Sasuke's face twisted into a snarl of pain as Menma, who had been silent by the window, finally stepped forward. Kushina and Minato immediately stopped talking and moved aside, maintaining their careful distance. Since Menma wore his mask and kept his identity hidden, they pretended not to know him.
Haku, who had been watching quietly, bowed slightly. "Master, the Sound Ninja activated the Heavenly Curse Seal on Sasuke's body. They used some kind of drug, too. The seal is eating away at him."
"Right now," Haku continued, "only the tailed beast chakra you gave him is holding back the erosion. It's barely keeping it from getting worse..."
Menma raised a hand, cutting Haku off. He turned and took the scarf from Minato's hands.
"Menma, what are you doing?" Kushina's eyes lit up with hope as he picked up the scarf she had just mentioned. Was this it? Had she finally earned his forgiveness?
Under her expectant gaze, Menma didn't wrap the scarf around his neck. Instead, he pressed his palm against it, imprinting a Flying Thunder God seal. The scarf vanished from his hand in a flash.
"Don't read too much into it," he said flatly. "I'm just passing this to Naruto."
Menma had heard their conversation. He remembered this scarf from the original story—something Konohamaru was supposed to find later when sorting through Hiruzen's belongings. But with Menma's interference, Kushina had ransacked the Sarutobi mansion herself and found it first.
"Wah, I get it! I understand everything!" Kushina teared up, assuming Menma was just too proud to admit he'd forgiven her. Minato looked relieved too, wearing that proud "my son-in-law has grown" expression.
Menma: "..." He didn't bother explaining.
He was sending the scarf to Naruto mostly to farm more Corruption Points. He had plans for Sasuke, and he needed the points to make them work.
Turning to Sasuke, Menma placed a hand on his shoulder and addressed the room. "I'm taking Sasuke back to Four Star Village first. You guys handle the rest of the mission."
The Flying Thunder God Technique's range depended on sensory ability. You could only teleport if you could sense your own seal, and distance meant more chakra consumption. The gap between Konoha and the Land of Waves was massive. Minato, with his sensory skills, couldn't make that jump.
But Menma? Between his Kurama chakra perception and the layered Uzumaki Sage Bodies enhancing his Kagura Mind's Eye, sensing his own Flying Thunder God mark was effortless.
With that instruction given, Menma and Sasuke vanished.
Minato stared at the empty space, stunned. "Teleporting that far... that's terrifying."
...
The Land of Waves.
Just three months ago, this small nation had been dirt poor. Now, after Menma established industries and built factories, it was booming. Skyscrapers filled the skyline. The port was packed with merchant ships from across the ninja world. The streets were crowded with shops and people.
Right in the center of the island stood Four Star Village—the paradise everyone dreamed of living in.
Whoosh!
Two figures appeared on empty ground. Menma and Sasuke had arrived.
Sasuke looked around, eyes wide. "This is Four Star Village in the Land of Waves?"
He remembered this place clearly—rows of shabby, low houses. Now, they were gone, replaced by buildings as modern as Konoha. The village had completely shed its old poverty.
"This is it," Menma said. "Enough gawking. Let's fix your problem."
Menma was too lazy to explain the economic miracle. Golden-red Kurama chakra exploded from his body, three fox tails manifesting behind him. He slammed his palms together, activating Sage Mode. Black markings spread around his eyes and over the glowing chakra.
Focusing the tailed beast chakra—now mixed with natural energy—into his right index finger, Menma jammed it directly into Sasuke's Heavenly Curse Seal.
A sickening sizzle filled the air. Sasuke screamed as burning agony shot through his neck.
"Hold on. Almost done," Menma said calmly.
Black mist, shaped like snakes, hissed out of the seal. For a second, it formed a face that looked just like Orochimaru's. It snarled at Menma before dissolving into nothing.
Sasuke gasped. The weight vanished from his body. The mark on his neck faded completely.
Orochimaru's Heavenly Curse Seal was basically a fake Sage Mode—natural energy mixed with Orochimaru's chakra. Menma just hit it with the real thing, powered up. The result was instant: the curse was gone.
"It's... gone?" Sasuke flexed his fingers, testing his body. The creeping corruption from his neck had disappeared. He didn't thank Menma. Instead, he locked eyes with him.
"You promised. If I joined you, you'd give me more tailed beast power. Time to deliver."
Menma smirked. "The chakra can wait. First, let's upgrade your Sharingan."
"You can upgrade my Sharingan?" Sasuke's voice actually cracked with surprise.
"We'll see."
The golden-red chakra around Menma suddenly turned crimson. Waves of pure malice and darkness crashed into Sasuke, making his heart pound.
Before Sasuke could react, Menma's palm slammed into his chest.
Ink-black negative emotions poured from the deepest parts of Menma's soul, flooding into Sasuke's body.
Sasuke's back arched. Crimson and black chakra swallowed him whole. He let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed across the village.
"Aaaaaah!!!"
Menma was running an experiment. Could these negative emotions upgrade a Sharingan? If yes, he could buy cheap Sharingans, upgrade them himself, and save a fortune in Corruption Points.
As Sasuke writhed and screamed, his unactivated Sharingan burst to life. The two tomoe spun wildly, blurring into patterns.
Is this it? The Mangekyou Sharingan?
Menma leaned in, excited.
Then the spinning stopped.
Sasuke's eyes settled. Two tomoe stared back.
Two. Not three. Not Mangekyou Sharingan. Just two.
Menma: "..."
"Sasuke," he muttered, "you only activated one tomoe during the Uchiha Massacre. What the hell was I thinking?"
---