"Kakashi? No... Shisui? Even more wrong..."
He muttered softly, trying to search his mind.
"Sai?"
Menma shook his head decisively. "They're staying with Yamato."
He scratched his head in frustration. "Who could it be?"
Unable to think of an answer, Menma decided not to dwell on it any longer. He stood up and called out to his companions, "It's getting late, let's go home!"
Meanwhile, at the crossroads, Shino Aburame stood silently, a fishing rod on his shoulder and a small bucket in his hand.
A flock of birds flew over his head, and his eyes behind his sunglasses were filled with resentment. "Ignored again..."
...The next morning, Menma arrived at the renovated Uchiha Clan compound.
After the purge, the radical faction had vanished, and the remaining clan members began to interact with the villagers.
Under the combined efforts of Fugaku, Shisui, and Itachi, the once secluded and proud Uchiha Clan gradually showed a new vitality.
"Oh, it's little Menma. Are you here to play with Sasuke?"
When Menma arrived at the clan head's residence, Uchiha Mikoto was busy in the courtyard. Seeing the young visitor, the gentle woman's eyes curved, and she offered a warm smile.
"Aunt Mikoto, I'm here to see Brother Itachi."
Menma gazed at the gentle woman before him and politely bowed.
"Looking for Itachi? He just got back not long ago."
Mikoto called into the house a few times. When no one answered, she said thoughtfully, "That boy, he's probably gone to the training ground again."
"Then I'll go find Brother Itachi myself. Goodbye, Aunt Mikoto."
Menma waved goodbye and walked towards the Uchiha Clan's training ground. Under the cherry blossom trees along the way, several Uchiha children were playing.
Inside the training ground, Uchiha Fugaku was guiding Sasuke in Ninjutsu practice.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
As Sasuke formed the hand signs, a scorching fireball erupted.
Although it was already quite impressive, Fugaku still shook his head slightly. As he turned to leave, he happened to meet Menma, and a slight smile appeared on his stern face. "Menma, you're here for Itachi, aren't you?"
"Yes, Uncle Fugaku."
Menma bowed slightly, his peripheral vision catching the disappointment in Sasuke's eyes. Not far away, Itachi was gently stroking his younger brother's hair, whispering words of comfort.
"Brother Itachi."
Hearing the call, Itachi withdrew his hand from Sasuke's head. As he turned, the gentleness in his eyes had not yet faded. "Menma, is something wrong?"
"I heard you're going out on a mission?"
Menma got straight to the point.
He had long planned to search for his scattered clan members, but his mother would certainly not agree to him going out now.
He tried asking Kakashi for help, but the latter avoided him like the plague. He could only place his hopes on Itachi.
Itachi's gaze suddenly sharpened, and then he sent Sasuke away.
When he turned back to Menma, his expression had become serious. "Is it some special mission?"
"It's not really a special mission..."
Menma scratched his head awkwardly, saying with a hint of embarrassment, "I want to ask Brother Itachi to help me inquire about the whereabouts of the Uzumaki Clan members while you're out."
"So that's it..."
Itachi smiled knowingly. "Leave it to me."
"Thank you, Brother Itachi."
Menma nodded and handed Itachi a kunai engraved with a Flying Thunder God Mark. He was about to turn and leave, but his peripheral vision caught half a head peeking out from the doorway; Sasuke was secretly looking over.
He paused, thought for a moment, and then said to Itachi:
"Brother Itachi, Sasuke's Lightning Release talent is actually stronger than his Fire Release. Perhaps cultivating him in a different direction would yield better results."
Itachi was slightly startled. His gaze moved between Menma's departing back and his younger brother hiding behind the door, then he murmured thoughtfully:
"Lightning Release, huh..."
Konoha's training ground in the back mountains.
Minato, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, was about to teach his two sons new Ninjutsu.
"Dad! Quickly teach me some awesome Ninjutsu!"
Naruto clenched his fists and excitedly bounced in place.
Seeing his younger son's energetic demeanor, Minato couldn't help but laugh, his golden hair shimmering in the sunlight:
"Hahaha, you've both already mastered the Rasengan. As for basic Ninjutsu, Menma is even more proficient than I am."
"Huh?"
Naruto immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, pouting as he looked at his older brother beside him.
Feeling his younger brother's gaze, Menma's lips curved slightly. "Don't worry, Dad specially called us here, so he must have some ultimate secret technique."
"Really?"
Naruto instantly perked up again, his eyes sparkling as he looked at his father.
Minato nodded. After biting his thumb, he quickly formed hand signs. "What I'm going to teach you today is this—"
Before he finished speaking, his palm had already slammed heavily onto the ground. "Summoning Technique!"
"Bang!"
A huge cloud of smoke instantly billowed out. Menma and Naruto instinctively raised their hands to shield themselves.
When the smoke and dust cleared, a colossal toad appeared before them.
Minato stood steadily on the toad's head, and this toad, clutching a pipe and bearing a ferocious scar over its left eye, also had a sharp katana strapped to its waist.
"Is this the legendary Gamabunta?"
Menma's eyes lit up. This toad exuded an intimidating aura, looking exactly like a boss toad.
"So cool!"
Naruto was so excited he was flailing his arms, his golden hair bouncing up and down with his movements. "Dad! I want to learn this! I absolutely have to learn this!"
"Hey, Minato,"
Gamabunta exhaled a smoke ring, his deep voice carrying a hint of laziness, "You haven't summoned me in a long time. Did you run into some trouble this time?"
"Sorry to bother you."
Minato smiled apologetically. "I just wanted to demonstrate the Summoning Technique to the children."
"I see..."
Bunta lowered his eyelids, scrutinizing the two little ones below him.
One was calm and reserved, exactly like Minato when he was young;
The other was lively and boisterous, just like Kushina.
Its lips curved slightly. "I'm very busy. Don't call me casually next time unless it's important."
With a soft "bang," the giant toad vanished, leaving behind only a few wisps of lingering smoke.
"My apologies..."
Minato scratched his head, gracefully descending from the air and landing steadily in front of his two sons.
"Dad! I want to learn!"
Naruto darted forward, excitedly pouncing on Minato, his eyes gleaming with eagerness.
"This is the Summoning Technique."
Minato placed a hand on the restless Naruto, patiently explaining, "The caster needs to first form a blood contract with the summoned beast, and then they can summon them at any time to assist in battle."
As he spoke, he took out a scroll from his ninja pouch and gently unrolled it on a tree stump.
Besides Minato's own signature, the scroll also bore Jiraiya's flowing calligraphy.
Menma's gaze lingered on the scroll for a moment, then a thought suddenly struck him. "Grandpa Jiraiya is always traveling. Perhaps he knows more about the whereabouts of the scattered clan members?"
This thought stirred something within him. Perhaps asking Jiraiya for help would be easier.
As for the Summoning Technique itself, he wasn't particularly interested.
With his current strength, a summoned beast would merely be icing on the cake. However, since his father was personally teaching them, he didn't want to spoil the mood.
Naruto had already impatiently bitten his finger and solemnly wrote his name on the scroll.
As soon as he signed the contract, he eagerly formed hand signs:
"Summoning Technique!"
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