Chapter 3: The Bunker
Year 3 A.N.B. (December 29) ~ 10:20 A.M ~ Uzumaki Apartment
"What are you doing nii-sama?" Naruto asked as he climbed into his brother's back to look.
"Oh, this? It's just a map of the village that I'm drawing."
"Where did you get all these materials?" The younger sibling inquired upon noticing various pencils, paper sheets, and ink.
"I stole it," Menma replied bluntly.
"You stole it?!" Naruto asked a bit surprised.
"Well, they don't allow us into the stores much less accept our money so... I had to improvise."
"But why didn't you steal a ready-made map then?"
"Because they don't provide certain information and details that I want to be added to the map I want."
Curiosity buzzing, Naruto hummed as he studied his older brother's creation until something struck his eye."Oh, oh! What is this here? What does it mean?" He asked, pointing at a part of the map.
"Ah, that's just where I'm detailing the secret underground tunnels I found the other day."
"Woah, a secret tunnel? Let's go there nii-sama, pleaaaase?" Naruto begged as he hit Menma with the usual secret jutsu that every child uses to get what they want. A dirty, yet effective technique.
"Alright alright. However, I intend to hold training sessions and meetings with Sasuke and Neji there from now on since it leads to an abandoned bunker. Probably built during the First Great Ninja War."
"Whoa, really?" Naruto asked with awe-worthy of a child.
"Yes. They probably built the place in case things got ugly and the war reached their walls." He answered but immediately dwelled back on the plans in his mind.
There were a few things that needed to be done before the day he leaves the village.
One of them he already got is the scroll that contains the secret to the caged bird seal. The others would be a copy of the jutsus that are in the scroll of seals, and the crystal ball that Hiruzen possesses.
Seeing how he didn't know in advance that Mizuki was plotting something, it made him conclude that Hiruzen must reserve only a part of his day to see how things are going around the village, except on extreme occasions such as when he knew the scroll was stolen and was monitoring Naruto's movements or very specific situations such as the first day of the academy with the other Jounin to observe their future students.
He also knew that the telescope technique must not allow him to know what they were talking about it served only to observe hence, its name, telescope. That's an advantage he had. Even if somehow he noticed something, he could make something up.
He kept track of the horaries he used and went to the room with the crystal ball in the Hokage's building for a few months now and he always seemed to use it only at 10:00 A.M. 4:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M. so he made sure to behave and act normally during those hours.
He also couldn't schedule his meetings and training sessions during those hours. He needs to make everyone think he's a useless piece of trash if he wants Mizuki to offer him the same opportunity he gave to Naruto and not only that, he needs to keep his and the others' abilities a secret so that certain plans can go unnoticed...
He had to get his hands on that crystal ball one day but it would have to wait until at least the Mizuki incident so he could blame its disappearance on him.
He'll make sure he flees back to Orochimaru's hideout to escape being arrested and there he'll be killed or be turned into a test subject with the cursed seal he has on his arm. The point is, that Mizuki must never show his face again here.
He could have tried to use the Kumagakure's ambassador incident to steal it but he thought that it be more suspicious and unlikely that the Kumo Ninja would know of such an object not related to their kidnapping of the Hyuga. Blaming it on a ninja of this village who held a somewhat close relationship with Hiruzen along with Iruka seemed much more plausible.
He would obtain a copy of the scroll of seals and obtain the crystal ball in one strike. With the telescope technique, he could keep an eye on anyone around the world whose chakra he has ever been in contact with.
Using shadow clones to scout the continent, mixed with his ability as a sensor type, he would be able to easily access information from any place at any given time.
Just imagine if he trains the lip-reading technique; he would be able to even understand what people are saying in the feed of the crystal ball. He'll be unstoppable without even moving a finger. There will be only a few who will be able to escape his watchful eye.
The Hokage was wasting the potential the object had by using it only to observe the citizens and watch women taking baths.
Once he finished drawing the map, he marked a few places where he wanted to be in evidence.
"Good." He spoke to himself proudly. 'In a few years, I'll be leaving this place and setting out to the world in search of completing a pending goal I had in the past life.' He thought as anxiety hit him.
He got up and went to their bedroom. There, he pulled up a box from under Naruto's bed. It contained electric equipment such as a compact blackboard, wires, lamps, and tools. He stored the map in it and closed the box.
"Why that box?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Equipment I'll need to prepare the bunker to receive the others. The place has been abandoned for decades, it needs some maintenance. Here, take this broom with you. We'll take a safe route but If someone asks, just say we'll help someone with their house chores and maintenance."
"Ookaay!" Naruto replied cheerfully.
"C'mon Naruto, let's get to those tunnels to avoid unwanted eyes."
Year 3 A.N.B. (December 29) ~ 10:40 A.M ~ Konoha's underground bunker
"Good, we managed to avoid the villagers with the route we used," Menma spoke as set down the box inside the dusty bunker.
The place was ample and dusty but aside from that, the area had a wet rock-like odor. The only sound that could be heard was the constant echoes from the constant dripping from the rocky ceiling, probably because they were below a water channel that led to the sewers of the village.
'We need to start cleaning this place fast. I want to start the physical and mental training as soon as possible...' Menma thought as he suddenly started hearing a humming farther into the depths of the bunker.
"♫Hummm, Hummm Hummm ♪" Naruto sang under his breath as he cleaned the place using the broom on his own accord.
Menma watched in awe as his little brother took the initiative. "Aren't you a handy helper?" He asked rhetorically as he smiled. "Well, I better start setting these up, most of the lights no longer work." He spoke as he took the wires from the box and started to substitute the old wiring from the place using a staircase to reach the ceiling.
XXX
12:30 P.M.
"Phew! That was some service." Menma spoke as he swatted drops of sweat that were falling down his forehead.
He slightly turned his head to see how Naruto was doing and was surprised to see that the kid had most of the work done.
"Alright, that's enough Naruto. It's time we get to lunch."
"Nii-sama, can we go have lunch at Ichiraku this time, please?" Naruto requested.
"No puppy face tricks this time? I'm surprised." Menma commented. "Hmm... alright. Every once in a while won't affect our health regimen."
"Yessss!!" Naruto celebrated.
Year 3 A.N.B. (December 29) ~ 12:45 P.M ~ Ichiraku's restaurant
"A miso ramen with extra pork, now!" Naruto ordered as he slammed the coming on top of the counter, catching Teuchi who was distracted by surprise.
"N-Naruto!?" Teuchi stuttered as he had to lean over the counter to see his small frame waiting outside.
"I'll have the same as him please," Menma spoke.
"Oh, and Menma too!" Teuchi spoke happily.
XXX
As they were eating, Menma kept watching intently the frame of a girl that should be around 5-6 old stirring a ladle in a big pan.
"Is she the only family you got left? She's working here with you even though she's so young."
Teuchi's expression dropped. "Yes, unfortunately, I lost my wife a few years ago after she was born and since I can't just leave her at home and I got to take care of the restaurant to earn our sustain, I'd rather take her with me to give me a hand with small handwork like this." He spoke gloomily.
"And what about the restaurant? Have you been getting many clients?"
"That's also been an issue lately. The village is suffering from a recession since many people died during the fox's attack. Many people lost their homes, parents, and everything else they had. With us being short on manwork, the village has to keep the only men they have, occupied in as many missions as possible; they barely have time to bring in their families to eat here and now we only get a few clients in a whole month."
From that comment, Naruto looked at Teuchi, pitying the man. Menma glanced at him, knowing what he was thinking.
Wanting to cheer him up, Menma thought of something. "Naruto, did you know our names were inspired by the same ingredients used in this bowl of ramen?"
"What, really?" Naruto asked surprised and Menma smirked having successfully diverted his attention.
"Yes, Menma" is the name of this condiment right over here, consisting of fermented bamboo shoots, " He spoke, referring to the bamboo shoots in his bowl of ramen.
"Oh, oh! And what about me? What was my name inspired by?" Naruto asked enthusiastically.
"Your name refers to the fish cake roll that can be found right over here..." Menma replied, picking up his chopsticks from his hand and grabbing the fish cake roll that was floating on the ramen soup with it.
"Wow..." Naruto stated in wonder and awe.
"Haha, I'm sure someone here selected these ingredients for each of our bowls on purpose..." Menma spoke, glancing at a nervous Teuchi.
"Ahahaha! You found out!" Teuchi admitted.
"So, Teuchi-san, can I propose a hypothetical situation?" Menma asked.
"Hm? What is it Menma?" Teuchi asked, eager to answer anything the kid asked.
"Let's say, If we hypothetically founded our own village one day, would you guys be interested in leaving Konoha and bringing your restaurant to within our walls? I would give you a big restaurant and personal marketing if you did" Menma asked dismissively and Naruto smiled at the idea.
Teuchi released a big smile and answered, "You're our best clients. If you two were to leave the village, we would go bankrupt, Hahaha!" Teuchi replied playfully but Menma only kept a crafty smile.
Year 3 A.N.B. (December 29) ~ 13:30 P.M ~ Uzumaki Apartment
Once back into their apartment, they took a moment to rest; Naruto was in his bedroom and Menma was on his futon but none had the mood to take a nap.
Naruto decided to voice one of his concerns, wanting to break the silence. "Nii-sama, why do you want to build your own village? I don't like the village either but why can't we simply live in a house somewhere far away from here?"
Menma took a moment to gather the proper words to answer his question.
"Hmm... it's kinda hard to explain.... but it's inevitable Naruto." Menma spoke.
"I want to bring in a lot of people together in the far future. Also, I'm sure that Sasuke and Neji will want to increase their clan numbers... it is inevitable that we get a big place to house that many people."
"Really? But how do you plan to pay for a place that has so many people? That seems impossible!" Naruto spoke increduosly.
"Let's just say that I plan to inherit a large sum of money from a very kind man in the future...We'll be super rich when the time comes so, why not use part of that money to create something glorious worthy of our names?" Menma spoke and Naruto had his face stuck in wonder.
"Actually, I think we should aim even higher... Naruto, have ever imagined what would be like to be an Emperor?" Menma asked mischievously.
"An Emperor, what's that?"
"Hahahaha, nothing, forget it," Menma spoke, dismissing the thought, for now...
Year 3 A.N.B. (December 29) ~ 14:00 P.M ~ Hokage's Office
To say Hiruzen Sarutobi was outraged was an understatement.
He just received a scrolled letter from a Kumogakure Falcom message this morning demanding that Konoha send them the body of a Main Family Hyuga member and he was cogitating on what to do.
Not only did they betray their peace treaty, attempt a kidnapping of the Hyuga's heir, and steal scrolls containing their secret arts, but now they dared to demand that they send the body of a Hyuga from the Main Branch?
Hiruzen took a moment to blow the smoke from his pipe and take a deep, long, sigh.
"All in a day's work with us four, eh?" He spoke while staring at the pictures of the previous Hokage.
But there was something that didn't fit well with this whole story.
Why would Kumo sacrifice one of their men to let the other escape with only the scrolls?
When he sent an Inuzuka and an Aburama Clans member to see if they could track the escaped perpetrator of the Hyuga estate, he expected some results but no, it seemed they were strangely prepared for this.
It seems the rascal was aware of how the tracking units of the village worked. From the reports he received, the individual prepared a special scent that prevented the dog's snoot from acting, and the same act as a dangerous pesticide that killed any insect that came in contact with it.
'Well played, Kumo...' The Hokage thought with impression. It seems his enemies of yore had not wasted their conflicts during their participation during the previous great wars. They took the chance to carefully analyze their weaknesses.
Still, the whereabouts of the other perpetrator are unknown.
While it is most likely that the ambassador used an old secret passage made by the elders of the Hyuga Clan long ago, I'm pretty certain that his partner took a different route and already took his chance to escape hiding the scrolls somewhere in Kumogakure by now.
If the ambassador was still alive, he would have used him to find this individual in time before he escaped...
But how did he find out about the scrolls' location?- And the fact that he was able to obtain it before he was caught within such a short amount of time is concerning.
Another factor that concerned him is that the intruder escaped with their property while he left his accomplice to be killed by Hiashi. He didn't believe that this raid happening that same night was just a coincidence. There has to be another meaning to all this.
Has Kumo planned this whole affair before long? Have they planned to distract them by capturing the Hyuga's heir so they could steal the scrolls and exploit the death of their own man as a failsafe to ask for the body of a member of the Main Branch? If so, we are dealing with very capable shinobi...
Kumogakure has surely surpassed his expectations.
To settle this whole situation, he had to bend to Kumo this time. He'd rather avoid the spark of yet another war spreading. Sacrificing one Hyuga could save the entire village from destruction. Otherwise, the village could suffer severe consequences.
He was going to hold a meeting with the Hyuga Clan right now!
Year 3 A.N.B. (December 29) ~ 16:10 P.M ~ Training Field
Naruto and Menma were waiting for Sasuke and Neji to arrive for their planned meeting. Menma was expectant that the two would find no trouble to attend this meeting but he knew Neji may not be in condition to participate today...
"Hey there you two!" A voice spoke approaching the field.
"Sasuke, glad you could make it." Menma greeted.
"Well, I've got to tell the usual excuse you know, going out to play."
"Hasn't Itachi or your parents been suspicious of anything?" Menma asked curiously.
"No, Nii-san has been occupied with missions as a Genin, and Tou-san and Kaa-san seemed to only give him all the attention and praise..." Sasuke trailed off with a bit of jealousy.
"They have motives for that. Think about it, Itachi is their firstborn, they're probably trusting him with the future of the Clan and must be proud of him for graduating so early; a feat that only a few have accomplished throughout history since the Academy's foundation. Your brother is paired with people such as Kakashi Hatake, and Minato Namikaze, they were all considered geniuses" Menma spoke knowledgeably.
"They can't praise someone who is still feat less, Sasuke. At least try to accomplish something noteworthy first before asking for attention..." Menma grumbled and distracted by his speech, didn't notice how Sasuke dropped his expression to somberness.
"Nii-sama, I think you were a bit harsh with him..." Naruto spoke.
"Oops!" He uttered with slight surprise. 'Sometimes I forget that I'm dealing with children...'
Menma approached Sasuke and patted him on the shoulder. "C'mon now, you're right, parents should give their younger child some attention too. That's why I called you guys here exactly to get stronger and prove to your clans that you're worthy of praise too." He spoke and immediately Sasuke's mood changed to excitement.
"Really?" Sasuke asked with expectation.
"Yes, but I'm working on how we'll do it," Menma replied.
"Oh..." Sasuke spoke, a little disappointed.
"Hm..." Naruto hummed with concern.
"What is it?" Menma asked.
"Shouldn't Neji be here already?"
"Now that you said it, yeah... but I think I've got an idea as to why he hasn't shown up," Menma spoke.
"What?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"It's better to wait for him to explain it personally. We'll wait ten more minutes if he doesn't show up, we'll leave without him for today" Menma explained and they nodded.
XXX
"Alright, it looks like Neji won't be coming after all. We'll proceed to the hideout without him."
Menma got up from his seat on the ground and was about to leave when he heard someone get their attention.
"Wait!!" A voice that exhaled exhaustion called out.
They all turned to see the silhouette of none other than Neji however, he didn't look so well.
Neji was sweating all over and he was panting heavily there were also signs that he had been crying since his face was red and Menma knew that it wasn't just because he had come all this way running...
"Neji, what happened to you?" Menma asked but deep down, he knew what it could be.
"They... they've killed him! They've killed my father!" Neji spoke, altered.
Upon hearing this, Naruto and Sasuke were shocked but Menma remained calm.
"Start explaining everything, from the beginning." Menma requested.
XXX
"So, that they that they've tortured your father with the cursed seal, he was being restrained for trying to attack Hinata and now you believe that he was killed to take Hiashi's place as a punishment?"
"Exactly!" An exalted Neji answered.
"I believe that there's something here that you don't understand, Neji," Menma spoke.
"What are you talking about? I've seen everything! I was there!"
"You don't understand... your father's suffering."
"What?!" Neji spoke, surprised.
"From everything you've told me and what I know about the Hyuga, I can safely tell you that your father must've offered himself as a sacrifice."
"Menma, I hope that this is not one of your jokes... cuz if it is..." Neji threatened, he was not in the mood for jokes.
"It's not. Just listen. Your father just like you, was a member of the Lower Branch for more than thirty years now. Imagine what it was like to live your entire life as a slave to the Main Family. I'm sure he loved you but more than everything, he felt conflicted. Conflicted because, more than anything, he wanted to be free."
"My father... wanted to be free?" Neji uttered, having calmed down from Menma's reasoning.
"He probably saw this whole situation as a chance to once in his life, to choose his fate. Not to save the Main Family that he hated as I'm sure that you've already seen recently that he was about to go as far as to attack Hinata Hyuga out of rage, but a choice that he made to escape such destiny." Menma finished, leaving Neji thoughtful for a moment.
"I can't believe it, the Hyuga clan went through such hardships. I'm thankful that my clan will never go such a path..." Sasuke comment almost made Menma chuckle with the irony.
"Sasuke, you shouldn't say such things... Can't you see he's sad?" Naruto spoke.
"C'mon now, it is the truth," Sasuke replied.
"But know this, Neji, your father, no matter the context of this story, shouldn't have needed to waste his life like this. Kumo must have seen the assassination of their man as a chance and must've requested for nothing less than the body of a Main Branch which would be no other than Hiashi's and since they're twins..."
"...they've decided to send my father's as a failsafe..." Neji finished, understanding the implications.
"Kumo is after the Byakugan but since they've decided to send your father who got a seal to protect it, it won't satisfy Kumo's demand."
"Does that mean that the villages will get mad and fight each other?" Sasuke asked.
"No, Kumo is still recovering from the previous war. Starting one now won't be beneficial even for them. But I'm sure that the grudge for the failure of this hypocritical move of theirs will remain in their minds... and at the first chance they get in the future, can spark a real war."
"Your father shouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself. This move from the leaf will be seen as a weakness in the eyes of the enemy. Peace treaties like this one just show how they exploit our desire for a peaceful solution as a sign of weakness and an opportunity to show their fangs. The proof of that is this incident"
"Those elders...it is their fault for creating this system!!" Neji yelled furiously.
"It is also the fault of the current Hokage for demonstrating weakness at a delicate moment such as this. He should've stood his ground and sent a message back to Kumo speaking that he will not bow down his head to their absurd demands."
"I know that we're not in our best condition right now but we still got the Uchiha, the Hyuga, and many other powerful clans. We are still the strongest among the five great nations and they were left in shambles in the three great wars. Submitting to the enemy's demands like this and resolving the matter in such a way is downright shameful..." Menma added, knowing that other incidents such as this will happen again in the future.
Menma approached Neji and rested a hand on his left shoulder. "You gotta get strong so that one day you obtain the freedom that your father also wanted for you." He spoke and Neji wiped away the remnant of the tears off his face.
"Yes!" He replied firmly.
"Good. I usually would tell you to return home but since the people involved with your father's demise are there... I think you should train with us to get your mind off of that. Come with me Neji, and Sasuke. To avoid the preaching eyes of this village, we'll hold our meeting at a special place from now on."
Year 3 A.N.B. (December 29) ~ 16:40 P.M ~ Underground Bunker
Menma turned on the lights of the bunker; each light bulb after another made the once-dark environment light up with several dim lights that made their experience in the place much more comfortable for their eyes.
"Wow! This place is huge! How did you find this?!" Sasuke asked with amazement.
"It has been quite some time that I've been scouting the village. Every nook and cranny. Not only did I want to find the best hiding spots from the villagers when necessary, but I also wanted to stay away from the Anbu, the Hokage, and anybody else who may stand in our way."
"Feels awesome, doesn't it? It's almost like we're real Ninja in a super secret mission!" Naruto spoke enthusiastically.
"So, this is the place where we'll be meeting from now on and I guess that such a spacious place is not just for a shit chat, is it?" Neji asked.
"Yes, Neji, of all of us, you're probably the one who started the ninja training the earliest so, would it be too much to ask for you to cover the basics of taijutsu?" Menma asked.
"What? Me?!" Neji spoke while pointing at himself, caught off guard by the sudden request.
"Yes, you," Menma replied stoically. "Although I have some experience in street combat, I've got no experience in the basic martial arts of any ninja, the taijutsu. The Hyugas start teaching their children very early and I know that from all of the clans from Konoha, the Hyugas got the best taijutsu combat. I couldn't possibly find a better teacher in their clan than the one whose blood runs the strongest."
Neji widened his eyes in impression and blushed slightly. He had never been spoken that way other than his father who said he was a genius.
"Alright, I'll do it," Neji replied.
"Great," Menma replied, giving out a satisfied smile.
"First things first, do any of you know what's taijutsu?" Neji asked his new apprentices.
"Taijutsu means body techniques and involves any sort of martial arts," Sasuke replied with confidence.
"Correct," Neji replied. "Taijutsu doesn't necessarily require chakra to be performed so it's a ninja's best way to defend himself in situations where they find themselves out of options..." Neji spoke with the best confidence he could muster.
While Menma stood hearing in silence, Sasuke nodded understandably while Naruto simply nodded energetically.
Neji had repeated the same things he learned when he first started his training as a Hyuga but he still felt a bit nervous on the inside; he had never taught anyone, and this was a first for him.
Neji cleared his throat. "Continuing, As I said before, while ninjutsu requires chakra to be performed, taijutsu does not; stamina is all that is needed which refers to the physical and mental energies. While all of us still need a set amount of chakra to live, regular taijutsu doesn't require any active molding or manipulation of chakra, unless you want to strengthen your physical prowess, augment your body with a special ability, or perform a unique style of combat." He spoke knowledgeably.
"Of course, when it comes to the gentle fist of my clan, we make extensive use of chakra for our hand-to-hand combat to strike vital areas by seeing their chakra but that's only possible because of our unique doujutsu."
"What do you mean unique? How is your doujutsu any better than the Sharingan? We also can see chakra from what I know!" Sasuke pointed presumptuously.
"The Hyuga clan combat arts utilize the gentle fist which allows us to expel chakra from our hands or fingers. We can see more than just the chakra flowing into the enemy's body but also their tenketsu"
"Tanketsu...?" Naruto asked.
"Tenketsu." Menma corrected. "Tenketsu or pressure points are nodes from which chakra can be released. The human body has 361 tenketsu, each of which is located along the chakra pathway system."
"It kind of reminds me of people who combat with medical ninjutsu," Menma commented.
"Yes, except that being a medical ninja doesn't come with a Byakugan as a gift," Neji added.
"Most ninjas, even experienced jonin, are only able to release chakra from the tenketsu on their hands or feet to perform jutsu; that would be the case for medical ninjas as well. You see, the Hyuga clan is not limited to that they can expel chakra from any tenketsu within their body" Menma explained.
"Precisely." Neji praised. "You see, tenketsu is the size of the tip of a needle, too small for even your precious Sharingan to see." Neji mocked and Sasuke snickered.
"Actually..." Menma spoke while raising a finger, getting the attention of those present in the room. "The Sharingan can see the tenketsu but that requires a lot of knowledge of the human anatomy and physiology. A skilled Uchiha can do that and see microscopical organisms. The Byakugan is an easier way."
"Ha!" Sasuke scoffed at Neji and the Hyuga simply frowned.
"The Byakugan doesn't make you blind though..." Menma added and Neji returned the scoff to Sasuke.
"What the heck are you talking about?! Since when the Sharingan can cause blindness?!" Sasuke contested impatiently.
"Remember when I told you about the Mangekyo Sharingan?" Menma inquired and Sasuke nodded.
"Over time, the usage of that power causes blindness and the eyes slowly lose their light. It's an extremely powerful Doujutsu, yes, but it has its limitations."
"That can't be!" Sasuke grunted.
"I can't imagine myself going blind, ever. The Uchiha truly is quite unfortunate to have such a downside." Neji commented.
"What did you say?! You wanna fight?!" Sasuke provoked.
"If you want to, I won't mind; It'll be over in a second anyway..." Neji spoke confidently.
"Enough you two! You're acting like childr-...! I mean, idiots...how about a small spar between you two?" Menma proposed.
"Fine! I'll break this moron's nose, It'll be a cinch!" A cocky Sasuke stated.
Neji got into the Hyuga fighting stance; his palms open to using the gentle fist style as Sasuke got into an ordinary stance with his fists clenched.
"Start!" Menma yelled and the two rushed for the attack.
Sasuke went for a punch right in the face but Neji sidestepped and thrust his palm right into his chest, sending his back.
"Beginner's luck!" Sasuke shouted as he tried to attack him from behind and was about to hold him by the neck but the Hyuga caught his arm and elbowed him in the stomach, making the Uchiha spit some saliva.
"Lucky shot!!" Sasuke spat as he attempted a kick, but Neji just used his finger to poke a muscle in his leg, inflicting an uncomfortable pain that caused him to collapse to the ground while gripping it in pain.
Naruto started to giggle while rolling back and forth on the ground. "That was so quick, hahaha!"
Menma sighed. "Admit it, Sasuke. Neji is far more disciplined than you."
Sasuke got up and grunted. "You're lucky I still haven't awakened my Sharingan!"
'But I didn't even use my Byakugan...' Neji thought, baffled by the Uchiha's lack of self-awareness.
"Alright, It's time I explain to you guys a bit of my plans for the future..." Menma spoke as he picked up the compact blackboard from the box he brought earlier and assembled it. He also stuck the map on the top right of the board for everyone to see.
"What's this? Are you gonna give us geography classes?" Sasuke asked ironically.
"Considering your lack of wisdom, I might as well but no, this is not for geography classes, it's to show you a bit of the layout I made of the central region and the outskirts of the village"
"So...?" Neji pressed.
"As you can see right here, this is where we are right now. The red markings over here are the hidden passages that the tunnels from this bunker lead to so I recommend you not to ever leave through that passage over there." Menma explained while pointing at a passage in the bunker that looked like it was once boarded up.
"What's so bad about strolling through those tunnels? Isn't it all abandoned?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"Yes and no," Menma replied, confusing the three kids.
"What do you mean? Neji asked.
"Those tunnels lead to various passages throughout the village. Some of them are so old that are about to collapse so it's possible that at any time, the ceiling could fall and bury you alive. Also, when I investigated the passages, I could hear voices coming through the pipelines in the sewage system... from what I could figure out, the passages can lead to the root quarters, they do very questionable work for the village; they're pretty much the "dark Anbu" so it's better to keep away from them. And lastly, there's a passage that can lead outside the village from what I've checked." As Menma explained, his audience gasped in surprise.
"What? So you've already found an exit for us? We can leave anytime then." Neji spoke.
"No, the outside is thick with bandits and scoundrels and even rogue ninjas that we are not capable of facing yet. There's also a certain group that I want to avoid at all costs to encounter before Naruto and I are ready. Not forgetting the fact that we have no means to survive on the outside world without any sustain; we've got no money that can provide us the survivability on the outside for long."
"Aw... I don't like the looks of this..." Naruto commented.
"We gotta focus on the planning so we can obtain success in the future. Focus on getting stronger, Naruto," Menma spoke and Naruto slightly widened his eyes in surprise. He had never before noticed his brother being so intent on a task. He wished he could do more to collaborate in his goal...
"So, why did you bring the map? If it's only to tell us not to cross the tunnels, it wouldn't be necessary." Neji inquired.
"You're right but that would be certain if this was the complete map," Menma added. He picked up a chalk from his pocket and started scribbling a few lines. "Before anything, I want to establish a few points."
Menma pointed at the word secrecy. "First, I need you to understand absolutely that you should not, ever, let anyone know of these meetings."
He then pointed at the second word, unity. "Second, I need your absolute cooperation from now on. I don't want to see any other incidences of disagreement between us, are we clear, Sasuke?"
"Fine," Sasuke replied.
Lastly, he pointed at the third word, Focus. "Third, from now on, we'll focus everything on training to get stronger. We'll need to increase our physical and spiritual energy so we can handle powerful ninjutsu in the future."
Menma turned to face Neji and frowned. "Neji, since Hiashi knows most of the techniques of the Hyuga clan; he's the best teacher you can get right now so I won't be giving away the scroll I took from them now. You should come by only to train with us sometimes. I know that right now, you're not on good terms with the main Family for allowing all of this to happen but, you should continue to train the gentle fist with them."
"It's alright. I don't plan to abandon the compound. I've witnessed some of the training sessions of the main family and I'm getting a grasp of how their technique works. With time, I think I can copy them. I don't plan on letting those traitors keep what should be the ownership of every Hyuga for themselves," Neji stated.
"Excellent," Menma replied. "Alright, I intend, to make a map of the whole ninja world in the next years. There will be plans for us to visit many countries so, get ready for a world tour when we leave this village."
"You know, sometimes I feel like I'm talking to my father or Hiashi when hearing you speak," Neji commented and Menma chuckled.
"Letting this big opportunity go to waste would be insanity... " He uttered under his breath.
"Oh well everyone, I think for an introduction, this will be enough for today. We better go back home now, it's getting late and it will start looking suspicious if we return too late in the night. From now on, except Neji, I want you, Sasuke, to show up here four times a week for physical and mental training. You two are dismissed, " Menma stated.
"Alright," Sasuke and Neji replied, leaving the bunker.
Naruto approached the figure of his older brother and pulled the sleeve of his shirt.
"What is it?" Menma asked.
"Nii-sama, from now on, I want you to give me the same level of training as Sasuke," Naruto stated and Menma's eyes widened.
"Oh, it seems you're getting the hang of that decision-making quite well, huh?"
"I want to get stronger so please, treat me the same way you did with Neji and Sasuke from now on."
Menma took a moment to think. It seems Naruto was trying to tell him something else.
"So, what you're trying to tell is that you don't want to be treated as a baby anymore?"
Naruto looked down in embarrassment but then, nodded.
'He must be feeling left behind... Well, that's to be expected when a child gets into a group of children that are elite clan members and he seems to be the only one treated as he was an actual little kid...' Menma thought.
"Please, I don't want to stay behind anymore. I want to be together with you in whatever training we'll be going through."
"If that's what you want, you have to be aware that you'll need to show true dedication to the training from now on and, I won't be carrying you around any longer. Do you understand that?"
"Yes!" Naruto replied firmly.
"Ha, alright. From now on, we're all equals so expect no mercy from me, do you hear me, Naruto Namikaze?" Menma inquired, serious.
"Yes, nii-sama!" Naruto spoke, saluting his older brother as if he was a General.
"Quit the honorific "sama" and any distinguished treatment towards me. From now on, I'm Menma, Menma Uzumaki. You'll no longer refer to me as your older brother anymore. nor will I refer to you as my younger brother. We're on equal terms now, Naruto." Menma spoke, as he shared a smile with his brother one last time before leaving the bunker.
Chapter End
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone