Cloud Village Delegation

Outside the women's bathhouse in Konoha.

Uzumaki Menma and Neji were successfully caught red-handed by their friends.

Ino looked at Uzumaki Menma and Neji with a look of disgust.

Hinata's face was flushed, her eyes filled with surprise and confusion.

Uzumaki Menma was understandable, but how could Neji-nii, as she knew him, do such a thing?

Shikamaru and Choji looked like they were enjoying the show.

Naruto, on the other hand, pouted and complained, "I knew it! You two were secretly having fun without us!"

Uzumaki Menma immediately tried to distance himself: "It's not my fault! I was just accompanying him! I don't have the Byakugan to see through walls!"

Neji looked at Uzumaki Menma in disbelief. How could someone be so shameless?

Neji tackled Uzumaki Menma, roaring, "You bastard! You were the one who suggested everything! You came to my house and asked me to sneak a peek at the women's bathhouse! Now you want to wash your hands of it? Dream on!"

Neji's roar once again attracted the middle-aged woman from yesterday.

"You two little brats again! You came yesterday, and you dare to come again today! Don't run!"

Uzumaki Menma and Neji were experienced enough to take off running.

Naruto and the others also instinctively started to run.

While running, Ino asked Hinata in confusion, "Hinata, why are we running too?"

Hinata was also at a loss: "I don't know, but it's best to run first."

Finally, they ran out of Konoha's streets.

The burly bathhouse proprietress finally stopped chasing.

At this time, Uzumaki Menma and Neji were surrounded by Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, and Hinata.

Neji felt that his image in Hinata's mind had completely collapsed, and he now desperately wanted to dig a hole and hide.

He was too ashamed to face anyone!

Uzumaki Menma picked his nose, not caring at all, since he had a thick skin anyway.

Shikamaru complained, "So you two were secretly peeking at the women's bathhouse yesterday too? No wonder you were carrying Menma back from Konoha's streets yesterday, Neji."

Naruto grumbled, "You guys are so unfair! How could you not invite us to something like this?"

Choji felt that Naruto made a lot of sense, nodding in agreement. It was too unfair!

Uzumaki Menma suggested, "Then let's go together later, but we'll have to find a different bathhouse."

As a female, Ino condemned, "Hey! How can you peek at the women's bathhouse? It's a very shameful thing!"

Uzumaki Menma argued, "But we were just peeking with a spirit of exploration, so it shouldn't be shameful, right? Isn't there a saying that people should have a spirit of exploration?"

Ino retorted, "No one asked you to have a spirit of exploration towards the women's bathhouse! And no matter how you argue, it's still peeking!"

Hinata also softly advised, "Yes, Menma, Neji-nii, it's not right."

Neji's head was almost touching the ground.

How embarrassing, why doesn't Uzumaki Menma feel embarrassed at all?

Uzumaki Menma pouted, "Okay, okay! I'll never go to the women's bathhouse again, alright?"

After getting Uzumaki Menma's answer, Ino and Hinata looked at Neji.

Feeling Ino and Hinata's gazes, Neji's face turned red.

It was Uzumaki Menma who came up with the idea of going to the women's bathhouse, not him. Why were they looking at him like that?

Unable to withstand Ino and Hinata's scrutinizing gazes, Neji could only grudgingly reply, "I won't go either..."

The Uzumaki Menma and Neji's peeking at the women's bathhouse incident came to a temporary end.

Under Naruto's enthusiastic invitation, Neji also 'reluctantly' joined them.

Ino and Hinata came to Uzumaki Menma.

Ino said, "Menma, there's something Hinata and I want to ask you."

Uzumaki Menma asked in confusion, "Hmm? What is it?"

"Can you summon the Nine Masked Beasts? Hinata and I really like your Nine Masked Beasts."

Ino and Hinata looked at Uzumaki Menma expectantly.

"I thought it was something important, of course, I can."

Uzumaki Menma directly summoned the Nine Masked Beasts.

Ino and Hinata saw the cute Nine Masked Beasts, each hugging four, and left to play contentedly.

Uzumaki Menma and Kinja on the ground looked at each other.

Uzumaki Menma called out, "Hinata! Ino! You forgot Kinja!"

However, Ino and Hinata seemed not to hear, disappearing from Uzumaki Menma's sight.

Uzumaki Menma picked up Kinja and, after letting it coil around his neck, said, "They won't play with you, but I will. Let's go on an adventure."

Uzumaki Menma's little group was getting bigger and bigger.

Now, it could be said that everyone in Konoha knew about them.

But their reputation wasn't exactly good.

Because they were all children from Konoha ninja clans, even if their pranks got them caught, no one could really do anything to them. In the end, they could only be let go.

However, if their pranks caused any damage, Uzumaki Menma and the others would repair it.

If they couldn't repair it, they would all help out with chores to pay off the debt.

Day after day.

The villagers of Konoha gradually got used to the existence of Uzumaki Menma's little group.

The villagers' malice towards Uzumaki Menma and Naruto gradually faded away as a result.

And the happiest of all was Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This change was all seen by Hiruzen Sarutobi, and everything was developing in a good direction.

After parting ways with his friends today.

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto went to Shikamaru's house for a better meal.

Shikamaru's father, Shikaku Nara, and mother, Yoshino Nara, were very welcoming to Uzumaki Menma and Naruto's arrival.

At the dinner table.

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto were shoveling down food.

Shikamaru complained, "No one's fighting you two for it."

Shikaku Nara took a sip of his sake and said with a smile, "What's wrong with that? Men should be a little more unrestrained to have a manly spirit."

Yoshino Nara looked at Uzumaki Menma and Naruto with heartache. She and Kushina Uzumaki were friends. Seeing the children of her old friend, one was sent into Root, and the other, although he had the Hokage's care, the busy Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't take good care of Naruto at all, making him more like an orphan.

Shikaku Nara suddenly put down his sake cup and seriously instructed, "By the way, Menma, Naruto, although Lord Danzo or the Hokage might explain it to you later, I'll remind you first. During this time, it's best not to wander around the streets of Konoha. Stay at home as much as possible."

Uzumaki Menma asked in confusion, "Uncle Shikaku, what's wrong?"

Shikaku Nara explained, "Recently, the Hidden Cloud Village is sending a delegation to Konoha. I can't say too much about the specifics, but in short, be good during this time, and it'll be fine after the Cloud Village Delegation leaves."