Chapter 178: Mastering Yin-yang Release, Visitor From The Moon
“Hey! Shikamaru! Choji! Ino!” Naruto had sharp eyes and immediately spotted them, instantly forgetting his anxiety from waiting, excitedly waving his arms and calling out loudly.
“Over here, over here! Come on!”
“It’s Naruto and them!” Hearing Naruto’s loud voice, Ino pulled the somewhat reluctant Shikamaru and the potato chips-focused Choji over.
“Yo, good afternoon, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino.” Menma also nodded slightly to them in greeting.
Hinata nervously followed Menma’s action and said softly: “Good afternoon, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino…”
“Menma, Hinata, Naruto, good afternoon!” After greeting, Ino curiously sized up the long line and the brand-new shop sign.
Shikamaru walked over slowly, with drooping eyelids, listlessly greeting: “Yo. What a coincidence.”
His deep blue top had an open collar, revealing the gray inner shirt underneath, looking utterly lazy.
Choji’s chubby cheeks were stuffed full of potato chips, mumbling incoherently.
Ino wore a neat goose-yellow short skirt suit, her golden ponytail lively swinging with her movements: “When did this shop open? Business is so good, is it a new milk tea shop? I don’t think it was here when I passed by yesterday.”
“Yeah,” Menma nodded, explaining steadily: “Today is the first day of opening, it’s one of the businesses under my family’s name.”
“Menma bro! Can your shop’s staff make ramen-flavored milk tea?” Naruto leaned over the counter, tiptoeing to peer inside.
The busy staff member’s smile stiffened for a moment.
“This is a beverage shop, not a ramen shop. If you want ramen, I’ll take you to Old Man Ichiraku’s later.” Menma speechlessly glanced at Naruto, really wanting to punch him.
Then Menma turned to the three: “Perfect timing, today’s opening special, let you all try some and give opinions.”
He nodded slightly toward the shop, and a shop manager in a neat uniform with a capable demeanor immediately noticed and hurried over, respectfully bowing to Menma: “Young Master, what do you and your friends need? This way please.”
He guided the six toward a reserved, relatively quiet spot nearby.
“Free treat?!” Ino and Choji’s eyes lit up at the same time.
Ino was curious about new flavors, while Choji was purely moved by food.
“Huh? Really?” Choji immediately hugged his potato chips bag tighter, eyes gleaming at the beverage menu: “Then I want the super large cup… double sugar pudding rich milk tea! Double pudding too!”
“Awesome!” Ino also bounced with excitement: “I want the signature fruit tea! Thanks, Menma!”
Shikamaru looked at this “VIP” treatment, then glanced at Menma’s calm expression. If it were other kids, there’d be some irrepressible pride or smugness, but Shikamaru noticed Menma even looked a bit annoyed by the trouble.
Somewhat similar to him.
“Trouble…” he muttered, but his eyes glanced at the most expensive items on the menu.
“Then… lemon tea.” He noticed the shop manager’s attitude toward Menma—respectful with an indescribable obedience, far more than just the boss’s son.
But skipping the line and getting a free large cup of what looked like not-cheap beverage seemed pretty good?
He shrugged, lazily saying thanks: “Thanks, Menma, really troubling you.”
Soon, all six had their drinks in hand.
Naruto held a “full energy” special tuned with red bean paste and mochi balls dripping over it, slurping loudly; Choji sipped his double sugar and pudding rich milk tea, contentedly squinting; Ino happily admired the colorful fruit tea, sipping carefully.
Hinata held a cup of warm red bean milk tea, sipping small mouthfuls, the sweetness seemingly easing her tension; Menma also had a red bean milk tea, but carried a dessert in hand.
Shikamaru took a sip of the supposedly energizing lemon tea, but frowned after one sip, finding it too sour.
Six boys and girls of similar age, each with their drinks, slowly walked along the streets gradually tinged with evening sunset glow.
The group naturally split into three parts.
“This! This is super delicious!” Choji held his super large milk tea in one hand, excitedly pointing with the other at a shop with a “secret barbecue” sign, enthusiastically recommending to Naruto.
“Five flower pork with perfect fat and lean ratio, grilled sizzling with oil, dipped in special sauce! Ah!” He squinted in bliss, as if already tasting it in his mouth.
Naruto listened with drool nearly flowing, his azure eyes wide round: “Really? Better than Ichiraku Ramen?”
Because of the “demon fox” notoriety, many shops avoided him, and eating Ichiraku Ramen was already his greatest happiness.
Now listening to Choji rattle off Konoha Village’s various foods like salt-grilled mackerel, dango, pork bone ramen, fried tempura…
Naruto’s face was full of yearning and a trace of barely noticeable loss.
“Of course!” Choji nodded vigorously.
“And that old brand oden, the broth is especially fresh, the radish stewed melt-in-mouth…” He went on endlessly.
“Wow! Choji, you know so much!” Naruto grabbed Choji’s arm, stars in his eyes.
“Of course! Next time there’s a chance…” Choji patted his chest, suddenly remembering something, pausing, a bit embarrassed as he scratched his head.
“Uh… next time there’s a chance, I’ll treat you!” He vaguely knew Naruto’s situation, but his simple mind chose to express kindness through sharing.
Menma and Shikamaru walked side by side in the middle, the lively chatter of Choji and Naruto ahead forming a stark contrast.
Menma just quietly sipped his seemingly ordinary red bean milk tea, occasionally responding to Naruto’s excited questions.
Shikamaru was mostly silent, his always half-open eyes seemingly casually scanning the shops lining both sides of the street, the hurrying villagers and ninjas, but the corner of his eye always watched the Menma beside him.
This war orphan adopted by merchant Kado…
Shikamaru Nara always felt there was a mismatched calm about him, not the temperament fostered by the Konoha Orphanage.
Earlier in the shop, that staff member’s respectful attitude…
“Hey, Menma.” Shikamaru spoke casually, voice drawling: “Your family’s business… pretty big?”
Menma turned his head to look at him, azure pupils deep and calm: “Most of Kado Group’s businesses in Konoha are under my name, after all, I’m part of Konoha too.”
His answer was watertight.
“I see…” Shikamaru drawled, not pressing further.
He knew he wouldn’t get anything.
Behind them, Ino affectionately linked arms with Hinata, the two girls trailing at the end, whispering.
“Hey, Hinata.” Ino leaned close to Hinata’s ear, smirking mischievously, voice low, eyes glancing at Menma ahead: “You and Menma… aren’t you…”
She deliberately drew out her tone.
Hinata’s face flushed bright red instantly, like a ripe tomato, even her dainty earlobes tinged pink.
She waved her hands in panic, voice mosquito-like, nearly drowned in the street noise: “N-No! Ino, don’t say random things!”
She quickly stole a glance at Menma’s upright back, heart pounding, then hurriedly looked down at her toes.
“Really?” Ino grinned wickedly, lightly nudging Hinata with her elbow: “During that opening ceremony declaration, when you said whoever dares seduce Menma you’d slaughter her, you weren’t this shy.”
“And earlier in the shop, you secretly looked at him so many times! And your face was always red!”
She had a “I’ve seen through you” expression.
“That… that’s because…” Hinata was so embarrassed she nearly smoked, fingers nervously twisting her hem, not daring to look up.
Big Sister Hinata’s domineering declaration made it so she didn’t know how to face him now.
Ino giggled, no longer teasing, and eagerly chatted about the new accessory shop and Sakura’s new hairstyle today.
Hinata secretly sighed in relief, but the blush on her face lingered, her gaze still uncontrollably drifting to that figure.
The golden sunset glow outlined the contours of his profile, making Hinata’s heart feel warm and full, a sour-sweet feeling quietly budding.
But thinking of the older sister in her body, Hinata felt a guilty and immoral shame, burying her head even lower.
The sunset stretched the six’s shadows long and far, boys and girls of different personalities forming a vivid Konoha daily scene full of human warmth in this brief weekend moment.
Until they parted at the intersection, waving goodbye, agreeing to see at school tomorrow.
After bidding farewell to his little friends, Menma first escorted Hinata to the gate of Hyuga Clan Territory.
After Hinata disappeared through the Hyuga gate, he turned back to his own home across the street.
“I’m heading upstairs.” After greeting the servants at home, Menma tossed out the words and went straight up the stairs.
Back in his room, he placed the exquisite pastry box marked with the “Myriad Sweet Drinks” symbol on the desk.
Immediately after, a faint rustling came from the black spiky hair strands.
A small, fluffy head cautiously poked out.
A palm-sized little Nine-Tails, wearing a dark red kimono, her two dainty fox ears alertly twitching, a pair of big red eyes darting to the exquisite pastry box marked with “Myriad” that Menma held.
“Menma! Menma!” The little Nine-Tails’ voice was crisp and childish, full of unmasked excitement and greed.
The little Nine-Tails’ tiny nose sniffed hard at the sweet aroma filling the air, her nine fluffy dark red tails excitedly swaying behind Menma’s shoulder.
She wore that tiny dark red exquisite kimono, her bare little feet stepping on Menma’s shoulder, lightly scratching.
“So fragrant! Is it for me? It’s for me, right? Menma is the best person in the world!” She urged impatiently.
A trace of softness flashed in Menma’s eyes as he placed the pastry box on the low table and opened it.
Inside were several exquisite small wagashi: red bean paste filled, matcha flavored, and milk candy shaped like little foxes.
“Yay!” The little Nine-Tails cheered, turning into a small red shadow, instantly leaping from Menma’s shoulder to the table.
She carefully picked up a fox-shaped milk candy, opened her little mouth, and “nom” bit down, blissfully squinting her eyes into slits, nine tails happily wagging, purring contentedly, her little face smeared with pastry crumbs.
“Delicious! So delicious!”
Watching the little Nine-Tails devouring cutely, Menma’s lips curved slightly.
After settling the little Nine-Tails immersed in her dessert world, Menma turned and entered the training room partitioned on the inner side of the small house.
In the training room, besides a bookshelf full of historical records, a specially made Flying Thunder God Kunai hung on the wall.
Menma came to the center of the training room, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes.
The vast chakra in his body began to circulate.
Unlike the usual chakra refining path, now he mobilized a deeper, more primal power: Yin Release representing mental energy, and Yang Release representing life energy.
Time passed in silence.
Above Menma’s palm, the air began to distort slightly, the light seemingly swallowed in.
At first, only a tiny bit of extremely faint black matter between real and illusory struggled to condense, like a candle in the wind, flickering unsteadily, as if it would dissipate anytime.
Fine sweat beaded on Menma’s forehead, he focused entirely, mental power highly concentrated, carefully maintaining that fragile balance.
Time passed in silent struggle.
The black matter in his palm gradually stabilized, slowly stretching and elongating, shaped and forged by invisible deft hands.
Its form became increasingly clear.
A rod about thirty centimeters long, entirely black, surface smoothly flowing with ominous dark glow.
Buzz!
An invisible ripple centered on Menma quietly spread, then firmly contained within the training room.
A creation of Yin-Yang Release—a black rod containing annihilating power!
Menma’s breathing became long and slow, sweat sliding along his defined jawline, but his gaze was sharp as a hawk, locked dead on the formed black rod in his palm.
Every tiny energy fluctuation, every minor form change, was under his absolute control.
That black rod was like an extension of his will—cold, pure, containing the power to destroy all tangible things.
Unknowing how much time passed, nightfall quietly arrived outside, yet the black rod in Menma’s hand still held, unlike the previous times collapsing after mere moments.
“I see…” Menma opened his eyes, a trace of realization and powerful strength sense emerging deep in his azure eyes.
This marked that on the path to mastering the Power of All Creation, he had finally crossed the most critical threshold!
One step closer to Six Paths Level.
“Yin-Yang Release fully mastered, next is refinement. With my current strength, I could probably clash with Nagato at his peak.” Menma pondered.
Even if the Outer Path Demonic Statue had long been draining Nagato’s chakra, Nagato with a pair of Rinnegan was undoubtedly one of the top combat powers in the current Ninja World.
While Menma was comprehending the black rod produced by Yin-Yang Release, researching its battlefield usage.
The shadow clone Menma left at the outer perimeter of Konoha Village, responsible for wide-range alert, under the state of Kagura Shingan continuously covering the entire village, suddenly dispersed!
A flood of information instantly surged into the original body’s mind.
In the Kagura Shingan’s precise radar-like sensory view, it clearly recorded the final scene captured before the shadow clone dispersed.
Two extremely special, powerful, and unfamiliar chakra reactions appeared out of thin air, abruptly descending outside Konoha Village’s barrier, heading straight toward the Hyuga Clan Territory, without even triggering the Village Protection Barrier!
That chakra feeling—cold, ancient, carrying a sense of alienation mismatched with the earth, as if from distant skies beyond, and also with a trace of…
Byakugan’s homologous aura?
Menma’s gaze instantly turned grave.
Moon!
Otsutsuki Toneri!
And his father who was still alive at this time!
They’d come indeed!
Target straight at the Hyuga Clan, or rather, straight at Hinata and Hanabi with pure Byakugan!
“Looks like Toneri’s father has been eyeing the Hyuga Clan for a long time too. Hanabi just turned one year old.”
Without hesitation, Menma formed hand seals.
“Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
A puff of smoke exploded, and an identical shadow clone with relatively weaker aura instantly formed beside him.
“Track Toneri and his father, find the path to the Moon.” Menma’s original body said lowly.
“Understood!” The shadow clone nodded slightly, gaze equally cold and sharp.
The next second, his figure dissolved like ink in water, silently vanishing from the spot, leaving only a faint spatial ripple in the air.
In the training room, Menma’s original body slowly stood up.
He spread his palm, the freshly formed black rod quietly floating, and with a gentle clench, the black rod disintegrated.
