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

Chapter 368 Jiraiya and Boruto
Menma casually stepped on young Sasuke's shoulder with one foot, firmly pressing him to the bottom of the pit.

Then, Menma turned with great interest to Boruto, who was standing there dumbfounded, and stared at him with the white mask.

“Interesting…” Menma’s voice rang out again, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry and curiosity: “You actually have the aura of the Otsutsuki on you.”

These words sent a chill down the spines of both young Sasuke and Boruto.

This incredibly powerful and mysterious person actually saw through the "Karma" that Momoshiki Otsutsuki had planted in Boruto's body at a glance.
How can this be? !
How could anyone know of the existence of the Otsutsuki clan at this point in time?!

Menma observed the young Sasuke and Boruto at his feet through his mask, and was quite satisfied with their reactions.

He slowly raised the left hand that had just pinned down young Sasuke, his five fingers slightly spread, and made a grasping motion towards Boruto, who was standing motionless.

"Come here, let me take a closer look..."

Boruto tried to back away, but his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground.

It wasn't that he was trapped by any technique, but rather that the fear of being targeted by a top predator made his body disobey him.

Young Sasuke struggled at the bottom of the pit, but Menma's feet pressed down on his shoulders like a mountain, completely suppressing his chakra, making it difficult for him to even move a finger.

"Boruto...run..." the young Sasuke shouted hoarsely.

Just as Menma's hand was about to touch Boruto.

"The technique of messing up the lion's hair!"

A powerful, deep, and furious shout exploded like thunder!

At the same time, a thick, strong, and seemingly alive white hair swept in from the side like a waterfall, moving at great speed. Its target was not Menma, but Boruto!

The white hair was incredibly agile, instantly wrapping around Boruto's waist and then pulling him backward with a sudden movement!
Boruto felt a powerful force coming at him, and he was forced to fly backward involuntarily.

Mianma paused slightly, stopping in mid-air.

He slowly turned his head to look in the direction from which the attack was coming.

At the other end of the street, a tall, white-haired figure appeared out of nowhere.

His face was painted with red greasepaint, he wore a red jacket and wooden clogs, and carried a huge scroll on his back. He was none other than Jiraiya, one of the legendary "Three Ninjas"!

Jiraiya's expression was grave, his hands still in a hand seal position, as he looked at Boruto, whom he had saved: "Kid, are you alright?"

Boruto looked up, staring blankly at Jiraiya, whom he had seen in a photograph in his father's study.

Mianma clicked his tongue.

He had actually noticed long ago that a chakra reaction had been hidden in the shadows of nearby buildings since the start of the battle.

It was very well hidden, almost blending into the environment, but it couldn't escape Kagura's keen perception.

So Menma deliberately "slowed down" because he knew that after Boruto revealed his Rasengan, Jiraiya would definitely not let him capture Boruto.

Sure enough, after Jiraiya saved Boruto, his hands were already rapidly forming hand seals again, and then he suddenly knelt down on one knee and slammed his right hand hard on the ground!
"Psychic art!"

boom! ! !
A massive plume of white smoke, accompanied by intense chakra surges, shot into the sky!

The smoke quickly dissipated, revealing a gigantic toad, as large as a small mountain, with dark red skin, a huge pipe in its mouth, bandages wrapped around its waist, and two short swords crossed on its back, standing out on the streets of Konoha!
Its massive size occupied most of the street, casting a shadow that enveloped everyone.

"Gamabunta!" Jiraiya stood atop Gamabunta's head with a still-shaken Boruto.

"The Asura of the Ninja World..." Gamabunta, with his pipe dangling from his lips, took a deep drag and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. His enormous frog eyes stared intently at the black-robed, masked figure below, who appeared incredibly small in comparison yet exuded an aura that made even him feel uneasy. He spoke in a muffled voice, his voice booming like thunder.

"Tsk, Jiraiya, you never come out of my way, and this time you've run into this troublesome guy." Although his tone was complaining, Gamabunta had already lowered his body slightly and entered a fighting stance, with the hilt of his short sword already in his claws.

Jiraiya stood atop Bunta's head, the wind whipping his long white hair backward.

He stared intently at the Shura below, who was trampling on the young Sasuke, his face painted with an unusually solemn expression in the twilight.

“Although I personally do not wish to be your enemy, but…” He glanced around at the chaotic street, the injured Sasuke and Sai lying on the ground, and the unfamiliar one-armed traveler trampled at the bottom of a ditch, his tone resolute:
"This is Konoha! Not your Land of Stars!"

"Shura, you've crossed the line!"

Boruto sat atop Gamabunta's bumpy head, his heart still pounding from the terrifying moment just moments before.

He subconsciously gripped the wrinkled skin on Wen Tai's head, feeling the steady and powerful pulse of the giant beast beneath his feet, but his gaze involuntarily turned to the tall, white-haired man beside him.

His long white hair danced wildly in the evening breeze, and his red paint stood out strikingly in the afterglow of the setting sun. His sturdy back exuded a powerful aura of weathered experience yet unyielding spirit.

'This is... the master my father often mentioned, the legendary Sannin, the hero Jiraiya?' Boruto was shocked.

In his time, Jiraiya was already a legendary hero, existing only in his father's memories and in the memorial inscriptions of Konoha.

Now, seeing this living legend in person, especially since he had just saved me at the last second, I was overwhelmed with a sense of awe and a strange feeling of closeness.

Seemingly sensing Boruto's gaze, Jiraiya slightly turned his head and glanced at the blond boy out of the corner of his eye.

His sharp eyes instantly caught the lingering fear on Boruto's face. Of course, what Jiraiya cared about most was the technique that the kid had just used.

"Hey kid, are you alright?" Jiraiya's voice was still loud, but his tone was much gentler than when he had yelled at "Shura" earlier, and even carried a hint of concern.

He was just wandering around the village, wondering which bathhouse he could visit to gain "inspiration," when he happened to sense an unusual clash of chakra here.

At first, he was just observing from the shadows and did not intend to get involved. After all, it was normal for the village's secret service to deal with suspicious individuals.

However, when Shura suddenly appeared and instantly subdued the two ANBU and the suspicious travelers with overwhelming power, he knew things were not simple.

What truly prompted him to act immediately was the Rasengan that Boruto conjured as he recklessly charged towards Shura!
He was very familiar with this technique.

That was the culmination of his hard work, which he had personally watched his disciple, Minato Namikaze, develop and perfect bit by bit.

After Minato and Kushina's sacrifice, the only people who mastered this technique, besides Minato himself, were Kakashi, who inherited some of Minato's skills.

This blond boy of unknown origin can actually use the Rasengan?

In any case, the other party must be connected to Minato, and even to himself!
Without hesitation, he stepped in and saved Boruto. "I-I'm alright!" Boruto snapped back to reality, shaking his head hastily, his voice filled with gratitude and a hint of nervousness in front of a legendary figure: "Thank you, Uncle! Thank you so much!"

He almost blurted out the nickname "the lecherous immortal" that he had heard from his father, but luckily he stopped himself in time.

Jiraiya hummed in response, then turned his gaze to the other side.

In the shadow of Gamabunta's body, young Sasuke, supported by Sai, struggled to his feet from a pile of rubble and broken wood, coughing violently with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Young Sasuke's handsome face was slightly pale with pain and anger, but his Sharingan eyes were filled with disbelief and shock as he stared intently at the one-armed man at the bottom of the pit, who was being trampled under Shura's feet and unable to move.

That fleeting glimpse in the blink of an eye...

You can’t go wrong!
Although it was only for a moment, he was certain he saw it!

The one-armed man who called himself "Zuoyun" flashed a scarlet color and a magatama pattern in his right eye!
'That's... the Sharingan?!'

'How could there be any other Uchiha clan members besides myself?'

'No, the Uchiha clan wasn't already destroyed by Itachi...'

The absurd and horrifying reality made young Sasuke's already chaotic thoughts even more turbulent.

Jiraiya naturally noticed the unusual expression on young Sasuke's face, but he was more concerned about "Shura's" attitude and purpose at the moment.

He withdrew his gaze and refocused on the still composed figure in black robes below, thinking to himself: 'Could this guy's sudden appearance really be aimed at Sasuke?'

After all, after Shisui Uchiha led most of his clan members to defect, Sasuke is now the only Uchiha left in Konoha.

Despite being "looked down upon" by Jiraiya and Gamabunta with a watchful eye, Menma seemed to feel no pressure whatsoever.

He still casually stepped on young Sasuke's shoulder with that foot, as if he were not a powerful ninja under his feet, but just a pebble on the roadside.

Faced with Jiraiya's questioning and Gamabunta's intimidation, he calmly replied, "I didn't trespass..."

He let out a soft, ambiguous laugh: "Lord Jiraiya, I'm afraid you've misunderstood. My visit to Konoha this time is not uninvited. Rather, it is at the invitation of the Daimyo's Mansion of the Land of Fire and Konoha Village that I have come to discuss matters related to the upcoming Chunin Exams with the Third Hokage."

Upon hearing this, not only was Jiraiya stunned, but even the Konoha ninjas who had just arrived at the scene and were on guard on the surrounding rooftops experienced a slight commotion.

Chunin Exams?

Invite Shura?
Menma continued in his calm and even tone, "I was just passing by when I happened to see your village's ANBU fighting with these two unidentified infiltrators. Out of consideration for friendly exchanges and maintaining Konoha's security on the eve of the exams, I 'helped out' as a sideline."

"After all, letting suspicious individuals roam around the village isn't a good thing for the upcoming grand event, don't you think?"

His words were presented in a grand and dignified manner, both clarifying his legitimate status as an "invited guest" and downplaying the earlier conflict as "helping to maintain order."

Before he could finish speaking, Menma moved his foot away from Sasuke's shoulder without waiting for Jiraiya's response.

However, this is not a release.

With a casual flick of his foot, he flipped the limp young Sasuke over, then kicked him in the side.

"Ugh!" Young Sasuke groaned, his already weak and powerless body kicked off the ground like a broken sack, flying towards Jiraiya's direction.

"Lion's Mane Technique!" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, and he reacted extremely quickly. His long white hair shot out again, accurately wrapping around the flying young Sasuke, dissipating the force, and gently placing him on Gamabunta's head, next to Boruto.

Jiraiya quickly checked and found that although the other party was seriously injured and his chakra was disordered, he was not in mortal danger. It was clear that Shura had deliberately controlled the force of his feet.

Just then, more whooshing sounds came from the air.

Konoha patrols, nearby ninjas, and even some Jonin returning from missions were all alerted by Gamabunta's enormous size and the commotion from the previous battle, and rushed to this area.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of Konoha ninja appeared on the surrounding rooftops and street corners, including elite Jonin such as Kakashi, Might Guy, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza.

Although most of them looked surprised and suspicious, they quickly went on high alert and subtly surrounded the area.

"Really... such a big commotion, are you trying to demolish the village?" A slightly aged but authoritative voice rang out.

The crowd parted automatically to make way, and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in a white Hokage robe and wearing a Hokage hat, slowly walked over, escorted by a group of heavily armed Anbu guards.

The pipe dangling from his mouth emitted wisps of smoke. His seemingly calm gaze swept over the ravaged street, the wounded ANBU, the giant toad, the confronting Jiraiya and Shura, and the two unfamiliar outsiders above Bunta's head. Finally, his gaze settled on Shura, his eyes deep and unreadable.

"Third Hokage!" Sai, despite his injuries, helped the young Sasuke and quickly walked to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side. He reported in a low voice and quickly what had just happened, including their questioning of the suspicious traveler, the traveler's resistance, and Shura's sudden intervention and overwhelming power.

Hiruzen Sarutobi listened quietly, his wrinkled face expressionless, only occasionally taking a puff of his pipe.

After Sai finished his brief report, he slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and looked at "Shura" wearing a fox-face mask. His voice was calm but questioning: "Lord Shura, you are a guest from afar. However, is it a bit inappropriate to 'stretch your muscles' on the streets of Konoha in this way? Surely you did not come here to provoke unnecessary conflict?"

As shrewd as the Third Hokage, his words were subtle yet sharp, pointing out the other party's inappropriate behavior while simultaneously probing their true intentions.

Menma seemed to chuckle lightly, without directly answering Hiruzen Sarutobi's question.

With a flick of his wrist, a delicate scroll, about the size of a palm and bearing the seal of the Daimyo's Mansion of the Land of Fire, flew toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

An ANBU member flashed out, caught the scroll in mid-air, quickly examined it, and then presented it to the Third Hokage with both hands.

"So fast!" The other ninjas around were all surprised. Even ordinary Jonin could only see a trace of the scroll, and the one who caught the scroll was the Captain-Commander of the Anbu!
Hiruzen Sarutobi took the scroll, unfolded it, and glanced at it.

The document above is indeed the seal of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and a personally signed invitation. The wording is formal, inviting Shura, the ruler of the Land of Stars, as a special guest to observe the unprecedented "Chunin Joint Exams" to be held in Konoha. The aim is to strengthen exchanges between countries and ninja villages and to showcase the achievements of peaceful development, etc.

Hiruzen Sarutobi closed the scroll and sighed inwardly.

To demonstrate the inclusiveness and magnanimity of the Land of Fire, the Daimyo actually extended such an invitation.

Now that the person in question has appeared with legitimate documents, even if their behavior is questionable, Konoha can't openly criticize them too much, especially since they just "assisted" in subduing the intruder.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's wrinkles seemed to have deepened, but his tone had returned to its usual composure. He handed the scroll to the ANBU member beside him to put away, and then looked at Shura: "Since it is an invitation from the Daimyo's Mansion, you are naturally a guest of Konoha. If there was any misunderstanding before, please forgive me. Regarding the specific matters of the Chunin Exams, please come to the Hokage's office for a detailed discussion."

[PS: Shamelessly asking for some monthly votes! I forgot the double monthly vote period is ending. Since the recommendation slot for the 8th was already decided, I can't give any more these few days. I've been saving them all for the 8th. Sigh.]

(End of this chapter)