---
The two forces clashed again.
This time, Baki intercepted Kakashi. From Baki's perspective, no matter how powerful the Konoha ninja who had just blown away the One-Tail appeared, Shukaku, the Sand Village's tailed beast, would surely prevail in the end. Baki's objective was clear: hold back the others and prevent interference with Shukaku's rampage.
Kankurō, Temari, and the other Sand shinobi shared the same resolve. With Gaara fully transformed into Shukaku, getting close would be suicide. Their plan was simple—hold off the Konoha shinobi and stop them from overwhelming Gaara.
Amidst the chaos in the arena, the shinobi of the Sand and Leaf, scattered by Shukaku's sudden appearance, clashed once more.
---
At the same time…
Two figures darted through the air, landing on opposite sides of a high wall, trapping Menma in the middle. On one side stood Naruto, his eyes filled with desperation and determination. On the other, Shiranui Genma stood, ready for battle.
"Come back, Menma... no, come back, brother!" Naruto's voice quivered with emotion. "This has to be some kind of mistake! When this is all over, we'll talk to Grandpa Third and Jiraiya. They'll explain everything, I swear! Please!"
Naruto's gaze was fixed on Menma, the sincerity in his eyes undeniable. For Naruto, who had spent his life alone, this moment was overwhelming. Though he had found people who cared for him, a part of him always longed for family. And now, standing before him, was the brother he never knew he had. His blood brother.
How could Naruto not be shaken to his core?
When Menma had revealed the truth earlier, Naruto had felt more than shock—he felt joy. A real brother, someone from the same parents.
Naruto had often wondered what it would be like to have a family. His bond with Sasuke had been the closest thing, and that was why he had pursued him for so long—he saw him as a brother. But now, with Menma standing before him, Naruto's resolve solidified.
He didn't want to fight Menma. He wanted to save him.
"Come back? You really are an idiot, Naruto."
Menma's voice was cold, filled with disappointment. He looked at Naruto as if he were a naive child.
"Don't you get it? We're on different sides now. That's not going to change."
There was a time when Menma shared Naruto's hope—believing in reconciliation and standing together. But his experiences shattered that hope. His path was set, one that led him against Konoha—and against Naruto.
Since that fateful night, Menma's heart had hardened. There was no going back.
With a surge of power, Menma unleashed more of the Nine-Tails' chakra. The crimson aura around him thickened, forming a chakra tail behind him. Even Genma, a seasoned shinobi, flinched at the oppressive force.
"Naruto!" Genma called urgently. "We have to stop Menma now. He's being manipulated! If we don't stop him, he'll lose control!"
Without waiting for a response, Genma launched himself at Menma. As a Tokubetsu Jōnin, he understood the gravity of the situation. Menma couldn't be allowed to go on a rampage—not here, not now. The consequences for Konoha would be catastrophic.
But Menma simply smirked as Genma approached, his red, fox-like eyes gleaming with malice and amusement.
---
Clang!
Menma blocked Genma's kunai with his own, the metallic screech echoing through the arena. The difference in strength was immediately evident.
Boom!
With a single powerful swing, Menma sent Genma flying, forcing him to retreat several paces. The chakra-enhanced blow left Genma stunned.
'He's fast,' Genma thought, heart racing. He had known Menma wasn't an ordinary Genin—anyone wielding the Nine-Tails' chakra was dangerous. But the speed and strength Menma displayed surpassed his expectations.
This wasn't a fight against a Genin anymore. Menma was fighting at a Jōnin level.
Menma's expression remained calm, almost mocking. He hadn't even gone all out against Genma—not out of mercy, but because he didn't need to. For Menma, this level of strength was more than enough to handle the current threats. Drawing more attention, especially from someone like Jiraiya, wasn't in his plans.
This was Orochimaru and the Sand's moment—not his.
But just as Menma was about to press his advantage, a golden blur appeared beside him.
Swish!
Naruto lunged forward, his fist aimed at Menma's face. But Menma was faster. With a sidestep, he dodged the punch and grabbed Naruto's arm mid-swing.
"Nice try, Naruto," Menma muttered before using Naruto's momentum to hurl him towards Genma.
Thud!
Genma caught Naruto, but the force drove them both back. The power of Menma's throw left deep grooves in the ground where Genma's feet slid.
"Ugh…" Genma groaned, wincing from the attack. Despite catching Naruto, he felt the crushing strength of Menma's chakra-infused throw.
Naruto scrambled to his feet, eyes blazing with determination.
"Menma… I won't give up on you!" he shouted.
But Menma, eyes glowing with the malevolent power of the Nine-Tails, simply looked down at him.
"Then you're a bigger fool than I thought."
---
"Genma-sensei, are you okay?" Naruto asked, his voice tinged with concern as he looked at the visibly pale Shiranui Genma.
"I'm fine, Naruto," Genma exhaled, shaking his head. "Menma's out of control. We don't have a choice. If we hesitate, we won't get another chance. You can't hold back!"
Though Genma's words were firm, Naruto sensed something was wrong. Genma was clearly hiding the extent of his injuries, but Naruto didn't press the issue. He trusted him.
"Understood, Genma-sensei! I swear I'll bring my brother back!" Naruto nodded resolutely, his gaze fixed on Menma.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto formed the familiar hand seal.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
The battlefield filled with thick white smoke. As it cleared, hundreds of Naruto's shadow clones surrounded Menma.
Menma stood still, his expression bitter. His eyes were cold and distant.
"So, it comes to this again? More violence. All that talk about being me back... meaningless."
His mind flashed back to history's endless cycles: Senju Hashirama reaching out to Uchiha Madara, Naruto chasing after Sasuke. And now, here they were again.
"In the end, power is the only thing that speaks." Menma's voice was filled with disdain as his chakra flared violently, the red aura of the Nine-Tails twisting the air.
"We have to stop him, no matter what!" Naruto's clones charged forward, their shouts echoing across the battlefield.
Bang!
Menma moved like lightning. His chakra tails tore through the clones, dispersing them in bursts of white smoke.
"No…" Genma's face darkened as he watched. Menma was cutting through the clones with ease.
"Ninja Art: Thousand Needles of Death!" Genma shouted, launching a barrage of senbon that multiplied mid-air, raining down on Menma.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The needles bounced harmlessly off the Nine-Tails' chakra cloak.
"You can't touch me, Genma." Menma's eyes gleamed dangerously. In an instant, he vanished, reappearing directly in front of Genma.
"No…!" Genma reacted too late. Menma's foot swung in a devastating arc. Genma raised his arms just in time.
Bang!
The force of the kick sent Genma crashing into the ground, leaving a crater. He coughed up blood, pain tearing through his body.
"Damn…" Genma struggled to move, but his body wouldn't respond.
Menma landed gracefully, ready to deliver the final blow when—
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
A blur of green shot forward—Rock Lee, delivering a spinning kick at Menma's head.
Menma blocked the kick with his arm, the impact pushing him back slightly.
"Impressive speed… but still not enough." Menma's chakra surged, and a second tail of the Nine-Tails' energy formed. He grabbed Lee's ankle mid-kick and hurled him aside.
Lee crashed into the ground, skidding painfully to a halt.
"Stop, Menma! Please!" Naruto's voice echoed across the battlefield, but he was still too far.
Menma didn't hesitate. His kunai was already in hand. With brutal precision, he plunged it into Genma's chest.
Pfft!
The cold steel pierced Genma's heart. His eyes widened, and blood gushed from the wound.
"Aagh…!" Genma gasped, his body trembling. Menma twisted the kunai, draining the last of his strength.
"Genma-sensei!" Naruto's voice cracked with despair, but it was too late.
Genma's body went limp. His last thought was filled with regret. "I'm sorry… Yondaime-sama…"
His head slumped, and darkness consumed him. One of the Fourth Hokage's most trusted shinobi had fallen at Menma's hand.
Naruto skidded to a halt, eyes wide, breath heavy. His fists clenched in rage and sorrow.
**"Menma! This has to end!"** Naruto's voice trembled, but Menma, bathed in the ominous red aura of the Nine-Tails, only smiled coldly. The chasm between the two brothers had never felt so wide.
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