LRAB Chapter 431 Gaara Karin: Yes, Lord Menma!
Chapter 431 Gaara Karin: Yes, Lord Menma!
Om-!
A massive surge of chakra, imbued with a sense of restraint and sealing power, suddenly erupted at the heart of the dense fog!
Immediately following, several dazzling golden rays of light, like lightning tearing through the night, pierced through the thick fog!
"What the hell?!" Hozuki Suigetsu's surprised cry came from the thick fog, as if he had bumped into some invisible barrier.
Samui, who was preparing to break through, also felt a strong resistance in front of him, as if he had hit an invisible and tough wall and was bounced back hard, staggering backward.
"This is... a barrier?" Qing, who possesses the Byakugan, has limited visibility in the thick fog.
To his shock, several incredibly thick golden chains, entirely composed of chakra, extended from behind Karin, rapidly intertwining and swirling in the air, connecting end to end, and in the blink of an eye, constructing a massive hemispherical barrier cage above and around the area where they were!
The barrier exuded an indestructible aura, enveloping everyone within it!
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Temari's voice rang out, and she waved her three-star fan, sending out several powerful whirlwinds that quickly dispersed the thick fog.
As the fog dissipated, the people trapped inside the barrier finally saw the scene before them.
"What, are you kidding me?!" Hozuki Suigetsu got up from the ground, looked up in astonishment at the hemispherical barrier dome above him, which was made of five golden chains interwoven and emitted a faint golden light. He then looked at the surrounding boundaries, which were also sealed off by the barrier walls. His jaw almost dropped to the ground.
"What kind of ninjutsu is this?!" Chojuro tilted his head back, pushed up his glasses, swallowed hard, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
The sheer size of the barrier made him feel suffocated.
Hinoka Uzumaki, who had been standing quietly behind Ao without much presence, stepped forward and gently touched the golden chains of the barrier with her slender fingers.
A cool yet resilient touch came from my fingertips, along with a familiar and comforting chakra fluctuation.
A complex emotion flashed in her eyes as she murmured to herself, "This is... the sealing technique of the Uzumaki clan, 'Diamond Sealing Technique'."
Although Hinaka had little knowledge of the Uzumaki clan's secret techniques, the memories deep within her bloodline allowed her to vaguely sense the name of this technique.
"A secret technique of the Uzumaki clan?" Upon hearing this, Qing's expression turned even more grim.
He looked at the center of the barrier, where a red-haired girl stood proudly wearing glasses, with five golden chains extending from her back.
The Uzumaki clan of the Star Kingdom, and at such a young age their sealing techniques are already so advanced...
On the other side, Karui, a member of the Cloud Village squad, raised her ninja sword and attempted to stab the golden chains of the barrier that were within arm's reach.
Clang—!
A crisp metallic clang rang out as the ninja sword was violently thrown back by an irresistible force, causing Karui's arm to go numb.
She exclaimed in horror, "This barrier... it's so hard! It's impossible to break!"
Even Samui, a man of great experience and extensive knowledge, had an unprecedented solemnity on his usually aloof face.
She withdrew the chakra she had used to probe the barrier, her gaze towards Karin filled with apprehension. She explained to her companion in a low voice, "That's right, this is the infamous sealing technique of the Uzumaki clan, 'Diamond Sealing Technique'..."
"It is said that when this technique is mastered to its peak, it can even forcibly bind and imprison a rampaging tailed beast."
"I never imagined that someone her age would be like this..."
"It can even bind a tailed beast?!" Omoi exclaimed in disbelief.
In Kumogakure, the Raikage of each generation has suppressed the Eight-Tails with absolute power and speed, and then supplemented it with special sealing techniques.
Throughout the entire history of Kumogakure, the only ninjas who could suppress the Tailed Beasts were the successive Raikage.
The girl in front of them, who looked even younger than them, possessed the power to bind tailed beasts with a sealing technique she performed all by herself.
Shikamaru and Ino carried the unconscious Choji, then looked up at the all-encompassing barrier and the five golden chains, as well as the people of the Land of Stars standing proudly in the center of the barrier. The last glimmer of hope in their hearts was extinguished.
He sighed, rubbed his aching temples with one hand, and said to the still-shaken Ino beside him with a wry smile, "This... is really a big problem. There's no escaping it."
Sasuke stared intently at the five swaying golden chains behind Karin, then looked down at Gaara who was indifferently looking down from mid-air. The three tomoe in his Sharingan trembled slightly uncontrollably from shock.
"These two people..."
"One is a Jinchūriki possessing the terrifying power of a Tailed Beast, and the other has mastered a sealing technique capable of binding a Tailed Beast..."
"And they're just ninjas my age? What kind of place is the Land of Stars...?"
Just as everyone was filled with despair, shock, or confusion, a voice, completely out of place with the tense atmosphere, suddenly came from outside the Vajra-sealed barrier: "Oh? Everyone's here. That's perfect, saves me the trouble of looking for them."
The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly penetrated the barrier and reached everyone's ears.
Everyone was shocked!
In this chaotic time, who would come to a place like this?
And judging from that familiar tone...
Everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.
Outside the barrier, three people were standing quietly, seemingly out of nowhere.
It was Menma, Hinata, and Naruto who had just come down from the arena.
Mianma, dressed in a simple black tracksuit, stood calmly outside the barrier, as if the tense scene before him was just an ordinary sight.
He glanced at the crowd inside the barrier, some standing and some sitting, all being driven to their knees by Gaara, then looked at Gaara and Karin in the center of the barrier, and nodded, as if he had anticipated the situation.
Then, under everyone's gaze, Menma made a move that left everyone speechless.
He raised his right hand, extended his index finger, and gently touched the seemingly indestructible barrier.
The moment the fingertips touched, the powerful barrier formed by the "Diamond Seal," which was strong enough to bind the Nine-Tails, rippled out like gentle waves.
Immediately afterwards, his numb fingers easily "cut open" the barrier as if inserting into tofu, and then he spread his hands to the sides.
Stab it--!
A soft sound, like the tearing of cloth.
He easily "torn open" the barrier, creating a gap large enough for two people to pass side by side, as if lifting a curtain!
"Let's go in." Menma turned to the side and said to Hinata, who was also somewhat stunned, and Naruto, who was looking around with curiosity.
"Huh? Oh, oh!" Although Naruto didn't quite understand the situation, he had absolute trust in Masa. He scratched his head and was the first to squeeze through the gap.
Hinata blushed and whispered, "Um... sorry to bother you," before following Naruto inside.
Then, Menma himself stepped forward and calmly entered the barrier.
The moment he entered, the gap in the barrier that had been "torn" shut up automatically and returned to its original state, as if it had never been damaged.
Inside and outside the barrier, all was deathly silent.
Everyone from Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Konoha, including elite Jonin like Ao and Samui, were frozen in place, staring wide-eyed at the scene before them in disbelief.
That "Adamantine Lockdown" barrier, which even Karui's full-force slash couldn't budge and could bind tailed beasts...
It was just "sliced open" by this black-haired boy with his finger?!
How is this possible?!
How did he do that?!
Naruto entered the barrier and was startled by the strange atmosphere and the many injured people inside. He was especially alarmed to see the unconscious Choji and the severely wounded Atsui. His azure eyes filled with confusion and worry as he couldn't help but ask, "Huh? What happened? Why is everyone... Choji? How did he get hurt? Who did this?"
His question seemed exceptionally clear within the silent barrier at this moment.
Hinata nervously scanned her surroundings, her Byakugan revealing the disordered chakra and injuries within everyone's bodies. Feeling even more uneasy, she instinctively moved closer to Menma.
Faced with Naruto's naive or rather, slow-witted question, and the shocked, confused, and wary gazes of the crowd, Menma had no intention of explaining.
His gaze swept calmly across the entire room, finally settling on Gaara and Karin.
"Gaara, Karin," Menma's voice rang out, but it carried a more commanding tone than usual.
"I'll leave Hinata and Naruto in your care for now. Also, please treat Choji's injuries."
These words made the already quiet scene even more somber!
Upon hearing this, Gaara slowly lowered the sand platform beneath his feet until his feet touched the ground.
He bowed slightly to the man, his attitude more respectful than ever before, and solemnly said:
"Yes, Lord Menma, please rest assured."
Karin, who was originally in a fierce mood and planning to settle scores with Hozuki Suigetsu, instantly lost her "I'm going to hit someone" expression when she heard Menma's words. Although she was a little disappointed, she also became more obedient.
She clapped her hands; the five golden chains behind her still maintained the stability of the barrier, but her posture was much more relaxed, and she gave Ma a bright smile:
"Hey~! Menma-nii, go take care of your business!"
"These guys are being watched by me and Karin. I guarantee they won't hurt Naruto and... Hinata, not a single hair!" Karin paused noticeably when she mentioned Hinata, her tone slightly reluctant.
Menma-sama?
Brother Mianma?
Gaara's respectful address of "Sir," Karin's affectionate address of "Brother," and their undisguised subservience caused everyone inside the barrier, except for those from the Land of Stars, to pause for a moment!
Sasuke suddenly turned around, his gaze shifting back and forth between Gaara and Menma. Sai and Shigaraki Tanuki beside him felt a chill run down their spines, their palms sweating slightly as they gripped their ninja swords.
Shikamaru's bitter smile froze, his mind going blank.
Qing and Samui exchanged a glance, both seeing extreme shock and horror in each other's eyes!
Hozuki Suigetsu, Chojuro, Karui, Omoi... everyone was stunned.
The most shocked and bewildered were Naruto and Hinata, who had just been entrusted with Gaara and Karin's care.
"Eh? Menma-nii?" Naruto pointed to his own nose, then to Gaara and Karin, and finally looked at Menma, his face a little confused.
"Please... take care of us? What do you mean? Aren't Gaara and Karin... aren't they from the Land of Stars? Menma-nii, you..."
Hinata covered her mouth, her white eyes wide open, looking at Menma's profile, then at the respectful Gaara and the smiling Karin, her mind a little confused.
Menma ignored the shocked looks of the crowd and Naruto's stammering questions.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the Vajra-sealed barrier and landing in a certain direction of the venue, a cold glint flashing deep within his eyes.
His "Kagura Mind's Eye," which covered the entire Hidden Leaf Village, sensed the dynamics of the entire scene, including Kakashi, Might Guy, and others fighting against Yukimi, Neji, and others; the young Sasuke from the Boruto timeline seemingly stopping Boruto from interfering; and Jiraiya, who had just arrived at the tournament venue...
However, what bothered Mianma the most was that just now, two familiar yet dangerous "voids" suddenly appeared in the sky above this chaotic arena.
The emptiness that couldn't be perceived using ordinary chakra sensing methods felt strangely familiar.
One is Otsutsuki Urashiki.
The other one is... Jigen!
Menma was somewhat surprised. He thought it would be Otsutsuki Urashiki who had broken in, but he didn't expect that Jigen, who had been hiding in the shadows, would also come.
"Is this reinforcement that Urashiki brought?" Menma wondered to herself. Why did Urashiki suddenly decide to look for Jigen?
Even if two Otsutsuki joined forces, Menma was not afraid at all.
After absorbing the Ten-Tails hatchlings twice, his Dark Nine-Tails has evolved to be comparable to an adult Ten-Tails.
Even Yi Shi from another dimension had his arms severed by him, and his main body was blasted to the point of being completely obliterated by the Great Spiral Wheel.
Konoha's collapse was perhaps nothing more than a farce by ants in the eyes of these two Otsutsuki.
I just don't know if their target is the Nine-Tails and Naruto, or... themselves, the 'vessel' they're using as a disguise?
However, no matter what, we must not let them get close to this place and harm Naruto and Hinata.
Menma withdrew his gaze, glanced at Naruto, whose face was full of question marks and who still wanted to ask more questions, and then glanced at Hinata beside him, who was looking at him with shock but more worry. He was slightly moved.
He didn't explain, but simply reached out and gently ruffled Hinata's soft hair, then patted Naruto's prickly golden spiky hair, his movements gentle.
"Stay here quietly and wait for this to end." Menma's voice was low and gentle.
"I have some 'guests' to attend to, I'll be back soon."
Upon hearing this, Hinata, who was usually shy, blushing, and speaking in a barely audible voice in front of Menma, trembled slightly and then suddenly raised her head!
The expression in those pure white eyes changed instantly!
It was no longer shyness and gentleness, but a sharp arrogance, even with a touch of wildness and flamboyant brilliance!
The blush on her face quickly faded, and she casually brushed back some stray strands of hair from her forehead with a swift and decisive movement, a stark contrast to her usual cautious demeanor.
"Tch, finally it's my turn." Hinata, the leader, cracked her wrists, making a soft popping sound.
"Don't worry, Menma!" She put one hand on her hip, clenched the other into a fist, and waved it forcefully in front of her, revealing a slightly roguish yet confident smile on her face. She said to Menma, "Anyone who's blind enough to bully Naruto, that idiot..."
"My fists will teach him a lesson he won't forget!"
She turned her head, her gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the Cloud Village and Mist Village members who looked as if facing a formidable enemy not far away. Finally, she lingered on Karin's face for a moment, raised her chin, and snorted.
She spoke the last few words slowly and deliberately, accompanied by her clenched fists that made a cracking sound, conveying a strong sense of threat.
Especially the look he gave Karin, which clearly carried a warning that "you are no exception."