A Wonderful New World

After learning that he would bear the consequences if anything happened to the Uchiha Clan, Uzumaki Menma was completely dumbfounded.

What if the Uchiha Clan ultimately became dead set on staging a coup?

His mind in a fog, Uzumaki Menma did not even know how he got back to his room.

Lying in bed, Uzumaki Menma tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Suddenly, Uzumaki Menma sprang upright, muttering to himself.

"Whatever happens, Grandpa Danzo will hold up the sky. He must be bluffing me. Besides, I did help Sasuke out, didn't I? He made me feel guilty for so long too. Damn it... I have to get even with Sasuke!"

The next day.

Uzumaki Menma looked down his nose at Sasuke and said arrogantly, "Sasuke! I'm hungry. Hurry up and buy me something to eat!"

Sasuke gave Uzumaki Menma a strange look. "Why should I?"

"Why? I helped you out so much!"

"Helped me? What did you help me with?"

"You'll find out later. I'm hungry now! Hurry up and buy me food!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Uzumaki Menma. "You're crazy."

Uzumaki Menma pounced on Sasuke and wrapped his arms tightly around Sasuke's neck. "Because of you, I felt guilty for days. I couldn't eat well or sleep well. You have to compensate me!"

Sasuke's little face turned red from Uzumaki Menma choking him. "You were the one who randomly said you'd done something to wrong me, and now you're saying you helped me? You're definitely trying to trick me!"

"I don't care! You have to compensate me!"

"In your dreams!"

Naruto asked in confusion, "Do any of you know what's going on right now?"

With his hands behind his head, Shikamaru said as if he had grown used to it, "Who knows? Isn't Menma always like this? Every week, he has to go a little crazy for a few days, right, Choji?"

No matter what Shikamaru said, Choji would respond, "Shikamaru, you have a point."

Watching Sasuke and Uzumaki Menma deadlock with each other, Neji felt a little bored. "You guys play first. I'll meet up with you later."

Ino asked, "Where are you going, Neji?"

"Just nearby. I'm going to look around."

Neji left the main group on his own.

Hinata looked at Neji's retreating back in confusion. "Lately, Neji has seemed to find all sorts of reasons to act alone."

In the corner of an empty alley.

"Byakugan!"

Veins bulged around Neji's eyes.

After activating his Byakugan, Neji stared intently at the wall.

Within Neji's vision.

The scene inside the women's bathhouse several buildings away was laid bare before him.

Neji's face flushed, and he exhaled two puffs of white air through his nostrils.

Although he had promised Ino and Hinata last time that he would not look again.

That breathtaking sight lingered in Neji's mind, impossible to dispel.

Unable to bear the itch in his heart, Neji still failed to resist the temptation.

In any case, with his Byakugan, he did not need to press himself against the women's bathhouse to peep through the walls. Watching from afar was perfectly safe.

Neji had put considerable thought into this location. After scouting all over the place, he had found a good spot where he could make full use of his Byakugan to see the women's bathhouse from every angle.

Moreover, this location was extremely well hidden. Even if Uzumaki Menma and the others discovered him, he would have time to deactivate his Byakugan and pretend that nothing had happened.

Neji sighed regretfully.

Everything he saw was in black and white. It would have been nice if it were in color.

Just as Neji was watching with great interest.

All of a sudden.

A wilted old chrysanthemum seemed to enter Neji's vision.

Neji felt as though his mind had been polluted.

"Ah! My eyes... they hurt so much!"

With his eyes in agonizing pain, Neji hurriedly deactivated his Byakugan and rubbed them desperately, trying to rub that image out of his mind.

Yet the more he tried not to think about it, the more clearly that image appeared in his mind.

Neji's good mood was shattered. Having lost the desire to peep again, he decided to meet up with Uzumaki Menma.

After taking only a few steps, Neji's toe kicked something.

Looking down, Neji saw that it was a book.

After picking it up, he saw the title: Make-Out Paradise.

Curious, Neji opened Make-Out Paradise.

And a wonderful new world unfolded before his eyes.

Neji simply sat down on the ground and began reading Make-Out Paradise with complete absorption.

Compared with the unexpected accident he had encountered while peeping into the bathhouse, the pictures in this book were all easy on the eyes, filled with beautiful women.

However, this copy of Make-Out Paradise was incomplete. Neji had only flipped through a few pages before it ended.

Neji closed the book and saw the author's name on its cover.

Jiraiya.

Neji clutched Make-Out Paradise tightly to his chest and murmured, "Jiraiya... from now on, you are my idol! Thank you for allowing me to appreciate such wonderful images."

Time whooshed ahead three days.

At the Uchiha Compound, Fugaku Uchiha's expression was extremely grim.

Because just moments ago.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had invited him to the Hokage Office for a small meeting with Danzo.

If it had only been Hiruzen Sarutobi, Fugaku Uchiha might even have been pleased, because perhaps Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to ease the relationship with the Uchiha Clan.

But bringing Danzo along was a different matter.

Everyone knew that Danzo was the Uchiha Clan's number-one hater in all of Konoha.

He wished he could erase the entire Uchiha Clan from the ninja world completely.

Fugaku Uchiha vaguely felt that something was strange.

He had asked Hiruzen Sarutobi several times to invite Danzo, hoping to ease Danzo's hostility toward the Uchiha Clan.

But no matter how many times he tried, Danzo refused his invitations, acting as though there was nothing to discuss at all.

So why was Danzo attending a meeting with Hiruzen Sarutobi and him this time?

The more Fugaku Uchiha thought about it, the grimmer his expression became.

This meeting was very likely fraught with hidden danger.

One wrong move could plunge the Uchiha Clan into an abyss of no return.

What was coming would come eventually. There was no avoiding it.

Fugaku Uchiha stood up, left the Uchiha Compound, and headed for the Hokage Building.

Arriving before the Hokage Office in the Hokage Building.

Fugaku Uchiha felt extremely uneasy as he lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice came from inside the office.

Fugaku Uchiha took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked into the office.

The first thing Fugaku Uchiha saw was Hiruzen Sarutobi's smiling face, along with Danzo's gloomy expression, as if everyone owed him money.

"Lord Hokage, Lord Danzo."

Danzo said nothing, while Hiruzen Sarutobi warmly invited Fugaku Uchiha to sit down.

After taking his seat, Fugaku Uchiha felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles as he waited for Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo to speak.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said kindly, "Fugaku, there's no need to be nervous. It's just an ordinary small meeting."

Just as Fugaku Uchiha was about to speak, Danzo went straight to the point and said coldly, "Hiruzen, there is no need to be so polite to traitors who want to launch a coup against Konoha!"

Fugaku Uchiha's pupils contracted, his breathing halted, and he looked at Danzo in disbelief.

It's over! This is bad!