After Menma floated out of Naruto as a Spirit Body, everyone was surprised, but they finally believed what Naruto had told them.
Sasuke furrowed his brow. "What's going on?"
Naruto scratched his head, unsure how to explain it to everyone.
Menma spoke up instead. "I'm Naruto's Inner Demon, Uzumaki Menma! I'm warning you—don't bully Naruto, or you'll have me to answer to!"
"Humph!"
Sasuke curled his lip, looking disdainful.
But when he remembered how Naruto's Inner Demon had badly wounded him not long ago, forcing him to the brink of using Izanagi to save himself, the corner of his mouth dropped.
Jiraiya was at a loss for words. What was Minato thinking?
He'd thought Minato's intervention had taken care of everything. He hadn't expected Minato to leave Naruto's Inner Demon behind.
Yakumo, meanwhile, was speechless.
Now that Naruto and Menma had reconciled, wouldn't their relationship become like hers and Ido's—two beings who depended on each other and coexisted? The thought took her by surprise.
Menma didn't say much. His Spirit Body wasn't strong enough to remain outside Naruto for long, but before returning to Naruto's body, he gave Yakumo a meaningful look.
Back in Naruto's mindscape, Menma said, looking perfectly at ease, "Naruto, I finally figured something out!"
"What?" Naruto asked.
Behind the iron bars, the Yin Nine-Tails, which had been dozing with its eyes closed, pricked up its ears too.
During the years it had spent sealed inside the Reaper's stomach with the Fourth Hokage, the two of them had built up a mutual trust. So when the Fourth Hokage entrusted Naruto and Menma to it, it hadn't agreed outright, but in its heart, it had already accepted.
Menma looked confident. "Just like you, Yakumo has an Inner Demon hidden in her mindscape—one that belongs to her!"
"What!?"
Naruto