"Jiraiya-senpai," Menma frowned, his tone serious. "Are we just going to let him go like this?"
Jiraiya's expression shifted slightly.
Naruto… this kid… could it be?
Was he really thinking of killing this man?
It was a possibility.
The last time, they had shown mercy and let this man go. But now, here he was, a robber once again. Would Naruto really be willing to let him walk away this time?
"Naruto, you should still give him a chance," Jiraiya said, trying to reason with him. "He hasn't done anything too extreme. He doesn't deserve to die for this."
Off to the side, the wandering samurai nodded repeatedly, desperate to affirm Jiraiya's words.
"I swear! This time, I will truly repent and turn over a new leaf!" the samurai pleaded.
"Shut up!" Menma snapped, glaring at him.
Did he think they were fools? If he had truly wanted to repent, why hadn't he done so earlier?
"Naruto, I know his sincerity might not be convincing, but that doesn't mean you should just execute him," Jiraiya sighed. He knew full well that a man like this wasn't likely to change just because of a few harsh words. But what else could he do?
Could he take responsibility for this man?
Could he keep him under constant watch?
There were countless men like this across the ninja world—ronin, bandits, rogue shinobi. If Jiraiya were to take it upon himself to reform each and every one of them, how would he ever find the prophesied child?
"Last time, we let Kado's men go, allowing them to escape," Menma said, shaking his head. "At the time, I didn't think much of it. But later, I realized… perhaps it would have been better if they had remained under Kado's command."
Jiraiya frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Kado… he had heard of him before. A wealthy but ruthless businessman, infamous for employing mercenaries and ronin to do his dirty work.
"If those men had remained under Kado, at least he could have kept them in check," Menma explained. "Under Kado, they had a stable source of income, meaning they wouldn't need to resort to banditry."
Jiraiya was stunned.
"...But they would still be committing crimes for Kado," he countered.
Naruto's reasoning… it didn't make sense!
He was seriously suggesting that it was better for these people to serve under a corrupt businessman?
Who had been feeding him this nonsense?!
"Let me put it this way, Jiraiya-senpai," Menma continued, undeterred. "Why do you think there are so many wandering samurai in the Land of Waves?"
Jiraiya furrowed his brows. "Isn't it obvious? The entire ninja world is like this."
Ronin, missing-nin, bandits—they were everywhere. Jiraiya had seen them in every corner of the world. It was tragic, but hardly surprising.
"Then let me explain something to you," Menma said, his tone shifting to that of a teacher.
Jiraiya unconsciously straightened, feeling a strange weight in the boy's words.
"When the gap between the rich and the poor grows too vast, the lower classes struggle to survive. Some people can't even afford basic necessities, while the wealthy hoard resources. In such a situation, those with military strength—whether samurai or shinobi—are easily swayed by the rich to act as their enforcers. They become thugs, guards, mercenaries… all to maintain the power of the upper class."
Jiraiya was speechless.
This was not the kind of conversation he had expected to have today.
"While this system doesn't fix the underlying issues, it does help stabilize society," Menma continued. "Those who fail to get hired by the wealthy are forced into even worse positions—becoming bandits, thieves, or rebels.
"But in cases like the Land of Waves, where the established order collapses, even those who once had steady employment fall into lawlessness. That's why this country is in its current state. Without Kado or the daimyo enforcing control, his former men have become little more than bandits."
Menma's words were calm, measured, and disturbingly logical.
Jiraiya tried his best to follow along, but… what was this?!
Where had Naruto learned to talk like this?!
"Naruto, wait… who taught you this stuff?" Jiraiya asked, his voice full of disbelief.
He had traveled the ninja world for decades, learning its deepest secrets. He prided himself on his knowledge of people, politics, and power.
But here was a twelve-year-old boy talking about social structure and economic stability in a way that he couldn't even understand!
"I read about it in books," Menma said simply. "And I learned some of it in school."
Jiraiya was dumbfounded.
What kind of books were they giving kids in the Academy these days?!
"Jiraiya-senpai," Menma said, shifting gears, "let me ask you one last question."
Jiraiya wiped the sweat from his forehead. "...Alright. Ask away."
"If I wanted to make the Land of Waves a better place, what should I do?" Menma asked, staring at him intently. "If I wanted to truly change this country—so that both the law-abiding citizens and the wandering samurai could live stable lives—what would you suggest?"
Jiraiya hesitated.
That… was a difficult question.
Reforming a country, even one as small as the Land of Waves, wasn't something that could be done overnight. It wasn't as simple as defeating a few criminals or taking down corrupt officials.
"I…" Jiraiya faltered.
He didn't have an answer.
"Alright," Menma said after a moment. "Then let me ask something simpler."
Jiraiya sighed in relief.
"If I wanted to change this country, but the daimyo opposed me… what should I do?"
Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat.
"...The daimyo?" he repeated cautiously.
If the daimyo was involved, things became far more complicated.
"You could try negotiating," Jiraiya suggested hesitantly. "Explain your vision to him. Surely, making the Land of Waves prosper would be in his best interest too, right?"
Menma fell silent.
He stared at Jiraiya for a long time, his expression unreadable.
Then, finally, he let out a quiet sigh.
"I understand now," Menma said. His voice carried a strange weight—one that sent a chill down Jiraiya's spine.
"...Understand what?" Jiraiya asked, uneasy.
"Now I finally understand why His Majesty doesn't like people like you," Menma said, shaking his head.
Jiraiya stiffened.
"His Majesty"?
Jiraiya's ears perked up. Who was Menma referring to?
Was it the Hokage? Someone else?
A creeping suspicion formed in his mind, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer.
Author's Note:
In this chapter, we see the stark contrast between Jiraiya's old-school worldview and Menma's increasingly radical understanding of power and governance. The implications of Menma's words go beyond a mere disagreement—they suggest a fundamental difference in ideology.
Jiraiya is left shaken, not just because of Menma's knowledge, but because of the implications of his thinking.
And then there's that last sentence…
"His Majesty doesn't like people like you."
Who is "His Majesty"?
What exactly is Menma planning?
And how far is he willing to go for change?
The answers… will come soon.
--------------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Johnwick007