Chapter 233: A Family Of Four
His gaze swept over everyone present, finally landing on Uchiha Hikari, and asked, “Hikari, what is the specific number and rank distribution of the registered professional Star Ninja Army ninjas now?”
Uchiha Hikari had already memorized the data by heart and immediately reported clearly: “The original Hoshigakure had a base of two hundred and sixty-four people. After years of training, absorbing wandering ninjas, and incorporating ninja clans from some small countries, the current total number of registered professional ninjas is four hundred and fifty-two. Among them, three hundred and thirty-four genin, eighty-nine chunin, twenty special jonin, and nine jonin.”
Her voice was steady, carrying a trace of the sharpness belonging to a commander.
Menma finished listening to Uchiha Hikari’s report on the current state of the Star Ninja Army and quickly ran through some calculations in his mind.
Four hundred and fifty-two registered professional ninjas—this number was already commendable for an emerging country, but facing the potentially over ten thousand strong Shinobi Alliance in the possible upcoming Fourth Great Ninja War, it was still insufficient.
Menma quickly calculated in his mind.
Once the Chakra Powered Armor is deployed, the boost it brings will be revolutionary.
Those three hundred and thirty-four genin will overall leap to chunin-level combat power; the eighty-nine chunin can match special jonin combat power; and those twenty special jonin can even briefly erupt with jonin-level combat power!
As for the existing nine jonin, while the Chakra Powered Armor provides relatively limited direct enhancement to them, it can still improve their sustained combat ability and survivability.
This is a technology powerful enough to change the power balance of the entire Ninja World!
“Very good.” Menma’s voice transmitted through the mask as he issued various commands: “Order the Research and Development Department to fully expand the production scale of Chakra Powered Armor while ensuring quality. Allocate resources preferentially to meet the needs of production line expansion and technical worker training.”
He then turned to Kisame Hoshigaki, who stood like a statue nearby: “Kisame, you’re in charge. Select a batch of resolute, outstanding elites from the Star Ninja Army to supplement the Anbu. At the same time, draw a batch of experienced veterans from the current Anbu personnel and reassign them back to the Star Ninja Army as instructors.”
“This instructor team will be directly led by Hikari. Their primary task is to comprehensively enhance the Star Ninja Army ordinary ninjas’ basic combat power, tactical literacy, and team collaboration ability. We cannot let the warriors overly rely on equipment and neglect their own fundamentals.”
“Yes! Lord!” Kisame Hoshigaki responded in a deep voice, a hint of excitement showing on his shark-like face—he was very interested in selecting and training elites.
Menma’s gaze then turned to the calmly listening Uzumaki Kushina: “Kushina, you’re in charge of assessing and selecting the most outstanding, loyal, and strong-willed commoners from the basic police force. They will form a special ‘Special Police Trial Unit’ and be the first to equip with ‘Type 1 Chakra’ Powered Armor.”
“Then, train them to genin standards—no, even stricter—conducting all-around militarized training. I want to see what kind of combat power a unit entirely composed of commoners equipped with Chakra Powered Armor can form.”
“Understood, Lord. I will immediately formulate a detailed selection and training plan.” Uzumaki Kushina pushed up her glasses and accepted the order coolly.
This task was of great significance, concerning the new direction for expanding Land of Stars’ troop sources in the future.
It not only needed to summarize how long it takes for trained commoners equipped with Chakra Powered Armor to reach ordinary genin combat power, but also judge what kind of commoners are suitable to equip with Chakra Powered Armor.
Everyone accepted their orders and left, leaving the experimental site empty once more.
Menma and Uchiha Hikari also left the research area, walking toward home under the evening sunset.
The sunset stretched their shadows long.
Uchiha Hikari slightly turned her head, looking at Menma beside her who had removed the three-eyed fox mask, revealing his refined profile. She hesitated, then still asked, “Menma, that guy who attacked us last time… who exactly is he?”
“And those puppets he controlled, those eyes… they gave me a very strange and powerful feeling. Were they… the legendary Sage of Six Paths’ Eyes?”
The oppressive and eerie feeling from that pair of Rinnegan lingered vividly in her memory.
Menma had his hands in his pockets, walking leisurely. Hearing this, he sighed lightly and explained, “His name is Nagato Uzumaki, a surviving member of the Uzumaki Clan scattered abroad. In a sense, he’s also a pitiful person. His life has almost entirely been lived under others’ deception and manipulation.”
He paused, organizing his words: “The four puppets that came last time are called the ‘Six Paths of Pain.’ Their former selves were the core members of the original ‘Akatsuki’ organization. That organization was initially founded by Nagato and his two closest friends—Yahiko and Konan—with the original intent to bring peace to the war-torn Land of Rain.”
Uchiha Hikari listened quietly, a flicker passing through her scarlet eyes.
An organization founded for peace in a war-torn country?
This reminded her of some distant memories.
“But,” Menma’s tone turned cold: “Their ideals were jointly strangled by Hanzo and Danzō. Yahiko died in that conspiracy. And afterward, a guy hiding in the shadows—”
“Was that masked man who called himself ‘Uchiha Madara,’ Obito Uchiha.”
“He attacked the original Akatsuki organization’s members, making Nagato believe that Yahiko and his companions’ deaths were due to Hanzo colluding with Konoha, thus reaching a temporary cooperation with him. The corpses of the Six Paths of Pain were made from Yahiko and other deceased Akatsuki organization members’ bodies.”
“As for those eyes,” Menma confirmed Hikari’s guess: “They are indeed the Sage of Six Paths’ Rinnegan. But not awakened by Nagato himself—they were transplanted into him by someone else when he was young. Using his Uzumaki Clan’s vast chakra and vitality to nurture these eyes that originally didn’t belong to him.”
“Transplanted?” Uchiha Hikari keenly caught the word, her fine brows furrowing slightly: “Those eyes… I always feel they seem to have some deep connection with the Sharingan?”
Menma looked at her appreciatively: “Your perception is very sharp.”
“Correct, the Rinnegan can theoretically evolve from the Sharingan. And the pair on Nagato, their previous owner was the real Uchiha Madara. He only managed to awaken these legendary eyes in his later years after fusing with Hashirama Senju’s cells.”
“Evolve?” Uchiha Hikari found it somewhat hard to believe: “Uchiha Madara?”
“But Nagato’s strength is very strong, yet it feels… compared to that masked man last time, um, Obito Uchiha, right? It doesn’t seem to have an absolute gap? Obito only has the Mangekyo Sharingan.”
“Because the current Nagato is not at his peak.” Menma explained: “His true body has become emaciated from long-term excessive chakra extraction to supply the Outer Path Demonic Statue, with greatly damaged life force. Moreover, in the battle when the Akatsuki organization was destroyed years ago, his legs were blown off by explosive tags, losing the ability for free movement, and he can only act by manipulating the Pain puppets. Even so, relying on that pair of Rinnegan and Uzumaki Clan physique, he is still one of the top strong practitioners in the current Ninja World. Of course…”
Menma paused, his tone carrying absolute confidence: “This ranking excludes the two of us.”
Hearing this, Uchiha Hikari’s lips curved into a faint, barely noticeable arc, then she recalled details from the battle and commented, “However, his fighting style feels very… um…”
She couldn’t find the right word for a moment.
“Very ‘simple,’ or ‘crude,’ right?” Menma smiled and continued, hitting the nail on the head.
“After all, Nagato hasn’t undergone systematic, formal ninja training. He gained the Rinnegan’s power too suddenly and powerfully, leading to many of his tactical applications and techniques being very direct, even clumsy. He relies more on the Rinnegan’s various strange and powerful abilities and the Six Paths of Pain’s immortality for numerical overwhelming. It’s typical ‘brute force brick flying.’”
As he spoke, Menma seemed to recall something amusing and muttered lowly: “Speaking of which, Nagato’s best battle record seems to be the one he fought after being controlled by Kabuto Yakushi with the Reanimation Jutsu later… His own operation level, well…”
He shook his head, the unspoken words self-evident.
Though Uchiha Hikari didn’t fully understand the strange terms like “brute force brick flying” and “operation level,” she got Menma’s meaning and couldn’t help but smile.
In their casual talk, the two had already reached the doorstep.
Warm lights shone through the window, and the air carried the enticing aroma of dinner.
Uchiha Hikari suddenly stopped, a rare blush and nervousness appearing on her face. She tugged at Menma’s sleeve and whispered, “Um… Menma, your mother is still home… I-I should go back to my own place first…”
The thought of dining at the same table with Menma’s mother, Aunt Kushina, who seemed very gentle but whom she always felt was a bit intimidating, made her feel at a loss.
But Menma reached back and held her slightly cool hand, his grip gentle yet firm.
He looked into her somewhat panicked eyes and smiled: “What are you afraid of? We’ll be living together anyway. Come on, today there’s just the right timing—there’s a new family member to formally introduce to you.”
“New… family member?” Uchiha Hikari blinked, her nervousness replaced by a trace of curiosity. She let Menma lead her as he pushed open the door.
While changing shoes at the entryway, Menma naturally called out in the family courtesy he knew: “We’re home!”
Uchiha Hikari was stunned for a moment, looking at Menma’s profile, and imitated him with a slightly awkward but earnestly clear tone: “I… We’re home.”
This feeling of someone waiting and reporting upon returning home was unfamiliar yet made her heart subtly warm for her, who had been an orphan since childhood and later sealed for centuries.
“Ah~ Perfect timing!” Kushina, wearing a green apron, poked her head out from the kitchen, her face beaming with a warm smile: “Go wash your hands and get ready, dinner will be ready soon!”
“Okay, Mother/Aunt Kushina.” The two responded.
While washing hands in the washroom, Uchiha Hikari looked at her slightly flushed cheeks in the mirror, took a deep breath, trying to appear more composed.
When they entered the dining room, several colorful, aromatic dishes were already laid out on the table.
And at the table side, a man with brilliant golden hair and a handsome face was sitting there reading the newspaper.
Hearing the footsteps, he set down the newspaper, looked up, revealing gentle gray eyes and a spring-wind-like smile.
“Welcome home.” Minato Namikaze said with a smile, his gaze softly falling on the two, lingering a moment longer on Uchiha Hikari.
Menma led the somewhat stiff Uchiha Hikari to sit across from Minato, then introduced her: “Hikari, this is my father, Minato Namikaze.”
Then to Minato: “Dad, this is Uchiha Hikari.”
Uchiha Hikari looked at Minato’s face, which resembled Menma’s but was more mature and gentle, her heart pounding. She subconsciously bowed slightly, her voice even changing tone: “H-Hello… D-Dad… Daddy?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she said, instantly blushing furiously, wishing she could burrow into the ground.
Minato was slightly taken aback at first, then understanding and deeper gentleness flashed in his eyes. He naturally responded: “Mm. Hikari, right? I’ve often heard Menma and Kushina mention you. Thank you for always being with Menma. This child… we’ve owed him too much as his parents. We’ll have to trouble you to take care of him more in the future.”
His tone was sincere with an elder’s affection, skillfully resolving Hikari’s embarrassment.
Uchiha Hikari hurriedly waved her hands, anxiously explaining: “N-No, it’s not that! I should be the one thanking Menma! He freed me from a long seal, gave me a new place to belong. I… I’ve only found new meaning in life because of him!”
Her words were a bit jumbled but filled with genuine emotion.
At this time, Kushina carried over a steaming pot of miso soup, carefully placed it in the center of the table, then removed her apron and sat beside Minato, smiling: “Alright, alright, all the dishes are served. Everyone, dig in with chopsticks! We’re all family, no need to be so polite!”
The four family members… or rather, this family reunited in this peculiar way, all clasped their hands together, following dining etiquette.
“I’ll dig in.”
The dinner began in an atmosphere that was slightly awkward but overall warm.
Minato ate the home-cooked meal made by Kushina, long missed. Though the Reanimation Jutsu had no sense of taste, this warmth brought satisfaction and nostalgia to his gray eyes.
While eating, he casually asked Menma about some Land of Stars development issues, including the ninja training system, new equipment deployment plans, and… what concerned him most.
“Menma,” Minato set down his chopsticks, his expression becoming slightly more serious: “Your mother and I… ran into Orochimaru a few days ago.”
Menma’s chopstick movement paused briefly, then returned to normal as he nodded: “Mm, I figured. His laboratory is pretty conspicuous.”
“You’re sheltering Orochimaru, even Bishamon…” Minato chose his words carefully, brows furrowing slightly.
“I understand they have extraordinary talents, but… their danger, and the crimes they’ve committed in the past, are you really confident you can completely control them? Ensure their research doesn’t spiral out of control again, won’t harm the innocent?”
Menma also set down his chopsticks, meeting his father’s eyes directly.
He knew this was Minato’s deepest concern as a father and as the former Hokage.
“Father,” Menma’s voice was calm and confident: “Land of Stars’ development is already on track. The power and potential we possess far exceed your imagination. Even if the Five Great Nations form an alliance to attack us right now, we might not lose—at least we can make them pay an unbearable cost.”
He shifted the topic back to Orochimaru: “As for Orochimaru and Bishamon… you’re right, they are indeed dangerous. But the question is, if I don’t shelter them, will they stop their research?”
“They’ll just hide in darker corners, conducting their forbidden jutsu development in even more extreme, unchecked ways. At that point, no one can truly stop them, and no one knows what more terrifying things they’ll do for experiments—civilian and ordinary ninja lives mean nothing to them.”
“Now, they’re under my watch, abiding by the bottom line I’ve set. I can suppress them, guide them, and keep their research directions and achievements as much as possible within controllable, even beneficial bounds. Many of their research directions, like biotechnology, bloodline limits, chakra essence, new energy sources…”
“Themselves have extremely high feasibility and value; the key is how they’re used. I can guarantee these powers will ultimately be applied to construction, medicine, and enhancing national strength, not pointless slaughter and destruction.”
Menma took a kunai from Uchiha Hikari’s ninja tool pouch and spun it flexibly on his fingertip: “Just like this kunai—it can be used to kill, or to hunt food, carve tools, even save lives in a crisis. The difference is only in the user. Because a kunai can kill people, do we kill all blacksmiths who forge kunai and ban all ironware research and production?”
Minato listened quietly to his son’s argument, complex lights flickering in his gray eyes.
He had to admit Menma’s perspective was more macroscopic, more pragmatic as a ruler.
He just… couldn’t completely eliminate his worries about those two’s inherent natures.
Finally, he sighed lightly and said: “You have a point. Perhaps… my past identity and experiences make me overly cautious. I just hope… you can always keep control of the situation, don’t let them cross the bottom line of humanity.”
“I will, Father. Please rest assured.” Menma promised solemnly.
The latter half of the dinner, the atmosphere lightened again.
Menma and Minato chatted more about Land of Stars governance and technological development topics, while Uchiha Hikari and Kushina quietly ate, occasionally exchanging a few quiet words.
Uchiha Hikari looked at the scene before her, listening to the gentle conversation by her ear, feeling the warm dining room lights and the steam from the food. The barren land in her heart sealed for centuries seemed to be injected with a warm current, quietly melting.
Is this… the feeling of home?
She lowered her head, hiding the slight wetness in her eyes, but her lips involuntarily curved into a shallow arc.
