Meeting the Chief

The humanoid creature waved its hands repeatedly, stopping Menma's question as it said, "Slow down, slow down, slow down. Let me ask first! Who are you?"

"My name is Menma Namikaze. I'm a human who accidentally stumbled into this place."

"Accidentally stumbled in?

Humans???

Stop lying!!!

You must be the Tanuki Demon, right? You turned into this form to have some fun at this old man's expense, didn't you?" The Kappa smugly believed it had seen through Menma's lie.

"...I really am human," Menma explained flatly.

"Hahaha, Tanuki Demon, if you're going to lie, at least put some thought into it. There are only old monsters like us left here. Where would any humans come from?

And you accidentally stumbled in? Do you know that no outsiders have come here for over a thousand years?" The Kappa still did not believe him.

Menma helplessly shook his head and lightly tossed a kunai at the Kappa. "Take a look at this. Do you have weapons like this here?"

The Kappa caught the kunai and casually glanced at it. Then its laughter abruptly stopped, and it stared fixedly at the kunai.

"What is this? I've never seen anything like it!"

Then it fixed Menma with a sharp gaze and sternly demanded, "You're not the Tanuki Demon. Who exactly are you?"

Menma answered expressionlessly, "I already told you. I really am human!"

"Impossible. This place has been cut off from the world for over a thousand years. How did you get in?"

Menma said troubledly, "I don't know either. I was just using the Summoning Technique normally, and then I ended up here."

The Kappa continued asking, "Summoning Technique? What is a Summoning Technique? Some new spell?"

Menma patiently explained, "The Summoning Technique isn't a spell. It's a Ninjutsu developed by us Ninja!"

The Kappa was even more confused. "Ninja? What Ninja? Didn't you just say you were human? Why are you a Ninja now?!"

"Ah!!!" Menma was about to lose his mind. He realized there was simply no way to explain himself to this Kappa.

Seeing Menma scratch his head and roar, the Kappa looked as though it were facing a great enemy, believing Menma was about to attack.

After a while, Menma calmed himself down and asked again, "Do you have a chief? How about letting me speak with your chief?"

"Impossible! I will never let someone of unknown origins like you get close to our chief!" the Kappa firmly refused.

Menma's anger flared up again. This Kappa was even more stubborn than Ōnoki. It could neither understand reason nor be persuaded.

I hadn't planned to do this, but at this point, I have no choice but to use this method!

Menma flashed forward, snatched the kunai from the Kappa's hand, and held it to its neck. With a slight press, he cut a bloody line into its skin. "Hmph, that's right. We've already discovered your hiding place!

Go inform your chief. If you don't surrender, war is what you'll face next!"

The Kappa's mouth fell open as it stared at Menma in terror, its limbs trembling helplessly.

Menma withdrew the kunai and stared expressionlessly at the Kappa.

The Kappa collapsed onto the water's surface and scrambled backward on all fours. Seeing that Menma did not react, it plunged into the water with a splash and swiftly fled upstream along the small river.

Menma shook his head at the sight, walked to the shore, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.

The Kappa sped through the water, and before long, it arrived beneath a massive torii gate.

It leaped out of the water and clumsily crawled up the stone steps beneath the torii gate on all fours, shouting as it climbed:

"This is bad, this is bad! Chief, an enemy claiming to be human has attacked us!

..."

At the end of the steps was a spacious courtyard, with a magnificent shrine standing at its center.

The Kappa staggered to the middle of the courtyard, braced its hands on its knees, and panted heavily as it said:

"Huff... huff... huff...

...Chief...

...Something terrible... has happened...

..."

A dignified voice from within the shrine rebuked, "Kappa, catch your breath before you speak!

Honestly, you're already so old, yet you're still this reckless."

The Kappa took several deep breaths and tried hard to steady its breathing before saying, "Chief, someone claiming to be human has arrived outside. He says he has discovered our hidden place and has declared war on us!"

Another aged voice came from inside the shrine. "Idiot, what nonsense are you spouting? No humans have ever appeared here in over a thousand years!"

The Kappa hurriedly explained, "Chief, it's true! He's at the pool where I live right now. Look, he even left this wound on my neck!"

"What? It's true?!" surprised voices came from behind the door.

"How many years has it been? An outsider really got in?!"

"Let's go take a look!"

"Wait. We still don't know who he is or how strong he is. Wouldn't it be dangerous to rush over there?"

"Hmph, what danger could there be before my tachi?"

"That's right. Even if the old man's tachi has gone dull, my iron staff is no joke!"

"Alright, alright, let's all go take a look!"

"Exactly. We've been stuck in this damned place for a thousand years. It's time to go find some fun!"

A group of people argued noisily without pause.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, Menma opened his eyes upon hearing movement.

He saw a group of figures before him, some standing and some sitting.

Some were beautiful women with deathly pale skin, while others were ugly giants with wings growing from their backs.

Some had necks as long as great snakes, while others had lower bodies like spiders.

Some crawled on the ground like turtles, while others had sharp fangs like fierce tigers!

Menma knew that the masters of this place had arrived. He slowly rose to his feet and politely said to them, "Everyone, I'm sorry for using this method to invite you out to meet with me.

But please believe me, I mean you no harm!

First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Menma Namikaze, and I come from the planet on the other side.

As you can see, I'm human. An unknown error occurred while I was practicing Ninjutsu, so I accidentally stumbled into your territory.

If everyone here is willing, please tell me how to return to the planet on the other side!"

The group opposite him looked at one another, then began whispering among themselves.

"Did you understand what he was saying?"

"Not really. What about you?"

"I understood a little. Didn't he say that this human made a mistake while practicing Ninjutsu, wandered into our place by accident, and now wants to leave?"

"Oh, oh, you're amazing. Then what is Ninjutsu?"

"Idiot, you don't even know that? It's just what we call spells over here!"

"I see. This old man has learned something!"

Seeing the group opposite him chatting among themselves, Menma coughed heavily. "What conclusion have you reached, everyone? Are you willing to tell me how to get out?"