Hinata leapt back to avoid a strange blue blast of Taken power as the Echo screeched, its voice sending chills down the spines of the younger Cyphers while doing so. "What people call Darkness is the end of their evolution!" it roared as Hinata ignited her lightsaber. "The light will find a way, no matter how hard you try to snuff it out." she answered calmly as she charged, severing one of the wings the shadow had as it fell to its feet and snarled at her. That was when a series of blights bursted forth and to the horror of Sarada, Mitsuki and Shikadai, it was other Cyphers that had confronted the Echo long ago, Cyphers turned Taken as their bodies spasmed in twisted delight and pleasure.
"So you've taken fellow Cyphers as well?" she asked, slowly pulling a weapon from its holster on her hip. "Use whatever you can to overwhelm the enemy. Any last words?" The Echo asked as eight gunshots echoed out as eight Taken Cyphers were missing their heads as they dissipated. "Yours...not mine." Hinata answered as the legendary handcannon Last Word twirled in her hand. The Echo blinked once before charging and zig-zagging as Hinata reloaded and began firing again. The Echo avoided the bullets and Hinata swung her blade at him. It cut him cleanly in two horizontally as the Echo staggered.
"You've...impro...ved...greatly since we last sparred..." Naruto's Echo rasped out, his voice filled with respect. "Power...take it...e...d t..e...cycle..." it told her as the shadow faded, leaving behind a floating sphere of energy in its place. It was small, the size of a golf ball yet Hinata felt a strong power within it. Gently cradling the fragment of power, it slowly inserted itself into her soul as she welcomed it. A warmth surged within her and her body felt like it could take on anything. "Naruto-kun..." she whispered, feeling his remnant of power comforting her soul, alonside the knowledge of harnessing souls as a source of power.
His soul-devouring ability was different amongst fellow Cyphers, a privilege that only true nobility amongst Cyphers are blessed by 'birth' to 'know'. By devouring souls of slain enemies that were powerful, she could now acquire a new ability that was once theirs. This was his final gift to her in his last vestige of freedom. To arm herself with newfound powers and stop Menma's mad plan from ever succeeding.
On top of the ruined Hokage Monument, Menma growled as he sensed Hinata's elevated status to a Noble Cypher and was beginning to make his move against her when another presence appeared behind him. "You..." the Dark Messiah growled as his masked visage turned to glare at the red haired girl. She bore a striking resemblance to Kushina Uzumaki, with two whisker shaped birthmarks that were thin and barely visible on her cheeks as she glared at the one before her. "Your persistence in hunting me down is admirable, Shana Uzumaki. Perhaps if you'll tell me where the rest of Konoha's survivors are, I'll spare you this time around." Menma bargained as the girl merely glared at him with utter contempt.
"I've abandoned my connection to that place long ago, my sole duty is to put you down cousin." Shana replied coldly. "Hmm, perhaps those children will confess what you will not." Menma mused as the air grew tense. "I was starting to think I knew who you were under that mask, but that's impossible, my brother could never be as vile as you." Shana spat out as Menma chuckled darkly. "Naruto Uzumaki was weak. I destroyed him." Menma answered. Shana breathed calmly as her eyes hardened to steel, "Then I shall avenge his death." she answered. "Revenge isn't part of the Konoha Shinobi ways." Menma told her.
"...I'm no ninja." Shana answered as she pulled out a chakra blade as she channeled her chakra to create an extended blade from her chakra. Menma held a hand out and a red flaming sworld, a wraith blade, manifested in his hands, only causing Shana's hatred for Menma to grow. The two clashed and the collision of great powers shook the earth.
Their blades clashed violently against each other as both wielders of blades stood on even ground. Shana's quick and aggressive movements against Menma's slow but powerful strikes. Their skills were reflected in these movements, the ages of honing their techniques told tales of their suffering, the pain, sorrows, the anger and hatred in them as this death dance ruptured the earth with each swing.
Shana and vehemently denied the similarities to her brother's old fighting style, believing Menma was merely copying her brother in an attempt to weaken her resolve. No, she will kill Menma, avenge her brother, their family, and end Jiraiya's dark deeds once and for all in this last desperate struggle.
From below, Hinata, Sarada, Mitsuki, and Shikadai felt the clash as dread engulfed the three future children's face. "Menma...he's here!" Shikadai screamed out, his usual composure was now terrified of the nightmare being near. "Shana-san must be here as well, she's persistent in slaying Menma." Sarada explained as Hinata had a worried expression on her face. "Does she know that's her brother?" she asked as the three children shook her head. "None of us knew who Menma truly was...until now." Mitsuki answered.
Hinata was troubled, but since her experience with war in several lifetimes, she knew what she needed to do. "We need to leave now, Shana is stalling for us to deliver this information on Menma. Don't let her efforts be in vain." she ordered as the three children nodded their head as they all began running towards safety.
"Argh!" Menma cried out as he was flung backwards as the blade struck the side of his mask, allowing Shana to gain an edge as she aimed her blade at his heart. "It's over Menma, you are dead." Shana spoke as Menma slowly sat up, head looking down. She prepared to deliver the final blow against the one who murdered her brother in cold blood, "Shana..." the warped voice spoke, causing Shana to freeze in an instant as the masked boy rasped out her name, this time looking at her, revealing the hidden face behind the mask. "Shana..." Naruto called out to her as horror and grief consumed Shana. "Big brother..." Shana cried out, realizing she was about to murder her own twin without realizing it as Naruto stood tall. "I won't leave you to suffer again! Not this time." she promised him as Naruto had a lone tear fall from his eye, his blue eye slowly shifting colors as his iris turned black and pupil slitted and red, making it demonic as a hate-filled glare replaced her brother's kind stare. "Then you will die!" Menma snarled, summoning the phantom weapon to his side as Shana stood her ground. For countless cycles of conflict across time and space, the inevitable fate has come full circle for the Uzumaki twins. Only one shall remain, and with an anguished roar of defiance, Shana Uzumaki clashed with her brother in one final battle.