The next day, 7:45 AM.
At the main gate of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Whoosh!
Carrying his backpack, Menma sped across the rooftops from a distance, leaping down and landing near the gate. Four figures were already waiting there, including the client, Tazuna.
The other two were Kakashi, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura.
Like Menma, they each carried a backpack containing essential ninja tools and daily necessities.
This was the standard setup for ninja leaving the village on a mission.
Just as Menma arrived...
"Oh oh oh! I'm here! I'm here!"
From the distance...
A golden figure flashed over, and Naruto's familiar, boisterous voice rang out.
"Alright, everyone is here. Let's head out!"
Kakashi watched the sprinting Naruto arrive, nodded gently, and handed the exit permits to the gate guards for inspection. Then, he led Menma, Naruto, and the others out of the Hidden Leaf Village, setting foot on the road to the Land of Waves.
---
Almost at the same time.
In the Hidden Leaf Village.
Northwest corner.
Inside a secret underground chamber of Root.
Danzo Shimura received the news immediately.
A look of extreme ruthlessness appeared in Danzo's single exposed eye.
"Boar!"
He called out softly.
Whoosh!
A dark figure emerged abruptly from the shadows in the corner.
"Go. Deliver the item we discussed to Orochimaru. Tell him I agree to his plan, but he must show me some sincerity first!!"
Danzo spoke in an indifferent tone.
"Yes, Lord Danzo!"
The shadow bowed sharply, then leaped away, vanishing from the spot.
"Hmph. Letting the 12-year-old Nine-Tails Jinchūriki leave the village so easily... Hiruzen, you really have become senile. Don't blame me for being ruthless!!!"
Danzo stared as if his gaze could penetrate the thick walls and see Hiruzen in the Mission Center, his words dripping with chilling intent.
Unlike the Leaf Village at its second peak before the Third Great Ninja War, and even more unlike the founding era when the Leaf easily suppressed the entire ninja world, the current Hidden Leaf was truly in an era where the new generation had not yet replaced the old.
The pillars of the village had either aged or died in battle.
Among the current prime-age generation, there were pitifully few noteworthy individuals.
This made Menma's status as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki unprecedentedly important. If a new Great Ninja War broke out, the Leaf would inevitably need to rely on his power!
The current Leaf was a giant beast that looked strong on the outside but was incredibly weak on the inside. Without something like Menma to prop up the façade, a light push could cause the whole thing to collapse and die!
Therefore.
Any special movement or encounter involving Menma would attract everyone's attention. This first departure from the village was a critical juncture!
Menma himself was aware of this to some extent.
But for Menma, more attention didn't really matter.
As long as it didn't practically affect him, he didn't care. He just needed to lay low, develop his strength, and wait for the necessary opportunity!
And that opportunity was getting closer and closer!
Menma stepped out of the Hidden Leaf Village, looking back at the massive main gate behind him. A peculiar glint appeared in his eyes.
---
The group traveled along the road.
Because their client, Tazuna, was an ordinary person, Team 7 could only travel at a walking pace.
At this speed, normally, it would take more than a day to reach the Land of Waves.
And that was assuming good luck with catching a boat.
Otherwise, factoring in waiting time, the round trip would indeed take more than two days.
As they set off, Kakashi gave the little ones a brief lesson on relevant topics, since this was the first time Menma, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had left the village.
"Only one day? That doesn't seem far! But Tazuna-san, why didn't you hire ninja from your own country? If it's just a C-rank mission, ordinary ninja could handle it too, right?"
After listening, Sakura nodded and asked Tazuna with curiosity.
Naruto and Sasuke also turned to look at Tazuna, clearly interested in the question.
Only Menma maintained his calm demeanor.
"Little girl..."
"Ah, just call me Sakura!"
"Right, Sakura. The Land of Waves is just a small country. The entire nation is only about the size of a major city's territory in the Land of Fire. It's impossible for us to have our own ninja village or ninja. Sure, there are occasionally some wandering ninja, but hiring them is too risky. Naturally, seeking out formal ninja is the safest bet! The Leaf is one of the Five Great Nations and is the closest to the Land of Waves, so of course, I came to the Leaf to issue the mission!"
Tazuna explained with a hint of helplessness.
"Oh, is that so?"
A look of realization appeared on Sakura's face as she nodded.
Although Sakura Haruno was a top student in theoretical knowledge, the Academy didn't teach everything. Theory classes focused almost entirely on ninja-related content. Other knowledge and information were only touched upon briefly, with the emphasis placed on the Will of Fire, the history of the Hidden Leaf, and a brief introduction to the Five Great Nations. Other content simply wasn't taught.
Therefore, it was natural for Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke to have skewed perceptions of the ninja world's layout.
"So you mean, apart from the Five Great Nations, other countries don't have formal ninja? By the way, besides our Leaf, who are the other Five Great Nations again?"
In terms of theoretical knowledge...
Naruto was still consistently performing at his "touching" level.
In this timeline, his personality was almost identical to the original. While he could absorb some ninja-related theory, expecting him to study and master other content was a pipe dream.
"The Five Great Nations refers to the ninja villages within those five countries. Besides our Leaf in the Land of Fire, there's the Cloud in the Land of Lightning, the Stone in the Land of Earth, the Sand in the Land of Wind, and the Mist in the Land of Water. Naruto, didn't the teacher teach this in second grade?"
Sakura looked at Naruto with a weird expression.
This was basic common sense in the ninja world!