Menma's shocking statement about 'unifying the Ninja World' sent tidal waves crashing within Tsunade's heart.
She stood rooted to the spot, her chest heaving, her mind in utter chaos.
That simple yet immensely heavy concept, 'one country', repeatedly assaulted the perceptions she had held for decades.
"No... that's wrong!" Tsunade shook her head violently, her golden hair whipping with the motion, as if trying to physically dislodge the disruptive thoughts.
She struggled to organize her words, to refute Menma. "Using war to destroy other countries, to force unification, that will only bring more pain! Countless families will be shattered, children will lose parents, Ninja will die in vain... That isn't peace! That's hegemony built on a foundation of bones!"
She grew more agitated as she spoke, as if finding a foothold for her beliefs, her voice rising. "My grandfather, Senju Hashirama, he ended the Warring States Period not through destruction and conquest! He won over his strongest rival, Uchiha Madara, with his own magnanimity and power! It was the Senju and Uchiha Clans putting aside a millennium of bloody feud to jointly found Konoha Village! Other clans saw this hope and joined! This is a peace... a peace based on understanding and reconciliation!"
Speaking of how her grandfather won over Madara, Tsunade's eyes regained their firmness. This seemed to be her most powerful argument against Menma.
She took a step forward, her gaze burning as she stared at Menma:
"Do you know? During all those years the Senju and Uchiha were mortal enemies, how many of my grandfather's brothers died at the hands of the Uchiha? And Uchiha Madara, how many of his brothers and clansmen died by the Senju's hands? Just their adult brothers alone were nearly wiped out! That kind of deeply ingrained hatred is far heavier than you imagine!"
"But they ultimately let it go! They chose to build Konoha together, to give future generations a future where children didn't have to go to the battlefield in their youth! Isn't this kind of peace, letting go of hatred and joining hands to create something, more precious, more enduring, than you simply relying on military force to launch a war and crush everything by brute strength?!"
Her words carried a pride and conviction in her grandfather's great achievement.
However, faced with her impassioned speech, Menma wasn't moved. Instead, he chuckled softly.
"Let go of hatred?" Menma shook his head. "Tsunade, have you ever considered why Uchiha Madara was ultimately 'willing' to let go of the hatred with Senju Hashirama?"
"That's because..." Tsunade instinctively wanted to answer, but Menma cut her off.
"Because Madara couldn't win." Menma's tone was flat, as if stating the simplest fact.
Tsunade was stunned. This blunt, almost cruel answer left her momentarily speechless.
Menma didn't give her time to think, continuing in his all-knowing tone. "From what I know, after Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara each became their respective clans' leaders, the two clans still fought a long, protracted, and extremely brutal war. Of Senju Hashirama's four brothers, only his second brother, Senju Tobirama, survived to see the village founded."
"His third brother, Senju Kawarama, only seven years old, died during a mission, surrounded by a joint force of Uchiha and Hagoromo Clans' members. His fourth brother, Senju Itama, also died young, surrounded and killed by Uchiha Ninjas."
Tsunade stared at Menma in shock, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.
These detailed accounts of her grandfather's brothers… some of them she herself had only vaguely heard of, not knowing the specifics!
So how could this youth, who looked only fifteen or sixteen, know the secrets of the Senju Clan from decades ago so deeply?!
Menma ignored her shock, his tone still calm as he continued. "And on Uchiha Madara's side, the situation was similar. Most of his blood brothers died at the hands of Senju Clan's Ninjas. Even his most beloved, his last remaining kin, Uchiha Izuna, was fatally wounded right before his eyes by Senju Tobirama using the Flying Thunder God Slash. Tsunade, do you truly believe Uchiha Madara didn't want revenge? Didn't want to kill Senju Tobirama with his own hands to avenge Izuna?"
He leaned forward slightly. "No, it wasn't that he didn't want to. He lacked the capability. He couldn't defeat Senju Hashirama, and had no certainty of killing Senju Tobirama, who was protected by Senju Hashirama. Uchiha Madara was never convinced by Senju Hashirama's ideals or his words. He was... beaten into submission... by Senju Hashirama's absolute, overwhelming power."
"Beaten into submission..." Tsunade subconsciously repeated the phrase.
This interpretation was too starkly realistic. She tried to find words to refute it, but found her thoughts in disarray.
Just then, Menma suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping towards the outskirts of the Sand City's ruins.
He had sensed several familiar Chakra Signatures approaching rapidly.
"Let's end the debate here, Tsunade." Menma stood up, brushing non-existent dust from his robe.
He looked down at the dazed Tsunade, his voice regaining its previous aloofness and authority.
"My power is sufficient to sweep across the entire current Ninja World. The path I'm taking now is merely another path that Senju Hashirama did not take back then." His words carried an oppressive sense of looking down upon the world.
"I will use absolute power to make the so-called Five Great Nations and Five Great Ninja Villages a thing of the past. This is my [Ninja Way], my [Path of Hegemony]!"
He paused, looking at Tsunade, his tone carrying a hint of almost pitying advice. "Rather than wasting your breath here trying to persuade me, you should think carefully, then go back and persuade Konoha. Make Konoha recognize reality and choose to submit, just like Uchiha Madara did back then. Perhaps that can still secure a relatively dignified future for Konoha, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed and sacrifice."
"Impossible!" Tsunade rejected it almost immediately, her face wearing the pride of one of Konoha's Sannin. "Konoha will never surrender without a fight! Peace gained through surrender is the greatest insult to all the past Hokage and every Ninja who has sacrificed!"
She stared fixedly at Menma, asking the biggest question in her heart: "And you... how do you know the events of decades ago so clearly? Who exactly are you?"
Menma tilted his head slightly, a mysterious smile curling his lips. "The Ninja World holds no secrets from me."
He looked at Tsunade, his tone seeming to soften a fraction. "It's only because you carry a trace of Uzumaki bloodline within you that I have any interest in discussing these ideals and paths with you. If it were Jiraiya, that guy who's been led around by the nose by the so-called prophecies of the old toads of Mount Myoboku, I wouldn't have the leisure to engage in any 'verbal persuasion' with him."
"You know Jiraiya?" Tsunade was surprised again.
"Yes, we've met once before." Menma seemed to recall something amusing, his tone slightly teasing. "He was selling instant ramen made in Konoha, passing it off as handmade. His skills were hardly commendable, the preparation was quite poor."
Thinking of Jiraiya's sloppy appearance and the likely awkward situation, the tension on Tsunade's face relaxed slightly. She even subconsciously let out a very soft snort of laughter.
But the smile vanished in an instant, and she immediately stiffened her expression again.
Just then, several sounds of cutting wind echoed!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several figures appeared like ghosts on the surrounding broken walls and pillars.
They wore the uniform grey-blue flak jackets of Star Ninja, their faces covered with various animal masks. They exuded an aura of competence and cold efficiency, clearly well-trained elite Ninja.
Tsunade and Shizune immediately went on alert, standing back-to-back, their sharp gazes scanning the uninvited guests.
The leader, an exceptionally burly Ninja wearing a shark mask, moved. In an instant, he was on one knee before Menma.
He reached up and removed his mask, revealing a face with sharp teeth and a slightly pale, blue-tinged complexion.
"Anbu First Division, reporting for support!" Kisame's voice was low and powerful, like grinding stones. "Shura-sama!"
Shizune, seeing Kisame's true face, couldn't help but gasp, subconsciously tightening her hold on Tonton.
Tonton also let out an uneasy sound.
Kisame's fearsome reputation was widespread in the Ninja World.
After all, this was an S-Rank Missing-Nin who had dared to assassinate a Mizukage and the Daimyo of the Land of Water!
Menma gave a slight nod.
Even before the battle with Rasa and the others, the Land of Stars' headquarters had contacted him via the Chakra Network established by the [Engraved Tsukuyomi], informing him of Sunagakure's movements.
Menma had also issued orders for Kisame himself to lead the First Division, three Anbu Teams totaling twelve elite ANBU members, plus Kisame himself, making thirteen elite Ninja, to provide support.
"Rise," Menma said calmly. "Mission change. You will immediately lead the Anbu to set up a defensive perimeter on the outskirts of the Sea of Death, establishing a cordon. Without my order, no one is to set foot in this desert."
"As you command, Shura-sama!" Kisame acknowledged firmly. He then turned, his gaze sweeping over the waiting Anbu, and quickly issued orders. "All teams, disperse according to the predetermined defensive formation! Monitor all directions closely! Rookie, you stay here, ready for orders at any time!"
"Yes, sir!" One Anbu's member, wearing a bird-like mask and appearing relatively young, stepped forward and remained in place.
The other Anbu's members swiftly and silently vanished into various directions of the ruins to carry out their guard duties.
Once the others had dispersed, Kisame turned back to Menma to report important military intelligence.
His voice lowered slightly. "Shura-sama, based on recent intelligence summaries. A group of unidentified, mysterious Ninja have attacked border outposts within the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, respectively. They deliberately left fabricated evidence at the scenes pointing to our Land of Stars, attempting to frame us."
Kisame paused, then continued. "Especially in the Land of Earth's direction, Iwagakure's reaction has been intense. They have already dispatched elite teams and attacked two of our border outposts, causing casualties. Simultaneously, Iwagakure has issued a formal diplomatic protest to us, claiming this is an 'armed retaliation' for the previous attacks on their border outposts, and demanding we immediately provide an explanation for the attacks and severely punish the perpetrators."
Kisame's shark-like eyes were exceptionally sharp. "Currently, the Anbu's Intelligence Division, Uzumaki Kanon-sama's Political Intelligence Section, and Oyashiro En-sama's Commercial Intelligence Network have been fully activated, coordinating to investigate this matter. Preliminary analysis can basically rule out the possibility of Sunagakure or Kirigakure staging this themselves."
Menma listened quietly, finding it somewhat interesting.
In the distance, the Ten-Tails' massive body had shrunk to nearly half its previous size. The Dark Nine-Tails' speed of devouring chakra seemed to be accelerating.
He could even clearly feel a vast amount of Chakra, far exceeding anything before, feeding back into his body through his connection with Kokyu.
Even with his Uzumaki Clan's naturally robust and powerful physique, he was beginning to feel a sense of pressure, a faint, swelling pain in his body.
'Kyu-chan's Chakra is becoming increasingly immense... It seems the plan to transplant Hashirama's cells for the Sage Body must be moved up the schedule.' Menma thought to himself.
'But before that, I must first stabilize the situation around the Land of Stars.'
He looked at Kisame, his eyes turning cold. "It seems someone doesn't want to see the Land of Stars develop peacefully. They want to stir the pot behind the scenes and disrupt the situation."
"Kanon-sama noted in the preliminary analysis report," Kisame said, his gaze flickering almost imperceptibly towards Tsunade and Shizune nearby, the implication clear.
"She believes that Konoha being the culprit... is the greatest possibility."
Menma followed his gaze to look at Tsunade, whose expression was grim.
If the Land of Stars became simultaneously embroiled in war with the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind, who would be the biggest beneficiary?
Undoubtedly, it would be Konoha of the Land of Fire, watching from across the shore, and Kumogakure far away in the Land of Lightning.
And given the behavioral style of the muscle-headed brutes in Kumogakure, the possibility of them orchestrating such a precise framing plot wasn't zero, but it wasn't high either.
That left Konoha as the prime suspect.
Unlike others who needed to gather intelligence for comprehensive analysis, Menma, familiar with the plot and the Ninja World's structure, could analyze it almost from a god's perspective and reach a conclusion.
Menma's gaze turned once more to the distant Tailed Beast 'feast', which was nearing its end. The Ten-Tails' wails had become weak and listless.
After the battle in the Sea of Death, the Sunagakure's forces had suffered nearly twenty elite Ninja casualties, and the One-Tail's Jinchuriki, Gaara, had been taken by him.
A full-scale war with Sunagakure was, for all intents and purposes, unavoidable.
"Relay the order back to headquarters." Menma's voice carried authority as he began issuing commands. "Have Hikari issue a formal war mobilization order in my name! Assemble the main force of the Star Ninja Army! Strengthen vigilance and construct defensive works on the borders with the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind! Be prepared to respond to potential large-scale attacks from both nations at any time!"
"Simultaneously, order Kanon, in her capacity as the highest-ranking administrative official of the Land of Stars, to issue the strongest possible diplomatic protest to Iwagakure! Firmly deny all accusations regarding our involvement in the attacks on their border outposts! Point out that this is a despicable act of framing! And clearly inform them that if Iwagakure continues to use this as a pretext for baseless provocation and armed attacks against our Land of Stars..."
A cold light flashed in Menma's eyes. "...then the Land of Stars will consider this a formal declaration of war by Iwagakure! We will muster the full strength of our nation to deliver the most resolute and thorough counterattack!"
"Yes, Shura-sama!" A hint of bloodthirsty excitement flashed in Kisame's eyes as he bowed to receive the order.