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

Chapter 424 Jiraiya Investigates Menma's Background

The morning sunlight filtered through the lush foliage of the trees beside the Konoha Ninja Academy's training ground, casting dappled, dancing light spots.

A gentle breeze carrying the scent of grass and earth swept by, dispelling some of the early summer heat.

On the spacious playground, dozens of first-year students, no more than six years old, were undergoing basic physical training under the guidance of a gentle-looking young Chunin with a horizontal scar on his nose and face.

"Alright! Hold the pose! Squat down properly, don't let your knees go past your toes! Feel the power in your thigh muscles!" Umino Iruka clapped his hands, his loud voice echoing across the playground.

He moved among the children, correcting one child's posture from time to time, patting another child on the shoulder to encourage them, always with a patient and gentle smile on his face.

These young faces were covered in sweat and dust, but most of them had serious eyes. Even though some children were grimacing, they still persevered.

This is their first step into the world of ninjas—a tedious but necessary basic training.

"Alright, ten-minute break! You can drink water, but don't go too far!" Iruka checked the time and clapped his hands to announce.

The children immediately cheered and scattered in twos and threes. Some ran to the water bottles on the sidelines, while others simply sat down on the grass under the shade of the trees, chattering and laughing.

Iruka wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead, walked to the edge of the playground, and sat down on an old but sturdy wooden bench under a large, leafy tree.

He picked up his water bottle from the stool, tilted his head back and took a few gulps of cool tea, then let out a long sigh and sat down on the stool.

Once the body relaxes, the thoughts naturally drift away.

Iruka's gaze passed over the children playing on the playground, over the red roof of the Ninja Academy, and landed on the Hokage Rock to the north.

Behind the Hokage Rock is the dedicated arena for today's Chunin Exams final.

"The match should have started by now, right?" Iruka thought to himself, as if a few familiar faces were appearing before his eyes.

"I wonder if those guys will be able to pass the exam today and become Chunin..." Iruka muttered to himself, a smile of relief mixed with a hint of worry unconsciously appearing on his lips.

As Naruto and Menma's homeroom teacher at the Ninja Academy, he practically watched these two kids grow up, especially Naruto.

He knew better than anyone the loneliness and criticism that child had endured, and therefore, he was genuinely happy that Naruto had come this far.

Menma, the ever-outstanding top student, never seemed to require any concern about his performance, but Iruka vaguely sensed that the burden on that child's shoulders might be no less than Naruto's.

Just as Iruka's thoughts were drifting, immersed in memories and expectations.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei, you seem pretty relaxed~"

A somewhat familiar voice rang out, tinged with a hint of mockery!

"Whoa!!"

Iruka was so startled that he jumped up from the bench like a cat whose tail had been stepped on!

The movement was too large, and since the bench itself had no backrest, he lost his balance and fell backward in a flurry, landing heavily on the grass with a "thud," kicking up a small cloud of dust.

"Cough cough..." Iruka rubbed the back of his head, which was sore from the fall, and looked up, dizzy, toward the source of the sound, at the tree trunk above him.

Among the dense foliage, a face with a cynical smile was hanging upside down, peering down from above.

With long, white, hedgehog-like hair and a headband with the character "oil" on his forehead, he was none other than Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin!

"J-Lord Jiraiya?!" Iruka was both surprised and embarrassed when he saw who it was. He hurriedly got up from the ground and brushed off the grass clippings and dust.

"W-what are you doing here? And why did you suddenly appear like this...?"

"Hahaha! Did I give you a good scare?" Jiraiya laughed, then nimbly flipped off the tree trunk and landed steadily in front of Iruka.

He put his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and looked smug about his successful prank: "Relax, relax. I saw you sitting here alone, lost in thought, so I came over to say hello. Also... I have something I wanted to ask you."

Iruka composed himself, filled with respect for this legendary Sannin and disciple of the Third Hokage, despite the fact that the other party always made such unexpected appearances.

Upon hearing that Jiraiya had something to ask, he immediately straightened his expression: "Lord Jiraiya wants to ask about Naruto, right? Don't worry, I will tell you the truth as long as I know it."

He had a vague idea in his mind.

Jiraiya seems to be paying a lot of attention to Naruto lately, and has even personally given him special training.

They probably came to see me this time because of Naruto.

After all, he was probably the elder who knew Naruto's growth experience best, apart from the Third Hokage.

However, Jiraiya's next words took Iruka by surprise.

"Naruto, that kid..." Jiraiya waved his hand.

"Although he's an idiot, gets hot-blooded easily, and his chakra control is incredibly rough, he won't cause any major problems for now. I mainly wanted to ask..."

As Jiraiya finished speaking, the playful expression on his face faded somewhat. He walked to the bench, sat down, and patted the empty seat next to him, gesturing for Iruka to sit as well.

After Iruka sat down somewhat awkwardly, Jiraiya interlaced his fingers, rested the back of his hands on his chin, leaned forward slightly, and casually glanced at the children playing on the playground.

"I want to ask about the noodles."

"Menma?" Iruka was taken aback, somewhat surprised.

"What's wrong with Mianma?"

Jiraiya didn't answer immediately. He remained in that position, seemingly considering his words, or perhaps observing Iruka's reaction.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, his tone much more serious than during their casual conversation: "You know Naruto's situation; it's rather unique in the village. And Menma, that kid seems to take extra care of Naruto."

He paused, then added, "Of course, I don't suspect Menma of having any bad intentions. That kid seems upright and his talent is frighteningly high. It's just that it's never a bad thing to know more about some things. Especially..."

Jiraiya lowered his voice slightly: "In Naruto's sensitive position."

Iruka understood what Jiraiya meant.

As a ninja who had experienced the Nine-Tails' rampage, he understood Jiraiya's caution.

Menma's care for Naruto might seem like mere kindness to many, but those who know Naruto's true identity believe the motives and duration of this care warrant a deeper investigation.

In particular, Menma's background is somewhat vague.

Iruka's face showed a look of reminiscence, and his eyes softened considerably.

He relaxed his body, leaned back on the bench, and looked into the distance, as if he could see those familiar scenes from a few years ago.

"Lord Jiraiya, you're right. Menma really took good care of Naruto. The two of them, along with Hinata from the Hyuga clan, knew each other when they were about four or five years old, before they officially enrolled in school." Iruka's voice was calm, carrying a warm feeling as he recounted the past.

"Over the years, Naruto... for some reason, many adults in the village have avoided him, and most children his age have been warned by their parents not to play with him. For a long time when he was a child, he was all alone."

"But Menma is different from Hinata."

Iruka smiled and said, "Menma seemed completely unconcerned about the rumors and took the initiative to play with Naruto. Hinata was very shy at the time and always hid behind Menma, but she quickly accepted Naruto as her new friend."

From then on, the three of them became inseparable friends.

He paused, his tone somewhat complicated: "To be honest, Jiraiya-sama, for a period of time after becoming Naruto's teacher, because my parents died in the Nine-Tails' attack... I also harbored resentment and prejudice against Naruto."

"I think it was him... who brought about the disaster."

"The Third Hokage once said to me very seriously, 'Iruka, hatred only blinds people to true pain and those who need help. Naruto, more than anyone else, longs to be recognized and needed.'"

Iruka gave a wry smile: "Later, I slowly tried to understand Naruto and only then did I truly understand the loneliness and kindness in that child's heart."

"Menma not only supports Naruto emotionally, but also in practical ways."

"As you know, because of Naruto's special status, many shops in the village are unwilling to sell to him. Menma is the adopted son of the wealthy merchant Gato, and there are many shops in Konoha that belong to Gato's trading company. Menma often takes Naruto to these shops so that Naruto can buy normal food, clothes, and even some small toys, just like other children."

Iruka remarked, "Without Menma, Naruto's childhood would probably have been even more difficult. Menma's help to Naruto was genuine, and he never treated it as charity. He always carefully protected Naruto's self-esteem by using excuses like 'sharing' or 'helping me try new flavors.'"

Jiraiya listened quietly as Iruka's description painted a picture of a precocious, kind, and thoughtful person who was unlike a child.

This deepened his doubts. Could such a temperament and ability really have grown naturally in an environment like Konoha?

"I see... That child has indeed done a lot," Jiraiya murmured.

Then he changed the subject: "Iruka, I heard that Menma is an orphan? Was he a war orphan taken in by Konoha, or... was he brought back from outside?"

Upon hearing this, Iruka thought carefully for a moment before saying uncertainly, "I don't know much about Menma's background either. I only remember that when I had just become a Chunin and was interning at the Ninja Academy, the former director of the orphanage, Yakushi Nonou, came to visit Menma and mentioned some things to me."

She said she found Menma at the orphanage gate on the night of the Nine-Tailed Fox's rampage; she was just a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes at the time.

"The night of the Nine-Tails' rampage?" Jiraiya frowned slightly.

That night, when blood flowed like a river, produced far too many orphans, and the clues were extremely confusing.

"Yes." Iruka nodded.

"But that night was too chaotic, with heavy casualties, many families broken apart, and children displaced. Dean Nono tried to search for them, but it was impossible to verify which family the children belonged to, who their parents were, or whether they had any relatives."

"Later, Menma was taken in by the Konoha Orphanage until he was taken in by Mr. Gato and became his adopted son."

Jiraiya's brows furrowed even more.

He had previously investigated the Konoha Orphanage, but the current director didn't know much about the events during Nonou's time. As for the legendary "Walking Shrine Maiden" pharmacist Nonou, it was said that she had accepted a long-term infiltration mission several years ago and had long since disappeared without a trace.

Jiraiya once searched for Yakushi Nonou's file in the Anbu, but what he found was a death file.

The trail seems to have gone cold again here.

An orphan born in Konoha, who has never left the village except for the last mission to the Land of Waves.

If the spy was planted by another ninja village or organization, there are huge doubts about the method of contact and training.

But his astonishing talent, his composure far beyond his years, and his all-around care for Naruto...

This made Jiraiya very suspicious.

In Jiraiya's mind, the image of Menma bursting forth with golden chakra, sprouting a third eye on his forehead, and effortlessly defeating the enemy who called himself "Otsutsuki Urashiki" once again appeared in the forest on the coast of the Land of Waves. He also recalled the dark purple Rasengan that resembled a Rasengan but was so powerful that it blasted a hole in the sky.

That power...

"Oh, right!" Iruka suddenly remembered something, slapped his thigh, and interrupted Jiraiya's thoughts.

"I suddenly remembered something! It might not be very useful, but you might want to know."

"What is it?" Jiraiya asked, looking at him.

"It was once when I went to the orphanage and was chatting with the current director, she mentioned it casually," Iruka said, trying to recall.

"She said that Menma's hair... when she was little, seemed to be blonde."

"It's a beautiful, brilliant gold, just like..." Iruka subconsciously looked up at the Fourth Hokage's portrait on the Hokage Rock in the distance, his face filled with reminiscence.

"Just like the Fourth Hokage's gold color."

Iruka had barely finished speaking.

"What did you say?!"

Jiraiya's body stiffened abruptly, as if struck by lightning!

He suddenly turned his head, his eyes, which always carried a hint of cynicism, now wide open, staring intently at Iruka.

"Blonde hair?! Are you sure?!"

"Y-yes..." Iruka was startled by Jiraiya's intense reaction and instinctively shrank his neck, but still nodded firmly.

"That's what the current dean said. She also lamented that she didn't know why, but after Menma grew to be two or three years old, the color of her hair gradually darkened and eventually turned into the black it is now."

She even joked that maybe she didn't eat well enough at the orphanage, which affected her hair color...

Jiraiya could no longer hear what Iruka said next.

Golden hair...

I had blond hair when I was a child...

It gradually darkens after two or three years old...

These keywords kept echoing in Jiraiya's mind.

The images gradually began to piece together in his mind.

The face of Minato Namikaze, who always had a gentle smile and brilliant golden hair, in my memory, was slowly superimposed on the face of Menma now, with his black hair, black eyes, and calm demeanor.

Shedding that black disguise, I imagine that short hair once again being dyed a sun-kissed gold...

The contours of her features, the expression between her brows, especially the slightly pursed lips when she is calm...

Om-!

Jiraiya felt a chill suddenly surge up from his tailbone, instantly sweeping through his entire body, making all the hairs on his body stand on end!

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, almost as if it would burst out of my ribs!

Long-buried memories surged forth like a floodgate opened!

Thirteen years ago, in Minato and Kushina's home, under the warm glow of lamplight.

Minato touched Kushina's slightly protruding, still-not very noticeable belly, a silly grin and pride on his face as he became a father for the first time. He said to himself, "Jiraiya-sensei, if it's a boy, I want to name him 'Naruto,' after the protagonist in your novel. I hope he can be like the protagonist in your story, never giving up, and bringing courage and hope to people."

I burst out laughing at the time, and felt a little embarrassed.

Later, the Nine-Tails' rampage broke out, and Minato and Kushina sacrificed themselves.

He rushed back to Konoha to attend that heartbreaking funeral.

At the memorial, Sarutobi-sensei led her aside and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, tearfully and with deep remorse, told her a top-secret truth: "Jiraiya... Minato and Kushina actually had more than one child."

"Kushina was pregnant with twins, besides Naruto, there was another child... who disappeared in the chaos of that night."

"I ordered my secret service to search every possible area... and found only bloodstained fragments of a swaddling cloth... the chances of survival are... extremely slim."

"This matter is known only to me, the two advisors, and a very small number of secret agents."

"For Naruto's safety, and for the stability of the village... this must be kept secret."

"Let's just pretend that child... never existed."

It never existed...

Blonde hair... later turned black...

Face numb...

Unconditional care and protection for Naruto...

Extraordinary talent and precocity...

The Land of Waves incident involved a mysteriously powerful force that was terrifyingly strong...

All the clues, all the doubts, all the anomalies, at this moment, like scattered puzzle pieces, were pieced together seamlessly, forming a complete picture that was both chilling and logically consistent!

"No... impossible... how could this be..." Jiraiya muttered to himself, his face pale, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

He felt as if he had fallen into a bizarre yet incredibly real dream.

in case……

If his guess is true, then Menma is another son of Minato and Kushina, Naruto's twin brother or older brother!

The child who was thought to have died on the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage not only lived, but also grew up in Konoha, right under everyone's noses, as an "orphan genius"!

He even became Naruto's best friend and teammate!

who is it?

Who took him away?

And who erased all traces of him, turning him into the "Menma" he is today?

Does Nono know the truth?

What role did Kado play in all of this?

Does Menma know about her own background?

Where does his power come from?

Was his approach to Naruto truly just a matter of blood ties, or... did he have another purpose?

Countless questions, like fragments of an explosion, crashed wildly through Jiraiya's mind, almost suffocating him.

However, fate did not seem to intend to give him time to digest this earth-shattering secret.

Just as Jiraiya lost his composure and his thoughts were in turmoil.

Rumble—!!!

In the distance, from the direction of the gate of Konoha Village, several deafening and terrifying explosions suddenly rang out!

Even from a great distance, the loud noise rolled like muffled thunder, and the ground beneath our feet trembled clearly!

"ah--!!"

The children playing on the playground screamed in fright at the sudden loud noise and looked around in panic.

Iruka also turned his head in shock, looking towards the village entrance.

A thick plume of smoke mixed with flames shot into the sky from the high outer wall of the village!

Immediately afterwards, amidst the billowing smoke and dust, a massive purple shadow slowly emerged and wriggled, forcibly squeezing into the village through the breach in the blasted wall!

It was a giant purple serpent with three ferocious snake heads and a body as large as a small mountain!

It raised its three heads, let out a hiss, and began to wantonly destroy the buildings and fortifications at the village entrance with its enormous body and terrifying strength!

"That's... a summoning beast?! An invasion?!" Iruka exclaimed in shock.

This is not over yet!

Almost at the same time, from the direction of the Chunin Exams finals venue behind the Hokage Rock, came a series of explosions and faint shouts of battle!

Thick smoke was also rising from that direction!

"The venue! Something happened at the venue too!" Iruka's heart sank as he thought of Naruto, Menma, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, and other students who were participating in the competition there, as well as countless villagers who had gone to watch the event!

Jiraiya abruptly stood up from the bench. He glanced at the rampaging purple three-headed serpent at the village entrance, then at the direction of the meeting place, and instantly made a judgment.

"Iruka! Immediately organize all students and teachers to proceed to the school's underground shelter as quickly as possible, according to the emergency plan! Protect the children!"

"Yes!" Iruka quickly calmed down, his sense of responsibility as a teacher overpowering his panic.

"I'm going to the venue to provide support!" Jiraiya said, and without further delay.

He pushed off the ground with both feet and shot out, leaping onto the top of the tallest building in the Ninja Academy in one bound. Without stopping, he sped off towards the final venue behind the Hokage Rock, where the explosions and smoke were densest!

Her long white hair left a blurry afterimage behind her.

Iruka watched Jiraiya's disappearing figure, took a deep breath, turned to face the panicked children on the playground, and tried to sound calm in his loudest voice: "First graders! Don't panic! Listen to your teacher! Now, immediately form small groups and stick close to your class leaders and vice-leaders! We'll proceed to the underground shelter in an orderly fashion, following the route we've practiced! Don't run, don't push! Trust your teacher, trust the village ninjas, we will protect you! Hurry!"

Under his command and reassurance, the children, though still frightened, gradually regained their order and, with the assistance of several other teachers who rushed to the scene, began to evacuate quickly and orderly toward the underground shelter behind the school.

Iruka stood by the playground, urging the children on while turning back again to look at the huge snake-like shadow at the village entrance and the thick smoke rising from the direction of the meeting place, his face full of anxiety and worry.

"Naruto... Menma... Hinata... Shikamaru... everyone... please stay safe..."