"Invitation?!"
This word split Kisame's mind, which was shrouded in confusion. His small eyes suddenly widened, and his pupils shrank slightly under the firelight. What shocked him even more was the words that followed - "Reshape this false world."
This extremely arrogant declaration was like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, causing ripples in his heart.
However, for Kisame, who has already tasted betrayal and has the deepest doubts about all promises, such an empty and grand slogan is not enough.
"Haha..." Kisame let out a hoarse sneer, and held Samehada's hand tightly but did not relax at all, "It's really unexpected, Master Menma. Unlike those horrible rumors spread by Ninja World, you are really good at preaching."
His tone was sharp and questioning.
"But, with all due respect, what is the essential difference between the so-called 'truth' you call and the 'betrayal' I just experienced personally? It's just jumping from one cage into another, which may be better decorated."
Kisame needs an answer, an answer that can really sting his numb nerves and allow him to see a different light.
He stared at the Fox Mask, wanting to penetrate it and see clearly whether the person hidden behind was the savior or another more clever liar.
"You said we are 'comrades'? Then, please tell me——" Kisame asked with an almost paranoid voice.
"What betrayed you yourself? Why do you think you can see through the 'falseness' of this world? If... if the 'truth' you pursue turns out to be just another more subtle deception, so what? Aren't we repeating the same tragedy?"
Listening to Kisame repeating "real" and "false" one by one, it was like being trapped in an endless loop of tongue twisters. Under the mask, Menma really felt a headache.
This guy's stubbornness was more troublesome than he expected. But for the capable subordinate who is indispensable for the future in front of him, he must give an answer that is enough to break his guard and satisfy him.
He was silent for a moment, thinking about how to express the complex truth in a way that people of this era could understand. After a few seconds, Menma spoke.
"Kisame Hoshigaki, you made a mistake." Menma said slowly, "I was not betrayed by a specific person or a certain village like you."
"The betrayal I experienced... was far more thorough and grand than that. What betrayed me was 'hope' itself. It was the kind of belief that as long as you work hard and follow certain rules, you can usher in a better future... naive expectation."
There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone, whether it was for himself or for the illusory "hope".
"Correspondingly, what I betrayed is not a certain force. What I betrayed is the basic 'rules' on which the entire Ninja World relies. It is the fate of the endless cycle of hatred, deception, benefiting and being benefited."
"Why do you ask me? The answer is simple. Because I have tried to maintain that seemingly reasonable 'order' just like you, or even more religiously than you, and I believe in those high-sounding 'righteousness'... It wasn't until I touched its core with my own hands that I discovered that its foundation had been completely rotten and hopeless."
According to the development of the original world line, even if the so-called peace is achieved, the fragile balance is just a show. In the end... the threat "Otsutsuki" from outside the world came, and all efforts made by higher-level forces seemed so ridiculous. Isn't this the ultimate betrayal of "hope"?
"The reason for the falseness of this world is not lies and deception on the surface, but the 'contract' that maintains the entire order. From the moment it was signed, it was an empty document that was destined to be unfulfilled."
"The strong can define 'truth' as they wish, while the weak... just like you and me, can only be forced to repeat the cruel cycle of 'loyalty' and 'betrayal' within this framework."
Menma paused slightly to give Kisame time to digest these words before facing the core question.
"You ask me, will the 'truth' I pursue turn into another higher-level deception?"
"I cannot and will not give you a so-called 'never broken' promise. Because such a promise itself is the 'false' thing I hate most. A blank check is meaningless."
"I can give you, there are only two things -"
"A key, and a trial."
"Kisame Hoshigaki, come with me. I will create a real 'place' for you - not based on interests or fears, but based on the 'truth' we are about to practice together. I will be your companion, not just verbally, but truly back-to-back with you, with the blade pointing in the same direction."
"We want to cut open not only the enemy's body, but also the foundation of all hypocrisy in the world, breaking that sad cycle. And the price... is your entire past, and your unknown future."
Menma's voice carries a final, unquestionable challenge. "Now, tell me - do you have the guts to hold this key that may lead to hell or a new world?"
Kisame stood frozen on the spot, and all the muscles in his body seemed to have lost consciousness. Only his heart and chest were beating crazily, and the sound of blood rushing was roaring in his ears. He could hardly breathe, because the scene described in Menma's mouth was exactly what he longed for deep down in his heart, even in his dreams, but never dared to declare in his mouth the ultimate answer - a true companion, and a naked and real world that was completely free from hypocrisy.
This promise is as beautiful as an illusion. Logically speaking, with his many years of experience in the dark, he should be more vigilant, should repeatedly question Menma's motives, and speculate whether there is a deeper trap hidden behind it... But at this moment, an almost instinctive impulse overwhelms all rational considerations.
It's so similar... With these words, Jian Jian seemed to have pried into Kisame's deepest confusion and then tailored a tailor-made answer.
True companions... There is no false world... If this promise is true, even if there are mountains of swords and seas of fire ahead, and there will be eternal doom, Kisame will do everything possible to catch it!
However, precisely because this promise was so heavy, heavy enough for him to stake his soul on it, Kisame needed the last thing - an irrefutable reassurance that would allow him to completely cut off his retreat and completely hand over his past and future. He needs Menma proof, which is not just a nice word.
(Sorry, I'm going to take some time off in the next few days, but it's not that I won't update anymore. There will be more updates, but very few. At least one chapter will be updated every day)
(Due to work and family reasons, the author went abroad. He will go on the 29th. There will be more updates on the National Day! Start repaying the kindness of the Dior boss!)
(Picture evidence shows that the author has something to say, and the author really went abroad)
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