Hidden Four Star Village.
"The plan is in motion. Will Itachi arrive in three days?"
Menma narrowed his eyes, studying the note that had materialized in his hand. He walked to the window, gazing outside.
"Time is running out. Let's try one last time with Sasuke."
Below the window, Sasuke was conjuring a blue Rasengan crackling with lightning. The sphere was surrounded by dense, spike-like bolts of electricity, accompanied by a cacophony of sounds like a thousand birds chirping.
Minato, standing nearby, gestured and pointed, clearly giving instructions. The two were attempting to integrate the nature-altering Chidori into the form-altering Rasengan. The result looked promising—at least impressive.
"Menma!"
A soft exclamation came from directly below. Kushina was carrying a basket in one hand and waving the other toward Menma upstairs. Seeing him looking over, she smiled brightly.
"I made some sweets; come down and eat with me!"
Menma frowned beneath his mask and leaped down from the window.
"Don't use my name here."
Kushina stuck out her tongue, grabbed his arm, and pulled him toward Sasuke and Minato.
"Relax, relax, esteemed Lord Menma. Let's go find Sasuke for sweets!"
Although Menma still refused to call her "Mother," Kushina felt it wasn't so bad now. At least it didn't feel so distant.
Minato spotted them immediately and ran over like lightning.
"Lord Menma," Minato nodded to him first. Then, with a fawning smile, he looked at Kushina and reached out to take the basket.
"Kushina, let me help you with that..."
Slap!
Minato's hand was slapped away. Kushina showed no politeness whatsoever.
"Who are you? Snatching things from someone so familiarly—don't you have any manners?"
Ignoring Minato's embarrassed expression, she shoved him aside and waved to Sasuke in the distance.
"Little Sasuke, break time's here! Come have some snacks!"
Hearing Kushina's call, Sasuke's bitter expression softened considerably. After putting away the Lightning Release: Chidori Rasengan, he walked straight past Minato to the two of them.
"Aunt Kushina..."
Before Sasuke could finish speaking, Kushina hit him on the head with the basket.
"Afternoon tea is Kushina's special bento. Sasuke, if you want some, don't call me the wrong name!"
Sasuke: "..."
"Okay... Ku...Kushina-Sister..."
Sasuke said it with great difficulty, glancing at Minato beside him. Calling her "Sister" was something Kushina insisted on, precisely to distinguish her from Minato. After all, Kushina still remembered Minato's previous suspicions about her.
Sasuke had objected, of course, but Kushina was ruthless. She hadn't given him anything to eat for three days straight, almost starving him to death.
"Hmph, not bad. Barely a cute kid~"
Kushina ruffled Sasuke's hair vigorously, her face beaming with joy.
Seeing Kushina's happy expression, Minato quickly moved closer.
"Ahahaha, lunchboxes! I love lunchboxes the most..."
"Damn it!" Before Minato could finish, Kushina pushed him away with a dark expression. "Go find your Uchiha-senpai to make you something. I don't have any for you here!"
After saying that, she quickly smiled at Sasuke. "Little Sasuke, I wasn't talking about you. Come on, the three of us will eat."
Sasuke: "..."
"We'll eat the lunchbox later," Menma said, ignoring Minato's pleading look. "How's your Sharingan? Has it changed recently?"
Hearing Menma's question, Sasuke's face flushed red, then quickly turned deathly pale. Fear followed, but, finally, determination settled in. He stammered.
"No, no. Is it another 'stimulation plan'?"
"Bring it on. I... I can still hold on!"
The 'stimulation plan' Sasuke was referring to was, of course, the plan to stimulate him to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan. The Mangekyō Sharingan requires intense emotions to stimulate the mind, causing a mutation in the chakra within the eyes.
Therefore, Menma devised various methods of stimulation for Sasuke.
For example, extreme pleasure. Menma took Sasuke to the red-light district of the Land of Hot Springs, where he was subjected to three days and three nights of non-stop bathing.
Another example was extreme fear. Menma took Sasuke to the Giant Bird Spinning Tavern in the Land of Lightning, dressed him up, sealed his chakra, and made him stay in the tavern for a week.
And the ultimate...
In short, there were countless failed plans that made Sasuke tremble with fear just recalling them.
Of course, calling them failures wasn't accurate, because Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan was already at its peak. Ordinary Jōnin facing Sasuke would unknowingly fall into the illusions he created without realizing it.
"No, I was just asking about the situation. I've used all the methods I could," Menma said calmly.
Sasuke unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. However, he didn't notice that a scarlet six-pointed star suddenly appeared under his mask.
Suddenly—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of violent booms came from not far away, accompanied by a familiar shout.
"Sasuke! I've come to save you!"
Sasuke looked in the direction of the voice, his face showing disbelief. "Naruto? This guy actually came looking for me?"
Annoyance flickered across his face. "Lord Menma, I'll take care of him right away."
"No need." Menma reached out to stop Sasuke, who was about to step forward. "Since Konoha dared to send the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki here, then I'll teach Konoha a lesson."
The instant he finished speaking, four fox tails transformed into golden-red lightning, shooting out from behind Menma.
The next second, blood splattered. Naruto's limbs were pierced through, lifted high into the sky.
"???"
Sasuke's expression changed drastically. He looked at Kushina and Minato beside him, but the two remained expressionless. Instead, they flashed behind Naruto, blocking Kakashi and the others behind them.
"Was it an illusion?" Sasuke realized what was happening and quickly activated his Sharingan, but to no avail.
Then, a thick, pungent stench of blood filled the air.
Menma held up Naruto, who was coughing up blood, in front of Sasuke. A cold, emotionless voice rang out.
"It's not a genjutsu. I deliberately leaked information that you were in danger to lure them here. Since so many methods have failed, then I have no choice but to use these people as sacrifices for you to awaken your Sharingan..."
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