novelraw Chapter 513 Parting Gift
Chapter 513 Parting Gift
Chapter 513 Parting Gift
Menma was not surprised by young Sasuke's question.
He had anticipated this question.
After all, just half a month ago, at the Chunin Exams venue, he personally killed two Otsutsuki in front of this future visitor.
If we include Isshiki, who was also killed by him in a parallel universe, this is already the third Otsutsuki he has killed.
Before he transmigrated, where was the Boruto manga updated to?
Mianma tried hard to recall.
It seems the story has been updated to the point where Ada used some kind of "omnipotent" divine magic to switch Kawaki and Boruto's identities.
Boruto became the murderer of Naruto and his wife, and was exiled from the entire ninja world, becoming a pariah. Sasuke was later apparently sealed into the God Tree as well.
Tsk, that's really pathetic.
Menma shook his head inwardly. In his timeline, Naruto and Sasuke were still alive and kicking, even though they were being trained by him every day until they were bruised and battered.
The evening breeze blew from the plains, faintly carrying the hustle and bustle of the distant Star City.
Her short, black hair swayed gently in the wind.
"I don't know much either," Menma said slowly, turning to look at the young Sasuke, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
"But we can't just give away such important information for nothing, can we?"
Mianma put his hands back in his pockets, leaned back slightly, and rested against the tree trunk behind him.
"What price are you willing to pay in exchange?"
The young Sasuke remained silent.
He had anticipated that the other party would make demands.
How could we possibly give away intelligence of this level—intelligence about enemies from beyond the stars—for nothing?
Even though Menma said he "didn't know much," young Sasuke believed that the other party must have some key information.
For example, their weaknesses, their abilities, and the patterns of their arrival.
In their timeline, this intelligence was obtained at the cost of countless ninja lives.
As for how Menma learned all this—
Young Sasuke's gaze swept over Menma's eyes.
Those black pupils looked ordinary, but young Sasuke knew that this boy harbored countless secrets.
The Mangekyou Sharingan, the Rinnegan, and other eye techniques never seen before.
Perhaps a certain eye technique possesses the ability to foresee the future.
Perhaps the other party used some kind of eye technique to glimpse fragments of other parallel universes.
None of this matters.
Intelligence is crucial.
Young Sasuke took a slow breath, the night breeze carrying the scent of grass and earth filling his lungs. He looked at Menma and calmly asked, "What can I offer in return?"
Boruto, holding the little turtle "Sei" in his arms, stared blankly at the negotiation between the two.
The boy's azure eyes darted back and forth between the two, his lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed them again.
Mianma smiled.
He raised his right hand, and a kunai appeared in his hand.
Its shape is very special; the blade is narrower and thinner than a regular kunai, resembling a willow leaf.
The handle of the kunai was engraved with intricate runes, which glowed with a faint blue light in the night, flowing slowly as if they were alive.
He twirled the mahjong tile in his hand once, then tossed it gently.
The kunai flew in an arc towards young Sasuke.
Young Sasuke raised his right hand and caught it steadily.
The kunai felt slightly cool to the touch, and the metal had a very delicate feel, clearly indicating that it was made using a special process.
He looked down, his gaze falling on the runes.
Flying Thunder God Mark.
Moreover, it was specially made, much more complex than the Flying Thunder God mark he had seen with the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who was resurrected during the Fourth Shinobi World War.
The runes were nested in layers, seemingly forming a multi-dimensional, three-dimensional magical structure.
Young Sasuke's Rinnegan clearly showed that some kind of energy was flowing deep within the runes.
It is Menma's chakra.
He raised his head and looked at Mianma.
"Take this kunai with you."
Menma remained leaning against the tree trunk, arms crossed, and said calmly, "If you encounter an enemy you can't defeat, you can try injecting chakra into it. If I sense it, I might be able to come and help."
Young Sasuke understood the deeper meaning behind the words.
They used the Flying Thunder God Technique, a space-time ninjutsu, to pinpoint their location in space and time.
Then they crossed the spacetime barrier and arrived at their timeline.
Was Menma's purpose solely to fight the Otsutsuki?
Young Sasuke didn't believe it.
This boy's thoughts are too deep, so deep that he can't see through them at all.
At the Chunin Exams venue, Menma killed Urashiki and Isshiki Otsutsuki with an arrogant and disdainful attitude, as if he had crushed two insects. His eyes were devoid of any emotion.
Would someone like that travel across time and space to "help"?
There must be another purpose behind it.
Young Sasuke gripped the kunai, his fingers tightening slightly.
He was weighing whether he should refuse.
But they were also worried that after spending these past few days together, the other party might have secretly left the Flying Thunder God mark on them without their knowledge.
Probably.
With Mianma's abilities, it would be too easy for him to tamper with them.
Young Sasuke remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he nodded and put the specially made Flying Thunder God kunai into his ninja tool bag, as if accepting a parting gift.
"make a deal."
He only said two words.
Mianma's smile deepened.
This specially made Flying Thunder God Kunai not only uses a special chakra metal, but also incorporates dragon vein chakra. Its positioning ability far surpasses that of ordinary Flying Thunder God Kunai. It can not only traverse space, but also anchor itself to that spacetime to a certain extent.
As long as young Sasuke injects chakra into their timeline, Menma can sense it and open a passage to that timeline through this "coordinate".
His intention was actually quite simple.
The timeline of young Sasuke is more than twenty years ahead of his own timeline.
Moreover, the trajectory of that timeline was closer to the Boruto storyline he knew before he traveled through time.
The current timeline of Menma has been completely distorted by him.
The Hidden Sand Village was destroyed, the Land of Wind was annexed, the Hidden Leaf Village was half-destroyed, and the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Mist Village were merely clinging to life.
The Fourth Shinobi World War was about to break out, and the entire shinobi world was going in a completely different direction from the original story.
Therefore, Mianma needs a "backup plan".
A "backup plan" that allows us to glimpse the future and understand what powerful enemies might emerge.
Young Sasuke and Boruto represent this alternative path.
If their timeline is truly like the one in the manga, then more Otsutsuki will descend, and even more powerful enemies will appear—
That way, you can know in advance what's on your face.
This allows you to prepare in advance.
Prepare thorough countermeasures before those enemies descend upon your time and space.
That was his calculation.
It's simple, but very effective.
Menma watched as young Sasuke put away his kunai, and a weight lifted from his heart. He straightened up, brushed the fallen leaves off his shoulder, and then looked towards the distant Star City.
The city lights merged into one in the night, like a silver river.
"The Otsutsuki clan's tree-planting activities are usually carried out in pairs." Menma withdrew his gaze and looked at the young Sasuke.
His expression became more serious, and his voice lowered.
"One is a high-ranking Otsutsuki warrior, and the other is a low-ranking Otsutsuki warrior. One is superior and the other is inferior. The superior has absolute dominance, while the inferior is more like a servant, a guard, and also—a sacrifice."
Young Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly.
"Although I don't know why Urashiki Otsutsuki is alone, the pattern for the other groups should remain the same."
Kaguya's superior was Otsutsuki Isshiki. That guy was ambushed by Kaguya a thousand years ago and was critically injured. In your timeline, he should still be lurking somewhere in the ninja world right now.
Menma paused, then continued, "Moreover, because they are the source of chakra on this planet, ordinary sensory ninjutsu are completely ineffective against them. The Byakugan, Sharingan, and even the Rinnegan have a very hard time detecting them. It's as if they've merged into the chakra; unless they actively expose themselves, they simply cannot be found."
Young Sasuke listened quietly.
The images of Momoshiki and Kinshiki from the Otsutsuki clan flashed through his mind.
That arrogant white-haired Otsutsuki who referred to ninjas as "inferior beings" was Momoshiki.
The one who was burly, taciturn, and always guarding Momoshiki was Kinshiki.
A duo.
There is a clear distinction between superiors and inferiors.
The Peach Style represents the superior, while the Gold Style represents the inferior.
During battle, Kinshiki always rushes to the front, using his body to block all attacks for Momoshiki.
Even in the final battle, when Momoshiki was at a disadvantage and needed power, Kinshiki did not hesitate to transform himself into a chakra fruit and be devoured by Momoshiki.
It perfectly matches the description of "mianma".
Young Sasuke's right hand tightened.
"Isshiki's ability is very special."
Menma continued, his gaze fixed on the night sky, as if recalling something: "He possesses the technique 'Shumei Kunguna,' which allows him to shrink any object, including himself, to a microscopic scale. This technique has no cooldown and can be used indefinitely. Moreover, the shrunk object retains its mass but becomes infinitely small, making it virtually impossible for any physical attack to hit it."
"He also has an even more troublesome ability, Daikokuten." It's an alternate dimension where Isshiki can store anything and summon it when needed. In battle, he can suddenly summon a giant cube from this dimension to smash into the enemy, or summon various ninja tools to attack.
"The most crucial thing is—"
Menma turned his head to look at the young Sasuke, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes: "Isshiki's Karma is different from the other Otsutsuki."
"His Karma can be separated and implanted into different people. Moreover, the person implanted with the Karma won't be immediately possessed, but will enter a state of 'container cultivation.' Isshiki's consciousness will slowly revive within the container, and he will only truly revive when the container's body fully adapts to the Otsutsuki's power."
Young Sasuke's breath hitched slightly.
He remembered Kawaki's unusual behavior.
So that's how it is —
The mechanism of the "wedge," the cultivation of the container, and the unique resurrection method —
"Then————"
The young Sasuke spoke slowly, his voice somewhat hoarse: "How do I kill him?"
This is his biggest concern.
He had already witnessed the power of Isshiki Otsutsuki in this timeline firsthand.
Mianma remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he laughed.
"The method to kill the Otsutsuki is actually very simple."
He raised his right hand and gently tapped his temple with his index finger: "Either use absolute power to instantly destroy every single one of their cells, leaving them no chance to regenerate."
"Either find the 'wedge' that stores all their information and souls, and then erase it completely."
"Want one?
Menma paused, then his voice became even softer: "Use a power stronger than the Otsutsuki to cover them, to devour them, just as they devoured the chakra of this planet."
Young Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply.
A power stronger than the Otsutsuki?
What is that?
Ten-tailed?
The sacred tree?
still----
"But that's still too far off for you."
Mianma waved his hand, ending the topic.
He turned to look at Boruto standing to the side, his gaze falling on the little turtle in the boy's arms, and then moving to Boruto's face.
Boruto felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and hugged the "Plow" in his arms tighter.
As for you—
Menma walked up to Boruto, his gaze level with the boy's.
"There's no need to worry too much about the 'wedge' in your body."
Boruto was stunned.
Young Sasuke also turned his head to look at Menma.
"Just treat that guy like a tailed beast."
"Although Momoshiki Otsutsuki is arrogant and cruel, treating humans like insects—he won't watch you die. At least not until you've completely become his 'vessel.'"
Mianma paused, then added, "Because if you die, his 'wedge' will disappear."
"All the time and effort he spent cultivating this vessel was wasted. So when you are in mortal danger, he will protect you and use his power to save you."
"It's like the relationship between a Jinchuriki and a Tailed Beast. The Tailed Beasts don't want their Jinchuriki to die, because if the Jinchuriki dies, they will also be severely injured, and may even be resealed."
Boruto lowered his head and looked at the diamond-shaped "wedge" mark on the palm of his right hand.
He could sense that deep within that mark, some terrifying being seemed to be slumbering.
That monster who once wanted to take away his body, to take away everything from him.
Now that Menma is telling him, that guy will actually protect him?
Young Sasuke understood the meaning of "Menma".
Danger and opportunity coexist.
If Boruto can tame the power Momoshiki implanted within him, and control the power of the "Karma" instead of being bound by it...
The power to erode and control —
Perhaps Boruto can forge a completely new path.
A path stronger than anyone else's.
But if not————
If Boruto loses in his battle against Momoshiki's will—
Then Boruto will be completely possessed!
His body will become the vessel for Momoshiki's resurrection, his consciousness will be erased, and he will completely disappear from this world, replaced by an Otsutsuki from beyond the stars!
Just like the relationship between Naruto and Kurama back then.
But it's more dangerous and more brutal.
Because the Nine-Tails is at least a creature of this planet, and can communicate and understand to at least some extent.
And Otsutsuki Momoshiki—
Young Sasuke recalled the look in the eyes of that white-haired Otsutsuki.
In those golden eyes of reincarnation, there were no human emotions, only pure arrogance, pure contempt, and pure desire to devour.
That was a monster that saw humans as food!
Boruto must coexist with this monster, and tame it.
too difficult.
"Alright, that's all the information." Menma broke the silence.
He turned and headed down the mountain path, but after a few steps he turned back and waved to the two of them: "Have a safe journey. If you encounter any trouble you can't solve, remember to use that kunai."
His figure quickly disappeared into the night.
Only young Sasuke and Boruto remained on the hilltop, gazing at the distant Star Capital, at that brightly lit city.
The night wind rustled the leaves and made the clothes of the two people flutter.
Boruto, holding the "plow" in his arms, looked up at the young Sasuke.
A complex mix of emotions was swirling in the boy's eyes: confusion, unease, and a stubborn refusal to give up.
"Master—" he said softly, his voice drifting in the wind.
The young Sasuke remained silent.
After a long while, he turned to look at the "plow" in Boruto's arms and slowly said, "Let's go, we should go back."
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