NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra
Chapter
19: Nine-Tailed Fox's Chakra
Menma had a greater sense of urgency
than Sasuke. While Sasuke's desire for revenge drove him, Menma faced a
different challenge. The Nine-Tails within him was a constant concern. Whether
it was Konoha or the Akatsuki, they would undoubtedly keep a close eye on him.
Menma needed to gain the power to protect himself in the shortest time
possible, along with a more complete plan and clear goals.
Over the past few years, Menma had
gradually clarified his thoughts and next steps. Staying in the ninja school as
a good student wouldn't result in any explosive growth. Despite his hard work,
he was still just at the level of a Chunin in terms of personal strength. Being
the best among a group of academy students meant nothing when his enemies were
the most powerful figures in the ninja world.
This didn't include Black Zetsu,
Obito hiding in the shadows, and Madara waiting in the Pure Land. Not to
mention Kaguya, the goddess of the moon, who had been waiting for a thousand
years. These enemies were more terrifying and exaggerated than each other. How
could Menma afford to relax?
He also wanted to graduate early,
but his reasons were different from everyone else.
"Kurama, with my current
physical fitness, how many tails of chakra can I withstand?" Menma asked,
forming a spiritual body in his inner world and addressing the lazily lying
Nine-Tails.
"Now? Hmph, at most it's three
tails of chakra," the Nine-Tails opened his eyes, glanced at Menma,
snorted, and replied with disdain.
Since their meeting in early Konoha
Year 55, nearly six years ago, Menma had periodically entered his inner world
to chat with the Nine-Tails. As they talked, they deepened their understanding
of each other, though this also brought more doubts from the Nine-Tails. Menma
was an enigma to him. Not only did Menma know his name, but he also knew the
names of the other eight tailed beasts. Menma's knowledge of Senju Hashirama,
Uchiha Madara, and events from a thousand years ago was enough to shock the
Nine-Tails.
Menma hadn't revealed everything he
knew nor his "true identity." He wanted to show the Nine-Tails that
he was very special. So special that the tailed beasts had to look at him
differently. This approach, after comprehensive consideration, was the easiest
way to gain the Nine-Tails' "trust."
This method proved effective. While
the Nine-Tails hadn't fully accepted Menma, Menma had indeed penetrated the
demon fox's heart, forcing the Nine-Tails to acknowledge Menma's existence.
Menma's earlier tempting exchange conditions also played a role.
These factors combined created the
special relationship between Menma and the Nine-Tails. Much earlier than in the
original story, Menma could now borrow the Nine-Tails' power, though he had
never actually used it. The reason was simple: he was still under surveillance.
Even if Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't watching him 24/7, the Anbu were always around.
Menma didn't want to reveal his ability to use the Nine-Tails' power too early.
Although the original story provided
no direct verbal evidence, it could be inferred that Anbu surveillance was
canceled after graduation. With Hatake Kakashi as the leader, if a situation
arose that even Kakashi couldn't handle, and several Anbu couldn't do anything,
Sarutobi Hiruzen would naturally cancel the Anbu's monitoring and protection
mission.
If nothing unexpected happened in
this life, Menma would also be truly "free" after graduating next
year. Until then, he needed to be patient. Menma couldn't accurately judge how
much of the Nine-Tails' chakra his current physical strength could withstand.
The power of the tailed beast wasn't easy to control.
'Is it only the level of three
tails? That's still a bit insufficient,' Menma thought, frowning.
Three tails' worth of chakra should
be enough to handle Jonin-level opponents, but against Kage-level, it wasn't
sufficient. Menma's goal was to withstand four or even five tails of the
Nine-Tails' chakra before the Chunin Exams, ensuring he had the power to
protect himself.
"Hmph, saying three tails is
just my optimistic statement. You haven't used my chakra once, so who knows how
well you can adapt? If the malice in the chakra really corrodes your
consciousness, even I can't help you," the Nine-Tails raised his eyelids,
looking at Menma with a tone of disgust.
Menma nodded slowly. Even if the
Nine-Tails' chakra wasn't under his control, its corrosive power was
exaggerated, not only on the body but more so on the spiritual level. If he
wasn't careful, losing himself to the negative emotions in the chakra was a real
risk.
"Well, I understand what you
mean, Kurama. I will be cautious, and it is indeed time to find an opportunity
to test your power," Menma said in a low voice.
"Hmph, that's your business! I
will only do what we agreed on before. As for the rest? I'm not
interested," the Nine-Tails snorted again and lay down, though there was a
hint of hypocritical concern.
Menma couldn't help but smile but
didn't expose the Nine-Tails. Maintaining this relationship was enough for him.
Next, Menma looked back at the
Hokage Building standing not far away, a faint determination gleaming in his
eyes.