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

Chapter 322 Cixian: Who exactly are you?!
Jigen, or rather, the Otsutsuki Isshiki currently occupying this body.

His face, devoid of eyebrows, still maintained a calm and understated elegance.

He frantically searched his mind for the long memories this body carried over thousands of years, and confirmed once again that he had never seen the black-haired boy in front of him, nor had he ever encountered any human whose aura or appearance resembled his.

But this did not cause much of a stir in his heart.

As his power, which had been depleted after being ambushed and severely injured by Kaguya, gradually recovered, his control over this "vessel" became increasingly perfect.

In his eyes, unless it was that treacherous woman Kaguya Otsutsuki who betrayed him, or her two wicked sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, who personally descended, there was no one on this planet who could threaten him.

The boy before me is perhaps just an ant who knows a few secrets.

Therefore, his eyes did not reveal any wariness or murderous intent. Instead, they held a hint of curiosity, like observing a novel insect. He spoke calmly, his voice low and steady: "You know me? But in my memory, there seems to be no recollection of you."

Seeing this, Samantabhadra, who was standing to the side, secretly thought that something was wrong.

He quickly put down his delicate repair tools, took off his oil-stained gloves, and strode forward, forcing a smile to ease the tension: "Gentlemen! Please come in and sit down! Whether this young man is here to buy something or specifically to see Mr. Cixian, since he's entered my Santu family's shop, he's my customer! Come, come, this way, this way!"

As he spoke, he quickly tidied up a table and a few chairs that were piled with miscellaneous items, wiped the dust off them with a rag, and warmly invited Mianma and Xiangcao to sit down.

However, neither Menma nor Jigen paid any attention to Amado's greetings.

The two remained standing in the same spot, their gazes meeting in the air, as if invisible arcs of electricity were crackling between them.

The atmosphere inside the small shop was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe, and a heavy sense of impending doom permeated the air.

Behind Menma, Vanilla Whirlpool unconsciously hugged the oil-paper umbrella in her arms, her petite body tensing slightly.

With Menma's "development" of her over the past few days, her Uzumaki clan bloodline has been guided and activated, and her sensory abilities have far surpassed those of ordinary ninjas.

However, she discovered that she could not sense any chakra fluctuations from Jigen at all!
It's as if he doesn't exist!
'This person... is terrifying...' Alarm bells rang in Vanilla's mind. This was the first time she had encountered an undetectable being since activating the Uzumaki clan's sensory abilities!

She cautiously observed Jigen, pondering to herself: 'Is he the target Lord Menma has been searching for? Is he an enemy?'

Seeing that the two remained locked in a stalemate, Amado's smile began to fade.

He took a deep drag of the cigarette in his mouth with a solemn expression, then forcefully stubbed it out in a metal ashtray on the counter with a soft "hiss".

Amado's feelings were quite complicated.

His acquaintance with Jigen dates back to the turbulent Second Shinobi World War.

At that time, he was just an ordinary Chunin with some skills in Amegakure. He was somewhat famous in the village for repairing and making ninja tools and mechanisms, but in a war of that level, someone like him was still like an ant.

Jigen took the initiative to approach him and commissioned some special ninja tools with extremely complex structures and unknown uses.

Although the manufacturing process was extremely difficult, the other party was very generous and would occasionally share some technical concepts with him that far exceeded the current level of the ninja world, which made Amado, who was obsessed with technical research, unable to refuse.

After several years of collaboration, the two became regular business partners.

Amado gradually learned that there seemed to be a secret organization behind Jigen, with many powerful ninjas under its command, and even connections with some multinational conglomerates and national nobles.

Cixian has never lacked money and resources, but he seems to be severely lacking in top-notch technical talent, so he has tried many times to recruit Amado.

However, Amado was worried about his seriously ill daughter, Akabbi, and only wanted to keep his small repair shop and live a peaceful and stable life, away from all the troubles and disputes.

But now...

Seeing the tense atmosphere inside the store, Amado felt uneasy.

He knew all too well what this standoff between ninjas meant. Once they started fighting, not only his small repair shop, but the entire street would probably suffer!

Just as the invisible standoff between Menma and Jigen was becoming increasingly tense, as if sparks were about to fly in the air, and the two were on the verge of a sudden attack.

A weak, sickly female voice came from the stairwell leading to the second floor inside the shop.

"Father……"

Although the sound was faint, it was like a fine needle, piercing the extremely tense atmosphere in the store at just the right moment.

Menma and Cixian almost simultaneously reduced some of their outward aura, shifting their gazes from each other to the source of the sound.

A young woman with medium-length blonde hair, a pale and haggard face, and wearing a light blue dress was seen weakly leaning against the door frame, breathing heavily.

She had a pair of pale purple eyes, which appeared somewhat dim due to illness, but the gentle nature beneath them was still evident.

This was none other than the daughter of Samantabhadra, whom he cherished dearly, Samantabhadra Akabbi.

"Akabi!" Upon seeing this, Amado disregarded the tense situation in the store and rushed forward to carefully support his daughter's swaying body, his voice filled with tension and concern.

"Why did you get down? Didn't I tell you to rest in bed?"

Akabbi leaned on his father's arm, managing to stand with difficulty. He gave Amado a reassuring, weak smile and whispered, "I'm fine, Father... I just lay there for too long and wanted to get up and check on you... Did you eat on time today? Don't overwork yourself..."

Although her voice was weak and faint, her concern for her father was genuine and heartfelt.

Menma looked at Akaibi, who was completely different from the "Delda" in Boruto whom he knew, who was created as a clone and had a violent and aggressive personality, and a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes.

The daughter of Santu Amado, who completely recruited Jigen's 'Kara' organization, Santu Akabiya, has such a gentle and understanding personality.

Menma stopped making pointless eye contact with Jigen and walked straight past him as if he were just a passerby, calmly sitting down at the table that Amado had just cleared out.

He even turned to Vanilla, who was still standing nervously at the door, and said, "Come in, it's cold and damp outside."

Upon hearing this, Xiangcao felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly shook the rain off her oil-paper umbrella, leaned against the door, and then walked quickly behind Mianma, standing properly with her red eyes still glancing warily at Cixian from time to time.

Upon seeing Menma's actions, a subtle, unfathomable look seemed to flash across Cixian's unfathomable eyes.

He didn't choose to make a move immediately either. Instead, he silently turned around, walked to the table opposite Mianma, and sat down calmly.

It was as if the tense standoff had never happened.

Amado watched as the two finally sat down. Although the atmosphere was still delicate, at least there was no immediate sign of them taking action, and he finally felt half relieved.

He quickly and carefully helped his daughter, Akabby, to a makeshift bed behind the counter, covered with an old quilt. Then, he hurriedly began boiling water and making tea, trying to maintain this hard-won and fragile peace in the simplest way possible.

The rain was pouring down outside the window.

Inside the shop, Amado brewed several cups of coarse tea and placed them on the tables in front of Mianma and Cixian. The tea was steaming slightly, making it seem especially precious on this cold, rainy day.

He rubbed his hands together, a hint of trepidation in his voice, and cautiously asked the man with the cleavage, "Sir, may I ask what brings you to our shop today?"

His gaze darted between Mianma and Cixian, praying in his heart that they weren't there to cause trouble.

Cixian gracefully picked up the rough ceramic teacup, a gesture quite different from his usual preference for red wine, but he did not show any dissatisfaction.

He was willing to show Amado, a genius scientist who was a rare find in his life and had an amazing talent for combining technology with ninja tools, and he was willing to show him enough patience and courtesy.

Cixian took a small sip of the slightly bitter tea, his gaze falling on Mianma across from him, awaiting his reply.

Menma did not immediately answer Amado's question. His gaze passed over the two of them and landed on the frail figure curled up on the small bed behind the counter, occasionally coughing softly.

He held the warm teacup in both hands, as if absorbing its warmth, then turned his gaze to Amado and spoke in a calm tone, but the content surprised everyone: "The matter of Cixian can be put aside for now. Mr. Amado, how long has your daughter Akabbi's illness lasted?"

This abrupt turn of events stunned Amado, and alarm bells immediately went off in his mind.

As a father, especially one whose daughter is seriously ill, he was instinctively wary of anyone who mentioned her condition. "Why...why are you asking this?"

Menma took a small sip of tea, put down the teacup, and his voice remained calm, but he dropped a bombshell: "I have some connections with the Sannin of Konoha, especially Tsunade, who is proficient in medical ninjutsu. If your daughter needs treatment, I might be able to help you make the connection."

"The Legendary Sannin of Konoha? Tsunade?!" Amado looked surprised.

As a ninja, how could he not have heard of these legendary names!

Especially Tsunade, renowned throughout the ninja world for her exceptional medical ninjutsu skills, is hailed as the strongest medical ninja of this era. If... if we could really get her to help, maybe... maybe Guy really could be saved!
The thought spread through his mind like wildfire.

He had considered taking his daughter to Konoha for medical treatment, but firstly, as a Chunin from Amegakure, he had no connections in Konoha; secondly, hiring a ninja of Tsunade's caliber would cost an astronomical sum, far beyond what a small repair shop owner like him could afford.

He subconsciously glanced at Cixian, who was quietly drinking tea beside him and whose emotions were unreadable, and then looked back at his daughter on the bed, whose face was flushed from coughing. The scales in his heart began to tip.

Ultimately, his desire for his daughter's recovery overcame his wariness of strangers. He slowly stepped aside, making way for the path behind the counter, his voice trembling slightly: "...Please."

Menma stood up and followed Amado to the small bed behind the counter.

Vanilla immediately put down her teacup and followed closely behind Menma, watching with a mixture of curiosity and worry.

Amado sat by the bedside, carefully helping his weak daughter to sit up.

Despite being plagued by illness, Akabby still managed to give Menma a gentle, slightly curious smile as she approached his bedside, and said in a weak voice, "You... hello... my name is Santu... Akabby."

"My name is Menma, Whirlpool Menma." Menma introduced himself simply, then reached out and gently placed his hand on Akabby's slender wrist.

His movements seemed ordinary, but the next moment, Amado and Vanilla could vaguely sense an extremely subtle yet perfectly controlled chakra, like countless soft threads, spreading from Menma's fingertips and silently seeping into Akabby's chakra meridians, beginning to meticulously explore her body.

At first, Mianma's brows furrowed slightly.

His chakra flowed through Akabbi's body, but the feedback showed that everything was "normal," which was clearly inconsistent with his previous guess.

This “normal” situation seems extremely unusual.

“Hmm…” Akabby let out a soft groan, then smiled weakly and said softly, “It’s a warm chakra…and it feels a little itchy…Mr. Menma is a very gentle person.”

"Gentle?" Menma repeated noncommittally, as if asking himself, or perhaps responding, but his gaze became even more focused.

He changed his detection strategy, no longer pursuing precise perception, but suddenly increasing his chakra output!
hum-

A dark red chakra light instantly surged from Menma's palm, gently enveloping Akabby's entire body like a warm tide!

Amado saw his daughter enveloped in unfamiliar chakra, and then looked at Menma's increasingly furrowed brows. His heart leaped into his throat, and his palms sweated with nervousness.

This time, Mianma quickly noticed the anomaly!

As his chakra spread across Akabbi's entire body like mercury, he keenly sensed that near Akabbi's heart, there were several extremely tiny "cavities" that were almost integrated with the surrounding tissue.

These "voids" are not physical defects, but rather more like... an "absolute vacuum zone" of chakra. They perfectly evade conventional means of perception, and even the most elite medical ninjas would probably find it difficult to detect them.

Menma came up with this unconventional detection method precisely because he knew Jigen's chakra characteristics: since he couldn't sense the problem, he would fill every corner with chakra, and wherever it couldn't be covered, that was the root of the problem!
Having found the target, Menma immediately manipulated the massive dark red chakra, like a gentle yet firm tide, carefully pushing those stubborn, "refusing" tiny "voids" away from Akabby's heart from their original position, along the meridians, and finally "forcing" them out from the surface of her skin!

The moment these extremely faint, almost invisible strands of abnormal chakra left Akabby's body, they vanished into the air as quickly as snow exposed to sunlight.

Even Amado, who was right next to it, only caught a glimpse of a very blurry distortion out of the corner of his eye, and before he could examine it closely, it had vanished without a trace.

“Hmm…” Akabby suddenly let out a soft groan, startling Amado.

But then, a healthy blush rose on Akabby's previously pale face. She blinked and said with some surprise, "I feel... my chest doesn't feel so tight anymore... my breathing is much easier... and, Father, I... I'm so hungry..."

As she spoke, she surprisingly stood up slowly by herself, supporting herself on the edge of the bed without Amado's help!
Although she was still somewhat weak, it was a world of difference from when she was terminally ill and could barely stand!

Amado was overwhelmed with joy when he saw the renewed sparkle in his daughter's eyes and the appetite she hadn't shown in a long time. He was so excited that he could hardly speak.

Menma stood up and said to Amado and his daughter, who were immersed in joy, "The problem has been solved, but the long-term damage to your body will require slow recuperation. Eating on time and replenishing your nutrition will help you recover gradually."

However, the next moment, his expression suddenly turned serious, an expression that Vanilla had never seen on his face before.

He turned to Vanilla and ordered sternly, "Vanilla, take Mr. Amado and Miss Akabby to Yahiko and the others immediately. Tell Yahiko that what I warned about before might happen sooner than expected, and tell them to prepare as soon as possible."

Xiangcao trembled slightly, sensing the gravity of the situation from Mianma's solemn tone. She dared not delay and quickly replied, "Yes, sir!"

Amado was still immersed in the joy of her daughter's improved condition when she heard Menma's words. She was stunned for a moment, and then followed Menma's gaze to see Cixian, who was still sitting at the table, elegantly sipping tea, seemingly indifferent to everything.

A thought he had never considered struck his mind like lightning, instantly plunging him into an icy abyss!

Could it be... that Akabby's illness... was caused by Jigen?!

He had suspected genetics, environmental factors, and even that he had accidentally exposed his daughter to some dangerous ninja tool materials, but he never suspected this very friendly partner who had been working with him for years and occasionally inquired about Akabby's condition!

A surge of anger and chilling rage at being betrayed by someone he trusted instantly welled up inside him. Amado shielded his daughter, letting her leave with Vanilla through the back door, while he turned to Jigen, his voice trembling with anger and disbelief: "Tell me! Jigen! Did you do this?"

Cixian finally put down her teacup, making a crisp clinking sound.

He dismissed Amado's questions with disdain, not even bothering to lift his eyelids, and simply said in a flat, even cold tone, "It's just a little trick to ensure the smooth progress of the cooperation. After all, someone as talented as you needs a little guidance and restraint."

His gaze bypassed the furious Amado and landed directly on Menma. For the first time, genuine curiosity and inquiry appeared in his eyebrowless eyes: "What I'm more curious about is how you saw through my plan? And you seem... to know me very well?"

Before he could finish speaking, Cixian had already made his move!
He didn't even form a hand seal; he simply raised his right hand gracefully, his five fingers slightly spread.

Boo hoo hoo-!
Several half-meter-long, jet-black chakra rods, exuding a chilling and ominous aura, appeared out of thin air beside Menma. They shot towards Menma from all sorts of tricky angles, with a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air!

The speed was beyond imagination!

However, faced with this sudden and deadly attack, Menma did not even move a step.

Just as those black chakra rods were about to touch his body—

"Shinra Tenzheng!"

An invisible yet immense and terrifying repulsive force erupted from the center of Mianma!
Bang bang bang bang—!
The dense pounding sounds were like raindrops hitting banana leaves!

All the black chakra rods that shot towards them, upon contact with that invisible repulsive field, were as if they had crashed into an indestructible wall of sighs. Not only did their forward momentum instantly dissipate, but they were also violently bounced away, twisted, or even partially shattered by the intense conflict between the repulsive force and the cold chakra contained within the black rods themselves!
The violent repulsive force, mixed with shattered chakra energy, swept through the small repair shop like an out-of-control hurricane!

Boom——! !

Wooden walls, display windows, neatly arranged ninja tools, workbenches...

Everything, crushed by this force, was as fragile as a paper toy, instantly shattering into countless fragments that squeezed and collapsed inward!
After letting out a groan of despair, the roof of the entire shop collapsed with a deafening roar!

Smoke and dust mixed with rainwater shot into the sky!

Vanilla, who had just escaped through the back door with Amado and Akabby, hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath when she felt the ground beneath her feet suddenly tremble!
She turned around in horror and saw that the small house where Amado and his daughter had lived had been reduced to ruins in the billowing smoke and rain!
“This…this is…” Amado held his frightened daughter tightly, staring at the scene before him in disbelief.

However, what shocked them even more was yet to come.

Bang!
With a muffled thud, a white figure shot out from the billowing dust and ruins, crashing heavily into an abandoned tin-roofed house across the street. The impact created a huge dent in the fragile tin wall, embedding the figure completely inside, accompanied by a piercing metallic twisting sound!
It's Tzu-hsien!
Immediately afterwards, amidst the pattering rain, Mianma's figure calmly and slowly emerged from the still-lingering dust.

He remained spotless, and the rainwater slid off automatically.

In his right hand, he had somehow acquired a black chakra rod about one and a half meters long, completely black.

Menma stood on the edge of the ruins, with smoke and dust slowly rising behind her.

He looked down at Cixian, who was struggling to his feet from the dent in the metal sheet, wiping a trace of dark red blood from the corner of his mouth in a slightly disheveled manner, with a cold gaze.

Cixian's previous air of complete control and composure has completely vanished.

He clutched his aching chest, looked up at the man opposite him holding a black stick, and for the first time, an undisguised look of surprise and solemnity appeared on his eyebrowless face.

The opponent actually knows how to use chakra rods...

This is a creation of Yin-Yang Escape Technique! It is a weapon that only those who have mastered the power of the Six Paths can condense and use!
Since the deaths of that vile woman's sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, there should be no one in the ninja world who knows how to create and use this power!

This black-haired boy... not only can he see through my hidden methods, but now he has even taken out a black chakra rod that only the Otsutsuki clan can use!
He is definitely not an ordinary native of this planet!

Cixian stared intently at Mianma, his voice carrying an unprecedented seriousness and questioning tone, echoing through the rain and ruins:
"Who...are you?!"

[P.S.: Today's picture features Hinata, the boss.]

(End of this chapter)