Inside the Sarutobi mansion, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with a grim expression, a pipe dangling from his lips.
"That idiot Mizuki seems to have a death wish, daring to sow discord between Naruto and me."
The Third Hokage sighed. "I originally planned to kill him and be done with it, hoping he'd hold out a little longer against Ibiki." He had regretted using Mizuki to test Naruto. He should have found an ANBU member to play the role instead. But regret was useless now; he could only try to mend the relationship later.
Fortunately, through his manipulations, Naruto was painted as a child hated by everyone. As Naruto's only 'light,' a little adjustment should be enough to bring him back.
"Now we'll see if Naruto loses control," Hiruzen murmured, watching the distant woods. "And if he does, whether he can control that power. Don't disappoint me, Naruto..."
On the other side of the training ground, Menma's eyes burned with chilling, killing intent. The temperature around him seemed to drop to freezing.
What Mizuki said didn't just affect Naruto. The sense of collapse, fear, anxiety, confusion, and self-blame washed over Menma as well. Even the dark, painful memories of his past surged forward like crashing waves.
If not for that, his Corruption Points wouldn't have jumped by over 3200 in mere minutes.
"I didn't expect you to still have the strength to resist," Mizuki sneered, though his expression was strained. "Pretty impressive!"
Although Mizuki's right hand was trapped in Menma's iron grip, his eyes showed no panic. He's just a near-genin brat. This is probably just a dying gasp; it won't last long.
Mizuki didn't worry about the seal breaking. If it could be shattered from the inside, it would have happened years ago. To release the Nine-Tails, the container had to be destroyed from the outside.
"Inhale... is this the scent of the real world?" Menma took a deep breath of oxygen and pine. "It's quite nostalgic."
He turned his gaze back to Mizuki, his hand tightening on the man's arm. "You were laughing quite happily just now."
As he finished speaking, a system notification rang out.
[Exchange chunin-level taijutsu (Iruka Umino): -50]
[Exchange chunin-level taijutsu (Mizuki): -60]
[Exchange Elite Jōnin-level taijutsu (Hiruzen Sarutobi): -800]
[Note: The exchanged taijutsu includes physical attributes. The Third Hokage is too old to reach Kage-level stats.]
[Current Corruption Points: 3010]
Menma had originally planned to exchange for the One-Tail Chakra Mode immediately. But at the last minute, he abandoned the idea. He didn't know what the Third Hokage was thinking, and he wasn't ready to leave the Hidden Leaf to directly confront the Akatsuki or other villages just yet.
He would bide his time and follow the original timeline. Upon reaching the Land of Waves, he'd use the chaos there to exchange for the Nine-Tails' power. For now, he'd stick to the plan and acquire taijutsu first. It was an all-purpose technique.
"How could this be!?"
Feeling the immense force crushing his arm, Mizuki's expression finally twisted in genuine pain and unease. He stared at the boy, who seemed like a completely different person.
"Could you be a demon..."
Before the word "fox" could leave his lips, a sharp snap rang out.
"Ah—!!!"
A scream of agony echoed through the night. Mizuki's arm had been snapped clean off, dangling at an irregular ninety-degree angle.
With one arm crippled, Mizuki reacted quickly. His other hand, which had been gripping Menma's neck, instantly tightened, trying to crush his windpipe.
"Disgusting fox demon, die!"
Crack!
Another sickening crack of breaking bone. Mizuki's arm flew into the air, severed at the shoulder.
Menma landed gracefully, a bloodthirsty smile playing on his lips. He held a kunai dripping with blood.
[Corruption Points +2]
[Corruption Points +3...]
This time, it should be a satisfying revenge.
Walking toward the fallen instructor, Menma's smile was bright, contrasting sharply with the murderous intent in his eyes.
"Mizuki-sensei, you're so weak, you're not interesting at all."
Elite Jōnin-level taijutsu against a chunin instructor? It was a crushing defeat.
Mizuki, writhing on the ground, sensed it too. Not just the change in strength, but the change in the person. The Naruto of the beginning was annoying, yes, but his eyes still held a child's innocence. This person, unleashing brutal killing intent and resentment, was terrifying—a demon from hell.
Mizuki's face flooded with fear, his eyes filled with despair and regret.
"You're not Naruto! You... you're a fox demon!"
"You've broken the seal!"
"Hahaha... a fox demon?" Menma laughed heartily, his mockery undisguised. "A fox demon wouldn't talk to you this much, nor would it want to play games with you."
"Games!?" Mizuki's dim eyes lit up with a spark of hope. So it's not a fox demon, just a kid starved for love!
"I can play! I'll play whatever you want!" he gasped. "Just let me go!"
Menma didn't answer immediately. Instead, he tapped his kunai against the tree trunk beside him. A childlike, innocent smile graced his face, but his eyes remained cold.
"Let's play a ghost-catching game. If I count to ten and I haven't caught you, you win."
" The stake is your life!"
His sweet, innocent words were dripping with malice.
Mizuki didn't even have time to be afraid. Driven by a thirst for life, he ignored the pain of his severed hand and scrambled to his feet, sprinting into the darkness of the woods.
"Ten, nine, eight..."
The sound of the wind spurred Mizuki's pace. He ran faster than he ever had, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Swish!
A gust of wind swept behind him. A kunai sliced through the skin of his back, searing pain engulfing him instantly.
"Ah!"
"Seven, six, five..."
The continued counting abruptly silenced Mizuki's scream. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to escape.
Swish!
Another gust of wind.
"Ah!!"
Mizuki's right leg gave way. He heard the snap before he felt it, and he screamed as he collapsed to the ground.
"Four, three, two..."
The death knell of the count was like the tolling of the Grim Reaper's bell. Mizuki dared not stop. Sobbing and groaning, he dragged himself forward with his left leg, crawling across the dirt.
Scratch!
This time, his only remaining leg was severed at the hip. He fell face-first into the mud.
"Two..." the whisper came from right behind him.
Mizuki trembled, shivering uncontrollably, dragging his chin across the ground. "Only two left... I'm not dead yet... I have to live..."
He listened to the dwindling numbers, his eyes fixed ahead, filled with a desperate longing for life.
"Three, two..."
The sound around him brought a twisted smile to Mizuki's face. I'm going to win. I'm going to escape!
But the final "one" never came.
Instead, a kunai pierced his chest from behind, pinning him to the earth.
Menma leaned down, his voice a soft, childish whisper right next to Mizuki's ear.
"Hehe, Mizuki-sensei, you lost."