Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 338 Menma's Susanoo!
After Menma left, only Naruto, Minato, Choza, and Shimi remained on the tower platform.

The atmosphere seemed to ease a bit, but there was still a subtle awkwardness.

Especially for Naruto and his son Minato.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, trying to break the silence. He turned to Minato with a natural curiosity on his face and asked, "By the way... what was your mission again? I almost forgot to ask!"

Looking at Naruto's sunny and cheerful smile, and listening to his overly familiar and somewhat off-the-top question, Minato couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Compared to the meticulous Menma from before, this kid in front of me... although he's also my child from a parallel world, he seems to be more worrisome!
However, this frankness and lack of defenses made him feel warm and close.

He smiled helplessly, then patiently explained, "Our mission is to protect Princess Sara of Loulan, ensure her safety, and escort her to Konoha if necessary. A week ago, the former Queen of Loulan secretly entrusted Konoha, claiming that a coup might occur in the country and hoping that Konoha could protect her daughter."

"However, just as the commission was delivered, we received news of the Queen's assassination. As for An Lushan, the minister who controls the court, also known as 'Centipede' as you and Mianma mentioned, we were already very suspicious of his stance and motives. We judged that during today's princess's enthronement ceremony, he was very likely to target Princess Sara in an attempt to completely control Loulan. Therefore, we must act quickly."

After explaining, Minato looked into Naruto's clear blue eyes and felt inexplicably uneasy.

He asked in a gentle tone, "Naruto, for the time being, can you follow my instructions for the next operation?"

Naruto's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing this.

He nodded vigorously without hesitation, a bright smile spreading across his face, and exclaimed, "Of course! I will cooperate fully!"

The feeling of being instructed by his father filled Naruto with an excitement he had never experienced before.

Seeing Naruto's energetic demeanor, Minato's initial unease dissipated, replaced by a kind and warm smile that spread across his handsome face like sunshine.

"Well then... let's go, Naruto."

"Okay!" Naruto replied, full of energy.

“Let’s go too.” Akimichi Choza and Aburame Shii nodded as well.

Boo hoo hoo-!
Four figures shot out from the tower platform, leaping and bounding swiftly among the intricate towers, and soon arrived at the top of a tower located in the city center.

There is a semi-open viewing balcony with excellent views.

Looking down from the balcony, you can see the huge square in the center of the city.

The square was teeming with people, a dense, dark mass, almost completely filled.

A limousine decorated with ribbons and flowers drove slowly by, while dazzling fireworks exploded in the sky, scattering colorful sparks. The boisterous cheers and music surged in waves, creating a lively and extraordinary atmosphere.

Yu Nu Zhiwei adjusted his signature small sunglasses, pointed to the tallest and most magnificent tower on the side of the square, and said in a low voice, "That tallest tower is the Loulan royal palace. Look, the platform has been set up, right in the middle of the palace, and it's very prominently decorated. According to the procedure, the new queen should appear there to receive the people's 'worship'."

Naruto looked in the direction Shiki pointed and saw the altar covered with various gorgeous curtains and decorations.

He glanced down at the densely packed crowd in the square below, their movements seemingly synchronized, and his brow furrowed involuntarily as a strange sense of unease crept into his heart.

"I feel like... something's a little off," Naruto muttered to himself, stroking his chin, "but I can't quite put my finger on what's strange..."

Just then, Minato's eyes narrowed sharply, and he whispered, "Watch out, the target has appeared!"

All eyes immediately focused on the royal ceremonial platform.

The heavy curtains behind the stage were pulled back, and a figure slowly walked out.

She was a red-haired girl who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old. She wore a magnificent purple dress with a trailing hem and a tall white hat symbolizing royalty.

It was Princess Sara of Loulan.

On her left and right sides stood two more exquisitely crafted humanoid combat puppets than the previous ones, like the most loyal guards.

Sarah, protected by puppets, slowly walked to the edge of the ceremonial platform railing.

She took a deep breath, trying to appear calm, and then slowly raised her arm and waved it gently towards the roaring crowd in the square below.

"Queen Sara!"

"Queen Sara!"

"Queen Sara—!!"

The cheers below instantly reached their peak, rising and falling in waves, as if the entire city of Loulan was boiling over for the birth of a new king.

However, at this moment of universal celebration, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, a section of the altar beneath Sarah's feet collapsed!
And it was right where she was standing!
"Ah—!" Sarah let out a short scream, instantly losing her balance and plummeting from the hundreds-of-meters-high platform!
The purple skirt spread out in the air like withered petals.

"Oh no!" Minato and the others felt a sudden tightness in their chests.

Sure enough something happened!
An Lushan made his move!

"Look at me!"

Almost the instant Sara fell, Naruto shot off the balcony like lightning!

With his incredible explosive power and instinct to save lives, he rushed straight towards Sarah as she fell!

Naruto adjusted his posture in mid-air, opened his arms, and caught Sara in a perfect princess carry!
The immense impact caused him to groan, but he gritted his teeth and used his waist, abdomen, and arms to stabilize himself.

Immediately, he pushed off hard with both feet against the rough wall of the tower on the side!
Bang!
A crack appeared in the wall as Naruto used it to change direction, carrying the still-shaken Sara, and slid down like a bird towards the lush park area on the other side, away from the plaza and the palace.

"Keep up! Protect the target!" Minato shouted, and he, Choza, and Shiki immediately followed. In a few blinks, they caught up with Naruto and landed together on the relatively open grass in the center of the park.

Naruto, carrying Sara, had just steadied himself and hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when he looked down at the girl in his arms and said, "It's alright, you're safe now..."

"ah--!!!"

Sarah, still in shock, suddenly came to her senses and saw the face of a strange young man with a beard, and she was being held tightly by him!

Extreme fright, fear of strangers, and panic from the fall combined to make her react instinctively.

She screamed and swung her arms like windmills, aiming for Naruto's cheeks from both sides!
Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Several crisp slaps echoed through the park.

Naruto had a clear red handprint on each cheek.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Naruto was so startled by the sudden "thank you" that he saw stars. He loosened his grip, and Sara took the opportunity to break free from his embrace. She staggered back a few steps and fell to the ground.

Naruto covered his face and cried out in grievance, "Hey! What are you doing! I saved your life! You don't even thank me, why are you hitting me!"

Sara sat on the ground, panting heavily, and looking at Naruto's grimacing and aggrieved expression, she realized that she might have overreacted.

A flicker of panic and apology crossed her face. She lowered her head and whispered, "I...I'm sorry...I was so scared...Thank...thank you for saving me..."

When Naruto saw her apologize, his anger subsided considerably. He rubbed his face and muttered, "Never mind, it's alright now."

He then remembered the accident and asked curiously, "By the way, how did you fall from there? Was the platform not sturdy enough?"

Sarah paused, startled. She looked up at the towering royal platform in the distance, a flicker of fear and confusion in her eyes. Recalling the feeling, she said uncertainly, "It felt...like...someone pushed me hard from behind..."

"What?!" Naruto's eyes widened immediately. "I knew it! Someone wants you dead!"

Sarah seemed stung by this conclusion, shaking her head violently in rebuttal: "Impossible! I am the new Queen of Loulan! Did you see the people in the square just now? They were all cheering for my ascension to the throne! How could anyone want to harm me!"

Just then, Minato, Choza, and Shiki landed around Naruto and Sara, forming a triangle that subtly protected Sara in the middle.

Shuimen stepped forward, looking at Sara with a gentle yet serious gaze, and asked, "Princess Sara, it seems you don't fully understand the true situation in Loulan, is that right?"

Sarah looked warily at the three strangers who had suddenly appeared, especially at the ninja headbands on their foreheads.

She forced herself to remain calm and asked, "Who...who are you? Why are you in Loulan? Who sent you?"

Minato didn't answer directly. Instead, he took out the mission scroll from his pocket, handed it to Sara, and said calmly, "We are ninjas from Konoha. About a week ago, your mother, the former Queen of Loulan, secretly sent someone to Konoha to issue this mission request."

"The request is for us to escort you to Konoha Village for political asylum. The letter of request clearly states that there is a coup crisis in Loulan and your life is threatened."

Sarah took the scroll with some skepticism, her fingers trembling slightly as she unfolded it.

When she saw her mother's familiar handwriting on the scroll, as well as the official mission seal of Konoha Village, her pupils suddenly contracted.

She read carefully line by line the worry, helplessness, and pleading her mother revealed between the lines, her voice involuntarily choking up: "This...this is indeed Mother's handwriting...but...why...how could there be a coup crisis in Loulan?"

Her words were filled with confusion and disbelief.

Just as the atmosphere became tense, a familiar voice, tinged with a lazy, teasing tone, rang out from above:
"Hey, so you guys are here! I've been looking for you."

Everyone looked up and saw that Mu Zheng was drifting down slowly from the top of a tall tower, just like a feather, as if she were taking a leisurely stroll.

He landed lightly a short distance in front of Sarah, his gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on Sarah.

Sarah saw the face and covered her mouth in surprise: "You...you're the one who suddenly appeared in the underground altar..."

Mianma raised his hand, interrupting Sarah, and turned his gaze to the edge of the park, where he could clearly see the still "boiling" "sea of ​​people" in the central square.

Instead of answering Sarah's question, he posed a counter-question:
"Do you want to see for yourself what this 'country' you rule is really like? Princess... no, Your Majesty."

Before Sarah could answer, Mamma raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread.

"King Kong Blockade."

Om-!
Five dazzling golden chakra chains shot out from behind him in an instant!

The chains sliced ​​through the air with a pleasant hum, and at an extremely fast speed, they traversed a distance of over a hundred meters, ruthlessly charging into the dense "crowd" in the plaza below!
"Wow! What kind of ninjutsu is that! It's amazing!" Naruto had never seen the Adamantine Sealing Chains before, and he was so amazed that he couldn't help but exclaim.

The moment Minato, Choza, and Shimi saw the golden chains, their expressions simultaneously turned extremely solemn!

They recognized it! This was a secret technique unique to the Uzumaki clan, combining sealing with offense and defense!

Apart from Kushina Uzumaki, they had never seen such a refined and powerful Adamantine Lock on anyone else!

Menma's identity has been confirmed once again.

"What are you doing! Stop it!" Sarah was shocked and furious when she saw Mianma attacking her "people," and shouted loudly.

However, Mianma completely ignored it.

Five golden chains weaved and entangled nimbly through the "crowd," precisely binding five "people," before suddenly pulling them backward!
Crash-!
Five “people” bound tightly with golden chains were forcibly dragged out of the “crowd” and thrown onto the grass in front of Sarah like trash, kicking up a little dust.

Sara, Minato, Naruto, and the others stared intently, and were instantly shocked!
That wasn't a "person" at all!
Instead, they were five crudely made wooden and cloth puppets with exposed joints and only simple outlines of facial features!
They were bound by chains, struggling futilely and stiffly, making creaking sounds, creating an extremely eerie scene.

“This…this is…” Naruto pointed at the puppets and finally understood where his sense of unease came from.

"No wonder I always felt those 'people' were moving a bit strangely, and their shouts lacked energy! They were all dummies!"

Sarah was struck dumb, staggering back two steps and collapsing to the ground. She stared in disbelief at the ugly puppets on the grass, then looked up at the dense crowd of "people" still "cheering and jumping" in the square. Her voice trembled uncontrollably: "No...it can't be...my people...how could they be these...these things...this is impossible!"

Mianma used the Vajra Lock to forcefully crush these puppets into pieces before retracting the Vajra Lock.

"Nothing is impossible. All those in the square are crudely made puppets. The 'jubilation of the people' you see is nothing more than a self-deceiving puppet show carefully orchestrated for you by An Lushan."

He paused, then turned to a dark corner in another direction of the park, where there was an inconspicuous manhole cover leading to the underground drainage system.

He raised his voice and said, "Alright everyone, you can come out now. Let your queen see how many of Loulan's true 'subjects' are left."

As Mianma finished speaking, the manhole cover was slowly pushed open from the inside, making a dull friction sound.

Then, one, two, three... more and more people carefully climbed out of the well.

These people were almost all women, the elderly, and a few children.

They wore old, patched traditional clothing of desert nomadic tribes, their faces weathered, their eyes filled with fear, exhaustion, and a complex mix of emotions upon seeing Sara.

There was hope, sorrow, and resentment.

They supported each other and gathered together like a flock of frightened sheep, numbering about sixty or seventy.

Sarah stared blankly at these suddenly appearing, real "people," her mind completely blank.

One of the women, who appeared to be older and seemed to be the leader, mustered her courage and took a few shaky steps forward. She looked at Sarah's magnificent purple dress and white crown, and a hint of pain flashed in her eyes.

She spoke in a hoarse voice, her tone almost pleading:
“Princess…Princess Sarah…please…can you give us back our husbands, our sons…? We don’t want these cold towers, we don’t want this false prosperity…we just want to go back to how we were before, migrating with the oasis, living together as a family, in peace and tranquility…please…”

Sarah was struck as if by a heavy blow; her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a sound.

Her "country," the Loulan she thought was prosperous and thriving, was actually... left with only these women, children, and the elderly?

Where have all the men gone?

Didn't An Lushan say that they were all working hard for the city's construction?

Looking at the tragic scene before him, and combining it with the previous intelligence, Minato understood what was going on.

He sighed and explained to the distraught Sarah in a heavy tone, "I think the truth is this: Your mother, the former Queen, probably gradually became aware of An Lushan's true colors and terrible ambitions during the process of him using the power of the dragon vein to rapidly develop Loulan and begin large-scale arrests of men for some ulterior motive."

"She wanted to stop him, but found herself powerless against An Lushan, who controlled the Dragon Vein and a puppet army. So, she secretly sought help from Konoha, hoping to at least protect you. But... before our aid arrived, she..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.

Sarah trembled violently, her face turning deathly pale.

She staggered, almost unable to stand. Naruto instinctively stepped forward to help her, but she waved him away.

She looked at the women and children, their eyes filled with tears, hope, and despair, and recalled her mother's worried secret letter. She also thought of An Lushan's usual hypocritical "dedication" and the "accidental" push on the platform just now...

A truth she couldn't accept, yet was crystal clear, pierced her heart like a cold knife.

She raised her head, looking at Shuimen, then at Mianma, and finally her gaze settled on the true survivors of Loulan. Her voice was hoarse and broken, filled with self-doubt and a crumbling faith:
"You mean... my mother... was killed by An Lushan? And Loulan... the Loulan that my mother and I have been trying so hard to protect... has actually long since become an empty shell with only puppets and prisoners?" Just as Princess Sara's faith collapsed and the cruel truth surfaced, an unexpected change occurred!

A dense and sharp sound of air being torn apart came from the sky!
Everyone looked up and saw dozens of sleek, humanoid combat puppets with gleaming joints flying down from the tops of the towers from all directions. Like well-trained falcons, they quickly occupied all the advantageous positions in the sky above the park, their sharp weapons and chakra launchers aimed directly at Menma, Minato, Sara, and the civilians of Loulan below, forming an impenetrable encirclement!

"Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!" Minato shouted, his reaction as swift as lightning.

He, Dingzuo, and Zhiwei acted almost simultaneously. The three of them dispersed instantly like three streaks of light, forming a triangular formation to protect the outer perimeter. Each of them drew their kunai and assumed a defensive stance, firmly protecting the panicked Loulan civilians and the distraught Sara in the center.

Without hesitation, Naruto immediately stood in front of Sara, gripping his kunai tightly with both hands, his eyes burning with fighting spirit as he warily stared at the cold mechanical creations in the air.

Behind him, dozens of Loulan women, young and old, huddled together in terror, trembling. They looked at the horrible puppets that had once captured their loved ones, their eyes filled with despair.

"Ah……"

A voice, tinged with feigned concern and chilling sarcasm, boomed from the surrounding horde of puppets through some kind of amplification device:
“My dear Queen Sara, how could you associate with these dangerous ninjas from other countries? You even listened to their lies and questioned your loyal and devoted ministers! This truly breaks my heart!”

As these disgusting words were spoken, the combat golems on the ground slowly parted to the sides, revealing a passage.

A slightly plump minister dressed in white desert noble attire, with a worried expression, slowly walked out from the shadows behind the puppet. It was An Lushan!

He first pretended to look at Sarah, who was being protected in the middle and had a pale face, and the Loulan civilians who trembled even more violently when they saw him, as if they had seen a demon. His face showed contempt.

Then, his gaze swept over the conspicuous Konoha headbands on the foreheads of Minato, Choza, and Shiki, a hint of understanding and calculation flashing in his eyes.

Finally, his gaze locked onto Menma, whose expression remained calm, his eyes revealing undisguised deep-seated resentment and profound... fear.

Sara forced herself to stand firm, breaking free from Naruto's instinctive attempt to support her. Straightening her slender spine, she used all her strength to utter a trembling yet clear question, her voice filled with the anger and sorrow of betrayal: "An Lushan! Answer me! Did you... kill my mother?! Where have you taken the people of Loulan... my people?! Answer me!"

Upon hearing this, An Lushan sighed in a pretentious manner.

At that moment, another voice, exactly like his, rang out from the shadows behind him:
"Since Her Majesty Queen Sarah already knows, why ask such a redundant question?"

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, yet another "An Lushan" emerged from behind the puppet group, standing shoulder to shoulder with the first An Lushan!

The sight of two "An Lushan" figures standing side by side, whose appearance, clothing, and even the smallest details of their expressions were so lifelike, caused the common people of Loulan to gasp in shock, and also made Naruto's eyes widen, his mind unable to process what was happening.

"Huh?! Two An Lushans?" Naruto scratched his head, pointing at the two men with a confused look. "Which one of you... is the centipede? Which one is the real one?"

Upon hearing this, both An Lushans simultaneously revealed a twisted and synchronized smile, as if sharing the same consciousness.

They answered in unison, their voices overlapping and echoing eerily: "We...are all 'centipedes'."

The second An Lushan to emerge turned his gaze to Naruto, his eyes narrowing slightly, and said, "You must be the Konoha ninja that the other 'me' mentioned, the one who chased him here, right? Unfortunately, he can no longer answer you."

“Right now, he’s just a rather special ‘material’ in my hands.” He seemed to be “regretting” it, but his tone was only coldly mocking.

After saying that, An Lushan once again focused his "gaze" on Menma, his eyes filled with resentment and ferocity. He gritted his teeth and said, "Lord of the Star Kingdom! It's been a long time!"

"Take a look at these combat puppets that I've meticulously crafted over the past six years. What do you think? Aren't they far superior to the conventional puppets of the Star Kingdom?"

"These are brand-new puppets that I created by combining the top-notch puppetry techniques I 'borrowed' from your country with the essence of traditional puppetry from Sunagakure, and the great power of the Dragon Vein! They don't need cumbersome chakra threads to control them, have a higher degree of autonomous action, and even... possess a certain degree of self-awareness!"

His voice was filled with a twisted sense of pride and a boastful, provocative tone towards Menma.

Minato tilted his head slightly and whispered to Menma beside him to confirm: "This guy is the 'Centipede' from your world?"

Menma nodded: "Yeah, a fool who stole some technology and defected. Now it seems that he not only turned the centipede from Naruto's world into a puppet, but he has probably also modified his own body into this half-human, half-puppet monster."

Upon hearing this, Naruto suddenly realized and pointed at the two An Lushans, exclaiming, "Ah! I know! Just like that 'Sasori' from Akatsuki! He turned himself into a puppet!"

Mianma took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over the menacing, oddly shaped humanoid combat puppets in the air and on the ground, as if he were examining a pile of scrap metal.

He shook his head slightly, his tone filled with undisguised disappointment and disdain:

"Six years, you stole my technology and the Dragon Vein Chakra. I thought you could produce something decent. In the end, you're just a piece of trash?"

"Trash?!"

This word instantly ignited the humiliation, resentment, and obsessive madness that had been building up in An Lushan's heart for six years!
As a puppeteer, a genius who prided himself on surpassing tradition and creating a completely new art of puppetry, his "masterpiece," painstakingly crafted with countless resources, was so contemptuously regarded as "minor trash"! This was more painful than death for him!
"Arrogant! You will pay the price for your arrogance!" An Lushan roared hysterically, waving his hand like a general commanding a vast army.

"Charge! Tear them to pieces! Leave no one alive!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——!!

At his command, hundreds of humanoid combat golems on the ground and in the air were activated simultaneously!

Their arms deformed, revealing sharp, spinning blades, pointed drills, or chakra muzzles condensing purple light!

Like a swarm of sharks that have smelled blood, they pounced on the surrounded crowd from all directions!

The sound of something tearing through the air was piercing and ear-piercing!
Despite her fear, Sarah bravely opened her arms and stood in front of the trembling civilians.

Minato, Choza, Shiki, and Naruto were on edge, leaning forward, ready to face this tough battle.

At this moment, the black pupil of Mianma's left eye turned blood red, and the three tomoe slowly rotated, forming a vortex-shaped pattern.

Mangekyou Sharingan—Awaken!

"Pupil Technique: Wheel Terror!"

His face was numb and his lips moved slightly.

next moment.

Splash! Splash!

Like puppets whose strings were simultaneously severed by an invisible sword, all the puppets that were charging and attacking the crowd froze in their tracks!
Immediately afterwards, they lost all power and plummeted directly from the sky, or fell to the ground while still charging, making a series of dense and crisp metallic clanging sounds and the sound of parts scattering!
In just a breath or two, the hundreds of elite humanoid combat puppets that were just moments before were all turned into piles of lifeless metal wreckage, filling the open space in the park!

The entire park fell into an eerie silence, with only the whistling sound of the wind blowing through the gaps in the tower.

"No...impossible!!" An Lushan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he roared in disbelief, "This is impossible! These puppets are directly controlled by my will through the dragon veins! How could you sever my connection with them! What did you use?!"

He couldn't understand how the vast and stable connection of the dragon vein could be so easily severed.

"It's now!"

In the instant that An Lushan was shocked and lost his composure, Naruto seized this fleeting opportunity!

The azure chakra spun and compressed rapidly in his palm!
"Spiral pills!"

A highly concentrated ball of chakra energy instantly took shape!

Naruto unleashed a burst of chakra from his feet, his figure darting out like a cheetah, instantly reaching An Lushan's true form, who was caught off guard and in shock!
"Take one of my moves!"

Naruto roared and slammed the Rasengan, which was shining with a blue light, hard onto An Lushan's face, which was contorted with shock!

Bang——! ! !
A dull, massive impact resounded!

An Lushan was struck squarely in the face, letting out a shrill scream. His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the base of a tall tower at the edge of the park, cracking the hard stone wall like a spiderweb!

The outer shell he used to disguise his face shattered and peeled away under the impact of the Rasengan, revealing the intricate mechanical structure and energy lines that shimmered with purple light.

The "Centipede" that had been turned into a clone puppet reacted quickly, immediately raising its right arm. The front of the arm deformed, extending into a hand cannon with a considerable diameter. The cannon's muzzle quickly lit up with a dangerous purple light, aiming at Naruto, who had just finished his attack and had not yet fully withdrawn his power!

"Watch out!" Minato's voice rang out almost simultaneously!

call out--!
A kunai with a sizzling, burning explosive tag attached to its tail was shot at the cannon barrel of the puppet centipede's raised arm!

Ding!
Boom——! !

The crisp sound of the kunai striking each other and the explosion that followed were almost simultaneous!

Although the explosive tag was not powerful enough to completely destroy the obviously more advanced puppet, the shock and flames of the explosion successfully interrupted its charged attack and blasted it backward, leaving a charred patch on its arm.

"Bastards...bastards!! You damned bugs!!"

Having been blasted away by the Rasengan and left in a sorry state, An Lushan struggled to his feet from the dent in the wall.

Beneath the damaged skin on his face, the exposed metallic structure and shimmering purple energy pulses looked particularly ferocious.

A rich purple dragon vein chakra surged from his body, wrapping around his "wounds" like a living thing, and the damaged structures were rapidly repaired and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye!
An Lushan raised his head, his face contorted in agony, rage, and a hysterical frenzy. He stared intently at Menma and the others, roaring hoarsely, "Fine! Very well! Since you're so reckless, then let me show you my true, most perfect masterpiece! Let you feel true despair!"

With his roar, a terrifying change began to occur in him!

His body expanded and twisted rapidly, like an inflating balloon!
The skin, or rather the bionic shell, cracked open inch by inch, revealing an even more complex mechanical structure underneath!
Its lower body extends segment by segment like a centipede, transforming into a giant centipede body and tail that is tens of meters long, covered with thick metal plates, and densely covered with sharp barbs on both sides!

The upper body became unusually thick and muscular, covered with heavy armor with sharp edges. The fingers on the front of the two arms disappeared, replaced by five giant rotating blades that gleamed with a cold light, had serrated edges, and were several meters long!
His head was encased in a grotesque metal helmet that resembled an insect's head, and his eyes flashed with a crazed purple light.
The centipede puppet that was blasted back also underwent a similar transformation!
Its body also swelled up, but it transformed into an enormous metal spider!
All eight long legs were made of sharp, giant blades, gleaming with a cold light, supporting the bulky body in the center.

Its inhuman head was a hideous maw covered with sharp metal teeth that opened and closed constantly!

Two gigantic puppet monsters, each nearly 100 meters tall, stood majestically in the park!

The shadows they cast completely enveloped the entire park and everyone within it, and the heavy sense of oppression they exuded, along with the ear-piercing noise of metal scraping, were enough to drive an ordinary person to a mental breakdown!

Sarah and the common people of Loulan looked up at the terrifying behemoth that blotted out the sky, their faces drained of color. Fear made it hard for them to breathe, and they could only collapse to the ground, uttering unconscious whimpers.

Naruto, Minato, Choza, and Shiki's faces also became more solemn and shocked.

Naruto looked up at the centipede and spider monster, swallowed hard, and said in a dry voice, "Hey...you...you're willing to give up being 'human' for power? That's too much!"

"Hahahahaha——!!!"

An Lushan's maniacal laughter, laced with the metallic scraping of metal, echoed from the centipede monster's head, reverberating through the empty tower forest, filled with twisted pleasure and an arrogance of absolute control.

"Do you see that? That's power! Ultimate power that surpasses that of ordinary ninjas!"

"Before the power of the dragon vein, before the perfect art of puppetry, you flesh and blood are nothing but insignificant ants! Feel despair! Then, become nourishment for my puppet factory!!"

Minato's eyes sharpened, and he quickly pulled out several specially made Flying Thunder God kunai from his ninja tool bag.

He lowered his voice and quickly deployed tactics to his companions: "Dingzuo, prepare to use the Expansion Technique, focusing on attacking their joints! Zhiwei, use your insects to disrupt their movement and chakra sources, and look for possible weaknesses!"

"I'll take charge of the main attack and containment. Let's concentrate our forces and take one down first! Naruto, you..."

However, before Minato could finish explaining his tactical arrangements, he was interrupted by Menma's voice.

"No need."

Menma took a few steps forward, alone, to face the two giant puppet monsters that were as big as mountains.

His figure appeared exceptionally thin in the enormous shadow, yet it exuded an indescribable composure and confidence.

"Since they're just scum who escaped from my world and caused all this trouble," Menma said calmly to Minato and the others behind him, turning his head slightly. "Then I'll personally 'clean up' them."

"Protect Sarah and her people, and don't let the fighting spread to them."

After speaking, Menma turned his gaze back to An Lushan, who was still laughing wildly, a smirk playing on his lips, and a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"If this is your confidence, then go die."

next moment--

boom!
A powerful, violent dark red chakra awakened and erupted from Menma's body!

Instantly, a beam of light shot into the sky, enveloping Mianma!
Dark red chakra rapidly condensed and took shape!
First, a huge, dark red skull rose from the ground, exuding a chilling aura of death!
Immediately afterwards, chakra spread and filled the skeleton like flesh and tendons, covering it with a ferocious and heavy black armor!

A pair of enormous wings, burning with dark red flames and with edges like broken blades, suddenly unfolded from behind the armor, blotting out the sky!
In just a few breaths, a fully formed Susanoo, over two hundred meters tall, clad in ferocious black armor and with blazing wings on its back, stood proudly between heaven and earth like a demon god descended from hell!

Dark red chakra rose and flickered on its body like flames, scorching the surrounding air and causing it to distort slightly.

Faced with its overwhelming power, An Lushan and the centipede puppet seemed like two children.

Susanoo slowly lowered its head, its head, burning with dark red flames, looking down at the tiny centipede and spider monster below.

Its massive, armored right hand clenched into a fist, and a giant chakra blade, over two hundred meters long, entirely black, with its edges wreathed in burning, leaping black flames, slowly materialized!

The moment the giant blade appeared, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop abruptly, and a terrifying aura that could cleave everything in two and burn away souls spread out!
"This...this is?!"

Minato, Choza, and Shimi were all dumbfounded, their faces filled with shock!

"Susanoo... Susanoo?! The Uchiha clan's... Susanoo?!" Choza's voice changed slightly. He came from the Akimichi clan, a powerful family in Konoha. The clan's records contained fragments about the final battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju at the Valley of the End, including the legendary manifestation of the Uchiha clan's supreme eye power.

Susanoo!

Zhiwei pushed up his sunglasses, which had slipped down, and his eyes behind the lenses were filled with horror.

He never imagined that he would live to see such a power that only existed in legends.

Minato was even more surprised. He had heard Jiraiya mention it and the Third Hokage describe it, but witnessing it firsthand was an experience on a completely different level!
That overwhelming size, that soul-chilling chakra surge, that black flame blade that seemed capable of slicing through anything…

Is this the power of Madara Uchiha back then?

But how did Mianma obtain that eye?

Menma, standing amidst the rhomboid crystal at the center of Susanoo's forehead, faces An Lushan's crazed "eyes" from afar.

He crossed his arms over his chest, and the black Susanoo slowly raised its hand, lifting the chakra sword burning with black flames.

"Come." Menma's voice echoed across the battlefield through Susanoo, carrying a hint of mockery.

"Let me see how many seconds your toys, built over the past six years, can last against my 'Gundam'?"

(End of this chapter)