"Damn it—how annoying!" Gaara struggled desperately, but he still couldn't break free from Kyuubi's grip and was forcibly dragged out of the arena.
"Don't struggle, be obedient," Kyuubi said as one of his tails patted the Shukaku-possessed Gaara like a scolding parent.
Gaara: "…"
Menma, who had followed them out, burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. "Be obedient? Coming from you? That just sounds wrong!"
Kyuubi released Gaara with a huff and said lazily, "Go play." With a casual flick of his paw, Gaara was sent tumbling to the ground.
The dazed Shukaku incarnation blinked in confusion.
Menma couldn't help but think that Shukaku looked almost… adorable. A dangerous idea began forming in his head: What if I made Shukaku plushies? No—why stop there? I'll make plushies for all the tailed beasts!
Menma's grin widened. "Heh… I'm a genius."
"Menma brat..," Kyuubi said suspiciously, his massive eyes narrowing. "That disgusting smile of yours means nothing good is coming."
"Hehehe… trust me, it's a good thing."
"Let's hear this 'good' thing then," Kyuubi prodded, curious despite himself.
"You should subdue your little brother quickly," Menma said, pointing at Gaara, who was getting back on his feet.
"Little brother, huh?" Kyuubi's tails swished proudly. "Fine, but what's the point? That's not even the real Shukaku right now. It's boring if he's not at full power."
As if on cue, Gaara clasped his hands together and muttered, "False Sleep Technique." His eyes rolled back as he forced himself into a deep sleep, allowing the full power of the One-Tail to awaken.
Shukaku's eyes opened wide. "Finally! I'm out!"
Menma instantly covered his ears. "Ah—too loud!"
Kyuubi dug at his own ears and roared, "You're so noisy, you stupid raccoon!"
Shukaku froze mid-laugh, recognizing the voice. "That voice—Kyuubi?! What are you doing here?"
"It's none of your business, you mangy civet cat," Kyuubi shot back, his tails flaring.
"Wait a second…" Shukaku squinted. "Something's different about you. You're… emptier than before. Don't tell me—you're dying?"
Kyuubi's tails twitched angrily. "You're the one who's dying! I'm perfectly fine—and I still have a pile of novels to finish, thank you very much!"
"Hahaha!" Shukaku burst out laughing before suddenly inhaling deeply. "Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet!"
A massive sphere of compressed wind chakra shot out from Shukaku's mouth, screaming toward Kyuubi with incredible force.
Menma instantly used Flying Thunder God to teleport far away. "Go, Kyuubi! I'm cheering for you… mentally!"
"Coward," Kyuubi grumbled, noticing Menma's escape. But he didn't dodge.
"Fine. Let's see whose jutsu is stronger. Tailed Beast Bomb!"
A dense black sphere of chakra formed in Kyuubi's mouth and shot forward, colliding head-on with Shukaku's attack. The air exploded with a deafening blast as the Drilling Air Bullet shattered and the Tailed Beast Bomb surged ahead.
"Damn it!" Shukaku quickly formed another chakra sphere. "Tailed Beast Bomb!"
The two black orbs met midair—
BOOM!
The resulting explosion shook the ground like an earthquake, and a towering mushroom cloud rose into the sky.
"Holy crap," Menma muttered, watching from afar. "The power of two tailed beasts clashing… it's like a natural disaster."
Just as he spoke, Jiraiya arrived with a team of support ninjas sent by Tsunade.
"Menma, what's the situation?" Jiraiya asked, but his words caught in his throat as he saw the two monstrous beasts locked in combat. "If this happened inside Konoha, the village would've been obliterated."
"It's fine," Menma said. "Shukaku's not Kyuubi's match, but it'll take a while to put him down."
"What do you need us to do?" Jiraiya asked. Behind him, the sealing squad was already preparing.
Menma shook his head. "No need. That's my little brother out there—don't interfere. Just head back." He waved dismissively.
Jiraiya's team: "…"
They hesitated, but Jiraiya only sighed. He hasn't changed at all.
One of the shinobi muttered, "Say that again, brat."
Menma's eyes narrowed. In an instant, he appeared in front of the man, kunai at his throat. "Care to repeat yourself?"
The man froze, face pale.
Menma's tone was calm, but sharp as a blade. "Be grateful you're from Konoha. Otherwise, you wouldn't live to see sunrise."
He sheathed his kunai and turned away.
Jiraiya sighed, rubbing his temples. "Menma, stop threatening your own comrades."
"Oh, fine," Menma said, shrugging. "But if they don't respect me, I won't respect them either."
"…" Jiraiya could only groan. "I'm getting too old for this."
Suddenly, a massive gust of wind roared toward them—Shukaku's Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet!
Menma reacted instantly. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Hundreds of clones appeared around him, all weaving the same hand seal. "Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
Dozens—then hundreds—of towering earthen walls rose from the ground, forming a fortress-like barrier around Jiraiya's team.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The air bullets tore through wall after wall—over two hundred in total—before finally dissipating.
Menma exhaled heavily. "Damn… that took a lot more effort than I expected."
Jiraiya, wiping sweat from his brow, muttered, "Nice job, Menma."
Menma turned his head slightly and said coldly, "Sensei, get them out of here. They're just slowing you down." Then he vanished—disappearing into the chaos of the battlefield.
Jiraiya sighed again. "Everyone, return to the village. Leave this to me."
"Yes, Lord Jiraiya!"
The shinobi quickly withdrew, and the one who had insulted Menma earlier trembled. "He's terrifying… and that was just a shadow clone!"
Jiraiya looked toward the distant battlefield, where Kyuubi and Shukaku clashed with blinding fury, and muttered, "Menma… you really have become something else."
(End of Chapter)
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