Chapter 87: A Battle Without Hope
'This bastard... why does he know everything?!'
A flicker of panic flashed in Danzō's eyes. In ninja combat, intelligence was life—and when all your trump cards were seen through by your opponent, the battle was already at a disadvantage from the start.
'Could I really rely on Izanagi... to finish him off?'
The remaining Sharingan on his arm rotated uneasily, each pupil reflecting Menma's cold mask. Danzō forcibly suppressed his unease, speaking in a hoarse voice.
"Ember, you're too naive!"
He suddenly raised that deformed arm embedded with Sharingan. "Just because I want to eliminate unstable factors, you'd become an enemy of all Konoha?"
"Strangling crises before they bloom—that is a shinobi's duty! Peace has never been achieved through lukewarm methods! This world needs someone to bear the darkness!"
"Not just the Uchiha... every member of our Root organization is prepared to sacrifice for peace!"
"You really are full of lies! Resolve? You who uses that forbidden technique as a trump card dare speak of sacrificial resolve?"
Facing Shimura Danzō who treated Sharingan like revival coins yet spoke of sacrificial resolve nearly made Menma laugh with anger.
"Rather—" Menma's voice was bone-chillingly cold, "a mere minute of invincibility time, and you dare spout such grandiose words here? Have you been away from personal combat so long you've forgotten even battle techniques?"
Menma's right hand slowly raised as a pitch-black sphere suddenly twisted into existence above his palm. The sphere began devouring light, making the surrounding air tremble.
"Rasenshuriken."
Black stardust spun in his palm, emanating heart-stopping fluctuations. The current Naruto was no longer what he once was—the Nine Masks Suvaha, Rasenshuriken, the Nine-Tails chakra within his body, plus Hiraishin's mobility. Even without the system's experience cards.
His strength was comparable to that Uzumaki Menma from "Path of the Ninja," lacking only time's refinement...
Aside from the South and North Dipper Sages maintaining the barrier, purple light screens flowed with sigils, completely isolating this area from the outside world. Seven of the Nine Masks simultaneously closed in, sealing off all of Danzō's escape routes.
"Fūton: Shinkūha!"
Danzō suddenly opened his mouth, an almost transparent wind blade sweeping out like a laser. Menma knew this Fūton technique could even slice through Susanoo! The Nine Masks quickly dodged as the ground was plowed into trenches several meters deep.
In that split second—Menma released the Rasenshuriken in his hand.
The black stardust fell silently, and upon contact with the ground—
BOOM!!!!
In the deafening explosion, a crater dozens of meters in diameter suddenly appeared. The shockwave sent everything in the barrier flying as Danzō's figure was instantly swallowed.
But before the smoke cleared—the unharmed Danzō appeared again.
Menma's figure had already vanished from his original position. Looking carefully, the entire barrier's interior had somehow become covered with Hiraishin formula!
"Second shot."
The cold voice came from all directions.
Danzō's eyes spun frantically but couldn't capture the enemy's whereabouts.
Danzō's fingers suddenly plunged into his weapon pouch, two shuriken gleaming coldly in moonlight. He took a deep breath, Fūton chakra wrapping around the blades to instantly form two high-speed rotating vacuum wind wheels that tore through air with piercing shrieks.
'Must get close... as long as I can plant the curse seal, I can end this battle!'
However, in terms of both strength and intelligence, Menma had already thoroughly understood Danzō's capabilities.
Danzō's Fūton series had power sufficient to sever Susanoo, but against a Hiraishin user, the hit rate was nearly zero without close combat.
Taijutsu and curse seals—his prized sealing techniques required contact to activate, but his opponent wouldn't give him the chance to close in.
Izanagi—one revival and a minute of invincibility, but it consumed precious Sharingan...
Whoosh!
The wind wheel shuriken shot through the air but was swatted to pieces mid-flight by a suddenly appearing white tiger. Menma's figure had already vanished from his original position, leaving only the blue light of Hiraishin formula slowly dissipating in the air.
The seven Nine Masks slowly closed in like death gods, each possessing elite jōnin strength. Even more terrifying—
BOOM!
Another Rasenshuriken exploded in front of him, the shockwave sending Danzō's robes flying. He rolled away in embarrassment, only to see Menma had already teleported to the other end of the barrier, condensing who knows which black stardust in his hand.
Danzō's breathing began to grow erratic.
'A target that could never be hit... seven perfectly coordinated summoning beasts... long-range ninjutsu with power to pulverize terrain...'
Despair surged like a tide. His once calculating mind couldn't find even a shred of hope for victory.
"Damn it..."
Mokuton power flickered in and out but had nowhere to manifest. Irritation and panic grew like weeds.
The air in the barrier became substantial pressure, each breath carrying the rusty taste of blood. Danzō finally began questioning in his heart.
'How am I supposed to fight this?!'