Capítulo 72: Smart choice
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Chakra natures are an innate trait every ninja is born with. While it's possible to learn new chakra natures through rigorous training, one's natural affinity will always be the strongest. For this reason, most shinobi stick to jutsu that align with their chakra nature.
Using techniques that don't match their affinity comes with drawbacks: they require significantly more chakra, and the resulting power is weaker. As a result, most shinobi focus on mastering jutsu tied to their nature, not only due to limited time but also because chakra is a precious resource, not to be wasted.
But Menma was different.
According to the chakra paper test Orochimaru had conducted, Menma possessed two chakra natures: Fire and Wind. However, thanks to his enormous reserves of chakra, bolstered by the Nine-Tails, Menma could ignore these typical limitations. For him, chakra consumption was almost irrelevant when it came to techniques below S-rank.
He could use any of the Five Basic Elements with ease, and if a technique's power was lacking, he could simply push more chakra into it to compensate.
Now, Menma stood before a massive dragon of pure lightning, its crackling form almost matching the strength of a Jounin-level Lightning Release technique. Under his command, the beast surged forward.
The lightning dragon slammed into the towering structure ahead.
"ZZZZT-CRACK!"
A deafening roar of thunder echoed across the battlefield as the fortress trembled violently. The castle seemed to screech in pain before, with a final, anguished groan, it collapsed into rubble. Dust filled the air, and from the wreckage, a thick mist began to spread.
Boom!
From the debris emerged a massive, dark green lizard, easily over a hundred meters long. Its blood-red eyes glowed in the dim light, and its scales gleamed ominously. Chakra radiated off its body, and the pressure of its presence washed over Menma and Karin.
"!?"
Menma's eyes widened briefly, then a grin tugged at his lips. The sheer power radiating from the beast was exhilarating. This was the legendary Kuroishi Lizard, a summon of incredible strength.
The more powerful the creature, the more determined Menma became to tame it.
"Humans! All invading humans must be destroyed!"
The Kuroishi Lizard's blood-red gaze fixated on Menma, and its killing intent spiked. The ground trembled beneath its colossal weight as it charged, its speed surprising for something of its size. The air around it crackled with energy.
For decades, this beast had been the guardian of Shouzaki Castle, bound by its master's last command: kill all who dared set foot here.
And now, Menma was its prey.
"Well, this got interesting," Menma muttered, watching the approaching lizard. The sheer scale of its chakra was almost at a Kage level.
Rather than fear, Menma felt excitement. A challenge like this was exactly what he wanted.
With a sharp clap of his hands, Menma released a burst of chakra.
Boom!
A wave of energy surged from him as he dodged the lizard's charge, his figure blurring into motion. Leaping high into the air, he formed hand seals mid-flight.
"Ninpō: Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
(Ninja Art: Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!)
A handful of shuriken multiplied into hundreds, filling the sky with a rain of steel aimed at the lizard.
"OORAAAAAH!"
The Kuroishi Lizard slammed its forelimbs into the ground, causing massive slabs of rock to rise up in defense. The earthen wall blocked most of the shuriken, though a few pierced through.
With surprising agility, the massive lizard moved to avoid the remaining projectiles. It then lashed its enormous tail through the air, the sound of it cutting through the wind like a whip, aimed directly at Menma.
Whoosh!
The attack came faster than expected, and Menma barely had time to react.
Bang!
The lizard's tail connected, sending Menma crashing to the ground with the force of a falling meteor.
"Menma!" Karin yelled, panic in her voice.
He hit the earth hard, creating a crater where he landed, debris and dust filling the air. But in seconds, Menma emerged from the dust cloud, largely unharmed, save for his slightly disheveled appearance.
"I'm fine!" Menma called back, brushing off the dirt. He turned his attention back to the towering lizard, a grin forming on his lips.
'This beast... it's still beyond my current abilities.'
Despite how far he had come since his academy days, and how many jutsu he had mastered, Menma knew creatures like the Kuroishi Lizard were in a league of their own. He was on par with most Jounin, but this monster was a completely different challenge.
Boom!
A new wave of chakra erupted from Menma, but this time it was darker, colder, and far more menacing. The air hummed with red, malevolent energy as Kurama's chakra flared, bathing the battlefield in its oppressive presence.
The Kuroishi Lizard halted. Even a beast of its size could feel the crushing weight of the Nine-Tails' power.
Menma's eyes glowed red, pupils slitted from Kurama's influence. His smirk widened as tension gripped the battlefield.
"Now then... let's see how you handle this."
---
But this was only a brief pause.
The lizard's violent nature and its summoner's obsessive command made it reckless.
"RAH!"
The Kuroishi Lizard, fueled by primal rage, charged forward without fear, completely undeterred by the growing threat before it.
"Heh."
Menma smirked, his eyes narrowing with cold calculation. He stood firm, not flinching, fully prepared to face the beast head-on.
BANG!
The impact was violent.
Menma absorbed the tremendous force, but the Kuroishi Lizard staggered, as if it had collided with an immovable object. The creature's blood-red eyes widened, its massive form hesitating in confusion. For the first time, doubt flickered in its feral gaze.
Menma wasted no time.
With both hands, he grabbed the lizard's gigantic head.
"HAH!"
A surge of chakra enveloped his body, and with a burst of raw power, Menma swung the monstrous lizard overhead as if it weighed nothing.
WHOOSH!
The air rippled with the sound of the lizard's massive body being hurled through the sky.
BOOM!
The earth shook as the Kuroishi Lizard crashed down, creating a massive crater in the ground.
"Lightning Release: Pseudo-Darkness!"
Menma formed the necessary hand seals and unleashed the technique. A thick, concentrated arc of lightning shot forward, traveling at blinding speed toward the lizard's exposed body.
ZZZZZT!
The lightning struck with precision, coursing through the creature's body. The Kuroishi Lizard let out a thunderous roar, its massive form trembling under the intense pain. Yet, despite the powerful attack, it remained standing, its blood-red eyes growing more furious.
Suddenly, the ground beneath the lizard quaked.
CRACK!
The earth split as enormous chunks of rock rose into the air, manipulated by the lizard's chakra. With a violent thrust, it hurled the boulders toward Menma.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
"Bastard…" Menma muttered under his breath, dodging the incoming projectiles with fluid grace. Despite the lizard's injuries, it showed no sign of giving up. Its raw toughness and will to fight were beyond expectations.
But Menma's eyes gleamed with determination.
His right hand began to glow, chakra swirling and compressing within his palm. The familiar shape of a Rasengan began to form, but this time it was different. The swirling blue chakra mixed with a dark red hue—Kurama's chakra—turning the technique a deep, menacing purple.
The newly enhanced Rasengan pulsated with dark power.
BOOM!
Menma dashed upward with blinding speed, positioning himself directly above the Kuroishi Lizard.
The lizard sensed the danger, desperately lifting more boulders to shield itself, but it was too late.
"Rasengan!" Menma whispered, his voice calm yet commanding.
BOOM!
The Rasengan tore through the boulders like paper, slamming into the lizard's tough hide.
BANG!
The force of the impact sent the massive creature flying through the air once again, its body crashing into the distant trees, tearing the landscape apart.
CRASH!
The Kuroishi Lizard groaned, its once mighty aura significantly weakened. Its scaly defenses had been shattered, and its body quivered from the immense damage inflicted by Menma's enhanced Rasengan.
As the dust settled, Menma descended back to the ground, withdrawing Kurama's chakra. His eyes remained sharp, watching the fallen beast intently.
The lizard, though severely wounded, struggled to lift itself once more. Its forelimbs shook violently, unable to support its weight. The once-fearsome creature was now on the verge of collapse.
Menma hesitated, a rare flash of regret crossing his face. He hadn't meant to cause this much damage. He remembered that even a standard Rasengan had nearly killed Kabuto Yakushi, a renowned medical-nin. But this Rasengan, infused with the Nine-Tails' chakra, was far more potent, approaching S-rank in its destructive power.
"Well?" Menma called out, his voice cold but authoritative. "Are you done? Or do you need more proof? I can keep going if you're still not convinced."
The Kuroishi Lizard's bloodshot eyes glared at him, its defiance still present. But the creature's body, now broken and battered, could no longer obey its will.
Menma sighed, lifting his hand as the dark Rasengan began to form once again. The swirling sphere of chakra crackled with Kurama's malevolent energy, casting a red glow over the battlefield.
The lizard visibly shuddered. It understood now.
After a brief moment of tense silence, the Kuroishi Lizard closed its eyes and lay still, its defiant spirit finally yielding. It had accepted its defeat.
Menma's eyes softened. With a flick of his wrist, he dispelled the Rasengan, letting the chakra dissipate harmlessly into the air.
"Smart choice," he muttered, turning his back on the now subdued Kuroishi Lizard.
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