Akatsuki organization has started gathering information on the Tailed Beasts, they will likely try to gather information on Gaara, the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast from the Land of Stars.

I just don't know if Yagura will have another accident.

"Understood." The shadow clone hung up the communication.

Menma walked to the window, glanced at Konoha in the night, and then his figure disappeared from the window as if blending into the shadows.

The streets of Konoha appeared exceptionally deserted late at night.

Occasionally, patrolling ninjas would pass by in plain sight, their light footsteps echoing through the streets, only to disappear around the corner.

The hemp fibers moved silently between the rooftops, like a fleeting shadow in the night.

His goal was clear: find Naruto, defeat Mizuki, and at the same time, avoid revealing his true strength as much as possible.

But before that, he needs to find someone.

A plausible explanation for why he was present at the scene as a "witness" and "assistant".

Kagura's Mind's Eye continued to expand, and she quickly locked onto her target.

Mianma calculated the route and timing, then stopped in the shadows near an intersection.

A few seconds later, Iruka appeared on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings and leaped around rapidly.

His face was etched with anxiety, and fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead from running. The scars under his forehead protector were particularly clear in the moonlight.

Menma waited until Iruka ran to the center of the intersection before slowly emerging from the shadows.

"Iruka-sensei?"

His voice carried just the right amount of confusion and wariness, like an ordinary student who had a chance encounter with his teacher late at night.

Iruka abruptly stopped on a telephone pole and turned to look at the source of the sound.

When he saw that it was Mianma, he was first taken aback, then breathed a sigh of relief, but then became nervous again: "Mianma? What are you doing outside so late?"

Menma stepped into the light, exposing herself completely to Iruka's sight.

He feigned a worried expression: "I heard some noise outside, it sounds like there are a lot of ninjas... Has something happened?"

That's a very natural question.

While ordinary people might not be able to detect a large-scale operation by the Dark Division late at night, it's reasonable for a "genius top student" like Menma, who is already comparable to a Chunin, to sense something amiss.

Iruka hesitated for a moment.

Logically, this kind of thing shouldn't be told to a recent graduate.

But considering Menma's relationship with Naruto, Menma's usual composure and reliability, and more importantly, his urgent need for any possible clues to find Naruto.

“It’s Naruto.” Iruka finally said it, his voice filled with anxiety and confusion: “He… he doesn’t know why, but he stole the Scroll of Seals from the Hokage Building, and now no one knows where he is. All the Anbu are looking for him!”

Menma perfectly timed his expression of surprise: "The Scroll of Seals? How could Naruto...?"

He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and lowered his voice: "Speaking of which... Iruka-sensei, when Naruto and I parted ways, I think I saw Mizuki-sensei going to find him."

“Mizuki?” Iruka was stunned.

That Mizuki-sensei who always had a gentle smile and patiently taught her students?

But then, another incident from a few years ago flashed through Iruka's mind: the Green Okra defection incident!
Back then, Green Aoi was also a teacher in Konoha. She presented herself as gentle and approachable, but she encouraged her students to steal the Thunder God Sword left behind by the Second Hokage and then defect from the village.

Moreover, Naruto's identity is too special.

Son of the Fourth Hokage.

Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

If Mizuki really attacks Naruto, the consequences...

Iruka's face turned pale instantly.

"Menma!" He landed in front of Menma, grabbed Menma's shoulders, and said urgently, "Do you know what kind of 'secret base' Naruto usually has? You know, the kind of place that only he knows about, or only you and your friends know about?"

Children at this age usually have a few secret spots of their own, such as a tree hole in a big tree, a small cave by the river, or a corner of an abandoned training ground.

Iruka hopes to find clues from these places.

Menma pretended to be thinking, but in reality, through Kagura's Mind's Eye, he had already pinpointed Naruto and Mizuki's exact locations.

But saying it directly would be too suspicious.

He needs to give Iruka a few wrong directions to distract him, and then go to the real battlefield himself.

“Let me think…” Menma counted on his fingers: “There’s a small waterfall downstream of the Naka River, and behind it is a cave. Naruto took me there before. There’s also the seventh training ground on the east side of the village, where there’s a really big tree with a little wooden hut he built on it. Also… there’s an abandoned watchtower on the edge of the Forest of Death, which we found during one of our expeditions.”

These are all real locations, and Naruto did indeed visit them.

But at this moment, Naruto is not in any of them.

Iruka carefully noted down the locations, then patted Menma on the shoulder: "Thank you, Menma. You've been a great help. I'll go look for them in these places now. You should go home too; it's not safe outside."

"Iruka-sensei!" Menma called out to Iruka, who was about to leave, his face showing worry. "I'll go look for him too. More people mean more strength. Besides... I'm also worried that Naruto is a fool and will be deceived."

Looking into Menma's earnest eyes, Iruka felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He knew how close Menma and Naruto were.

These two children, one an orphan without parents and the other the fourth-generation son burdened with the stigma of being a "fox demon," became each other's most important friends from a very young age.

“Alright.” Iruka finally nodded. “But be careful. If you spot Naruto, or encounter any danger, fire a signal flare immediately, understand?”

"clear."

The two parted ways at the crossroads.

Iruka headed downstream of the Naka River in the first wrong direction provided by Menma.

Menma, after confirming that Iruka had left, turned and sped off in the exact opposite direction, towards the forest on the western edge of the village, the direction Naruto and Mizuki were really heading.

His speed suddenly increased, and his figure disappeared into the night after a few leaps between the rooftops.

Deep in the forest.

Moonlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The air was filled with the smells of soil, decaying leaves, and a faint odor of blood.

"Drink——!"

Naruto's roar echoed through the forest.

Dozens of shadow clones rushed towards Mizuki from all directions, each one filled with anger and confusion.

He couldn't understand why the usually gentle and kind Mizuki-sensei would suddenly try to kill him.

Just a few minutes ago, Mizuki was talking about "new assessment content," but the killing intent in his eyes made Naruto instantly realize that this was not an assessment.

This is a true life-or-death struggle.

"The art of multiple shadow clones!"

Naruto formed hand seals, and his chakra erupted once more.

More than twenty shadow clones appeared in the white smoke and joined the battle.

Shui Mu's expression grew increasingly grim.

He hadn't expected that this newly graduated genin would have such a huge amount of chakra, enough to create so many shadow clones.

What was even more unexpected was how powerful Naruto's fighting instincts were!

Although his skills were still immature, his reckless fighting style, coupled with the numerical advantage of his shadow clones, actually put this Chunin in a tough fight.

"Damn it..." Mizuki gritted his teeth, slicing the throat of a shadow clone with a kunai.

The shadow clone vanished into white smoke with a "bang".

But then, three more shadow clones pounced on them.

Mizuki retreated rapidly, simultaneously pulling out three shuriken coated with a dark blue sheen and a potent paralyzing toxin from his ninja tool pouch. These were one of his trump cards prepared for this defection.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
The three shuriken accurately struck the three shadow clones.

After the three shadow clones were hit, they turned into smoke and dissipated, but more shadow clones continued to rush forward.

Shui cursed under his breath and had no choice but to continue retreating, throwing kunai and shuriken again.

His taijutsu and shurikenjutsu are indeed more advanced than Naruto's; he can defeat a shadow clone with every move he makes.

But Naruto had too many shadow clones. And as the battle continued, Naruto seemed to gradually gain control of the rhythm, the shadow clones' coordination became more and more perfect, and their attacks became more and more fierce.

Shuimu felt the pressure mounting.

Worse still, the longer it drags on, the worse it will be for him.

The pursuers from the secret service could arrive at any moment!

We must end this battle as soon as possible, and then leave this place with Naruto.

The Akatsuki organization needs information about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but if they can capture the Jinchuriki directly, the reward they can get will be astronomical.

Greed once again overwhelmed reason.

A ruthless glint flashed in Shui Mu's eyes; he decided to use his last trump card.

"Naruto!" he suddenly shouted, his voice echoing through the forest. "You really are that Nine-Tailed Fox! Everyone in the village says so! The incarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

These words were like a cold knife, piercing Naruto's heart.

Demonic fox.

These two words were an insult that Naruto had heard since he was a child.

The villagers' whispers behind his back, the children's shouts and curses as they threw stones at him, the shopkeeper's disgust when he refused to sell him food...

All the memories, all the pain, were completely ignited at this moment.

Naruto was stunned.

His shadow clones were also distracted, and their attack paused for a moment.

It's now!

A cold glint of triumph flashed in Mizuki's eyes as he drew two specially made large shuriken from behind his back.

Each one is ten times the size of a regular shuriken, with sharp, knife-like edges that reflect a cold metallic luster under the moonlight.

More importantly, the blades of these two shuriken are coated with a more concentrated paralyzing toxin than before; even a Jonin would lose their mobility for a few seconds if hit by it.

"Die, you little fox demon!"

Mizuki threw two shuriken with all her might.

The large shuriken spun and tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound, its trajectory precisely locking onto Naruto, who was motionless and looking completely bewildered.

The shadow clones reacted and tried to rush forward to stop them.

But it was too late.

The shuriken was too fast.

Naruto watched as the two weapons, gleaming with a chilling blue light under the moonlight, flew toward him, his mind going completely blank.

For the first time, the shadow of death loomed over him with such clarity.

at this time--

Ding!Ding!
Two crisp metallic clanging sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

The first sound came from a kunai striking precisely the pivot of the shuriken on the left side, the immense impact causing the shuriken's trajectory to deflect.

The second sound was from the shuriken, after deflecting, colliding with the shuriken on the right.

The two weapons that should have hit Naruto collided with each other less than a meter away from him, changed direction, flew past his body, and embedded themselves deeply in the trunk of a large tree behind him.

hum-

The shuriken vibrated against the tree trunk, emitting a low hum.

Naruto was covered in cold sweat, his heart was pounding, and it took him several seconds to realize that he was still alive.

Shui Mu's face instantly turned ashen.

He turned his head sharply, looking in the direction from which the attack was coming.

On the thick trunk of a large tree, a black-haired boy stood quietly.

The moonlight shone from behind the boy, shrouding his face in shadow, but his calm eyes gleamed with a chilling light in the darkness.

Face numb.

Shui Mu recognized the person who came and breathed a sigh of relief.

'He's not from the Anbu, he's just a student...'

But then, a strange chill rose up from my spine.

'That kunai throw just now... was terrifyingly accurate!'

The kunai not only hit the axis of the rapidly spinning shuriken, but also had enough force to change its trajectory.

The collision caused by the kunai caused the two shuriken to interfere with each other and deviate from their target.

This throwing skill goes beyond the scope of an "excellent student".

As a Chunin, Mizuki knew he couldn't achieve such precise calculations and control.

"Brother Mianma!"

Naruto's excited shout broke the silence of the forest.

Menma fell from the tree trunk and stood in front of Naruto. His right hand hung naturally at his sides, a kunai still tucked between his fingers, while his left hand rested casually on his hip. He looked calmly at Mizuki, a hint of helplessness in his voice:
"You've really gotten yourself into a lot of trouble this time."

As Naruto watched Menma's retreating figure, the fear and confusion in his heart gradually subsided.

With Brother Mianma around, he felt at ease.

Mizuki sized up Menma, a twelve-year-old boy with a slender but not particularly strong build. His black tracksuit was perfect for nighttime operations, and his Konoha headband was neatly tied on his forehead, making him look like a typical rookie genin.

But just now, I couldn't throw it...

'No, maybe it was just luck.'

Shuimu tried to convince herself.

No matter how talented a newly graduated genin is, it's impossible for him to possess strength surpassing that of a chunin.

He still has a chance.

Simply use words to distract the opponent, create an opening, and then strike a fatal blow!

"So you're the top student of this year." Mizuki's face regained that fake, gentle smile, but his voice carried obvious sarcasm: "I remember you were also an orphan from the Nine-Tails' rampage, right? Your parents died in that disaster?"

Mianma's expression remained unchanged.

But Mizuki continued, deliberately raising his voice to make sure Naruto could hear him clearly:
"Naruto is the incarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Your parents... might have been killed by the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"And you, now, are protecting the murderer who killed your parents?"

These words were like a poisoned dagger, piercing Naruto's heart.

Naruto shuddered, and the color drained from his face instantly.

He stared blankly at the numb figure's back, his eyes filled with disbelief, panic, and pain.

Could it be... could it be that I really am...?

“Brother Menma, I…” Naruto’s voice trembled.

Just then, the noodles started to move.

It's not about rushing towards Shuimu.

Instead, he turned slightly to the side, turned his gaze to Naruto, and gave a gentle, reassuring smile.

"Don't listen to his nonsense, Naruto."

The voice was soft, yet it possessed a peculiar power that gradually calmed Naruto's panicked heart.

Then, Menma turned around again to face Mizuki.

The moment he turned around, the atmosphere of the entire forest changed.

If Mianma was like a calm lake before, then he is like the calm sea before a storm.

On the surface, all is calm, but deep within, a terrifying power is about to erupt.

Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves, shining directly on his face.

The left eye, which was originally a calm black pupil, had turned a scarlet blood color at some point.

Three black magatama slowly rotate on a scarlet background, like a vortex in an abyss, exuding a chilling and eerie beauty.

Shuimu's breathing suddenly stopped.

'Write...the Sharingan?'

'The Uchiha clan's bloodline limit?'

'But isn't this kid an orphan...?'

'No... wait, how could a twelve-year-old boy possess a three-tomoe Sharingan?'

In the history of Konoha, there has never been an Uchiha clansman who was able to awaken the Three Tomoe at the age of twelve!

Shuimu's mind was in complete chaos.

But Mianma didn't give him time to think.

Those three-tomoe Sharingan eyes stared directly at Mizuki, their voice as cold as the polar wind:
"you say--"

Mianma spoke slowly, each word like an icicle piercing Shuimu's ears:

Who is the fox demon?

The moment the last word fell, Mizuki felt his consciousness being dragged into a terrifying abyss.

Everything before my eyes was shattered and distorted, like a mirror!
Within the genjutsu created by the Sharingan and the Crimson Moon Scroll, Mizuki saw Naruto transform into a gigantic, fiery red nine-tailed fox, roaring deafeningly to the sky.

In front of Naruto, another, even larger, demon fox slowly rose to its feet.

It had a dark red body, with ten tails thrashing wildly behind it, each tail like a shadow tearing through the sky.

The ten-tailed fox's scarlet eyes were coldly looking down at him, like a god looking down at an ant.

tyrannical.

kill.

destroy.

Endless negative emotions crashed over Shuimu's spirit like a tsunami.

That was the aura of the Dark Nine-Tails from the "Limited Tsukuyomi World," and its inherent brutality and terror were far beyond what an ordinary Chunin like Mizuki could withstand.

“Ah…Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

In the real world, Shui Mu let out a shrill scream, and collapsed to the ground as if his bones had been removed.

His eyes were wide open, his pupils were dilated, saliva was uncontrollably drooling from the corners of his mouth, and his body was convulsing.

He suffered a complete mental breakdown.

From the moment Menma awakened his Sharingan to the moment Mizuki turned into a puddle of mud, the entire process took less than a second.

Naruto stared blankly at the scene before him, completely bewildered by what had happened.

All he knew was that Mr. Mizuki suddenly screamed and collapsed, while Mr. Menma just... glanced at him?
Menma glanced coldly at Mizuki, who lay on the ground like a rag doll. The Sharingan in his eyes slowly faded, returning to his normal black eyes. The suffocating aura around him also instantly subsided, and he returned to his usual appearance.

He walked over to Shui Mu, squatted down, and checked on the other person's condition.

He suffered severe mental trauma and a breakdown of consciousness. His brain's neural connections were also destroyed by illusion magic, making him undetectable even by the secret techniques of the mountain clan.

Even if Mizuki survives, he will suffer from permanent dementia.

fair enough.

For someone who tried to harm Naruto, this ending is too lenient for him.

Menma found several scrolls on Mizuki's body, containing classified information about Konoha, as well as codes and methods for contacting the Akatsuki organization.

He quickly glanced through it, memorized the important information, and then put the scroll away.

These might be useful later.

“Brother Menma…” Naruto walked over cautiously, his voice still trembling slightly, “Mitsuki-sensei…”

"He's alright, he just passed out." Menma stood up, dusted off his hands, and his tone returned to its usual gentleness: "The Anbu will find this place soon, and they'll handle it."

He looked at Naruto, his expression turning serious:

“Naruto, listen carefully. Tonight’s events were just you being deceived by Mizuki, thinking it was part of the graduation assessment. Do you understand? You don’t know what the Scroll of Seals is, nor do you know that Mizuki is a rogue ninja. You just… wanted to prove yourself too much, wanted recognition too much, so you fell for it.”

Naruto nodded blankly.

Menma continued to instruct, "When the Anbu arrives, just say that. Leave the rest to me."

“But…” Naruto lowered his head, his voice filled with pain and guilt: “Mitsuki-sensei said I’m a demon fox… said I killed many people… Menma-nii, were your parents also…”

Mianma remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, he reached out and gently placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

“Listen, Naruto.” Menma’s voice was soft but firm: “You are not the demon fox, you are Uzumaki Naruto, my best friend, and my…brother.”

Naruto looked up and stared blankly at Menma. Seeing the unwavering calm and trust in Menma's eyes, Naruto's eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up uncontrollably.

He nodded forcefully, choking back tears, but couldn't utter a single word.

"As for my parents..." Menma paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes: "They did die from the Nine-Tails' attack, but what truly killed them was neither the Nine-Tails nor you."

This is a half-true, half-false answer.

But Naruto doesn't know the truth yet.

All Naruto needs to know is that he is not the murderer, and he is not a monster.

He was just a child who was exploited and hurt.

In the distance came the sound of hurried footsteps and the sound of branches being broken.

Menma patted Naruto on the shoulder one last time, then turned around to prepare to greet the approaching Konoha ninja.

The footsteps are getting closer.

Whether by fate or not, the first ninja to rush into this forest clearing was Iruka.

When Iruka saw Naruto being found by Menma, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, his face covered in sweat. Then, he rushed forward in a rage and punched Naruto on the head.

"Naruto—!!!"

(End of this chapter)