From afar, the sight of the rampaging giant Tailed Beast filled Naruto's heart with confusion—who was behind all of this? But now, there were clearly more urgent matters to decide!
He had to immediately stop Shukaku's destruction in Konoha. The destructive power of a Tailed Beast could cause tens of thousands of casualties in just a few minutes, a sight Naruto would never wish to see.
However, reality pinned him firmly in place. Before him, two crimson monsters, formed from desecrated souls, tirelessly launched their relentless attacks.
Giant red Chakra claws tore through the air, constantly blocking his escape routes, and sporadic Tailed Beast Chakra cannons exploded around him, forcing him to continuously dodge.
This dense, net-like offensive made it impossible for him to disengage... Moreover, deep down, Naruto instinctively resisted abandoning his mother, whose soul was being controlled, here.
"Boom—!!"
Another small Tailed Beast Ball exploded where he had just dodged. The scorching heatwave, mixed with dirt and shattered grass, violently shot into the air, leaving a charred crater.
Just then, a cool sensation quietly landed on his cheek.
"...Rain?"
He looked up. In the gray sky, fine strands of rain silently drifted down, then quickly became denser, transforming into a torrential downpour in an instant. The rainwater flowed down his golden hair, blurring his vision, but the two wildly dancing crimson figures in his sight remained blindingly clear.
"..."
A calculation echoed in his mind—he would need at least ten more minutes to bring his mother and Mito to rest without harming their souls. But ten minutes... the Third Hokage was still locked in a bitter struggle with Orochimaru; ten minutes would be enough for Shukaku to level half of Konoha!
"Naruto! What in the world is going on today?!" Kurama's roar, mixed with loathing and shock, came from within his mind. "Shukaku's state is definitely not normal! I felt it, just now! Though only for an instant... someone used the power of the Sharingan to control that idiotic tanuki!"
The Nine-Tailed's perception was like the final bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last shred of hope in Naruto's heart.
Obito? Why would that guy appear here? Was he the one who ambushed the Shadow Clone just now?
...So that's it.
Naruto instantly pieced together the clues behind this chaotic situation—Orochimaru, it seemed, had not truly betrayed the Akatsuki until now. This was a conspiracy, an inside and out plot, targeting him and Konoha.
If Obito was stopping Shisui, then at this moment, the only one who could stop this disaster... was himself.
Although the Nine-Tailed only mentioned that someone used the Sharingan to control the Ichibi, deep down, it clearly perceived that the cold, evil ocular power controlling Shukaku at this moment was exactly the same as the one who controlled it years ago to attack Konoha, leading to Minato and Kushina's sacrifice! That deep-seated hatred and humiliation instantly boiled within the seal space.
However, at this moment, an long-forgotten trump card surfaced in Naruto's mind. A treasure that had given him hope in his weaker days, but had gradually been set aside after he grew stronger.
Power is not for showing off or monopolizing; cards are not amulets; they are meaningless if not used to protect others.
A card, visible only to him, depicting a Masked Man with a fox mask, slowly appeared in his palm. On the card face, the silent man seemed to be gazing at him.
Without the slightest hesitation, Naruto closed his fingers, and the card shattered in response, transforming into shimmering specks of light dust that merged into his body.
A brief but immensely powerful force instantly filled his limbs and bones, as if another powerful soul briefly resonated with him.
But Naruto did not use this power for himself; instead, he directed all of it towards a struggling golden Shadow Clone within Konoha Village.
The next moment, a dazzling flash of light erupted at the edge of the battlefield!
The rain froze at this instant. A tall figure wearing a fox mask and a dark robe, like a ghost tearing through the rain curtain, suddenly appeared beside Naruto.
That was a physical clone carrying all of Menma's power! As soon as he appeared, he raised a hand, and a condensed Wind Release barrier instantly unfolded, steadily blocking the Tailed Beast Chakra cannon that was hurtling towards Naruto. The explosive flames scattered and splattered on the wind wall.
Seizing this moment of respite, Naruto gave a deep look at the two crimson figures still furiously attacking, especially the one named Mother. He no longer hesitated, and the Flying Thunder God jutsu formula lit up on the Kunai in his hand.
The golden figure immediately vanished from its spot, rushing towards the battlefield in Konoha.
The cold rainwater continuously dripped onto Menma's expressionless fox mask, tracing down like silent tearstains.
Not far away, Orochimaru's clone, hidden in the shadows, witnessed this scene, and his snake-like eyes suddenly constricted. This guy... has finally appeared? But then, he felt doubt. Why didn't he go to the center of Konoha to deal with Shukaku, but came here instead?
However, the next second, something that made Orochimaru's clone feel a chill down his spine occurred—
Menma slowly turned his head, and the hollow eye sockets of the fox mask seemed to pierce through the rain curtain and distance, locking onto the direction of his hiding place! The Kagura Mind's Eye, which Naruto had not yet mastered, was perfectly manifested in Menma at this moment.
He clearly perceived that cold, slimy Chakra belonging to Orochimaru.
The rain-soaked mask, in the desolate rain curtain, now exuded a bone-chilling rage!
"Boom—!!!"
Without any warning, an extremely violent Wind Release airflow instantly tore through the rain curtain, slamming towards Orochimaru's clone's hiding place!
The clone didn't even have a chance to react before it was completely torn apart in terror. Its last memory, carrying a strong warning, returned to the main body, which was fiercely battling the Third Hokage on the rooftop.
Menma slowly withdrew his hand and turned towards the two still roaring crimson monsters, his gaze finally settling on the red-haired mother. Powerful Chakra began to gather around him.
Mom... I'll get you out of this body right now!
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