Chapter 87: Menma: Kabuto, Stand Before Me
Menma sat on a chair, elbows resting on his thighs, chin propped on his interlocked hands.
He looked down slightly at Yakushi Kabuto before him, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"Are you still struggling with your identity?"
"I don't know... I just..."
Yakushi Kabuto pounded his head somewhat painfully, gasping for breath: "I just... want to understand who I really am?"
Before meeting the Director, he had no prior memories, no identity of his own; he had nothing.
It was the Director who gave him a name, gave him a true self.
During these five years of espionage,
Various identities and personalities constantly interwove and entangled in his mind.
Konoha ninja?
A Root intelligence operative?
Or a Suna, Kumo, Iwa, or Kiri ninja?
He constantly hid himself, single-mindedly obliterating himself; his true self could only cower in a corner.
On the battlefield, he witnessed death countless times.
Once, he thought death was simply a heart stopping on the operating table, or everyone he knew coming to pay respects at a funeral.
Until one time, he came to a cemetery.
Seeing a dilapidated grave covered in spiderwebs and moss,
Yakushi Kabuto realized for the first time that this was true "death".
-- Death is not the true departure; being forgotten is.
"Is that so? Indeed."
Menma activated his Mind's Eye. Combined with his powerful spiritual strength, he keenly sensed Yakushi Kabuto's panic.
"If you were to die just like that, it would be like a drop of water disappearing into water – aside from causing ripples, it would have no meaning at all."
As soon as these words were spoken, Yakushi Kabuto's figure couldn't help but tremble.
"So... that's why I hope someone can notice my existence, hope to be forever remembered by someone..."
It's truly laughable, come to think of it.
A spy... actually wanting to be noticed, wanting to be remembered.
But the moment the Director forgot him,
His heart felt as if a tree had split, cracking completely from top to bottom along the grain.
He felt he had become spoiled orange juice and thick soup, become roses and lilies crawling with insect eggs.
Become a shadow in the bustling crowd – clearly existing, yet unseen by anyone, unneeded by anyone.
"Is there anything worth struggling over?"
Menma shook his head somewhat helplessly: "If you've lost the person who identifies with you, then just find a new one, wouldn't that be fine?"
With that, Menma stood up from the chair.
Click~
Under Yakushi Kabuto's astonished gaze, he directly removed his own mask.
"If you need someone who can remember you forever, then you can try choosing me."
Menma, mask removed, smiled at Yakushi Kabuto.
He then offered the mask to him, speaking softly: "I will give you a new identity, a new name, a new future."
Looking at the hand before him, looking at the mask before him,
Yakushi Kabuto's voice trembled slightly: "Why... choose me?"
"Because I know your talent better than anyone. Killing you would be too much of a pity."
"What do you want me to do?"
"It's not what I want you to do, but what you want to do."
Menma first shook his head to correct him, then said with a smile: "The current ninja world annoys me greatly. Since I cannot identify with the current ninja world, then I will completely overthrow it."
"Upon the overturned order, establish a new order. Upon the dilapidated civilization, establish a new civilization."
Overturn order... dilapidated civilization... new order... new civilization...
Menma's words entered Yakushi Kabuto's ears one by one. His face grew paler and paler.
But his heart felt as if a sealed valley had suddenly burst open, a great wind blowing in endlessly.
"I was once like you, unable to find my future, unable to recognize my identity. But now..."
Menma said in a low voice: "I am Uzumaki Menma who raises the flame, and also Ame-no-Minakanushi who is burned by the fire. Whether I leave a good name for a hundred generations or am infamous for ten thousand years, however the world changes, I remain consistent."
"If you want to know who you are, then stand before me."
"I will write your name into the history books. I will make your existence witnessed by the world."
With that, Menma once again stepped closer to Yakushi Kabuto.
Yakushi Kabuto looked down, gazing at the eyeholes of the mask, a flicker of interest in his eyes.
"Write my name into the history books? Make my existence witnessed by the world?"
Click.
Yakushi Kabuto took the mask, then slowly put it on his face.
"Who... am I?"
Yakushi Kabuto, wearing the mask, his voice now a bit hoarser and deeper.
This mask was a work Menma completed by combining sealing techniques and summoning techniques.
Not only could it obscure most probing ninjutsu from seeing one's face, but it could also summon the Nine Masked Beast: White Tiger through the formula within it.
And Menma had eight more such masks.
"From now on, you are both Yakushi Kabuto of the orphanage, and also Ōkamuzumi of Crimson Moon. And I am Ame-no-Minakanushi of Crimson Moon, your Lord, Mentor, and Elder Brother."
Menma spoke, pulling Kabuto up. The two stood face to face, eyes meeting.
Ōkamuzumi, full name Ōkamuzumi no Mikoto, is a guardian deity that exorcises evil spirits and subdues demons.
"Ō" means "great", "Kamuzu" means "of the gods", "Mi" means "spiritual power/majesty".
Thus, the whole phrase translates to "Great Divine Spirit/Majesty", the origin of the name "Ōkamuzumi".
"Ōkamuzumi... Great Divine Spirit/Majesty?"
Yakushi Kabuto murmured, reaching up to touch his mask.
This was his brand new identity, the symbol of his identity.
And, beneath this mask, he could cry, laugh, rage... without restraint.
Click~
Just as Yakushi Kabuto was lost in thought for a moment,
Menma directly removed the mask from his face, happening to see his expression on the verge of tears.
But after pausing for a moment, Yakushi Kabuto immediately put on a smile.
This smile actually bore some resemblance to Menma's.
But in Menma's eyes,
This kind of smile seemed extremely hypocritical, without a shred of sincerity, like a skilled actor merely playing a part.
"Since you've learned medical ninjutsu, you must have at least a basic understanding of human physiology, right?"
Hearing Menma's seemingly random words, the smiling Yakushi Kabuto nodded.
"The matter that constitutes us is the same, our organs are also mostly similar..."
Menma spoke, his tone suddenly shifting: "But what's different is who we've met before, what kind of future we want to have. You can be very much like me, but we are actually completely different."
"No single individual is perfect. This world is such that each person has their snow, each person has their own obscurity and purity."
As soon as these words were spoken, the smile on Yakushi Kabuto's face instantly froze.
"Kabuto. Ōkamuzumi."
Yakushi Kabuto, unsure what expression to make, looked up.
"Beneath this mask, you can indeed be yourself. But if a mask is worn for too long, it will grow onto your face. If you try to remove it then, it will inevitably cause great pain."
Menma shook his head, his tone deep: "No matter which mask you wear, no matter which name you use, always remember: you are you."
......
Kurama clan's Satomi Hill Villa, located on a small hill on the outskirts of Konoha, unobstructed on all sides.
From here, one could even see Hokage Rock and the entirety of Konoha.
Once, this was just the Kurama clan grounds.
But as the fresh blood within the clan dwindled, the Kurama clan could no longer be called a ninja clan.
The family's economic strength was also unable to cover the full maintenance costs of Satomi Hill Villa.
So, only half was kept as the clan grounds for members to live, while the other half was opened up for use as a resort villa.
And the Kurama clan's business talent was also exceptional.
The villa's design had a unique style, looking completely out of tune with Konoha's "simple" aesthetic.
Yet within Satomi Hill Villa, there was a house covered in sealing formulas.
Click~
Kurama Unkai carefully pushed open the door, peeking inside.
"Yakumo, how are you..."
But before he could finish,
Crackle!!
"Eh? Uncle Unkai..."
Kurama Yakumo belatedly shifted her gaze from her drawing board to the room's entrance.
She saw Kurama Unkai's originally pale hair had become curled and scorched black.
His body twitched slightly, the blue electric arcs surrounding him gradually dissipating.
"Pfft... Yakumo, dear."
Kurama Unkai slowly exhaled a puff of black smoke, his tone somewhat helpless: "Next time, could you try painting in a different direction? This is the third time already."
"Hehe~ Definitely next time."
Seeing Yakumo stick out her tongue, trying to get away with it by acting cute, Kurama Unkai shook his head with a chuckle.
But he didn't say much more.
Yakumo, after all, still couldn't skillfully master her Kekkei Genkai, and her development of it was also very slow.
Outside the spiritual world, she could at most barely achieve the first stage Lord Master (Menma) spoke of: [Five Senses Manipulation].
As for the second stage [Genjutsu True Birth], capable of directly using elemental ninjutsu, it was even more hit-or-miss; whether she could use it was purely up to luck.
The lightning attribute ninjutsu Kurama Unkai was just hit by was from the second stage.
The advantage was no hand seals were needed, but the disadvantages were slow speed, weak power, not even comparable to directly using a C-rank ninjutsu.
"Sigh."
Kurama Unkai closed the door, sighing: "Don't know when you'll reach the level Lord Master spoke of."
Connecting with heaven and earth through the Kekkei Genkai, using Yin Release power and chakra to pry open heaven and earth, mobilizing the might of heaven and earth for one's own use.
Just thinking about it felt outrageous, incredibly powerful.
And the third stage [Create Form from Nothingness] that Sir mentioned – besides Ido, Yakumo couldn't even grasp a shadow of it.
"Jyejyejye! Let me out, and you can do it!"
Hearing Ido's hoarse voice in her mind, Yakumo retorted expressionlessly: "What can you do? Create form from nothingness?"
"Ah, this..."
Ido's evil laughter instantly got stuck.
That detestable fellow calling himself Ame-no-Minakanushi always said such incomprehensible things.
Things like "Being and non-being produce each other", "What is had is regarded as beneficial, what is not had is regarded as useful", and also "All things under heaven are born of being, being is born of non-being"...
Bullying it, Ido, for being uncultured, right?
Inside the mental space, Ido, trapped in its cage, rolled its eyeballs.
"Yakumo, if you don't let me out to try, how will you know if I can..."
Just as Ido was about to tempt Yakumo,
Click!
The door was suddenly opened.
Menma walked in, dragging the half-dead Uchiha Shin in one hand, carrying the serene-faced Yakushi Nonō in the other.
"Lord Master."
"Teacher."
Kurama Unkai and Yakumo snapped back to reality, immediately kneeling on one knee respectfully.
Menma nodded calmly.
Then, with a thump, he dropped Uchiha Shin onto the floor.
"Treat this guy's injuries, then lock him in the secret room. Be careful not to look at his eyes."
After casually giving instructions, Menma turned and placed Yakushi Nonō on a nearby sofa.
Yakumo carefully poked Shin with her paintbrush. Seeing him groan, she quickly recoiled.
"Teacher, who is this guy? Does he actually require you to personally bring him back?" Kurama Yakumo asked, puzzled.
Looks not only ugly, but also very weak.
Though his eyes feel a bit different.
"Yakumo! You..."
Kurama Unkai beside her, seeing her being so offensive, quickly tried to stop her.
"Never mind."
Menma shook his head, chuckling: "Just a freebie. A bit difficult for him to join Crimson Moon. More like experimental material."
Saying this, he then pointed to Nonō nearby.
"Keep a good watch on that woman. She is the talent I value."
"Yes, Lord Master."
Kurama Unkai glanced at Nonō, nodding with understanding.
Seeing him looking like he was judging a gentleman by his own petty standards, Menma frowned, his tone hardening: "Although it's a brat and a woman, don't you underestimate these two."
"That brat, though weak, has one two-tomoe and one three-tomoe Sharingan. That woman can play you all to death with just her mouth and face."
Hearing this, Kurama Unkai instantly dispelled the improper thoughts in his mind.
He lowered his head with a panicked expression, saying fearfully: "Lord Master, please forgive my transgression."
Awakening two-tomoe and three-tomoe Sharingan at such an age – definitely an outstanding genius even in the Uchiha clan.
Lord Master actually just... brought him here?
And by the looks of it, without even alerting the Uchiha...
"Coming and going freely in Konoha, treating the Uchiha clan like his own back garden. Lord Master's strength is truly unfathomable."
Thinking this, Kurama Unkai's reverence for Menma deepened.
Menma keenly sensed Kurama Unkai's emotional shift, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Is overthinking a human instinct?"
Shaking off the useless thoughts, Menma spoke again: "Unkai, do you have any thoughts on Konoha's current situation?"
Thoughts?
Kurama Unkai paused, then, snapping back, frowned in thought.
"Konoha's current situation?"
Pondering for a moment, Kurama Unkai suddenly recalled his conversation yesterday with the Red Province merchant ninja.
-- The Uchiha clan was purchasing explosive tags, kunai, shuriken, and other ninja tools through various channels.
Thinking this, Kurama Unkai abruptly raised his head, a look of astonishment on his face.
"Lord Master, the Uchiha clan... could they be..."
Menma nodded, explaining: "Their ending has long been written into the script by several factions."
"The end of the Uchiha is coming. It will be an extremely bloody purge and massacre."
(End of Chapter)
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