READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 46: Leaving the village for the first time
Chapter
46: Leaving the Village for the First Time
The next day, at 7:45 in the
morning, at the main entrance of Konohagakure Village, Menma, carrying his
backpack, landed near the gathering point. Four figures were already present,
including their employer, Tazuna, Kakashi, Uchiha Sasuke, and Sakura. Each was
equipped with a backpack containing essential ninja tools and daily
necessities—standard configuration for ninjas leaving the village on missions.
As Menma arrived, Naruto's familiar
voice echoed in the distance, "Oh oh oh! I'm coming! I'm coming!" A
golden blur rushed towards the group, revealing Naruto's enthusiastic figure.
"Well, everyone is here, so
let's go," Kakashi said, nodding gently. He handed their departure proof
to the ninja guarding the gate for inspection and led Menma, Naruto, and the
others out of Konohagakure Village, heading towards the Land of Waves.
At the same time, in the northwest
corner of Konohagakure, in a secret room within the underground base of the
Root, Shimura Danzo received news of their departure. His only exposed eye
revealed a sinister look.
"Hai!" he called softly. A
dark figure appeared from the shadows.
"Go, deliver the agreed item to
Orochimaru, and tell him I agree to his plan. But he must show sincerity
first!" Danzo ordered indifferently.
"Yes, Master Danzo!" The
shadowy figure bowed and disappeared.
"Hmph, you let the 12-year-old
Nine-Tails Jinchuriki leave the village so easily, Hiruzen. I think you're old
and confused. Don't blame me for being ruthless!" Danzo muttered coldly.
He seemed to envision Sarutobi Hiruzen at the mission center, his words filled
with malice.
Unlike the strong Hidden Leaf
Village before the Third Ninja War, or its easy dominance of the ninja world,
today's Hidden Leaf was in a transitional phase. The pillars were old or fallen
in battle, and few among the younger generation were noteworthy. This increased
Menma's importance as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. In a new Ninja War, Konoha
would rely on his power. The village, appearing strong outside but weak within,
could easily collapse without his support.
Menma's every action attracted
attention. His first time leaving the village was crucial. Menma was aware but
remained focused. He only needed to stay alive, develop, and wait for the right
opportunity, which was approaching.
As Team 7 walked with Tazuna, their
pace matched the employer's, taking more than a day to reach the Land of Waves,
assuming they found a boat. Otherwise, the round trip could take over two days.
During the journey, Kakashi provided
relevant information. It was Menma, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's first mission
outside the village.
"Only one day? Not far! But
Tazuna-san, why not hire ninjas from your own country? For a C-rank mission,
ordinary ninjas could handle it," Sakura asked curiously.
Naruto and Sasuke also looked at
Tazuna, interested. Menma remained calm.
"Little girl..." "Ah,
just call me Sakura!" "Well, Sakura, our Wave Country is small, about
the size of Fire Country's main city. We can't have our own ninja village.
Wandering ninjas occasionally appear, but hiring them is risky. Regular ninjas
are safer. Konoha, one of the five great nations, is closest to our Wave
Country. Naturally, I came to Konoha for help," Tazuna explained.
"Oh, I see," Sakura
nodded, understanding dawning.
Though knowledgeable, Haruno Sakura,
like others, hadn't learned everything in ninja school. Theoretical knowledge
focused on ninja-related topics. Other subjects were briefly covered,
emphasizing the Will of Fire, Konohagakure's origins, and a short introduction
to the five great nations. This led to misconceptions about the ninja world's
layout.
"So, apart from the five great
nations, other countries don't have regular ninjas? By the way, aren't there
other ninja villages besides Konoha?" Naruto asked, his theoretical
knowledge still shaky.
In terms of personality, Naruto in
this time and space was almost the same as in the original series. He could
learn some theoretical ninja knowledge, but mastering other content was
challenging for him.
"The five great nations refer
to ninja villages in each country. Besides Konoha in the Land of Fire, there's
Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning, Iwagakure in the Land of Earth, Sunagakure
in the Land of Wind, and Kirigakure in the Land of Water. Naruto, didn't the
teacher teach this in the second grade?" Sakura asked, looking at Naruto
with a puzzled expression. This was common knowledge in the ninja world.