Afterward, Menma stopped by the Ninja Tools Shop to replenish his supply of shuriken, kunai, and explosive tags. Over the past few weeks, his missions and relentless solo training had burned through a surprising amount of equipment.
Truthfully, if Menma hadn't been earning well lately, the cost of maintaining this pace might have been impossible. But now that money wasn't an issue, he made sure to stock up properly — not out of luxury, but in preparation for what was coming.
It was summer now, and Menma could feel the Chūnin Exams drawing near. The Naruto he remembered from the "original story" had given him a rough idea of the timeline. Judging by everything happening around the village, the event had to be within the next two weeks.
He was ready.
"I hope you won't disappoint me, Orochimaru-san…"
Menma's lips curved slightly as that thought surfaced. His entire plan — everything he had prepared since graduation — hinged on Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush."
In fact, he was more eager than anyone to see that plan come to fruition. The more chaotic Orochimaru's invasion turned out to be, the easier it would be for Menma to slip out of the village unnoticed — no hunters, no regrets.
Then, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
"Huh? This chakra…?"
Just as Menma turned down a side street near his neighborhood, he sensed several distinct chakra signatures — foreign ones — mingling with some familiar presences. A small commotion echoed ahead.
He paused briefly, his instincts kicking in.
When a particular thought struck him, Menma's heartbeat quickened.
"Could it be…?"
He quickened his pace and rounded the corner — and sure enough, there they were.
Three familiar teammates stood facing another trio of genin he recognized immediately. The blond boy in the orange jacket — Naruto — stood beside Sakura and Sasuke. And opposite them, flanked by two siblings, were three short figures from another village.
Even from behind, Menma could tell who they were.
"Kankurō… Temari…"
Children of the Fourth Kazekage, and the siblings of the One-Tail's Jinchūriki — Gaara of the Sand.
The moment Menma laid eyes on them, one fact became crystal clear:
"The Chūnin Exams… they've finally started."
"Damn brat! You think you can sneak up on me and get away with it!?" Kankurō snarled at Sasuke, one hand already reaching for the cloth-wrapped puppet on his back.
"Kankurō!" Temari's sharp voice cut through the tension before things escalated further.
Kankurō froze for a second, then clicked his tongue in frustration. He stopped, though his glare stayed locked on Sasuke and Naruto.
And then, the sand stirred.
From above, Gaara appeared suspended upside-down on a tree branch — his arms crossed, voice cold and eerie as ever. His sudden appearance silenced everyone around. The encounter unfolded just as Menma remembered from the original story — word for word, tension for tension — before both teams went their separate ways.
Menma stayed in the shadows the entire time, concealing his chakra so thoroughly that even Gaara's sand couldn't detect him.
Only after both groups had disappeared did Menma step out from the corner, a grin breaking across his face.
"Finally… the Chūnin Exams!"
He exhaled deeply, fists clenching. The timing was perfect. Just moments ago, he had been wondering when it would begin — and now, confirmation had literally appeared before his eyes.
Gaara was in Konoha. That meant the Exams were imminent.
"Twelve years…" he whispered. "After twelve years, I can finally leave this cursed village."
Excitement pulsed through him like chakra itself.
⸻
Over the next few days, Konoha grew livelier than ever. The arrival of genin from other villages turned the streets into a festival of colors and symbols. Merchants opened new stalls, inns overflowed with visitors, and even ordinary civilians could sense the air of competition buzzing throughout the village.
Veteran genin who had participated before were given new orders by their jōnin instructors. Training grounds were packed; every team was gearing up for the coming trials.
And soon enough, Team 7 received Kakashi's summons.
For Menma, it was exactly as he predicted — while for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, the call sparked eager speculation.
After all, just yesterday they had run into the Sand Siblings. Everyone knew what that meant.
When the four finally gathered at Training Ground Three, the other three instantly noticed Menma's new appearance.
Sasuke's expression remained indifferent, though his eyes narrowed briefly — analyzing as always.
Sakura, however, froze.
"Menma-kun… did you change your clothes?" she asked, eyes wide.
Her tone carried genuine surprise. Previously, she hadn't paid much attention to Menma's looks — his plain clothing and withdrawn nature had hidden most of his features. But now, with his new outfit — a red-and-black coat tailored after his own design, dark ninja attire underneath, and his crimson hair flowing freely — even Sakura couldn't deny how striking he looked.
She found herself, for once, comparing him to Sasuke — and realizing that Menma's calm, mature demeanor gave off a different kind of presence.
"Yeah," Menma replied lightly. "The old outfit was too plain. I made a bit of money on missions recently, so I had this set custom-made."
Sakura nodded rapidly, like a fan meeting a celebrity. "It looks amazing! Way better than before! It really suits you, Menma-kun!"
Naruto laughed, giving him a thumbs up. "Heh, Menma, you look way cooler now! Way more badass!"
"Thanks," Menma said simply, lips curving faintly.
Naruto leaned forward eagerly. "Hey, tell me where you got that made! I wanna get one too!"
Menma chuckled. "It's custom work, Naruto. Hand-drawn design."
"What!? For real?!" Naruto gaped. "You actually drew your own clothes?"
Before Menma could answer, a sudden whoosh sliced through the air.
Kakashi appeared beside them in a swirl of leaves — early for once.
Team 7 blinked in collective shock.
"Yo," Kakashi said casually, his single visible eye glancing over his students. When it landed on Menma, however, it lingered.
For just a moment, Kakashi saw another figure — not the red-haired boy before him, but his late sensei, Minato Namikaze, standing tall with that same calm expression and confident stance.
Menma's red hair might have come from Kushina, but his aura, his composure… they mirrored Minato too perfectly.
For a fleeting instant, even Kakashi's heart twisted.
"You've grown, Menma…" he thought silently.