Whoosh!
The imposing Susanoo, unleashed by a single sword strike, executed a beautiful flourish before sheathing itself.
Just as the sword vanished completely into the scabbard at Menma's hip, the Chibaku Tensei hovering in the sky—cleaved cleanly in two—lost its repulsive force. It plummeted downward like a torrential downpour, crashing into the earth with a deafening boom.
Dust billowed into the air. The disguised Susanoo casually waved a hand, unleashing a gale that dispersed the debris.
Having done his work, Menma—the Menma disguised as Susanoo—descended from the construct's brow. He withdrew his eye power and chakra, landing softly on the ground. He walked up to Pain, who was buried in rubble with only his head protruding, and crouched down.
"Great god," Menma said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Are you satisfied with these fireworks of shattered stars?"
Pain's dull, round eyes shifted slightly. Rubble trembled and rolled away, revealing an arm trying to pull itself out.
"Yahiko's body… must be kept intact…"
"Keep his body intact?" Menma paused, then turned and pointed toward a distant building where steel bars protruded. A smirk played on his lips. "Master Pain, his ass is impaled on those steel bars. He's not intact anymore."
Pain ignored the taunt and looked in the direction Menma pointed. Only after seeing the severed body did he finally relax. As long as too much wasn't missing, he could still recover it using the Path of Hell's Rinne Rebirth technique.
Relieved, Pain's Deva Path turned his Rinnegan back to Menma.
"Although I don't know why you also possess the Rinnegan, I have indeed lost this time. Your strength far surpasses mine, but I won't give up."
Regarding Menma—this Akatsuki recruit who turned traitor yet wielded the same Rinnegan with far greater power—Nagato inexplicably felt a sense of kinship. It was an acknowledgment of Menma's strength, and perhaps an acknowledgment of the pain he had caused him.
"Finally," Pain said, "can you tell me the name you gave this move?"
Although it was a Rinnegan sealing technique—Chibaku Tensei—its terrifying power, combined with that Susanoo strike, deserved a new name. Just as Chidori became Raikiri in Kakashi's hands, Nagato felt that Menma could distinguish it from the standard version.
"Okay, let me think." Menma, high-spirited now that he was the primary personality, recalled memories of his past life and smiled slightly. "I have two good names here. Why don't you help me choose?"
"I don't have much time," Pain nodded. "Hurry up and tell me."
"Tsk. You don't have much time here, but you've got plenty back at your main body on the edge of the village." Menma bluntly exposed Nagato's location, then continued, "Pseudo-Black Hole, or Pseudo-Black Hole: Starburst Heavenly Annihilation Slash. Choose one."
Pain didn't choose immediately. He stared at Menma for a long moment before speaking.
"You're terrifying. You always seem to know so much, even predict the future. Even my true form, hidden for so long, is completely exposed before you. My name, my abilities—revealed."
His voice, a mix of admiration and awe, grew weaker.
"The gravity of Pseudo-Black Hole is similar to a black hole, and that slash is similar to your final Susanoo strike. Let's combine the names: Pseudo-Black Hole: Starburst Heavenly Annihilation Slash."
The last words were barely audible. The light faded from Pain's eyes, and he reverted to the corpse named Yahiko.
"Nice name," Menma said. "But our business isn't finished yet."
He turned and gazed into the distance where Nagato was hiding. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Zabuza and his three companions surrounding the area. And there, running toward them from a slight distance, were Kakashi and Yamato.
"Tsk. Kakashi," Menma said as Kakashi came to a halt before him, surprised. "I didn't expect you to actually come back. I thought you'd already run to the Hokage's Office, reported information about me, and brought people to capture me."
Hearing the sarcastic tone, Kakashi's deadpan eyes remained unmoved.
"No one in this shinobi world can capture you now," Kakashi said. "Besides, after the Fourth Hokage died, this village has long since lost its Hokage. All that's left are monkeys ravaging the trees and rotting, stinking roots in the shadows."
As he spoke, Kakashi crouched down and grabbed Pain's collar. With a forceful rip, he tore off half of Pain's tattered Akatsuki robes and draped it over himself.
"I've come here to join Akatsuki. To join your Hidden Void Village."
Kakashi's words made Menma's expression shift. Even Yamato, standing behind Kakashi, was utterly shocked and bewildered.
Reacting quickly, Yamato tried to tear off Kakashi's tattered red robe.
"Senpai, you've gone mad! This joke isn't funny! This is treason—betrayal of the village! You'll become a traitorous ninja hated by everyone!"
"Yamato!" Kakashi roared, stopping him. "Konoha is no longer the Konoha of the First Hokage. Have you forgotten the prophecy that the Toad Sage, Jiraiya, received? I'm staking my future on Menma. If you don't agree, leave now."
Kakashi knew very well that Menma's next target would be Konoha—the very village that had caused him so much pain in his childhood. He couldn't protect Konoha, nor did he want to protect the ignorant masses who had indirectly caused his father's death. However, he was determined to do his best for Menma and was confident he could protect a small group of ninjas afterward.
Furthermore, he had just examined the bodies of Jiraiya and the others. He discovered that Sasuke and Tekkaman were actually impersonated by a strange, White Zetsu. This proved that Menma wasn't truly heartless. Only those who had truly harmed him were targets.
As long as others didn't interfere, there was no problem. Those who helped him and were good to him would even fare better. For example, Sasuke, who had been taken away beforehand, and the Teuchi father and daughter. They were definitely safe in the Hidden Void Village now, so they didn't need to worry about being affected by this incident.
"I…" Yamato hesitated for only a moment before gritting his teeth. "I want to join too. Since even the senior doesn't care about the Will of Fire, then I—who was taught the Will of Fire by the senior—don't care either."
"You really are the same as when you were a kid," Kakashi said, though he had guessed Yamato would do this. "A real tagalong." He shook his head, then looked back at Menma.
"So, Menma. Are you going to accept the allegiance of us two traitorous ninjas?"
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