Tsubaki, Mizuki

In the small grove.

Uzumaki Menma, Naruto, and Neji got a beating from Mitaraishi Anko.

Neji felt like his butt had gone numb and no longer belonged to him.

He had assumed Uzumaki Menma and Naruto would be just like him.

But to Neji's disbelief, Uzumaki Menma and Naruto got back up as if nothing had happened.

Neji asked blankly, "How are you two okay?"

Uzumaki Menma proudly puffed out his little chest. "Naruto and I can take a beating. A few hits like that are nothing to us."

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto had both restored their Uzumaki Clan bloodlines. Combined with Kurama's healing ability, a few smacks on the butt were nothing to them.

Neji asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Then why were you screaming so miserably just now?"

Naruto planted his hands on his hips and said proudly, "If we hadn't screamed badly enough, how would that Demon Woman have stopped? Menma, was my screaming convincing?"

"Needs improvement. Keep working at it!"

The two exchanged a glance and burst out laughing, feeling the thrill of having fooled Mitaraishi Anko.

Neji pursed his lips. So in the end, he was the only one who had actually gotten beaten?

Uzumaki Menma asked Neji, "Neji, can you still stand up and walk?"

Even without activating his Byakugan, Neji looked like he had. "What do you think?"

"You've always carried me before, so today I'll carry you."

Uzumaki Menma volunteered, crouching down.

Neji climbed onto Uzumaki Menma's back. "At least you have some conscience."

Uzumaki Menma suggested, "Next, let's go up Konoha's mountain. The flowers up there have bloomed, and they're really beautiful!"

Naruto immediately agreed. "Okay! Let's go!"

"Wait! I never said I wanted to go! If you two want to go, go by yourselves. Take me back to the Ninja Academy first!" Neji hurriedly refused.

"You're on my back now, so you don't get a say!"

Uzumaki Menma ran off with Neji on his back, Naruto following close behind.

Neji nearly had a heart attack on Uzumaki Menma's back.

Sure enough, there was no way a guy like Uzumaki Menma could be that kindhearted.

He had been fooled!

Uzumaki Menma carried Neji up the mountain with Naruto.

The entire mountain was covered in blooming flowers, beautiful as far as the eye could see.

Uzumaki Menma set Neji down amid the sea of flowers, then sat down with Naruto.

"Well, Neji? Pretty here, right?"

Neji nodded his little head. "Yeah, it's beautiful. I never knew Konoha had a place like this."

Uzumaki Menma lay down in the sea of flowers with his hands behind his head. "There are plenty of places you don't know about. Naruto and I explored these places little by little over the past two years. You're getting a bargain."

Naruto suddenly pointed toward the mountaintop. "Menma, Neji, look! There seems to be a house up there."

Uzumaki Menma and Neji looked where Naruto was pointing and really did see a wooden cabin.

Uzumaki Menma said in confusion, "That's strange. This cabin wasn't here when we came last year. Was it built this year? Come on, let's take a look."

Uzumaki Menma picked Neji up onto his back again and headed toward the cabin with Naruto.

Naruto cautiously knocked on the cabin door, and someone really did come to answer it.

The door opened to reveal a woman who looked very gentle.

Neji stared at the woman in surprise. "Miss Tsubaki?"

"Huh? Neji?"

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto asked curiously, "Neji, you know each other?"

"Miss Tsubaki is my teacher at the Ninja Academy."

Tsubaki asked in confusion, "Neji, isn't today a school day? Why are you here?"

Neji's little face stiffened, and he stammered, not knowing how to answer.

Uzumaki Menma answered for Neji, "Neji got hurt, so he took the day off. We wanted to bring him to the flower fields on the mountain to have some fun."

"I see. You must be Menma and Naruto, right?"

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto nodded. "Yeah! Miss Tsubaki, do you know us too?"

Tsubaki said with a smile, "Of course I know you. After all, there probably aren't many people in all of Konoha who don't know you."

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto were immensely pleased with themselves. So their names were this well-known in Konoha!

Neji grumbled inwardly, What's there to be so proud of? Without even thinking about it, it must be because of their bad reputations that everyone knows them.

Uzumaki Menma asked curiously, "Miss Tsubaki, did you move here this year? When Naruto and I came here last year, this cabin wasn't here yet."

"Mm. I discovered this place by chance. The flower fields here are truly beautiful, and I like flowers too, so I decided to settle down here. Oh, I just made some Flower Cakes. Would you like to come inside and sit for a while?"

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto raised their little hands and agreed. "Yes!"

At Tsubaki's invitation, Uzumaki Menma, Naruto, and Neji entered the cabin.

"Hiss... Menma, be gentler."

Neji bared his teeth as he sat down in a chair.

Tsubaki asked with concern, "Neji, how did you hurt your butt?"

Neji made up an embarrassed lie. "Uh... I accidentally fell while walking and landed on my butt."

"Be more careful when you walk next time. It wouldn't be good if you bumped into something. All right, try my cooking."

Tsubaki took out a plate of Flower Cakes and set it on the table.

Uzumaki Menma, Naruto, and Neji each took one and began eating.

"Delicious!"

"It's really delicious!"

Neji frowned at Uzumaki Menma and Naruto. They had already said everything. What was he supposed to say?

After holding it in for a long while, Neji finally managed to squeeze out four words.

"Absolutely delicious!"

Tsubaki smiled gently. "If you like them, eat some more. There are more if that isn't enough."

Just as the three of them were devouring the Flower Cakes, someone knocked on the cabin door.

"Hm? Who else would come here?"

After Tsubaki opened the door, a white-haired man stood outside.

"Teacher Mizuki? Why are you here?"

Mizuki flirtatiously brushed back his hair. "Of course I came to see you, Tsubaki. Aren't you going to invite me in to sit down?"

"Oh, come in."

When Mizuki entered the cabin and saw Uzumaki Menma, Naruto, and Neji eating Flower Cakes, he froze for a moment before his brows drew tightly together.

Two Demon Foxes? Why are they here?!

Mizuki muttered to himself inwardly in confusion.

The Nine-Tails inside Naruto was still sealed tightly away.

But Uzumaki Menma's Black Kurama had not been sealed.

Kurama possessed the ability to distinguish good from evil and had a keen sensitivity to malicious intent.

Naturally, Uzumaki Menma had inherited that ability.

Uzumaki Menma set down the Flower Cake in his hand and stared fixedly at Mizuki.

That was because Uzumaki Menma could sense Mizuki's malice toward him.