Time flowed by like water, and soon after, Konoha Village welcomed two vastly different major events.
News of the first event swept through the entire village—a delegation from Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning officially arrived, and the two nations began alliance negotiations.
The villagers on the streets and alleys all had joyful smiles on their faces. They might not understand the power struggles in diplomatic negotiations, but the word "alliance" to them meant peace and stability. Shops hung colorful banners, and the business at the izakayas was livelier than usual. The entire Konoha was immersed in a celebratory atmosphere.
The other event, by comparison, seemed insignificant—Hinata, the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Main Family, celebrated her third birthday. This should have been a joyous day, but it was accompanied by a cruel tradition: Neji of the branch family would be branded with the Caged Bird Curse Mark on this very day. From then on, this child's life would no longer belong to him; his sole purpose in life would be to protect the eldest daughter of the Main Family.
When Naruto heard these two pieces of news, he understood that things were about to begin. Kumogakure's conspiracy, Hizashi's sacrifice—everything was unfolding according to the original story's trajectory.
Is it finally happening...?
But then, a serious problem emerged in Naruto's mind. Even if he intercepted Kumogakure's convoy and saved Hizashi, what if the Hyuga Main Family insisted on sacrificing Hizashi to quell the incident? With the tyrannical nature of the Caged Bird Curse Mark, a single thought from the Main Family could instantly kill Hizashi.
Should he infiltrate the Hyuga Clan and directly knock out or kill Kumogakure's envoys? But would Kumogakure just let it go?
Naruto irritably ran his hand through his hair. If he could use the Adamantine Sealing Chains to temporarily suppress the Caged Bird Curse Mark's activity, perhaps he could buy Hizashi some time...
Just as he was deep in thought, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind.
"Ding!"
"Original major event detected: Main Quest 'Hizashi's Death' triggered."
"Quest Objective: Intercept the Kumogakure convoy and change Hyuga Hizashi's fate."
"Quest Reward: Unlock the Myriad Realms Lottery channel and obtain the Stand ability 'Crazy Diamond'."
------
A day later, news exploded in Konoha Village, sweeping through the entire village. The incident where the Kumogakure delegation attempted to kidnap the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Main Family and was killed on the spot by Hyuga Hiashi, quickly escalated into a diplomatic crisis capable of starting a war.
"Did you hear? Those Kumogakure bastards actually bit back!"
"They're saying Konoha unjustly killed their envoy..."
"That's too shameless!"
In the streets and alleys, villagers discussed indignantly. In the taverns, ninjas slammed their fists on tables, and merchants were furious. But beneath this wave of anger, an undercurrent of unease surged—people feared war, feared the harsh words the Kumogakure envoy uttered before leaving.
Afterward, there was a meeting between Konoha's old geezers and the Hyuga Clan. The result was exactly as in the original story: under pressure from the two old fogeys, Homura and Koharu, the Hyuga Clan was forced to make a sacrifice, and then the Main Family proposed that Hizashi be the scapegoat.
Kumogakure's condition was clear—the culprit must be delivered alive to the Raikage to "face judgment." Behind this high-sounding rhetoric, everyone knew their true objective: a complete Byakugan user.
When Hizashi, blindfolded, was escorted out of Konoha's main gate by Cloud Ninjas, some of the onlookers wept, some cursed, and most simply watched in silence. The procession gradually moved away, eventually disappearing down the road.
------
Konoha Village, public restroom.
Naruto stood in a stall, quickly forming hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
With a soft "bang," another identical blond boy appeared beside him. The Shadow Clone winked at him, gave an "OK" sign, then swaggered out the door.
Alright... it's up to you now.
Naruto pricked up his ears, vaguely hearing the faint footsteps of Anbu ninjas outside—sure enough, those responsible for monitoring the Jinchuriki immediately followed the Shadow Clone.
Now's my chance!
He quickly formed the Transformation Technique seals, his figure blurred, and in a flash, he transformed into an inconspicuous villager—short black hair, slightly tired eyes, wearing ordinary coarse clothes. Such people were common in Konoha and wouldn't attract any attention.
Outskirts of Konoha, forest edge.
After confirming that no one was around, Naruto dispelled the Transformation Technique, reverting to his original appearance. He took a deep breath and retrieved the purple glowing card from his system space—[Menma Uzumaki Template Experience Card].
The card felt slightly warm in his palm, then seeped into his skin as if melting. In an instant, a torrent of unfamiliar Chakra swept through his entire body. Naruto felt his bones and muscles being reshaped, his stature rapidly growing, and his clothes being replaced by the iconic robe.
This feeling... it's truly marvelous.
He looked down at his hands—slender, powerful, completely an adult's physique. He raised a hand to touch his face, his fingertips brushing against the cold mask.
Even my hair turned black...
Even more surprising to him was that the clear Nine-Tails Chakra sensation he originally had completely vanished. It wasn't suppressed; it was as if it didn't exist at all.
Is this Menma's power...?
Under the mask, Naruto's lips curved slightly. "Then... it's time to teach those Kumogakure bastards a lesson."
"Whoosh—"
As a gust of wind swirled, the black figure instantly vanished from its spot, leaving only a few fallen leaves slowly drifting in the air.