Chapter 226: Tsunade: Why Would the Uzumaki Clan Attack Konoha?
"The so-called Child of Prophecy and Child of Ruin may be special existences in Gamamaru's eyes, but in my view, they are just ordinary people chosen by Gamamaru. In essence, they are still humans with limited lifespans who will turn into a pile of yellow earth after a thousand years."
Katsuyu explained in a soft voice, "What's more, there is actually no difference between the Child of Ruin and the Child of Prophecy. One person cannot change the entire world."
Menma nodded subconsciously.
Although Katsuyu's words were somewhat arrogant, Menma understood her meaning.
After all, the other party had lived for thousands of years and had probably seen through everything.
What Menma sensed from her was not a sense of superiority, but a wise sage who had experienced the vicissitudes of life and had a detached nature, like a hermit.
Compared to the White Snake and the old Toad, Katsuyu's personality was more like that of a true "sage."
Moreover, she was telling the truth.
No matter how capable a person was, one person alone could not change this world.
However…
"Katsuyu, do I look like an arrogant and brainless human?"
Menma smiled and said in a gentle tone, "I've never thought that I could change the entire world by myself. There are tens of thousands of people standing behind me."
"If possible, I would also like to hire you to be a special guest teacher and physician in the country I have established."
Hearing this, Katsuyu couldn't help but be taken aback.
"...I think I'm beginning to understand why Gamamaru places so much importance on you."
She exclaimed with unconcealed surprise, "Humans come to the sage regions mostly in pursuit of Sage Art and power. It's already extremely rare for Lady Tsunade to treat me as a friend, but Lord Menma, you are the first person to have the courage to say you want me to be your subordinate."
Katsuyu was indeed a little surprised by Menma's answer. It was truly the first time she had met such a strange human.
Although she called herself "a slug that can use Sage Art," she was also aware of the reverence humans had for her.
Tsunade's personality was bold, and she acted without restraint, but even she would not dare to speak so presumptuously.
Menma spread his hands and said with a smile, "Your lifespan is too long. You only sign contracts with humans out of boredom, hoping to use human summons to pass the long, dull time."
"Since that's the case, why not give it a try?"
After Menma spoke, Katsuyu stared at him, sizing him up for a long time.
The scene gradually fell into silence.
Until little Karin at the side subconsciously hugged Menma's arm.
"Lord Menma."
Katsuyu asked in a plain tone, "It is absolutely impossible for people to completely understand each other. The hearts of people cannot be fully connected. Humans are just such tragic creatures."
"As long as desire exists in the human heart, the wars in the ninja world will never cease. This has been the case for a thousand years, so…"
Menma shook his head and interrupted with a smile, "So, just because it has always been so, does that make it right?"
"Humans are not afraid of war at all. No matter how terrible the war, as long as everyone suffers together, it's fine. They never seek the truth, nor do they care for others to understand the truth. After the war, they are glad they survived, laugh at those who have departed, and finally leave behind a single bastard sentence."
"'This is fate.'"
"However, I don't believe in fate…"
Katsuyu retorted, "Then have you ever thought that in the eyes of others, you are the so-called Child of Ruin? Everything you do may just be hypocrisy in their eyes. Everything you do may not receive any gratitude. Even so, are you willing to help them?"
Hearing this, Menma couldn't help but scoff, "That's right, perhaps I am a villain, perhaps I am the Child of Ruin, but so what?"
"People with shallow hearts will often become angry because of curses and joyful because of praise. I am not like those people. I don't want any fame before or after death. I will stand right in front of them, lend them two pairs of guts, and see who dares to curse me."
"As for what will happen hundreds or thousands of years from now," Menma paused and shrugged, "right and wrong will be judged by posterity. I won't be able to hear it anyway."
Menma answered Katsuyu's question according to his own will.
From his words, Katsuyu understood his will.
A saint?
He was never a saint who sacrificed himself for others.
In this world, no one's fire of desire burned more intensely than his.
He was well aware that everything he did was for the sake of his own wishes and thoughts.
A villain?
To some people, he was a villain.
No matter how those people discussed or evaluated him behind his back, he wouldn't care.
But, if someone dared to point at his nose and curse him as a villain in his face…
Heh, they would have found the path to their own demise.
"I'm suddenly a little curious about where you come from."
Katsuyu said in a gentle tone with a hint of a smile, "Even in the thousand years I have lived, I have never seen anyone like you. You are indeed a very special existence."
Unlike the purpose-driven toads, and unlike the brutally tempered white snakes, Katsuyu was not keen on power and fighting.
In Katsuyu's eyes, human life was too short, and so-called ideals were nothing more than castles in the air. In the end, nothing would be left.
Even a "friend" like Tsunade would sooner or later be forgotten by her, leaving only a cold human name.
And she would continue to exist in this world, continuing to meet and get to know different humans.
This was also the reason why Katsuyu was so peaceful towards humans.
It was a path decided upon after seeing through the changes in things.
But, she was not a truly emotionless "sage" after all, so sometimes she couldn't help but feel lonely.
"So… Katsuyu, what is your answer?"
Menma smiled and extended his hand. "Follow me, and you will see more interesting things, and see the ninja world move towards an interesting future."
"Even if I fail and die in the end, my decaying flesh will still leave behind bones. That will be the proof of my existence. When posterity asks about it, you can still tell them my story."
"I promise, it will definitely be a profound and unforgettable story."
"A profound and unforgettable story? That sounds like a good way to pass the time."
Compared to her original calm and gentle voice, Katsuyu's tone now held a bit more cheerfulness. "Well then, please take good care of me, Lord Menma."
With that, Katsuyu lowered her huge body and shook Menma's hand with her soft tentacle.
Love, kinship, friendship, money, power…
Humans were always troubled by all sorts of things.
Katsuyu had seen such things countless times.
But this was the first time Katsuyu had met a "pure" fellow like Uzumaki Menma.
What kind of changes will such a human bring to the ninja world?
Just as Menma said, perhaps he would bring her a unique and precious memory.
When she recalled the meaning of the name "Uzumaki Menma" hundreds or thousands of years later, perhaps she would recall more than just an ordinary human.
So, Katsuyu also wanted to try, like a human, to have hope for something.
"This is a new contract scroll. Please take it, Lord Menma. Sign the contract on this, and as long as your chakra is sufficient, I will respond to your summons at any time."
Katsuyu's body wriggled slightly, and a huge summoning scroll emerged from her body and was handed to Menma.
"Also, I hope Lord Menma will not use the contract seal to forcibly sever a contractor's summoning contract with me again in the future. Such an unexpected situation has never happened before."
"If it weren't for the fact that you successfully persuaded me, I was actually planning to give a small punishment."
This Lord Menma's way of doing things is as domineering as his words.
Menma took the scroll. Hearing Katsuyu's slightly playful voice, he couldn't help but scratch his head in some embarrassment.
"Sorry, I won't randomly alter the contents of the contract scroll again."
With that, Menma wrote his name on the contract scroll and re-signed the contract.
After confirming that the contract had taken effect, Menma looked up at Katsuyu.
"Katsuyu, I'd like to ask, do you have here…"
He was just about to ask for intelligence on the other two great sage regions when…
WHOOSH!!
The sound of something tearing through the air suddenly came, striking directly at his back.
The attacker's speed was very fast, and the power felt even more terrifying. If he were hit unguarded, Menma felt that he too would be injured.
He turned sideways without hesitation, letting the attacker's fist graze past his body by a hair's breadth.
The force of the wind blew Menma's black hair, creating a harsh sonic boom in the air.
Seeing Menma dodge so easily, the attacker also seemed to know that a sneak attack of that level was not enough to hit the opponent.
She immediately stopped, pivoted on her body, and her right leg lashed out with a fierce kick, sweeping towards Menma's body.
The speed and power of her taijutsu, including the timing of her follow-up moves, were very decisive and skilled.
However, for Menma, who was proficient in all ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, the moment the attacker's position was exposed, the attack had already lost its effect.
Menma's expression did not change. He quickly raised his arm, his center of gravity sinking slightly.
BOOM!!
As his arm and her shin collided fiercely, half of the terrifying force was unloaded into the ground beneath his feet, causing cracks to form.
"So it's Monster Strength. I wouldn't be able to take a punch like that from you."
Looking at the angry woman before him, Menma chuckled lightly. "Senju… oh no, I should call you Princess Tsunade. A sneak attack from behind is a bit dishonorable."
"You bastard!"
Tsunade seemed to know that it was impossible to succeed and wanted to retreat to create distance from Menma.
But Menma's arm shot out without hesitation, grabbing her right leg before she could retract it and swinging it forcefully.
Tsunade's body instantly flew through the air. She adjusted her body in mid-air and, after landing, staggered a few steps, barely avoiding a pathetic posture.
A terrifying chakra fluctuation erupted from her body. Tsunade clenched her fists tightly and looked up again at the figure before her.
But the figure in front had, at some point, disappeared from the spot.
"Too slow."
Hearing the voice from behind, Tsunade's body couldn't help but stiffen.
CLANG-CLANG!!
Before she could react, a thin golden chain, like a long snake, tore through the air, whistling as it wrapped around her from behind, spreading out and binding her completely.
"This is… Grandma Mito's Adamantine Sealing Chains?!"
And this guy's way of dissipating force, could it also be "Monster Strength"?!
Tsunade was taken aback, and her expression immediately turned ugly.
She subconsciously struggled, trying to break free from the golden chains bound around her body.
But no matter how hard she struggled, the golden chains remained wrapped around her body without moving, continuously absorbing and suppressing the chakra in Tsunade's body. The more she struggled, the tighter the chains became.
"Don't struggle. You should be well aware of the power of the Adamantine Sealing Chains."
Menma said in an indifferent tone, "Just based on your act of attacking me, if I didn't have to give Katsuyu face, you would already be dead."
"...Tsk."
After a moment of silence, Tsunade said defiantly, "Is this all Ame-no-Minakanushi is capable of? If you have the guts, then let me go and fight me fist to fist… cough!"
Before Tsunade could finish her words, the chains on her body suddenly tightened. Her face couldn't help but contort in pain, and blood even trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Facing Tsunade's defiant attitude, Menma just smiled and said, "I never thought Princess Tsunade would make such an unreasonable excuse for her failure. It's truly laughable."
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Ame-no-Minakanushi, please calm down."
Katsuyu advised in a gentle tone, "If we were outside of Shikkotsu Forest, I would not interfere in your conflict, but please do not fight in Shikkotsu Forest."
This was not a plea for Tsunade or Konoha.
The enmity and conflict between humans were not worth her concern.
If Tsunade had not signed the contract, Katsuyu would naturally stand on Menma's side and assist him in dealing with Tsunade.
But Tsunade was also her contractor. Katsuyu treated every contractor equally and would not decide which side to take based on the length of time.
If Tsunade and Menma insisted on fighting to the death in Shikkotsu Forest, it would be very difficult for her.
Hearing this, Menma shrugged nonchalantly and said with a smile, "I was just acting in self-defense. It was this Princess Tsunade who attacked me as soon as we met."
With that, the golden chains slowly loosened and retracted behind him.
If it were Jiraiya or Orochimaru, Menma might have been a little more vigilant. But a heavily specialized person like Tsunade was not enough to make him worry.
Freed from her bonds, Princess Tsunade gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, but seeing Katsuyu at the side, she finally snorted coldly and created some distance.
"Katsuyu, what's the deal with this guy?"
Katsuyu explained in a gentle tone, "Lady Tsunade, Lord Ame-no-Minakanushi has also signed a summoning contract with me, so I hope you will not make things too difficult for me."
"...Tch, so it's really like that?" Tsunade took a deep breath and looked at Menma with resentment. "Adamantine Sealing Chains, and Monster Strength… who on earth are you?"
"Monster Strength," a special secret technique derived from the Senju-style taijutsu, was an extremely profound chakra application technique. Its characteristic was to concentrate and explode the chakra within the body, then gather it in a certain part of the body to deliver powerful and forceful taijutsu attacks.
Although Monster Strength was recorded in detail in Konoha's library and theoretically all medical-nin could learn it, that was ultimately just theory.
It wasn't that Tsunade hadn't considered letting Konoha's medical-nin learn Monster Strength to increase their survival probability… the results were as one could imagine, all failed.
Monster Strength was an original technique with the user's characteristics imprinted on it. Unless one was personally taught by a member of the Senju clan, it was very difficult to learn just by personal comprehension.
Moreover, the Adamantine Sealing Chains were a bloodline sealing jutsu that only the Uzumaki Clan could awaken. It was almost impossible for it to be stolen or learned by an outsider.
Tsunade stared at Menma with a furious gaze, then looked at the red-haired Karin beside him.
"So, the leader of the Akatsuki, Ame-no-Minakanushi, is actually a ninja from the Uzumaki Clan?"
She questioned with a shocked tone, "There are actually survivors of the Uzumaki Clan still alive in the ninja world? But Konoha and the Uzumaki Clan have had a friendly alliance since ancient times. Why do you still allow the Akatsuki to repeatedly attack Konoha's ninja?"
Before Menma could answer, little Karin, who had been hiding behind him, stepped out upon hearing Tsunade's questioning, her timid expression turning into one of resentment.
"Nonsense! My mother told me that the reason we lived a wandering life worse than that of sewer rats was because Konoha refused to save us!!"
(End of Chapter)
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