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

Chapter 316 Reencounter with the AB Duo
The northwestern border of the Land of Fire is characterized by towering mountains and dense forests.

The atmosphere was somewhat somber inside a secluded outpost.

The special squad led by Minato Namikaze, including the burly Akimichi Tou, who is skilled in taijutsu and the Expansion Technique, and the keen-nosed Inuzuka Jacques, who works seamlessly with ninja dogs, had just arrived and immediately exchanged intelligence with the border patrol squad stationed there.

The garrison leader, a Chunin with a weathered face, pointed to a map spread out on a simple wooden table and reported solemnly, "Jonin Minato, in the past week, the ninjas from Kumogakure have been unusually active in the area bordering the Land of Iron and the Land of Waterfall in the north. Our people have already clashed with them three times. They are very strong, with at least one Jonin leading a team, and their fighting style is extremely fierce."

Minato's azure eyes moved intently across the map, his finger tracing the locations of the Land of Iron and the Land of Waterfalls, his brows furrowing slightly.

"The Land of Iron and the Land of Waterfall... are too far from the Land of Lightning's homeland, and are actually closer to the border of the Land of Earth." He pondered, his mind racing.

"The people of Kumogakure are going so far as to infiltrate this area... What is their goal? Do they want to create friction, provoke conflict between Konoha and Iwagakure, and then reap the benefits?"

This speculation made everyone present tense.

If that's the case, then Yunyin's ambitions are far from small, and the situation on the border may be far more complex and dangerous than imagined.

Minato made a decisive decision: "We must personally confirm the other side's intentions and scale. Doto, Jaw, and this one..."

He looked at a ninja in the garrison squad who was skilled in tracking and stealth.

"We will form a reconnaissance team of four and set off immediately to patrol the area where the conflict occurred. Remember, our primary task is to gather intelligence, confirm the other side's movements, and avoid direct combat unless absolutely necessary."

"Yes!" Akimichi Tou's voice boomed as he casually hoisted a heavy iron rod leaning against the wall onto his shoulder.

Inuzuka Jacques gently patted the head of the restless brown ninja dog beside him and whispered, "Daimaru, we're counting on you this time too."

The four-man team, like shadows blending into the forest, silently left the outpost and sped towards the northern border.

Their movements were swift and stealthy, making full use of the terrain and vegetation for cover, demonstrating extremely high tactical skills.

After a period of trekking, they arrived at a dense forest area located in a valley.

According to intelligence, this is the very place where the encounter with the Cloud Village ninja occurred a few days ago.

Just as the group was cautiously advancing into the depths of the forest, the ninja dog Daimaru, who had been quietly following along, suddenly stopped. It made a low growling sound in its throat, its fur stood on end, and its canine teeth were exposed, indicating that it was extremely anxious.

"Something's up!" Inuzuka Jacques warned immediately, his right hand instantly pressing on the hilt of the short sword at his waist.

Almost simultaneously, Minato, Akimichi Tou, and another outpost ninja immediately formed a defensive formation back to back, drew their weapons, and scanned the surrounding silent forest with sharp eyes.

Akimichi Tou held the heavy iron rod horizontally in front of him, his massive body as stable as a rock.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Three figures, like cheetahs, leaped down from the dense foliage of several large trees ahead, landing steadily on the clearing in the forest, blocking the path of the Watergate team.

They were all dressed in the dark ninja uniforms of Kumogakure. The leader was extremely tall and burly, with short blond hair, bronze skin, and bulging muscles. Just standing there, he exuded a sense of oppression like a ferocious beast.

It was A, the young son of the Third Raikage and the future Fourth Raikage.

To his left stood a young man with dark skin, wearing sunglasses, and a seemingly cynical smile on his lips, holding a chakra dagger in each hand—it was Killer Bee.

On the right is a Cloud Village ninja with an ordinary appearance.

Ai's gaze swept over Inuzuka Jacques and the baring, growling Daimaru beside him, and he clicked his tongue impatiently: "Since we've been discovered, there's nothing we can do! Bye, the original ambush plan is canceled, and we'll launch a full-scale attack! A quick and decisive victory!"

The ordinary Cloud Village Jonin beside him had his eyes fixed on Minato Namikaze. When he saw the dazzling blond hair and the sky-blue eyes, his expression changed drastically, and his voice trembled slightly as he hurriedly warned A: "Lord A! Be careful! That blond kid is Konoha's 'Yellow Flash' Minato Namikaze! He was the one who stopped us from kidnapping the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki a few years ago."

"Oh?" Ai raised his thick eyebrows, his gaze, filled with intense fighting spirit, focused on Minato, recalling the records in the village archives about that failed mission.

He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his smile full of challenge: "So it's you? The Konoha ninja who ruined our plans back then! Looks like I'm in luck today, getting to personally weigh the so-called 'Yellow Flash'!"

Minato gripped his specially made kunai tightly, leaning slightly forward to maintain the best possible stance, his tone remaining calm: "A... the successor to the Third Raikage. I've long admired your name; I've heard you possess top-tier speed in the ninja world."

Killer Bee wiggled his body to the side, rapping in his unique, rhythmic tone: "Yo~! With Big Brother in charge, I'm invincible! Konoha's Flash will be extinguished today! Idiot~ Bastard~!"

Inuzuka Jaws lowered his voice and quickly said to Minato, "Minato, the situation is bad! The opponent is the son of the Third Raikage, with a special identity and extremely strong abilities. We must find a way to send this important information back to the village!"

Minato nodded slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the three of them, especially A, whose aura was the most dangerous, and Killer Bee, who seemed casual.

He took a deep breath and whispered to his companions behind him, "Everyone be careful, watch out for any ambushes around us. I'll handle them!"

Before he could finish speaking, Minato swung his arm violently!
Boo hoo hoo-!
He casually tossed a dozen or so specially made trident kunai at the trees, ground, and rocks around the battlefield.

Almost at the same instant Minato made his move, Ai also moved!
"Thunder Escape Chakra Mode!"

Crackling——!
A deafening clap of thunder exploded!
A violent blue lightning chakra instantly covered A's entire body like a solid armor. His hair stood on end due to static electricity, and arcs of electricity danced around him. His speed, strength, and defense were instantly boosted to their limits!
He transformed into a streak of blue lightning, charging straight at Minato Namikaze with a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow and an unstoppable momentum!

With his left hand, fingers joined like a knife, wrapped in highly concentrated lightning chakra, he thrust straight at Minato's chest.

It was his signature move, "Thunder Fighter Ninja Meets Suzuki Riri Blade"!
Faced with this thunderous attack, Minato's eyes narrowed, and he did not choose to confront it head-on.

He threw the last kunai in his hand to the side and forward, and at the same time, his figure disappeared from the spot!

The art of flying thunder god!
Ai's sure-fire strike missed, the fierce lightning only piercing through the afterimage left by Minato.

He was suddenly startled: 'What?! Faster than my Lightning Release Chakra Mode?!'

Just as his old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, and his body leaned slightly forward due to the high-speed sprint, the kunai that Minato had thrown out in advance flew in an arc behind him!
The next second, Minato's figure appeared out of thin air next to the kunai that flew behind Ai!

He precisely grasped the handle of the kunai, and his arm moved forward in the same direction, the gleaming blade tip piercing straight into Ai's unsuspecting back!
This series of movements was so fluid and fast that it exceeded the reaction limits of ordinary people!
"Big brother, be careful!" Killer Bee, who had been keeping an eye on the battle out of the corner of his eye, exclaimed in alarm upon seeing this!
At this critical moment, a thick, dark red octopus tentacle covered with suckers suddenly burst out from Killer Bee's back sleeve, whipping towards Minato's arm with a whooshing sound like a whip!

Minato reacted extremely quickly, flipping his wrist to turn the kunai from a stab into a slash, and a flash of cold light appeared!
scoff!

The octopus tentacle that had attacked them snapped off with a crack and fell to the ground, still wriggling a few times.

But Minato's fatal blow was also interrupted by this sudden interference.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, lightning flashed beneath Ai's feet, and he twisted his body rapidly, retreating at an almost impossible angle. He narrowly avoided being pierced by the kunai and reunited with Killer Bee and another Cloud Villager.

He glanced at the severed tentacle on the ground with lingering fear, and said to Killer Bee in a deep voice, "Thanks, Bee! Are you alright?"

The severed tentacle behind Killer Bee quickly retracted, and the muscles at the wound twitched, seemingly healing rapidly.

"No problem, bro! Hey!"

Meanwhile, in Konoha, Akimichi Tou and Inuzuka Jagami's expressions changed drastically the moment they saw the iconic octopus tentacles!
"That's... an octopus tail?!"

"Could it be... that guy wearing sunglasses is... the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki?!"

Inuzuka Jacques immediately shouted anxiously to Minato, "Minato! The situation has changed! The enemy has even deployed the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki! This is beyond the scope of our reconnaissance mission! We must retreat immediately and send the intelligence back!"

The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki—that's a strategic weapon!
Once the opponent fully transforms into a tailed beast or goes berserk, the four of them alone are simply powerless to resist, and may even be completely wiped out!

At this moment, sending back the crucial information that "the future Raikage candidate of Kumogakure and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki have appeared at the border of the Land of Fire" is far more important than engaging in a battle here with an uncertain outcome and extremely high risk!
Hearing the other's exclamation, Killer Bee smugly twisted around and began his clumsy rap again: "That's right~ The Eight-Tails is me, Killer Bee! Tremble, you Konoha lackeys~ Idiots~ bastards..."

His rap had barely begun when the Konoha members, at Minato's signal, started to slowly retreat, preparing to find an opportunity to disengage from the battle.

However, at this tense moment when tensions were about to escalate, a clear, slightly languid young voice suddenly rang out from the sky above them:

"Wow, it looks lively here. Did I arrive at the right time?"

The sudden sound was like a boulder being thrown into a calm lake!
The seven ninjas from Konoha and Kumogakure, on both sides of the battle, felt a sudden chill run down their spines!
There's a third party involved on the battlefield?!
They were completely unaware?!
Everyone, including Ai who was preparing to launch an attack and Minato who was on high alert and ready to retreat, subconsciously stopped what they were doing and looked up sharply toward the source of the sound.

A figure was seen silently hovering in mid-air, dozens of meters above the ground.

The sunlight outlined a dazzling silhouette behind him, making it difficult to see his face for a moment.

However, one could vaguely discern that he was a slightly thin boy, shrouded in a soft and mysterious golden chakra light. Most peculiarly, on both sides of his forehead, there seemed to be a pair of small, green protrusions that resembled dragon horns.

Minato Namikaze's pupils suddenly contracted!
With his exceptional eyesight and keen sense of chakra, he instantly recognized the figure!
It's him!

A few days ago in Konoha Village, there was that mysterious black-haired boy who could also use Rasengan and Adamantine Sealing Barrier, and then flew away into thin air!

How come he is here? !
Moreover... the chakra within him seemed to have become even more vast compared to a few days ago, even carrying a chilling pressure!

For a moment, both the ninjas of Konoha and Kumogakure temporarily forgot their antagonism, and all their attention was drawn to this uninvited guest who had suddenly arrived with a strange and powerful aura.

The air in the forest seemed to freeze.

The fact that the dough was suspended in mid-air was somewhat unexpected.

He had just absorbed the power of the giant Tenseigan from inside the moon and adapted to this new Tenseigan chakra mode. He was returning to the ninja world to find his next target, such as some old guy hiding deep underground.

As luck would have it, as soon as I came out of the passage, I sensed the A/B combination of Minato Namikaze and Kumogakure.

Judging from this situation, it seems that the two sides have only just begun to make contact and are still in the probing offensive phase.

His gaze swept over the tense atmosphere below, especially since the Konoha side had already shown signs of retreating.

'Since the fate of the Otsutsuki clan on the moon has already been changed, it seems harmless to change it a little more.' Menma thought to himself, a slight smile playing on his lips. On the ground, Killer Bee and the Fourth Hokage A, along with the Cloud Village Jonin behind them, all looked up at the golden figure radiating light in the sky with expressions of great alarm.

The chakra cloak enveloping the boy exuded a breathtaking grandeur and sacredness, not to mention his unparalleled flight ability, which was rare even in the entire ninja world—all of this demonstrated the extraordinary nature of this young man.

However, the Fourth A's temper was as direct as his lightning style.

He suppressed his shock, the veins on his thick neck throbbing slightly, and roared into the air, "Hey! You cowardly fellow in the sky! Who are you?!"

The sound was like thunder, echoing through the woods.

Meanwhile, in Killer Bee's mental world, the Eight-Tailed Gyūki, who had been somewhat indifferent, "saw" Menma through Killer Bee's vision. In particular, when it sensed the chakra aura that, although different in nature, faintly reminded it of an ancient being, the giant octopus's body trembled violently.

The Eight-Tailed Gyūki let out a surprised sound that only Killer Bee could hear:

'This...this chakra?! Although it feels different, how can it be so similar to the old man's?! Impossible!'

Mianma ignored Ai's roar.

His body rippled with golden chakra, and he descended as lightly as a feather, landing precisely in the open space between the forces of Konoha and Kumogakure, as if an invisible boundary had been drawn between them.

He landed silently, even casually, one hand on his hip, slightly turning his head, his gaze passing over the three Cloud Village members who were on high alert, and landing directly on Minato Namikaze, his tone as relaxed as if he had bumped into an acquaintance:

"Oh, I didn't expect to see you again so soon, Minato."

He originally thought that the next time they met might be in Loulan.

Because his next goal is to cause trouble for Uchiha Madara and Jigen, he will inevitably further disrupt the fate of this world.

He had even considered leaving some crucial information for the young and energetic Watergate before he left, in order to prevent some of the tragedies that had occurred in that world.

Anyway, enough has already been changed, so this little bit won't make a difference.

His familiar greeting instantly created a subtle atmosphere in the room.

Akimichi Toudou and Inuzuka Jaw exchanged a glance unconsciously, then looked at Minato with a questioning look.

The fourth generation A and Killer Bee on the opposite side immediately turned their wary gazes toward Minato Namikaze.

This mysterious person is actually an acquaintance of Minato?

So, is he an ally of Konoha?
Minato Namikaze's azure eyes were filled with solemnity and confusion.

He gripped the specially made kunai tightly in his hand, looking at Menma's powerful and mysterious demeanor, which was completely different from a few days ago, especially the pair of peculiar horns on his forehead and the golden chakra cloak around his body that resembled a tailed beast's coat.

Minato asked in a deep voice, "Menma... why are you here?"

The timing and location of this mysterious person's appearance are crucial.

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Hokage A snorted coldly, interrupting Minato's question. His arm muscles bulged, and lightning flickered once more: "Hmph! So these really are reinforcements sent by Konoha? Playing tricks! But since they're here, they'll all stay!"

Before he could finish speaking, he used the same trick again!

"Thunder Escape Chakra Mode!"

boom!
Blue lightning erupted once more, and Ai transformed into a blue bolt of lightning that tore through the air. This time, his target was Menma, who had just landed and seemed completely unprepared!

He concentrated all his power in his right fist, intending to blast this mysterious guy away with a single blow!

Faced with this thunderous blow that could split mountains and shatter rocks, Menma didn't even turn around to look at it.

He merely turned his head slightly, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the rapidly approaching blue lightning bolt.

At the same time, the tightly closed slit directly above his brow suddenly opened!

A golden Tenseigan, imbued with immense pressure and power, coldly "stared" at Ai charging towards him.

Mianma didn't even raise a finger; he simply uttered four words as if swatting away mosquitoes:

"Shenra Tianzheng."

Om-!
An invisible yet incredibly powerful repulsive force suddenly erupted forward in a fan shape, centered on Mianma!
"What?!" Fourth Generation Ai felt as if he had crashed into an invisible mountain range that was moving at high speed!

No, it's even more terrifying than that!
His violent lightning chakra crumbled instantly like paper before this power!

boom--! ! !
A dull thud!

Ai Qianchong's momentum came to an abrupt halt. He flew backward uncontrollably at an even faster speed than he had come, crashing heavily into a giant tree behind him that required several people to encircle!

"Big brother!" Killer Bee exclaimed, reacting quickly as he leaped into the air and barely managed to catch Ai in mid-air. However, the enormous impact caused him to slide backward for more than ten meters, carving two deep furrows in the ground before he finally regained his footing.

"Cough..." Ai felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and his chest was churning with blood. He forced himself not to vomit blood, but his face was full of horror and disbelief.

He stared intently at the boy in the distance, who still stood with one hand on his hip, seemingly doing nothing, his voice slightly hoarse: "Just now... I think I bumped into an invisible wall..."

"To be more precise, it felt like I was being charged at full force by a rampaging Ox-Demon! But I couldn't see what was attacking me at all! It was like... like I was being attacked by thin air!"

Killer Bee supported Ai, his eyes behind his sunglasses filled with surprise and uncertainty.

On the Konoha side, Akimichi Toudou, Inuzuka Jacques, and the others were also dumbfounded.

"What...what just happened?" Akimichi Tou gripped the iron rod in his hand and asked in a gruff voice, "I think I saw Ai suddenly fly out?"

Inuzuka Jacques crouched down, comforting the ninja dog Daimaru who was trembling from sensing the terrifying power. His expression was extremely solemn: "There were no hand seals, no movements, and not even any signs of chakra usage... What kind of ninjutsu or... bloodline limit is this?"

Minato Namikaze frowned. He noticed that the grass in the fan-shaped area in front of Menma was not blown down by the wind, but was neatly pressed to the ground, as if it had been instantly crushed by an invisible heavy object.

'Is it some kind of area-wide repulsive force? The intensity is ridiculously high, and that eye on his forehead...' he quickly analyzed in his mind.

The fact that he could so easily defeat Ai, who was known for his speed, instantly raised his assessment of the boy's danger to the highest level.

Menma slowly turned around, facing the three people from Kumogakure. The golden Tenseigan on his forehead indifferently swept over the still-shaken A and the tense Killer Bee.

He took a step forward, his steps light, as if he were strolling in a courtyard.

This simple step made Ai and Kira feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy, and cold sweat instantly soaked their backs!
The opponent's abilities are too bizarre, and their attack methods are completely incomprehensible. The oppressive feeling brought by this unknown is even more suffocating than facing a thousand troops!

However, Menma only took one step before stopping.

He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something, then a helpless smile appeared on his face, and he said in a low voice as if talking to himself:

"What? You want to eat the Eight-Tails? Forget it, although Gyūki has a lot of chakra, it's just a mosquito's leg to you right now, not very useful. Don't worry, wait until I find the Ten-Tails, then I'll let you eat your fill."

He was communicating with Xiao Jiu, who was becoming somewhat agitated due to sensing the Eight-Tails' chakra.

Of course, Mianma also had a slight intention to let everyone present hear it.

Revealing information beyond their comprehension can sometimes stir up more trouble than taking direct action.

These words were spoken softly, but all the ninjas present, with their keen ears and sharp eyes, heard them clearly.

Want to eat an octopus?!
The three members of the Cloud Village group instantly changed their expressions. The Fourth Hokage, A, looked at Menma with murderous intent. How dare he covet their Cloud Village's tailed beast!

Meanwhile, Akimichi Tou and Inuzuka Jacques from Konoha looked at each other in dismay. "Eat a tailed beast?"

What kind of insane statement is this?
What puzzled them even more was the Ten-Tails?
what is that?
The tailed beasts that are passed down in the ninja world are from the One-Tailed Beast to the Nine-Tailed Beast, right?
When did a ten-tailed fox appear?
Just as everyone was stunned by these unbelievable words, Killer Bee was about to complain to the Eight-Tailed Gyūki in the mental world about this guy who was spouting nonsense.

"Run! Run! Run!" Suddenly, a roar, unprecedented in its terror and panic, erupted from the demon within him, the voice even trembling slightly.
'Immediately! Get out of here! As far away as possible!!!'

Killer Bee froze completely!

He was of one mind with the Ox Demon and could clearly feel the fear that his companion was experiencing at that moment, a fear that seemed to pierce the sky!

This level of panic was something he had never felt from Niugui before!

Even when Gyuki went berserk and was suppressed by the Third Raikage with all his might, Gyuki was only angry and resentful, never like he is now.

It was a desperate situation, as if we had encountered our natural enemy!
'You devil! You bastard!' Killer Bee responded instinctively in his mind, his voice slightly hoarse.

Don't ask! Just go!

However, Niu Gui's voice was urgent, even trembling slightly.

[PS: My finger is injured. I want this pain to transcend time and space—I need to carry a bag of rice up several flights of stairs!]

(End of this chapter)