socalfunplaces Chapter 239 The Ultimate Technique! Year Kill!
Chapter 239 The Ultimate Technique! Year Kill!
Chapter 240 The Ultimate Technique! Thousand-Year Kill!
Spring sunlight filters through the tender green leaves, casting dappled patterns of light across the ninja academy's training grounds.
The air was filled with the scent of grass and earth, mixed with the vibrant energy of the young men and women, and a subtle sense of tension.
It's time for our weekly sparring session again.
Sasuke took a deep breath and his sharp gaze locked onto the figure on the other side of the field.
He didn't slack off throughout the entire vacation. Under the occasional and rare guidance from his older brother Itachi, he underwent rigorous training and felt that he had become stronger, faster, and more accurate in his throwing techniques.
He was confident that he would avenge his previous defeat this time.
At the edge of Sasuke's line of sight, Menma was leaning lazily against the railing, seemingly oblivious to the impending showdown.
He tilted his head slightly, saying something to Hinata Hyuga beside him.
Chuyou looked down, her cheeks flushed, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. She responded softly, occasionally shaking her head slightly at a certain word from Mianma, her ears turning bright red.
This oblivious intimacy, this nonchalant attitude, was like tiny thorns pricking Sasuke's proud heart.
The fact that his opponent never seemed to truly regard him as a worthy adversary infuriated him more than the defeat itself.
"Sasuke! I'll definitely beat you this time!" Naruto shouted, waving his fists and trying to get Sasuke's attention, but Sasuke completely ignored him.
His eyes were only on that black-haired, spiky guy.
"Hmph." Sasuke snorted coldly, crossed his arms, looked away, and tried to calm his somewhat agitated mood, waiting for his teacher's instructions.
On the sidelines, Choji Akimichi munched on potato chips, his round eyes fixed on Sasuke, who exuded confidence. He mumbled to Shikamaru beside him, "Hmm - Sasuke seems really confident this time."
Nara Shikamaru yawned widely, looking completely unenthusiastic, and lazily replied, "Ah."
"Right. But the outcome probably won't change much. This generation of geniuses is a real pain; I doubt anyone can challenge his position."
Although he said it was troublesome, his tone implied that he acknowledged the strength that his peer, Menma, possessed far exceeded their own.
Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru were cheering for Menma from the sidelines, while Shino Aburame stood quietly in the corner, his gaze behind his sunglasses seemingly fixed on nowhere.
Ino Yamanaka, Sakura, and other girls gathered together to cheer for Sasuke.
"Go Sasuke-kun!"
"You have to win, Sasuke!"
Although Menma is also pretty and strong, ever since two ignorant first-year girls tried to invite Menma to the movies on the weekend, only to be frightened to tears by the murderous aura that Hinata Hyuga suddenly unleashed, all the girls in the school tacitly understand that Menma is Hinata Hyuga's "exclusive territory" and cannot be touched.
In contrast, Sasuke Uchiha, with his cool demeanor, exceptional good looks, and "unclaimed" status, naturally enjoys even greater popularity.
Hinata heard the girls cheering and stole a glance at Menma. Seeing that he seemed completely oblivious, focused only on Sasuke on the field, she breathed a slight sigh of relief and murmured in a voice almost only she could hear, "Menma-kun, good luck—"
Iruka-sensei walked to the center of the arena, looked at both sides who were ready, especially Sasuke with his burning gaze, smiled helplessly, and announced loudly, "Alright, next match, Uchiha Sasuke versus Ma! Remember, this is just taijutsu practice, no offensive ninjutsu allowed! Form the opposing hand seals!"
Sasuke and Menma stepped forward and formed opposing hand seals.
Sasuke stared intently at Menma, as if trying to pierce him with his gaze.
Menma still looked like he hadn't woken up yet.
"This time, I won't lose to you again," Sasuke said in a low voice, full of determination.
Menma yawned, picked at his ear with his little finger, and said casually, "Ah, I know, I know, you said that last time too. Let's get started, Iruka-sensei."
Sasuke was furious; this attitude was an insult to him!
"Begin!" Teacher Iruka swung his arm down.
Before the words were even finished, Sasuke's figure had already darted out!
The speed was indeed much faster than before the holiday, bringing a breeze that instantly closed the distance between the two, and a sharp straight punch aimed straight at the pockmarked face.
Mianma's eyes flickered slightly, and he became a little more serious.
He sidestepped the punch and raised his hand to parry Sasuke's follow-up elbow strike.
The dull thuds of fists and feet clashing echoed across the field.
"His speed, strength, and reaction time are all much better than last time. It seems he's been getting a lot of guidance from Itachi Uchiha this summer." Menma calmly assessed Sasuke's progress while seemingly passively parrying and dodging.
However, the pace was a bit too fast; trying too hard to prove oneself made it easy to expose weaknesses.
His reason for probing so carefully was not because Sasuke posed a threat to him, but to "control the score".
Sasuke is undoubtedly the leader among this year's students, a benchmark for measuring "genius".
Once he understands Sasuke's background, Menma can accurately control the performance of "Ninja Academy student Menma" to be slightly stronger than Sasuke, a level that can be described as an ordinary genius but not so shocking.
The balance here needs to be carefully considered.
The students in the audience watched intently.
"So fast!"
"Sasuke's attack is so fierce!"
"It seems like the sesame seeds are being suppressed?"
"No, look how easily Mianma dodged!"
To onlookers, the duel between the two was exceptionally intense, with punches and kicks flying and figures flashing back and forth, making it a highly entertaining spectacle.
Sasuke's attacks were like mercury flowing freely and relentlessly, while Menma was as solid as a rock, always able to defuse crises at crucial moments and occasionally retaliate, steadily suppressing Sasuke.
Iruka-sensei watched from the sidelines, nodding occasionally, secretly praising, "Sasuke's progress is remarkable; his taijutsu is becoming increasingly refined. But Menma is truly extraordinary. He appears to be at a disadvantage, yet he's actually handling the situation with ease, his grasp of timing and distance far surpassing his peers. He's undoubtedly the top student of this year."
Sasuke grew increasingly anxious as he struggled to break through the defenses.
He had used all the skills he had learned during the holiday, and even performed beyond his usual level, so why was he still unable to touch the other person?
The defense of the face is like an invisible net, seemingly with gaps, but in fact it is airtight.
His breathing became rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Just then, he saw an opportunity and launched a high kick at Mianma's head, attempting to break the deadlock.
However, with just a simple backward lean, Mianma caused this seemingly sure-fire kick to miss its mark.
"Now!" Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. Based on past experience, his opponent's center of gravity had shifted backward, leaving his lower body vulnerable. He prepared to take advantage of the situation and deliver a sweeping leg attack.
However, Mianma's reaction far exceeded his expectations.
Before his raised leg had fully landed, Menma used the slight potential energy from leaning back to push off with his toes, twisting his body like a ghost and sliding along the ground behind Sasuke at an incredible speed and angle!
Sasuke missed his kick and was shocked. He then realized someone was behind him and instinctively tried to crouch down to stabilize his stance and prepare to counterattack.
All his attention was focused on defending against attacks from the lower body.
But Mianma did not attack his lower body.
All he could do was clench his thumbs together and bend and interlock his other four fingers to form a peculiar hand seal. He then aimed for the moment when Sasuke crouched down and his defenses were wide open, and thrust forward with unparalleled precision!
"Konoha's Secret Taijutsu Technique: Thousand Years of Death!"
"puff--!"
"Ah!!!"
A scream filled with immense pain, shame, and disbelief burst from Sasuke's throat!
He was propelled forward several meters like a rocket, then crashed heavily to the ground, curling up in a ball, his hands clutching his back, his body still trembling slightly.
The entire training ground fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone stared in disbelief at this sudden and abrupt turn of events.
The next second, a huge uproar and gasps of shock rang out.
"What...what kind of technique was that just now?"
"No... I didn't know it looked so painful!"
"Sasuke-kun!"
"That guy Menma actually used this kind of trick."
Naruto, Choji, Kiba, and the other boys instinctively squeezed their legs together, feeling a chill creep up from their tailbone to the top of their heads.
Hinata let out an "Ah!" and her face instantly turned bright red. She covered her face with her hands, but couldn't help but peek through her fingers at Menma, who stood there innocently.
Teacher Iruka's lips twitched violently, and black lines appeared on his forehead.
He said no lethal ninjutsu was allowed, but there's nothing wrong with this move—it's just too... too indecent!
Sasuke struggled to get up from the ground, his handsome face flushed red, almost as if it were about to bleed.
He could feel all sorts of gazes coming from all directions.
There was concern and sympathy, but more than anything, there was shock and a lingering sense of wanting to laugh but not daring to.
A wave of immense humiliation overwhelmed him instantly. He glared fiercely at Mianma, his eyes filled with a complex mix of anger, shame, and disbelief, before storming off the training field without looking back, not even planning to attend his afternoon classes.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura and Ino called out worriedly, but they couldn't stop him.
The boos and murmurs inside the venue continued for a long time.
"Wow! Menma! I want to learn this! I want to learn this move!" Naruto's eyes lit up as he laughed loudly in the direction Sasuke had disappeared. Menma stood up from his Thousand Years of Death pose, a smile on his lips, and walked up to Iruka-sensei: "Sensei, does this count as a win?"
Looking at his innocent-looking face, Teacher Iruka hesitated for a long time before finally waving her hand weakly: "You win. Don't use those weird tricks again!"
"Oh." Menma nodded obediently, but he didn't really care. He had forgotten such an important part when he sparred with Sasuke last time. This time, he finally succeeded!
As the school bell rang, students left the school in twos and threes after the "earthquake" that had struck.
"Hey, Menma, Naruto, Hinata!" Choji called out while packing his bag, "And Shikamaru, Namino, Kiba, Shino, let's go get some yakiniku later! I went with my family several times during the holidays and collected tons of coupons, this time it's on me!"
Naruto's eyes lit up instantly, and he shouted, "Really? Choji! You're so great! Hahaha, barbecue! Barbecue!"
He remembered that Choji had indeed said last year that he would treat him to a delicious meal, and at this moment, feeling cared for and valued by his friend, he felt a warm glow in his heart.
Shikamaru yawned: "Ugh - more barbecue, what a hassle - but since it's a get-together, let's all go together."
Ino readily agreed, "Okay!" Kiba hugged Akamaru, "Of course we'll go if there's meat to eat!" Shino pushed up his sunglasses and nodded slightly.
Hinata then looked at Menma and asked softly, "Menma-kun—want to come along?"
Mianma smiled and said, "Okay."
He also happened to have some things he wanted to confirm.
The group arrived at a popular barbecue restaurant in Konoha's commercial street in a lively atmosphere.
The shop is small, but it's full of lively atmosphere; the sizzling sound and aroma of grilled meat are incredibly tempting.
Choji generously pulled out a stack of coupons and ordered several deluxe set meals.
As soon as the meat slices were served, everyone immediately started grilling them, creating a lively atmosphere.
"Wow! So delicious!" Naruto exclaimed indistinctly, his mouth full of oil.
"The meat at this restaurant is pretty good!" Ya stuffed the grilled meat into his mouth, looking satisfied.
"Ino, watch your table manners," Shikamaru lazily flipped through the meat slices, reminding the overly excited Ino.
"Mind your own business!" Ino rolled her eyes at him.
Shino ate quietly, her presence as inconspicuous as ever.
Hinata ate in small bites, but quickly, and the plates in front of her were soon stacked up.
While grilling the meat, Menma approached Choji and asked in a low voice, "Do you have enough coupons? Hinata seems to have a good appetite. I have some coupons too."
He actually planned to secretly pay off the excess amount for Hinata if Choji didn't have enough coupons.
Upon hearing this, Choji patted his chest vigorously and said confidently, "Don't worry! Menma! There's absolutely enough! I'm a man who can eat more than twenty plates of thick-cut roast beef by myself!"
He clearly underestimated the potential of some people.
However, the reality is cruel.
Choji ate twenty-seven plates of grilled meat, and was so full that his eyes rolled back and he collapsed in his seat, unable to move.
Hinata, on the other hand, had just gotten into the swing of things. Seventy-two plates were already empty in front of her, but she was still sipping her drink with a hint of lingering enjoyment, looking at the grill pan as if she could still keep going.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
His jaw dropped. "Hinata—you—you're amazing!"
Naruto forgot to put the meat in his hand into his mouth: "Seventy-two plates? You can eat more than me?"
Ino covered her mouth: "Oh my god—"
Shikamaru's lips twitched: "This isn't just a matter of having a good appetite—"
Shino's sunglasses seemed to reflect light.
Menma looked at the limp Choji and the slightly flushed Hinata, who seemed not to have eaten enough, and smiled helplessly.
He patted Choji on the shoulder, took the small bag containing coupons that Choji had already left, and said, "Alright, that's enough for today. I'll handle this."
He got up and went to the front desk to pay the bill, and sure enough, Choji's coupons were far from enough.
Menma calmly paid the bill, then returned to his seat, took the larger-value barbecue restaurant coupon that the restaurant had given him after this purchase, and stuffed it back into Choji's hand, who looked dazed and lifeless.
"Here, use it next time."
Choji looked at the large discount coupon, and tears of emotion almost streamed down his face along with the tears he had forced down.
The streets of Konoha were much quieter at night.
After everyone parted ways, Menma and Hinata walked side by side on the road leading to the Hyuga clan's territory.
The moonlight cast long shadows of the two of them.
"Thank you so much, Menma-kun," Hinata said softly, referring to the bill, her face slightly flushed with embarrassment.
"It's alright, Choji will learn his lesson next time." Menma smiled. "But Hinata, your appetite seems to have improved again?"
"Uh-huh—" Hinata lowered her head even further: "It's probably because the training has been really tough lately—"
She couldn't very well say that she was in a good mood because she was looking at Menma-kun, so she ate with extra relish.
Soon, they arrived at a street opposite the gate of the Hyuga clan's estate, where Menma's detached house was located.
"Then I'll head back now, goodnight, Menma-kun." Hinata waved to Menma from the entrance of the clan compound.
"Goodnight, Hinata." Menma nodded, watching Hinata walk into the imposing gate before turning around, taking out his key, and opening his own courtyard gate.
The courtyard was very quiet.
His two maids usually go home after cleaning and preparing dinner or a late-night snack.
If the noodles aren't coming back to eat, they'll put the food in the refrigerator.
Without turning on the lights, Mianma walked straight through the living room to his practice room on the second floor.
The room was simple, with little decoration except for essential furniture and some training equipment.
He walked to the desk and opened one of the drawers.
There weren't many stationery items inside; instead, several blank letters made of a special material lay quietly.
These were specially made for him to send "announcement letters" when he attacked the Hyuga family before, and some were left over because he didn't use them all.
Menma picked up a letter, ran his fingers along the smooth surface of the paper, and his gaze became deep and unfathomable.
The night of the Uchiha massacre should be fast approaching. Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi have already sharpened their swords; the script and the actors are all in place. He recalled the message that Kabuto Yakushi had transmitted through the seal during the day; Danzo's unusual behavior undoubtedly foreshadowed the coming storm.
"Then, how can this grand show be without an audience?" A slight smile curved the corners of Mianma's lips.
"Besides, it would be a waste to only take the Uchiha with such a good opportunity—"
Names and faces flashed through his mind.
He would definitely inform his parents, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, as they had the right to know about Konoha's plan to exterminate the Uchiha clan and to participate in the operation to save the Uchiha.
Uchiha Shisui is a VIP among viewers. Menma is really looking forward to seeing how Shisui will break down when he sees his clansmen, whom he has always protected, being slaughtered by the Uchiha.
Uchiha Hikaru, Uzumaki Kaoru, Miyagi En, Kaguya Kimimaro.
In particular, as members of the Uzumaki clan and as the last surviving member of the Kaguya clan, Vanilla was qualified to witness the tragedy of the Uchiha clan and see that the so-called ninja village system established by Hashirama Senju was not fundamentally different from that of the Warring States period.
There are also branch families of the Hyuga clan.
With the forces of the Anbu and Root drawn to the Uchiha clan's territory, leaving Konoha vulnerable and its vigilance low, it was the perfect time to take away any branch family members who were willing to leave!
"Oh, right, and there's Tono Katasuke too. We can lure him over during the chaos." Menma's fingers tapped lightly on the table as he began to meticulously plan.