I Am Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 343 343 Yo, Pervy Old Man

Menma raised an eyebrow, took the intelligence file, and quickly skimmed through it, feeling somewhat surprised.

He recalled his brief encounter with Jiraiya in Amegakure last time. Back then, the other had infiltrated the village to investigate the Akatsuki, disguised as a ramen shop owner, and met him and Ajisai. Later, Jiraiya almost met his end at the hands of Nagato's Six Paths of Pain.

'It seemed the Third Hokage couldn't sit still anymore, actually sending this prized student to probe the Land of Stars. Could the mission to infiltrate Amegakure to investigate Akatsuki also have been ordered by Sarutobi Hiruzen? Did this mean Jiraiya's 'research trip' was cut short early?' Menma pondered to himself.

However, when his gaze scanned another name mentioned in the intelligence report, along with a simple attached sketch, he couldn't help but pause.

"Ajisai?" he murmured the name softly. The image of that Amegakure girl with short purple hair, with a resilient yet somewhat innocent personality, surfaced in his mind.

He truly hadn't expected her to come to the Land of Stars with Jiraiya.

Looking at the document, Menma pondered for a moment.

Jiraiya's purpose for this trip was clear, and it involved the stance of Konoha, even Mount Myoboku.

Especially that old Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku and his so-called prophecies… Menma felt that toad might have already labeled him as some kind of 'threat'.

And as for Jiraiya—

Putting it nicely, he had his own [Ninja Way]. Putting it bluntly, he was stubborn and rigid.

A meeting with Jiraiya was very likely to be unpleasant.

"Father, I plan to go to Kamio City to meet this 'Toad Sage'," Menma looked up and said to Minato.

"However, if we don't see eye to eye, the possibility of coming to blows is high."

Hearing this, a flicker of understanding passed through Minato's gray eyes.

He understood his teacher's character all too well.

Seemingly carefree and unrestrained, Jiraiya held an extraordinary attachment to so-called 'prophetic destiny' deep within.

If Mount Myoboku truly issued a 'destruction'-type prophecy about Menma, Jiraiya would absolutely stand on the opposite side without hesitation.

Minato thought for a moment and volunteered: "In that case, I won't accompany you. If I appear before sensei in this current state, as an Edo Tensei, it would probably only further provoke him, making him even more convinced we are walking a 'wrong' path."

As a disciple, Minato knew Jiraiya too well.

If his teacher saw him and Kushina, who should be resting in peace, 'bound' to the present world in this form, then regardless of the reason, it would be enough to incense Jiraiya and further cement his belief that the Land of Stars' Shura was an evil being who played with life and death and trampled on taboos.

Menma had also been considering the potential complex impact of Minato accompanying him. Seeing his father proactively suggest avoiding the situation saved him the trouble of explaining. He nodded: "That's fine. Then I'll trouble you to handle things here in the Star City."

Meanwhile, outside the Bear County's Police Headquarters building in Kamio City, Ajisai was walking alone on the bustling street.

Thinking that Jiraiya, reunited with old acquaintances, probably had much to talk about and that she shouldn't intrude, she decided to find an inn to stay at first.

She strolled along the provincial capital's streets, curiously observing her surroundings.

Completely different from Amegakure's perpetual rain and oppressive atmosphere, Kamio City was full of vitality.

The streets were wide, shops lined the roads, and the sounds of hawking, bargaining, and traffic intertwined into a lively symphony of city life.

As the capital of Bear County, it wasn't as grand as the Star City located on the fertile Yuga River plains, but it had its own unique charm due to its geographical position.

The city was nestled among surrounding mountains. Villagers from the surrounding mountainous areas often transported precious medicinal herbs, wild delicacies, animal pelts, and other special products here to sell at relatively low prices, attracting many merchants to come and purchase.

At the same time, merchant caravans from the eastern direction of the Land of Birds would also pass through, bringing foreign goods, making Kamio City a prosperous regional commodity distribution center.

As Ajisai admired this bustling scene so different from her hometown, she kept an eye out for inn signs along the roadside.

While walking, her gaze was drawn to a rather well-decorated ninja tool shop.

The window displayed various novel-looking, gleaming ninja tools, some even with the distinct luster of Chakra Conductive Metal, clearly not ordinary items.

This reminded her of the previous battle with the bandits. Her reserves of conventional tools for her specialty, [Enclosing Technique], had been significantly depleted, and she hadn't had a chance to replenish them since leaving Amegakure.

Involuntarily, she walked into the shop, her eyes lingering on the neatly arranged kunai, shuriken, senbon, and various special-purpose ninja tools.

However, when she saw the prices labeled on the tags, her eyes, which had just brightened, instantly dimmed.

She subconsciously touched her thin purse… the remaining silver inside wasn't enough to buy even the most basic set of ninja tools.

She let out a soft sigh and somewhat reluctantly prepared to leave.

Just as she turned around, a warm hand gently rested on her shoulder.

Due to the conditioned reflexes formed from long-term ninja training, Ajisai was startled. Her body reacted before her mind could.

She abruptly sank her shoulder, used her waist for leverage, and delivered a swift, powerful elbow strike backward!

"Oof!" A stifled grunt came from behind, and the hand instantly released her.

Only then did Ajisai react and quickly turn around. She saw a black-haired boy bent over, holding his stomach, looking pained.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to!" Ajisai hurriedly stepped forward to support the other, repeatedly apologizing.

However, when she clearly saw the other's face, her voice abruptly stopped. Her face instantly flushed red, her eyes filled with surprise and a hint of barely detectable delight. "Men… Menma?"

Menma straightened up, rubbing his still somewhat aching stomach, his voice carrying a mix of helplessness and amusement: "Your reaction's faster than last time… you nearly knocked my breakfast out with that elbow."

Ajisai was somewhat at a loss: "You… what are you doing here?"

"Ah, because a certain guy came, I have to do my duty as host, right?" Menma put his hands on his hips, tilting his head slightly, his gaze glancing towards the conspicuous Bear County's Police Headquarters building not far away, the meaning self-evident.

Ajisai immediately understood he had come because of Jiraiya. The small bit of delight that had just risen in her heart was immediately replaced by a faint sense of disappointment.

'Of course… he came because of Jiraiya-sama.'

Menma keenly noticed the subtle change in her mood. Looking at the ninja tool shop beside them and her previously reluctant expression, he immediately understood roughly.

He recalled Ajisai specialized in a Space-Time Ninjutsu called [Enclosing Technique] that could seal ninja tools or items into special cards for instantaneous release when needed. To some extent, it shared similarities with the concept of the scientific ninja tools they were developing.

Menma reached out and patted Ajisai's shoulder, his tone becoming more relaxed: "Looking at you, traveling all the way from Amegakure to the Land of Stars with that troublesome old man Jiraiya, it must have been quite an ordeal. You've probably used up most of your ninja tools, right?"

Without waiting for Ajisai to refuse, he naturally took her wrist and led her into the ninja tool shop: "Come on, since we've met, let me replenish your supplies as part of my host duties."

Pulled along by him, feeling the warmth on her wrist, Ajisai's cheeks turned even redder. Her heart felt like a deer was running wild. The words of refusal she originally wanted to say stuck in her throat, unable to come out. She just followed him dizzily into the shop.

Menma said to the shopkeeper who came forward: "Boss, bring out your regular ninja tools… kunai, shuriken, senbon, steel wire, explosive tags, show us some of each."

The shopkeeper was a rather capable-looking middle-aged man. He had already noticed Ajisai lingering at the entrance earlier, especially the Amegakure's forehead protector she wore, which didn't belong to the Land of Stars.

His face showed a bit of embarrassment as he explained tactfully: "Esteemed guests, my apologies. According to the Land of Stars' [Ninja Tool Control Regulations], non-national registered Ninja or police personnel wishing to purchase standard-issue ninja tools must first register at the local police department and obtain permission before buying. These are the rules. Please understand."

Hearing this, Menma paused, then remembered that he seemed to have personally issued this regulation back then to standardize management and prevent potential security risks from the free circulation of ninja tools.

He glanced at the shop. Its style was simple and unadorned, the tools were solidly made but not top-tier, probably a family workshop originally run by Hoshigakure's villagers that had grown.

He didn't say much, rummaged in his ninja tool pouch, took out a dark blue special certificate stamped with the Land of Stars' emblem and the characters for [Inspectorate], and handed it to the shopkeeper: "Use this for registration, under my name, that'll be fine."

The shopkeeper took the certificate with both hands, examined it carefully, and his expression immediately changed, becoming extremely respectful and even tinged with a hint of nervousness.

He returned the certificate with both hands, bowed, and said: "So you are from the Inspectorate, sir! My apologies for the earlier discourtesy! The ninja tools in the shop are yours and the young lady's to choose freely! The registration procedures will be handled immediately!"

He immediately stepped aside, signaled a shop assistant to prepare the registration book, and stood respectfully to the side awaiting further instructions.

At the entrance of the Bear County's Police Headquarters building, Jiraiya walked out, scratching his messy white hair, an expression mixed with helplessness, sentiment, and a touch of heaviness on his face.

Shisui and Natsu followed behind him, maintaining an appropriate farewell distance.

"My, my, what a headache—" Jiraiya looked up at the sky as if complaining to the heavens. "I never expected things to turn out like this."

Shisui's expression remained calm, his tone gentle and understanding: "Jiraiya-sama, there's no need to trouble yourself over this too much. The relentless onward flow of history sometimes makes individual will and effort seem insignificant."

"Both the Uchiha and the Hyuga Clan's branch family have already made our own choices. Letting things take their natural course is perhaps the best attitude. If in the future… we unfortunately meet on the battlefield, please also do not hesitate or hold back."

Jiraiya turned around, his gaze complex as he looked at Shisui and Natsu. In those eyes that had weathered countless storms, a flicker of reminiscence and regret passed. "You two… back during the Third Great Ninja War, you were both under my command. We fought side by side, through life and death… who could have imagined back then we'd be here today?"

His voice lowered, carrying a deep sense of helplessness.

Recalling the figures who cooperated seamlessly on the former battlefield and seeing their current clear-cut stances, even potential future confrontation, a sense of the vicissitudes of time washed over him.

He let out a heavy sigh, waved his hand as if to disperse these unpleasant thoughts: "Forget it, forget it! What's the use of talking about this now? Anyway… I haven't returned to Konoha in a long time. I'm hardly a Konoha's Ninja anymore."

He said no more, turned around, took large strides, and walked towards the street without looking back, merely waving a hand behind him, his voice regaining some of its usual forthrightness: "Alright! Just see me off here! Until we meet again!"

Watching Jiraiya's seemingly unrestrained and free-spirited, yet somewhat lonely figure disappear into the street crowd, Natsu slightly furrowed her brows, her green short hair gently stirring in the breeze. She asked softly Shisui beside her: "Shisui-sama, do you think… how much of what we just said will Jiraiya-sama truly take in?"

Her tone held clear doubt.

After all, the other was one of the world-renowned Sannin and the personal disciple of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Whether emotionally or from a standpoint, it was probably difficult for him to truly accept the accounts of them, the 'village defectors'.

Shisui gently shook his head, his gaze still calmly fixed in the direction Jiraiya left: "It doesn't matter how much he takes in."

"Meeting today was only because he came not as a Konoha's Ninja. We also treated him with the courtesy due to old acquaintances, simply reminiscing. As for the future—"

His eyes slightly narrowed, a flash of a Ninja's resolve passing through: "If we truly meet on the battlefield, we naturally… will also not hold back."

Natsu fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded thoughtfully.

She understood that from the moment they chose to leave Konoha, certain boundaries had been drawn, with no turning back.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya walked alone on the bustling streets of Kamio City, somewhat out of place amidst the lively surroundings.

He aimlessly observed the buildings with distinct Land of Stars' characteristics lining the streets, then looked up at the stretching mountain ranges outside the city, his thoughts in disarray.

Shisui and Natsu's words still echoed in his mind. The irreconcilable contradictions between Konoha and the Land of Stars, and that mysterious Shura, all weighed on him with unprecedented pressure.

Suddenly, he slapped his forehead as if just remembering something: "Huh? Where's Ajisai-chan?"

He looked left and right. The street in front of the police headquarters building was full of people coming and going, but there was no sign of that purple-haired girl.

"This kid, where did she go? Didn't she say she'd wait outside?" Jiraiya muttered to himself, starting to search along the street.

His gaze swept over the shops, searching for that familiar purple.

Just as he passed a decently-sized ninja tool shop, his peripheral vision caught two figures who had just walked out of the shop.

His footsteps instantly halted.

There, at the shop entrance, stood Ajisai, holding several special cards, focusedly sealing newly purchased kunai, shuriken, and other ninja tools one by one into her [Enclosing Technique] cards.

Her face held a hint of relief and satisfaction… clearly, replenishing her supplies had put her more at ease.

However, what concerned Jiraiya was the boy standing beside Ajisai!

Black short hair, a simple black kimono-style robe, a handsome face with a gentle smile directed at Ajisai.

It was the very boy he had met once before in Amegakure, and who, along with another terrifyingly powerful mysterious person, had burst into the battlefield and engaged in fierce combat when Jiraiya was at a disadvantage against Pain!

At the same time, he was also the current supreme ruler of the Land of Stars… Shura!

Jiraiya's heart gave a violent leap. His body instantly tensed. All his carelessness and casualness vanished at this moment, replaced by the vigilance and gravity of a top-tier Ninja facing a formidable enemy.

Jiraiya never expected to encounter Shura here, in such a sudden manner, unexpectedly meeting.

And Menma, across the way, also saw Jiraiya. He raised a hand in greeting: "Yo, Pervy Old Man!"