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

Chapter 380 Naruto Wants to Get Stronger!

Half an hour later, in the Tazuna family's somewhat simple Japanese-style room.

Jiraiya carefully placed the hemp quilt on the futon laid out on the tatami mat, and a heavy atmosphere filled the room.

His eyes were closed, his face was pale, and his black hair was wet with sweat. Even in his unconscious state, his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were experiencing some terrible nightmare.

Naruto knelt beside the cloth box, his hands on his knees, but clenched into fists.

His eyes were fixed on the pale, numb face, filled with worry, self-blame, and a lingering fear.

Brother Mianma was his best friend, always guiding him in his spiritual practice with a gentle smile, but today he almost stood right in front of him...

The shock of that golden figure overlapped with the image of the fragile, unconscious man before him, leaving him in a state of utter confusion.

'If I were stronger, I wouldn't have gotten caught on that fishhook...maybe Brother Mianma wouldn't have...'

Hinata knelt quietly on the other side, her head slightly lowered, her expression unreadable, only her small hands tightly clenched in her numb and cold left hand, trembling slightly.

Suppressed, soft sobs could be heard. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and large tears rolled down, wetting her numb hands and the sheets beneath her.

She had never hated her own powerlessness and cowardice so much. When she saw the unconscious Menma being carried back, her heart almost stopped beating.

Kakashi squatted down beside the blanket and carefully checked Menma's pulse and breathing. After confirming that it was just a deep coma caused by excessive chakra consumption and that there were no obvious fatal injuries, he gently pulled the blanket over him and carefully covered him up.

He raised his head, his exposed right eye looking at Jiraiya, his voice serious: "Lord Jiraiya, could you please tell me in detail what just happened?"

Kakashi's gaze then swept over the three ANBU members wearing animal masks outside the door.

As the former captain of the Anbu, he naturally recognized them at a glance. They were the trio of Uzuki Yugao, young Sasuke, and Sai, who were responsible for secretly protecting Naruto.

Finally, his gaze fell on the young Sasuke and Boruto, scrutinizing them.

The earth-shattering explosion and terrifying chakra fluctuations just now almost alarmed the entire Land of Waves.

Kakashi arrived at the scene immediately and found only a messy forest, a distraught Naruto holding Menma, and Jiraiya and his group with various expressions.

Without asking any further questions, he quickly escorted everyone back to the relatively safe Tazna home.

Jiraiya sat cross-legged in a corner of the room, unusually devoid of his usual cynicism, his rugged face filled with solemnity.

He paused for a moment, then slowly spoke: "A... very troublesome enemy. He is very strong and has strange abilities. His target is very clear... the Nine-Tails' chakra within Naruto."

"Nine-Tails chakra?" Kakashi's right pupil contracted slightly as he looked at the silent Naruto beside him.

Although he had suspected it before, Jiraiya's confirmation still made his heart sink.

Has an enemy that even Jiraiya found troublesome set its sights on Naruto?

In the hallway outside the room, Sasuke, a boy wearing a white cat mask, leaned against the window frame opposite the door, silently observing everything inside.

Seeing Naruto's distraught and grief-stricken state, and the crowd surrounding Masah with concern, a complex and indescribable emotion welled up within him.

As an orphan himself, and having also lost someone important to him, he understood Naruto's feelings at this moment better than anyone else.

The excruciating pain and self-blame of watching a loved one get hurt while being powerless to help.

Beneath the mask, his lips were pressed into a straight line.

Kakashi withdrew his gaze and looked at Jiraiya, calmly analyzing, "So, should we immediately request support from Konoha? Or, should we end this mission early and escort Naruto back to the village?"

Before Jiraiya could answer, the young Sasuke, who had been silent all along, spoke up in a deep voice: "Not for now. That enemy is badly injured and shouldn't show himself again anytime soon. Besides..."

He paused.

"Even if Naruto is sent back to Konoha, given the spatial abilities he has demonstrated, the village's protective barrier will not be an obstacle for him."

Kakashi frowned slightly.

This unfamiliar young man, who called himself "Zuoyun," seemed to have an unusually deep understanding of Konoha's defense system.

His gaze lingered for a moment on the young Sasuke's one arm and that calm, somewhat familiar face, deepening his doubts.

But since the other party was brought by Jiraiya and saved Naruto, they are clearly not an enemy...

Kakashi looked up at the window. It was completely dark outside, and the sea breeze, carrying a salty smell, blew into the room.

He stood up, patted his knees, and broke the heavy atmosphere in the room: "In any case, everyone should go and rest first. Menma also needs a quiet environment."

Jiraiya walked up to Naruto, extended his broad hand, and patted Naruto's shoulder heavily, trying to transfer some strength to him: "Kid, don't worry too much. This kid just overdid his chakra. He'll be fine after a good night's sleep and some rest."

Naruto raised his tear-filled face and looked up at Jiraiya, his voice choked with sobs: "R-really? Uncle... Menma-nii-san, he'll really be alright?"

"Of course!" Jiraiya patted his chest, trying to make his smile look more reliable.

Kakashi also came over and gently patted Naruto's head, saying in a rare gentle tone, "Jiraiya-sama is right. Menma needs quiet rest. Hinata, don't be too sad, go and get some sleep."

Naruto glanced at the unconscious Menma, then at Kakashi and Jiraiya, and finally slowly loosened his clenched fists. He nodded, and at Kakashi's prompting, reluctantly stood up, preparing to leave the room.

Hinata released Menma's hand, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and silently stood up.

Jiraiya gestured for young Sasuke and Boruto to follow, and the group walked out of the room together.

The three young Sasukes had already quietly left to continue their covert protection mission.

The atmosphere in the corridor remained somewhat somber.

Boruto put his hands behind his head, looked at Naruto in front of him who was still preoccupied with his head down, and then glanced at Sasuke, a young man with a serious expression, beside him. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

at this time.

boom! ! !
A dull, loud bang suddenly exploded in the quiet corridor!

Everyone turned around in shock, only to see Hinata, who was walking at the back, had stopped at some point. She lowered her head and slammed her small, white fist hard against the wooden wall on one side of the corridor!
The hard wooden board was as fragile as paper; she smashed a hole the size of a bowl into it, sending wood chips flying everywhere!

Everyone was stunned by this sudden act of violence.

Even the usually calm Kakashi and Jiraiya showed a hint of surprise in their eyes.

Hinata slowly raised her head.

Her usually shy and downcast eyelids were now raised, and her pure white eyes no longer held the gentleness and timidity of the past, but were replaced by a fierce and angry intensity that was almost violent!

Her small nostrils twitched slightly, and she bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled.

Hinata whirled around, her gaze piercing Jiraiya and young Sasuke like icicles. Her voice, though still carrying the clear, youthful tone, was chillingly cold: "Who... beat Menma... like this?! Tell me!!"

The menacing question, coupled with the terrifying aura emanating from her petite frame, and the hole in the wall still splintering wood, sent a shiver down Boruto's spine. Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead, and he trembled as he took a half-step back.

At the same time, I was internally screaming: This isn't my mom at all!!!

Kakashi scratched his silver hair, looking at Hinata, who was clearly in "another personality" mode, and sighed helplessly. He tried to explain in a reassuring tone, "Hinata, calm down. Menma isn't injured. He's just overused his chakra and needs time to rest and recover. The enemy has been driven away."

Hinata stared at Kakashi with her Byakugan for a few seconds before the fierce light in her eyes slowly faded, but the coldness and determination remained.

She took a deep breath, turned around, and stopped looking at everyone. Her voice remained firm: "I'll take care of Mianma."

After saying that, without waiting for Kakashi's response, she turned around and went back into Menma's room, gently closing the door and shutting everyone out.

Kakashi looked at the closed door, then at the conspicuous hole in the wall, and at Boruto beside him who looked terrified. He could only sigh helplessly once again.

He had intended to have Naruto stay behind to help look after the place or keep watch, but when he turned to look at Naruto, he found the blond boy standing alone by the window in the corridor, head down, staring blankly at his outstretched hands, as if those hands were stained with some indelible filth. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a lonely shadow on him.

Clearly, he was still deeply troubled by his own weakness and self-blame.

Kakashi swallowed back the words he was about to say, and simply patted Naruto's shoulder silently, then gestured for Jiraiya and the others to go and rest.

In a guest room that had been barely tidied up, simple bedding was laid on the floor.

Jiraiya yawned widely and was about to crawl into bed when Sasuke, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "That kid named Menma... in Konoha's records, is he really just an ordinary orphan?"

Jiraiya, who was about to lie down, paused, turned his head, and looked at the blurry profile of the young Sasuke in the dim light: "Hmm? Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Young Sasuke did not answer. He simply lay flat on his back, staring at the old ceiling. The Rinnegan under his bangs seemed to have lost focus in the darkness.

In his mind, the image of Menma transforming into golden light and shadow, with dragon horns growing from his forehead, a third golden eye on his forehead, and the final attack that was even more terrifying than Shinra Tensei, left a deep impression on him.

Even though he had fought against many members of the Otsutsuki clan, young Sasuke had only ever seen such terrifying pressure from Kaguya Otsutsuki in her prime.

If the mysterious "Shura" is the spacetime anomaly indicated by "Plow," then this masked creature, which also displays power beyond common sense, is undoubtedly one of the anomalies as well.

The posture he displayed was not the complete Otsutsuki form, but rather a state that was stimulated by external forces or "temporarily occupied" by some entity.

Could it be another unknown Otsutsuki?
But if he is an Otsutsuki, why would he kill his own clansman, Urashiki?
If not, then where does that terrifying power within him come from?
Is it related to "wedge"?

Too many questions, too many contradictions.

At this time, young Sasuke still knew far too little about the so-called "Otsutsuki" clan.

He slowly closed his eyes and whispered, "It's nothing."

Jiraiya gave him a deep look, but didn't press him further. He just muttered, "Young people these days are so calculating," then turned over and lay down, soon snoring softly.

Boruto lay beside him, staring at his right palm raised in the darkness, seemingly still feeling the eerie burning sensation from the previous night, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the sea surface began to turn a pale white.

Jiraiya was awakened by the urge to urinate. He groggily got up, put on his wooden clogs, and shuffled towards the toilet at the end of the corridor.

After relieving himself, he rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked out of the bathroom, intending to go back to sleep for a while. But out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a small figure sitting on the edge of the eaves outside the window on the other side of the corridor.

It's Naruto.

The little guy hugged his knees, curled up on the eaves, facing the sea. His golden hair fluttered gently in the cool morning breeze, and his back looked particularly lonely and desolate.

Jiraiya's sleepiness dissipated considerably.

He walked over quietly, nimbly flipped out of the window, stepped on the roof tiles with a soft sound, and sat down next to Naruto.

"Whoa!" Naruto was startled by the sudden appearance of the person. He turned his head sharply and saw that it was Jiraiya. He breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest.

"What? It's you, Uncle... You scared me."

"Haha, kid, you're up pretty early." Jiraiya laughed heartily, stretched, and took a deep breath of the slightly salty morning air.

"What's wrong? Can't sleep? Are you worried about that kid Mianma? Don't worry, I just secretly checked on him, his breathing is much more stable, he'll probably wake up in another half day."

Naruto nodded, then shook his head, his gaze returning to the distant gray-blue sea. He said softly, "Um... thank you, Uncle."

"By the way, sir... are you also a Konoha ninja? But why don't I see you wearing a Konoha headband?"

He remembered that last night, Kakashi-sensei called this somewhat slovenly-looking middle-aged man "Lord Jiraiya".

Jiraiya touched the 'oil' character headband on his forehead and grinned: "Of course! A genuine Konoha ninja! However, my identity is rather special, and I often carry out some... well, rather special missions outside, so it's not convenient for me to wear my headband around all the time."

"Oh..." Naruto nodded as if he understood, recalling Kakashi's respectful attitude towards him, and figured he must be a very powerful senior.

He didn't ask any further questions, but fell silent again, his little face still shrouded in gloom.

Jiraiya looked at the blond boy who was usually as energetic as a little sun but was now listless, and he understood that yesterday's attack by a powerful enemy and Menma's sudden burst of power had brought a great shock to this twelve-year-old boy.

Especially the feeling of powerlessness when facing absolute power.

He rubbed his chin, then nudged Naruto with his elbow and said in a deliberately casual tone, "Hey kid, you look so listless... Do you feel like you were useless yesterday, almost dragging your friends down and not being able to protect anyone?"

Naruto stiffened, pursed his lips, and did not deny it.

Seeing this, Jiraiya's eyes flashed with understanding. He put his hands behind his head, leaned against the roof tiles, looked up at the gradually brightening sky, and said in a seemingly casual tone, "Since you think it's useless, then get stronger. So, kid, do you want to... train with me and become stronger?"

"Huh?!" Naruto turned his head sharply, his eyes widening instantly, a faint flame igniting within them.

"Get...get stronger? Uncle...can you teach me to get stronger?!" His voice rose slightly with excitement.

"Of course!" Jiraiya sat up straight, puffed out his chest, and struck a pose like a hermit, pointing his thumb at himself.

"Listen up! Standing before you is Jiraiya, the toad sage of Mount Myōboku! He's more than capable of teaching a brat like you!"

"The Toad Sage?" Naruto blinked and muttered to himself, "Never heard of him... Is he that powerful?"

"Pfft—" Jiraiya almost choked on his own saliva. The pose he had just struck instantly collapsed. He scratched his head awkwardly and muttered something to himself.

"No way... My name is no longer known in Konoha? These young people nowadays really don't know how to respect their elders..."

But he quickly rallied, tossed his long white hair, and tried to appear more reliable: "Ahem! In short, all you need to know is that I'm very strong, strong enough to be your master! How about it, want to learn a few moves from me?"

Naruto's eyes lit up for a moment, but then a look of doubt appeared on his face.

He looked Jiraiya up and down, noticing his somewhat unkempt appearance and his unreliable expression. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but ask, "So... Uncle, who's stronger, you or the Hokage?"

In his simple worldview, the Hokage is the strongest and greatest ninja, and he is the goal and benchmark he strives for.

If someone dares to claim they are stronger than the Hokage, they are definitely bragging.

"The Hokage?" Jiraiya was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter as if he had heard something funny. His laughter carried far across the shore in the early morning.

"Hahaha! You mean the Third Hokage? He was indeed very powerful, but..." He stopped laughing, looked at Naruto, and said seriously with a hint of reminiscence and pride in his eyes, "He was my teacher!"

"Eh—?!!" Naruto was genuinely shocked this time, his mouth agape in an "O" shape and his eyes wide open.

"Uncle, you're... a disciple of the third-generation grandfather?! Really?!"

"Absolutely genuine!" Jiraiya patted his chest confidently. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Kakashi."

At that moment, all the doubts and gloom in Naruto's eyes were instantly replaced by the flames that ignited!
The disciple of the Third Hokage!
How amazing that is!

He immediately jumped up from the roof, excitedly grabbed Jiraiya's sleeve, and shouted with shining eyes, "I want to learn! I want to learn! Uncle! Please teach me to become stronger! I want to become very, very strong, strong enough to protect Menma-nii, protect everyone, and never let anyone get hurt again!"

Seeing Naruto's renewed energy, Jiraiya smiled with satisfaction. He ruffled Naruto's blond hair, finding it surprisingly pleasant to the touch: "Good! Very ambitious!"

"However, cultivation isn't something you can just talk about; it'll be very hard! And before that..."

His stomach rumbled at just the right moment, and Jiraiya blushed slightly, chuckling, "We need to fill our stomachs first! Come on, kid, let's see what we can eat. We'll need to eat our fill to have the energy for our special training!"

"Yes!" Naruto nodded emphatically, a bright smile returning to his face.

Although Brother Mianma is still unconscious and the enemy has not yet retreated, at least he has found a direction and hope to become stronger.

He must seize this opportunity and never again be like yesterday, helplessly watching someone important get hurt while trying to protect him!

(End of this chapter)