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

Chapter 199 The Arrogant Erzhuzi
The chill of late autumn quietly seeped into every corner of the fallen leaves.

The core chamber of the root base, deep underground and perpetually shrouded in darkness, has an air thicker and colder than the surface, mixed with the musty smell of old files and the pungent odor of special medicines, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

Danzo Shimura sat upright on the cold stone chair, his single exposed eye gleaming with a sinister and restless light in the flickering oil lamp flame.

Rough fingers were tapping heavily on several scrolls spread out on the stone table.

These intelligence scrolls, treated with a special potion, carry messages sent back by Kabuto Yakushi from the distant Land of Stars.

Ryoma Aburame stood to one side like a statue blending into the shadows.

He wore the Roots' signature grey turtleneck uniform and hood, with a mask covering his mouth and nose, revealing only a pair of expressionless eyes that resembled insect compound eyes.

"Ryuma!" Danzo's voice was low and hoarse, filled with suppressed anger: "Is this all the work Kabuto has put in the Land of Stars for months? Apart from the Land of Stars's seductive 'no nobles' policy, the Ninja Academy's curriculum, and the names of a few insignificant officials... there's practically no core information about that Shura!"

He set the scroll down, the flame of the oil lamp flickering slightly: "He could uncover deep secrets in Sunagakure and Iwagakure! How come he's become blind in the Land of Stars?!"

Ryoma Aburame bowed slightly, his voice muffled and flat through his mask: "Lord Danzo, please calm down. Kabuto Yakushi is currently operating under the name 'Kumamoto Kabuto' as one of the first students at the Star Ninja Academy. He graduated early thanks to his medical talent and was assigned to some low-level missions. However, his contact with ninjas is limited to lower-ranking ninjas and academy instructors."

"Shura himself is elusive and rarely appears in public, and his core team keeps a low profile. Given Kabuto's current status and qualifications, it would indeed require deeper infiltration and a more opportune moment to directly access Shura's core secrets. The Star Country's intelligence defense capabilities are more stringent than anticipated."

Danzo narrowed his one eye dangerously, his gaze sweeping over another scroll.

That was the result of Yakushi Kabuto's infiltration of Sunagakure and Iwagakure; the content was detailed and insightful, and of great value.

"Hmph! Compared to how well he thrived in other ninja villages, in the Land of Stars, he's practically stuck in a quagmire!" His tone contained not only dissatisfaction but also a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.

"This Shura... is even more mysterious than Nagato of Amegakure who possessed the Rinnegan! At least the Akatsuki organization has traces to follow, with a leader, members, a base, and a goal for accumulating wealth! But this Shura, with just one person, possesses the terrifying strength to severely damage Kumogakure, and even has a Mangekyou Sharingan user like Uchiha Hikaru, but neither Shura nor Uchiha Hikaru has a history that is completely blank!"

"This doesn't make sense! No powerful force can appear out of thin air!"

Ryoma Aburame noticed Danzo's obsession with the "Rinnegan" in his words.

The fact that he failed to completely eradicate the Akatsuki organization and seize the eyes of the legendary Sage of Six Paths remained Danzo's greatest regret and source of fear.

Ryoma Aburame added at the opportune moment, his voice still calm: "However, Lord Danzo, at least one thing can be confirmed. Based on the limited information Kabuto has sent back so far, combined with our previous tracking of the remaining Akatsuki forces, we can basically rule out the possibility that Shura is the Akatsuki leader with the Rinnegan or his core remnants."

"The two have completely different styles of operation, organizational structures, and goals. Shura's power system also does not show any description of Rinnegan characteristics."

"I am well aware of that," Danzo snorted, but his furrowed brows did not relax.

The elimination of the Rinnegan's threat only made Shura's true identity more elusive, like a giant beast shrouded in thick fog, whose roar could only be heard, but whose true form remained unseen.

"As for the idiots in Kumogakure who swore that Shura used the 'Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Mode'?" Danzo's tone was full of undisguised sarcasm and ridicule.

"It's nothing more than a colossal lie they fabricated to cover up their incompetence, shirk responsibility, and even try to blackmail Konoha after being defeated and humiliated by Shura once again! The power of the Nine-Tails was completely separated and sealed by the Fourth Hokage at the cost of his life using the Reaper Death Seal Technique! It will never reappear in the world in the short term!"

He paused, a cold recollection of the glorious past flashing in his single eye: "Back then, when I went to Kumogakure for peace talks, as the Second Hokage's bodyguard, I personally witnessed those two monsters, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, who had devoured the flesh and blood of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"The so-called 'Tailed Beast Transformation' they activated was merely using a trace of impure Nine-Tails chakra. The power was violent but out of control, and it was far inferior to the true, perfect power of a Tailed Beast!"

"If Shura could truly imitate, he would at most be a low-grade, flawed imitation like Gold Horn or Silver Horn!"

However, the Cloud Village delegation's resolute accusations were like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in Danzo's suspicious and imaginative mind.

His withered fingers tapped unconsciously on the cold stone table, producing a monotonous and oppressive clatter. The secret room fell into a brief silence, broken only by the crackling of the oil lamp and the distant echo of dripping water.

“However…” Danzo’s fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped, and his single eye flashed with a sharp light, like a venomous snake that had spotted its prey: “The nonsense of those idiots in Kumogakure has inadvertently given me a wake-up call!”

He suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze fixed on Aburame Ryoma: "If this Shura can really use some kind of... chakra power extremely similar to a tailed beast... even if it's just a facade! Then, the source of this power might be the key to unlocking his mysterious veil!"

"By finding out the source of his power, we can discover his weakness, and even... his origins!"

"Ryuma!" Danzo's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable tone of command.

"Here!" Aburame Ryoma straightened up instantly.

"Immediately! Send Kabuto the highest level of encrypted command!" Danzo said, each word like a poisoned ice pick: "Order him to spare no expense, to use all hidden resources, to prioritize and exert all efforts to gather all intelligence about Shura! Especially any clues related to chakra!"

"I need to know where his immense strength comes from!!"

"Yes! I will carry it out immediately!" Aburame Ryoma bowed and accepted the order, his movements swift and decisive, like a machine programmed with a set procedure.

He retreated silently, disappearing into the shadows of the wall as if he had never been there.

In the dimly lit chamber, only Danzo remained. The dim light elongated his hunched figure, casting a distorted shadow on the cold stone wall.

His single eye stared at the leaping flame, burning with greed, scheming, and a deep fear of the unknown power.

The same autumn sun generously shone on the Konoha Ninja Academy's spacious open-air training ground, dispelling the morning chill and bringing a comforting warmth.

In stark contrast to the cold and oppressive atmosphere of the root chamber, this place is filled with the unique clamor, energy, and a hint of tense anticipation characteristic of teenagers.

"Hey! Menma! Menma! Did you hear me?!" Naruto Uzumaki, like an energetic golden retriever, jumped and hopped around Menma, who was lazily leaning against the wall, waving his hands excitedly.

"Today's practical lesson! I hope Iruka-sensei will pair me with that arrogant Sasuke! I'm going to teach him a lesson! I'll make sure he can't keep that smug face anymore! I'll show him who the real genius is! I'll make him..."

“Alright, Naruto,” Menma said helplessly, picking at his ear with a blade of grass he had casually plucked in his mouth, and mumbled as he interrupted him, “I know, I know, you’re going to deafen me.”

He was using his real body today, since the practical lesson involved real physical contact, and shadow clones were ultimately lacking. Golden sunlight fell on him, causing him to squint slightly.

Hinata Hyuga lowered her head, her fair face flushed with a faint blush, like a timid little rabbit, following Menma step by step.

Two slender index fingers were unconsciously twisted together, revealing their inner tension.

Upon hearing Naruto's words, she quickly glanced up at Menma's profile, then lowered her eyes again as if startled, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and a blush spreading rapidly from the base of her ears.

"Naruto, save your energy." Choji Akimichi sat cross-legged on the steps next to him, holding a large bag of potato chips, munching happily, his chubby face bearing a world-weary expression.

“Sasuke is the top student who was praised by Iruka-sensei at the beginning of the semester. You’ve lost to him more than once or twice.”

"Hey! Choji! You bastard!" Naruto jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, pointing at Choji with his face turning bright red.

"I'm destined to become Hokage! How could I possibly keep losing to that cool-looking Uchiha! Just you wait, one day..."

"Hahaha!" Kiba Inuzuka crossed his arms and laughed so hard he almost fell over, revealing a set of white teeth. "Come on, Naruto! You should think before you brag! Don't even mention Sasuke, you can't even dodge my taijutsu attacks right now! You should think about how to reliably refine your chakra first! You perennial loser!"

He delivered a precise blow, hitting Naruto's sore spot of being a "loser".

"You bastard Kiba! Who are you calling a loser?! Want to fight?!" Naruto immediately shifted his target, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to pounce.

Nara Shikamaru leaned against the wall on the other side, hands in his pockets, watching the chaotic daily scene unfold. He let out a long, utterly weary sigh: "Ugh...so troublesome...these energetic, single-celled organisms..."

The first semester is already halfway over.

The "Will of Fire" instilled in them during theoretical classes seemed too grand and distant for these children, most of whom were only six or seven years old.

The practical courses are what truly draw a clear line between classes.

Chakra refinement, shuriken and kunai throwing, the basics of the Three Body Techniques, taijutsu sparring... these are the real, hard skills.

Shinobi clan members like Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino have already laid a solid foundation through their clans' systematic training. Their chakra refining is smooth and stable, their shuriken throwing accuracy far surpasses that of their peers, and their taijutsu stances are also quite impressive.

Sasuke stands out among his peers for his mastery of the C-rank Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, becoming the undisputed top student and attracting the admiring gazes of a large number of girls, led by Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno.

As for Naruto, due to the unconscious interference of the Nine-Tails' chakra within him, his refining process was extremely difficult and unstable, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, often out of control. His grades firmly occupied the bottom position in the class, and the name "bottom of the class" resounded throughout the entire grade, forming a stark contrast with the dazzling Sasuke.

The bell finally rang for the afternoon practical class.

Teacher Iruka led the students to the spacious training ground at the back of the school.

The ground was compacted and leveled soil with clearly drawn white lines around the edges, and there were stone steps around the perimeter for students to watch the game.

"Alright, quiet down! Everyone find a seat!" Iruka clapped his hands to maintain order, took out a match list, and announced in a loud voice.

"First group, Uchiha Sasuke! Menma! Please come forward and get ready!"

The practice area, which had been buzzing with discussion, fell silent instantly, followed by an even bigger commotion, especially among the girls.

"Wow! It's Sasuke-kun!"

"Sasuke-kun! Do your best!!"

"Sasuke-kun is the coolest! You have to win!"

"Menma-kun... please do your best too..." Hinata encouraged him in a barely audible voice, her face flushed as she buried her face in her hands.

"Hahaha! Menma! Go! Beat that arrogant Sasuke up! Let him know there are always people better than him! Avenge me!" Naruto jumped onto the stone steps without any hesitation, waving his fists and shouting encouragement at the top of his lungs, as if he himself was about to take the stage, his excitement overflowing.

Menma, who had been half-asleep and leaning against the wall as if he could fall asleep at any moment, raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard his name and Sasuke's name listed together, and finally perked up a bit.

He looked up and gazed at the center of the field.

Uchiha Sasuke stood coolly in the center of the arena, his hands in his pockets.

His black spiky hair looked sharp and neat in the sunlight. His fair and handsome face was expressionless, but his slightly raised chin and the confidence and pride in his dark eyes silently proclaimed his leading position.

He ignored Naruto's incessant chatter, his gaze calmly sweeping over the girls cheering for him, finally settling on Menma who was slowly walking over. His eyes held a hint of scrutiny and a faint sense of superiority befitting a strong person.

Looking at Sasuke's classic "I'm the best in the world" and "You are all just mortals" expression, and listening to Naruto's expectant and inflammatory shout of "Beat him up!", Muma's lips curled up into a wicked smile.

The sky cleared up, the rain stopped, and Erzhuzi felt that he was fine again.

A long-lost urge to "bully the kids" stirred within Mianma's heart like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples in his mind.

'Heh… since I've caught up with this…' Menma chuckled to himself, 'Then I'll have some fun with this arrogant and cocky Erzhuzi at this stage…'

He casually flicked the blade of grass from his mouth into a distant trash can with pinpoint accuracy, his previously languid and listless demeanor suddenly transforming.

Although he still didn't deliberately unleash his aura, his steps became steady and casual, carrying an indescribable sense of coordination. He strode into the white circle in the center of the training ground and stood directly opposite Uchiha Sasuke.

Their eyes met in mid-air, and invisible sparks seemed to fly instantly.

(End of this chapter)