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

Chapter 308 Sasuke's Eighteenth Challenge

After completing the escort mission, Neji Hyuga parted ways with his teammates at the entrance of the Star Ninja Academy and returned alone to the Hyuga branch family compound in the eastern district of Star City, as Toneri left first.

The clan's territory was peaceful and serene, no different from usual, but he was slightly taken aback when he stepped into his own courtyard.

Hyuga Hizashi, who should have been in charge of the Wind County, was sitting in the main seat of the living room, while his mother was quietly doing needlework beside him.

"Father, Mother, I'm back." Neji quickly bowed and greeted them with perfect manners.

Hizashi nodded slightly, a hint of weariness barely perceptible on his dignified face. He gestured to the cushion opposite him and said in a steady voice, "Neji, no need for formalities, sit down. I have some things to tell you."

Seeing this, Neji's mother put down what she was doing, looked at her son gently, and said softly, "You two talk, I'll go make some tea."

After saying that, he got up and quietly left the living room, leaving the father and son alone.

Neji knelt properly opposite his father as instructed, but his heart was filled with doubt.

As the supreme commander of the western front forces, my father should have stayed at the old site of Sunagakure to handle the heavy military and stability maintenance work at this crucial time when he had just taken over the Wind County.

Moreover, just a few days ago, when their team escorted Temari and the others back from Sunagakure, their father had assigned them a mission via remote communication. How did they end up back in the Star Capital in the blink of an eye?

With his arms crossed, Hizashi's white eyes seemed to read his son's mind as he spoke directly, "You're wondering why I suddenly returned to the Star Capital, aren't you?"

Neji respectfully replied, "Yes, Father. The affairs on the western front are complicated, and you should be stationed in the Wind County at this time."

Hizashi let out a soft breath, his gaze becoming somewhat distant: "It's because of the current head of the Otsutsuki clan, Lord Sakuto. His condition has worsened, and the medical ninjas at the Central Hospital judge that he will probably pass away in the next few days."

Neji felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

He had a good relationship with his servant and naturally knew that his father's health had always been poor, but he never expected it to have reached such a critical stage.

Hizashi continued to explain, "Our Hyuga branch family and the Otsutsuki family trace their origins back to the same ancestor, Hamura Otsutsuki. We share the same bloodline, and this connection cannot be severed."

"When we first arrived in the Land of Stars, we received a lot of help from the Sakuren clan chief. At that time, the Sakuren clan chief discussed with me... He hoped that after Toneri came of age, he could select a woman of suitable age and character from my Hyuga branch family to enter into a marriage contract, so as to continue the pure bloodline of the Otsutsuki."

He paused, observing Neji's expression, and added, "Of course, the Sakuren clan chief also made it clear that if Toneri falls in love with someone else in the future, even if it is another woman worthy of his affection, he will not force him. However, the Otsutsuki clan is now dwindling in number, and he hopes that in the future, one or two exceptionally talented children can be adopted from the Hyuga branch family to inherit the Otsutsuki surname and responsibilities, so as not to let the ancestral lineage be broken."

Neji listened attentively. He and Toneri were about the same age and had teamed up for many missions, forging a deep friendship during the war.

Upon hearing this, he had no objection; on the contrary, he felt that it would be a good thing if it could strengthen family ties.

He bowed respectfully again, his tone sincere: "Father, it would be best if our two families could form a marriage alliance. Even if that's not possible, the Hyuga branch family would be duty-bound to help us adopt children and continue the Otsutsuki lineage."

Hizashi was pleased with his son's understanding and nodded, then began to elaborate on his deeper considerations: "From a public perspective, the Otsutsuki clan is an indispensable and important ninja clan in the Land of Stars. Don't be fooled by the fact that only Sakuto and his son Toneri remain now; even Lord Shura highly values ​​the power and knowledge they possess. I believe you have a deep understanding of Toneri's extraordinary talent during your time with him."

Neji nodded in deep agreement.

He had personally witnessed Toneri using those transplanted Byakugan, and the depth of his insight and the exquisite skill in his application even surpassed some members of the Hyuga main family in certain aspects.

Toneri's strength is absolutely top-tier among the younger generation of the Star Country. Even Kaguya Kimimaro, who is hailed as a genius, wouldn't dare say he could definitely defeat him.

"Personally," Hizashi's voice pulled Neji back to reality, "We share a common origin, and it is only right that we help each other. Therefore, I reached a mutual assistance agreement with the chief of the Sakuren clan."

“I will personally teach Toneri the essence of Hyuga-ryu Gentle Fist, as well as deeper Byakugan techniques, and I will also open the Hyuga clan’s secret manual to him. In exchange, Toneri will also open the Otsutsuki clan’s puppetry techniques, the ‘Mind’s Eye’ perception techniques, and their family’s treasured historical texts about ancient times to our Hyuga branch family.”

"Puppetry and...mind's eye?" Neji was taken aback; it was the first time he had ever heard that the Otsutsuki clan was skilled in these secret techniques.

Just then, a small electronic communicator that Hizashi had placed in his pocket vibrated slightly.

He took it out and glanced at the information displayed on the screen, a hint of seriousness flashing in his white eyes.

He slowly put down the communicator and said to Neji in a deep voice, "The chieftain of the Sakuren clan... has just passed away. For the next few days, do not accept any missions from the village. Prepare yourself and come with me to the funeral."

Neji's expression turned solemn, and he replied earnestly, "Yes, Father!"

Three days later, a simple yet solemn funeral was held at the national cemetery on the outskirts of Star City.

Fine snowflakes drifted down from the sky, as if heaven and earth were mourning the passing of this powerful figure.

As one of the earliest members of the Otsutsuki clan to join the Land of Stars and who unreservedly donated all of the assets and technology inside the moon, the death of Otsutsuki Sakuto has attracted widespread attention from the high-ranking officials of the Land of Stars.

At the farewell ceremony, many high-ranking officials and the heads of various ninja clans personally attended to pay their respects.

Hyuga Hizashi, acting as Toneri's temporary guardian, presided over the entire funeral process.

Representatives or clan leaders of the Uchiha, Uzumaki, Ibuki, Kaguya, Blood Pond, and Red-Eyes clans, along with the young elites of each clan, all dressed in black and with solemn expressions, attended the funeral to express their respect and sorrow for the clan leader.

At the end of the funeral, Menma, dressed in a pure black divine robe, slowly stepped forward and gently placed a bouquet of white flowers in front of the coffin draped with the flag of the Star Kingdom.

He gazed at the name of the deceased on the tombstone, and his heart was filled with emotion.

In the battle on the moon years ago, they subdued the Shuu people and their son, bringing immeasurable benefits to the Star Kingdom.

That colossal Tenseigan with immense power, the advanced equipment monitoring the entire ninja world from inside the moon, the Otsutsuki puppet technique far surpassing that of Sunagakure, the "Mind's Eye" secret technique, the ecological technology for modifying enclosed environments, and the historical records that document ancient secrets...

All of these factors greatly accelerated the development of the Star Kingdom.

The final loyalty and dedication of the Shuo people deserved his personal farewell.

After the funeral ceremony, Otsutsuki Toneri, with red and swollen eyes but suppressing his grief, walked up to Menma.

He held an ancient scroll in both hands, bowed deeply, and said in a hoarse voice, "Lord Shura, this was completed by my father with all his might before he passed away... He instructed me to personally hand it over to you."

Menma took the scroll and could feel the chakra seal contained within it as soon as he touched it.

He infused a wisp of chakra, and a complex spell appeared on the surface of the scroll. Then, the chakra penetrated deeper and explored a male puppet doll about 1.5 meters tall stored inside the sealed scroll.

This puppet is extremely well-made, with flexible joints and made of extraordinary materials.

Menma then remembered that a few years ago, when he was studying the puppetry techniques of the Otsutsuki clan, he discovered that the Otsutsuki puppets not only did not need chakra threads, but could also act independently according to their master's commands. Both their execution and combat capabilities were far superior to the puppetry techniques of Sunagakure.

Menma once proposed a concept to Sakuto: Could a puppet be created that could be controlled over a long distance using mental techniques such as the "Mind Transfer Technique," so that ordinary ninjas could also control the puppet to fight from thousands of miles away?
At the time, Shuo Ren indicated that there were gaps in the technology, but he was willing to try to research it.

Unexpectedly, in the final moments of his life, this loyal chieftain kept his instructions in mind and devoted himself to creating a feasible prototype.

Mianma gently stroked the cool scroll, a complex emotion welling up inside him, a mixture of admiration for the Shuo people's dedication to their duties and a touch of regret.

He composed himself and solemnly instructed Hyuga Hizashi beside him, "Hizashi, I entrust Toneri to your tutelage from now on. Make sure he inherits and carries on his father's legacy." Hizashi solemnly replied, "Yes, Lord Shura, I will do my utmost."

Leaving the solemn cemetery, Menma went straight to his private laboratory located underground in the Star City military district.

The place was brightly lit and filled with various sophisticated instruments and ninjutsu materials.

He carefully placed the puppet on the central experimental table, and at the same time unfolded the thick stack of instructions or research logs that came with the scroll.

Mianma sat in front of the control panel, intently reading every detail of the instruction manual, which detailed the puppet's structural principles, energy core, and preliminary design of the mental link interface.

His eyes grew brighter and brighter, and a vague idea in his mind gradually became clearer.

A few days later, Konoha Village.

The ninja academy was filled with a joyful atmosphere as the holidays approached.

"This semester has officially ended, and winter break has begun! Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday!"

As Mr. Iruka Umino announced the start of the holiday from the podium, the classroom instantly erupted in excitement.

"Yay! Finally, it's vacation time!" Naruto was the first to jump up from his seat, waving his fist and cheering loudly.

"Yay!" Ya shouted excitedly.

"Mmm, winter vacation is here, and the New Year is almost here. I can eat lots of delicious food again..." Choji couldn't wait to pull out a bag of potato chips and start crunching away.

Iruka looked at the group of energetic children, smiled helplessly, and called out loudly, "Be careful on your way back! Also, don't forget to review your lessons and do your basic training during the holidays!"

After saying that, he left the classroom with his lesson plan, leaving the space to the children who were eager to embrace freedom.

"Hey! Menma! Kiba! Choji! Shikamaru! Let's go to the park and build a snowman! This time I'm going to build the biggest one ever!" Naruto excitedly began gathering his friends.

Ya immediately responded, "Okay! But the biggest snowman will definitely be the one I build!"

Choji mumbled as he stuffed potato chips into his mouth, "Mmm, after we build the snowman, let's go eat barbecue..."

Nara Shikamaru, with a "what a hassle" expression, yawned, but when he glanced at the back of the classroom and saw Menma sitting with Hinata Hyuga, talking quietly, he sighed and lazily replied, "Ah... okay, okay, anyway, there's nothing else to do."

In the corner, Shino silently pushed up his glasses.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the classroom, Uchiha Sasuke maintained his cool demeanor, hands in his pockets, giving Naruto and the others a disdainful snort at their childish game.

Burdened with a deep-seated blood feud, he was filled with a thirst for power and naturally had no interest in such entertainment.

However, under orders from Kakashi and Yamato, he had to continue "infiltrating" the ninja academy, observing and recording the students' daily lives. Captain Yamato claimed, "This is a skill that every ANBU ninja must learn."

During this time, Sasuke received special training from Yamato in the Anbu, and his strength improved by leaps and bounds, which rekindled his desire to challenge him.

He stood up, walked straight to the back of the classroom, stopped in front of Menma and Hinata, locked his sharp gaze on Menma, and said coldly, "Menma, come with me to the training ground, let's have another match."

Sasuke's actions immediately attracted the attention of the other girls in the classroom.

Ino and Sakura looked at Sasuke's cool profile and determined eyes, and couldn't help but clutch their hearts, their eyes filled with pink bubbles, and whispered, "Ahhh! Sasuke-kun is so handsome!"

Mianma looked at Erzhuzi, who once again thought he was "good enough," and felt somewhat helpless.

Hinata, sitting next to him, felt a sense of oppression from Sasuke's sudden approach and shyly lowered her head, subconsciously moving closer to Menma and gently grabbing the hem of his clothes with her small hand.

Seeing this, Naruto immediately jumped over, pointed at Sasuke, and yelled, "Hey! You arrogant Sasuke! You've already lost to Menma seventeen times! Do you want to lose eighteenth time? Do you have masochistic tendencies?!"

Sasuke glanced coldly at Naruto, his tone filled with undisguised contempt: "Hmph, how could a loser like you, who can't even refine chakra properly, possibly understand the progress that comes from fighting against strong opponents!"

"Alright, let me see how much you've improved." Menma patted Hinata's head, indicating that she didn't need to worry, then stood up and waved to Sasuke.

Sasuke confidently followed Menma out of the classroom.

Naruto quickly chased after him.

"What should we do?" Choji and Kiba both looked at Shikamaru.

"Let's go take a look." Shikamaru shrugged, also curious about Sasuke's progress.

Ino, Sakura, and Hinata followed them out.

At the back of the crowd, Shino silently followed.

A few minutes later, in the training grounds behind the ninja academy.

"Ugh!" With a muffled groan mixed with pain and extreme shame, Uchiha Sasuke once again collapsed to the ground in an extremely undignified posture, clutching his buttocks and his face flushed red.

Mianma squatted behind him, casually withdrawing his hands, which were forming the "Thousand-Year Kill" seal.

"Menma! You...you bastard!" Sasuke squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, overwhelmed with shame.

He sprang to his feet, glared fiercely at Mianma, and uttered the classic line: "You just wait! Next year! Next year I will definitely come back for revenge!"

After saying that, he turned around and rushed out of the training field almost as if he were fleeing.

In the faculty office of the Ninja Academy, Mr. Mizuki leaned against the window frame with one hand, taking in the scene unfolding on the training field.

He turned his head and smiled at Iruka, who was slapping his forehead helplessly beside him, saying, "Iruka, look at Menma in your class. He can defeat Uchiha Sasuke, who has awakened the single-tomoe Sharingan, so easily. I think he'll probably hold onto the top spot in the grade until graduation."

Iruka stopped what he was doing and looked out the window.

On the edge of the training field, Naruto, Kiba, Choji, and the others were gathered around Menma, excitedly talking about something. The group of friends walked arm in arm, chatting and laughing, towards the school gate, their figures gradually disappearing into the vast snow.

He watched the harmonious scene with a relieved smile, but deep in his eyes lay an indescribable complexity that ultimately turned into a long sigh.

"Yes...this child's talent is too strong, and being an orphan reminds me of the Fourth Hokage, who was also an orphan from a common background..."

"I wonder where this child will end up in the future..."

[PS: Today's picture is of Ino.]

(End of this chapter)