For Mizuki, this was partially about satisfying his own twisted sense of fun.
But it was also an insurance policy.
After all, Mizuki knew Menma's academic track record over the last six years like the back of his hand. Yet, in their brief exchange just a moment ago—even though it wasn't a full-power sneak attack—Menma had actually managed to dodge it. That alone proved that Menma's strength couldn't be measured by the standards of a typical Academy rookie.
Playing it safe meant shaking Menma mentally first. If he could rattle the kid, Menma wouldn't be able to draw out even half his strength, and Mizuki could harvest his life with ease.
Mizuki wasn't exactly a genius.
But he had a certain amount of street smarts.
Otherwise, he never would have made Chunin in the Hidden Leaf, let alone landed a teaching gig at the Academy. His "stupidity" was only relative; if he were truly brainless, he never would have climbed the ranks at all.
If he seemed a little unhinged right now, it was only because Menma was twelve years old. Subconsciously, Mizuki still looked down on him. The fact that he was strategizing at all was his version of being "cautious."
Of course, Menma had no idea what was going through Mizuki's head.
As for Mizuki deliberately revealing his identity as the "Demon Fox"?
Menma didn't give a damn. His heart didn't even skip a beat.
"So, just do me a favor and die, you Demon Fox brat!"
seeing Menma, who looked completely shaken, a flicker of disdain flashed through Mizuki's eyes.
BOOM!
Chakra exploded from the soles of his feet, launching him toward Menma's position at high speed. He had already wasted too much time.
He needed to leave a buffer to clean up the crime scene afterwards.
He had to slaughter Menma immediately. If other Leaf shinobi tracked them down, this situation would get infinitely more complicated.
He closed the distance in a blur.
A kunai flipped into his palm, refracting a cold, beautiful glint under the moonlight.
"Drop dead, kid!"
It looked like a killing blow, destined to connect.
He aimed straight for Menma's throat, thrusting down viciously.
But at the very last second—
CLANG!
In an instant, another cold glint flashed.
Menma parried Mizuki's attack with precision and power. Just as Mizuki froze for a split second, instinctively stunned that his strike hadn't landed, Menma's face—twisted into a mask of pure, unbridled rage—filled his vision.
"Demon Fox!? Betraying the village!? No! I don't believe it! I don't believe it! I won't believe it!!" Menma roared, looking like he wanted to vent every ounce of his fury, a bloodthirsty light surfacing in his eyes. "You're the traitor, Mr. Mizuki!! The only one dying here IS YOU!"
"What!?"
Mizuki didn't even have time to process it.
The next second, a violent shockwave traveled up his arm.
BAM!
Menma swung his arm outward with massive force. The sheer power rolling off the kid caused Mizuki's expression to change drastically. He couldn't withstand the recoil.
CLANG!
With a sharp, piercing ring and a shower of sparks, Mizuki lost control of his posture. His arms were knocked wide, leaving his center completely undefended.
He was wide open!
A sharp, icy glint flashed through Menma's eyes.
He stepped forward, put his weight behind it, and went straight for the kill.
"Crap!"
It happened in the blink of an eye.
The cold edge of the kunai reflected Mizuki's face—a mix of shock and rage. Without thinking, he swung his arm back horizontally to intercept the incoming blade.
He tried to pull the exact same move—block Menma's strike and use the momentum to create distance.
However...
Idiot!
At this distance, where they could almost hear each other's heartbeats, did Mizuki really think Menma couldn't read him like a book?
This clash was clearly happening on two completely different levels.
Menma suddenly shifted his momentum, dragging his blade sideways in a rapid feint that transitioned instantly into an attack.
"You bastard!"
Menma was moving a step faster than the Chunin. Mizuki couldn't react in time.
SLASH!
The kunai, pulled with violent force, plunged viciously into Mizuki's arm.
SQUELCH!
The dull sound of metal piercing flesh rang out, followed by a spray of blood as Menma ripped the blade free.
"ARGH!"
Mizuki let out a wretched scream, his face twisting in agony. Although he was a Chunin, Mizuki had been away from the front lines for a good six or seven years, spending all his time in the comfort of the Academy.
His physical conditioning and mental toughness were nowhere near what they were back in his active duty days.
This level of pain was already enough to rattle him.
More importantly, the strength Menma was displaying struck terror into his heart.
Is this really just a kid who graduated today?!
Mizuki's will crumbled. His courage evaporated. The idea of defeating Menma and taking the Scroll of Seals vanished from his mind. All he wanted now was to get the hell out of there!
He didn't want to die!
He wanted to live!
He still had grand ambitions to achieve!
A look of madness surfaced in Mizuki's eyes. He tried to force a breakthrough, desperate to push Menma back and buy himself some space to maneuver. But Menma saw through his intent instantly, the corner of his mouth curving up into a handsome, chilling arc.
WHISH!
Menma changed forms a step ahead.
Twisting his body, he unleashed a powerful right kick that slammed heavily into Mizuki's chest.
THUD!
The impact was brutal. You could almost see the chest cavity cave in.
"Gah!"
Mizuki coughed up a mouthful of crimson blood as his body was launched backward like a cannonball.
CRASH!
He smashed heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Between the stab and the kick, his entire body began to convulse violently.
Before Mizuki could even try to get back up or regain his bearings—
WHOOSH!
Menma was already on top of him, looming over his prone form.
"Dammit!"
Mizuki stared up at the figure above him, seeing the ferocious expression on Menma's face.
As Mizuki watched with eyes wide in despair, Menma bent his arm, pointed his elbow downward, and dropped it like a hammer straight into Mizuki's gut.
WHAM!
A dull, heavy impact echoed.
"Guh!"
Mizuki's stomach practically deformed under the blow. He retched up another violent spray of blood, his face distorting into a mask of pure agony.
The intense pain radiated through his entire body, instantly overloading his brain. He couldn't stop the trembling.
A second later, overwhelmed by the trauma, Mizuki's head lolled to the side, and he passed out cold.
It was an easy victory.
Yet, there was no excitement on Menma's face or in his heart.
After all, Mizuki was just a Chunin—and a rusty one at that, having been away from the battlefield for years. In terms of actual combat ability, he was only good for bullying freshly minted Genin. He wasn't exactly a powerhouse.
There was zero sense of accomplishment in beating an enemy like this.
Even the Naruto in the original timeline could handle this guy easily.
The Menma of this timeline was far stronger than that Naruto. If he couldn't handle this fight with absolute ease, he might as well dig a hole and bury himself out of sheer embarrassment.