Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
Still that dark inner world, still that intermittent sound of dripping water, only there was no more violent Tailed Beast chakra here, and behind the huge iron bars, there was no longer that hideous Nine-Tails Demon Fox.
Dragging heavy steps, Menma walked step by step towards the depths of the inner world.
As life continued to drain away, his consciousness was also becoming blurred bit by bit, yet he stubbornly moved forward, refusing to stop.
Finally, he arrived in front of the cage that once imprisoned the Nine-Tails.
Looking at the empty cell behind the iron bars, he was slightly stunned, as if just remembering that the Nine-Tails was no longer here.
"No!"
He gripped the iron bars with both hands and roared.
At this time, a voice came from the side: "Alright, let it be!"
Menma turned his head sharply and saw Naruto's figure. The anger on his face turned into guilt, and he lowered his head: "I messed up!"
"It doesn't matter, I saw it all!" Naruto held the back of his head with both hands and said with a grin: "If it were me, I wouldn't have done any better than you!"
Menma stared blankly at Naruto: "You don't blame me?"
"Of course I blame you!" Pausing, Naruto added: "But seeing you beat up Sasuke severely and teach the stinky fox a lesson, I also feel relieved! You did things I couldn't do and didn't dare to do, very satisfying!"
Menma explained to Naruto: "I almost won! It's all because of that Hiruko, his damn Mangekyo dojutsu affected me. If not for him..."
Naruto shook his head and interrupted Menma: "It doesn't matter!"
Menma roared: "How does it not matter? Do you even know our current situation! We are going to die!"
Naruto said: "I'm not afraid!"
"You..."
Menma was speechless for a moment.
Naruto sat down leaning against the iron bars and said: "I just have some regrets, not having the chance to apologize to Sasuke and say goodbye to everyone."
"No, you still have a future!"
Suddenly, another voice sounded in the collapsing inner world.
Naruto and Menma followed the sound and saw a dazzling light appear in the originally dark passage in the distance!
That light gradually approached, revealing his appearance.
"Fourth!?"
Naruto and Menma exclaimed.
They never expected the Fourth Hokage to suddenly appear in their inner world.
The Fourth Hokage looked at Naruto, then at Menma, scratched his head, and smiled awkwardly: "I'm sorry, I'm late!"
In the forest.
Hiruko and Ranmaru, who had just disengaged from the battlefield, hadn't escaped far before they bumped into Yakushi Kabuto, who had searched over first.
The Nine-Tails chakra on Hiruko, which hadn't fully converged yet, immediately attracted Yakushi Kabuto's attention.
Yang Nine-Tails and Yin Nine-Tails chakra are difficult to distinguish. So in Yakushi Kabuto's view, if Hiruko had Nine-Tails chakra on him, it was most likely snatched from Orochimaru. Plus, Hiruko had lost an arm and seemed to be in a bad state, so he intercepted the two, trying to snatch the Nine-Tails back for Orochimaru.
Neither Hiruko nor Ranmaru expected that a mere Yakushi Kabuto encountering them would not only not flee but even dare to attack, so they didn't waste words and attacked directly!
Soon, the two sides were fighting in a chaotic melee.
Contrary to Hiruko and Ranmaru's expectations, Yakushi Kabuto with 'Sage Mode' activated was very tricky.
'Sage Mode' endowed Yakushi Kabuto with exaggerated speed, reaction, strength, etc., causing Hiruko and Ranmaru's 'Swift Release' and 'Steel Release' to lose the advantage of crushing ordinary ninjas.
And Yakushi Kabuto's super perception of danger largely cracked Ranmaru's 'Transparency Release'. Plus, Hiruko was missing an arm and couldn't perform many ninjutsu that required two-handed seals, so Yakushi Kabuto fighting one against two actually didn't fall into a disadvantage on the field.
Just then, their fight was detected by Kakashi's squad, possessing multiple reconnaissance means like Koryugan, Byakugan, ninja dogs, and kikaichū.
Also noticing the Nine-Tails chakra on Hiruko, Kakashi and the others instantly felt bad.
One must know they had tracked Naruto's traces all the way here. Now that Hiruko had Nine-Tails chakra on him, they naturally thought Hiruko had taken the Nine-Tails from inside Naruto.
Thinking that Naruto might have already been killed, even Sasuke, who was beaten up severely by Menma before, became extremely angry.
The appearance of Kakashi's squad changed the situation. Yakushi Kabuto, Hiruko, and Ranmaru stopped fighting and retreated respectively.
Thus, the fierce battle between two sides silently evolved into a three-way standoff.
If it were before, Yakushi Kabuto would have chosen to retreat at this time. But with several attacks, he gradually found his ecological niche in the Ninja World after mastering 'Sage Art'.
He discovered that except for Akatsuki Leader Nagato, or 'A' and 'B', top ninjas of the Ninja World, ordinary strong ninjas, even elite jonin of the Five Great Ninja Villages, couldn't keep him. So he didn't rush to evacuate at this moment, but continued to stay at the scene, looking for an opportunity!
Hiruko was naturally somewhat annoyed. First Yakushi Kabuto, then Kakashi's group, especially since Kakashi's squad had troublesome brats like Yakumo and Sasuke, so his face was somewhat gloomy.
On the Hidden Leaf side, regardless of whether the Nine-Tails on Hiruko belonged to the Yang Nine-Tails inside Naruto or the Yin Nine-Tails inside the Fourth Hokage's 'Impure World Reincarnation body', they couldn't let the opponent leave.
While staring closely at Hiruko, Kakashi said to the people around him: "Everyone, we absolutely cannot let Hiruko escape this time! Yakumo, you are responsible for dealing with Ranmaru. Sasuke, you must entangle Yakushi Kabuto. The rest follow me to capture Hiruko!"
"Yes!"
The Hidden Leaf crowd responded in unison.
Hiruko sneered: "Kakashi, you think you can pursue me?"
Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, revealing the scarlet Sharingan. His expression was calm, but his tone was exceptionally firm: "It is my duty!"
Yakushi Kabuto smiled leisurely.
The goal of the Hidden Leaf crowd was obviously the Nine-Tails on Hiruko. Being alone here, he could fight or retreat, completely able to fish in troubled waters.
Kakashi glanced at Yakushi Kabuto, thinking: "With Yakushi Kabuto's shrewdness, before we completely defeat Hiruko and Ranmaru, he shouldn't go all out. Sasuke alone entangling him shouldn't be a problem. What needs to be worried about now is Yakumo; it's too much of a stretch for her to confront Ranmaru alone. I must win quickly here!"
Thinking of this, Kakashi prepared to use the Mangekyo Sharingan.
In the dozens of simulations in Shinji's 'Takamagahara', the only time he defeated Hiruko was achieved through 'Kamui'!
As long as the timing was precise, whether Hiruko used 'Steel Release' or 'Dark Release', there was no way to resist the attack of 'Kamui'.