"Was it Danzo?" Menma asked coldly.
The last Jonin didn't get a chance to answer. Menma's kunai slashed across his throat, sending blood arcing through the air.
That reaction was all the confirmation he needed. Even in silence, the Jonin's widened pupils gave it away—it was Danzo.
Moments later, Jiraiya finally arrived at the scene. But the sight that met him froze him in place.
Corpses. Eighteen of them. Three Jonin, fifteen Chunin.
All dead.
"Menma…" Jiraiya stared, stunned. "Did you… kill all of them?"
"Master Jiraiya," Menma said flatly, "if I had to rely on you to protect me, I'd already be dead."
Jiraiya winced slightly. That one stung.
"You took down all of them?" he asked, unable to believe what he was seeing. He had already been aware of Menma's talent—but this? Even he would have had trouble handling such a squad so swiftly.
"Not by myself." Menma smirked. "They helped."
As if on cue, four shadow clones stepped out from the forest, each radiating Jōnin-level chakra. They stood around Menma, glaring at Jiraiya with mirrored expressions.
Jiraiya's jaw almost dropped.
Each of those clones has that much chakra? That means… the original is even stronger.
Could it be…?
Has Menma already reached Kage-level strength at just six years old?
He quickly scanned Menma's body—no signs of overexertion. Not even fatigue. In fact… he looked energized.
Wait… three years ago, when I first came back to the village—there was a sudden surge in his chakra one night. Could that be related to this?
"Had enough of staring yet, Master Jiraiya?" Menma gritted his teeth. With a thought, he dispelled his shadow clones and deactivated the Nine Tails Cloak. The orange glow faded from his body.
Jiraiya blinked and snapped out of his daze. He opened his mouth to speak—
—but Menma cut him off.
"You better have a good explanation for this. You owe me thirty months of rent. I'm six years old and raising a younger brother. Do you have any idea how hard that is? And you, a grown adult, are freeloading off me?"
Jiraiya coughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. His cheeks turned red. But he pulled himself together, shameless as ever.
"I… I can explain."
"No time." Menma suddenly remembered something. "When I was fighting just now, I dispelled all my shadow clones—including the one with Naruto. He's probably panicking right now. We need to go—fast."
He formed a single seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Another Menma appeared beside him.
"Go find Sister Tsunade. Let her know we had an emergency and went back to the village first."
The clone nodded and disappeared into the forest.
Meanwhile, the real Menma grabbed Jiraiya by the wrist. "Let's move."
As they dashed toward Konoha, Jiraiya glanced at Menma.
"You don't need to be so worried. Naruto's fine. Kakashi's watching over him."
Menma's eyes narrowed.
"Don't act clueless. Those assassins came from inside Konoha. I should cut off their heads and let you wear them like a necklace."
Jiraiya fell silent.
He knew.
There was no denying it—those ninja were from the village.
And while he hadn't wanted to say it aloud, Menma had already figured it out.
He's too sharp for a six-year-old… Jiraiya thought bitterly. Back when I was his age, I could barely even write, let alone process stuff like this. I was busy staring at girls' chests!
Elsewhere, a shadowy figure stood at the highest point in the village, watching as Menma and Jiraiya returned.
"Hmph. So they failed." His voice was low, raspy. "Looks like I underestimated Jiraiya… and that boy."
At the Ninja Academy:
"Don't cry, Naruto." Hinata stood beside him, distressed. "I-I'm sure your brother's okay."
Naruto was bawling his eyes out. When Menma's clone vanished earlier, panic set in.
Iruka had been stunned too. A student had been a shadow clone this whole time—and he hadn't even noticed. He dismissed class and ran to report the situation to the Hokage.
"You idiot," Sasuke said awkwardly, trying to comfort Naruto. "Your brother's not dead. He's super strong."
"B-but—hic—he disappeared!" Naruto sobbed harder.
Hinata gently hugged him, brushing his hair back. "It's okay, Naruto…"
As she held him, her heart thudded. So close…
But it didn't help much. Naruto kept crying. His sobs echoed through the room.
It was contagious. Everyone felt depressed.
Just then—
CRASH!
The window shattered.
Two figures leapt into the classroom. One red-haired boy. One white-haired man.
"Naruto! It's your brother!" Sasuke shouted.
Naruto's head snapped up.
"BROTHER!!"
He bolted forward and jumped into Menma's arms, hugging him tightly.
Menma ruffled his hair. "C'mon, don't cry. What happened? Did Sasuke bully you again?"
Two people immediately reacted.
"I didn't bully him!" Sasuke snapped.
"Brother! I would never let him bully me! I'm the one bullying Sasuke!" Naruto retorted.
"What'd you say, dobe?!"
"You heard me, bastard!"
"I'm stronger!"
"No, I'm stronger!"
Menma sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Here we go again. These two can't go a day without arguing.
Mouth-to-mouth combat always ends with eye-to-eye death glares.
Hopeless.
He turned to Hinata. "Hinata, when Naruto finally calms down, let him know I went home."
He glanced around.
No Iruka-sensei, huh? Then it's time to report this properly.
Menma and Jiraiya headed straight for Hokage Tower.
On the top floor of the tower, the room was packed.
Tsunade, Shizune, Iruka, Jiraiya, and the Third Hokage were all present.
As Menma entered, Iruka blinked and asked seriously:
"…Are you the main body or a shadow clone?"
Menma: "…"
Iruka flushed.
Seriously?! I'm his teacher and I can't even tell?!
(End Of Chapter)
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