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

Chapter 383 Visitors from the Star Kingdom

The air outside Tazuna's house was thick with the smell of blood and the lingering chakra fluctuations from the battle.

Young Sasuke stood up, his brows furrowed slightly. Based on his understanding of the Akatsuki organization, its members usually acted in pairs, but now he only saw Green Aoi alone. Where was the other one?

"Boruto, you stay here," the young Sasuke said, turning to Boruto.

"Huh?" Boruto paused for a moment, then pointed to the pitiful Green Aoi on the ground: "What... should we do with them?"

He was still a teenager after all, and he clearly lacked experience in dealing with situations that required "cleaning up" the mess.

"Someone will handle it." The young Sasuke said succinctly, his gaze seemingly glancing unintentionally at the shadowy corner of a house not far away.

With the Hidden Leaf Village's Anbu present, the cleanup of the scene and the guarding of the prisoners were naturally not something these two "unknown" individuals needed to worry about.

As soon as he finished speaking, young Sasuke disappeared from the spot and headed towards the bridge.

According to memory, the mission to the Land of Waves was originally supposed to be undertaken by Zabuza Momochi, a rogue ninja from Kirigakure, and his follower Haku.

And I do recall someone attacking the Tazna family.

Now that Midori Aoi has appeared at Tazuna's house in Akatsuki robes, if his partner, or rather, the other executor of this attack, is still Zabuza, then the target is naturally Tazuna, who is leading the villagers to build a bridge!
Boruto watched as his master vanished in an instant, opened his mouth, glanced at the unconscious Green Aoi on the ground, and finally swallowed his question.

He had an almost blind trust in his master's judgment.

Sure enough, shortly after young Sasuke left, three dark figures landed beside Green Aoi.

It was the ANBU squad of young Sasuke, Sai, and Yugao.

Yugao deftly checked Green Aoi's condition, confirming that he was seriously injured but not dead. She then took out specially made ropes and medicine from her ninja tool bag and began to restrain him and perform simple hemostasis to prevent him from bleeding to death.

After all, a living person is always more valuable than a corpse.

Young Sasuke and Sai worked together to deal with the bodies of the two wandering samurai, using ninja tools such as sealing scrolls to quickly and quietly clean up the scene and erase most of the traces of the battle.

Boruto glanced at it a few times before turning around and going back inside.

Inside the house, Jinbo, whose shock had subsided, was tightly holding her son, Irene, and sobbing softly, both from lingering fear and relief at her son's safe return.

Although Yi's face was still a little pale, his eyes showed not only fear but also stubbornness and hatred. He clenched his little fists tightly, and his body was still trembling slightly.

Menma, supported by Hinata, sat down to the side and gently comforted the mother and son: "It's alright. Aunt Tsunami and Isamu, the bad guys have been taken care of by Hinata. Don't be afraid, we're here."

His voice calmed Jinbo down a little.

Boruto walked to the table, poured himself a glass of water, and was about to say something to ease the atmosphere when suddenly a series of noisy footsteps and commotion came from the doorway.

boom!
The door to the Tazuna house was pushed open again!

A dozen or so villagers from the Land of Waves were gathered at the entrance, men, women, and children, their faces showing surprise, fear, anger, and a hint of curiosity.

At the front of the crowd, a young man who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, with tanned skin, sharp eyes, and dressed in coarse cloth clothes, was forcefully shoving a middle-aged villager who was slumped on the ground, trembling.

It was the same guy who led the way for Green Sunflower and the two samurai before, and then ran away!
The young man was quite strong; he slammed the middle-aged villager to the ground, forcing him to kneel before Jinbo and I.

The young man himself knelt down with a thud, touching his head to the ground. His voice was choked with sobs and filled with immense guilt as he cried out, "Sister-in-law Jinbo! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault... I'm the one who killed Brother Keisha!"

He suddenly pointed at the trembling villager who had led the way, his eyes blazing with fury: "It's him! He led those Matsuo's lackeys the way! He was one of those who betrayed us back then! I've brought him back, and you can do whatever you want with him!"

Tsunami stared at the suddenly appearing young man, stunned for a moment, then covered his mouth, his eyes filled with disbelief: "You...you are...Yuto?! You're still alive?!"

The young man, known as Yuto, raised his head, his face streaked with tears: "It's me, Sister-in-law Tsunami! I'm back! I didn't die!"

The villagers at the entrance immediately started talking amongst themselves, their voices buzzing.

"Is it really You Dou? That kid who used to always follow Keisha around?"

"Wasn't he wanted along with Keisha a year ago, but he managed to escape? I heard that Keisha was covering for him..."

"I've heard about it too. Apparently, he and Keisha joined an organization called... 'Red Star Alliance'? The one that advocates overthrowing the daimyo and nobles?"

"Yes, yes, that's it! They say it's an idea that came from the western continent, something about us poor people uniting up and taking charge of our own lives..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! You can't say things like that..."

Boruto paused for a moment, listening to the villagers' whispers.

Red Star Alliance?

Overthrow the Daimyo?

These words were somewhat unfamiliar to him, but they seemed to be related to the suffering and resistance of the lower classes in the Land of Waves.

Looking at Yuuto kneeling before her, Tsunami felt a pang of heartache and anxiety, and tears welled up in her eyes again: "Yuuto... why did you come back! It's too dangerous here! Matsuo's men won't let you get away with this!"

Yudou wiped his face hard, the guilt in his eyes replaced by a burning flame: "Sister-in-law Jinbo, I came back this time to avenge Brother Keisha! To complete the cause we didn't finish!"

He straightened his back and spoke in a strong voice: "This year, I went to a very far place, to the Land of Stars! There I saw a different world and learned many things and knowledge that we had never heard of before!"

“I understand what Brother Kesha meant when he told me, ‘People shouldn’t live like animals!’ I’ve also made many like-minded friends who, like Brother Kesha and me, don’t want to be oppressed anymore and want to change the world!”

Yuto grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, his voice echoing in the small room: "This time, I'm not back alone! I have companions! We have a plan! We will reignite the flames of revolution in the Land of Waves! And..."

He paused, a mixture of reverence and hope on his face: "This time, there are also several ninja masters from the Land of Stars who are willing to help us! They are right outside!"

As if to confirm his words, the villagers watching outside the gate suddenly stirred and stepped aside to make way for him.

Under the gazes of the crowd, some curious, some fearful, and some expectant, several uniformly dressed and distinguished ninjas slowly walked in.

The leader was extremely tall and robust, nearly two heads taller than the average person. He wore a well-tailored stand-up collar uniform in dark blue and silver-gray, and a star-shaped headband on his forehead.

It's a ninja headband from the Land of Stars!
He had slightly messy short silver hair, a healthy bronze complexion, a resolute face, and sharp, eagle-like eyes.

Most strikingly, he carried a broadsword on his back that was almost as tall as him. The blade was thick and heavy, with a gleaming edge, and the hilt was wrapped in white bandages.

Just standing there, it gives people a sense of mountain-like stability and an invisible pressure.

His gaze swept over the slightly messy scene inside the room, lingering briefly on Menma, Hinata, and Boruto. Especially when he saw Menma, his black pupils contracted slightly for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

He looked at Jinbo, his voice deep and magnetic: "Sorry, it seems I've disturbed you."

"I am Ita-suke, a Jonin from the Land of Stars. May I ask if this is Keisha's home?"

Behind Itada Suke was the Star Ninja group of two girls and one boy. One of them, a red-haired girl wearing glasses, was curiously looking at the people in the room. When she saw Menma, her eyes lit up.

At the same time, on a remote coast not far from the bridge.

The waves crashed against the rocks, splashing up white foam.

Naruto stood barefoot on the undulating sea, struggling to maintain his balance.

He not only had to focus on controlling the chakra in his feet to prevent himself from sinking, but also had to concentrate most of his attention on his hands.

A water-filled balloon rested in his palm. He was straining to evenly channel chakra into his hands, trying to make the water inside the balloon spin rapidly and randomly, thus bursting the balloon from the inside. "Concentrate...concentrate...damn it!" Naruto grimaced, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat mixed with splashed seawater constantly streaming down his face.

As the waves beneath his feet surged, his body swayed, and the chakra output from his hands suddenly went out of control.

With a soft "poof," the water sphere didn't burst. Instead, it twisted and deformed due to the disordered chakra. Then, with a "splash," all the water inside poured out, soaking Naruto's head and face.

At the same time, the chakra beneath his feet collapsed, and he plunged into the icy seawater with a "plop".

"Glug... Haa!" Naruto surfaced from the water, swam back to shore in a disheveled state, climbed onto a rock, and gasped for breath, his golden hair sticking wetly to his face.

He glanced at Jiraiya, who was leaning against a crooked tree not far away, engrossed in a magazine with a suspiciously obvious cover, occasionally letting out a strange "hehe" laugh. He couldn't help but complain, "Perverted Sage! This is impossible! He has to use chakra to walk on water without being swept away by the waves, and he also has to control his chakra with both hands to destroy this broken water sphere! Multitasking is too difficult!"

Jiraiya seemed to have just snapped out of his reverie from the exciting plot, hurriedly stuffing the magazine into his pocket. He coughed twice, then looked at the drenched Naruto with feigned seriousness, stroking his chin as he said, "Idiot, it's precisely because it's difficult that it's called training! Do you think legendary ninjutsu is so easy to learn?"

He stood up, walked to Naruto's side, and pointed to the surging sea: "Look at these waves, they're much more dangerous than the streams you used to practice wading in the village, aren't they? They're constantly changing and unpredictable. Maintaining balance on them is the ultimate test of chakra control."

He then pointed to the deflated water sphere: "Using chakra to break the water sphere is only the first stage of Rasengan training, called the basic mastery of 'condensation' and 'rotation'. Only when you can consistently practice with the water sphere can we move on to the next stage."

Naruto wrung out his soaking wet orange tracksuit and asked curiously, "Next stage?"

“That’s right.” Jiraiya rummaged through his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a seemingly ordinary rubber ball, weighing it in his hand.

"Once you have successfully mastered the water polo training, you should try to inject chakra into this special polo ball. Note that you should not break it, but rather use continuous, stable, and high-speed rotating chakra to 'break' it from the inside."

Jiraiya's expression turned serious, and he slowly said, "Don't underestimate this ball. It's made of special materials, and its toughness and sturdiness are hundreds of times greater than that of an ordinary ball. This is the second stage of Rasengan training: mastering 'power' and 'stability'."

"Hundreds of times stronger?!" Naruto stared wide-eyed at the small ball, finding it hard to believe how sturdy it was.

"Then... how long will it take to actually be able to unleash a Rasengan?"

Jiraiya laughed heartily at Naruto's instantly crumbling face, vigorously ruffling his wet blond hair: "You think it's difficult already? Let me tell you, the genius who developed this technique spent three years perfecting it. There are no shortcuts to learning it; only persistent practice and understanding! You can't rush it, kid!"

Naruto looked at the small ball in Jiraiya's hand, then at the surging sea, a hint of stubborn defiance flashing in his eyes.

He gritted his teeth, preparing to jump back into the sea to continue practicing!
boom--! ! !
A tremendous roar, mixed with faint gasps of surprise from the crowd, came from the direction of the cross-sea bridge!
Naruto was startled, and Jiraiya also turned his head sharply, both looking in the same direction.

The fog, which was already shrouded in a light sea mist, suddenly thickened and almost swallowed the entire bridge surface.

Even more alarming was a surging wave of water, like a waterfall, that suddenly appeared from the depths of the thick fog and crashed down the bridge with a terrifying force!
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique?!" Jiraiya's eyes instantly sharpened, and the playful expression on his face vanished.

He instantly realized that this was at least an A-rank or higher high-level water-style ninjutsu that required a massive amount of chakra to support it!
Moreover, judging from the scope and scale of this attack, the caster is definitely not an ordinary enemy!
There's been an accident on the bridge!
Kakashi and Tazuna!
"Let's go! I'll take you back first..." Jiraiya made a quick decision, turning around to take Naruto away from the exposed coast and return to Tazuna's house to settle Naruto.

However, before he could finish speaking, a bright orange figure shot out like an arrow from a bow!
It's Naruto!

He didn't even bother to put on his soaking wet coat. With the coat in one hand, he burst out with amazing speed barefoot, stepping on the shallows and rocks of the beach, and rushed wildly toward the bridge shrouded in thick fog and roaring with the sound of water!

As he ran, he anxiously shouted, "Kakashi-sensei! Tazuna-san! They're in danger!"

"This guy!" Jiraiya slapped his forehead.

But watching Naruto's reckless figure rush towards the danger, a complex mix of relief and nostalgia flashed in his eyes. He murmured softly, "To rush forward without regard for one's own safety when one's comrades are in danger... that spirit is really just like yours, Minato..."

Despite his complaints, Jiraiya's actions were anything but slow.

His chakra suddenly erupted, and his figure disappeared from the spot as if by teleportation. The next moment, he appeared in front of Naruto, who was running desperately, stirring up a small wave on the sea.

Before Naruto could react, he grabbed Naruto by the back of his collar and lifted him up like a kitten.

"Whoa! What are you doing, you perverted sage?!" Naruto danced around in the air.

"Shut up! This is faster!" Jiraiya shouted, lifting Naruto up and leaping across the sea surface several times, each time covering an extremely long distance. His figure sped towards the bridge like a giant bird, his speed several times faster than Naruto running on his own!
In a few leaps and bounds, the two had already approached the bridge.

The thick fog completely enveloped the middle section of the bridge, and only the faint sounds of metal clashing and ninjutsu explosions could be heard from inside.

At the landward end of the bridge, Dazner was leading a group of terrified workers as they scrambled backward, their faces filled with fear.

Deep within the dense fog, two figures moving at high speed and constantly colliding could be vaguely discerned.

Jiraiya carried Naruto and landed lightly on a section of the bridge that was not yet completely covered by thick fog, then set Naruto down.

As soon as Naruto's feet touched the ground, he was about to rush into the thick fog when Jiraiya grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't move!" Jiraiya whispered, his gaze fixed on the mist.

His perception far surpassed Naruto's, and he had already roughly "seen" the situation in the fog.

Deep within the dense fog, Kakashi's figure flickered continuously, the kunai in his hand tracing a path.

His opponent was a tall, muscular man with bandages wrapped around his face, revealing only a pair of fierce eyes.

The man wore a striking black robe with red cloud patterns, and wielded a heavy-looking steel ninja sword. In his hand, the sword was incredibly sharp, and each strike was as decisive as cutting through water.

What's even more alarming is that this incredibly thick fog was clearly also the work of this person.

Kirigakure no Jutsu!

"The rogue ninja from Kirigakure... Zabuza Momochi?" The name flashed through Jiraiya's mind instantly, and combined with the other party's eye-catching Akatsuki uniform, his eyes turned completely cold.

Did the Akatsuki organization even recruit a rogue ninja of Zabuza's caliber?
'Nagato…'

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto was anxious as he watched Kakashi in the mist seem to be on the defensive due to the opponent's swordsmanship and the unpredictable Mist Concealment Technique. He wanted to rush over again.

"Calm down, Naruto!" Jiraiya pressed his hand down like an iron clamp.

"This dense fog is the enemy's ninjutsu. Rushing in blindly will only make you a burden to Kakashi! Trust your teacher; he's the Copy Ninja, Kakashi!"

Naruto gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his azure eyes fixed on the figures moving through the mist, but his feet remained still.

Just then, a soft whooshing sound rang out, and the young Sasuke, dressed in a dark coat, landed silently on the bridge railing beside Jiraiya and Naruto.

His right eye was fixed on the churning fog, his gaze lingering for a moment on Zabuza's black robe with red clouds, then sweeping over the ordinary ninja sword in his hand that didn't match the rumors, and his brow furrowed.

'Zabuza joined Akatsuki too? What about Haku?'

'And where did his decapitation sword go?'

Young Sasuke felt increasingly confused.

Jiraiya glanced at the suddenly appearing young Sasuke, but didn't ask any questions. He simply said in a deep voice, "You've arrived? It seems the family has also 'hosted' guests."

Young Sasuke nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the mist, his voice calm: "Yes, a green-haired former Konoha rogue ninja. He's been dealt with."

His words had barely faded when Zabuza's hoarse, murderous voice echoed through the thick fog:

"Copy Ninja Kakashi... He truly lives up to his reputation. He's managed to hold his own against me for so long even with this Hidden Mist Technique... But the game should end now."

"I'll take your head!"

The thick fog seemed to have become even colder and stickier.

(End of this chapter)