novelraw Chapter 313 313 Shukaku: I'm Free...?!
Chapter 313 313 Shukaku: I'm Free...?!
The elite Ninja of Sunagakure faced their enemy with utmost seriousness, their formation quickly contracting to protect the injured Kazekage, Rasa, at its center.
The air was thick with the smell of blood, dust, and a fear so palpable it was suffocating.
In just two encounters, their proud Kazekage had been severely wounded. The blow to the Sunagakure's Ninjas' morale was immense.
Chiyo violently unfurled a massive scroll, her hands forming seals in a blur.
"White Secret Technique: Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!...
Ten puffs of white smoke erupted in succession!
Ten puppets of varying designs, with intricate joints and wielding different weapons, appeared instantly, forming a protective circle around her like loyal guardians!
Each puppet exuded a cold, dangerous aura. They were the pinnacle of puppet artistry, creations that had once helped Chiyo conquer an entire city!
Ten nearly invisible Chakra Threads connected from Chiyo's thin fingers to each puppet, her gaze locked fiercely on Menma atop the dune.
Seizing the moment, Ebizo stepped forward, his long eyebrows twitching slightly with tension. He forced a tone of authority. "Who are you?! Why are you causing havoc within our Land of Wind?! What is your connection to those two Tailed Beasts?!"
He was attempting to buy time for the squad to regroup and gather information through dialogue.
Simultaneously, the Sunagakure's Ninja demonstrated their high level of tactical discipline.
Combat teams swiftly dispersed, taking up advantageous positions. Kunai and shuriken were at the ready, Wind and Earth Release Ninjutsu primed for activation.
The Sealing Team and Barrier Team tightly guarded Gaara, who still clutched his stuffed animal.
Baki, Yura, Fugi, Pakura, Yosuke, Sajin, and other Jonin held the front line, their faces grave, cold sweat soaking their backs.
The power displayed by this youth before them was simply terrifying.
Menma looked down coldly at the tense Sunagakure's forces below, as if observing a colony of busy ants.
He held out his right hand, and a black Chakra Rod materialized instantly in his palm.
He gave it a casual swing, and it cut through the air with a low hum.
"Telling you insects doesn't matter," Menma's voice was flat, carrying an aloof indifference. "I am Shura of the Land of Stars."
"Shura?!"
The name struck the Sunagakure's Ninjas like a thunderclap!
Even with some prior suspicion, hearing this infamous name, a name that had risen to prominence in recent years and struck fear into the hearts of the great nations, with their own ears, caused Chiyo, Ebizo, Rasa, and every Jonin who understood its weight to feel their hearts lurch, their faces instantly turning pale.
The scorching air seemed to freeze. Only the distant, unwilling roars of the Ten-Tails and the low growls of the Dark Nine-Tails devouring Chakra served as a oppressive soundtrack for this forbidden land.
"Shura..." Chiyo's dry lips moved slightly. The name that had resounded across the Ninja World in recent years now superimposed itself onto the youthful face before her, creating a profound sense of unreality.
This was the mysterious Ninja who had thrown Kumogakure into chaos, moved through Konoha Village as he pleased, and brazenly stolen four Byakugan from the Hyuga Clan's main family!
The higher-ups of the Five Great Ninja Villages had privately assessed his threat level as on par with the legendary [God of Ninja, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara from the past. Some even believed the next Great Ninja War would inevitably involve him!
Chiyo and Ebizo exchanged a quick glance, seeing unprecedented gravity in each other's eyes.
Shura's sudden appearance in the Land of Wind was undoubtedly connected to those two Tailed Beasts!
"You!" Rasa struggled to his feet once more, the pain in his abdomen making sweat bead on his forehead. But his dignity as Kazekage wouldn't allow him to back down. He pushed away Baki's attempt to support him and took a few steps forward, his voice a blustering roar. "This is the Land of Wind! Are you responsible for those Tailed Beasts?! Are you trying to start a war?!"
Menma watched him expressionlessly, slightly surprised by the man's durability… taking two of his heavy kicks and still standing. But then he considered that this was someone who could suppress the One-Tail, Shukaku, with his Magnet Release. A robust physique was to be expected.
"Those Tailed Beasts over there are none of your concern," Menma's tone remained even, his clothes whipping in the wind. "If you hadn't come, it would have been over in a few days. But since you delivered yourselves to my doorstep..." He paused, a cold smirk touching his lips. "...it's a good chance for me to stretch my limbs."
His tone then took on a mocking edge as he countered, "When Sunagakure was creating conflicts on the Land of Stars' border, did you ever consider you might face retaliation?"
With the rise of the Land of Stars, which of the great Ninja Villages, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Konoha, hadn't continuously sent spies to infiltrate?
The seemingly small-scale skirmishes on the borders of the Land of Wind and Land of Earth, when had they ever truly ceased?
This Ninja World operated on the law of the jungle.
Moreover, Menma's goal was to end this millennia-old decay, to cleanse the world of the nobles and Daimyo who parasitized its people. This was fundamentally incompatible with the core interests of the existing Five Great Nations.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Great Burial!"
The moment Menma finished speaking, a fierce light flashed in Rasa's eyes. The technique he had been preparing in secret was unleashed!
He had never placed hope in words resolving anything… the dialogue was merely a distraction to complete his hand seals!
The dune beneath Menma's feet transformed. The soft yellow sand was instantly replaced by gleaming gold dust!
Countless grains of gold, like living tentacles, rapidly coiled upwards, forming a massive, rapidly spinning golden spiral that completely engulfed Menma's figure!
Immediately after, Rasa slammed his palms together, channeling chakra frantically!
Boom-!!!
A deafening explosion rocked the sea of sand!
The golden dune, as if packed with countless explosive tags, imploded violently before erupting outwards!
The violent energy shockwave blasted a crater over twenty meters wide into the sand. A shower of gold dust mixed with ordinary sand scattered in all directions like golden rain!
"Did we get him?" A Sunagakure's Ninja couldn't help but exclaim.
Rasa didn't dare relax for a second, his eyes fixed on the billowing dust.
Chiyo, understanding his intent, immediately sent three of her Ten Puppets, like ghostly shadows, darting into the heart of the explosion to confirm the result and deliver a finishing blow.
However, the puppets moved through the dust, their sensors finding nothing.
"Could he be... dead?" Ebizo frowned deeply, but a sense of foreboding nagged at him.
"Looking for me?"
The flat voice came from another direction.
All the Sunagakure's Ninja turned their heads in horror. Menma stood silently atop a different dune to the side, his black and red robe untouched by dust, as if the explosion had nothing to do with him.
He casually twirled the black Chakra Rod in his hand, observing the Sunagakure's Ninja below whose faces had drastically changed upon his reappearance. He announced the rules of the game:
"Well then, I declare," his voice held a note of playfulness, "The Sea of Death Survival Game, has begun."
"Try your best to stay alive."
As the words left his mouth, his figure vanished from the dune's peak, transforming into a black streak of lightning that shot directly towards the waiting Sunagakure's formation!
"Attack!" Baki roared. He, Yura, and the other Jonin had almost finished their seals simultaneously.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
A violent gale combined with a churning river of mud, forming a torrent of Combined Ninjutsu that surged towards Menma!
Facing this combined assault capable of annihilating a squad of Chunin instantly, Menma didn't slow his charge in the slightest. He merely raised the seemingly unremarkable black Chakra Rod in his hand and made a light, slicing motion towards the oncoming Ninjutsu tide!
Something bizarre happened!
The violent Wind Release and viscous Earth Release, upon contact with the black rod, seemed to be 'cut' apart by an invisible force, forcibly splitting open a path wide enough for Menma to pass through!
He walked through the center of the Ninjutsu as if taking a leisurely stroll, allowing the wind and earth to roar past him on either side, not even disturbing the hem of his clothes!
"How is that possible?!"
"What is that black rod?!"
The Sunagakure's Ninjas were aghast. Many were veterans of two Great Ninja Wars, yet they had never seen ninjutsu countered in such a way!
"Stop him!" Chiyo barked sharply. The remaining Ten Puppets moved in unison!
The seven puppets closest to Menma moved like well-drilled soldiers. Some wielded blades for close combat, others fired poisoned projectiles, others opened mechanisms for binding… attacking Menma from different angles with coordinated precision, sealing off all his dodging paths.
Yet these elite puppets, each capable of fighting a regular Jonin, seemed clumsy and slow before Menma.
Menma's figure weaved effortlessly through the puppet swarm!
The black rod in his hand seemed alive. Each swing, block, and thrust accurately struck a puppet's joint or energy core!
Thump!
One sword-wielding puppet was struck in the chest by the rod, its core Chakra Circuits instantly went haywire, freezing in place.
Crack!
Another puppet attempting to fire projectiles had its arm precisely shattered by the rod.
Clang!
A third puppet's heavy shield was pierced directly through by the rod, pinning both the shield and the puppet's body to the ground!
Chiyo's face grew increasingly grim. She clearly felt that the eerie black rod not only had astonishing physical destructive power but was also constantly interfering with the Chakra Threads connecting her to the puppets, making her control sluggish and significantly reducing their effectiveness!
"Don't stop! Provide ranged cover!" Ebizo commanded the other Sunagakure's Ninjas.
A rain of shuriken, kunai, senbon, and various elemental ninjutsu poured down on the center of the fray.
Rasa also activated his Magnet Release again. Countless massive cubes of gold dust materialized in the air and plummeted towards Menma like meteors!
Menma's form darted through the storm of puppets and ninjutsu, the black rod in his hand moving in an impenetrable defense.
He used the rod to shatter gold cubes, deflect scorching fireballs, and sweep aside dense clouds of projectiles.
The occasional attack that slipped through was easily avoided with his agile footwork.
He completely controlled the pace of the battle!
In the span of a few seconds, two more of the Ten Puppets were reduced to fragments on the ground.
And Menma had already broken through, charging into the heart of the Sunagakure's ranks like a tiger among sheep!
"Block him!" A Sunagakure's Ninja armed with a kunai roared as he thrust forward, while a Special Jonin wielding nunchaku swept in from the side.
Menma leaped into the air, his legs pistoning out with blinding speed, leaving afterimages!
Thump! Thump!
Two dull impacts sounded almost simultaneously. The Sunagakure's Ninja and the Special Jonin were struck in the chest as if by a battering ram, vomiting blood as they were sent flying backwards like broken kites, crashing into several comrades behind them.
The moment Menma landed, a Sunagakure's Ninja pounced on him from above.
Without even looking, Menma backhandedly slapped his palm onto the man's face. The immense force drove the Ninja's head straight into the sand, leaving only his body twitching above ground.
Immediately after, his body spun, a fierce whip kick sweeping out and sending three Sunagakure's Ninja charging from different directions flying like sacks, the sound of cracking bones clearly audible.
Any Sunagakure's Ninja struck directly by him was either killed or crippled, instantly losing their fighting ability!
Sand and dust flew. Screams of pain rose one after another.
"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"
Pakura's figure flashed in from the side. Several white orbs of lethal, superheated fire shot towards Menma in a triangular formation.
Simultaneously, Fugi lunged at Menma from the other side with a kunai, attempting a pincer attack with Pakura.
With a flick of his wrist, Menma's black Chakra Rod precisely tapped the Scorch Release orbs. Using a clever redirecting force, he altered their trajectories, sending them flying towards the surrounding Sunagakure's Ninjas instead!
"Ahhh!!"
Several agonized screams erupted as a few Sunagakure's Ninjas, unable to dodge in time, were hit by the orbs. Their body's moisture instantly vaporized, turning them into desiccated mummies!
Menma's movements didn't pause. As the rod deflected the orbs, his body dashed forward with the momentum. The black rod in his hand shot out like a striking snake, accurately piercing Fugi's lower abdomen!
Fugi's movements froze instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief and pain.
Without a second glance, Menma pulled the rod free and, turning, delivered a swift and fierce spinning back kick that slammed squarely into the side of Pakura, who had just landed and was vulnerable!
Pakura vomited another mouthful of blood, her body sent flying uncontrollably for dozens of meters before crashing heavily onto the sand, unable to rise immediately.
"Pakura-sensei!" The young Maki cried out in horror upon seeing this. She tried to rush over, but was held back firmly by her team leader, Yosuke.
"Barrier Team!" Baki shouted hoarsely.
The four Barrier Team's members, prepared for this moment, immediately pressed their hands to the ground!
"Four Violet Flames Formation: Modified!"
Four walls of purple Chakra Barrier instantly rose, forming a massive cubic barrier that trapped Menma, who had just dealt with Fugi, inside!
The barrier walls burned with raging purple flames, emitting intense heat and a dangerous aura.
"We got him!" A Sunagakure's Ninja exclaimed in relief.
Rasa, also trapped inside the barrier, wouldn't let this opportunity slip. Gritting through his injuries, he formed seals once more!
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Boundary Method!"
The ground within the barrier instantly erupted with countless sharp gold dust spikes, like a suddenly blooming forest of metallic thorns, stabbing towards the center from all directions!
Faced with this sure-kill move from above and below, Menma simply leaped lightly, his body defying gravity to hover in mid-air, easily evading all the ground-based spikes.
"He's... flying?!" The Sunagakure's Ninja outside the barrier stared, dumbfounded, the chill in their hearts deepening.
"Don't give him a chance to breathe!" Rasa roared, manipulating vast waves of gold dust to crash towards the airborne Menma.
Ebizo also released a thick, purple poisonous gas that filled the barrier.
Chiyo, meanwhile, manipulated the last five intact puppets to quickly form a formation at the barrier's edge!
"Puppetry Technique: Three Jewels Suction Crushing!"
Three of the puppets formed a unique triangular formation. A powerful suction force instantly generated, creating a fierce whirlwind inside the barrier meant to forcibly drag the airborne Menma down!
Facing this combined assault, Menma's expression remained placid.
The black Chakra Rod in his hand suddenly elongated, sweeping like a spear to cleave the oncoming gold dust wave in two!
Simultaneously, his left hand formed a single, simple seal. A faint Chakra glow enveloped his body, isolating the invading poisonous gas.
As for the powerful suction force, he simply stabbed the black rod downwards. The rod seemed to anchor itself into an invisible wall, holding him steadily in place, unaffected by the whirlwind.
"With just one person... he..." Ebizo watched as Menma casually neutralized every attack within the barrier, his heart sinking into an abyss.
"Now, it's my turn." Menma seemed tired of this passive defense. He raised his free left hand. Dense Chakra gathered in his palm, instantly forming seven or eight slightly shorter black Chakra Rods.
With a casual throw, these rods shot forth like black lightning, aimed with deadly precision at the four Barrier Team's members maintaining the barrier!
"Defend!" Baki yelled in warning.
But the black rods were too fast!
They ignored ordinary weapon blocks, slicing through the barrier itself as if it were nothing, and accurately pierced the throats or hearts of the four Barrier Team's members!
"Guh..."
The four Barrier Team's members died instantly, their eyes filled with terror and resentment.
The Chakra sustaining the barrier ceased abruptly. The flaming purple barrier walls flickered a few times before shattering like glass and dissipating into nothingness.
The situation had taken a drastic turn for the worse!
Rasa's heart ached at the sight of his severely depleted forces. After all, these were Sunagakure's elites, and the lowest rank among them was Special Jonin!
A flicker of madness crossed Rasa's eyes.
He flickered to the Sealing Team, which had been tightly guarding their charge.
Seven-year-old Gaara clutched his worn teddy bear, his small body trembling uncontrollably with fear. He looked up with his panda-like eyes, born from chronic sleeplessness, at the man who was nominally his father but had never shown him warmth.
Rasa showed no tenderness. He knelt, placing his hands on Gaara's thin shoulders, his voice cold and urgent. "Listen, Gaara. Now is the time for you, the 'weapon', to fulfill your purpose! For Sunagakure!"
Before Gaara could respond, Rasa formed hand seals and chanted lowly, "Temple of Nirvana Technique!"
A surge of Chakra flowed into Gaara. The light in Gaara's eyes instantly died, his head lolling to the side as he fell into a forced slumber.
Immediately after, Rasa unceremoniously grabbed Gaara's sleeping body and, mustering all his strength, hurled him directly at Menma, who had just landed!
"Shukaku! Come forth!" Rasa bellowed.
In mid-air, a savage, hate-filled Chakra erupted from Gaara's body like a volcano!
Sand and dust rapidly coalesced, forming in the blink of an eye a massive, tanuki-like monster covered in purple curse markings.
The One-Tail, Shukaku!
"hahahaha! I'm free!!! Let this great one see who has the gall to... Huh?!" Shukaku, the moment he manifested, let out a manic, excited roar, waving his short arms, ready to wreak havoc and vent the frustration of his long imprisonment.
However, Shukaku's laughter cut off abruptly.
His beady eyes looked past the ant-like Menma below, focusing instead on the distance. There, he saw the Ten-Tails, pinned by massive black rods yet still emanating a terrifying aura, and that oddly colored dark red Nine-Tailed Fox greedily devouring its Chakra...
Shukaku's manic grin froze on his face. His waving arms halted mid-swing. His massive body gave an almost imperceptible shudder.