At the main gate of Konoha, the air was thick with tension and the lingering scent of ozone. After subduing Orochimaru and Kabuto—the two venomous snakes that had slithered into the village—Menma brought them back here. The gate was now crowded with people. Minato and Kushina had arrived earlier, interrogating Naruto and Sasuke about their unauthorized departure. Beside them lay several reanimated corpses, sealed shut with white paper like macabre gift wraps.
Bound Hidden Cloud ninjas were scattered around, along with the heavily injured Fourth Raikage, A. He and his unit had been unlucky. They'd tried to escape while Menma and Madara were clashing, only to run into Kakuzu, Zabuza, Sasori, and Deidara—fugitives fleeing the fallout of the battle. The ensuing skirmish had been brutal. A, already wounded, took another beating, and most of his men didn't survive. Of course, the high body count was largely Zabuza's doing. Sasori and Deidara had been willing to spare Kakuzu's life for the bounty, but Zabuza's strikes were pure destruction—decapitation after decapitation, all to annoy Kakuzu and ensure he couldn't cash in the reward.
Outside the group, Kurama and Madara were locked in a silent standoff. Madara stood with his arms crossed, glancing at the Nine-Tails with utter disdain. Kurama, lacking confidence in the face of the legendary Uchiha, glared back with its head lowered. Only when it spotted Menma returning from the distance did the fox's posture straighten. Its arrogance came flooding back.
"Uchiha Madara, don't be so cocky!" Kurama barked. "Let me tell you, Menma and I are the closest of friends. Brothers, even! From now on, you'll be cleaning my litter box!"
During their standoff, Kurama had devised the perfect revenge. It would make the legendary Madara Uchiha clean up after it.
"Hmph." Madara snorted, ignoring the fox entirely to greet the returning Menma. In the perception Menma had altered within him, he only viewed Menma and his family as respectful masters—nothing more.
"Master, things here have been taken care of," Madara reported respectfully, kneeling on one knee. "I've also dispatched Wood Release clones around the village. Not a single person will escape."
Seeing Madara ignore him to flatter Menma, Kurama felt a sharp pang of insecurity. It disregarded everything else, using its massive body to slide toward Menma.
"Menma… Master!" it shouted shamelessly. "Your most loyal Kurama has arrived!"
Once you throw away your dignity, it's gone for good. The current Nine-Tails was living proof of that. Kurama was no longer embarrassed by the words it had uttered thanks to Menma's altered perception. It was time to go all in.
Looking at the sycophantic fox, Menma frowned slightly, the nine tomoe of the Rinnegan spinning between his brows. He hadn't revoked his control over Kurama, yet sensing it now revealed the Nine-Tails wasn't actually under his spell. The fox was just… being itself.
Menma stayed silent for a moment. Kurama took that as an invitation and shamelessly rubbed its huge face against him again.
"Master, your little Nine-Tails needs someone to clean the toilet," it pleaded, its voice straining. "Someone like this red-eyed one right here…"
"Speak properly," Menma pushed the fox's face away with a look of pure disgust.
Kurama grimaced, embarrassed by the rejection. But the mental image of Madara scrubbing its litter box was too good to give up. It gritted its teeth and continued in a strained voice.
"Master, your little scheme…"
"Alright, fine," Menma interrupted quickly, seeing Kurama was getting even more obnoxious. "From now on, Madara will send a clone to clean up after you."
At the same time, he adjusted his perception of Madara's bizarre way of addressing him. Madara, receiving the updated mental command, immediately became far more normal.
"I understand, Lord Menma. I will take good care of your pet," Madara said calmly.
With that, Madara created a Wood Release clone and followed the Nine-Tails. Kurama wasn't entirely satisfied, but it didn't push its luck. Taking the wooden clone to the side, it arrogantly extended a claw.
"Little Madara, come here. Activate Susanoo and let this old man file his nails."
Menma: "…"
Nagato, seeing Menma had finished dealing with the Nine-Tails, immediately approached with Konan in tow.
"Lord Menma," Nagato asked respectfully, "what should we do with these reanimated ninjas and the Cloud Village prisoners?"
Hearing the question, Orochimaru slithered out from behind Menma.
"Lord Menma, should I release the Impure World Reincarnation? Let them return to the world of the dead?" he asked with a sly smile.
"No need," Menma shook his head and looked at Konan. "Konan, release the seal on your Divine Paper Technique."
"Okay." Konan didn't ask for clarification. With a wave of her hand, a large number of white papers lifted from the reanimated dead.
Orochimaru understood what Menma intended, and immediately controlled the reanimated corpses to surround him. Menma looked at the group and effortlessly subdued them all, severing their link to Orochimaru. The Impure World Reincarnation was completely dismantled.
Previously, Menma might have been unable to fully control these souls and would have allowed them to return to the Pure Land. But now, with complete control over their souls and the power to claim them as his own, he had no intention of returning them to the Sage of Six Paths.
After all, Menma suspected the Pure Land was created by the Sage to collect souls. His suspicion stemmed from the fact that souls there didn't reincarnate. They were trapped, like prisoners in a cage. Only when the Sage needed them did he send them out to be reborn—like Ashura and Indra. This "reincarnation" was parasitic, latching onto newborn souls. It wasn't true rebirth; it was a cuckoo taking over the nest.
Still, Menma was somewhat surprised the Sage of Six Paths hadn't intervened despite all the chaos. He couldn't understand why the Sage created the Pure Land or why he allowed Indra and Ashura to reincarnate endlessly.
Could it really just be a precaution against Kaguya Otsutsuki?
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