"So fast... so strong... so ruthless!"
"And this time, he's got three tails!"
Kakashi and the others gasped as they witnessed the scene.
Compared to the One-Tail Chakra Mode from before, Menma's Three-Tailed Chakra Mode made him inhumanly fast. His power had clearly jumped another level. But it was his actions and tone that stood out the most—this wasn't just sending a messenger. This was a deliberate message back to Danzo.
Killing someone was one thing, but returning the body with a taunt? That created an irreconcilable blood feud.
Kakashi could almost picture Danzo's furious expression. From now on, he wouldn't be the old man's least favorite anymore. That title belonged to Naruto.
The moment Menma finished his display, Naruto's voice rang out.
"Menma! You broke your promise and killed someone cruelly again!" Naruto shouted internally. But this time, I'll forgive you for saving Sakura. However, you have to teach me how to control the Nine-Tails' power! You already control three tails, so you definitely know how!
Menma rolled his eyes, speechless. He immediately returned control of the body to the primary personality.
The purified Nine-Tails chakra vanished. His cold, predatory eyes replaced Naruto's clear, foolish gaze.
Seeing Menma ignore him, Naruto panicked and kept pleading in his mind. I'm not asking for much! Just let me control one tail! Please, Menma, I really want to get stronger. I want to protect you and everyone else out there!
Hearing Naruto's words, Menma finally replied, his tone dripping with annoyance.
"If you want to get stronger, then train hard. Besides, I already told you—I don't know any other methods. It's a matter of talent."
Because I endure the painful memories you forcibly give me every day, he smirked internally. I can master them easily. Get it?
Menma's mental voice twisted into a cold sneer. You and I switch places for a month. You become the dark personality and endure those memories. I guarantee you'll master them immediately. So... are you willing?
Naruto was definitely not willing. What if Menma refused to switch back afterward? He'd be stuck.
He didn't want to endure those painful memories every day. Being yelled at was nothing compared to that.
But Naruto persisted. "Isn't there any other way?"
Menma did have another way, but he debated whether to tell him. If Naruto mastered Nine-Tails chakra, his own strength would grow. But if Naruto got stronger, Menma would have fewer chances to appear. Naruto's reliance on him would drop.
After a moment of thought, Menma decided to speak up—mostly to keep Naruto hanging.
"Fine. I have a way. I've been researching it since you mentioned it, and I've made some progress."
Naruto brightened instantly. "Really?"
"But," Menma cut him off, "what you just said pissed me off. So I'm pausing the research."
Naruto panicked. "I was wrong! I was wrong! Please don't stop! From now on, I won't get mad if you kill enemies, but you can't be so cruel. Just let them die painlessly."
"Hmph. We'll see." Menma ended the conversation with a cold snort.
What a hypocrite. 'Don't be cruel'? Even when he tortures enemies, Naruto's side gets Corruption Points.
Shaking his head, Menma ignored Naruto's pleas and focused on the System Panel.
[Current Main Personality Trust Level: 51% (30% locked, 21% overflow and can drop)]
[Current Corruption Points: 3000]
"After hitting 50% and unlocking active switching, the display got more detailed," Menma noted, surprised. The surprise faded quickly. This meant even greater control over his body. That locked 30%? Even if he killed someone close to Naruto, it wouldn't drop.
Just like Naruto's feelings for Sasuke in the original story. He'd always want to win him back, never treat him as an enemy. Of course, 30% wasn't enough to reach Sasuke's level. Maybe if it doubled to 60%...
Looking at the recent increase in his Darkness Value, Menma sneered.
"Heh. You gained 3000 points in both Corruption Points and Trust Level. You're a bit of a jerk, Naruto."
After Naruto started communicating within his consciousness, the flow of time inside automatically slowed. So even though their internal conversation seemed long, only a few seconds passed outside.
Seeing the primary personality return, the cold, terrifying aura vanished.
Sakura, who had been bowing, finally raised her head, the blush on her face gone. Kakashi and Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to Menma, who put immense pressure on them and was basically a stranger, simple-minded Naruto was much easier to deal with.
"No one's hurt, right?" Kakashi glanced around.
"I was careless this time, but you should understand the terror of ninja combat now. As your leader, I can't protect you all the time, and I won't. So if you want to quit after this mission, just say so. Living a normal life isn't so bad."
"Boring," Sasuke turned away coldly. "I don't care about danger until I kill Itachi Uchiha."
Naruto stopped pleading, waving his hands frantically to show he wasn't afraid.
Only Sakura remained silent, looking conflicted.
"Think it over," Kakashi said, giving Sakura a deep look before walking toward the bound Hidden Mist ninja in the distance.
Elsewhere,
Tazuna, who had run far away, was pale and trembling like a leaf. The scene of Naruto's rampage was still fresh in his mind.
Is this what ninjas are like...?
He wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead with trembling hands, his eyes filled with terror as he looked at Naruto. Even Gato, who ruled their Land of Waves, wouldn't resort to such cruel methods.
Especially since he'd called Naruto a "yellow pumpkin" back in the Hidden Leaf.
And now there was the matter of the information he'd withheld. Nobody was paying him any attention. Tazuna felt he was probably doomed.
Gritting his teeth, he rushed toward Naruto and the others and dropped to his knees without hesitation.
"Ninjas, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have been so arrogant, and I shouldn't have hidden information, but I had my reasons! Our Land of Waves is being attacked by Gato..."
Tazuna embellished Gato's atrocities, piling on the pathos. He hoped that even if these ninjas couldn't continue the mission, they'd at least spare him out of pity.
After listening to Tazuna's story, Kakashi interrogated the Mist ninja again. However, one of the two had escaped during the attack, and the remaining one refused to speak.
Finally, Kakashi decided to lead everyone back to the village immediately. With several chunin involved, this mission was at least B-rank.
But Naruto empathized with Tazuna's tragic situation and hoped to continue. Sasuke agreed, not wanting to miss this training opportunity. After all, high-ranking missions weren't available every day.
After a final discussion, the group embarked on their journey to the Land of Waves.