Karin was momentarily startled by Big Sis Hinata's sudden imposing manner, then let out a dissatisfied soft snort, habitually pushed up her glasses, and retorted: "Hmph, as if anyone's eager for that."
"Just take care of yourself, Princess~"
She emphasized the word 'Princess', carrying obvious provocation.
The two girls' gazes met in mid-air, instantly sparking invisible sparks, crackling.
Menma watched this scene, shook his head with a mix of helplessness and amusement.
He knew that Big Sis Hinata always had a tendency to be competitive in certain aspects, especially regarding matters related to him.
But at this moment, this rivalry actually reassured him more... they would keep an eye on each other and also protect Naruto more diligently.
He said no more. His gaze passed over Gaara and landed on Sasuke on the other side.
At this moment, Sasuke, protected by Sai and Shigaraki, had his hands tightly clenched, his crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan fixed intently on this direction, his eyes filled with confusion, vigilance, and a restless agitation.
Shikamaru and Ino, guarding the unconscious Choji not far from Sasuke's group, had furrowed brows and expressions of 'this is a huge problem', while rapidly analyzing the strange situation before them.
Further away, Samui, Omoi, Karui, and Atsui of Kumogakure, and Ao, Suigetsu, Chojuro, and Honoka of Kirigakure, were all on full alert, weapons held in front of them, Chakra surging, as if facing a great enemy.
Watching the familiar interactions between Menma, Gaara, Karin, and the others, observing Hinata's peculiar change in demeanor, and combining this with Gaara's undisguised identity as a Jinchuriki and the Land of Stars' stance, a terrible conjecture had already formed in their minds.
'This boy named Menma was absolutely inseparable from the Land of Stars and this attack!'
'He might even be a key figure!'
'Urashiki and Jigen's presences have already appeared on the outskirts of the arena... faster than expected...' Menma's Mind's Eye of the Kagura clearly captured these two strange Chakra energy reactions.
'Good, saves me the trouble of looking for them.'
If Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan was an eruption of the old era's contradictions…
Then the arrival of the Otsutsuki was a threat from beyond this world, and also a perfect opportunity.
An opportunity to demonstrate to the entire Ninja World the existence of 'enemies from beyond the sky', the powerlessness of the old order to respond, and thereby to raise the most legitimate and unassailable banner for the Land of Stars' great cause of unifying the Ninja World!
With this in mind, Menma had already made his decision.
"Menma-nii?" Naruto watched the changing expression on Menma's face, then looked at the tense standoff around him, and the explosions and loud noises coming from outside. His unease grew stronger.
He couldn't help but step forward, his blue eyes full of confusion and worry: "You... where are you going? It's so dangerous out there! Shouldn't we go help Kakashi-sensei and the others together?"
Hearing this, Menma withdrew his gaze and looked back at Naruto.
Looking at this face that always showed a sunny, radiant smile, sometimes even too goofy, looking into those clear eyes, now filled with unreserved trust in him, a complex emotion stirred in Menma's heart.
There was warmth, there was apology, and there was hidden worry about the impact the soon-to-be-revealed truth might bring.
He reached out, just as he had countless times in childhood, and gently pressed it on Naruto's brilliant blonde hair, tousling it.
"Naruto."
Menma's voice was very soft, yet seemed to reach directly into the depths of one's heart.
A gentle smile appeared on his face, as if all burdens had been lifted.
That smile was so dazzling that Big Sis Hinata and Karin were both momentarily stunned.
"After today..." Menma looked into Naruto's eyes and said, word by word: "You will learn the truth about many, many things."
"About Konoha, about your parents, about your background..."
"All the answers you've ever wondered about, searched for, and longed to know will be placed before you."
"My... parents? Background?" Naruto's eyes suddenly widened, his blue pupils contracting violently!
Parents...
This was the deepest, most lonely pain in his heart, on countless solitary nights, countless times when people pointed at him and called him a 'Demon Fox'. It was also the mystery he had yearned to unravel for over a decade.
'Menma-nii had known all along?!'
Shock, ecstasy, confusion...
All kinds of emotions surged towards Naruto like a tide.
He opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out. He could only grip Menma's arm tightly.
Menma let him hold on, his gaze gentle, and continued: "At that time, you will also need to make your own choice. Whether to choose to come with me or stay in Konoha... will be for you to decide."
Menma hoped Naruto could make his own choice, not only because 'an egg broken from the outside is food, but broken from the inside is new life', but also because Menma wanted to see just how much influence the so-called [Asura's Chakra Reincarnation] had on Naruto.
And Menma had also prepared countermeasures.
"But, for now..." He gently patted Naruto's hand, which was gripping his arm tightly, his tone soothing yet extremely serious.
"Please stay here. The enemies about to arrive outside are not something you, nor Kakashi-sensei and the others, can handle."
"Stay here, trust your comrades. Protect yourself, and... watch carefully everything that is about to happen."
Having said that, without waiting for Naruto, whose mind was almost blank, to digest this information, and ignoring the sudden glances full of shock and suspicion from Sasuke and Shikamaru, Menma turned around and faced the Ninjas from Kumogakure and Kirigakure on the other side of the barrier.
His gaze swept over Samui's cold face, Ao's transplanted Byakugan, Suigetsu's mouth full of sharp teeth, and every face that was on high alert yet full of confusion.
Then, Menma raised his voice, his voice penetrating the faint noise of the arena, clearly reaching everyone's ears:
"To everyone from Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Konoha—"
"The chaos outside, the invasion of the Otogakure's Ninja, are just an appetizer. The real enemies of the Ninja World, those invaders from beyond the sky, will arrive soon. Their power is beyond your imagination, and their target is by no means just Konoha Village."
He paused.
"If you don't want to die meaninglessly here, becoming insignificant dust in this battle, then stay in this area. This is a friendly piece of advice."
Samui frowned deeply, tightening her grip on her short sword.
Ao's Byakugan bulged with veins, trying to see through Menma's true strength, but he only felt that the Chakra inside the other party was an unfathomably vast ocean!
A few drops of cold sweat appeared on Suigetsu's forehead. He curled his lips, wanting to say something, but was gently tugged by Chojuro beside him.
Menma ignored their reactions and continued solemnly: "After today, take everything you have witnessed here—"
"Exactly as it happened, back to your villages, tell your Kage, tell your Daimyo."
His gaze swept over the crowd once more, as if addressing the entire Ninja World:
"Let them make their choice!"
"Whether to continue indulging in the disputes and suspicions of the old era, fighting each other in the face of the impending disaster that will sweep across the entire Ninja World, eventually dissipating like dust in this greatest upheaval in a thousand years."
"Or to set aside their arrogance, recognize reality, and make a different choice for survival, for the future of all humanity."
With these words, Menma no longer lingered, nor did he explain further.
He turned and walked, heading straight towards the open arena outside the barrier.
"Menma-nii! Wait! Explain clearly! Who are my parents really..." Naruto finally snapped out of the tremendous shock, shouted hoarsely, and suddenly tried to rush forward, but Big Sis Hinata grabbed his wrist firmly.
"Idiot! Didn't you hear what Menma said?! Stay here!" Big Sis Hinata's hand was like a vice, firmly restraining Naruto. Although her eyes also held concern for Menma, they showed even more trust in him.
"Hey! You! What the hell are you talking about?!" Sasuke couldn't help but shout sharply.
Shikamaru's expression was terrifyingly grave. He muttered to himself, his voice only barely audible to Ino beside him: "Enemies from beyond the sky? A real disaster? Choices?"
"Menma... just what are you talking about..."
Under the focused gazes of everyone, whether shocked, angry, doubtful, or contemplative, the golden barrier seemed to possess spirit. As Menma approached, it automatically opened a gap, leaving the crowd with only his back.
After stepping out of the barrier, Menma raised his right foot and took a step forward.
And beneath his foot, there was originally nothing.
Yet, as if something had appeared out of nowhere beneath his foot, it steadily supported him.
Menma's pace did not pause in the slightest. His left foot followed, stepping onto a higher, invisible step.
One step, two steps, three steps...
Under the incredulous gazes of everyone, Menma, as if strolling on invisible stairs, unhurriedly, step by step, strode upwards towards the sky above the arena, faintly tinged red by gunpowder smoke and firelight!
The breeze stirred his short black hair and the hem of his clothes. His back, from the increasingly higher vantage point, appeared ever more straight and also ever more lonely and transcendent.
"Menma-nii—!!!" Naruto screamed with all his might, a tear appearing at the corner of his eye without him knowing.
That Menma-nii, always reliable, always gentle, who cared for him like an elder brother, had at this moment become so mysterious, throwing his heart into chaos, and faintly stirring a panic he had never felt before, as if he were about to lose something important.
Sasuke's Sharingan seemed about to bulge out of its sockets, the three tomoes trembling!
'Walking on air?!'
'How much strength had that guy Menma... hidden?!'
Shikamaru looked up at the figure walking higher and higher, seeming to merge into the sky. For the first time, he felt how powerless his intelligence and analytical ability were in the face of absolute power.
He smiled bitterly, as if relieved, and shook his head: "Damn. This guy wouldn't be the real mastermind, would he?"
Samui, Ao, Suigetsu, and the other Kumogakure and Kirigakure's Ninja were collectively struck mute, their faces full of horror.
In the entire Ninja World, Ninja who can fly are without exception a handful of powerful individuals, and many village's Kage cannot even do this!
'This Konoha's Genin actually possessed such terrifying strength?'
'And what were these so-called 'enemies from beyond the sky'?'
Under the gaze of countless shocked, horrified, bewildered, and fearful eyes, Menma's figure grew higher and higher, gradually turning into a small black dot, walking towards the sky above the arena.
...
At the very top of the arena, inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, it was filled with a sea of trees.
Purple flames burned silently on the barrier walls, twisting and blurring the scene within. But the constantly erupting Chakra light, the deafening roars, and the horrifying sounds of Wood Release growing, water currents surging, and fire explosions all testified to the intensity of the battle.
Hashirama and Tobirama, bound by the Edo Tensei and controlled by Orochimaru, had transformed into tireless, perfect killing machines.
Although they occasionally still shouted warnings, and complex emotions flickered in their gray eyes, every ounce of their strength and every wisp of their Chakra was ruthlessly extracted, transformed into seamlessly coordinated attacks, crashing wave after wave towards the already tottering figure.
Initially, Orochimaru seemed to still have some interest in testing the precision of his control over the Edo Tensei technique, as well as the malicious pleasure of watching his teacher's miserable state.
Although the attacks were fierce, they were not fully exerted, allowing Hiruzen, relying on his rich experience and familiarity with his two teachers' fighting styles, and with the help of the Adamantine Staff, to barely hold his own.
But soon, as Orochimaru's adaptability to his 'youthful vessel' grew, and his control over the two Edo Tensei-ed Hokages became more and more adept, the last trace of 'leeway' disappeared.
The attacks became like a furious storm, relentless, precise, and deadly.
Tobirama's figure pulled countless afterimages within the confined space of the barrier.
His Water Release was no longer just large-scale attacks with vast momentum, but had transformed into the sharpest killing tools.
A Water Severing Wave compressed to the extreme, only as thick as a thumb, yet containing terrifying penetrating power, approached silently. If not for the timely warning and block from Enma within the Adamantine Staff, Hiruzen would have been pierced through long ago.
Another technique, Water Formation Wall, was no longer used for defense but transformed into high-speed rotating, sharp water blade tornadoes, strangling from all directions, forcing Hiruzen to constantly expend Chakra to deploy Earth-Style Wall for defense, in a sorry state.
Hashirama's attacks carried a desperate sense of overwhelming force.
Each of his Taijutsu strikes was as heavy as a thousand kilos, the glazed tiles beneath his feet and the later-grown Wood Release giant trees as fragile as tofu before him.
Even more terrifying were his frantically growing Wood Release Ninjutsu, thrusting, entangling, and striking from all angles… even more deadly than any kunai or shuriken.
Under Hashirama's manipulation, they sometimes turned into tough vines to bind Hiruzen's movements, sometimes into sharp wooden spikes for sudden attacks, and sometimes suddenly expanded into giant wooden fists or palms for smashing.
Hiruzen, wielding the Adamantine Staff, sent the attacking branches flying, breaking and sweeping them aside. But for every branch broken, ten or a hundred more emerged elsewhere, endless and inexhaustible, as if the entire forest were his enemy.
"Saru, watch your back!"
"Left side!"
"Get out of the way!"
The two teachers' warnings still sounded, but often simultaneously with the attacks, or even slightly lagging.
Hiruzen could only rely on the combat instincts honed on the brink of life and death over decades, and the aid of the Adamantine Staff, to react in the nick of time.
Sweat mixed with blood, soaking his damaged combat uniform. His graying hair stuck to his forehead. His breathing was as heavy as a bellows.
The wounds on his body grew more numerous and deeper.
His left shoulder was grazed by a wooden spike, tearing away skin and flesh... his right leg was slashed by a water blade, leaving a wound visible to the bone... his back took a powerful elbow strike from Hashirama, producing a clear sound of rib cracking. His internal organs were shaken, and a mouthful of reversed blood rose to his throat, which he forcibly swallowed.
The Adamantine Staff transmitted Enma's anxious voice: "Hiruzen... this can't go on! Their Chakra is nearly infinite, and they have immortal bodies... You must find a way to attack the caster!"
Did Hiruzen not know this?
But whenever his gaze tried to lock onto the distant figure of the 'youthful Orochimaru', well-prepared, standing amid the trees with a smile, appreciating it all, he was forced back by the extremely sharp attacks of Hashirama or Tobirama, without any opportunity.
Moreover, even if he could get close, facing Orochimaru, who mastered many forbidden techniques, could he actually defeat him?
"I know... Enma..." Hiruzen's voice was panting.
"But for now... we have to hold on... wait..."
Wait for what?
Wait for reinforcements?
Wait for a miracle?
He himself did not know.
He just instinctively, using his last remaining strength, swung the Adamantine Staff in his hand, deflecting the relentless attacks from his two most beloved teachers.
Each block, each dodge, drained his remaining physical strength and Chakra.
He could feel that his aged body was rapidly approaching its limit.
Outside the barrier, Yamato, wearing a mask, and several elite Anbu, were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
The Four Violet Flames Formation was stronger than imagined. They had tried several methods, whether bombarding the barrier's weak points with Ninjutsu or trying to interfere with the four Otogakure's Ninja maintaining the barrier… all with little effect.
"Haven't the main Anbu forces and the village's reinforcements arrived yet?!" Yamato finally couldn't help it, turning his head and growling anxiously at an Anbu responsible for communications beside him.
That Anbu had a micro communication device hanging from his ear and was now sweating profusely. Hearing Yamato's interrogation, his expression worsened, and he reported rapidly:
"Re-Report! Most of the Anbu squads in the arena have been attacked by Otogakure's Ninja and Land of Stars' Ninja. They are evacuating civilians and fighting each on their own. They can't assemble!"
"Several of the brothers sent out to ask for reinforcements... their signals have disappeared!"
"The Anbu's base has also been confirmed to be attacked by an elite Land of Stars squad. Internal communications were once interrupted!"
"Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Asuma-sama... are tangled up by the Land of Stars' Ninja Swordsmen and several powerful Jonin. They can't break away!"
"Nara Shikaku is leading a newly assembled force of Ninja, desperately resisting the invading main force of Otogakure's Ninja and that giant summoned snake. The battle is fierce. They temporarily cannot spare forces to support here either!"
"Th-Then what about the private forces of the other clans?"
"The village's standing defense forces? Root..." Yamato subconsciously wanted to ask about Root, but the words caught in his throat.
He already had an ominous premonition in his heart.
A considerable amount of time had passed since the attack began. If the village's internal defense mechanisms were functioning normally, reinforcements should have arrived long ago.
Unless... the village's forces were being deliberately delayed or restricted by certain individuals.