Time continued to pass slowly, bit by bit.
The Hidden Leaf Village gradually regained its liveliness, filled once again with noise, movement, and the bustle of daily life. Yet Menma paid no attention to the world outside. He shut out distractions completely, remaining fully immersed in his training. After the previous battle with Orochimaru, Menma finally understood and adapted to the strain of drawing out the Four-Tails' worth of Nine-Tails chakra. If his estimation was correct, he could push even farther—perhaps tapping deeper layers of Kurama's power.
Reaching a half-tailed-beast state was no longer out of reach.
But that possibility came with danger.
Kurama's chakra was violent, corrosive, and overwhelming. Whether Menma's body could withstand that level of power without breaking down was still uncertain. Even with the Uzumaki clan's famously strong life force, mastery wasn't guaranteed.
So Menma didn't dare rush. The chakra of four tails was already enough to overpower nearly any enemy in the village. In the current Leaf Village, aside from the elderly Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Jiraiya using Sage Mode, only Might Guy—if he opened the Eight Inner Gates—could truly threaten Menma's life.
Well… there was also Yamato. His Wood Release might be far weaker than Hashirama's, but Wood Release was Wood Release. Its natural suppressive effect on tailed-beast chakra was undeniable. At the Four-Tails level, Yamato could still restrain Menma if he acted quickly enough.
Aside from these individuals, there wasn't anyone in the village who could confidently take Menma down alone. Even Kakashi wouldn't stand a chance—not yet aware that his Sharingan was capable of awakening the Mangekyō.
Tailed-beast chakra could not be mastered overnight. It had to accumulate slowly so that one's body, mind, and chakra pathways could adapt while evolving at the same time. Menma understood this. Getting impatient would only hinder his progress.
Strength wasn't built through recklessness.
He shifted his focus to other preparations: upgrading the Rasengan and exploring the deeper abilities locked within his Uzumaki bloodline. Every clan had its own hidden potential. Just like the Uchiha clan's Sharingan—awakening the tomoe, evolving to Mangekyō, and further reaching the Eternal Mangekyō—all depended not just on emotional triggers, but on talent, lineage purity, and inner potential.
Not every Uchiha could awaken the Sharingan. Even fewer could reach Mangekyō.
The same truth applied to the Uzumaki clan.
Techniques such as Kagura's Mind Eye and the Adamantine Sealing Chains (Diamond Blockade) were Uzumaki-exclusive abilities. But they were not guaranteed for every Uzumaki at birth. Kagura's Mind Eye came naturally to Menma… but the Adamantine Sealing Chains did not awaken with him.
He once assumed he simply lacked that talent.
But after the battle with Orochimaru—after forcefully drawing out Kurama's chakra and pushing his body to its limit—something inside his bloodline stirred. A dormant power awakened. On a deeply instinctual level, Menma suddenly felt that the sealing chains were within reach.
So, not long after the second stage of the Chunin Exams ended, Menma hurried to a remote mountain peak at the far right edge of the village. He wanted to test this new sensation, to confirm whether he could truly manifest one of the most powerful sealing techniques in Uzumaki history.
"Kagura's Mind Eye."
Menma pressed his palms together. His chakra expanded outward in a rippling wave, covering more than ten kilometers in every direction. He verified there was no one nearby—no shinobi, no ANBU, no surveillance.
Since graduating from the Academy, he hadn't sensed the faint presence that used to lurk in the shadows. It seemed the Third Hokage had stopped using the crystal ball jutsu to monitor him.
Good. That meant Menma didn't need to restrain himself.
He took a slow breath, refining and condensing his chakra with careful precision. Closing his eyes, he turned his senses inward, exploring the depths of his body and chakra network.
Time passed quietly.
Then—
A sudden flash of awareness jolted through him.
Menma's eyes snapped open.
He thrust his hands forward.
Buzz—!
A massive surge of chakra drained from his body.
A golden light flickered in his palms.
Clatter—!
A gleaming golden chain shot out, crackling with sealing power.
Menma's pupils widened with excitement—
—but before he could react—
CRACK!
The chain fragmented instantly, dissolving into scattered particles and vanishing like dust.
Menma's smile froze.
He had clearly sensed the technique forming. Why had it fallen apart at the final moment?
"Not enough chakra?" he muttered. "No… I used more chakra than two Rasengans combined. That should've been enough. Control issues? But even then, the chains shouldn't collapse instantly. So what am I missing…?"
His brow tightened.
This wasn't about output. This wasn't about endurance. The technique didn't require only chakra or control—its foundation was perfect stability of sealing chakra. Even Kushina couldn't use multiple chains effortlessly at first.
For now, Menma only needed to manifest a single, stable chain.
Yet even one was unstable. Half-formed. Fragile.
Resolving himself, Menma inhaled sharply.
"No. I'm trying again."
He closed his eyes once more, concentrating deeply. This time his chakra surged from even deeper reserves—stronger, thicker, more refined.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Golden chakra flared.
A chain emerged again—longer than before, more complete. It extended a full meter, glowing brightly.
But
BZZT CRACK!
It shattered again, dissolving into nothing.
"Tch!"
Menma couldn't help blurting out a full-volume curse.
The frustration was real.
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