You know that saying "Don't spend it all at once" ?..... Don't spend all the reviews at once ಠ_ಠ...
Chapter 29: False Aspirations
"How cliché of you to ask."
Menma's voice filtered through the fox mask, carrying a hint of lazy mockery. He slowly raised his hand, fingertips lightly tapping his mask with crisp "tap tap" sounds.
"Though I don't want to keep being called 'masked man' or 'black-robed figure' forever—" He paused, then cleanly announced his name.
"Menma. That's what I'm called."
The Raikage's brow furrowed deeply, bronze muscles tensing and bulging as Lightning Release chakra crackled across his body surface.
"Annihilating Kumo's convoy and making me, the Raikage, your target... Brat, whoever you are, all of the Land of Lightning is now your enemy!"
He stepped forward forcefully, the ground cracking beneath his feet.
"Tell me what village or organization is backing you!" The Raikage clenched his fists, lightning sparking. "I'll finish you off quickly!"
Menma merely shrugged indifferently. "I'm afraid that answer will disappoint you. If you insist on asking about 'backing' or 'background'—"
"I don't have such things. Or rather... the leader of my organization is myself."
"Katon: Karyuu Endan!"
As his words finished, a blazing fire stream suddenly crashed in from the side! A massive fire dragon roared through the air, its intense heat distorting the surrounding scenery. Flames instantly engulfed Menma's figure.
However, the moment fire touched Menma's body, an invisible barrier quietly materialized. The scorching flames struck what seemed like a transparent wall, being forcibly blocked. After the fire raged for several seconds, it gradually dissipated, leaving Menma standing in place—completely unharmed.
Everyone followed the fire technique's source—
Sarutobi Hiruzen had somehow changed into black combat gear, aged eyes locked firmly on Menma. Behind him, all ANBU members stood ready, kunai and ninja blades gleaming coldly.
Among the ANBU, one figure stood out particularly—silver-white hair that even a mask couldn't fully conceal.
Most likely Kakashi.
Menma's gaze lingered briefly on that figure, a slight smile forming beneath his mask.
"Raikage-sama! Now do you believe the masked man isn't part of Konoha's conspiracy?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice reached the Raikage's ears through the battlefield's chaos. His gaze remained locked on the unharmed Menma in the distance, adopting a defensive stance.
The Raikage's chest heaved violently. He clicked his tongue heavily, forcibly suppressing his rage. The Third's words made sense—a shinobi with such terrifying power couldn't have been secretly trained by Konoha without any rumors. Moreover, staging an invasion of their own village would be too damaging to the village's reputation.
But years of warfare had instilled wariness that kept the Raikage slightly suspicious.
Just then, the Third spoke again. "Raikage-sama, regarding the Kumo delegation matter, we can resume negotiations after resolving the current crisis."
He shifted slightly, signaling the ANBU behind him to prepare for battle. "Right now, the masked man who destroyed your delegation and invaded Konoha is our common enemy. Why don't we join forces to capture him, whether alive or dead..."
The Raikage fell silent momentarily, taking a deep breath as the acrid smell filled his nostrils. "...Though it's irritating, let's do as you suggest, Hokage."
"Unfortunately, capture isn't an option."
Facing two aggressive Kage, Menma's voice emerged through his fox mask as his black robes fluttered slightly in the chakra currents. Nine beasts surrounded him, radiating suffocating pressure.
"My purpose in coming here is very clear—"
He slowly raised his hand, pointing at the Raikage.
"Kill the Raikage."
"Don't get too cocky, brat!"
The Raikage's roar exploded. In his fury, his form instantly became a streak of lightning, Lightning Release chakra raging across his body while the air was torn with sharp whistles. Almost as his words fell, he appeared before Menma, left hand forming a blade wreathed in lightning that slashed down viciously!
"Raigyaku Suihei!"
This strike was almost faster than the eye could follow, the Lightning Release blade ionizing the air with a scorching smell. In the next moment, Menma's figure vanished at the critical instant.
He had teleported to the top of the Azure Dragon's head among the nine beasts. Each of these powerful summons served as his Flying Thunder God coordinates.
Without pause, Menma threw a Flying Thunder God kunai toward the Raikage. As the kunai was about to make contact—
Menma's figure appeared at the kunai's position, his right palm condensing a pitch-black energy orb. The sphere's surface writhed with ominous chakra spirals.
"Rasengan!"
The black orb carried destructive pressure straight toward the Raikage's chest! The Raikage instinctively pushed his Lightning Release chakra to the limit, crossing both arms to block.
BOOM—!!
The moment two terrifying energies collided, blinding light erupted. The ground beneath the Raikage's feet collapsed with a thunderous crash, spider-web cracks spreading rapidly outward. He gritted his teeth as his Lightning Release armor groaned under the impact, but ultimately managed to withstand the blow through sheer force.
The Raikage's mind raced as his muscles suddenly swelled, using brute strength to fling the Rasengan skyward!
"Get—UP THERE!!"
The black orb traced a deadly arc straight toward the heavens.
RUMBLE—!!!
The high-altitude explosion illuminated all of Konoha's sky, a blazing white fireball expanding as shockwaves tore a massive hole in the cloud cover. Explosive winds swept down, making everyone's robes flutter wildly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up at this scene, his aged face instantly draining of color. 'If that technique had hit Konoha...'
The mere aftereffects were terrifying—if it had exploded within the village, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Don't be so hasty to attack, Raikage."
Menma's voice suddenly turned low as he slowly raised his hand in a "pause" gesture. "Aren't you curious about my purpose in all this?"
The Raikage's brow knotted tightly, but he ultimately didn't continue attacking. He stood in place, staring fixedly at Menma as if trying to see through that mask.
Menma surveyed his surroundings, his gaze sweeping over the battle-ready Konoha ANBU before finally settling on the Raikage.
"This world... true peace has never really come." His voice suddenly carried a strange resonance. "Soldiers, shinobi, civilians—they're strangers to each other, have never seen each other's faces, don't know each other's names."
Sudden winds whipped up, making his black robes flutter dramatically. Dark clouds began gathering on the horizon, faint lightning flickering between them.
"Simply because their forehead protectors are different... simply because of orders from above, they must raise weapons and pierce each other's throats."
"People say it's because they have different positions, so they cannot understand each other..."
"Ridiculous."
"True positions were never chosen by themselves." Menma raised his hand as dark chakra began gathering in his palm, forming a slowly rotating Rasengan. "The daimyo sign war treaties in their luxurious palaces while shinobi fall one by one on battlefields."
The Rasengan spun faster, the surrounding air beginning to distort with an overwhelming hum.
"Those high and mighty people need only wave a brush to make millions bleed. While shinobi... can only die for empty righteousness."
The Raikage's pupils contracted slightly. He'd never expected to hear such words from an "enemy."
"So—I'll force you all, you fools bewitched by ambition! I'll eliminate every last one!"
Chakra erupted thunderously as dark clouds instantly filled the sky, massive lightning serpents writhing and roaring through the cloud layers.
"I belong to no village, no nation. I... will become war itself."
The Rasengan hovered in his palm, its dark aura reflecting off the fox mask in eerie patterns.
"Whenever a country tries to incite conflict, I will descend to destroy their armies and crush their ambitions."
"Make them fear, make them understand—that daring to wage war brings consequences more terrible than death."
The Rasengan reached peak rotation speed, tiny cracks appearing in the surrounding space.
"If peace cannot be achieved through understanding... then let it be maintained through absolute despair."
"...This is my aspiration."
***
30 ADVANCE CHAPTERS AT patreon.com/Eatinpieces