Menma shook his head and took a step forward. The next instant, he arrived inside the Nine-Tails' sealed space.
Since the Inner Four Symbols Seal hadn't closed yet, the sealed space was no longer the dimly lit sewer scene he was used to. Instead, it had transformed into a vast, bright, white void. In the center of this space, Kurama lay on the ground, watching Naruto get beaten up outside with great interest.
Seeing Menma suddenly appear, a curious look crossed the fox's face. It stretched out a furry paw, pointing toward the image of Naruto outside, then back at him.
"Eh? Why did you suddenly come here?" Kurama asked blankly. "According to the plot, shouldn't you be out beating up that little snake and stewing him into snake meat soup?"
"Do you think I'm a babysitter?" Menma raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't it—" Kurama paused, catching the dangerous glint in Menma's eyes and decisively retracting his words. "Hmph, fine, fine. Don't look so sullen and fierce about it!"
Even if he's not a nanny, he's still a bodyguard! Kurama roared internally. Don't forget, we're linked by chakra!
Menma's tone remained calm, but his cold gaze cut like a knife. "You're linked to me. You know exactly why I'm here."
Kurama froze. Because it couldn't sense Menma's thoughts, it had completely forgotten that connection! Come to think of it, why could Menma sense its thoughts, but it couldn't? That old man from the Sage of Six Paths was really unreliable. No wonder his method of trying to make people understand each other failed!
Menma was too lazy to bother with this brooding, arrogant fox anymore. He waved his hand toward an open space to the side.
The next moment, Naruto, his eyes still wide with terror, appeared beside him.
"Let me go!" Naruto shouted, still struggling in the same position. He blinked, then realizing that his surroundings had changed and Orochimaru, who had been binding him, was gone.
"Where am I…? Menma!!!"
Turning his head, Naruto immediately saw Menma—who looked exactly like him, but inexplicably more handsome. Although it was their first face-to-face meeting, the familiarity and closeness, along with a strange desire to control him, reminded Naruto that this was his alternate personality.
Then, the enormous Nine-Tailed Fox behind Menma filled his view.
"The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!!!"
"Watch out behind you!!!"
Without thinking, Naruto spread his arms to block Menma, looking as if facing a formidable enemy. At the same time, he whispered, "Menma, was it discovered that you were using the Nine-Tails' chakra?"
"It's alright," Menma replied smoothly. "That fox looks silly. We'll just say it was some Jiraiya's doing."
Because Menma had been using the Nine-Tails' chakra, Naruto had never actually seen Kurama appear. Furthermore, Menma had previously said that this method didn't work for him, and he needed to hone his mental fortitude. And now, the two of them were trapped in the seal containing Kurama.
Naruto's clever mind quickly grasped the situation.
"Haa—" Kurama yawned listlessly. Without even looking at Naruto, it asked Menma directly. "You brought this idiot here so I could lend him my power to beat up those little snakes outside?"
With Naruto's arrival, Kurama's arrogance returned, and he started referring to himself as "this old man."
"That's right, just like you thought," Menma said. "I don't want to be a babysitter or bodyguard anymore."
Previously, he had volunteered to fight for Naruto to increase his trust level and his Corruption Points. But now, relying solely on substitute fighting, his trust level couldn't increase any further. And the ways to gain Corruption Points had also increased; he no longer needed to fight for those meager rewards.
So, taking advantage of Jiraiya's inability to help Naruto master the Nine-Tails' power, Menma intercepted the opportunity. He intended to let Naruto gain initial control himself.
"Lend me your power!" Naruto's face changed quickly from wary to excited. He turned and grabbed Menma's arm, hugging him tightly. "I knew you, Menma, had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. You're the best to me! It must be because you worked so hard for so long to finally subdue Kurama, so you brought me here to get its chakra!"
"Uh... yes, that's right." Menma's lips twitched, then he agreed. His hand, which had originally intended to push Naruto away, changed to stroking his head after a silent system message. "After all, I'm your only family, like twins from the same mother outside. If I don't help my stupid, bratty little brother, who else can I help?"
Naruto: "!!!"
[Corruption Points +10,000]
[Current Corruption Points: 11,000]
[Trust and Dependence Level: 67% (Cannot drop below 50%)]
Naruto had just beaten up a Rain ninja and been praised for his genius strength, gaining 1,000 Corruption Points. His Trust and Dependence Value, excluding the time he tricked Naruto into healing Jiraiya, had dropped by 5%. Now, the drops had increased by 10%, and the drops that won't have increased by 5%!
As expected, Naruto desperately wants to be part of the family, not alone!
"Waaah… I'm finally not alone anymore! I have a brother!" Ignoring the idiocy and rudeness of the previous comment, Naruto sobbed uncontrollably.
Kurama: "…"
This idiot-like primary personality, if it disappeared tomorrow, it wouldn't even be curious!
"Enough, stop crying," Menma said. Seeing Naruto wiping his snot and tears on himself, he frowned and pushed him away in disgust, then pointed at Kurama. "It's time to test the results of your previous mental training. Go to Kurama, take as much chakra as you can. He won't stop you."
"You need to grow too. You can't always make me go out to protect you when you're in danger."
Because he had lied to Naruto about getting scolded, saying it was for his training, now that Menma was available, it could be used to cover up the previous lie.
Kurama, meanwhile, grinned at Naruto as he approached, revealing a sinister grin.
"Kid, my power is not something an ordinary person can wield. This hatred is no less powerful than the memories that enveloped Menma. If you take too much, hehehehe…"
Hearing Kurama's threat, a resolute look appeared on Naruto's face.
"I'm not afraid! What Menma can endure, I'll try to endure too! I can't let my brother bear those memories forever. I want to share his burden and ease his pain!"
As his trust and dependence on Menma increased, his position in Naruto's heart was almost as important as Sasuke and Sakura's.
"Hmph, ignorant brat!" Kurama stopped babbling. A fox tail reached out from behind and merged into Naruto's body.
Naruto's face contorted with hatred and killing intent, his eyes turning into pale red vertical pupils.
At the same time, outside—
Orochimaru's kunai had already slashed through the skin of Naruto's neck. A trickle of bright red blood quickly seeped out.
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