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

Chapter 309 Naruto's New Year's Gift

Konoha Hidden Village, Hokage's office.

Fine snowflakes drifted outside the window, covering the Fire Shadow Rock with a layer of white winter clothing.

Inside, the fireplace crackled softly, bringing a touch of warmth.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind a large desk, his brow furrowed, carefully reading an intelligence scroll spread out on the table.

The pipe in his hand had long since gone out, but he still unconsciously kept it in his mouth.

Kakashi, dressed in his ANBU uniform, stood quietly in front of his desk, still with that slightly lazy posture, but his right eye showed a hint of fatigue that was barely perceptible.

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly raised his head, shifting his gaze from the scroll to Kakashi. His voice, hoarse with the typical trait of an elderly man, yet imbued with the authority of a Hokage, asked: "Kakashi, how did the mission to infiltrate the Land of Stars go? Did you encounter any unexpected situations?"

Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then replied in a tone that sounded like he hadn't woken up yet, "I didn't encounter anything special, Hokage-sama."

"I disguised myself as a merchant and infiltrated a temporary caravan traveling between the Land of Birds and the Land of Stars, and passed through the border checkpoint smoothly. However, in order to avoid alerting the enemy, I did not venture deep into the heart of the Land of Stars, but only operated in a few border towns. Even when I encountered patrolling Star Ninjas, I kept my distance. After collecting some publicly available information and books, I withdrew according to the planned schedule."

He concealed some information.

For example, in a border town, he did catch a glimpse of several figures wearing Star Ninja headbands, including the Uchiha clan crest and the Hyuga Byakugan.

Among those people were old acquaintances who had fought side by side in missions.

A complex mix of confusion and bewilderment led him to instinctively avoid the situation, refusing to engage with the person, and only briefly mentioning it in his formal report.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, a hint of approval on his wrinkled face: "You did the right thing. According to feedback from the Anbu intelligence team and Root, even Danzo's most elite intelligence personnel lost contact after infiltrating the Star Capital. The Star Country's counter-espionage and internal surveillance capabilities far exceed our expectations, and venturing in rashly is indeed extremely risky."

His gaze returned to the intelligence scroll, and his fingers tapped lightly on the table.

The scroll not only contained Kakashi's observations of the border patrol ninjas of the Land of Stars and the standing security force known as "police," but more importantly, it contained excerpts from the core contents of several books he brought back from the Land of Stars.

In particular, the booklet titled "The Will of the Stars" promotes ideas such as "all men are created equal," "the right to life is an inherent right of every person," "nobles and daimyo are parasites that feed on the flesh and blood of the people," and "the power of ninjas should be used to better benefit the people."

And the ultimate goal of that "Shura"—"to unify the ninja world and create a peaceful world without war or hunger."

The more Hiruzen Sarutobi read these excerpts, the more turbulent his heart became, and a fine layer of cold sweat even seeped out from his back.

The Sarutobi clan, a traditional ninja clan of the Land of Fire, has been rooted here for hundreds of years and is deeply intertwined with the interests of this land.

They not only formed a solid alliance with the Ino-Shika-Cho ninja clans, but also maintained intricate connections with the nobles of the Land of Fire, large and small, and even the Daimyo's mansion itself, including many kinship ties.

It can be said that the Sarutobi clan is one of the largest vested interest groups under the existing order of the Land of Fire.

For this reason, he was more aware than anyone else of the terrifying power and appeal that the ideas promoted in "The Will of the Stars" had for the lower classes who had long been oppressed by the nobility and lived on the poverty line.

Once this ideology takes root and spreads widely among the tens of millions of people in the Land of Stars, and is put into practice by the new generation of ninjas trained under this new system who deeply believe in this philosophy...

The power that will be unleashed in the future will be revolutionary, enough to destroy all existing order in the ninja world!
In a daze, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to see the horrific scene of the Fourth Shinobi World War: Konoha of the Land of Fire, Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning, and Kirigakure of the Land of Water, in order to maintain their own rule, had no choice but to form an alliance to fight against the Land of Stars, which raised the banner of "equality" and "revolution," as well as the Land of Earth and Iwagakure, which had been completely reduced to vassals...

No, perhaps by then, it will be questionable whether the Land of Earth and the Hidden Stone Village will still exist.

He heavily put down the scroll, picked up the pipe on the table, lit it again, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the thick smoke that swirled in his lungs, as if trying to calm the tremor in his heart.

He looked at Kakashi, his tone grave: "This intelligence... is extremely important, Kakashi. Only by truly understanding who our opponents are and what they want can we better prepare for... that perhaps unavoidable war."

He waved his hand, indicating that Kakashi could take a short rest: "You've worked hard too, go back and rest for a couple of days. After that, prepare to take over Yamato's team and take over Naruto's covert protection mission."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed and accepted the order, then turned to leave.

"Wait a moment." Hiruzen Sarutobi called out to him again, his gaze becoming somewhat profound through the swirling smoke: "Kakashi, what do you think of that kid, Sasuke Uchiha...?"

Kakashi stopped and thought for a moment before replying, "That child was greatly traumatized after the tragedy of the 'Night of Defection,' and awakened his Sharingan on his own at the young age of seven. This in itself demonstrates his exceptional talent and inner determination. Recently, under the guidance of Yamato... and myself, his progress has indeed been very rapid, visible to the naked eye."

"With Sasuke's current strength, he has far surpassed his peers in the ninja academy, and is even among the best genin."

"I believe that by the time he graduates from the Ninja Academy, he will likely already possess the strength of a Chunin. Such talent is exceptional, even in the history of the Uchiha clan, which is known for its many geniuses."

He cleverly downplayed his actual contributions to the training, not daring to say that Yamato did most of the hard work while he simply stood by, reading "Icha Icha Paradise" and providing "tactical guidance."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, walked to the window, looked at the snow falling heavier and heavier outside, and said in a low voice: "Yes, Sasuke is a genius, but even so, Sasuke is still not the top student of this year's ninja academy."

Kakashi paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his right eye. He then remembered the name Sasuke had mentioned multiple times in his mission reports and considered as a target to be pursued. He frowned: "Is it that... kid named Menma?"

"Hmm." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, took another drag of his cigarette, and slowly exhaled: "According to Iruka's teaching report, that child is very intelligent and has an extremely solid theoretical knowledge. His understanding of 'The Will of Fire' and his written test scores are almost always above 95 points."

"What's even more remarkable is that he's only a third-year student, yet he's already mastered the basic Three Body Techniques, and even... through observation during his daily battles with Sasuke, he's independently grasped several practical D-rank and C-rank ninjutsu that Sasuke has used."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice carried a complex emotion, as if he were lost in some kind of memory: "This amazing talent of being able to draw inferences from one instance to another, and that calm yet sunny personality... I have only seen it in one person."

Kakashi's right pupil twitched almost imperceptibly, and a warm and dazzling figure flashed through his mind in an instant.

Both were born into commoner families, both were orphans, and both displayed exceptional talent during their time at the Ninja Academy...

He murmured softly, his voice barely audible to himself: "Is it... the Fourth Hokage..."

"Where the leaves dance, the fire will never cease." Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around, his gaze from behind the smoke falling back on Kakashi, carrying a heavy entrustment.

"The future of Konoha ultimately depends on these young people. So, Kakashi..."

His tone became extremely solemn: "You must take good care of their growth. Whether it's Sasuke, Naruto, or that kid named Menma... they are all precious buds of Konoha, and the new generation to fight against the Land of Stars in the future. They must not perish in the storm."

Kakashi straightened his posture, no longer appearing lazy. He bowed deeply, his voice firm:

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I understand."

…………

In the park of Konoha Village, thick snow covered everything in a silvery white.

The children's joyful laughter broke the winter silence.

Naruto, Kiba, and Choji were enthusiastically building a snowman.

Naruto was trying to build a huge snowman, as tall as an adult, and was patting the snow pile with his hands and feet; Kiba was building a dog head on his snowman to make it look more imposing; Choji was building a round snowman while sneaking a snack into his mouth from time to time.

Nara Shikamaru leaned against a bare tree, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, watching the three overly energetic guys. His face was filled with "What a nuisance" and "I can't understand it," and he muttered to himself, "This kind of weather is much better suited for lying at home and daydreaming..."

Nearby, by the swing, lies a different, tranquil and warm scene.

Menma was gently holding Hinata Hyuga's small hand, which was covered by a woolen glove, and was seriously "studying" it with a gentle smile on his lips.

“Hmm… let me take a closer look,” Menma said, feigning profundity, tracing a line above her palm with his fingertips. “This line represents the future… Hmm! Hinata, you will definitely have a pair of very cute children in the future. Your sister will be as gentle as you, and your brother will probably be a little more lively and mischievous.”

Upon hearing this, Hinata's fair face flushed bright red, all the way to her ears.

She lowered her head in embarrassment, her long eyelashes trembling slightly like butterfly wings, her voice barely audible: "Mian... Mianma-kun..." She wanted to pull her hand back, but she was also tempted by the warmth, so in the end she only moved it symbolically and let him hold it.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the center of the park.

"My snowman is bigger! Look, it's almost taller than me!" Naruto announced loudly, pointing to his crooked snowdrift.

"Nonsense! My snow dog is clearly bigger and more imposing! Choji, don't you agree?" Kiba retorted defiantly.

The two argued heatedly, their faces flushed, and they were so excited that they danced around. They accidentally bumped into Choji, that round snowman.

The snowman wobbled, and its snowball head rolled off the ground with a "plop," revealing a figure behind it that was almost blending into the snowy landscape—Shino Aburame.

He was quietly and meticulously building a snow sculpture with an intricate structure, even featuring the outline of an insect. When he was suddenly exposed, he pushed up his sunglasses, glanced silently at the source of the noise, and then continued to focus on his work.

The children laughed and played, and even though they were wearing thick cotton-padded clothes, fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads, glistening in the winter sun, radiating carefree joy.

As dusk settled, the setting sun cast a warm orange glow on the snow-covered ground.

The children, tired from playing, said goodbye to each other and went home.

"Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino, see you next year!" Naruto waved vigorously.

"See you next year!" Ya waved in response.

"Goodbye..." Choji was still chewing something.

"Ah...it's finally over." Shikamaru yawned.

Shino simply nodded silently.

Menma called out to Naruto, who was about to run home: "Oi! Naruto, wait a minute."

Naruto stopped and turned around, his blue eyes asking, "What's wrong, Menma-kun?"

Menma walked up to him, smiling, and said, "The New Year is just around the corner. Remember to come to my house to celebrate with us. Hinata and Hanabi should be coming too."

Upon hearing this news, Naruto's face instantly broke into a bright smile.

In recent years, he has spent the New Year with Mianma, which is the most anticipated and warmest time of the year for him.

He nodded vigorously, his golden hair swaying as he said, "Yes! I'll definitely go! Thank you, Mianma-ge!"

Watching Naruto's figure disappear around the corner as he ran quickly, Menma's lips curled into a gentle and profound smile.

'This year, the surprise I've prepared for this kid will definitely take him by surprise.' He was already starting to plan.

Hinata, standing beside him, keenly noticed the change in his emotions and asked softly, "Menma-kun... seems especially happy?"

Menma snapped out of her reverie and naturally took Hinata's gloved hand again. As they slowly walked towards the Hyuga clan's territory, she softly replied, "Yes, because I thought of something...that made me very happy."

His thoughts drifted away; he had indeed been incredibly busy that year.

While handling government affairs and promoting construction in the Land of Stars, he secretly thwarted the Uchiha clan's "extermination scenario," orchestrated the Hyuga branch family's defection, led Nagato and Pain in a surprise attack on the Land of Stars, went to Amegakure to fight Jigen, and in the latter half of the year, he engaged in battles on two fronts with Sunagakure and Iwagakure...

It wasn't until the end of the year that he was finally able to steal a half-day of leisure, allowing his true form to return to Konoha, and like this, hold Hinata's hand, feeling the ordinary yet precious tranquility.

Hinata felt the warmth of the fabric emanating from the outside of her gloves; even through the fabric, the warmth seemed to seep directly into her heart.

She was no longer as nervous as before, but still retained a girlish shyness, her head slightly lowered, her face flushed, letting him lead her along the snow-sweeped streets, enjoying this rare moment of solitude.

Meanwhile, Naruto was running quickly toward his small apartment.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he abruptly stopped and looked in confusion at a thick telephone pole by the roadside.

He tilted his head and looked closely, then his eyes widened, and he pointed behind the telephone pole and shouted, "Sasuke?! What are you doing hiding here?!"

Uchiha Sasuke, dressed in a dark, practical outfit, was stiffly hiding behind a telephone pole when Naruto called him out. A blush of embarrassment instantly rose on his face. He glared at Naruto fiercely, said nothing, and quickly disappeared into the alleyway next to him.

"Huh? This guy... he's acting really strange today!" Naruto scratched his messy blond hair, looking puzzled. "Never mind! It's getting dark, I need to get home!"

After Naruto had run far away, Sasuke emerged from the alley, his face still showing lingering anger.

Beside him, Yamato, wearing an animal mask, appeared out of nowhere.

Yamato looked at Sasuke and calmly commented, "Your stealth skills and ability to conceal your presence still need improvement. You're too focused on the target and have neglected the details of blending yourself into the environment."

"Yes, Captain Yamato, I will learn from this lesson." Sasuke frowned. He thought he had hidden himself very well, and the other passersby had not noticed him at all. Why was it that Naruto, the loser, who saw through him at a glance?
This made him feel very frustrated and confused.

Naruto jogged back to his small, somewhat empty and deserted apartment.

He closed the door, shutting out the cold air, and immediately began rummaging through drawers and cabinets. From a locked little box, he carefully took out his savings for living expenses, poured them all onto the table, and meticulously counted each bill.

"One, two, three..." He counted very carefully, but his brows furrowed more and more.

There were very few banknotes on the table, not even enough to buy a decent gift. The three generations of grandfathers wouldn't be able to send living expenses until after the New Year.

"Aaaaaah—!" Naruto clutched his head, letting out a painful howl, and rolled around on the tatami mat: "I spent too much money on paint and limited-edition ramen!"

"What should I do! What should I do! Every year Brother Mianma gives me such wonderful gifts and delicious New Year's Eve dinners! This time, I absolutely have to give Brother Mianma a New Year's gift too!"

Naruto frantically grabbed his hair, then suddenly his eyes lit up, as if he had remembered something.

He jumped up, rushed into the cramped storage room, and dragged out an old bamboo basket covered in dust from the corner.

He rummaged through the contents for a while and finally found two neatly folded scarves that were clearly quite old.

One is a bright red, and the other is a slightly darker, muted red.

Naruto picked up the deep red scarf, unfolded it, looked at it, and then subconsciously put it under his nose to smell it.

"Pfft—!" A strong smell, mixed with dust and a faint musty odor, hit his nostrils, making him cough repeatedly. He quickly took off his scarf.

"Cough cough... No, no, this smell is too awful!" Naruto pinched his nose, hugged the dark red scarf to his chest without hesitation, walked quickly to the old-fashioned washing machine in the corner, carefully put it in, and poured in enough laundry detergent.

Naruto closed the washing machine lid, pressed the start button, and listened to the gurgling sound of water filling and the drum starting to spin. He breathed a sigh of relief and a look of anticipation appeared on his face.

He counted on his fingers:

"There are only three days left until the New Year... I should have enough time to wash and dry it!"

Naruto squatted on the ground, watching the red figure tumbling up and down inside the washing machine drum, his thoughts drifting back to New Year's Eve.

[PS: Today's picture shows Menma Namikaze with two women on either side; she's definitely got a lot of power (slurp)]

(End of this chapter)