Inside the basement of Menma's home in the Hidden Leaf Village.
A Flying Thunder God kunai hung suspended from the ceiling. Menma lightly traced the intricate formulas engraved upon its surface with his fingertip.
His shadow clone, stationed within the village, had just dispelled itself, relaying the latest intelligence and research progress to Menma's original body. Specifically, there had been a breakthrough in the study of Yin-Yang Release, prompting the original Menma to teleport back to the Leaf immediately.
"This Flying Thunder God technique really is convenient," Menma mused, twirling the kunai in his hand.
In just two short months, he had established secret teleportation hubs across nine nations, including the Lands of Fire, Lightning, Rice, and Steam, leaving behind his specialized kunai at each site. He had even dispatched two shadow clones to the Lands of Water, Wind, Earth, and Rainbow to do the same.
Before long, the entire shinobi world would become a chessboard upon which he could move at will.
Moving to the training room on the second floor, two other shadow clones were focused on precision exercises for chakra nature transformation. Menma walked to a desk, his eyes darting across the data recorded in an experimental log.
"This research direction is correct, but..." He rubbed his chin, whispering to himself before falling silent.
He raised his right hand, blending Yin and Yang chakra within his body in a specific ratio. Slowly, a solid black rod began to manifest in his palm. It was less than twenty centimeters long and only as thick as a pinky finger, appearing highly unstable.
Yet, the presence of Yin-Yang Release within it was becoming increasingly undeniable.
Cing—!
With a crisp sound of collapse, the black rod shattered, dissolving back into raw chakra and vanishing into the air. Menma stared at his empty palm, savoring the sensation of the operation. He had touched the threshold; he was only one step away.
Leaving several clones behind to continue the nature transformation and precision control research, Menma's original body dispelled his transformation jutsu, reverting to his child form.
His persona in the Leaf was that of a pampered young master; naturally, he had to be seen out and about. As for the grueling training and scientific research—that was what shadow clones were for.
Thanks to his Uzumaki constitution and the massive chakra reserves provided by the Dark Nine-Tails, he could maintain countless clones to handle ninjutsu practice, taijutsu drills, and research all at once. The only downside was the "refreshing" surge of diverse memories and muscle aches that slammed into his body whenever the clones were dispelled.
Walking through the streets of the Leaf, Menma debated whether to find Naruto or Hinata. On second thought, Hinata was likely swamped with Hyūga clan training; if she were free, she'd find him. As for Naruto, his status was too sensitive; with Anbu monitoring him, it wouldn't be wise for Menma to visit too frequently, even as a child.
Sigh, I guess I'll just wander around on my own, Menma thought, resting his hands behind his head as he strolled through the lively streets.
As the largest ninja village, the Leaf boasted a population of nearly ninety thousand, at least a fifth of whom could knead chakra. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Allied Shinobi Forces numbered over eighty thousand. Given that the Leaf could wage multi-front wars against other Great Nations, its military strength was likely the highest.
He estimated the Leaf's active shinobi count to be well over fifteen thousand. Assuming a total mobilization ratio of 1:5, the population would be at least seventy-five thousand. Of course, the war data included retired veterans and clan members not officially registered in the village rosters.
"Whoa! So cute!"
A delighted laugh from a nearby shop caught Menma's attention. He glanced over and spotted a familiar emblem: the Uchiha clan crest.
Menma paused and looked up. It was a weapons shop with a cat-ear sign. A young Uchiha boy, roughly seven or eight years old, stood with his back to Menma. A girl of the same age with twin braids was forcefully placing a cat-ear headband on his head.
Beside them stood a Jōnin sensei with several scratches on his face, looking on warmly. Another spiky-haired boy, also wearing a cat-ear headband, was struggling to hold a squirming cat. Seeing a passerby staring, the spiky-haired boy quickly turned his head away in embarrassment.
"Itachi! Look! You really are cute!" the girl exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
The eight-year-old Uchiha Itachi didn't resist, merely touching the fuzzy ears on his head with curiosity. The group laughed and chatted as they carried the cat into the shop.
So those are Itachi's teammates and sensei... Menma clicked his tongue twice.
He watched their retreating backs as if he were looking at the walking dead. Being marked by Uchiha Obito was simply their misfortune.
And besides—what did it have to do with him?
Humming a little tune, Menma continued his stroll.
The capital of the Land of Bears.
Gato and Kakuzu, having arrived ahead of schedule, were waiting in an outskirts camp for the arrival of the second team.
"Strange. My men haven't heard of any unusual activity in the Star Village," Gato muttered, adjusted his small spectacles.
Opposite him, Kakuzu sat on a crate, looking thoroughly unimpressed as he crushed a human heart in his hand. Gato felt a surge of nausea as he watched the blackened heart dissolve into dark fluid and drip onto the ground.
"And he called himself a Jōnin. Hmph. That kid had the strength of a Chūnin at best." Kakuzu was dissatisfied with his latest kill; the heart's quality didn't even match a Special Jōnin from a major village. He felt he had wasted his time.
A faint breeze drifted through the camp. Kakuzu was the first to sense the anomaly, his gaze snapping toward the camp entrance. This facility was a warehouse for Gato's supplies; all guards had already been dismissed.
Gato followed Kakuzu's gaze and saw two women approaching, accompanied by a small child. He was about to bark a command to leave when he noticed Kakuzu standing up.
Gato, ever the opportunist, immediately realized something was off. These two women... could they be...?
"Apologies for the wait."
Uzumaki Vanilla led a shy Karin by the hand, bowing slightly to the two unsavory characters before her. "By order of Lord Shura, we have come to provide support."
"Uzumaki Vanilla."
"Nanashi."
Uchiha Hikari took a step forward. Her three-tomoe Sharingan began to spin as she met Kakuzu's gaze.
Kakuzu, who had been prepared to dismiss them, felt his green pupils tremble the moment he saw those eyes.
"To think... an Uchiha!" Having lived since the Warring States period, Kakuzu's voice cracked with shock behind his mask. "And... an Uzumaki!"