Inside the sealed space of Menma's mindscape, he watched Naruto fumbling around outside, his brows furrowed deeply.
"Does this idiot think I'm a summoning beast?" Menma muttered, his voice dripping with irritation. "It looks like once the Trust and Dependence Value is high, he really doesn't care about shame at all..."
Menma actually missed the old Naruto—the stubborn brat who refused to trust him and wouldn't let him out. Now, though? Now this Naruto trusted and depended on him completely. It was infuriating.
Kurama, standing nearby, was struggling to suppress a laugh. The massive fox turned to look at Menma's dark expression.
"Hey, Menma," Kurama rumbled, a smirk playing on his giant maw. "Aren't you going out? Your dear little brother has summoned you~"
Menma's icy gaze swept over the tailed beast. Just one glance, and Kurama's smile froze.
"That's right! You're absolutely right!" the fox quickly corrected, shifting his expression to a look of shared indignation. "That brat outside really is an idiot!"
With that, Menma's expression settled into a sinister, wicked grin. "So, do you need my help? Should I forcefully inject my power and make that brat go berserk? I guarantee that even if Shukaku is released, he will be beaten back to his original state!"
"No need," Menma said flatly. He withdrew his gaze and looked outside through the mindscape barrier.
Outside, the situation was tense.
Gaara, having grabbed Naruto, was still intimidated by his earlier aura. He stared intently at the blond ninja with a wary expression, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Naruto, waiting with his eyes closed for Menma's response, realized he was completely ignoring him. He frantically called out Menma's name in his mind, panic rising.
A minute passed.
Still nothing.
Seeing Naruto unchanged, Gaara's expression darkened. Combined with Shukaku's internal grumbling and mockery, his face contorted with rage.
"You dare to play me?!" Gaara screamed. "Since you refuse to let the monster inside you come out, then let me help you!"
Enraged, Gaara's body swelled up again, his muscles bulging until he looked like a small mountain. Sand carrying Shukaku's chakra surged forth in terrifying waves, transforming instantly into a colossal claw that slammed down heavily toward Naruto.
Boom!
CRASH!
The pale red Nine-Tails Chakra Cloak was utterly unable to withstand the force. Naruto coughed up blood from his mouth and nose, completely immobilized under the crushing weight.
"And you all!" Gaara turned his manic gaze to Hinata and the others. "Your deaths are all because of Naruto's refusal to use that power!"
He formed another gigantic sand claw and tore toward the three of them.
"Stop!"
Naruto's eyes widened in fury. He immediately disregarded whether Menma was angry or not and dove his consciousness deep into the mindscape.
Menma, waiting inside, was calm. He hadn't been forcibly switched out because Naruto had come to him voluntarily. He stared blankly at Naruto who suddenly appeared before him.
Naruto looked around frantically, realizing something was wrong.
"Menma, you—why didn't you go out?!" Naruto shouted, his voice echoing in the mental realm. "Then outside—"
He glanced back at the barrier to the outside world and froze. His body was unconscious on the ground. Gaara's sand claw was descending on Hinata and the others.
"Quick! We're going to be too late! Menma, hurry and go save Hinata and Kiba!"
Menma waved a hand dismissively. "Don't rush. Time flows slower here than outside. There's still time."
"Now," Menma added, his tone cold, "let's talk about the conditions for my intervention."
"Conditions?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
Then he tapped his head, a look of understanding crossing his face. "No problem! After rescuing them, I'll let you use my body until the exam is over!"
Menma stared at him. He thinks Menma wants to run the exams for him? The brat was getting shameless.
Menma massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He spoke with a grim face, "Stop fooling around."
"I only have one condition for intervening: after I leave, you can't interfere with my actions or seize control of my body."
"No problem!" Naruto nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice. Then, remembering something, he added, "But you're not allowed to kill indiscriminately like before, except for enemies!"
"I promise you," Menma said without hesitation. He had already guessed Naruto would make this request.
For Menma, the line between enemies was blurry. Those who attacked him were enemies. Those who targeted him, insulted him, or harbored ill intentions were also enemies. It was a simple enough promise to keep—for now.
Outside.
Gaara, seeing his claws about to tear three people apart, revealed a twisted smile.
But the next second, his smile froze.
A sharp pain shot through his right hand. At the same time, a familiar voice rang out from behind him.
"Even though he's already in Tailed Beast form," Menma said, his voice cold and mocking, "the strength of his body is truly nothing to brag about."
Naruto—or rather, the figure that looked like Naruto—was now standing behind Gaara.
In his hand, he held a massive sand claw severed at the root—the one that had been bound around Gaara's right hand.
"You?!" Gaara belatedly realized what was happening, uttering only one word before a sharp pain erupted in his right shoulder.
Thwip!
Blood gushed from the severed wound, delayed by a split second.
"Ugh!"
"That's... my arm!" Gaara cried out, his face filled with pain and disbelief.
The figure spread a bloodthirsty smile. Menma was in control now.
"No... that's Menma!" Gaara screamed in agony as the sand binding the three genin collapsed.
Seeing Naruto's completely transformed demeanor and aura, Kiba instantly recalled the dark personality that had appeared days ago.
"Great! Naruto called him out! We're saved!"
Hinata and Shino breathed sighs of relief, their pale faces beaming with the excitement of surviving a close call.
"Did you see that? He tore off Gaara's arm in a flash!"
"This strength is on a completely different level compared to what he showed just now!"
On the other side, Kankuro and the others watching the battle saw Gaara lose an arm instantly. They stared in disbelief and deep fear. However, Temari quickly reacted and fled.
"Get out of the way! With this injury, Gaara will definitely go berserk!" she shouted. "The fully-formed One-Tail Shukaku will soon emerge and destroy everything!"
As if confirming Temari's words, Gaara clutched his severed arm, his face contorted with madness.
"AWOOOOO!" he howled. "Impossible! I won't be defeated! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!"
"Feign Sleep Technique, come out!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Boom!
A massive cloud of smoke, covering hundreds of meters in the sky, suddenly appeared. The terrifying tailed beast chakra swept across the entire area in an instant, creating a suffocating wind pressure.
Then, a sharp, piercing laugh echoed throughout the heavens and earth.
"Hehehehehe! I'm out! I'm finally out!"
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