I Am Uzumaki Menma

"What... what is this?!" Raiga stared in horror at his pierced Lightning Strike Armor. His swords, Kiba, were firmly pinned down by the skeletal claws of Susanoo, leaving him unable to retreat.

The tremendous impact had driven his legs deep into the ground, leaving him trapped like a cornered beast.

"I originally planned to give you a chance to surrender, but it seems you aren't worthy of that opportunity." Hikari stood tall, looking down at the battered and disheveled Raiga with cold disdain.

For this mission, Menma had tasked her with leading a team to investigate the Kurosuki Clan entrenched in the Katabami Gold Mine, as well as the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist's member, Kurosuki Raiga.

If possible, they were to recruit him. If he resisted, they only needed to bring back the swords.

At first, Hikari had held some hope for Raiga, after all, adding a powerful Ninja to Menma's forces would always be beneficial.

However, after hearing from Sansho and hearing the intel gathered by Hoshigakure's Ninjas from nearby villagers, she learned that Raiga frequently held forced funerals, with many villagers having lost loved ones to his senseless killings.

Even for someone like Hikari, who had witnessed countless battles during the Warring States Period, such bullying of the weak was utterly contemptible.

"Now, it's my turn to hold a funeral for you." Hikari's Mangekyo Sharingan spun rapidly as waves of crimson Chakra surged forth, covering the massive skeletal frame of Susanoo. Gradually, flesh and armor took shape.

Raiga's eyes widened in terror as he watched the crimson skeletal half-body transform into a towering giant clad in heavy armor. The sheer scale of the entity left him frozen in fear.

Amid the thick mist shrouding Katabami Gold Mine, the colossal dark-red giant loomed like a god descending upon the mortal world. Even villagers several kilometers away could see the godlike figure faintly visible through the fog.

Many in the surrounding villages dropped to their knees, prostrating themselves in worship, murmuring prayers toward the direction of the mountain.

But on the battlefield, Raiga felt only the shadow of death looming over him. His combat instincts screamed warnings… comparable to the time he had faced the near-fatal threat of Konoha's Genin unleashing the Eight Gates!

Within the mist, the crimson Susanoo drew a massive Chakra Sword from its wing. As the sword swung, violent winds scattered the fog, cleaving through a nearby mountaintop and slicing it clean in half.

With overwhelming force, Susanoo raised its Chakra Sword and brought it crashing down!

"Lightning Release: Lightning Burial!" In a desperate last stand, Raiga channeled all his Chakra into Kiba, summoning a storm of thunderbolts from the darkened sky. The bolts struck both himself and Susanoo, as if he intended to drag his enemy down with him!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Countless lightning strikes rained from the heavens, crashing onto Raiga and Susanoo alike.

But this still couldn't stop Hikari's Susanoo from swinging down the Chakra Sword!

The Chakra Sword descended without stopping. The earth trembled under the force, shockwaves rippling outward.

Boom-!!!

The village at the foot of Katabami Gold Mine was instantly reduced to ruins. The slash tore through the forest, leaving a kilometer-long scar across the land… even splitting a mountain clean in half!

As the smoke cleared, Raiga stood, or rather, barely remained, within a massive crater. He had crossed Kiba in a desperate block and shifted his body to the side, but it wasn't enough. His right arm was severed, the limb still gripping one of the swords as it fell to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.

Though not dead, he had exhausted all his Chakra and was no longer capable of fighting.

The once-arrogant Raiga was now reduced to a broken man, missing an arm, coughing up blood, with nothing left in his eyes but sheer terror at the devastating power he had faced.

Hikari dismissed Susanoo and walked calmly toward Raiga.

She picked up one of the Kiba from the ground and pointed it at Raiga's throat.

"Wait! Please wait!" Raiga coughed up blood in panic, desperately pleading for mercy. "I surrender!"

"My lord, please let me serve you!"

Unlike Kisame, who was willing to die for his ideals and convictions, Raiga had long lost his way.

Ever since barely escaping death at the hands of a Konoha's Genin years ago, he had spiraled into bloodshed within Kirigakure's Anbu before ultimately defecting.

Killing had become his way of filling the void, and funerals are his twisted pleasure.

"A Ninja who slaughters civilians like you doesn't deserve to live." Hikari's voice dripped with disdain. She despised Raiga's so-called 'funerals', especially since his victims were innocent villagers. Had he at least targeted other Ninjas, she might have respected him a little more.

"No more funerals! Since the lord doesn't like it, I'll-" Before Raiga could finish, Hikari flicked Kiba in a swift motion.

A flash of steel appeared and Raiga's head flew into the air, tumbling to the ground with a dull thud. His wide, lifeless eyes stared blankly at his own headless corpse.

With Raiga dealt with, Hikari picked up the second Kiba, gripping both swords as she strode toward the other battlefield.

"Nanashi-sama!" From behind the ruined village cemetery, six Kurosuki Clan's Ninjas, who are defeated by Natsuhi and Hotarubi along with three Hoshigakure's Ninjas, were being bound and restrained.

Tying them up.

"That's… Kiba!" One of the Kurosuki Clan's members paled in horror at the sight of a young girl walking toward them, holding both of Raiga's swords.

"Where's Clan Head Raiga?! What did you do to him?"

Hikari glanced at the surrounding graves before thrusting the swords into the ground in front of the six captured Kurosuki Clan's Ninjas.

"Kurosuki Raiga is dead." She declared coldly, "Now, you have two choices. Either relocate your entire clan to Hoshigakure… or join Raiga in his grave."

Hikari then ordered one of the Hoshigakure's Ninjas to retrieve Raiga's severed head from the battlefield.

Moments later, a bloodied head was placed before the Kurosuki Clan's Ninjas.

At the sight of their leader's lifeless face, the last remnants of their resistance crumbled.

If even Raiga, the man who had led their defection from Kirigakure, had been killed, what choice did they have?

And that towering red giant… the sheer pressure it exuded was like a rampaging Tailed Beast!

The Ninjas of the Kurosuki Clan chose to surrender without much hesitation.

…

Noon.

Hotarubi and the other Hoshigakure's Ninjas oversaw the Kurosuki Clan's relocation while freeing the miners and villagers oppressed under their rule in Katabami Gold Mine.

Meanwhile, Hikari, Natsuhi, and two lightly injured Hoshigakure's Ninjas arrived at the Curry of Life Shop.

"Granny, could you prepare a few more servings of curry and rice?" Hikari's stomach rumbled uncontrollably.

Sansho smiled warmly and brought out plates of freshly made curry from the kitchen: "Thank you for your hard work, eat quickly."