"Why? Why do you have to be so ruthless, so decisive, Menma? Did Kakashi-sensei do anything to wrong you!? Why can you be so cruel!? Why!? Menma!"
Naruto stood up, his face filled with visible bewilderment, anger, and clear sorrow.
This wasn't a deliberate act.
Nor was there any other motive.
It was simply that he genuinely didn't understand.
Yes, in the past 12 years, Menma's life had been completely different from his own. It was the village, and perhaps truly the Third Hokage, who had wronged Menma. Menma harbored anger and resentment in his heart; Naruto felt he could understand that and considered it normal.
What he wanted to do was dissolve that resentment and calm that anger.
Naruto believed that as long as they sat down and talked properly, all misunderstandings and all the wrongdoings of the past could vanish into thin air.
They were biological brothers, after all. Naruto also believed that over the past 12 years, Menma must have formed some emotional bonds and ties within the village, right?
Like with Shikamaru, Choji, and the others?
Like with Iruka-sensei?
Naruto didn't believe Menma was truly stone-hearted and didn't care about these people at all.
Surely they could understand each other?
But now...
Menma had used his actions to slap Naruto hard across the face.
Through bloody act after bloody act, Menma was telling Naruto that he truly didn't care about the people or affairs of the village anymore.
It was as if everything in the past had been a disguise.
As if all he had left for the village was monstrous rage and hatred.
Kakashi being heavily injured and near death...
And the corpses of the Anbu lying one after another in pools of blood not far away... all of this illustrated the point perfectly.
"Cruel? Are you really a ninja, Naruto? Every time you speak, it's just so laughable and foolish."
Menma looked coldly at Naruto, speaking with an expression of utter disdain.
Did he hate Kakashi? Of course not.
But since Kakashi chose to block his path, he deserved to die.
The targets of Menma's revenge were certainly limited to a specific few, but that didn't mean he would only kill those few. Harboring a bleeding heart?
Perhaps when he first arrived in this world, still viewing it through the filter of "shonen anime" from his past life and holding onto the "normal moral values" of his previous existence, he might have seemed a bit pedantic and had such thoughts and behaviors. But after fully adapting to this world...
After seeing through the essence of this world completely...
The current Menma was a "qualified" ninja.
People grow.
The mistakes of the past, the confusion of the past...
Had all been completely corrected that night.
Did one need a reason to kill an enemy? Why not ask the Five Great Ninja Villages, who have been warring for countless years?
Anyone asking such a question truly had water in their brain.
"You!"
Menma's indifferent attitude further provoked Naruto.
"I will definitely correct your wrong way of thinking, Menma!"
Naruto roared.
Boom!
A massive chakra aura erupted from his body—far inferior to Menma's, but absolutely far exceeding that of an ordinary ninja.
Whoosh!
"Naruto, wait!"
Pushing off the ground...
He sprinted fiercely toward Menma's location.
To the side, Choza's expression changed as well.
Swish!
His figure also pressed forward hurriedly, trying to keep up with Naruto. Menma had killed so many Anbu and heavily injured Kakashi; the strength he displayed far exceeded their previous expectations.
The three demon fox tails dancing wildly behind him were the best proof.
For Naruto to charge in straight like that...
It was incredibly dangerous.
That's right.
In the eyes of the current Choza Akimichi...
Menma Uzumaki was already an extremely dangerous individual, an existence that had to be purged immediately. Even though the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were the first to side with the Fourth Hokage when he first took office, believing Minato Namikaze to be the true hope for the Leaf's resurgence...
The past was the past, and the present was the present.
Choza actually quite agreed with part of what Menma had just said.
Did you need a reason to deal with an enemy?
Different stances, different ideologies, different interests.
That already constituted a reason to kill each other.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu."
Choza, who started moving later but acted faster, used his clan's expansion secret technique directly.
Boom!
His arm elongated instantly.
The moment it expanded abruptly...
It felt as if it could blot out the sky and sun.
The giant arm came roaring in.
"Hmph!"
Seeing the heavy shadow entering his vision...
A cold glint flashed in Menma's pupils.
Clap!
He slammed his hands together.
The surging Nine-Tails chakra and the wildly dancing demon fox tails met Choza's incoming giant arm head-on.
Bang!
The two collided heavily.
The arm that was easily propped up in mid-air...
Was grabbed and immobilized in reverse.
"Haa!"
Feeling the forceful crushing power...
Choza's face turned solemn.
With a deep shout...
He burst forth with all his chakra.
Buzz!
As the surroundings trembled...
The binding demon fox tails shook violently, seemingly about to be thrown off.
"Naive!"
Menma smiled coldly.
The other two demon fox tails wrapped around rapidly as well. Under the triple superposition, the power suppressed it firmly.
"!?"
He couldn't break free at all.
With force vented further...
Using this as a fulcrum, Menma forcibly lifted Choza's entire body high into the air.
With a powerful swing...
Whoosh!
He flung Choza violently toward the left.
Bang!
Accompanied by a heavy thud upon landing...
"Ugh!"
Amidst the shock...
Choza groaned inwardly.
Meanwhile.
On the left side.
Naruto had already charged into close range.
Leaping high...
Clenching his fist tight...
He punched down with fury.
Slap!
This attack, which Menma clearly viewed as child's play...
Menma simply raised his right hand.
And caught Naruto's fist with ease.
At close range...
The two brothers looked at each other.
Seeing Naruto's face filled with anger, confusion, and infinite sorrow, Menma still showed no emotional fluctuation.
Gripping Naruto's wrist, he slammed him downwards with force.
Bang!
His back took a heavy hit.
The pain transmitted throughout his body...
Caused a look of agony to appear on Naruto's face.
The next moment.
Bang!
Menma showed no mercy, stomping heavily on Naruto's chest.
"Gah!"
Under the full-force stomp...
His chest cavity caved in slightly.
Internal organs were squeezed.
Uncontrollable pain.
Naruto's expression twisted. Tasting sweetness in his throat, a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out directly.
His breathing became incredibly erratic.
Looking at Naruto, who was close at hand and whose face had turned incredibly pale...
Countless "memories" flashed through Menma's mind.
Not from this life.
But "memories" of watching the original story in his past life.