Menma said: "Just a Kazekage, yet so resilient. If we weren't strong enough, we might have met our end!"
Naruto shook his head: "I really don't know how I'll explain this to Gaara later."
"What is there to explain?" After a pause, Menma said: "Either we killed her, or she would have killed us!"
From Naruto's headset, the voice of a Communication Unit shinobi came through: "Please do not worry. These shinobi died the moment they were controlled by the Hegemon. You are only fighting 'Human Puppets.' The Hidden Sand Village will not blame you!"
Naruto didn't say a word, only quietly looking at the broken corpse of the Fifth Kazekage on the ground.
Menma floated to Naruto's side at this time and asked into the headset: "How are the other nodes doing now?"
The Communication Unit shinobi said: "Currently, all nine key nodes are under control!"
Menma smiled: "Everyone's doing a good job!"
Naruto, however, looked up at the sky and said: "I don't know why, but I have an ominous premonition!"
Menma put away his smile and also looked at the sky.
The sky was now even darker than before. Within the dark clouds covering the heavens, the sound of muffled thunder faintly echoed, making one's heart feel stifled!
Naruto whispered: "Menma, do you think this might be the apocalypse from the Great Toad Sage's prophecy?"
"How should I know!" After a pause, Menma said coldly: "I only know that the node I am responsible for cannot fall. As for the rest, that is something he needs to consider!"
Hearing Menma mention Shinji, Naruto suddenly regained his confidence: "Shinji won't lose. Ever since I've known him, he has never lost!"
Suddenly, a mocking chuckle came from not far away: "Naruto, so you have such blind faith in him!"
Naruto and Menma were both startled and looked toward the source of the sound.
They saw a figure wrapped in dark purple smoke slowly walking out from the ruins of the battlefield.
"Kabuto Yakushi!?"
Naruto recognized the person's identity at a glance.
Undoubtedly, this fellow wrapped in a dark purple aura was Orochimaru's assistant and one of the members of the Research Institute's elite squad, Kabuto Yakushi.
Like Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi had been noticed by the Hegemon of Terror long ago.
Furthermore, due to Orochimaru's defection, Kabuto Yakushi had been in a state of fear and unease for a long time. Thus, the Hegemon of Terror very easily eroded his mind and turned him into its puppet.
Menma stared at Kabuto Yakushi and retorted: "I didn't expect a guy like you, who only dares to hide in dark corners, to jump out! Hah, it seems the so-called Hegemon of Terror is nothing special, sending even a piece of trash like you to die!"
Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses and spoke with absolute certainty: "I am indeed not a notable figure, but in this battle, the shinobi world is destined to lose!"
Naruto was furious: "Bastard, what nonsense are you talking!"
Kabuto Yakushi shook his head: "You simply don't understand what you are facing. You only dare to mock Him now because He is blocked outside the space barrier. Once this thin layer of space barrier is broken, everything will return to nothingness!"
Menma said: "Then let it bring it on!"
"He is already here!" After a pause, Kabuto Yakushi looked at Naruto and Menma: "Unfortunately, everything you are doing now is just meaningless resistance."
Menma sneered: "If it's meaningless, why did it send you to die? Don't try to deceive us; it just wants to destroy the key nodes, and we won't let it succeed!"
Kabuto Yakushi smiled: "Your reliance is the Infinite Tsukuyomi, isn't it? Without the Infinite Tsukuyomi, can you few hold nine nodes?"
Menma didn't back down: "So what if we are? Why don't you come and make us?"
Kabuto Yakushi shook his head: "No need, because your Infinite Tsukuyomi will end very soon..."
Rumble
Just as Kabuto Yakushi finished speaking, a deafeningly loud roar came from the sky. Immediately after, bursts of firelight that could turn the entire sky red flashed behind the dark clouds!
Naruto said in shock: "What's happening?"
Menma realized something, and his expression changed instantly: "It seems... damn it, it's the moon! They destroyed the moon!"
As if to confirm Menma's guess, countless fragments from the exploded moon, like meteorites, screamed as they wrapped in flames and trailed long tails of fire, passing through the clouds and plunging toward the shinobi world.
For a time, it was as if countless rains of fire were falling from the sky!
Without the moon as a reflecting object, the effect of the Infinite Tsukuyomi began to fade. Except for the creatures already entangled by the branches of the God Tree, other creatures in the shinobi world gradually broke free from the genjutsu of the Infinite Tsukuyomi and regained consciousness.
After all, the God Tree's initial coverage was limited, and its gradual extension took time. Thus, currently, not all living beings in the shinobi world were entangled by the branches of the God Tree.
Kabuto Yakushi spread his arms: "See? Your resistance is meaningless before the Hegemon! Now that the Infinite Tsukuyomi is dispelled, everyone will begin to regain consciousness. And once they regain consciousness, they will feel fear and despair! These will nourish my Lord and make my Lord's power even stronger!"
Naruto gritted his teeth: "Bastard!"
He was very angry because he knew Kabuto Yakushi's speculation was correct. As long as the Infinite Tsukuyomi stopped, the living beings of the shinobi world would regain consciousness, and then fear would begin to spread—which was exactly what the Hegemon of Terror expected.
Kabuto Yakushi laughed: "The outcome is decided; you've lost! The interruption of the Infinite Tsukuyomi is just the beginning. Next will be your nodes, and finally, that God Tree! Everything has begun; fate is finally sealed!"
The continuously falling rain of fire made the entire sky flicker between light and dark, adding a touch of grandeur to this suppressed, grey world heading toward its end.
"The moon is so important; why didn't Shinji protect it? Or rather, was the person guarding the moon defeated? That's Toneri's territory. If someone was guarding it, it should have been him! But he's an Otsutsuki with a powerful weapon like the Giant Tenseigan—could he lose?"
At this moment, many questions surged in Menma's heart. For a split second, he even began to wonder if there was a loophole in Shinji's plan.
However, he quickly suppressed his doubts. No matter what, their priority was to deal with Kabuto Yakushi in front of them. As for other matters, they could only find out after dealing with Kabuto Yakushi.
Menma shouted: "Naruto, don't listen to his nonsense! Let's take him out first!"
"Right!"
Naruto nodded.
Kabuto Yakushi smiled: "Futile struggle!"
With that, he activated Sage Mode and lunged at Naruto with a flicker.