Chapter 21: Menma: Butt on Fire!
In a desolate space separate from the ninja world.
As far as the eye could see, countless silent tombstones stood erect, stretching beyond the horizon.
This was the Pure Land.
A world where the deceased do not reincarnate but only slumber eternally.
Beneath each tombstone here, a departed spirit slept soundly, awaiting the day they might be awakened.
And above these tombstones, a figure with two horns on his forehead, dressed strangely and mysteriously, sat silently cross-legged in mid-air.
This figure was the 'Founder of Shinobi', the Sage of Six Paths.
Legend says the Sage of Six Paths was a creator god sent from the heavens; others say he was a demon who destroyed everything. But he has always been regarded by the world as a mythological figure.
No one could guess that the Sage of Six Paths was actually still 'alive', even hiding within the Pure Land.
Buzz~~
A steady ripple emanated from the Sage of Six Paths' body, and the tombstones beneath him pulsed in unison, as if he and the entire space had merged into one.
But the next moment.
The Sage of Six Paths abruptly opened his eyes, his pair of Rinnegan glowing as he looked into the distance, seeming to see beyond this space to somewhere far away.
"What's happening? Why is the chakra in the ninja world in such chaos?"
The Sage of Six Paths turned his gaze towards the ninja world but didn't detect anything abnormal.
Although he hadn't completely died, maintaining the order of the Pure Land and collecting the soul bodies of the deceased already strained him greatly.
The only hidden hands left in the ninja world were the reincarnated chakra of his two sons, which could vaguely serve a monitoring role.
However, Ashura's and Indra's chakra had reincarnated once again, further limiting his ability to monitor the ninja world.
"I'll ask Hamura later. His descendants are still on the moon guarding Mother's seal. That Tenseigan should also be able to see what changes have occurred in the ninja world."
The Sage of Six Paths hesitated for a moment, but ultimately retracted his gaze, choosing not to forcibly observe or interfere.
He couldn't currently overdraw his remaining Yin-Yang Release.
The new reincarnations of Ashura and Indra hadn't matured yet, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki who came to the ninja world with Mother hadn't appeared yet, and the Ōtsutsuki clan from outer space could arrive in the ninja world at any time.
"As long as no major chaos erupts in the ninja world, let the living in the mortal realm handle it themselves."
The Sage of Six Paths closed his eyes again, and the surrounding ripples returned to calm tranquility.
No matter what kind of powerhouse appeared, as long as they didn't reach Six Paths level, they would descend to the Pure Land after death.
So, he just needed to preside over the Pure Land, guarding this final place for a comeback.
...
At this moment, in the Valley of the Moon.
Of course, calling it the Valley of the Moon was no longer suitable.
Everywhere the eye could see was like a pencil drawing on paper that had been 'erased' down the middle by an eraser, leaving only 'blankness', transformed into a flattened wasteland.
The ground near the explosion's center had been turned into a desolate, crystallized field by the terrifying shockwave and high temperatures.
Further out, trees and plants burned fiercely.
"What... what kind of power is this..."
The Fourth Raikage was completely dumbstruck, trembling all over, frozen in place.
His mind was filled only with the explosion and light that had destroyed everything.
"What's wrong?"
Menma had clearly had his fill of fun. The amusement in his tone deepened as he looked down at the Fourth Raikage: "Life is precious, you know. You really should cherish it."
The Fourth Raikage's muscular form shuddered, a faint terror appearing in his eyes.
But just as Menma looked down...
Splurt!
A mass of pitch-black liquid suddenly surged up, transforming into a distorted humanoid shape before clinging tightly to Menma's back.
"Hm?"
Looking at the black liquid gradually spreading over his body, Menma frowned in disgust: "What is this disgusting stuff?"
He was about to shake off this filth but suddenly found his body immobilized.
"Big Bro! Go!"
A familiar voice sounded. The Fourth Raikage trembled all over.
He reacted instantly, getting up and fleeing into the distance without looking back.
However, as he leaped away, he couldn't resist glancing back one last time.
He saw Killer Bee had already transformed into a giant ox-headed octopus, entering his complete Tailed Beast state.
Simultaneously, he spat out thick black liquid from his mouth. The liquid then formed into humanoid shapes, using swastika-shaped taijutsu to restrain Menma's body.
"Octopus Hold!"
This is the Eight-Tails' unique sealing technique. It can spit out large amounts of ink that transform into clones, completely dyeing the target black in just a few seconds, finally completing the seal.
It's a powerful sealing technique capable of instantly sealing thousands of enemies.
Unfortunately, it requires several seconds to fully complete the seal.
Boom!!
The humanoid ink binding Menma instantly exploded.
The amusement was completely gone from Menma's tone as he said coldly: "The Eight-Tails' complete Tailed Beast transformation, hmm?"
But as he spoke, he formed the Tiger seal with his hands, and the Nine Masked Beasts array reappeared behind him.
The chakra in this clone body was running low. If he continued entanglement, the clone would dissipate.
However, Menma was certain his soul body wouldn't be forcibly dragged into the 'Pure Land' by the old Sage of Six Paths.
Besides, a fight should have a beginning and an end!
"If worse comes to worst, I'll just use the Book of the Crimson Moon inside Naruto's body to forcibly pull myself back."
With that thought, Menma was about to make his move.
Boom!
But he saw the Eight-Tails Gyūki's massive body suddenly explode into smoke.
The instant the smoke cleared, countless ink blobs transformed into individual Killer Bee clones, fleeing in different directions.
"So decisive?"
Menma frowned, his figure flickering, appearing in front of the nearest 'Killer Bee' in the blink of an eye.
Bang!
He punched out, and it directly dissolved into ink, which was instantly absorbed into Menma's body.
"Not enough! Still not enough!"
Menma didn't stop, using Body Flicker to hunt them down one by one, destroying an ink clone with each strike.
After eliminating all the nearby clones, Menma looked towards the more distant locations.
However, he didn't continue the chase.
Instead, he stopped and turned to leave.
"Not chasing anymore?"
Kurama's voice sounded from Menma's mind.
This body was entirely fabricated from Nine-Tails chakra, and it was also curious about Menma's strength, so it had placed a sliver of its consciousness within.
It hadn't spoken the entire time simply because it was completely dumbfounded throughout.
If it used the chakra in this clone body, it would amount to maybe one or two Tailed Beast Bombs.
But in Menma's hands...
"What kind of monstrous utilization efficiency is this?!"
The Nine-Tails had gone from initial shock to current numbness.
"I'm not a terrorist."
Regarding Kurama's question, Menma shook his head and explained: "The Fourth Raikage's injuries will require at least several months of recuperation. The ninja world now has a hidden, unknown powerhouse. With pressure on their minds, they won't continue to pursue war."
His goal from the beginning was never to start a war, let alone destroy the ninja world.
Of course, if war could achieve his objective, Menma wouldn't mind starting one.
"Besides..."
Looking at the large mass of Eight-Tails chakra within his body (absorbed from the ink clones), Menma smiled: "My objective has already been achieved."
(End of Chapter)