Menma watched the scene play out with cold, unblinking eyes.
Naruto was wrapped in a layer of purified Nine-Tails chakra. Sakura was in his grip, held by the collar, not in his arms.
Kakashi and Sasuke realized immediately who they were looking at. The worry and self-blame on their faces vanished, replaced by a long, shaky sigh of relief.
"Menma," Kakashi breathed out.
Menma gave a noncommittal shrug and shook the unharmed Sakura in his grip. Then, he casually tossed her to the ground at his feet.
"Menma! Thank you for saving me!" Sakura said.
Although she had been thrown down like a bag of trash without a hint of pity, Sakura didn't dare complain. She scrambled up immediately and bowed low. When she had been held by that Root ninja, she truly thought she was done for—she had even closed her eyes in despair.
Then, at the crucial moment, Menma had appeared. He had kicked the enemy away effortlessly, glowing with that cool, pale golden chakra. His hair and demeanor were sharper, more refined than Naruto's. He was like a Naruto version of Sasuke—no, even cooler than Sasuke!
I just wish he'd held me properly, Sakura thought, her face flushing a deep red as she bowed, too ashamed to lift her head. If he'd carried me like a princess…
She had to admit it. She was growing fond of Naruto's powerful, reassuring dark personality.
Sasuke, running right behind Kakashi, stared at the pale golden aura surrounding Menma. His eyes narrowed.
"That pale golden chakra… is that the Nine-Tails?" he muttered.
"No," Kakashi replied, his voice tight. "It doesn't have that violent, malicious feeling from before. It feels… gentle."
Sasuke's perception was spot-on. Menma gave him a fleeting look of approval. No wonder Orochimaru wanted him. His instincts are excellent.
It was just a pity his heart wasn't firm. He constantly changed his mind and lacked self-awareness, which made him look like a two-faced clown in the grand scheme of things.
Kakashi looked at Menma with a complicated expression. "Thank you. You appeared just in time. If you hadn't, I would have lost my student because of my own carelessness."
Kakashi had originally thought Danzo's target was only him and Naruto, that he wouldn't go all-out on anyone else. But he had been completely wrong. Danzo was a mad dog that didn't care about the rules.
No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi had warned him to be careful of Danzo before he left the village.
"And your strength," Kakashi continued, his gaze sharp. "The way you use the Nine-Tails chakra… It's been barely a month. Your talent is terrifying."
Recalling the speed Menma had displayed upon appearing, Kakashi couldn't help but swallow hard. His Sharingan had barely been able to keep up. It was even faster than when he used Lightning Blade.
If he had to fight Menma now, Kakashi wouldn't be surprised if he lost.
Inside their shared mental space, Naruto couldn't keep quiet, noticing the pale golden Nine-Tails chakra.
"Hey! Menma! What happened to your Nine-Tails chakra?" Naruto's inner voice shouted. "It's totally different from before! It's powerful and cool now, and there's no bad aura about it! Can you teach me? If I could do this, Sakura would definitely give up on Sasuke's feelings for me, believe it!"
The barrage of questions, both inside and outside his head, made Menma's head spin. He could only explain with a cold voice.
"Before, I was too lazy to remove the aura attached to the Nine-Tails chakra because I was fighting an enemy. This is the result."
Menma wasn't lying. The Nine-Tails chakra was originally red, but the pure chakra that removes the Nine-Tails' malignant aura turns golden. He didn't understand the exact principle—maybe it just looked cooler? However, he personally preferred the original Nine-Tails chakra. The unrestrained, evil aura on it made him feel comfortable.
Seeing that the others wanted to ask more questions, Menma impatiently pointed into the distance.
"Stop asking nonsense. I'm furious right now."
Menma was extremely annoyed by Danzo's repeated attempts on this body. He had planned to exchange for more power after the Land of Waves mission, but this might have to come sooner. He would grant Danzo's wish and let Naruto play around with Danzo's Root later.
Across from them, the Root ninjas had been quietly retreating to the edge of the forest while everyone's attention was elsewhere. Seeing Menma point at them, they immediately stopped sneaking around and scattered.
Knowing his strength, they fled in five different directions, hoping to save as many lives as possible.
Seeing them run, Kakashi's face turned grim, and he prepared to give chase. But Menma stopped him with a single hand gesture.
"I love playing hide-and-seek," Menma said, his voice chilling. "Don't spoil my fun. Understand?"
The murderous intent radiating from Menma sent a cold shiver down Kakashi's spine. Without saying another word, he obediently stayed where he was.
Inside, Naruto seemed to sense Menma's thoughts and asked urgently. "Menma, are you going to kill again using cruel methods? You can't do that! They're just completing a mission, believe it!"
Menma sneered without speaking. His body transformed into a phantom and suddenly disappeared from the spot.
Naruto's mind was completely unguarded against him. If Naruto truly didn't want those people to die, he could naturally regain control of his body. But deep down, Naruto clearly wanted them dead. Saying those things was clearly a ploy to shift the blame for their deaths onto Menma, lessening his own inner burden.
Meanwhile, Menma could sense the control and suppression within Naruto's subconscious. He knew very well that once those people died, Naruto would immediately reclaim their bodies and severely criticize and suppress him.
But so what? If Naruto were truly kind to him, he wouldn't dare to harm him.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
In just the two sentences it took Naruto to speak, all five fleeing ninjas were kicked back out of the woods. Four of them had their limbs severed by sharp blades, leaving only their torsos lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
Menma calmly descended from the trees. Blood dripped from the tips of the three golden fox tails behind him.
"Monster! Demon Fox!" one of them roared as he saw Menma. "Kill us if you dare!"
Only one Root ninja remained unharmed, glaring at Menma as if he had seen a demon.
"How annoying," Menma coldly cracked his knuckles with one hand.
The fox tails behind him rose like blades, aiming directly at the remaining ninja. Finally, they stabbed out with lightning speed.
"Ah!!!"
The unharmed Root ninja had both arms pierced and torn apart instantly. Strangely, no blood came from the wounds.
"Leave someone to relay the message. All you need are two legs," Menma said.
As he spoke, a wisp of pale golden chakra separated from his aura. It turned a blood-red hue, giving off an ominous feeling. This crimson chakra condensed into a thin line, quickly connecting the four torsos and the Root ninja's remaining leg.
Having done all this, Menma's fox tail lashed out again. In an instant, it swept the Root ninja flying into the forest. The torso, now connected to the other bodies, was dragged through the air like a kite.
"Get lost," Menma said. "Remember to make Danzo start counting his days when you get back. I don't want to get my feet dirty when I kick him."
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