160+ power stones....if we hit 200, it'll be after every 50 powerstones
Chapter 30: Worry
"Absurd! How dare a skulking coward like you subvert the shinobi world's established order!"
The Raikage's roar thundered like an explosion, his Lightning Release armor erupting as the ground beneath his feet cracked into spider-web patterns from chakra leakage.
Simultaneously, the Third Hokage's voice rang out. "Masked man, you claim to want to stop war?"
"But aren't your current actions tantamount to waging war? Do you realize that your recent declarations are equivalent to making an enemy of the entire world!"
Menma's fox mask tilted slightly, as if sneering coldly. "I said it—I will become war itself."
His black robes fluttered in the chakra currents as the pitch-black Rasengan spun in his palm, radiating suffocating pressure.
"You're right. This is my war against the entire world."
The Third Hokage's brow furrowed deeply as he suddenly raised his voice. "Wait! Your space-time ninjutsu—that's the Flying Thunder God technique, isn't it?! Where did you learn such jutsu—"
But before he could finish, Menma had already acted.
The long-charged Rasengan was hurled backward, the black energy orb cutting through the sky in a straight trajectory toward the distant forest.
The moment of explosion brought absolute silence to heaven and earth.
BOOM—!!
Immediately after, blinding white light consumed all vision as shockwaves expanded in rings. Towering trees were reduced to dust in an instant, a blazing fireball swelling skyward and painting half the skies crimson red. Explosive winds swept forward, making everyone's robes whip wildly as even the Third Hokage and Raikage had to raise their hands against the overwhelming heat wave.
When the light faded, a disaster-like scar appeared in the distant forest. The woodland within a hundred meters had been obliterated, replaced by a charred crater nearly a hundred meters in diameter. The rim's soil still smoked while the acrid stench of burning filled the air.
"Enemy of the world?"
Menma's voice was terrifyingly calm, as if that devastating attack had been merely casual. "Such words from an ordinary shinobi's mouth would only mark them as insane. But if the speaker—"
His gaze beneath the fox mask swept over the drastically changed expressions of the Third Hokage and Raikage. "Possesses power sufficient to make such grand claims reality?"
Both "Kage" expressions turned completely grim. This man calling himself "Menma" was no mere bluffer. When someone's power was strong enough to single-handedly threaten the entire shinobi world's order, "enemy of the world" was no longer empty boasting—it was bone-chilling reality.
"Come then. I have no desire to harm innocents."
Menma's voice carried particular clarity amid the explosion's aftermath as he raised his hand, pointing toward the still-burning forest ruins in the distance.
"My target is only those fools bewitched by ambition—Raikage, I'll be waiting for you there."
In the next moment, his figure vanished from its spot like an eraser mark, disappearing without warning.
The Raikage's muscles tensed like steel, his breathing heavy and heated. 'This kind of power... this kind of aspiration... I must eliminate him here!'
Without hesitation, the Raikage's form suddenly transformed into a blue-white lightning streak, the ground beneath collapsing into a crater from his explosive departure. His speed was so incredible it left afterimages in the air, marking his path only with scorched lightning traces and flying dust.
After the death of Namikaze Minato—the true value of being the shinobi world's fastest was fully displayed in this moment.
"Raikage-sama!" C and Darui nearly stepped forward simultaneously to follow, but—
ROAR—!!
The nine beasts' roars erupted as their massive forms blocked the path. Darui's mouth twitched, his lazy expression long since replaced by gravity. He once again drew the ninja blade from his back.
"Looks like that won't work..." he muttered quietly, his gaze sweeping over the menacing summons. "These guys' mission seems to be keeping us here..."
C activated his sensory ninjutsu fully, fingers rapidly forming seals as cold sweat dripped. "Chakra responses... every single one is stronger than me!"
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage's gaze returned from the Raikage's departure direction. "All ANBU listen up! Defeat these summons, then—support the Raikage!"
Whoosh—!
Konoha's ANBU surged forth like a black tide, eyes beneath their masks cold and focused. Kunai gleamed in connected lines as Kakashi's figure quietly appeared at the formation's front, his Sharingan slowly rotating to lock onto targets.
Battle was about to erupt.
---
In the distance, atop a tall rooftop somewhere in Konoha, a small blonde figure watched the dust-filled battlefield with helpless expression. Three-year-old Uzumaki Naruto couldn't help but hold his forehead and sigh.
Was my inner self... really this chuunibyou?
Naruto's eyes were full of speechlessness. That's right—the "Menma" currently confronting the Raikage and Third Hokage was a shadow clone using the [Uzumaki Menma Experience Card]. The one standing here was his real body.
What "becoming war itself"... what "enemy of the entire world"...
Naruto rubbed his hair, recalling his earlier passionate declarations. His toes nearly dug a three-bedroom apartment into the ground from embarrassment. So mortifying! Though the dramatic effect was certainly maximized, thinking back on it was explosively awkward.
His real objectives weren't nearly so grandiose!
His plan was actually quite simple. First step: create a villain persona to facilitate future recruitment of powerful but differently-aligned rogue ninja, such as:
Deidara, constantly shouting "Art is an explosion!"
Kakuzu, interested only in money.
Zabuza, who failed to assassinate the Mizukage yet became an icon among Kirigakure shinobi.
Second step: stage crises to make "Menma" a threat feared by all nations, while he himself would rise as a "Konoha genius" to become the "guardian" against such threats. This way—he could legitimately obtain more training resources, max out system points, and integrate combat power at crucial moments.
Third step: prepare for future threats. Though he didn't know exactly how powerful the so-called Otsutsuki aliens were, if Earth's people kept fighting internally, wouldn't they be completely doomed when real external enemies arrived?
Internal warfare... should be avoided if possible.
"Naruto!"
An urgent shout suddenly rang beside his ear. Naruto jolted violently, nearly sliding off the rooftop. He hurriedly turned around to see a familiar figure—black hair slightly disheveled from running, cheeks flushed with exertion, chest heaving dramatically. She'd clearly sprinted all the way here.
"Sa... Satsuki?"
Naruto's eyes widened, completely unprepared to encounter her here. How could Uchiha Satsuki appear in this place? Shouldn't she be in the evacuation shelter with other villagers?
Before he could react, Satsuki had already lunged forward, fingers firmly gripping his ear.
"Wait! Ow ow ow! What are you doing?!"
Naruto struggled in pain, but froze instantly when he looked up into Satsuki's eyes—those usually proud black orbs were now filled with lingering fear, corners slightly reddened with moisture still clinging to her lashes.
"What do you think?!" Satsuki's voice carried obvious trembling. "The village is under attack! Everyone's gone to the shelters! Do you know how dangerous it is out here?!"
Naruto opened his mouth, his intended explanations suddenly caught in his throat. Only then did he realize—Satsuki had deliberately run out to find him.
'What just happened?'
When the alarm had sounded earlier, Satsuki followed the Uchiha clan's women and children in hurried evacuation. Fugaku led the Uchiha shinobi in civilian evacuation while Itachi was away on mission. Excluding the memory-less Nine-Tails incident, this was Satsuki's first experience with an invasion.
When the shelter's chaos briefly settled, the first thing Satsuki did was scan her surroundings for that blonde figure. Upon discovering Naruto's absence, she anxiously questioned the evacuation-responsible shinobi, only receiving cold responses.
"That demon fox brat? Who knows where he is."
No one seemed to care whether he lived or died.
This realization made Satsuki's heart feel gripped by an invisible hand. She didn't even have time to explain to her mother before running from the shelter, sprinting through the nearly empty village just to confirm his safety.
'That blinding light that had illuminated the entire sky earlier...'
Recalling that world-destroying explosion, Satsuki's fingers unconsciously tightened. Such devastating ninjutsu—even Father and big sister couldn't achieve that level, right? No... was that even humanly possible? If it had struck the village...
"Satsuki... are you crying?" Naruto asked softly.
"I'm not crying!" Satsuki whipped her face away. "Never mind that! Let's go! You big idiot! If that technique had exploded in the village, you definitely would have died!"
She grabbed Naruto's hand without argument, her grip surprisingly strong. Naruto could feel the cold sweat and slight trembling in her palm.
'She's afraid... for me?'
An unprecedented complex emotion spread through his chest—bitter yet warm. He allowed Satsuki to pull him toward the evacuation shelter.
(Holy fuck ten consecutive bonus chapters ಠ_ಠ)
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