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

Chapter 416 Amado's Choice

Leaving the laboratory, which resembled a giant human prison, Amado followed the silent corridor back to his private bedroom on the upper floor.

The furnishings here are simple, with only the most basic bed, desk, wardrobe, and a huge bookshelf that occupies one wall, filled with all kinds of obscure books on biology, genetics, physics, and even some involving mysticism.

He locked the door behind him, walked to the desk, and slowly sat down.

The desk was tidy, with only a computer in sleep mode, a few pens, and a simple wooden photo frame.

Amado reached out and picked up the photo frame.

Inside the frame is a photograph that is quite old.

The photo shows a sunny park with swings and slides in the distance.

A little girl with long, radiant golden hair, pale purple eyes, and a smile as warm as the sun is nestled in the arms of a young man with a gentle smile on his face.

That was his daughter, Akabby.

His fingertips gently traced the smiling face of his daughter in the photograph, and even the cold lenses of his glasses could not completely hide the pain and longing in his eyes.

The only warmth in this cold room seems to come from this old photograph.

He remained in that position for a very long time.

Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he gently placed the photo frame back on the table, face up, so that he could still see his daughter's smile.

Then, with utmost solemnity, he slowly removed the white lab glove he had always worn on his right hand.

Beneath the glove was a hand with slightly pale skin but well-maintained.

Amado's gaze fell on the back of his right hand.

There, the skin was smooth and unremarkable, without any scars or marks.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He began to slowly guide the chakra within his body in a special way, converging and injecting it into a specific location on the back of his right hand.

Soon, as chakra continued to be injected, a faint light seemed to begin to shine through the skin on the back of his right hand.

Immediately afterwards, three black markings in the shape of an interlocking "V" appeared on the skin's surface, as if awakened from a deep sleep!

The moment the imprint was fully revealed, Amado felt his spirit suddenly sink!

It was as if I was being pulled away by an invisible force, peeled away from the shell of the real world!

As darkness fell, all his senses vanished and blurred in an instant.

He felt as if he had fallen into a turbulent river of pure chakra and information, plummeting rapidly toward some unknown abyss...

After an unknown amount of time, when Amado regained consciousness from the feeling of weightlessness during his rapid descent, he found himself standing in a blue space.

Beneath my feet lies shallow water, calm and still, clearly reflecting the starlight.

Looking up, there is an endless, pure, breathtakingly blue starry sky.

Countless stars, some bright and some dim, some large and some small, float silently in the sky. The world is boundless and vast, giving people an unreal feeling.

"This is... the mental space connected by the imprint?" Amado subconsciously pushed up the orange sunglasses on his nose, his sharp gaze sweeping across his surroundings through the lenses.

"You are Amado?"

Just then, a cold voice suddenly rang out behind him.

Amado froze, completely unaware that someone was approaching!

In this completely unfamiliar and uncontrollable mental realm, the feeling of losing control made him extremely uneasy.

He turned around abruptly, his movements slightly hurried due to shock.

Standing a few steps behind him on the water was a young girl.

She looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a tall and well-proportioned figure. She was wearing a dark blue turtleneck coat and black ninja boots that covered her calves.

Her long, black, smooth, medium-length hair fell down her back, and she wore a gold headband on her forehead.

She was extremely beautiful, with a delicate face that exuded a dashing and dignified air. But what was most striking were her eyes, which were calmly gazing at Amado. They were deep black, as still as an ancient well, as if they could reflect the deepest part of Amado's heart.

The girl casually crossed her arms in front of her chest, her posture exuding a composure and scrutiny typical of someone who had long held a high position.

Amado quickly composed himself, though his brows furrowed slightly.

He remembered clearly that three years ago, when Shura implanted the mark into his hand, he said that when he understood Cixian's deception and decided to seek cooperation, he could contact Shura directly through this mark.

But what has appeared now is a strange girl?

"What I'm looking for is Shura," Amado said in a deep voice, his tone tinged with caution.

He needs to verify the other party's identity and permissions.

His collaboration with Shura was related to his lifelong pursuit, as well as the future fate of himself and his daughter Akabbi. He could not tolerate any mistakes or disrespect.

Despite Amado's skeptical attitude, Uchiha Hikaru's arrogance remained unchanged.

She merely raised her chin slightly, and a magnificent light suddenly shone in her calm, dark eyes!

hum-

A vast power of vision quietly spread out from her center!

The base color of her eyes instantly turned pale red, and concentric rings of pale purple appeared and rotated in layers.

Above the two innermost rings, six jet-black patterns, shaped like magatama or spreading vines, slowly spiral and bloom as if they were alive!

Six-Tomoe Wheel Reincarnation!

"Lord Shura has already informed me of your situation." Uchiha Hikaru's voice remained cold, but the presence of those eyes added a chilling sense of oppression.

"Tell me the information you need to convey, and your needs. I will relay it to Lord Shura."

Amado's initial slight disdain due to the other party's youthful appearance vanished the moment he saw those eyes, replaced by intense shock!

Those eyes!

He recognizes him!

After all, Amado is ostensibly a scientist from Amegakure, owning a biotechnology company that has provided Amegakure and even the Akatsuki with a lot of ninja tools. Naturally, he has met Konan and Pain, and even seen Pain's eyes!

Legend has it that these are the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, possessing the power to control life and death!

Jigen had also shown great interest in those eyes, but because he did not want to get involved in the ninja world's conflicts during his period of seclusion, he did not take any action.

The Rinnegan possessed by this girl seems to be even more powerful than Pain's Rinnegan!

The six slowly rotating magatama exuded a chilling pressure that made Amado almost afraid to look them in the eye.

"Shura's subordinates... actually possess such power?" Amado's heart was filled with shock.

He originally thought that only Shura himself possessed the terrifying strength to fight against Jigen, but he did not expect that there was also a legendary Rinnegan ninja under his command!

This greatly boosted his confidence in cooperating with Shura.

Amado took one last deep look into Uchiha Hikaru's beautiful, bright eyes, as if trying to glean more information from them.

Finally, he nodded heavily, took off his orange sunglasses, and rubbed his slightly sore brow, as if he had shed some kind of heavy disguise.

In front of this girl with the Rinnegan, any pretense or probing seems superfluous.

"I understand," Amado's voice regained its calmness and composure.

He quickened his pace and said, "Just recently, a guy who called himself 'Otsutsuki Urashiki' appeared in the laboratory where Jigen and I were."

He paused, then began to describe in detail: "This person's physical characteristics include long, light blue hair tied in a high ponytail, and he wields a red chakra fishing rod-shaped weapon."

"The other party is frivolous and cynical, but he doesn't seem to have much respect for Jigen. He has mastered extremely advanced space-time ninjutsu and can come and go without a trace."

"He found Cixian, and—" Amado's tone became more serious.

"He invited Jigen to join forces during the Third Chunin Exams in Konoha..."

………………

Meanwhile, in Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village), in the afternoon.

With only one day left until the third Chunin Exams, Konoha saw its peak in visitor numbers.

The main street was packed with people, bustling and noisy.

Commoners and wealthy merchants from major cities in the Land of Fire, nobles from neighboring countries who came to travel or seek business opportunities, ninjas and their entourages from various ninja villages, and villagers from their own villages taking the opportunity to enjoy the festive atmosphere...

A diverse mix of people mingled together, making the spacious street completely congested.

The air was filled with the aromas of various foods, cosmetics, sweat, and excited chatter.

Shops along the street were all decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, with signs such as "Celebrating the Chunin Exams Finals" and "Konoha Welcomes You," and business was booming several times over.

The stalls selling local specialties, snacks, ninja tools, and souvenirs were crowded with people, and shouts and bargaining filled the air.

Menma wandered alone through this sea of ​​joy, creating a subtle sense of alienation from the surrounding hustle and bustle.

He was dressed in a black tracksuit that allowed him to move around easily, his hands in his pockets, his steps steady, his gaze sweeping over the excited or curious passersby with indifferent eyes.

A short while later, he stopped under the sign of a three-story building in the middle of the main street.

"Afternoon Time" is a tea restaurant known for its exquisite tea and snacks and quiet atmosphere. The window seats on the second floor must have a great view right now.

He went up to the second floor and found that there were indeed many guests, mostly travelers.

Fortunately, a small table by the window was still empty.

Mianma walked over and sat down, ordering a cup of signature milk tea and several uniquely shaped pastries from the smiling waiter.

While waiting, he turned his head and looked out the window.

My gaze swept over the surging crowds below, over the flags of various countries and the celebratory ribbons fluttering in the distance, and finally settled on the Fire Shadow Rock.

First Hokage: Hashirama Senju; Second Hokage: Tobirama Senju; Third Hokage: Hiruzen Sarutobi; Fourth Hokage: Minato Namikaze.

The four enormous rock faces appeared exceptionally clear and solemn under the afternoon sun.

They silently looked down at the prosperous village below, their gazes seemingly piercing through time and space, witnessing the birth, growth, pain, and continuation of Konoha.

Menma's gaze lingered on the Fourth Hokage Rock for an exceptionally long time.

"Looking at the village that I once risked my life to protect, about to suffer a devastating blow... Father, will you feel heartache?" Menma was actually quite curious.

When Minato learned that Menma was planning to take advantage of Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush Plan" to cause trouble, he did not stop him, but simply sighed deeply.

The Konoha Crush Plan is not only Orochimaru's revenge, but also the moment when Menma prepares to declare war on the entire ninja world!

Urashiki's appearance also made Menma realize that the spacetime anomaly caused by his butterfly had deviated too much from the original plot, and the threat of the Otsutsuki clan was imminent.

Menma had no choice but to speed up the operation, bringing forward the Fourth Shinobi World War, which was originally planned to begin three years later.

"Sir, please enjoy your milk tea and pastries." The waiter's gentle voice interrupted Mianma's thoughts.

"Thank you." Menma looked away and nodded politely to the waiter.

After the waiter left, Mianma picked up a small rabbit-shaped cream cake decorated with strawberries and held it up to her.

call out!

A small red figure darted out from his short hair like lightning!

With a clear objective, it precisely scooped up the small cake with its tiny claws, then with a "whoosh," it retracted back into Menma's hair, leaving only a subtle fluctuation of chakra and a faint, satisfied "smack" sound.

Mianma's lips curled up slightly, revealing a helpless yet doting smile.

This little guy's obsession with sweets is truly ingrained in his soul.

Picking up the warm milk tea, Mianma took a small sip.

"Tomorrow is the third exam."

"I wonder how Naruto's training with Jiraiya is going?"

Have you mastered the Rasengan?

"And Sasuke, he's probably training with Kakashi right now."

"Hopefully they can perform well in tomorrow's match, and hopefully... they will have enough strength to protect themselves in the coming storm."

"Sorry to bother you." Just as Menma was sipping his milk tea and his thoughts were drifting away, a gentle voice with just the right amount of politeness rang out from his table.

"All the other tables are full, can I share a table with you?"

Mianma raised his head.

Standing by the table was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties and had a refined demeanor.

He wore ordinary black-rimmed glasses, his eyes slightly narrowed behind the lenses, and he wore a friendly smile.

He had short, light gray hair that was somewhat disheveled, and he wore a headband with the name of Kusagakure on his forehead.

Yakushi Kabuto.

"It's alright, have a seat." Menma's gaze met the other person's smiling eyes behind their glasses, and he nodded calmly.

"Thank you." Kabuto Yakushi politely thanked him, pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down, his movements natural, as if he were just an ordinary tourist who couldn't find a seat.

The waiter came over quickly. Kabuto picked up the drink menu on the table, looked at it carefully, and ordered a cup of green tea: "Please give me a cup of oolong tea, thank you."

During the brief silence while waiting for the tea to be served, neither of them initiated a conversation.

Menma continued to look out the window, while Yakushi Kabuto took out a booklet that looked like a travel guide from his bag and casually flipped through it. The atmosphere was harmonious and peaceful.

However, this tranquility was soon broken by the noise outside the window.

A slightly noisy commotion came from the other end of the street and grew closer.

A group of about twenty ninjas, dressed in uniform black outfits and wearing headbands from the Hidden Sound Village, with stern expressions and orderly steps, were seen escorting a magnificent, dark purple palanquin carried by four burly men, slowly approaching.

The sedan chair curtains were drawn low, obscuring the interior.

Outside the Sound Ninja team were about ten Konoha ninjas, scattered at the front and back of the team, responsible for clearing the way and maintaining order. Their expressions were serious, clearly showing that they attached great importance to this team.

The crowd on the street was drawn to the spectacle, stopping to watch, pointing and whispering, and discussions arose everywhere.

"Look! Isn't that the Sound Village's procession? Who's in the palanquin? Such a grand display!"

"I heard that the daimyo of the Land of Fields has come to attend the ceremony in person!"

"The Land of Rice Fields? The daimyo of that small country? Konoha values ​​it so much?"

"After all, he's a daimyo of a country, and he even married the third princess of the previous daimyo of the Land of Fire. We have to give him face..."

At the window, Kabuto shifted his gaze from the booklet in his hand, glanced calmly through his glasses at the line of people passing by outside, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He picked up the freshly served oolong tea and gently blew on it to cool it down.

Then, as if talking to himself, he whispered something in a volume only his deskmate could hear:

"It seems he's ready."

Menma continued to look out the window. His Kagura Mind Eye had already clearly sensed that the palanquin was emanating an extremely familiar, cold, and sticky chakra.

Orochimaru.

Unlike his impersonation of the Fourth Kazekage in the original story, in this timeline, both Sunagakure and the Land of Wind are history, so Orochimaru changed his identity and chose the daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields, who has close ties with Otogakure, as his disguise.

The presence of a powerful daimyo on such a grand occasion would undoubtedly provide him with the highest level of hospitality, even in Konoha. This provided him with an excellent opportunity and cover for his identity to get close to the Third Hokage.

Menma didn't respond to Yakushi Kabuto's words, but simply picked up her milk tea and took another sip.

The two understood each other implicitly, and an unspoken understanding filled the air.

The aroma of tea and milk mingled in the air, and the hustle and bustle outside the window gradually faded away with the procession.

Menma and Yakushi Kabuto quietly enjoyed their tea and snacks, as if they were just strangers sharing a table, without exchanging any further words.