Naruto: Menma Exiting Infinite Tsukuyomi

Chapter 146: Menma: Hidan, Devout Believer, Offer Up a Sacrifice

The character for "Jewel" (玉) among the nine summoning formulas behind Menma lit up.

The next moment, a figure wearing a white robe, with transparent silk ribbons wrapped around its body, slowly floated out from the formula.

"Oh?"

Menma's eyes couldn't help but light up upon seeing this: "This Tennyo among the Nine Masked Beasts seems much stronger than my previous one."

In the Tsukuyomi world, there were no flashy things like death gods or evil gods.

So Menma had just divided the Black Nine-Tails' chakra into nine parts, crudely turning them into nine Nine Masked Beasts.

Those Nine Masked Beasts had no special abilities, but these current ones each had their own special characteristics.

The Azure Dragon was the division and rebirth of the Eight-Tails' chakra; the White Tiger was the power and perception of the Nine-Tails' chakra.

As for this "Tennyo" transformed from the "Jashin"...

"So that's how it is! So that's it!"

Menma, sensing the Tennyo's characteristics, showed a look of pleasant surprise on his face: "Yin Release chakra, natural energy, and also this thing similar to the power of faith?"

No.

To call it the "power of faith" would be an overstatement.

It's better to call it the "power of wishes," or the "votive power" mentioned in ancient texts.

"Alas! How can life fulfill my truth? Thus, death is not swift, will there be votive power?!"

"All are of high moral character, their votive power immense, they should be able to uphold Christ's mission to save the world and sympathize with our generation."

Liu Yuxi of the Tang Dynasty and Zhang Nanxian of the modern era both mentioned the concept of "votive power" in their works.

This metaphysical thing sounds mysterious.

But placed in the ninja world, it is a mutated spiritual power.

"How did I forget about this thing that has influenced the history of the ninja world!"

Menma's eyes flickered, thinking to himself: "If I remember correctly, the birth of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura is closely related to votive power!"

In the original manga,

The reason Ōtsutsuki Kaguya could give birth to Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura was because she received the blessings of the ninja world's natives after eating the chakra fruit produced by the God Tree.

"This way, many things can be explained!"

As his thoughts deepened, Menma's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Yes! That's right!

Compared to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, whose divinity was greater than her humanity, her two sons' humanity was greater than their divinity.

If we exclude the influence of environmental factors on them, then the only possibility is the influence of this key point – the "human blessings."

"Spiritual power" and "physical power" are traits possessed by the common people; the fact that all humans in the ninja world more or less have chakra in their bodies is due to the same principle.

The difference between ninja and civilians is just whether they have a method to actively refine these two powers.

And according to Menma's guess, "votive power" is perhaps the sublimation or mutation of spiritual power.

Then it's understandable why Hagoromo and Hamura would rather betray and seal their mother Kaguya, bearing guilt, for the sake of the lives of countless ninja world natives.

"Besides possessing Ōtsutsuki bloodline and part of the God Tree's power, Ōtsutsuki Hamura and Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo also gathered the power of the wishes of countless humans in the ninja world!"

They were influenced in their will and mind by countless "votive powers."

"And the reason Naruto's Ashura chakra is so strange is probably because it's a chakra that combines obsession and votive power!"

In the final Naruto-Sasuke battle in the original work, after Naruto's chakra was depleted,

He created a Rasengan with the help of his comrades and finally managed to win against Sasuke by a narrow margin.

Menma still remembered very clearly that Uchiha Itachi had helped both Sasuke and Naruto with a poke.

"Although the original work didn't mention the setting of votive power, it seems votive power has been influencing the course of the ninja world all along."

And to make an even bolder guess,

The thing the Three Great Sage Regions have been fighting over might just be the votive power of the humans in the ninja world.

Thinking this, a glint flashed in Menma's eyes.

Immediately, he activated his Mind's Eye again, also connecting with the "Nine Masked Beast - Tennyo" before him.

The transparent silk ribbons behind the Tennyo were actually woven from an extremely pure spiritual power.

And Menma did indeed sense a subtle connection.

Just as he attempted to communicate with that "connection,"

A voice, exceptionally pious, suddenly appeared faintly by his ear.

"Good evening, Lord Jashin. Your most loyal believer, Hidan, offers you a sacrifice."

The instant the voice fell,

A streak of blackish-red appeared on the silk ribbon behind the Tennyo, and Menma's eyes couldn't help but widen.

"Jashin... so it feeds on this kind of spiritual power to be able to exist in this world in a soul-like form without dissipating?"

He sensed fear, despair, pain, resentment, and anger within this spiritual power.

Menma came back to his senses, smiling playfully.

"If I heard correctly, that person just now called himself Hidan, right?"

Menma once again communicated with that "connection," then transmitted a command with his spiritual power.

--"Offer me a higher quality sacrifice, and I shall grant you even greater power."

Sent along with this command was a trace of spiritual power that originally belonged to Jashin.

This spiritual power didn't have any major effect.

It just allowed Hidan to see others' various emotions through his eyes.

This was a small experiment for Menma.

If it was really feasible, then perhaps he could also popularize "votive power" in the Land of Snow and even other places.

Trying to mold himself into an image similar to a "guardian deity" or a "great sage."

"Heh, as expected, a complete world is not just what's on the surface. There are still many things that can be developed."

Menma smiled sincerely, thinking to himself: "Votive power, this thing that is everywhere and insignificant, can have great utility value if accumulated."

Then the plans to build the "Fourth Sage Region" and achieve the "Great Unification of the Ninja World" must also be pushed forward now.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Shin at the side had long been dumbfounded.

"Sir... did he just eat that Jashin?!"

Reacting, he subconsciously shivered.

This was the second time he had seen such a powerful and bizarre ninjutsu.

The last time was that "seed."

"Let's go."

The formulas behind Menma gradually dissipated as he said with a smile: "Let's go see how the devout believer is doing."

With that, he turned and walked towards the surface.

Uchiha Shin, though somewhat bewildered, quickly followed upon seeing this.

His reverence for this Lord had deepened.

...

Meanwhile, at the border of the Land of Hot Water.

Kakuzu and Sasori, clad in black robes with red clouds, also stepped into a village.

But then they stopped in unison.

"Smell that?"

"Mm."

Hearing Kakuzu's question, Sasori answered easily: "Since we entered, we haven't seen a single living person until now. Looks like we've found the right place."

Moreover, such a heavy smell of blood clearly indicated a very fresh slaughter scene.

(End of Chapter)

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