"Yeah, you're right, Menma."
Naruto was stunned for a moment, then nodded slightly and said.
At this moment, Sakura outside also noticed that Naruto had woken up. With a look of joy, she walked over carrying a bowl of fish soup.
In Sakura's view, since Naruto had woken up, Sasuke should be about the same.
"Here, Naruto."
"Oh, thanks, Sakura-chan! I was just getting hungry."
Smelling the rich and delicious aroma of the fish soup, Naruto's stomach rumbled shamelessly. He hurriedly took it and began to devour it.
Sakura's gaze shifted directly to Sasuke. Seeing that Sasuke still showed no signs of waking up, she turned to Menma with worry and asked, "Menma, Sasuke still hasn't woken up. Is there something wrong?"
"Don't worry, Sakura. There won't be any problems. Look, didn't Naruto wake up already? Just wait a little longer at most."
Menma replied softly.
"Yeah, Sakura-chan, you don't need to worry. Sasuke, that guy..."
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Naruto slurped the fish soup and ate the fish meat loudly, chiming in with Menma while his mouth was full.
However, before he could finish his sentence...
Buzz!
Suddenly.
A surge of sky-piercing chakra erupted from the slumbering Sasuke.
"What?"
"This is?"
The three of them were immediately drawn to the source.
Seeing Sasuke seemingly enveloped in an extremely dense black chakra aura, Menma's eyes narrowed.
Naruto and Sakura both showed expressions of shock.
The power of the Cursed Seal? This seems to be a special form of natural energy.
Menma, knowing the plot well, was naturally aware of the origin of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. Although it looked extremely evil and dark, the energy Jūgo absorbed was genuine natural energy native to this planet. The mode he entered was also a special kind of Sage Transformation.
It was just that Jūgo clearly couldn't control this power himself.
He went berserk easily.
Orochimaru's Cursed Seal was a power obtained from researching Jūgo.
Although Orochimaru could use this method to imprint his chakra and soul into the seal's bearer, thereby using it as a way to "resurrect" himself, it undeniably brought certain benefits to the bearer.
Those compatible with the Cursed Seal would have their bodies slowly modified.
The power gained was real. Of course, there was a prerequisite: one must not be controlled by the Cursed Seal. This special natural energy could clearly incite the most primal desires deep within a human's heart.
And clearly, the current Sasuke showed a tendency to be controlled by this power.
The Cursed Seal markings spread rapidly across his body.
"What on earth is happening to Sasuke?"
"Menma?"
The aura grew stronger and stronger, and his appearance became increasingly bizarre.
Naruto and Sakura couldn't understand it at all.
Both of them instinctively looked at Menma.
At this very moment, Sasuke, whose eyes had been tightly shut, suddenly opened them. The crimson Sharingan was reflected in his pupils.
"Sasuke-kun?!"
Seeing this scene...
Sakura immediately showed a look of joy.
Subconsciously, she wanted to step forward and approach him.
But when Sasuke stood up and their eyes met, seeing the extreme coldness in his pupils...
Sakura shuddered involuntarily.
A chilling sensation instantly filled the space.
Naruto's expression also became incredibly serious.
"Sasuke, what exactly is your situation right now? Are you still rational?"
Menma frowned and asked in a deep voice.
"My situation? Of course, it's a very excellent situation! I've never felt so great before! Menma, rational? Heh, of course I'm rational. Where is that Grass ninja, Menma? Was he driven away by you?"
Sasuke shifted his gaze to Menma. His low, chilling laughter seemed to drop the surrounding temperature.
Those crimson eyes stared straight at Menma.
Surging fighting intent.
The meaning revealed so blatantly...
Unless one was a fool, anyone could see it.
Seeing Sasuke in this state, Menma had only one thought in his mind.
The rain stopped, the sun came out.
Sasuke thinks he's the tough guy again!
This was Menma's first reaction.
The power brought by the Cursed Seal instantly inflated the confidence of this Uchiha second young master. In this moment, he seemed to feel invincible. The tomoe slowly spinning in his pupils...
Were so eerie, so terrifying.
"No. By the time I arrived, that Grass ninja was already gone. So..."
Menma looked at Sasuke calmly and said.
"Gone? Then let's go find him. To dare target our Team 7... this humiliation must be washed away."
Sasuke interrupted Menma coldly. The terrifying chakra aura erupted further.
At this moment, it was obvious that Sasuke's mind was being eroded and influenced by the power of the Cursed Seal.
His inner negative emotions were further amplified.
His personal desires were magnified to the extreme.
The proud Uchiha would not tolerate slight.
Whoever slapped his face, he, Sasuke Uchiha, would find them and settle the score.
The black-purple chakra swirling around him became incredibly dense, giving him a very evil appearance.
Naruto and Sakura's expressions changed accordingly.
"Sasuke, what's wrong with you?"
"Me? I'm fine, Naruto. That guy beat the hell out of us. Don't you want to win it back? We need to..."
A fierce look appeared in Sasuke's eyes. Taking a step forward, his aura became even more ferocious.
"Sasuke, I think you need to calm down."
A sharp glint appeared in Menma's eyes as he looked at Sasuke and spoke coldly.
What to do when the kid gets unruly and disobedient?
The old method: a good beating will fix it!
Menma also released his aura, locking onto Sasuke's movements completely.
"Menma?"
"What are you guys doing?"
Naruto and Sakura, standing to the side, were startled.
"Don't worry, Naruto, Sakura. Sasuke might just be a little overly excited right now. I'll help him calm down."
A hint of bloodlust faintly appeared in Menma's pupils.
The shadow of fox eyes emerged subtly.
"Heh! Are you trying to stop me? Menma!"
With their auras clashing...
Sasuke sneered coldly.
Boom!
Exploding chakra from the soles of his feet...
Whoosh.
In an instant, he rushed toward Menma, moving like lightning, with speed far exceeding his previous limits.