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

Chapter 438 Two Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?

The east stand of the competition venue.

The fan-shaped area that once accommodated thousands of spectators is now a mess.

The collapsed seats, the shattered stone slabs, the scattered corpses of the Sound Ninja, and the huge cracks pierced by the rampant growth of the Wood Release: Tree Sea all together depict the brutality of this battlefield.

As the words "Lord Minato's meaning" fell to the ground.

Kakashi froze completely.

The kunai held across his chest trembled uncontrollably, and even his breath caught in his throat for a moment.

Minato... Teacher?

How is that possible?!

Minato and Kushina sacrificed themselves to protect the village twelve years ago during the Nine-Tails' rampage!

but……

Kakashi stared intently at Yukimi, his pupils contracting and trembling uncontrollably.

How did Xuejian find out about Minato-sensei?

And why use such a respectful title as "Lord Minato"?

If she had only heard the name "Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze" from some source, she would probably address him as "Fourth Hokage" or "Minato Namikaze" like most people would, instead of using the more intimate "Lord Minato."

unless……

Unless, she actually met Minato-sensei.

"Xuejian..." Kakashi's voice was hoarse.

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

He forced himself to calm down and gripped the kunai tightly.

"Minato-sensei was not only my mentor, but also the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, a hero who sacrificed himself to protect the village."

Kakashi spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice growing increasingly firm.

"If the teacher were still alive, there's no way he would have joined the Star Country!"

Xuejian stood on a thick, horizontal tree trunk, holding a kunai in her hand, her face, adorned with freckles, beaming with a smile.

She didn't take the opportunity to attack, but just quietly watched Kakashi, enjoying this interesting scene.

"As expected..." Xuejian put away her kunai and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Just as Aunt Kushina said."

"Stubborn as a mule."

Kushina... Auntie?

Kakashi's breathing suddenly became heavier.

She even knows about Kushina's wife?!

It's important to know that Kushina Uzumaki's identity as the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki was a top secret within Konoha!

Apart from the Third Hokage, the Legendary Sannin, and a few high-ranking officials, no one knew her true identity!

Even Kakashi himself only gradually learned some of the inside story after becoming Minato's disciple.

But Xuejian is right in front of me.

Not only do they know about Minato-sensei, but they also know about Kushina-sensei's wife, and even use such an affectionate term as "Auntie"?!

Countless questions flooded his mind like a tide, leaving Kakashi's brain in chaos.

Boom! ...

Just then, an immense and suffocating surge of chakra suddenly erupted from the sky above the arena!

The violence and hatred contained within that chakra instantly swept through the entire Hidden Leaf Village!

The trees were trembling, the ground was shaking, as if a category 12 typhoon was sweeping in!

"This is... Tailed Beast Chakra?!" Kakashi turned his head sharply to look in the direction of the chakra burst, his eyes filled with shock.

Has Naruto lost control?!

The thought flashed through Kakashi's mind immediately, and his heart tightened instantly.

"Kakashi!"

Two urgent shouts came from the side.

It's Might Guy and Asma.

The two landed one after the other beside Kakashi, both with solemn expressions on their faces.

Asuma had some minor abrasions, and his Jonin vest was torn in several places, clearly marks left from his battle with Ita-suke.

Matt Kay was in slightly better condition, but his breathing was still a little rapid.

"Are you two alright?" Kakashi quickly scanned the two of them.

"It's okay." Might Guy wiped the sweat from his face, gave a thumbs up, and flashed his signature bright smile.

"But that kid is really something! His physical skills are quite impressive!"

But his smile quickly faded, and he turned to look in the direction of the chakra burst, his thick eyebrows furrowed.

"This chakra... could it be that the Nine-Tails has gone out of control?"

Asma didn't speak, but stared intently in that direction, his lips pressed into a straight line.

His face was pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. His hand holding the chakra blade was trembling slightly.

"Asuma?" Kakashi noticed his unusual behavior.

"...I..." Asuma's voice was hoarse, carrying an indescribable unease.

"I don't know why... but I always feel... that the old man isn't doing well."

His gaze fell on the rooftop where the Four Purple Flame Array barrier had been, his eyes filled with worry.

The feeling was like having your heart gripped by an invisible hand, each beat accompanied by a dull ache.

That was an intuition born of blood ties.

Kakashi's heart sank, but this was clearly not the time to delve into the matter.

He turned his gaze back to Xuejian across from him.

Neji and Ita-suke have also landed beside Yukimi.

Neji was clearly in a disheveled state; his white Hyuga clan robes were covered in dust, and sweat soaked his bangs.

Clearly, his physical combat with Might Guy had taken a heavy toll on him.

As a genius of the new generation, Neji's strength is already among the best of his peers, but when facing Might Guy, an elite Jonin who has been through countless battles, especially in the field of taijutsu, he still felt a clear gap.

Itada Suke was in much better condition, with almost no obvious injuries, only slightly rapid breathing, which clearly had taken a toll on him during the battle in which he had activated the Seven-Day Breathing Technique.

"Neji, did you see it clearly?" Yukimi asked calmly without turning around.

Neji nodded, his Byakugan veins bulging, remaining activated.

"It is Lord Shura." His voice was filled with an almost fanatical reverence.

"That chakra... there's no mistake. It was Lord Shura himself who made the move."

"Just as I expected!" Ita Suke's smile became even brighter and more excited.

"The enemies that could provoke Lord Shura to personally intervene... must be those two 'extraterrestrial enemies' mentioned in the intelligence report? How exciting!"

In the Land of Stars, Lord Shura is a legend, a myth.

What kind of enemy would a mythology have to personally take action against?

Ita Suke was very curious.

His right hand gripped the hilt of the decapitation sword, while his left hand's five fingers spread and then clenched, the joints making a soft "click" sound.

"Should we go over and take a look? Maybe we can help—"

"Don't be impulsive," Xuejian interrupted him.

Her voice became unusually serious, and her usually smiling eyes turned extremely solemn: "Since Lord Shura has personally taken action, it means that the enemy is beyond our capabilities."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the three Konoha members opposite her who looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"Our mission is to guard the perimeter and ensure the plan proceeds smoothly."

"Acting without authorization will only cause trouble for Lord Shura."

Ita and Neji exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.

"clear!"

The three of them didn't lower their voices, and their conversation was clearly heard by Kakashi and the others.

Kakashi, Might Guy, and Asuma's expressions changed simultaneously.

That tailed beast chakra, is it Shura's?

Shura himself has been dispatched?

Today, the title of "Shura of the Ninja World" is even more resounding than that of Madara Uchiha more than fifty years ago.

After all, Madara Uchiha has been dead for over fifty years, and the only ninja in the ninja world who has personally witnessed Madara Uchiha's terrifying strength is probably Onoki.

However, Shura has been exceptionally active in the ninja world for the past decade, attacking Konoha three times and Kumogakure twice. He not only inflicted heavy damage on both villages but also escaped unscathed, leaving them helpless.

In just ten years, he single-handedly created a vast Star Kingdom.

After annexing the Land of Wind and the Hidden Sand Village, the Land of Stars, which occupies most of the western part of the ninja world, has become the strongest country in the ninja world.

The Land of Stars is only one Fourth Shinobi World War away from becoming the strongest nation in the shinobi world.

Moreover, judging from their words, the enemy that Shura is going to deal with is the so-called "enemy from beyond the heavens".

What is that?

Kakashi's mind raced through the information he had gathered over the years about the Land of Stars and about Shura, but none of it mentioned the concept of "enemies from beyond the heavens."

But just how terrifying is an enemy that can make even a demon like Shura take it seriously?

This thought made Kakashi's heart sink to the bottom.

If an enemy that even Shura would have to personally deal with appears in Konoha, then Konoha...

"Hey, Kakashi," Might Guy whispered in Kakashi's ear, "Things don't look good... Should we retreat? Something's probably happened to the Third Hokage..."

Although he is passionate, he is not brainless.

The three people in front of me, Xuejian and her companion, are quite strong, definitely elite Jonin.

A member of the Ninja Swordsmen, a ninja with two bloodline limits using Wood Release, and even the youngest Neji could fight him to a standstill even after Neji opened the Sixth Gate.

If the fighting continues, they may not necessarily gain the upper hand.

Moreover, now that the Four Purple Flame Formation has been broken, an even more terrifying enemy has appeared in the center of the venue. The most urgent task should be to check on the Third Hokage's situation, rather than getting entangled here.

Kakashi remained silent for a moment, glanced at the sea of ​​trees atop the VIP viewing platform, and slowly shook his head.

His Sharingan locked onto Yukimi: "They won't let us leave so easily, and..."

boom!!!

Another burst of violent chakra erupted in the arena!

This time, the malice contained within that chakra was even more intense!

"Here we go again!" Might Guy's expression changed.

"This chakra..." Asuma gripped his chakra blade tightly, his forehead beaded with even more cold sweat.

Neji activated his Byakugan again, looking towards the center of the venue, a hint of surprise flashing in his pupils.

"Wait... this time it's... the Nine-Tails?"

"The Nine-Tails?" Itada Suke was taken aback. "The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha?"

Xuejian's brows furrowed slightly.

"It seems that Lord Shura's chakra has stimulated something within that brat."

Her gaze drifted toward the athletes' rest area.

"This is going to be interesting."

The players' rest area.

Golden chains intertwined in the air, forming a huge hemispherical barrier that enveloped the entire rest area.

Inside the barrier, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Each of the four factions' teams occupied a corner of the barrier, maintaining a wary distance from one another, yet they were forced to share a room due to the barrier's restrictions.

The four people from Kirigakure sat in the easternmost corner.

With his back against the wall, Qing's Byakugan, now unsealed, remained vigilant, scanning the movements inside and outside the barrier.

His face grew even more somber from maintaining this posture for so long; clearly, rolling his eyes had taken a toll on him.

Hozuki Suigetsu sat cross-legged on the ground with his long sword, Sewing Needle, lying horizontally on his knees, his hands behind his head, and he shook his head listlessly with a pout.

But his gaze would occasionally sweep over the Konoha members and Gaara and the others opposite him.

Chojuro held the flounder in his arms, his head bowed, seemingly trying to minimize his presence.

Hinoka Uzumaki sat next to Chojuro, her arms wrapped around her knees, her long red hair cascading over her shoulders. Her gaze occasionally drifted towards Karin Uzumaki, her eyes filled with curiosity.

The four people from Kumogakure occupied the southern corner.

Samui stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his back against the wall, his short, golden hair still dazzling.

Her face was cold and aloof, and there was a hint of solemnity in her usually calm eyes.

Omoi squatted on the ground, a lollipop in his mouth, his brows furrowed, muttering something unintelligible, clearly indulging in his pessimistic fantasies again.

Karui, on the other hand, seemed much more agitated. Her dark, pretty face was full of displeasure. She tried to stand up several times, but was stopped by Samui's gaze.

Atsi leaned against her sister, her chest wound already hastily bandaged, her face still somewhat pale, but at least she was alive.

To the north of them were eight people from Konoha.

Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, Sai, Shigaraki Tanuki, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino.

Naruto sat against the wall, head down, making it impossible to see his expression.

But his hands were clenched into fists, as if he was unwilling to accept it.

Hinata, the leader of the group, stood next to Naruto, her hands in her pockets, her white eyes scanning the surroundings warily, especially the direction of the group from the Land of Stars.

Sasuke leaned against the wall, his gaze fixed on a certain direction outside the barrier, a certain emotion churning deep within his dark eyes.

That's the direction Menma just left in.

Sai and Shigaraki Tanuki stood guard on either side of Sasuke, both maintaining a vigilant posture, their kunai and short swords slightly unsheathed.

Meanwhile, on Shikamaru's side, Karin had just finished treating Choji.

She withdrew her hand from Choji's chest, let out a long breath, and felt beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Okay." She stood up and clapped her hands.

"This fat guy is fine now. I've used my palm magic to repair the damage to his internal organs. He should be able to walk around again in three to five days at most, as long as he goes back to rest for a few days and doesn't eat anything indiscriminately."

As soon as he finished speaking, Choji, who was lying on the ground, twitched his eyelids a few times and slowly opened his eyes.

He stared blankly at the Vajra-sealed barrier, blinked, and then—

"I'm so...so hungry..."

A weak but clear voice echoed within the silent barrier.

Ino: "..."

Shikamaru: "..."

Sasuke's lips twitched slightly.

Hinata couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Ino stumbled and almost fell. She glared at Choji, who had just woken up, wanting to punch him, but remembering that Choji had been injured while protecting her and Shikamaru, she held back.

She took a deep breath and forced a smile: "Choji, I'm so glad you're alright..."

But the word "that's fine" sounded like it was spoken through gritted teeth.

Shikamaru took a packet of soldier pills out of his ninja tool pouch and stuffed it into Choji's hand.

"Have this to tide you over first, and I'll treat you to barbecue later when we get out."

Choji took the soldier's ration pills, his eyes lit up immediately, and without saying a word, he stuffed them into his mouth and chewed them loudly.

Although the soldiers' rations didn't taste very good, they were definitely filling.

Shikamaru rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.

He looked at Karin, who had stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Thank you..."

Although Choji was injured because of Gaara, and although they are still trapped in the barrier, Shikamaru cannot ignore Gaara's kindness in treating Choji.

only……

He always felt a little awkward.

Karin waved her hand dismissively and said, "It's all Gaara's fault for being too ruthless. We just wanted you to stay."

Gaara glanced at her expressionlessly and said nothing.

After she finished speaking, she skipped and hopped back to her teammates Kurotsuchi and Ranmaru. As she passed Hinata, she even made a face at her.

"You brat!" Hinata immediately bristled, clenching her fists as if she was about to rush up and beat him up.

"Don't think I won't beat you up just because your surname is Whirlpool!"

Karin stuck out her tongue and retorted sharply, "Since you can't leave now anyway, why don't we have a contest here? Whoever loses leaves Menma-nii."

"Fine, let me teach you a lesson..." Hinata was so angry that her teeth itched, and her fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

As Shikamaru watched Hinata and Karin, who seemed about to fight, his ominous premonition grew stronger.

I have a feeling... something big is about to happen.

boom--!!!

A massive surge of chakra, like a tsunami, swept in from the center of the venue!

The violence and hatred contained within that chakra instantly pierced through the Vajra Sealing Barrier and enveloped everyone within it!

"What?!" Shikamaru turned his head sharply in the direction from which the chakra was coming, his expression changing drastically.

"Is that... the direction Menma just left in?"

Karui from Kumogakure shuddered, goosebumps instantly rising on his dark skin.

"This chakra..." Her voice trembled.

"It's tailed beast chakra!"

As a disciple of Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, she was extremely familiar with the Tailed Beast's chakra!

Omoi, with a lollipop in his mouth, stared at Samui in disbelief, almost dropping the lollipop.

"Senior Samui, this...this chakra..."

Samui nodded solemnly, his short golden hair swaying slightly under the impact of chakra.

"There's no mistake, it's tailed beast chakra, and... it's incredibly powerful!"

She had experienced the Eight-Tails' chakra up close many times and was extremely familiar with the aura of tailed beast chakra.

The chakra before us is no less violent than the Eight-Tails!

Ao from Kirigakure immediately used his Byakugan to look in the direction of the chakra burst.

When his gaze pierced through the layers of buildings and saw the dark red chakra soaring into the sky in the center of the venue, as well as the ten dark red tails that danced like tentacles, his face instantly turned ashen.

"Ten...ten tails..." Qing's voice was hoarse, filled with disbelief and horror.

"How is this possible... a tailed beast with ten tails..."

Hozuki Suigetsu's cheek twitched: "Are you kidding me? Ten tails?"

On the other side, Sasuke, who had been staring in that direction ever since Menma left, was the first to sense the burst of chakra.

His three-tomoe Sharingan tried to see the scene in that direction, but it was too far away and he couldn't see anything.

He could only feel that the chakra was so vast it was suffocating, filled with violence and malice.

What is that?

Is it sesame paste?

Or... something else?

Just then, Sasuke noticed something unusual out of the corner of his eye.

He suddenly turned his head and looked at Naruto next to him!

Naruto stood there with his head down, his body trembling slightly.

And on his body surface, strands of red chakra were slowly emerging!

The chakra, like a burning flame, seeped out from Naruto's body, slowly flowing and condensing on the surface of his skin!

"Naruto?!"

Sasuke's pupils contracted!

Sai and Shigaraki Tanuki reacted even faster!

Almost instantly, the two of them appeared in front of Sasuke, protecting him from both sides behind him!

Shigaraki Tanuki's voice was extremely grave: "Damn it! The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki seems to have gone berserk!"

He spoke very softly, but everyone present was a ninja with hearing far exceeding that of ordinary people.

The air within the entire barrier seemed to freeze instantly!

Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Hinata, Sasuke...

Ao, Suigetsu Hozuki, Chojuro, and Hinoka Uzumaki from Kirigakure...

Samui, Omoi, Karui, Atsui from Kumogakure...

Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Kurotsuchi, Ranmaru, Karin... from the Land of Stars

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the blond boy.

Ao from Kirigakure immediately turned his Byakugan towards Naruto!

"wrong!"

Qing's voice was filled with undisguised horror!

"This kid... is actually Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?!"

His Byakugan clearly saw that within Naruto's body, a massive red chakra, as large as the sun, was surging wildly!

At the core of that chakra, a massive sealing array was trembling violently!

It looks like it could collapse at any moment!

A bead of sweat appeared on Samui's usually cool face.

She suddenly looked up at the equally violent tailed beast chakra in the sky above the venue!

If this kid is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha...

Whose is that tailed beast chakra hanging in the sky above the venue?!

Moreover, she vaguely heard Ao from Kirigakure say... ten tails?

Are there any ten-tailed beasts?

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Naruto's body began to change.

A wisp of red chakra seeped from his body like mist, quickly enveloping his skin. More and more chakra grew thicker and thicker, gradually forming a semi-transparent red chakra cloak on Naruto's body.

The faint outline of a fox can be seen along the edge of the coat.

Naruto's face gradually turned ferocious, his azure pupils were replaced by scarlet, and a black vertical pupil slowly appeared in the center of his pupils.

The six lines on his face became even deeper, like animal markings.

Two sharp upper canines slowly grew out from the corners of the mouth.

"Uh...ah..."

A low, painful roar escaped from Naruto's throat.

He slowly raised his head, his scarlet beastly eyes sweeping over everyone within the barrier, filled with violence, hatred, and madness.

Shikamaru exclaimed in shock, "Naruto...you..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Naruto, on the verge of going berserk, suddenly raised his head and looked up at the sky above the venue!

Those blood-red eyes were fixed on that direction!