As the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Konohagakure possessed an unrivaled accumulation of clans, bloodlines, secret arts, and forbidden techniques.
Among all of those inheritances, its expertise in fūinjutsu stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
After the destruction of the Uzushiogakure and the gradual integration of many Uzumaki sealing arts into Konoha's archives, the village's mastery over sealing techniques reached a level that no other hidden village could rival. While other villages often struggled with the containment of tailed beasts, Konoha had repeatedly succeeded in suppressing even the strongest of them all the Nine-Tails.
Naturally, part of that success stemmed from the fact that the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki had often been members of the Uzumaki Clan, whose extraordinary life force and chakra made them exceptionally suited for hosting tailed beasts.
However, another major factor was the sophistication of Konoha's sealing techniques themselves.
By Menma's generation, the seal personally created by his father, Minato Namikaze, represented one of the highest achievements of modern fūinjutsu.
The Eight Trigrams Seal was built upon the foundation of the Four Symbols Seal, effectively functioning as an advanced and more refined version of the original technique.
Its purpose was not merely to imprison the Nine-Tails.
It was designed to regulate and filter the beast's chakra while simultaneously preventing the tailed beast's will from easily influencing the host.
As a result, when the jinchūriki was still young or mentally immature, the seal could greatly reduce the risk of the Nine-Tails' hatred and chakra eroding their consciousness.
Of course, no seal was absolutely perfect.
Whether it was Naruto in the original timeline or Menma in this world, if Kurama was truly determined to exert his influence, opportunities would still arise. Every time the jinchūriki drew upon the Nine-Tails' chakra, the seal would loosen slightly, allowing Kurama a chance to interact with the outside world.
Even so, the Eight Trigrams Seal reduced that possibility to an extraordinary minimum.
One had to remember that this was the strongest of all tailed beasts.
Since the era of the Sage of Six Paths, only a handful of individuals had ever possessed the power to completely dominate the Nine-Tails.
Hashirama Senju.
Madara Uchiha.
Beyond those legendary figures, very few shinobi in history could hope to stand against Kurama directly.
To challenge the Nine-Tails head-on without sufficient strength was nothing more than courting death.
From this perspective alone, Minato Namikaze fully deserved his reputation as a once-in-a-generation genius.
Before reaching the age of thirty, he had already become one of the strongest shinobi in the world. He mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, a space-time ninjutsu that even Konoha had failed to reproduce after Tobirama Senju's era. At the same time, he achieved extraordinary accomplishments in fūinjutsu and even learned Sage Mode.
If fate had granted him additional decades to grow, perhaps he might have approached the realm occupied by the legends of the previous generation.
Whether such a possibility could have become reality was impossible to know.
The dead remained dead.
Speculation would forever remain speculation.
Right now, Menma had only one thing to face.
The strongest seal his father had left behind.
The Eight Trigrams Seal.
After resting for some time and allowing both his mental strength and physical condition to recover, Menma lay down once more.
Turning his head toward Karin, who sat nearby, he said calmly,
"Just like before, record every fluctuation in the seal. I want complete data on how it reacts during the unsealing process. Even if I fail this time, the information will be useful for the next attempt."
"Understood!"
Karin nodded firmly.
"Leave it to me."
Walking back toward the monitoring equipment, she immediately began making the necessary adjustments.
The instruments were recalibrated and activated once more.
A faint sensation spread across Menma's skin.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank inward.
Buzz
Drip.
The sound of falling water echoed through darkness.
When Menma opened his eyes again, he had already entered his inner world.
The familiar dim chamber stretched before him.
Massive iron gates rose from the flooded floor, standing like an eternal prison.
Behind them sat the Nine-Tails.
Kurama slowly raised his enormous head.
His scarlet eyes locked onto Menma.
"Removing the seal, huh?"
A low growl reverberated throughout the chamber.
"Brat, are you truly prepared for what that means? Once the seal is broken, I'll be free to seize your body. At your current level, your vessel can barely withstand all of my chakra."
Boom!
An immense pressure erupted from Kurama's body.
The terrifying chakra flooded the chamber like a tsunami.
An ordinary shinobi would have collapsed instantly under such overwhelming malice.
Yet Menma remained completely calm.
"If that's what you want, then take it."
His expression did not change in the slightest.
"Either way, if I fail to gain enough power soon, Akatsuki will eventually come for me. Death now or death later what difference does it make?"
Kurama narrowed his eyes.
The response was too calm.
Too genuine.
The Nine-Tails stared directly into Menma's face, searching for hesitation, fear, or deception.
But there was none.
Not even the slightest trace.
Because Menma truly meant every word.
If destiny dictated failure, then he would rather gamble everything now than wait passively for death.
Could Kurama be trusted?
Menma did not know.
Unlike Naruto, he had no intention of changing others through ideals or inspirational speeches.
Menma preferred dealing with reality.
The facts were already laid out before them.
All that remained was choosing the most beneficial path.
For both sides.
Man and tailed beast silently stared at one another.
Several moments passed.
Finally, Kurama spoke.
"That organization… Akatsuki. Are they truly gathering the tailed beasts?"
His voice became noticeably lower.
"And their leader possesses the Rinnegan?"
"There is no doubt."
Menma nodded.
"Orochimaru has already provided confirmation. You understand better than anyone what the Rinnegan represents. The Sharingan alone can suppress tailed beasts. The Rinnegan is an even greater threat."
His gaze never left Kurama.
"I don't want to die. You don't want to spend eternity as someone's prisoner."
"We share the same interests, Kurama."
"If you help me, you're helping yourself."
"Hmph."
Kurama snorted.
Without another word, he lowered his massive body and lay down again.
As though he no longer cared.
Yet the faint smile appearing on Menma's lips revealed his true thoughts.
Kurama was still Kurama.
The earlier threat had merely been part of the fox's prideful nature.
Ever since their first agreement, Menma had understood one thing.
As long as he did not betray their arrangement, Kurama would remain his strongest ally.
After all, cooperating with Menma required almost nothing from the Nine-Tails.
Even failure would at least provide some entertainment within an otherwise endless imprisonment.
"Remember to control your chakra."
Menma raised a hand and called out.
"If the seal breaks and too much chakra leaks out, things could get troublesome."
"Hmph!"
Kurama responded with another dismissive snort.
Soon afterward
Buzz!
Menma's figure shot upward.
A spiral current formed beneath his feet and carried him toward the massive sealing talisman affixed above the gate.
As he approached, the immense power contained within the seal became increasingly apparent.
Taking a deep breath, Menma pressed his palms together.
Hand seals flashed into existence.
"The Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique!"
A powerful surge of chakra erupted from his body.
The technique activated instantly.
With a swift movement, a specialized sealing blade appeared in his hand.
Without hesitation, Menma thrust it toward the center of the sealing formula.
Crack!
The moment the blade connected
Buzz!
Dark sealing inscriptions spread outward like ripples across water.
The entire seal began vibrating violently.
A mysterious resonance filled the chamber.
Menma extended his hand.
His fingers closed around the sealing tag.
Then
He pulled.
Ding!
A clear sound echoed throughout the space.
Golden light suddenly erupted.
A figure appeared between Menma and the seal.
His hand shot forward and firmly grasped Menma's wrist.
"Haha, Menma."
A warm and familiar voice rang out.
"You can't remove that seal so recklessly. Not before you're fully prepared."
Menma's eyes shifted.
He looked at the newcomer.
Golden hair.
Blue eyes.
A calm and handsome face.
Even without memories from another life, Menma would have immediately recognized him.
The Fourth Hokage.
His father.
Minato Namikaze.
Yet Menma's expression remained unchanged.
No excitement.
No joy.
No sadness.
Only calm indifference.
Kurama's reaction, however, was entirely different.
"The Fourth Hokage!"
The moment he sensed that familiar chakra, rage exploded from within him.
Boom!
The Nine-Tails surged to his feet.
Floodwaters crashed violently around the chamber.
Pure hatred filled his scarlet eyes.
His killing intent locked onto Minato.
"Hahaha…"
Minato rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"You really haven't changed, Kurama."
Then he turned toward Menma.
"Come with me. There are some things I'd like to discuss in private."
However
"No."
Menma immediately refused.
With a slight movement, he pulled his wrist free.
"This place is fine."
His gaze remained steady.
"Kurama is involved in this matter as well."
"Whatever needs to be said can be said here."
"…Father."
The final word caused Minato to freeze.
Only now did he truly meet Menma's eyes.
Within them, he saw neither resentment nor affection.
Only distance.
A distance so great that it made his heart tighten.
"Menma…"
Minato instinctively raised a hand.
Yet the words caught in his throat.
"I imagine you've learned some things over the years."
Menma spoke calmly.
"The chakra you left behind may be weak, but it wasn't completely cut off from the outside world."
"My life."
"My choices."
"My defection."
"You should know at least part of the story."
"Then why do you look surprised?"
Minato's expression stiffened.
As Menma had said, both he and Kushina had left fragments of chakra within their sons through the Eight Trigrams Seal.
Their original intention had been simple.
To meet their children one day.
To speak with them.
To watch them grow.
Although those chakra remnants spent most of their existence dormant, they could still perceive fragments of the outside world.
Minato knew enough.
He knew how Menma had lived.
He knew how his eldest son had been treated.
He knew that Menma had eventually abandoned the village.
And he knew that Naruto had nearly died at the Valley of the End.
Those facts alone spoke volumes.
For perhaps the first time in his life, Minato found himself harboring resentment toward the leadership he had once trusted.
Even the Third Hokage.
Because before he was Hokage
He was a father.
And no father could watch his children suffer such a fate without pain.
"Menma…"
A deep sigh escaped his lips.
His expression became filled with guilt.
"I'm sorry."
The words carried genuine remorse.
Yet Menma merely looked at him calmly.
"Sorry?"
A faint trace of irony appeared in his eyes.
"What value does that apology have now?"
"Besides, Father, you have nothing to apologize for."
"You simply fulfilled your duty as Hokage."
The calmness in those words cut deeper than any accusation.
Minato's expression became even more bitter.
Meanwhile, Kurama quietly watched the exchange.
The fury he had felt moments earlier gradually faded.
In its place came something far more amusing.
The mighty Fourth Hokage.
The hero who had protected the village.
Now forced to face the consequences suffered by his own son.
For the first time in a very long while, Kurama found himself enjoying the scene before him.
He wanted to see exactly how Minato Namikaze intended to face this reality.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 283 ON PATREON.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED CHAPTERS BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE OR PURCHASE THE BOOK FOR LIFETIME ACCESS!
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD