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

Chapter 112 Do you understand the meaning of freedom?
Late at night, the Hokage Building was brightly lit.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, changed into a battle suit; the armor gleamed with a cold metallic sheen in the candlelight.

After Hyuga Hiashi handed over the 'announcement letter,' Nara Shikaku presided over a careful analysis of its contents.

Nara Shikaku traced the dark patterns on the parchment with his fingertips, his brow furrowing even deeper. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged whispered speculations, while Yamanaka Inoichi closed his eyes, sensing the chakra fluctuations remaining in the writing.

But the imposing figure of Akimichi Choza remained blocking the window, like a silent city wall.

When the pendulum kisses the twelfth mark.

The moonlight will show mercy to the unlocked door.

Amidst the sighs of a caged bird

I will take Hamura's gift.

【—Shura】

"I have ordered the Anbu to lead the first squad to provide support, but in order to avoid affecting the Hyuga clan's Byakugan detection, they will only be on guard around the outer perimeter of the Hyuga clan's territory." Hiruzen Sarutobi put on the armor on his wrist and made the following arrangements.

"The Konoha Police Department is responsible for patrolling and guarding the perimeter of the village, while the Second Anbu Squad is responsible for patrolling and guarding the village. Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Choza, and Nara Shikaku will lead the Jonin squad and the main force, ready to support the Hyuga clan's territory at any time."

Because he didn't know how the enemy would infiltrate, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't deploy all his troops when assigning patrol and guard duties.

Instead, the Uchiha clan was assigned to be in charge of the village's perimeter, while the Anbu were responsible for the village's interior. Most of the Jonin and Special Jonin were gathered around the Hokage Building to await orders.

Meanwhile, to prevent Shura from using a diversionary tactic, Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered all the other ninja clans to strengthen their defenses and immediately launch signal flares if Shura's whereabouts were discovered!

"Have you analyzed the contents of this notice?" After finishing tidying up his combat equipment, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shikaku Nara with eyes like a hawk.

Nara Shikaku unfolded the notice and said, "Lord Hokage, based on the speculations of our Jonin team and advisory group..."

"The first sentence, 'When the pendulum kisses the twelfth mark,' should refer to the twelve two-hour periods of the day. The twelfth two-hour period is the Zi hour, which is 23:00-1:00."

"The second sentence, 'The moonlight will show mercy to the unlocked gate,' has two interpretations: one is that it refers to the moonlight shining on the gate, and the other is that it refers to the gate of the Hyuga clan's territory."

"As for the third sentence..."

At this point, Nara Shikaku looked at Hyuga Hiashi.
To outsiders, the Caged Bird Seal is a closely guarded secret passed down through the Hyuga clan, and they naturally need to consider the feelings of others, so Nara Shikaku only went so far as to reveal his secret.

"The 'Caged Bird' likely refers to the entire Hyuga clan," Hyuga Hiashi said in a deep voice.

Koharu Utatane continued the conversation, asking, "Then what does the last sentence, 'I will take Hamura's gift,' mean?"

Hamura is clearly a person's name, but none of the people present, whether it was Hiruzen Sarutobi, advisors like Koharu Utatane, or even Shikaku Nara, the Jonin class leader, had ever heard of this name before.

I've heard of Hagoromo; she was a ninja clan that was once an enemy of the Senju clan.

Later, because the client felt that the Hagoromo clan had failed to complete the mission, they replaced them with the Uchiha clan. For a period of time, Senju clan ninjas even had to face both the Hagoromo and Uchiha clans in missions.

However, the Feathered Robe Clan has now fallen into decline.

"I only found a few words about the name Hamura in the family records I consulted. It seems to be an ancestor of my Hyuga clan." Hyuga Hiashi was not lying.

A thousand years have passed, and the descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki have split into multiple families. Moreover, Hamura's main family is on the moon, and the descendants living in the ninja world are like unimportant branch family members.

Therefore, the Hyuga and Kaguya clans have very few records about Hamura Otsutsuki.

“But the other party actually knew this name…” Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses, his expression grave.

From this 'preliminary notice' alone, it can be inferred that Shura has a deep understanding of the Hyuga clan, and may even have some connection with the Hyuga clan.

Koharu Utatane looked at Hiashi Hyuga sitting opposite her: "So, what exactly is Hamura's gift?"

I've never heard of the Hyuga clan having any legendary ninja tools or anything like that.

The only thing I could truly treasure was those disdainful eyes.

Hiashi Hyuga was well aware of this, which is why he gathered all the main branch members together for protection. ——————

Sungai tribe.

Because many of the branch family's ninjas of Chunin rank or higher were transferred to the main family's compound to protect the main family members or to patrol the area around the clan's territory, the number of people in the branch family's compound has decreased significantly.

Five-year-old Hyuga Neji tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, feeling as if something was about to happen.

He sat up from the bed, glanced at the bright moon outside the window, and remembered his father's instructions.

"Don't go anywhere tonight." These were his father's instructions to him before he was summoned away by the clan elders.

Young Neji was unaware of what had happened within the clan, but it must have been very serious.

Just like last year when Hinata was kidnapped and a mysterious ninja attacked the Hyuga clan's territory.

A night breeze blew in through the window, bringing a touch of coolness.

Hyuga Neji suddenly noticed a figure sitting in the window.

His black robes fluttered in the wind, and the fox mask on his face gleamed coldly in the light.

"Shura!" Neji stood up from the bed, his little face full of vigilance.

As the child of the head of the branch family and the future heir to the branch family, Neji had naturally heard about the attack last year.

His own father was severely injured by Shura!
"A keen sense of perception." Menma sat on the windowsill, tilting his head slightly to look at the Caged Bird Seal on Neji's forehead.

The genius of the Hyuga branch family.

"Byakugan! Activate!" Five-year-old Neji had already activated his Byakugan and had undergone training from his clan, so he knew some basic Gentle Fist techniques.

But just as Neji activated his Byakugan and was about to call for help, he was surprised to find that he couldn't see the person on the windowsill at all in the Byakugan's field of vision!

"Gone?" Neji closed his Byakugan again.

But he saw that the person was still leaning against the windowsill, still looking at him in the same posture.

"How is this possible!" Neji was shocked. He had never encountered such a situation since he awakened his Sharingan.

The person right in front of you can't even be seen in the field of vision of a white-eyed person?!

For the first time in a long time, the family began to doubt the concept of the Byakugan's abilities that he had been implanted with.

"The feeling of being a caged bird... must be unpleasant." Menma jumped down from the windowsill and slowly walked towards Neji.

As Neji looked at the aura emanating from the other party, he was so frightened that he trembled all over and dared not move, his whole body covered in cold sweat.

Mian Mahjong placed his right hand on Neji's forehead.

"Secret Technique: Cage Seal!" A violent and dark chakra entered Neji's brain, covering the Caged Bird on his forehead and temporarily sealing it away.

Feeling the faint stimulation on his forehead, Neji's Byakugan suddenly opened up a 360-degree field of vision.

After being branded as a caged bird at the age of three, Neji felt free once again! This feeling of being parched and then blessed made him tremble with excitement.

Mianma nodded in satisfaction.

Although Neji is still young, that doesn't stop Menma from starting to refine this chess piece now.

Do you want to understand the meaning of freedom? Do you want to truly live?

After leaving these words, Menma disappeared from Neji's room.

(End of this chapter)