Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too tsundere

The wind carried the scent of scorched earth, fluttering his black robe. He stood there silently, his expression hidden beneath the mask.

"The Third Hokage."

Menma's voice suddenly rang out, but instead of looking at Darui, he turned directly to Hiruzen Sarutobi. This turn startled everyone present.

The Third Hokage slowly raised his head, his aged face still showing the pallor of depleted chakra.

"I advise you not to do anything foolish." Mianma's voice carried a hint of mockery. "I think I understand now. You can't really be called 'bad,' but you're definitely 'stupid.'"

The third generation's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.

Menma's gaze fell on the Third Hokage's hand seal, which he hadn't fully lowered. "That seal... is it the Reaper Death Seal? It seems the battle at the Valley of the End left you with quite a few traumas."

His black robes fluttered without wind, and his voice, though pale, turned cold. "I have no intention of destroying Konoha... but after that ninjutsu, things might change."

Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on the Third Hokage's forehead. Finally, his taut fingers relaxed weakly. The hand seal completely dissipated, and this small movement made the Konoha Anbu members present secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Menma then turned back to Darui, his tone returning to its usual nonchalant teasing. "Compensation? Looks like you're a smart one."

He feigned deep thought, tapping his fingers lightly on his mask. "Let me think... the Eight-Tails and the Two-Tails might be a good idea."

Darui's face turned deathly pale. "...I'm sorry, this is the only option. Please consider something else...Kumakuya will do everything in its power to meet your needs."

Menma let out a soft laugh: "Heh..." This soft laugh made the hearts of all the Cloud Village ninjas jump into their throats.

"I was just joking," Menma waved his hand casually. "Because... if I wanted a Tailed Beast, do you think I would consult you?"

Darui's back was completely soaked with cold sweat, but he forced himself to stand still and not take a single step back.

"..."

"【ember】."

When this unfamiliar word came out of Mianma's mouth, everyone was stunned.

"......What?"

Darui instinctively asked a question, his brain racing—this term had never appeared in the ninja world before, neither in a known ninja village nor in any exiled organization.

"This is the name of the organization I lead."

His voice was calm and measured. "Make sure you remember this name well—"

Chakra suddenly surged, unleashing a violent shockwave centered on Menma. His black robes billowed wildly in the turbulent energy flow, and the phantom of the Nine-Faced Beast flickered behind him.

"Then let the name of fear spread throughout the ninja world!"

These words, like the tolling of a judgment bell, resounded heavily in everyone's heart.

Menma's figure began to blur, and the storm of chakra grew increasingly violent. In the last moment before disappearing, his voice pierced through the gale and clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Either you obediently continue living off the rotten fruits of peace... or let me teach you—what real 'war' is!"

"boom--!"

A violent chakra storm suddenly erupted, whipping up dust and forcing everyone to raise their hands to shield themselves. Kunai slipped from their fingers, headbands were blown askew, and even standing became difficult.

When the sandstorm finally subsided—

In the center of the open space, only the unconscious Raikage remained. Mianma's figure vanished like a dream, leaving only deep cracks in the ground as proof of what had just happened.

Chapter 34 The World's Response

Naruto sat alone on the edge of his small bed in his apartment, his hands burying his head in his hands. The images transmitted by his shadow clones kept flashing through his mind—the devastating Great Spiral Wheel, the terrified expressions of the Konoha ninja, the Raikage's charred body...

I... I've caused way too much of a commotion...

The memories of the shadow clone were like firsthand experience, allowing him to clearly feel the almost arrogant confidence he had when releasing the ninjutsu.

Am I really a chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) sufferer?

The thought made his ears burn. Those exaggerated lines, those oppressive declarations—looking back now, they were utterly humiliating. Especially that one line.

"Either you obediently continue living off the rotten fruits of peace... or let me teach you what real war is!"

How could you say something like that?!

Naruto rolled around on the bed and buried his face in the blankets. But soon, he forced himself to calm down and began to analyze the logic behind the shadow clone's actions.

Regarding the organization's name—【Ember】.

Why was that name chosen back then? Through memory sharing, he sensed the shadow clone's thoughts at the time.

Simple, direct, and powerful.

Like the Akatsuki organization, the single-character name is both easy to remember and intimidating. "Jin" means to burn the flames of war to ashes. This word represents both destruction and implies the end.

It sounds cool... but isn't it a bit too pretentious?

He remembered that the Shadow Clone had considered several other options. [Heavenly Punishment] was too aloof, like someone who called himself a god.

【无咎】 is too literary and not intuitive enough.

【Meteor Army】is too targeted, only targeting the military.

【The Cage of Paradox】means to regard war as a paradox, to lock war in a cage forever... This was rejected outright, because even Shadow Clone found it awkward to pronounce.

The final choice of "Jin" is also a tribute to the Akatsuki organization; a single-character name is indeed more impactful.

Regarding the stated objective—"to deter war through threats."

This reason sounds plausible, but in reality... in the original timeline, the Third Shinobi World War had already ended, and apart from the Fourth Shinobi World War, there wouldn't be any more major wars...

This is just a cover.

The real purpose was to take this opportunity to secretly recruit ninjas who could not be recruited by those with "righteous identities"—these people might have eccentric personalities or extreme ideologies, but without exception, they all possessed great strength.

The future enemy... is the Otsutsuki.

The five great nations fighting individually are simply not enough to contend with those alien monsters. There must be an organization that transcends the boundaries of ninja villages, a force capable of uniting all "unconventional combat power."

And [Jin] is the first step in this plan.

Naruto took a deep breath and sat up in bed. Outside the window, Konoha had returned to calm. The villagers had no idea that the "masked man" who had almost destroyed the village was now sitting in this small apartment in the form of a three-year-old child.

Although the methods were a bit radical... this is a path we must continue down.

All of this is to accumulate enough power before the real apocalypse arrives.

------

This conflict, though miraculously without any casualties, caused a nuclear-level sensation in the ninja world.

The evidence was right in front of everyone—a huge crater outside Konoha Village, almost the size of the village itself.

Just as Naruto had requested, the names of "King" and "Menma" quickly spread throughout the ninja world. One could even say that the Cloud Village's propaganda went a bit overboard. They used diplomatic channels, black market bounties, underground intelligence networks, and many other means to exaggerate Menma's terror.

The Raikage, the face and strongest fighter of Kumogakure, was severely injured and on the verge of death.

The Hidden Cloud Village, known for its "fight if you disagree" mentality, strictly forbade any action that might provoke Menma when the Raikage was on the verge of death. Even the most radical pro-war faction fell silent after seeing the giant crater outside the Hidden Leaf Village.

On Konoha's side, the Third Hokage took a long time to recover after the war, but as the village's leader, he had to stabilize the situation as soon as possible.

He first selected elites from the secret service to form a special reconnaissance team, responsible for gathering all intelligence on "Menma". However, the Third Hokage specifically instructed them not to go too deep, and that if any anomalies were discovered, the pursuit must be stopped immediately, and no risks should be taken.

He then urgently recalled Jiraiya and Tsunade, who were traveling abroad, in an attempt to stabilize public morale by bringing back the legendary Sannin.

Meanwhile, Konoha mobilized all the village's ninjas skilled in Earth Release to begin filling the shocking crater outside the village. This was a massive undertaking, but it had to be completed as quickly as possible, not only to restore the landscape but also to eliminate the terrifying symbol that constantly reminded people that "destruction is imminent."

Here's where things get interesting. In Iwagakure, the Tsuchikage Onoki publicly condemned Kumogakure, accusing them of being foolish enough to "try to steal a chicken but lose the rice instead." Then, a high-value bounty quietly appeared on the black market, offering a large sum of money for all information about Menma and [Jin].

This old guy outwardly gloated, but secretly he wanted to make contact with the [Jin] organization that struck fear into the hearts of the entire ninja world.

Meanwhile, Kirigakure, which was still being secretly controlled by Obito, also reacted.

Obito was wary of this suddenly appearing powerhouse. When did such a person emerge in the ninja world? He worried that this variable would interfere with the Eye of the Moon plan, so he immediately ordered Black Zetsu to gather information on [Jin] with all his might.

The two schemers hidden behind the masks felt uneasy as their plans spiraled out of control.

Meanwhile, in Amegakure, Nagato, the leader of the Akatsuki organization who had not yet taken action, learned of this momentous event that had shaken the ninja world through his intelligence network. What caught his attention even more was Menma's publicly declared ideology—"Ending war with fear."

This idea resonated subtly with Nagato. They both sought to achieve peace through extreme means, but in drastically different ways. Menma chose to become the enemy of the entire ninja world, using absolute military force to suppress war.

Nagato's plan was even more radical—he intended to collect the Tailed Beasts, create a weapon powerful enough to destroy a country in one blow, and then use this power to cause mass casualties.

Let all nations understand the horror of war by experiencing the pain of countless lives lost, and thus fear war itself.

However, after careful consideration, Nagato decided to try contacting the [Jin] organization. Faced with this "colleague" who also sought to achieve peace through extreme means, he wanted to explore the possibility of cooperation.

Of course, even if their ideologies clash, he, possessing the Rinnegan, is confident enough that he will not lose.

There were some benefits, too; an eerie calm descended upon the ninja world. After seeing the giant crater outside Konoha, all the major ninja villages were gripped by panic. They feared that one day Menma would suddenly appear above their village and casually drop a "Great Rasengan."

As a result, all countries unanimously ordered a halt to all diplomatic conflicts, and even the small-scale border skirmishes that had been going on for years came to an abrupt end.

Then something even stranger happened. No matter how the five great nations investigated or offered a hefty reward, Menma seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. The [Jin] organization also disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.

After all, the terrifying being who strikes fear into the hearts of the entire ninja world is now just a three-year-old child—no one would believe such a thing.

Chapter 35 Father and son meet

Naruto probably anticipated that the Third Hokage would recall Jiraiya and Tsunade to the village, so he deliberately adjusted his taijutsu training route these past few days, making a detour past the Konoha hot spring inn every day. Unfortunately, he still didn't see that lecherous white-haired old man appear.

Jiraiya did indeed return once, appearing directly at the hospital using the Reverse Summoning Jutsu from Mount Myōboku. However, he only briefly visited the Third Hokage who was recuperating, and after a short private conversation, Jiraiya hurriedly left Konoha. As for Tsunade, given her current state of utter despair, she probably won't return unless Konoha is truly destroyed.

Naruto wasn't in a hurry to take Neji to the Land of Hot Springs to find Hizashi. With things already escalating so much, it would be more prudent to wait until things calmed down before taking any action.

Ironically, the true victim of this conflict that shook the entire ninja world—the Byakugan incident orchestrated by the Hidden Cloud Village—has been completely ignored.

Faced with the sudden appearance of a madman in the ninja world possessing destructive power and whose sole purpose is to prevent war, the life and death of a mere member of the Hyuga branch clan seems utterly insignificant. The gap between individual destiny and the global landscape is simply too vast.

Naruto had already made preparations. According to the original plan, Konoha would likely execute Hizashi using the Caged Bird Seal to give Kumogakure an explanation. But now, under the absolute power displayed by Menma, both Kumogakure and Konoha tacitly forgot about this Hyuga clansman—neither dared to make a move, fearing that a single careless act would incur the wrath of that terrifying being.

This unexpected turn of events left Naruto completely bewildered. He had planned to use the Flying Thunder God Technique at any moment to try and break the Caged Bird's death seal with the power of "Crazy Diamond," but now he had no chance to use it.

Although the villagers of Konoha experienced a brief period of panic, life had to go on. Just like facing an insurmountable natural disaster, people quickly returned to their daily routines. Those who needed to farm went to farm, and those who needed to run shops went to run shops. Fear was present, but since there was nothing they could do, why live in constant anxiety? Life was already difficult enough; why add to their suffering?

As the horrifying crater outside the village neared completion of its repairs, the villagers' fear gradually subsided. Finally, Naruto could begin to fulfill his promise.

------

At midnight, the Hyuga branch family's mansion was shrouded in deathly silence.

Four-year-old Neji curled up alone on the cold tatami mat, tears silently streaming down his cheeks, wetting the fabric beside his pillow.

In the Hyuga clan, where hierarchy is determined by the main family and branch families, blood ties have long been replaced by cold rules. For this child, losing his father meant losing his only family member.

The outside world was reeling from earth-shattering events: the mysterious Menma, the anti-war madman capable of destroying villages, the emergence of the [Jin] organization, the Raikage's near-death experience... But none of this mattered to Neji. At this moment, only one simple yet cruel fact occupied his mind: his father might never return.

Although he was just a child, in this unreasonable world, one couldn't survive without being precocious. Neji had pieced together the truth from the servants' whispers: his father had become the scapegoat for the main family.

Father...where are you...what should I do...?

Hatred? Resentment? Resentment? These emotions will slowly ferment in the lonely days to come. But right now, what occupies this young heart is the purest, and also the cruelest—sadness.

The tears under the moonlight, like this child's shattered childhood, silently vanished into the long night. In this quiet, deep night…

"Yo."

A sudden sound made Neji shudder. He jumped to his feet and looked toward the source of the sound. On the windowsill, illuminated by moonlight, a figure had appeared out of nowhere. The person was dressed in a long black robe and wore a fox mask that completely covered their face, and was sitting leisurely on the windowsill.

Of course, this is a transformation technique.

"Who are you--!"

"Shh." The masked man held up one finger. "Don't make a sound. Making a scene won't do you any good."

Before Neji could react, the figure in front of him suddenly vanished. The next second, a pair of hands gently rested on his shoulders.

"Wh...when..."

Cold sweat trickled down Neji's back. He then realized that if this person wanted to take his life, it would be incredibly easy.

"You...what is your purpose..." Neji's voice was filled with suppressed terror.

"Ugh, ugh..." Naruto shrugged helplessly. "Don't be so scared. I mean you no harm. If I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead."

"!"

"...I...I'm just a branch family member of the Hyuga clan..."

Neji suppressed his fear, but tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. "If you want to see my eyes... the main family will execute me with the Caged Bird Seal..."

The voice was filled with fear but also an attempt to communicate. Naruto had only wanted to tease Neji, but the whole thing made him feel a little guilty.