"Hey! Shikamaru! Choji! Ino!" Naruto, sharp-eyed, spotted them immediately and instantly forgot his impatience from waiting. He waved his arms excitedly, calling out to them in a loud voice.
"Over here! Over here! Come quick!"
"It's Naruto and the others!" Hearing Naruto's loud voice, Ino pulled a somewhat reluctant Shikamaru and a Choji focused on his potato chips over.
"Yo, good afternoon, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino." Menma also nodded slightly in greeting.
Hinata, a bit nervously following Menma's lead, softly said, "Good afternoon, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino..."
"Menma, Hinata, Naruto, good afternoon!" After exchanging greetings, Ino curiously looked at the long line and the brand new shop sign.
Shikamaru shuffled over, eyelids drooping, greeting listlessly: "Yo. What a coincidence."
His dark blue jacket was open at the collar, revealing a gray undershirt underneath, the picture of laziness.
Choji's chubby cheeks were stuffed with potato chips, and he mumbled an indistinct acknowledgment.
Ino, wearing a smart canary yellow skirt set, her golden ponytail swaying lively with her movements, asked, "When did this shop open? The business is so good. Is it a new milk tea shop? I don't think it was here yesterday when I passed by."
"Mm…" Menma nodded, his voice steady as he explained, "First day open today. It's one of the businesses under my family's name."
"Menma-nii! Can the staff at your shop make ramen-flavored milk tea?" Naruto clung to the counter, standing on tiptoe to peer inside.
The busy shop attendant's smile stiffened slightly.
"This is a drink shop, not a ramen shop. If you want ramen, I'll take you to Teuchi's place later." Menma said, giving Naruto a look that clearly said he'd like to punch him.
Then Menma turned to Shikamaru and the other two. "Perfect timing. It's opening day with special promotions. Let me treat you all to try something. Give me your opinions."
He gave a slight signal towards the shop. A manager in a neat uniform, with a capable air, immediately noticed and walked over quickly, bowing respectfully to Menma. "Young Master, what would you and your friends like? This way, please."
He guided the six of them to a reserved, relatively quiet spot to the side.
"Treating us?!" Ino and Choji's eyes lit up simultaneously.
Ino was curious about the new flavors, while Choji was purely motivated by delicious food.
"Eh? Really?" Choji immediately hugged his bag of chips tighter, his eyes shining as he stared at the drink menu, "Then I'll have an extra-large double-sugar pudding milk tea! Double pudding too!"
"Great!" Ino also cheered, "I'll have the signature fruit tea! Thanks, Menma!"
Shikamaru watched this 'privileged' treatment, then glanced at Menma's impassive expression. If it were any other kid, they'd probably show some unconcealable pride or smugness, but Shikamaru noticed Menma even looked a bit bothered by the trouble.
"Troublesome..." He muttered under his breath, but his eyes drifted toward the most expensive items on the menu.
"Then... lemon tea," he said. He noticed the manager's attitude towards Menma… respectful, but with an indescribable sense of obedience, far beyond just the boss's son.
'But skipping the line and getting a free, expensive-looking drink didn't seem bad?'
He shrugged and lazily said thanks, "Thanks, Menma. Really troublesome of you."
Soon, all six had their drinks in hand.
Naruto held a special blend topped with red bean paste and mochi balls, slurping noisily, Choji drank his double-sugar, double-pudding milk tea, squinting with satisfaction, while Ino happily looked at her colorful fruit tea, sipping carefully.
Hinata held a cup of warm red bean paste milk tea, taking small sips, the sweetness seemingly easing her nervousness.
Menma also had a red bean paste milk tea, but he was also carrying a box of pastries.
Shikamaru took a sip of the supposedly refreshing lemon tea but frowned immediately, finding it still too sour.
The six small kids, similar in age, walked slowly along the street gradually tinted by the sunset glow, each with their drink.
The group naturally split into three pairs.
"This! This is super delicious!" Choji, holding his extra-large milk tea with one hand, excitedly pointed at a shop with a [Secret Recipe Grilled Meat] sign with the other, enthusiastically recommending it to Naruto.
"Pork belly with a good mix of lean and fat, grilled until it sizzles, dipped in a special sauce! Ah!" He squinted greedily, as if already tasting it.
Naruto was practically drooling listening to this, his sapphire blue eyes wide open. "Really? Even better than Ichiraku Ramen?"
Because of his [Demon Fox] infamy, many shops avoided him. Being able to eat Ichiraku Ramen was his greatest happiness.
Now, listening to Choji detailly introduce the various delicacies of Konoha… salt-grilled sanma, tri-colored dango, tonkotsu ramen, tempura...
Naruto's face was full of longing and a trace of imperceptible disappointment.
"Of course!" Choji nodded vigorously.
"And that old-established oden place, the broth is especially delicious, the radish inside stewed until it melts in your mouth-" He went on and on.
"Wow! Choji, you know so much!" Naruto grabbed Choji's arm, stars shining in his eyes.
"Of course! Next time there's a chance-" Choji patted his chest, then suddenly remembered something, his voice pausing as he scratched his head somewhat sheepishly.
"Um... next time there's a chance, I'll treat you!" He vaguely knew about Naruto's situation, but with his simple mind, he chose to express kindness through sharing.
Menma and Shikamaru walked side by side in the middle, the liveliness of Choji and Naruto ahead forming a stark contrast.
Menma just quietly sipped his seemingly ordinary red bean paste milk tea, occasionally responding to Naruto's excited questions.
Shikamaru was silent most of the time, his perpetually half-lidded eyes seemingly casually scanning the shops lining both sides of the street, the villagers and Ninja hurrying by, but the corner of his eye constantly paying attention to Menma beside him.
'A war orphan adopted by the merchant, Gato...'
Shikamaru always felt there was an out-of-place calmness about him, not the kind of temperament the Konoha's Orphanage could foster.
'And that shop attendant's respectful attitude earlier...'
"Hey, Menma." Shikamaru spoke up as if casually, his voice drawn out, "Your family's business... it's pretty big?"
Menma glanced at him sideways, his sapphire blue pupils deep and calm, "Most of the Gato Company's assets in Konoha Village are under my name. After all, I'm also a part of Konoha."
His answer was flawless.
"Is that so..." Shikamaru drew out the end of his sentence and didn't press further.
He knew he wouldn't get anything more.
Behind them, Ino affectionately linked arms with Hinata. The two girls fell to the back, whispering.
"Hey, Hinata," Ino leaned close to Hinata's ear, snickering mischievously, her voice very low, her gaze drifting toward Menma ahead, "You and Menma... are you two-"
She deliberately drew out her tone.
Hinata's face flushed bright red instantly, like a ripe tomato, even her small earlobes turning pink.
She waved her hands flusteredly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, almost drowned out by the street noise, "N-No! Ino, don't say such things!"
She quickly stole a glance at Menma's upright back, her heart pounding, then hurriedly lowered her head to stare at her own toes.
"Really?" Ino grinned mischievously, gently nudging Hinata with her elbow. "During that declaration on the first day of school, when you said you'd kill anyone who dared to go after Menma, you weren't this shy."
"And just now in the shop, you sneaked quite a few looks at him! And your face was red the whole time!"
She wore an 'I've seen right through you' expression.
"That… that's because-" Hinata was so embarrassed she felt like she was about to steam, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, not daring to lift her head at all.
Big Sis Hinata's domineering declaration had left her unsure how to face things now.
Ino giggled, stopping her teasing, and instead started chatting enthusiastically about the new accessory shop and the new hairstyle Sakura had today.
Hinata secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but the blush on her face didn't fade for a long time, and her gaze still uncontrollably drifted towards that figure.
But thinking of the sister inside her body, Hinata felt a sense of shame and guilt, burying her head even lower.
The setting sun stretched the shadows of the six very long. Teenagers and girls with different personalities, in this brief weekend moment, formed a picture of Konoha's daily life, filled with the atmosphere of everyday life.
They parted ways at the intersection, waving goodbye, promising to meet at school tomorrow.
After saying goodbye to his friends, Menma first walked Hinata back to the main gate of the Hyuga Clan's compound.
Once Hinata disappeared behind the gate, he turned and went back to his own house across the street.
"I'm going upstairs." After greeting the servants at home, Menma tossed out the sentence and went straight up the stairs.
Returning to his room, he placed the exquisite pastry box printed with the [Manzo Sweet Drinks] logo on his desk.
Immediately after, a faint buzzing sound came from within Menma's black spiky hair.
A small, furry head cautiously poked out.
The palm-sized miniature Black Nine-Tails, wearing a dark red kimono, her two small fox ears twitching alertly, her large red eyes darting towards the beautiful pastry box that Menma was holding.
"Menma! Menma!" The Black Nine-Tails' voice was clear and young, filled with unconcealed delight and greed.
Her small nose sniffed hard at the sweet fragrance filling the air, her nine fluffy dark red tails wagging excitedly behind Menma's shoulder.
She wore that tiny, exquisite dark red kimono, her bare little feet stepping on Menma's shoulder, lightly scratching.
"It smells so good! Is it for me? It's for me, right? Menma is the best person in the world!" She urged impatiently.
A trace of softness flickered in Menma's eyes. He placed the pastry box on the low table and opened it.
Inside were several delicate, small wagashi… red bean paste, matcha flavor, and even milk cakes shaped like little foxes.
"Yay!" The Black Nine-Tails cheered, transforming into a small red blur, instantly leaping from Menma's shoulder onto the table.
She carefully picked up a fox-shaped milk cake, opened her small mouth, took a big bite, squinting her eyes so happily, her nine tails wagging pleasantly, emitting a satisfied purring sound, her little face covered in pastry crumbs.
"Yummy! So yummy!"
Watching the Black Nine-Tails devouring the treats adorably, the corner of Menma's mouth lifted.
After settling the Black Nine-Tails, who is now immersed in the world of sweets, Menma turned and walked into the training room partitioned off inside the small room.
Besides a bookshelf filled with historical texts, a specially made Flying Thunder God Kunai hung on the wall of the training room.
Menma went to the center of the training room, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes.
The vast Chakra within him began to circulate.
Different from the usual path of Chakra Control, he was now mobilizing a deeper, more fundamental power: Yin Attribute, representing spiritual energy, and Yang Attribute, representing physical energy.
Time passed in silence.
Above Menma's palm, the air began to distort slightly, the light seeming to be swallowed into it.
At first, only a tiny, extremely fine black substance, looking both real and illusory, struggled to coalesce. Like a candle in the wind, it flickered unsteadily, as if it might collapse at any moment.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Menma's temples. He was fully focused, his mental energy highly concentrated, carefully maintaining that fragile balance.
Time passed in this silent struggle.
The speck of black substance in his palm gradually stabilized, beginning to slowly stretch and elongate, as if forged and shaped by an invisible, skillful hand.
Its form became clearer and clearer.
A short rod about thirty centimeters long, completely black, its surface smooth and flowing with a sinister dim light.
Whoosh!
An invisible wave spread out quietly with Menma as the center, yet was firmly confined within the training room.
A creation of Yin-Yang Release, the Black Rod, containing the power of annihilation!
Menma's breathing became long and slow. Sweat dripped down his well-defined jawline, but his gaze was sharp as a hawk's, locked firmly onto the formed Black Rod in his palm.
Every slight fluctuation of energy, every tiny change in form, was under his absolute control.
That Black Rod seemed like an extension of his will… cold, pure, containing the power to destroy all tangible things.
An unknown amount of time had passed.
Night had quietly fallen outside. The Black Rod in Menma's hand remained sustained, unlike the previous few times where it only lasted a short while before collapsing.
"So that's how it is..." Menma opened his eyes. Deep within his sapphire blue eyes, a sense of understanding and powerful strength arose.
This marked that he had finally stepped over the most crucial threshold on the path to mastering the Creation of All Things Technique!
He was one step closer to the Six Paths-level.
"Yin-Yang Release is fully mastered. Next is refinement. With my current strength, I estimate I can match Nagato at his peak." Menma pondered.
Even though the Gedo Statue had been draining Nagato's Chakra for a long time, Nagato, possessing a pair of Rinnegan, was undoubtedly one of the top combatants in the current Ninja World.
Just as Menma was comprehending the Black Rod produced by Yin-Yang Release and studying its battlefield applications...
A shadow clone Menma had left on the outskirts of Konoha Village, responsible for large-scale alertness, while maintaining the Mind's Eye of Kagura overlay covering the entire village, suddenly disappeared!
A massive amount of information instantly flooded into the main body's mind.
The Mind's Eye of Kagura, precise as a sophisticated radar, clearly recorded the final scene captured by the shadow clone before it dispersed.
Two extremely special, powerful, and unfamiliar Chakra reactions had appeared as if out of nowhere, abruptly landing outside Konoha Village's barrier and heading towards the direction of the Hyuga Clan's territory. They didn't even trigger the village's protective barrier!
The feeling of that Chakra was clear, cold, ancient, carrying a sense of detachment, incongruous with the earth, as if from a distant sky beyond, yet also carrying a trace of...
'The same aura as the Byakugan?'
Menma's eyes suddenly became serious.
'The Moon!'
'Otsutsuki Toneri!'
'And his father, who was still alive at this time!'
'They've really come!'
Their target pointed directly at the Hyuga Clan, or rather, directly at Hinata and Hanabi, who possessed pure Byakugan!
'It seems Toneri's father has also been watching the Hyuga Clan for a long time. Hanabi just turned one, right?'
Without the slightest hesitation, Menma formed hand seals.
[Shadow Clone Technique!]
A puff of smoke exploded. A shadow clone identical to him, but with a relatively weaker aura, instantly materialized beside him.
"Follow Toneri and his father and find the passage to the moon." Menma's main body said in a low voice.
"Understood!" The shadow clone nodded slightly, his eyes equally cold and sharp.
The next second, his figure vanished from the spot like ink blending into water, leaving behind only a faint spatial ripple in the air.
Inside the training room, Menma's main body slowly stood up.
He opened his palm. The Black Rod he had just successfully formed hovered quietly. With a gentle clench of his hand, the Black Rod disappeared accordingly.