Under the watchful eyes of his friends, Uzumaki Menma's training for the day finally came to an end.
After being ravaged both physically and mentally, Uzumaki Menma was completely wilted.
Uzumaki Menma raised his head and looked at his friends. "Whose turn is it to carry me today?"
"Naruto did it yesterday, so it should be my turn today."
Neji walked in front of Uzumaki Menma, turned around, and crouched down with his back facing him.
Uzumaki Menma wriggled onto Neji's back like a lump of mud.
Neji asked, "Should I carry you back to your room so you can rest?"
"No. Wouldn't all that hard training be wasted if I just went to rest? Today, I'll take you all on a proper tour of Root. Let's go!"
Under Uzumaki Menma's guidance, the group began touring Root.
Naruto and the others were astonished by all the strange and unusual things in Root.
Naruto pointed at a sealed room whose windows had even been nailed shut with wooden planks and asked, "Menma, what is this place for? Why is it sealed up so tightly?"
Uzumaki Menma glanced at it and said, "It's nothing. Let's go see the next laboratory. That's the technology lab, and there are lots of fun things inside."
Uzumaki Menma had once sneaked into the room Naruto was pointing at.
It was an abandoned laboratory once used for human experiments, and it still contained many limbs soaking in medicinal fluid.
When Uzumaki Menma had seen it back then, he had been terrified and suffered nightmares for several days.
Worried that Uzumaki Menma would sneak in again, the Root ninjas had sealed the laboratory shut completely.
The next laboratory was filled with technological products under development.
The researchers were currently gathered together, tinkering with a pile of parts.
Shigaraki Tanuki, the person in charge of research at the laboratory, saw Uzumaki Menma and his group of friends enter and asked in confusion, "Young Master Menma, what brings you here?"
Uzumaki Menma explained, "Uncle Shigaraki, we're here to look around. What are you researching right now?"
"We're currently researching an electronic real-time surveillance recording device. All that's left is to assemble it."
After explaining with a smile, Shigaraki Tanuki took out seven walkie-talkies and handed one to Uzumaki Menma and each of his friends.
"Since you're here for a visit, take these as gifts. These walkie-talkies have been enhanced. Their communication range covers roughly all of Konoha."
Shigaraki Tanuki liked Uzumaki Menma very much.
Rather, there was no one in all of Root who did not like Uzumaki Menma.
Before Uzumaki Menma arrived,
Root had been lifeless. Everyone had only missions in their minds, forbidden from having personal feelings, unable to see even a trace of a future.
But after Uzumaki Menma came to Root,
the entire organization gradually began to brim with vitality.
The inhumane experiments were gone. Although Danzo remained extremely strict, he had become slightly more humane.
That gave them a growing sense of belonging in Root, something to look forward to.
Everyone knew that Danzo was raising Uzumaki Menma as his successor.
If Uzumaki Menma were to lead them in the future, they would absolutely be willing to follow him and support him unconditionally.
Because Uzumaki Menma, who had grown up in Root since childhood, treated every person in Root as family, and they felt the same way.
Holding the walkie-talkie, Uzumaki Menma immediately tested it out.
After turning it on, Uzumaki Menma said, "Hello, hello," twice into it.
Uzumaki Menma's voice also came through the walkie-talkies of Naruto and the other six.
Uzumaki Menma was very satisfied with the gift. "Thank you, Uncle Shigaraki."
Naruto and the other six also thanked Shigaraki Tanuki.
Shigaraki Tanuki said with a smile, "All right, go play by yourselves. I'll get back to work."
"Okay."
Uzumaki Menma and the other six took their walkie-talkies and began playing games around Root.
The laughter of the seven echoed throughout Root.
By evening,
everyone had left Root and returned to their own homes.
Three days later,
perhaps because the Cloud Village Delegation had arrived in Konoha, Uzumaki Menma's friends had all been forbidden by their parents from going out.
Even Naruto had been told by Hiruzen Sarutobi to stay at home, with four Anbu dispatched to guard him.
Although they could not meet in person,
the seven could chat together anytime because of the walkie-talkies, so they were not too bored.
That day,
after finishing his training, Uzumaki Menma passed Danzo's office and heard Danzo's furious voice.
Curious, Uzumaki Menma pressed himself against the door and eavesdropped.
"Those Kumogakure bastards really have the nerve to make demands! They were the ones who came to Konoha seeking a peace treaty, yet with these terms, anyone who didn't know better would think Konoha was the side that lost the war! Hiruzen, tell those bastards to get the hell out of here! If you can't bring yourself to do it, let my Root ninjas handle it!"
"Danzo, calm down. I have no intention of accepting their demands either. Tomorrow, I will hold one final negotiation with them. If they continue making demands, I will have them leave Konoha and leave the Land of Fire."
Danzo made a sinister suggestion. "Why not just keep them in Konoha for good? Kumogakure's Nintaijutsu is quite good."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said helplessly, "Danzo, we haven't completely fallen out with Kumogakure. Even if cooperation proves impossible, we cannot attack them. Attacking another village's delegation is a major diplomatic taboo. If we do, the other villages will no longer dare cooperate with Konoha."
Danzo fell silent for a moment, then suddenly shouted toward the door, "Go wherever you're supposed to be! Keep eavesdropping, and I'll beat you up!"
Obviously, Danzo was not speaking to Hiruzen Sarutobi. He was speaking to Uzumaki Menma, who was eavesdropping outside the door.
Uzumaki Menma curled his lip, left, and returned to his room.
Uzumaki Menma took out his walkie-talkie and began chatting with his friends.
Night fell.
Two furtive ninjas darted across the rooftops of Konoha.
The two ninjas secretly infiltrated the Hyuga Compound.
At that moment, Hinata was chatting with Uzumaki Menma and the others.
Suddenly,
Hinata heard footsteps on the roof.
Lying in bed, Hinata fearfully pulled the blanket over her head and whispered into the walkie-talkie, "I hear footsteps on my roof."
Naruto's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Could it be birds or some other animal on your roof?"
Hinata said firmly, "No, I'm certain they're human footsteps, and there are two people."
Shikamaru, who had been lying in bed, suddenly sat up and began thinking gravely.
Ever since the Cloud Village Delegation had arrived in Konoha, his father had worn an extremely serious expression these past few days, and all his friends had been strictly forbidden by their parents from going out.
Moreover, nearly every one of his friends' clans either possessed a Kekkei Genkai or secret clan techniques.
Shikamaru thought of a possibility.
Shikamaru instructed them seriously, "Hinata, hide first. Everyone else, quickly notify the adults at home and hurry to Hinata's house!"
Before you continue