The heavy iron door slammed shut behind Menma, sealing away both the pathetic, collapsed form of Hiruko and the fathomless depths of Uchiha Hikari's Mangekyo Sharingan.
Before the residual killing intent in the air could even dissipate, Menma's figure vanished into the dim corridor.
Flying Thunder God Technique.
A distance of over a thousand kilometers was bridged in the blink of an eye. One moment he was in the chilling underground prison of the Land of Stars; the next, a dry wind thick with gritty desert sand slapped against his face.
The border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Rain was a desolate expanse, seemingly forgotten by the world. Jagged rocks cast long, distorted shadows under the dying embers of twilight. A crude outpost, built directly into a natural rock face like a beetle clinging to a titan's spine, offered the only sign of life: a few thin wisps of cooking smoke rising into the stagnant air.
Outside the perimeter, several Iwagakure shinobi patrolled with guarded eyes, their earth-colored flak jackets dulled by the relentless dust.
Inside the outpost, a room constructed of rough stone barely held the wind at bay. The air was heavy with the scent of medicinal herbs and the faint, coppery tang of blood. Several wounded Iwa ninjas lay on makeshift cots; some clutched blood-soaked bandages, while others panted with pale, ashen faces.
A woman dressed in Iwagakure attire knelt beside a critically injured soldier. Her hands were bathed in the gentle green glow of medical chakra, pressed firmly against a horrific tear in the man's abdomen. Under the influence of her jutsu, the muscle tissue squirmed and knitted together at a visible pace.
She kept her head lowered, her chestnut hair falling to obscure her profile, revealing only an expression of quiet, absolute focus.
In this place, her name was "Suzuhara Ai." A wandering ninja who had only recently joined Iwagakure.
As the soldier's agonized groans faded into steady breathing, the woman withdrew her hands, and the green light flickered out. She exhaled softly, beads of sweat dotting her forehead. When a nearby ninja handed her a water skin, she whispered a gentle word of thanks.
At that exact moment, a short, shrill scream erupted from the perimeter, followed by the thunderous roar of rock being pulverized by immense force!
The entire outpost shuddered. Dust rained down from the rocky ceiling.
"Enemy attack—!!"
The piercing alarm shattered the twilight's peace. The Iwa ninjas inside scrambled, the wounded struggling to reach for their weapons. The Jonin in charge turned pale, roaring commands: "Defensive formation! Sensory team! Report positions and numbers!"
"Suzuhara Ai's" body tensed for a fraction of a second. Deep within those gentle eyes, the sharp, lethal glint of a master spy flickered. She rose quickly, retreating between the wounded and the wall. It looked like a frantic search for cover, but she had actually occupied the best vantage point to observe the entire room, her fingers silently gripping poisoned senbon hidden in her sleeves.
However, there was no response from the sensory team. There were no further explosions.
There was only a suffocating, physical weight of cold pressure—like thick, viscous ink—instantly saturating every inch of the outpost. The air seemed to solidify; even the wind ceased to blow.
A figure appeared without warning in the center of the only patch of level ground.
A long black robe billowed silently in a sudden, eerie updraft, the mysterious Nine-Masked Beast pattern shimmering on the fabric. The white, three-eyed fox mask felt like a nightmare branded into the pupils of every Iwa ninja present. The hollow sockets of the three-eyed fox seemed to be peering directly into their souls.
"Shu... Shura?!" The Iwa Jonin's voice was as dry as sandpaper. The hand holding his kunai shook uncontrollably. The terror of that name had long since saturated the shinobi world.
Beneath the mask, Menma's gaze swept across every panicked face before locking onto the unremarkable woman in the corner. Ignoring the surrounding ninjas—who were paralyzed by fear—he took a single step forward.
It was a light step, yet it felt like a heel grinding into their hearts.
An icy, emotionless voice pierced the suffocating silence, each word falling like an icicle:
"I found you, Yakushi Nono."
The woman's body froze the instant that name left the masked man's lips.
The feigned panic on her face solidified and then peeled away like a broken shell, leaving behind only incredible shock and a deep, hidden chill of being completely exposed.
She snapped her head up. Under her chestnut hair, the gentle eyes of "Suzuhara Ai" vanished. In their place were the sharp, surgical-cold eyes of the "Wandering Miko," Yakushi Nono.
Her identity was blown. Disguise was now meaningless.
"Attack! Protect the medical ninja!" The Iwa Jonin finally clawed back a shred of rationality through his terror, screaming his lungs out. He didn't understand the significance of the name Shura had spoken, but as the leader, he couldn't sit and wait for death.
With the command issued, every Iwa ninja—patrols, sentries, and even the wounded—erupted at once!
"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Spears!"
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Amidst the roars, the ground shook violently! Sharp stone lances burst from the earth, a forest of thorns stabbing toward the dark-red silhouette at the center. A massive fireball roared through the air, carrying a wave of scorching heat. Several Chunin lunged forward with kunai and blades, throwing themselves into the fray from every angle.
They sought to drown their enemy in a flood of numbers and concentrated fury.
Facing a combined assault that would have shredded an ordinary Jonin, Menma didn't even turn his head. He casually raised his left hand, palm upturned as if cradling the air itself.
"Nine Masked Seals: Svaha—"
A low chant drifted from behind the fox mask. A formation bloomed at his feet, expanding into nine interconnected seals, each bearing a distinct character:
[Sei, Haku, Shu, Gen, Ku, Nan, Hokku, San, Gyoku]
"Hokku-Sennin!" (Northern Star Sage)
The character for 'North' ignited. There were no flashy lights—only a heavy, solid power, as if the core of the earth had suddenly descended.
Voom—!
The air moaned under the burden. A massive, translucent rhombohedral barrier, like an inverted giant bowl, expanded outward from Shura. The walls of the barrier radiated an aura of indestructible weight.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sharp rock spears slammed into the pale yellow barrier walls with a tooth-grinding screech. The stone shattered and flew in all directions, leaving nothing but faint ripples on the surface. The roaring fireball collided with the barrier like a wave hitting a cliff, exploding into a rain of fire that slid harmlessly down the smooth walls.
"What?!" The Iwagakure ninjas gasped in horror. Not a single attack had moved him an inch.