Elixir

The next day.

Uzumaki Menma unusually slept in.

Inside Danzo's office.

Besides Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi was there as well.

Looking at a test tube on the desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi wore an ugly expression. "Danzo, have you started those forbidden experiments again?!"

Unfazed by Hiruzen Sarutobi's questioning, Danzo explained what the test tube contained.

"This test tube contains an elixir capable of completing one's bloodline."

Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brow deeply. "Complete one's bloodline? What bloodline?"

"The Uzumaki Clan bloodline."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sprang to his feet and slammed both hands onto the desk. He denounced him, "Did you dig up Lady Mito's or Kushina's grave? This is utterly unforgivable!"

Danzo calmly said, "There was no need to dig up graves. Root already had tissue samples from Lady Mito and Uzumaki Kushina. Besides, you should know how powerful the Uzumaki Clan's constitution was—their immense Chakra reserves, powerful self-healing abilities, keen sensory abilities, and their exceptional talent for sealing techniques. As long as Menma received this elixir and completed his Uzumaki Clan bloodline, he would become a Jinchuriki capable of suppressing and controlling Tailed Beasts. It would bring nothing but benefits to Menma and Konoha!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back down, and the office fell silent for a time.

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally asked, "Are there any side effects?"

Danzo explained, "For someone without Uzumaki blood, this elixir would undoubtedly be poison. But for Menma, who already possesses half of the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline, you can regard this vial as a bloodline-enhancing elixir. Since I brought it out for you to see, it means it has already undergone countless repeated tests. The chances of side effects are negligible."

Hiruzen Sarutobi kept puffing on his pipe, filling the room with smoke.

Danzo, who did not smoke, was disgusted by Hiruzen Sarutobi's secondhand smoke. "Enough! Stop smoking!"

Danzo snapped in frustration, "You've already agreed to my plan in your heart. Since you've agreed, then be decisive about it. Is this constant hesitation how a Hokage should act?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. "When do you intend to inject Menma with this elixir?"

"Today." Danzo stood and said to Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Come with me."

Danzo led Hiruzen Sarutobi to Uzumaki Menma's room.

Danzo pushed the door open and walked in.

At that moment, Uzumaki Menma was still sound asleep.

In his sleep, Uzumaki Menma felt as if someone were calling out to him.

Uzumaki Menma struggled to open his eyes. The two old faces before him looked like two wilted chrysanthemums.

"Oh my God—ghosts!"

Danzo's face darkened as he dragged Uzumaki Menma straight out of bed.

Wearing only his underwear, Uzumaki Menma stared blankly at Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi, having no idea what they wanted.

After setting Uzumaki Menma on the floor, Danzo said, "Get dressed, then come with us."

Uzumaki Menma dazedly put on his clothes and pants, then followed behind Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Danzo brought Uzumaki Menma into a laboratory and pointed at a bed inside. "Lie down."

After Uzumaki Menma lay on the bed, several researchers brought over a great many instruments.

Electrode pads connected to wires were plastered all over Uzumaki Menma's body.

Uzumaki Menma was completely confused. He looked up at Danzo and asked, "Grandpa Danzo, what are you doing?"

"Just think of it as a physical examination. It will be over soon."

Danzo handed the elixir in his hand to one of the researchers.

The researcher took out a syringe and drew the elixir from the test tube.

Just as the researcher was about to inject it into Uzumaki Menma, Hiruzen Sarutobi called for him to stop and looked at Danzo. "Danzo, will this really be all right?"

"Don't worry."

In truth, Danzo was nervous as well.

The chance of side effects was negligible, but that did not mean there would definitely be none.

However, the younger one was when injected with the elixir, the better its effects would be.

If Uzumaki Menma grew up and his body fully matured, injecting the elixir would no longer have any effect.

No matter how foolish Uzumaki Menma was, he could tell something was wrong. Did a physical examination really need such a grand setup? Even the Hokage had come?

"Grandpa Danzo, I think I'm pretty healthy. There really isn't any need for an examination." Uzumaki Menma made as if to get up.

Danzo sternly ordered, "Lie down. This concerns the heights you can reach in the future. No mistakes will be tolerated! Inject him!"

The researcher pierced Uzumaki Menma's skin with the syringe and pushed the elixir into his vein.

Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Uzumaki Menma nervously.

Uzumaki Menma was uneasy as well.

But after some time passed, there seemed to be no changes at all.

Uzumaki Menma gradually felt his eyelids grow heavy, and eventually fell into a deep sleep.

Danzo asked the researchers, "How is it?"

"The elixir is taking effect inside Young Master Menma's body. As long as Young Master Menma wakes up, it will mean the serum has completely taken effect."

Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi understood that only once Uzumaki Menma awakened could he be considered safe.

The entire laboratory was silent. Only the ticking of the instruments echoed through the room, and the atmosphere was incomparably solemn.

The sleeping Uzumaki Menma began to dream.

Five beasts and four humanoid figures, all wearing masks, surrounded Uzumaki Menma.

"Who are you?" Uzumaki Menma asked aloud.

Uzumaki Menma received no response.

Uzumaki Menma scratched his head in confusion.

What did this mean?

Inside the laboratory.

Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi tensed from head to toe, their eyes fixed firmly on Uzumaki Menma's surroundings.

The five beasts and four humanoid figures that had appeared in Uzumaki Menma's dream now appeared beside him as phantoms.

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a grave expression, "Danzo, do you know what is happening?"

Danzo shook his head. "No. This is the first time I've seen something like this too."

In the dream.

The white tiger wearing a mask suddenly lay down in front of Uzumaki Menma.

For some reason, Uzumaki Menma could understand what the tiger meant.

"You mean you want me to sit on your back?"

The white tiger nodded its head.

Uzumaki Menma climbed onto the white tiger's back.

The white tiger rose with Uzumaki Menma on its back and raced forward.

The other eight stayed at Uzumaki Menma's side, as though protecting him.

Uzumaki Menma tightly hugged the tiger's neck, enjoying the thrill of the fierce wind rushing past and the breakneck speed.

He did not know how long they ran.

The white tiger carried Uzumaki Menma into a forest.

When Uzumaki Menma saw the enormous beast lying within the forest, his eyes widened.

Nine-Tails?!

It was black, too!