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

Chapter 372: What will be different about the mission to the Land of Waves?

Rain Village, the tallest tower.

The incessant rain pounded against the metal pipes on the outer wall of the tower, producing a never-ending, dull pattering sound.

Inside the tower, in a windowless room, the light was dim, provided only by a few twisted oil lamps on the wall, casting long, swaying shadows of three people sitting in circular chairs onto the cold, damp wall.

In the central seat, Pain sat motionless. Beneath his short orange hair, his wavy purple eyes gleamed coldly in the dim light. His expressionless face exuded a chilling and solemn majesty.

On the left, Xiao Nan sat quietly, her hair adorned with light blue-purple paper flowers, her face serene and indifferent.

Holding a scroll in her hand, she reported in a steady tone: "...The invitation letter from Konoha for the joint Chunin Exams has been received. As planned, we will send two genin teams to participate, and the personnel have been initially selected. This is a good opportunity to gather information on Konoha's current defense deployment, the strength of the new generation of ninjas, and the new generation of ninjas from other major countries, especially the Land of Stars."

Her voice echoed in the empty room, mingling with the sound of rain outside the window.

On the right, Obito Uchiha, wearing an orange tiger-striped swirling one-eyed mask and a black robe, and known as 'Madara', leaned back in his chair with a languid posture.

He let out a low, ambiguous laugh, his voice sounding somewhat muffled and distorted through his mask: "The Chunin Exams... they gather the future of so many villages. Maybe we'll even encounter Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. It's something to look forward to."

Konan glanced at him, but didn't respond to that, and continued to say to Pain, "According to the information provided by Zetsu, the Land of Stars has confirmed that it will send a team to participate, and the One-Tailed Jinchuriki is in that team. This may be our chance to obtain the One-Tailed."

However, neither she, Pain, nor even Obito knew that Zetsu, who was in charge of intelligence gathering, had already made a secret deal with "Shura" of the Land of Stars.

The intelligence that Jue relayed back was filtered and even distorted.

The Akatsuki organization was destined not to be able to truly capture the One-Tailed Beast in this operation, but could only obtain a portion of the Tailed Beast's chakra, as Shura had planned, in order to advance the Akatsuki's 'Eye of the Moon' plan.

Pain's voice remained as cold as ever: "Have Sasori and Hidan set off ahead of time, ambushing them on their possible return routes from the Land of Fire and the Land of Stars. Konoha will be heavily guarded during the exams, so it's not advisable to make a move. Once they leave Konoha's territory, intercept them on their return journey. Prioritize seizing the One-Tailed Chakra; if possible, capture the Jinchuriki. If that's not feasible, focus on gathering intelligence and testing the Land of Stars' defenses."

"Sasori and Hidan... they'd be quite suited for this kind of ambush work." Obito tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, making a soft tapping sound. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he asked, "By the way, I haven't seen Zabuza and Midori Aoi lately?"

Konan calmly replied, "They recently accepted a long-term escort mission from a wealthy merchant in the Land of Water, with a very generous reward. They are responsible for protecting the safety of Matsuo's fleet on the route between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire. They will not be returning to the fleet in the short term."

"Matsuo Fleet?"

Obito seemed to vaguely recognize this fleet. It was quite large, and supposedly had a complicated background, with connections to several powerful nobles and even daimyo from the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.

However, since it was a mission to earn money, he didn't delve any deeper into it. After all, when Akatsuki members weren't acting as a group, most of their missions were to make money for the organization.

Obito's attention returned to the upcoming Chunin Exams.

"Konoha is making such a big fuss this time, with the five great nations... and even those smaller ninja villages sending people. It's a mixed bag, and I'm sure a lot of 'interesting' things will happen. I'm quite interested and want to go and see this 'show' for myself."

A glint of something unfathomable flashed in his single eye, suggesting that his intentions went beyond simply going to watch the spectacle.

Payne did not object, but said indifferently, "Suit yourself. But be careful not to interfere with Sasori and Hidan's actions, and do not reveal our plans too early."

"Hmph, don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Obito chuckled, his body gradually becoming blurry and distorted, until he was sucked into the vortex-like spatial fluctuations generated by the holes in the mask and disappeared.

Only Payne and Minami remained in the room.

Konan put away the scroll, looked at Pain's eternally cold face, and whispered, "Nagato, 'Madara' seems to be..."

“Don’t worry about it.” Payne’s voice remained cold: “He has his plans, and we have ours.”

The rain outside the window fell even harder, as if playing the prelude to the impending chaos.

The corridor outside the Hokage's office in Konoha Village.

After seeing off the demon who brought invisible pressure, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, did not feel any relief. On the contrary, he felt that the burden on his shoulders was even heavier.

With the Chunin Exams approaching, this is not only a platform to showcase the strength of Konoha's new generation and consolidate the status of a major ninja village, but also a dangerous stage full of variables and where various forces are secretly vying for power.

His tasks were piling up: approving the participant lists submitted by each ninja village, coordinating the reception and security for delegations from various countries, deploying ANBU to strengthen vigilance, and handling the surge in daily mission requests due to the approaching exams...

The man, who was over sixty years old, felt as if he had returned to the wartime period, handling various matters non-stop.

After working for a while, he temporarily left his desk piled with documents and went to the task release hall.

All sorts of ninjas and employers come and go, handing over missions and reporting on situations, creating a bustling atmosphere with the unique vitality of Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi would occasionally come here in person to oversee things, partly to handle high-level missions that required the Hokage's decision, and partly to get a closer look at the village's grassroots situation and feel the vitality contained within this bustling place.

He had just sat down in the specially set-up "Hokage Seat" and hadn't even lit his pipe when he saw several familiar figures walking down the corridor.

Leading the way was Kakashi, with one hand in his pocket and the other holding his ever-present copy of "Icha Icha Paradise," his silver hair obscuring one eye.

He always looks lazy and sleepy.

Following behind him were three boys and girls of similar age.

Naruto walked ahead casually, seemingly muttering something to himself.

Menma walked half a step behind him, her steps steady, a stark contrast to the restless Naruto beside her.

Hinata followed closely behind Menma, her fair face flushed slightly. She would occasionally glance at Menma beside her before immediately lowering her head, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes.

"Oh? You've come at the right time." Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe, a kind smile on his face. He pulled out a scroll marked with the letter "D" from the pile of mission scrolls on the table and weighed it in his hand.

"There's an urgent mission here. Mrs. Shijimi's beloved cat, 'Tiger,' has gone missing again, this time in the woods downstream of the Naka River. It's in your hands now..."

"Three generations of grandfathers!!!"

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a deafening roar filled with grief and indignation.

Naruto dashed to the VIP seat, slamming his hands on the table. Leaning forward, almost pressing his face against Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe, veins bulging on his forehead, he roared, "Why is it always the same old cat-finding, dog-catching, river-cleaning, sweet potato-harvesting missions?! We've been doing this for a month straight! Sixty D-rank missions! We're ninjas! We're ninjas who've been through life and death! I want to do higher-level, more intense missions that truly showcase a ninja's value! Stop treating me like a cat-catching expert!"

His loud voice drew the attention of many other ninjas in the hall, who chuckled good-naturedly, as many of them had started as genin.

Kakashi helplessly covered his face with a book, seemingly trying to pretend he didn't know this loud and boisterous student.

Mianma's lips twitched slightly, clearly showing his frustration with the endless D-level missions.

Hinata was startled by Naruto's sudden loud voice, shrinking behind Menma like a frightened rabbit before whispering, "Um... Tora... this seems to be the fifth time he's gone missing this month..."

Menma followed Hinata's gaze and, sure enough, saw Lady Shijimi, the daimyo's wife from the Land of Fire, in the rest area next to the hall. She was plump, dressed in a gorgeous kimono, and was sobbing with a handkerchief in her hand.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he felt a deep impression of Ah Hu, the cat. It was a brown-skinned male cat with a 'king' character pattern on its forehead and a red bow on its left ear.

Ah Hu escapes on average every three days, and each time he is found by a different team, then continues to endure the "heavy" caresses of the Lady, making him arguably the number one "victim" in the Konoha mission system.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's ears were ringing from Naruto's loud voice. He helplessly picked at his ears, preparing to use his usual rhetoric of "no mission is too small, they are all for the benefit of the village" and "accumulate experience and temper your character" to educate this impetuous kid.

Before he could speak, Menma stepped forward, gently pulling Naruto, who was still spitting, back a little. Then, he bowed slightly to Hiruzen Sarutobi and said calmly but clearly, "Third Hokage, although Naruto is impatient, his words are not entirely without reason. In the past month, our Team 7 has completed a total of sixty D-rank missions, ranking among the top in attendance and completion rates among genin teams of the same period. In the process of carrying out these missions, we have not been without gains."

He paused, looked at Naruto, and continued, "When Naruto was searching for his lost pet, he learned and mastered the technique of chakra tree climbing in order to climb tall trees to track it. When clearing the silt and garbage from the irrigation canal, he spent a day learning to tread water in order to move on the riverbed. These are all valuable experiences."

"Furthermore, under Kakashi-sensei's guidance, we have gained a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of teamwork, task processes, and intelligence gathering and analysis."

Menma's gaze swept over Kakashi before finally settling on Hiruzen Sarutobi. His tone was sincere and firm: "We believe that Team 7 has the initial conditions to attempt more difficult missions."

Mianma's words were clear, logical, and well-founded. They affirmed the value of the D-level mission, emphasized the gains, and subtly expressed the desire to be promoted to a higher mission level.

Kakashi, who had intended to continue slacking off and watching the excitement, had to put down "Icha Icha Paradise," scratched his silver hair, sighed, and nodded to the Third Hokage: "Well... although Naruto is still far from good enough, Menma has a point. They've repeated the basics enough; it's time to let them see the world outside the village. I'll keep an eye on them, don't worry."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the four distinct personalities of the team that had formed a cohesive unit: Menma, confident and composed with a hint of leadership; Naruto, impulsive yet full of energy; Hinata, shy yet with a determined gaze; and Kakashi, a Jonin who, though seemingly lazy, possessed undeniable strength.

The wrinkles on his face smoothed out a little, revealing a smile with a hint of relief.

"Heh... It seems you've really grown up and can express your thoughts clearly now." Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped insisting. He put the D-rank quest scroll for finding the cat back in its place and started rummaging through the pile of scrolls. Soon, he pulled out a few scrolls marked with the letter "C," examined them carefully, and then pulled out one of them.

"Since that's the case, let you give it a try." He patted the scroll in his hand.

"This is a standard Class C escort mission, escorting an important person safely back to their home country and ensuring their basic safety during their stay at their destination."

"Escorting an important person?" Naruto instantly forgot his frustration about finding the cat, his eyes widening with excitement as he eagerly asked, "Who is it? Is it a princess? A daimyo? Or a merchant carrying a secret treasure? What if some bad ninja come to rob us? We have to fight our way to protect him, right?"

Seeing Naruto's eager expression, as if he could already see himself fighting the evil ninja and rescuing the damsel in distress, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but laugh.

Mianma sighed helplessly, speechless at this guy who overthinks things.

Hinata covered her mouth and chuckled softly, while Kakashi murmured, "I really envy that idiot who always has inexhaustible energy."

"Don't be in such a hurry, I'll introduce the client to you right away," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile, gesturing to a Chunin staff member next to him to fetch the person. A moment later, the door to the adjacent lounge was pushed open, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted out first.

Immediately afterwards, a middle-aged man wearing a sloppy short-sleeved shirt, with messy hair, a full beard, and carrying a half-empty wine bottle, leaned unsteadily against the door frame.

He squinted his drunken eyes, scanning the four-person team before him. Especially when he saw Naruto's short stature and childish face, he let out a loud burp and slurred, "What the hell... Is Konoha short of people? Sending these little brats to protect me? Hey, you white-haired one, you look somewhat presentable, but the other three... especially that short, blond-haired idiot, he looks like a complete moron. Can he really handle this? I paid for it!"

The staff member next to him looked embarrassed and explained in a low voice, "Mr. Tazuna, these are outstanding ninjas from Konoha, especially this Jonin Hatake Kakashi, who is a well-known elite in the village..."

"Huh? Excellent? Elite?" Tazuna took another swig of his drink, pointing drunkenly at Naruto: "Him? He's not even as tall as my thigh, is he? Hey, shorty, are you weaned yet?"

Naruto initially grinned foolishly, looking around and asking, "Shorty? Who are you talking about?"

When he realized that Menma and Hinata had somehow tacitly stood on either side of him, and Kakashi had silently taken a half step back, he looked around, then looked up at Menma and Hinata, who was only slightly taller than him, and then at himself, before he suddenly realized what was happening.

"Aaaaaah! Who are you calling a shorty! You stinky, drunken old man! I'm going to kill you!!!" Naruto instantly bristled, baring his teeth and claws as he lunged forward, but Kakashi reacted quickly, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up like a kitten.

"Hey, Naruto, calm down." Kakashi looked at him with dead fish eyes.

"This is the person who commissioned our mission. If we kill him, the mission will fail, we'll have to pay compensation, and we might even get locked up in solitary confinement."

"Damn it! Let me go! I'm going to show him what Konoha ninjas are all about!" Naruto waved his arms and legs in mid-air, his face flushed with anger.

Tazuna seemed quite pleased with himself for successfully provoking the brat. He chuckled, took another sip of his drink, and then swayed forward, speaking in a heavily intoxicated tone: "Listen up, brats. My name is Tazuna, the renowned bridge-building master of the Land of Waves! Your task is to escort me safely back to the Land of Waves, and then protect me during the bridge's construction, until it's successfully completed! Understand?"

"The Land of Waves? Building a bridge?" Naruto stopped struggling for a moment, a puzzled expression on his face.

But he was immediately infuriated by Tazuna's arrogant drunken demeanor and yelled, "Who wants to protect you, you foul-mouthed old man! Kakashi-sensei, let's change the mission!"

Menma ignored Naruto and Tazuna's commotion. When he heard the keywords "Land of Waves" and "bridge building," a thought flickered in his mind.

The country of waves?
A bridge-building master?

In his memory, this seemed to be the first C-rank mission that Team 7 received in the original storyline, and also the starting point where they truly faced a life-or-death test and encountered the formidable enemy Zabuza Momochi.

However, the world has already been completely changed because of his appearance.

Kado, that greedy merchant, had long been subdued by his absolute power and was now diligently working for the Star Kingdom's maritime and trade endeavors. He shouldn't have the guts or the need to blockade a small country's maritime trade or persecute an old bridge-building craftsman.

Moreover, Haku had already been taken to the Land of Stars by him, while Zabuza had been relatively quiet in recent years.

Will Tazna's bridge-building task encounter the same obstacles as in the original story?

Will Zabuza still be the obstacle?

Menma had several thoughts running through his mind, but regardless of whether there were enemies or not, this mission was a good opportunity for Naruto and Hinata.

Let's just treat it as taking this silly younger brother on a picnic.

The repetitive D-level missions over the past month have indeed been quite annoying.

"Alright, Naruto, stop fooling around." Kakashi put the struggling Naruto down and said to Tazuna, "Mr. Tazuna, please rest assured, since Konoha has accepted your request, we will definitely ensure your safety. I am Jonin Hatake Kakashi, and these three are my subordinates: Uzumaki Naruto, Menma, and Hyuga Hinata. Please take good care of me during the mission, and please cooperate with our arrangements as much as possible."

Tazna snorted, barely acknowledging it, then took another swig of his drink and muttered, "I hope so... but don't let this old man of mine get stranded halfway there."

The task was accepted.

After each member of Class 7 went home and packed their belongings, they met at the main gate of Konoha at the agreed time.

Naruto was leaving the village for the first time under the guise of a mission. He was as excited as a child on his first school trip, jumping around at the village gate and asking Kakashi questions like "When are we leaving?", "Will we encounter bandits on the way?", and "Are there ninjas in the Land of Waves?". He also kept up a banter with Tazuna, who was still being sarcastic.

Kakashi, leaning against the goalpost, continued to be engrossed in his "Icha Icha Paradise," as if everything around him was irrelevant.

Hinata, carrying a small backpack, stood quietly beside Menma, occasionally stealing a glance at him, her face flushed with a hint of anticipation and nervousness for the unknown journey ahead.

Menma checked his ninja tool bag, then calmly looked out at the lush forest outside the village and the road stretching into the distance.

Just as this seemingly ordinary C-rank mission team was about to set off, not far from the gates of Konoha, in the shadows of the dense forest canopy, another team was silently gathering and lying in ambush.

With her long purple hair and delicate features, Uzuki Yugao crouched silently on a thick horizontal branch.

Her gaze swept quickly over Team 7, who were gathering not far away, and their client, Tazuna. At the same time, she spoke in a very low voice into her miniature wireless earpiece: "Target confirmed, Team 7, led by Jonin Kakashi Hatake, client: Tazuna, bridge builder from the Land of Waves, mission type: C-rank escort mission."

"Our mission: to follow them in secret, ensure the absolute safety of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and eliminate all potential threats."

"Repeat: The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki cannot be lost. Report any unusual situations immediately after leaving the village."

"Understood." A calm, even male voice immediately came through the earpiece, coming from Sai, who was in the shadow of another tree trunk not far away.

Xi Yan waited a few seconds but didn't hear a third response.

She frowned slightly, her gaze falling on another lush tree not far away. In the dense shadows, the third member of the team, Uchiha Sasuke, lurked.

"Sasuke?" Yugao called out again, her voice carrying a hint of inquiry.

In the shadows, Uchiha Sasuke leaned against a rough tree trunk, his body tense, but his breathing was extremely shallow.

His gaze wasn't fully focused on Naruto's team below; it was somewhat unfocused, his brows furrowed, as if he were daydreaming.

It was Xiyan's second call that pulled him back from his chaotic thoughts.

"Yes! I guarantee I will complete the mission!" Sasuke quickly replied in a low voice, but the slight hesitation and tension in his voice did not escape Yugao's keen hearing.

"You seem a bit off lately, Sasuke," Yugao's voice came through the earpiece.

"You must be highly focused when performing this task. Is it due to mental stress from a previous task, or is there something else? Report your status."

Anbu ninjas often carry out high-risk missions, witnessing or even personally causing various tragedies, resulting in immense mental stress, and it is not uncommon for them to develop psychological problems.

As the team leader, Xiyan has a responsibility to pay attention to the mental state of her teammates.

Sasuke took a deep breath, forcing himself to temporarily suppress the lingering image in his mind.

The one-armed wandering entertainer who called himself "Zuoyun," his brief encounter with Shura, that fleeting glimpse, the chilling Sharingan...

Who exactly is this "Zuo Yun"?

"It's alright, Captain." Sasuke composed himself and tried to keep his voice calm. "I'm just a little... bothered by what happened in the village a few days ago. I'll get over it; it won't affect the mission."

"...Yes, stay alert, the target is about to depart." Xi Yan didn't ask any further questions, but she had already made a note of it.

Below, at the gate of Konoha.

Naruto finally finished arguing with Tazuna, or rather, he was so angry at Tazuna's sharp tongue that he jumped up and down, only to be held down by Kakashi.

"Alright! Let's go! Towards the Land of Waves!" Naruto shouted spiritedly, pointing to the main road outside the village.

It was as if they weren't going on a regular C-level escort mission, but rather embarking on a grand expedition.

Kakashi closed "Icha Icha Paradise," casually stuffed it into his ninja tool pouch, and lazily said, "I'm off."

Tazner walked in the middle, hiccuping and his steps were a little unsteady.

"Let's go, Hinata," Menma said softly, patting Hinata's shoulder, who was still a little nervous.

"Hmm..." Hinata's face flushed slightly, and she nodded gently, following Menma's steps.

The group of people stepped out of the gates of Konoha and set off along the main road.

In the forest, Uzuki Yugao made a gesture, and three ANBU followed silently like wisps of smoke, using the trees as cover, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far, like shadows, guarding and monitoring her.

No one noticed that high in the sky, a tiny white figure was silently suspended in the air.

The angle of the sunlight perfectly concealed his figure.

Dressed in white, with a red fishing rod resting on his shoulder, he looked down with a playful yet greedy smile at the blond-haired boy at the entrance of Konoha Village.

"Found you, Naruto Uzumaki..."

(End of this chapter)