Menma had grown accustomed to the bright, open space of his sealed mindscape. So, when he used the system to make his exchange, he did so there. The terrifying changes that rippled through his body after the transaction were witnessed by Kurama, not twenty feet away.
Kurama's jaw dropped. Sensing the sudden danger and overwhelming power emanating from Menma, the fox was utterly shocked. He rubbed his narrow eyes with a paw, convinced he hadn't misjudged the kid. The brat—cough, this handsome brat—had inexplicably skyrocketed in power.
If Menma had previously seemed like a ninja with impressive chakra reserves, now he felt like he held half of Shukaku's power.
Yes, it was that exaggerated.
Kurama wasn't just insulting Shukaku; the One-Tail genuinely had the lowest chakra reserves among the Tailed Beasts. The comparison fit perfectly.
"I didn't even see the training process," Kurama thought, his brow furrowing. "So why the sudden jump in strength?"
Wait… could it be…?
The fox frowned. Something wasn't right. And the kicker? He had witnessed the entire process!
"Oh, no," Kurama's eyes widened in horror. "Did I just see something I wasn't supposed to see?!"
If Menma notices I saw this, will he kill me to keep me quiet?
A year ago, he would have welcomed death. Back when he was just a prisoner, watching Naruto cause trouble on his way to and from the Ninja Academy, Kurama would have begged for an end. Death meant freedom, even a rebirth as a wild fox in the wilderness.
But things were different now.
Menma had linked him to a shadow clone, allowing him to move around and enjoy a taste of freedom. He was fed daily, cared for, and best of all—no one feared him. No one tried to control him. When boredom struck, Minato and the others even took him out for a little… recreational hunting.
It was a life he never dreamed he'd have. It was comfortable.
He didn't want to lose this god-like existence to be reborn in the wild!
"No way!" Kurama panicked internally. "I just lost my memory! I didn't see a thing!"
He shifted his body, turning his backside toward Menma, and covered his eyes with both paws. He looked like a child playing hide-and-seek, hoping his lack of eye contact would make him invisible.
However, Kurama forgot one crucial detail. The chakra link connecting him to Menma meant their minds were connected. There were no secrets here.
Everything Kurama was thinking was broadcasting directly to Menma's consciousness.
Of course, Menma was protected by the System, so Kurama couldn't sense his thoughts in return. The fox simply ignored the concept of telepathy, or perhaps he'd just forgotten.
Meanwhile, Menma sensed exactly what Kurama was thinking.
He glanced at Kurama, a faint smirk touching his lips. He didn't scold the fox for internally cursing him. This wasn't because Kurama had called him handsome—it was simply because Menma was in an excellent mood after his spending spree.
Yes, that was it.
He looked at his remaining 15,000 Corruption Points. Focusing on his obsessive-compulsive need to finish what he started, Menma scanned the exchange list one last time. His gaze settled firmly on one entry: Hashirama's Wood Release Sage Mode.
"A Sage Mode that requires absorbing natural energy through Wood Release to activate…" Menma mused. "As expected, Hashirama's Sage Mode wasn't inherited from Mount Myōboku, Ryuchi Cave, or Shikkotsu Forest."
Menma had always suspected Hashirama absorbed natural energy directly through Wood Release, comprehending his own unique variant.
As someone who had fought Hashirama's Wood Release firsthand, Menma knew its terrifying chakra absorption ability. He vividly remembered those three Tailed Beast Balls.
Hashirama had stopped him in the arena using his Wood Dragon Technique and Wood Golem Technique, neutralizing the blasts. Although Menma hadn't intended for those Tailed Beast Balls to cause massive destruction—preferring to avoid a public execution at the time—Hashirama himself had been nothing more than a weak, low-level Edo Tensei puppet.
Yet, Hashirama's Wood Release contained a strange, unknown power, a connection to the Divine Tree that was completely different from the ordinary "bloodstains" formed by Yamato's simple mixture of earth and water chakra.
At least Yamato's Wood Release didn't suppress his chakra fox tail, nor did it have the capacity to drain Menma's chakra dry.
"System," Menma commanded, "exchange for Wood Release Sage Mode."
He didn't hesitate. The purchase was immediate.
His plan was already prepared. Unlike the original timeline where Naruto spent years mastering the Rasengan before heading to Mount Myōboku, Menma didn't have that luxury. He needed power, and he needed it now.
If his plan proceeded smoothly, he would eventually allow himself to be "sealed away." He wouldn't be able to control his body directly, forcing him to rely on shadow clones to manage the situation from the outside.
By combining Sage Mode with the Nine-Tails' chakra in Sage Fox Mode, he would possess enough raw power to reach the peak of the Kage level. He would stand alongside Hashirama and Madara—shinobi capable of destroying an entire Nation single-handedly.
With this power, his shadow clones would be more than enough to control the current situation. Even if Nagato didn't want to cooperate, he would have no choice but to submit to Menma's absolute dominance.
Of course, this was just a worst-case scenario. A precaution.
[System Notification: Exchange Successful!]
[Wood Release Sage Mode - 15,000 Corruption Points]
[Current Corruption Points: 0]
Seeing the satisfying zero, Menma felt the information regarding Wood Release Sage Mode flood his mind. Just as he had guessed, to activate this mode, he first had to absorb natural energy using Wood Release. Once absorbed, the energy would be stored and usable for long periods.
Menma could, just like Hashirama, activate or deactivate the mode instantly with a clap of his hands.
Coincidentally, Menma had previously been cultivating hybrid rice for grafting seeds—a project that required Ashura's chakra. He had already exchanged for Ashura's chakra to unlock Wood Release.
To Menma's perception, Ashura's Wood Release was identical to Hashirama's. He could absolutely absorb and store natural energy using Wood Release.
"The effect is identical," Menma analyzed. "Both their Wood Release carries a corruption value of 600,000, and even their Kage-level Taijutsu sits at 180,000."
"Could it be that Ashura's chakra also carries the memories or 'data' of Hashirama's previous life?"
Menma thought it was highly likely. After all, Ashura was a second-generation heir who inherited the power of the Six Paths through what Menma considered the "worthless power of love"—a concept passed down by the Sage of Six Paths and his commoner companions.
How else could he possess Kage-level Taijutsu and such perfect Wood Release?
Besides, there was an old saying: When parents lack virtue, their children won't get along.
That old man from the Six Paths, who caused the brothers to fight generation after generation, was hardly a good person either.
Thinking this through, Menma knew he had to speed things up.
Now that Hashirama and Tobirama had left the Pure Land, the Sage of Six Paths would likely start paying attention to him soon. He, the prophesied child who refused to follow the Sage's plan, could be targeted at any moment.
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