Chapter 31: The Power Belonging to Kurama
"Menma."
Screech!!
The voice suddenly appearing in his head made Menma's body tremble involuntarily.
The sharp scalpel sliced a deep wound across the freshly beating heart, blood instantly spurting out.
Menma paused, looking at the completely ruined experimental material in his hand, a surge of anger rising in his heart.
Hooo~ Don't be angry, don't be angry. After all, it's just the useless fox I raised.
He took a deep breath, forcing out through gritted teeth: "What... is... it?"
The Nine-Tails' voice was clearly tinged with impatience and frustration, saying irritably: "It's that brat Naruto looking for you."
"I bet he asked you a question you didn't understand either, so you came to call me for help, right?"
Menma directly exposed Kurama's little scheme, provoking its impotent indignation.
However, a question that even Kurama couldn't understand was likely related to philosophy or law again.
Naruto was currently at an age where his worldview was being shaped, and his curiosity was extremely strong. Without careful guidance, it would be easy for him to run into a dead end.
Times like these required his guidance.
"I'll come back after I finish the experiment."
Menma replied, then turned back to record the experimental data on the computer nearby.
Speaking of which, the technology tree in this ninja world was simply too skewed.
There were computers, televisions, radios, and even living organism research laboratories.
But there was a lack of various heavy weaponry, and means of transport like trains were pitifully few.
If this were an illusory manga world, everything could be explained away as a BUG.
But now, this was a real world.
Then there must be reasons behind all the seemingly incongruous things.
"Is productivity too low? Or perhaps, is it because of the Daimyō..."
As Menma pondered, the Nine-Tails' voice sounded again.
"Menma, what's the use of doing all these experiments? Wouldn't it be better to just get my other half back?"
Experiments, what's the use?
"What does an underachiever fox like you know? Truly ignorant and fearless!" Menma sneered upon hearing Kurama's remark, saying disdainfully:
"If my current research project succeeds, in the future, you'll be able to easily ride on Uchiha Madara's head and beat him up!"
"Hmm?"
Beat up who?
Uchiha Madara?!
Inside Naruto's seal space, the big fox, originally sprawled listlessly in its cage, instantly sat bolt upright, its two large ears pricked high.
Meanwhile, little Naruto nearby, frowning and chewing on his pen, snapped back to reality and turned his head quizzically: "What's wrong, Fox Teacher?"
"None of your business, brat! Keep reading your book!"
The Nine-Tails said without turning its head, then remembered something and added, baring its teeth: "And how many times have I told you! Stop calling this old fox 'Fox Teacher'!"
This brat Naruto's personality is becoming more and more like that guy Menma's.
At first, he was just being a little mischievous, but recently he's been pushing his luck more and more. He even wants to touch its tail.
"Okay, Fox Teacher. Got it, Fox Teacher."
Naruto recited dramatically, then lowered his head again to look at the test paper on the desk.
"Ah~ To kill one person to save the world is not to kill one person to benefit the world; to kill oneself to save the world is to kill oneself to benefit the world."
He clutched his head and groaned, muttering frustratedly: "Mozi: Daqu... this sentence feels so hard to understand."
The Nine-Tails' mouth twitched. It turned its head aside, too lazy to bother with this stubborn brat.
"You just said... beat up Uchiha Madara?"
A thought flickered. Light shone in the Nine-Tails' fox eyes as a notion stirred within its mind.
If asked which human it hated the most,
Without a doubt, it was Uchiha Madara.
"Mm, wait until I go back and get some experimental materials."
Hearing this, the Nine-Tails' fur stood on end, and it couldn't help complaining: "How many hairs have you plucked from me already? You're going to make me bald!!"
However...
"The grass on that guy Uchiha Madara's grave mound must be three feet high by now, right? Are you planning to dig him out of his grave?"
Menma smiled profoundly: "An ambitious tyrant doesn't die that easily."
"How could that guy possibly not be dead??"
The Nine-Tails frowned.
It had personally witnessed Uchiha Madara's death; his life fluctuations had completely vanished.
Senju Hashirama might have been a fool, but his younger brother certainly wasn't.
A fake corpse definitely couldn't have easily fooled that guy Senju Tobirama.
"The Hyūga have their secrets; the Uchiha clan hides even more things."
Menma was unwilling to explain further, merely offering a perfunctory reply to change the subject: "Answer a few questions for me."
"Hm?"
"From the time you Tailed Beasts were born until now, has your strength remained unchanged, stagnant?"
"Of course not!"
The Nine-Tails sounded as if it had heard some insulting remark, saying indignantly: "Even you humans manage to progress! We Tailed Beasts are naturally advancing too! We just choose different paths!"
So it's like that?
Menma rubbed his chin, his previous speculation confirmed.
In his past life, there was a joke about the Tailed Beasts in Naruto.
When the Sage of Six Paths distributed the Tailed Beast chakra portions, it was: One-Tail gets one portion, Nine-Tails gets one; Two-Tails gets one, Nine-Tails gets one; Three-Tails gets half, Nine-Tails gets one...
Finally, there was one portion left over. Alright, give it to the Nine-Tails.
But in Menma's view, this joke was utter nonsense.
Many people thought the Tailed Beasts' strength had remained constant since their birth.
But clearly, this was wrong.
When the nine Tailed Beasts were born, they were all in their juvenile stage. By the era of the ninja villages, the nine Tailed Beasts already had their adult appearances.
The most obvious example was the Seven-Tails, Chōmei.
In its youth, it was merely in pupa form; grown up, it became a hybrid of a beetle and a dragonfly.
"When the Sage of Six Paths created the Tailed Beasts, he probably really did divide the chakra equally. So, the difference must have arisen during the growth phase of the nine Tailed Beasts."
The abilities of the nine Tailed Beasts vary.
The Eight-Tails Gyūki's strength is second only to the Nine-Tails; it has ink sealing techniques, limb regeneration, and octopus leg clones, and is also the intelligence representative among the nine Tailed Beasts.
Seven-Tails Chōmei has high-speed wing vibration, flight, and blinding powder.
Six-Tails Saiken has strong acid, poison gas, and corrosive abilities (related to Acid Release).
The abilities of these Tailed Beasts lean towards biological characteristics, with less profound development of their own abilities.
As for those whose abilities lean towards chakra properties:
Five-Tails Kokuō has Horn Breaking and Boil Release; Four-Tails Son Gokū has Earth Release and Lava Release; Three-Tails Isobu has (?) Shadow Dance and Water Release; Two-Tails Matatabi has Cat Claw and Fire Release.
The One-Tail Shukaku, who always clashes with the Nine-Tails, actually also possesses Sealing Techniques, Wind Release, and Magnet Release.
Fewest tails, but its strength is not weak.
"Unfortunately, below the Nine-Tails, all tails are equal." (Pun intended).
Menma complained inwardly, then asked aloud: "Then, Kurama, what development path did you choose?"
The Nine-Tails seemed to lack specific chakra natures or unique biological abilities. Menma was also very curious about the 'path' the Nine-Tails chose.
Perhaps this could open a new door for his experiments.
The Nine-Tails hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke in a low tone: "In these long centuries, we nine Tailed Beasts have actually all been pondering what true power is."
(End of Chapter)
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