At the same time.
Menma, who was also sprinting toward the location of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, encountered a tiny little accident on the way.
Looking at Karin, who appeared before him like a villainous boss, and the two other Grass ninja, Menma's expression was as bizarre as could be.
"Haha! Our luck really is pretty good! That proctor truly didn't lie. Since four people can't move together, they definitely had to split into two squads. But to think you're alone? My luck is really good! To find you at such a close distance... good job, Karin."
The leader, a Grass ninja with hair resembling a cockscomb, patted Karin's head with a smug expression and spoke arrogantly.
Karin flinched instinctively at the cockscomb-haired ninja's touch. Her gaze toward Menma revealed a hint of apology.
"Brat, if you know what's good for you, hand over your scroll. For the sake of you being a Leaf ninja, I might consider sparing your life."
The cockscomb-haired ninja tilted his chin up, looking at Menma opposite him.
"This is a rare act of kindness from us, brat. Don't be ungrateful."
The purple-haired Grass ninja beside him also sneered.
Hearing the words of the two Grass ninja, Menma shook his head in amusement.
"Kindness? Ho ho. Then let's see if you actually have the skill to back it up."
A mocking glint flashed in Menma's eyes.
Boom.
Chakra erupted from his body.
Whoosh.
His figure blurred.
He actively charged toward the two Grass ninja opposite him with extreme speed.
Seeing Menma refuse them, the two Grass ninja were instantly enraged.
But just a second later...
Seeing Menma's incredibly swift speed...
"?!"
"Not good!"
The two Grass ninja, who weren't completely stupid, instantly realized that the Leaf brat in front of them was definitely no weakling.
"Aso!"
"Got it!"
Assuming battle stances, the two of them also charged forward.
A blatant pincer attack.
However.
"Hmph."
These two Grass ninja still overestimated themselves and underestimated Menma.
Menma pressured them directly, closing the distance instantly.
Swish.
Flipping his palm...
A gleaming kunai appeared.
With a sudden downward strike...
Clang.
Cold light flashed.
The cockscomb-haired ninja barely reacted in time.
His hastily assumed stance...
Barely managed to block the attack at the last moment.
Sparks flew, and the moment a powerful force transmitted down his arms, the cockscomb-haired ninja's expression changed abruptly.
His legs trembled violently.
He clearly couldn't withstand the force.
"Aso! Cover me!"
He shouted sharply.
Wanting his teammate to support him immediately.
Unfortunately.
As soon as the words left his mouth...
Swish.
Menma forcefully knocked away the Grass ninja's block, leaving his vitals wide open. With a twist of his wrist...
Cold light flashed.
The kunai plunged straight into the cockscomb-haired ninja's heart.
"Ugh?!"
A piercing pain spread through his entire body.
"Ah!!"
Letting out a miserable scream.
An icy coldness instantly enveloped him.
Menma smiled coldly.
Twisting his right hand forcefully...
He shredded the cockscomb-haired ninja's heart in the most brutal way possible.
"Gah!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth. All strength drained from his body in that instant. His vision dimmed rapidly as the chill spread throughout him.
Splurt.
As Menma pulled back...
Blood sprayed out.
Drenching Menma's body.
The cockscomb-haired ninja's body collapsed limply forward. Just before his consciousness plunged into darkness, he glanced in the direction of his teammate, seemingly wanting to know why he hadn't come to support him.
But seeing his teammate already lying in a pool of blood, with another "Menma" standing beside him...
A look of realization flashed in the cockscomb-haired ninja's eyes.
So we were the prey all along? And stupid prey that delivered ourselves to the door?
After this final self-mocking thought surfaced in his brain...
Thud.
His consciousness sank completely into darkness.
All signs of life vanished.
Menma looked at the two dead Grass ninja, his eyes showing no fluctuation of emotion. For the current him, his personal strength alone was enough to crush any ordinary Chūnin or Genin.
They hadn't even detected his shadow clone from the start.
"You should have been able to detect my shadow clone. Why didn't you warn your teammates?"
Menma gently wiped the blood from his face. Taking the mission scroll from the Grass ninja's vest and seeing the "Earth" character on it, he casually put it away. Then he looked at Karin, who was standing to the side, seemingly trying to stay calm but actually panicking, her body trembling uncontrollably. He spoke in a flat tone.
"They aren't my teammates."
Karin was silent for a moment. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she looked up at Menma and spoke word by word.
"And, you might not believe it, but when I saw you in the first round of the exam, I felt a sense of closeness. At least compared to these two guys, I'm more willing to trust you."
"Oh? Just because of my red hair? But in this exam, I'm not the only one..."
"No, it has nothing to do with the red hair. It's just pure intuition."
Karin pursed her lips and replied with a very serious expression.
"Just because of that reason? You're all Grass ninja, yet you watched me kill these two. Aren't you worried about your own situation at all?"
Menma raised an eyebrow, asking Karin with a hint of confusion.
This wasn't Menma putting on an act.
He knew Karin's situation in the Hidden Grass Village very well, and he indeed wouldn't harm her. If possible, he was even willing to provide some help. But Karin had no reason to know this. Just because of pure intuition?
"Do I have a choice? It's either them or you. And them... have you ever seen teammates like this?"
Karin smiled bitterly and revealed her arm. The moment he saw the countless bite marks on it...
Menma's gaze hardened.
"I am a sensory ninja, that's true. But I am also a medical ninja—a medical ninja who doesn't need to perform any jutsu, just a bite on my body can heal injuries. They never treated me as a teammate. My mother... was literally 'bitten to death' by them like this. Can people like that be called teammates? The worst outcome is just dying at your hands. I have no choice at all. If you don't believe me, then..."
"No, I believe you."