Well, I didn't expect the fanfic to attract attention, especially in the standard category of non-crossovers. Almost 20 followers and 17 favs, thanks, everybody! I wanted to work on something else, like yet another crossover but when I woke up the next day, I saw interest in this story. I thought, why not write another chapter? This one should have a little more progression for the character before things start heating up. This chapter will play a role in the story of a series of events that will create a spiral, causing some changes in the timeline. I don't want to spoil too much here, so I'll proceed to address the first two comments.

Only1Scorpion: Thanks man, I appreciate the comment. Yeah, I took some time with the reincarnation part of the OCSI but I wanted to add some context for the character's previous life and give him an initial boost if you know what I mean. And hey, you got the red hair and violet eyes you wanted for the MC, lol! Uzumaki scrolls, huh? Who knows but I'm sure it will not be Hiruzen who'll give it to him lmao; he didn't even give Naruto the Hiraishin scroll in canon, imagine something like that. Sorry if you like Hiruzen but, I can't stand him.

djb0623: I know but, are you asking me that because you think they're inept someway? But let me address it, don't know how much you watched the show but, kids were sent to war when they are toddlers. One good example I could give you is, just take a look at Itachi; the kid was running around in the 3rd great ninja war and killing Iwa Jounin at four without even looking. I don't know if you are referring to the training Menma will be doing with them or you're referring to their behavior or something but Konoha is supposed to be a military village and the kids in the world of Naruto are abnormal when the opportunity presents itself; see Itachi again. And I know, Itachi is a prodigy but in the MC and the others' case, in a nutshell, it's just training between friends and the MC is manipulating the kids, acting as an older brother and guiding them. Thanks for commenting btw.

Inner Recesses

Year 3 A.N.B. December 30 ~ 9:40 A.M ~ Underground Bunker

"Six hundred ninety-seven, Six hundred ninety-eight, Six hundred ninety-nine..." Menma counted, his mind focused on the rhythmic pattern of push-ups. His lean muscles strained with each repetition. "Seven hundred!" he declared triumphantly, rising from the floor.

"Oof! That was tiring!" Menma remarked, stretching his arms. The sheer capability of this Uzumaki-Jinchuriki hybrid body was astounding. No matter how rigorous the training was, it continued to defy his expectations.

"Awwn..." a soft moan interrupted Menma's thoughts, and he turned to find Sasuke on the ground, drooling.

"What the heck, Sasuke? I thought you said you'd beat me in the push-ups exercise," Menma queried, bemused, but Sasuke responded with tired moans.

"How many push-ups did you do before giving up?"

"...twenty...two..." Sasuke managed, causing a hint of disappointment to flicker across Menma's face. "A hundred and twenty-two," Sasuke corrected, surprising Menma with his persistence.

"Oh..." Menma's expression shifted. 'Not as bad as I thought. I did ask him to attempt a hundred as a test,' he reasoned, nodding to himself.

Recalling a boy in his world struggling with fifty push-ups, Menma marveled at the significant difference between ordinary humans in his reality and the resilient kids in this world. The fact that Sasuke, at three years old, outperformed a teenager from his previous life seemed absurd.

"Now, what about Naruto?" Menma inquired, turning to the blond toddler who was still engrossed in his exercise.

"Hey, Naruto, you can stop, you know? How many push-ups did you do?"

Naruto halted his exercise, standing up and sweating profusely. "I stopped counting at a hundred," he confessed, leading Menma to internally chide himself.

'Of course, I didn't teach him to count beyond a hundred yet! Evan, you fool!' he scolded himself. But upon reflection, he couldn't help but smirk. "Wait a moment, Naruto; you started at the same time as I did, right?"

"Uh-huh," Naruto affirmed.

Observing Naruto's reasonable pace, Menma calculated, 'He must've done at least five hundred push-ups or more... what being an Uzumaki and Jinchuriki of the physical energy half can't do, eh?'

"Menma, did I do better than Sasuke?" Naruto asked with eagerness, determined not to fall behind the Uchiha.

"If you did better? You've destroyed the competition, Naruto," Menma praised, eliciting a victorious smirk from Naruto.

"You're not even tired yet, are you?" Menma probed.

"No," Naruto replied confidently.

"I see. But we gotta stop now; it's almost 10 in the morning, and I don't want the third butting into our little secret."

"Ah... alright..." Naruto acquiesced, a hint of disappointment in his response.

"Since Sasuke is knocked out, I'll carry him to the Uchiha district and apologize to his parents. You know, for 'playing too much' with him," Menma joked as he hoisted Sasuke onto his back. Menma's face tensed slightly as he adjusted to the Uchiha's weight. "Urgh...! This should also serve as training for me," he mused, acknowledging the physical strain.

Naruto, gazing at Sasuke being piggybacked, felt a twinge of envy. "Hm... ok, I think I'll just go back home then," Naruto stated, fidgeting with his fingers and avoiding eye contact. Part of him yearned for Menma's attention and to be carried like Sasuke, but he resisted the temptation, mindful of the promise he made.

"Alright, just remember to go through the safe route," Menma advised, emphasizing the importance of Naruto's safety.

Year 3 A.N.B. December 30 ~ 11:30 A.M ~ Uchiha district ~ Park

After a break, the kids wanted to play Anbu.

Naruto and Sasuke would be the members of the Anbu, while Menma would play the part of the enemy.

Naruto would be Shinui while Sasuke would be Itaji and Menma bandaged his whole face, leaving only the opening for the left eye; he would be what he called the "mummy".

"Hohohoho! I'll replace that eye of yours for my lost one!" Menma spoke with the best mummy-like voice he could muster, directing to Sasuke.

"Not if I burn you to ash before you can do that! Fireball jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, pretending to shoot a fireball from his mouth.

"Aaargh!" Menma shouted, feigning the best-pained scream he could.

Deep down, he felt strange. Here he was, playing the role of an ordinary kid, playing, but he was no kid anymore.

He was plagued by the belief that he was robbing these lads of some of their childhood. So he did his best to play with them to compensate.

There was time to take training sessions but there was also time to play with them even if just a little; not everything had to turn into a grueling exercise regimen. Life could balance honing their skills and enjoying the simple pleasures of childhood. After all, not every moment needed to transform into an intense training session; sometimes, a bit of playfulness added its kind of strength and resilience to their lives.

Although he was no longer a child, he could appreciate the opportunity to live a bit of a childhood that he never had.

Even if he had been spending time with them, he felt withdrawn, so he always played the role of the villain.

He had already since long lost the luster of innocence of a child. He had seen terrible things with his eyes in his previous life. However, he had already witnessed terrible deeds even within the walls of Konoha.

Now that he was here in person, many things that weren't seen or described in the anime and manga could be witnessed.

One of the nights he sneaked out of his apartment to investigate Hiruzen's activities, he witnessed a chunin putting a village woman in a genjutsu to have some "fun" with her without her consent.

He should've known better than not to expect things like this to be possible in a world where a powerful tool such as genjutsu existed.

He couldn't fathom the number of women who fell prey to this kind of act daily in the shinobi world.

What else did these Shinobi use for evil? Henge to disguise as these women's husbands and take advantage of them? Kage Bushin to promote greater heights of public indecency? Maybe there were orgies taking place underground with the usage of Kage Bushin, and no one was even aware of it.

Ok, maybe the last one was a lesser case considering the number of Shinobi who probably knew the technique and had the chakra to spare were few, but still...

They would never show this kind of stuff in a manga or anime made for pre-teens. This was something that only a reincarnate like him would be able to witness firsthand. The world of Shinobi was darker than it looked.

And, of course, he never commented on this kind of thing with Naruto. It wouldn't be the kind of story a child should fixate on their mind.

Thurst when it is placed primarily and based on the figure of who said it to make practical decisions on our life tends to damage our own life regardless of who that person is. It is much safer to evaluate what that person is saying, check, investigate, and decide whether you accept the person's arguments.

But children lacked that criticism.

They have to experience loss before they can understand the value of life.

Children are born heartless and selfish unable to express self-sacrificing love until they can relate that feeling of love with the fear of loss.

When they learn that association, that's when they enter adulthood.

Deep down, Sasuke idolized him and probably saw him as a potential rival. He knew he followed his command because he saw something close to a figure of power in him.

They saw him as a potential authority figure, an older brother of sorts, and they started using that argument of authority as a bargaining chip, a common argument, a common scenario just because he played with them and helped them train.

Such behavior impoverished debate and ideas. They would no longer bother to investigate, and see if it makes sense. It would simply become the most childish thing in the world.

Well, that's to be expected from children.

Over time, they would start to believe in him with a certain emotion just like when you believe in someone just because they are your parent, friend, or family.

The only reason why the Uchiha had not been worried about Sasuke's little strolls with him around the village, was because none of them expected him to be a reincarnated young man in a child's body.

On the other hand, there was the emotional factor that comes into play that Mikoto Uchiha was a close friend to his mother, Kushina and since people tend to associate things with each other, she probably expects him to have a loving and caring persona as she had.

That couldn't be farther from the truth.

When we start to believe in people, we consequently start to open up to sentimentalism. Emotions are never good indicators of decision-making in life.

Examples can be seen in our everyday life when we suddenly have a cold and need to take an injection, which is a management that awakens bad feelings, the feeling of negative anxiety because you know that injection hurts like hell but if you were that your emotions you wouldn't take that injection.

So you need to be rational and take that injection to get better on the other hand, something that is very good can harm you.

He learned from a book that there is certainly no one in the world who doesn't have any partiality for the people they know and like compared to those they don't like or even that they are strangers.

Furthermore, If there was such a person we should consider her at best mentally ill with a peculiar form of Asperger's syndrome and at worst a monster of inhumanity.

Emotion control and manipulation was a tactic he learned during his time in that disgusting training facility but it would prove most useful in this world.

...

He watched from afar as Naruto and Sasuke had an exchange to decide what they would play next.

It was good to see that they were doing fine without his presence or interference that way, he wouldn't need to worry if he ever needed to leave them.

He didn't tell Naruto but, he had been secretly training without them whenever he had the chance.

Not only did he know how to climb trees and walk on water, but he had also discovered his chakra affinity recently. It was a separate training regime he kept secret so the kids wouldn't feel left behind or inferior to him.

He didn't need to overload them with training at the moment.

He, on the other hand, needed to grow strong, and fast. He wanted to be ready to set things in motion as soon as possible.

Menma gathered air in his lungs and yelled, "Naruto! Stay here playing with Sasuke; I'll take a look at something and come back later, OK?" He stated, and Naruto waved at him from afar.

"Okay!" The blond replied from afar.

Year 3 A.N.B. December 30 ~ 12:00 P.M. ~ Uchiha district ~ Fugaku's manor ~ Back Yard

Menma walked into the backyard of Fugaku's residence.

The place had a few training dummies with targets on them there.

By the corner of his eye, he could see a few kunai and shuriken lying on the ground near the sliding door.

'Hm...trying out my throwing skills here wouldn't hurt, would it?' He thought, eager to test his accuracy since his previous life.

He picked up two shurikens and held one in with each hand. He drew back his arms and focused on the targets on the heads of the straw dummies.

It didn't look that difficult. The targets were much closer than the ones he used to train within the shooting range and knife-throwing tests back in the terrorist camp. He mustered the strength he thought was needed and threw it with the best of his skill.

The flung shuriken had taken a detour in midair before hitting the middle of their targets.

"Nice shot." He heard a voice behind him which made his body shudder in surprise; he didn't feel anyone in the range of his sensor.

Turning his head, he could see the frame of a black-haired boy taller than him, probably ten years old, and the owner of the most coveted genjutsu in the world.

"Shisui Uchiha, the teleporter," He allowed it to escape his lips.

Shisui whistled in surprise; "Wow, I'm so famous now that even kids your age already know me?" Shisui spoke in a friendly tone.

'When did he get inside here? He's quite fast; I couldn't detect him. I must polish my sensory abilities...' Menma thought, a bit bleak.

"You're known as Shunshin no Shisui now, just a year after becoming jounin at eight. I heard stories about your feats during missions; your reputation proceeds you, Shisui-san," Menma complimented.

Shisui hummed in contemplation as he observed the kid in front of him. "You're surprisingly informed for a kid your age; most wouldn't be concerned about such things. You're also too educated and disciplined. I can see that you're a clever kid," Shisui noted.

"Perceptive. You've got a good eye." Menma spoke, and Shisui chuckled.

"You've got no idea," Shisui replied, humored by the irony and the kid's peculiarity.

"I believe you've come here to look for Itachi, right?"

"Yes, but it seems that dork hasn't arrived yet. I wanted to brief him on a mission scheduled for tomorrow. How unlucky..."

Menma watched the older Shinobi with interest. This was one great opportunity. Shisui right here, and with time to spare. He had already witnessed how good he was with the shuriken. Although revealing more of his capacity was risky, he considered the great value he would receive in return if he could learn a particular technique from him...

"Shisui-san, can I make a request?"

"Huh? What is it?" Shisui asked, curious.

"Can you teach me the Kage Bushin?"Menma requested while frowning, showing that he was serious about his plea.

"What? Why would you be interested in learning something like that at your age?"

"I want to learn things early to be prepared for anything that comes up in the future. Besides, it is an advantageous technique both for reckoning and infiltration. I've come up with various uses for the technique already," Menma explained.

"Well, even If I taught you that, I don't think you would have the chakra to spare. The Kage Bushin is a high-level technique commonly used only by jounin with great chakra control."

Menma, upon hearing that, immediately ran towards the tree behind the straw dummies, climbed it using chakra on his feet, and backflipped, falling graciously on the ground.

Shisui's eyes went wide from the stunt.

"Oh..." The only word escaped his mouth upon witnessing the kid's feat.

"It looks like your chakra control is up to date..." Shisui remarked, still stunned by what he had just witnessed.

"Strangely, I noticed that I've got abnormal chakra reserves and went to investigate. Being a member of the Uzumaki Clan seems to grant me immense chakra reserves and survivability. My Clan is blessed with vitality."

"I see; you're one of these apples who fall from the tree early, huh?" Shisui reflected. "Still, you haven't introduced yourself yet, kid. What is your name, and also, how old are you?" The Uchiha asked with curiosity.

"Menma, Menma Uzumaki, I'm three years old." He answered, and Shisui's mouth went agape.

'What have they been feeding the kids these days?' Shisui asked within his mind.

The Kage Bushin's secret lay inside the scroll of the seals so that it would be out of his reach for a few years. Only a few handful of ninjas knew how to perform it. Having Shisui teach him at least that jutsu early would be just perfect.

"Yes, Shisui-sensei!" He replied respectfully, and Shisui chuckled.

As the sun began to disappear behind the clouds, Shisui and Menma found themselves in a secluded training area. Shisui explained the basics of chakra control, amazed at Menma's aptitude for absorbing information.

The young boy listened intently, absorbing every detail, and soon they were practicing hand seals together.

"First of all, if you're interested in the Kage Bushin, that means you must at least have surface knowledge about the ordinary Bushin, right?" Shisui asked and Menma nodded.

"Focus your chakra in your core," Shisui instructed. "Now, when you release it, visualize yourself splitting into two identical forms."

Menma closed his eyes, his small hands forming the seals with deliberate precision. A moment later, two nearly identical figures stood before Shisui, wearing expressions of amazement and pride.

Shisui's Sharingan eyes flickered, a mixture of surprise and admiration in their crimson depths. "Incredible. You've managed to create two clones on your first try."

Menma beamed his chest swelling with pride. "I told you, I've been practicing chakra control."

Shisui chuckled. "You certainly have. But remember, mastery comes with consistent practice and refinement. And you have a bright future ahead if you continue down this path."

"As one should know, the Bushin is a simple illusion technique and, therefore, uses a certain amount of Yin release to be performed. However, to turn these illusions into tangible and physical copies of yourself, you need to apply yang release and divide your chakra with the amount of copies you want to make."

"I see, that's why usually only jounin can use it. It requires knowledge of both yin and yang releases that stand out of the five common nature releases and it requires dividing one's chakra to use."

"Correct," Shisui replied. "This is a Jonin-level technique; I'm teaching you because I believe in your potential, get it?" He inquired with a smile.

"Of course, I won't forget what you just did for me but please, don't tell anything to my brother." Menma pleaded and Shisui arched a brow.

"Huh? Why is that?"

"The fool...he worries me so. Please, don't tell anything about this, otherwise, he'll want to come running at me to put himself in the the line of danger, expecting me to protect him." Menma pleaded.

"Haha. Don't worry, I feel the same way towards Itachi and I'm sure he feels the same towards Sasuke; I know how it feels so, I'll keep my mouth shut, don't worry." Shisui replied.

Menma nodded, his determination stronger than ever. "Thank you, Shisui. I won't let you down."

As the training session continued, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the training ground. A master and student bond had formed between Shisui and Menma.

Year 3 A.N.B. December 30 ~ 2:30 P.M. ~ Dining Room

Menma furthered his belief that the Uchihas seemed to hold particular taste in traditional Japanese culture once he saw a dining room made of a traditional Japanese Chabudai-style table. It consisted of a short-legged table used in traditional Japanese homes.

It was a refreshing experience to spend time in their home since his apartment seemed so non-traditional.

"So, how did today's mission go?" Fugaku asked his elder son.

"It was simple. We captured the Iwa Spy without too much trouble. I had to rush in to save Tenma, though..." Itachi trailed with a bit of sadness.

"That's my boy," Fugaku praised but Itachi trailed off with a bit of disdain for his father's lack of empathy for his teammate.

"But you still accomplished your mission, and everyone's safe. Be proud of yourself for once, doofus," Shisui remarked, and Itachi returned a glare, making the older Uchiha prodigy chuckle.

"Still, I've not had the chance to walk around the village lately; why were you selected for a mission meant for the Anbu?" Fugaku questioned, seemingly to slightly change his tone to a serious one.

Itachi seemed to know his father's intentions, so he answered truthfully.

"The village has been on high alert these last three days. It seems the Hyuga heir had suffered a kidnap attempt. That not being enough, it seems they also, strangely, managed to steal a scroll that was kept hidden within their residence, and now the high command suspects an insider so, given the urgency of the situation, the Anbu were all mobilized, and the village's-critical ninjas are all on standby in case fighting breaks out. That said, they couldn't exactly let an Iwa spy slip out from under their noses."

Menma body stiffened a bit. 'They were suspected of an insider? Well, that's valid, considering I managed to steal a scroll that was hidden well, and nobody was supposed to find it...'

Due to how engaged they were in their conversation, all except Shisui gasped in surprise when Menma suddenly spoke up.

"If they managed to steal such a valuable scroll hidden within their residence, the possibility of an insider is there; naturally, they suspect that. An investigation is valid."

"Oh, interested in investigations?" Fugaku prompted, intrigued.

After talking with Shisui and receiving his guidance, it is also important to connect with the other members of the Uchiha Clan and gather their perspectives. Fugaku, being one of the leaders of the clan, may provide valuable insights into the current state of affairs and offer suggestions on how he could approach him in the future.

Engaging in a conversation with Fugaku will also help to foster a sense of unity and collaboration between him and the Uchiha which is crucial for our collective well-being and pursuit of his objective as well as keeping a low profile and stopping him from seeing him as a bad influence on Sasuke, lowering any suspicions on him.

"Ha, I like to read about the village's criminal cases," Menma spoke. It was clear to him that Fugaku liked talented shinobi; if he wanted to get on his good side, it would prove fruitful to bring out some level of intrigue from him. Being assertive around him would be a wise policy.

"Never expected to hear that from someone your age, kid," Fugaku spoke with slight surprise. "Not even my son Itachi here is that interested in these things yet. I guess kids are maturing sooner and sooner these days..." He trailed off with an almost imperceptible sadness as he took a sip of his drink.

Shisui simply cut the piece of food in his plate without saying a word but Menma knew what could be going through his mind. Shisui awakened his Mangekyo at the age of six; he was a testament to what Fugaku had just spoken.

The matter discussed made him remember how he had to go through his struggles when he was a kid 'I guess even the Uchiha have problems amongst themselves. Sometimes, I remind myself of the times I went in disagreement with my...'

"Urgh...!"Menma suddenly uttered, clutching his chest as he felt something weighing on his heart.

'What was that? I felt as if something... it was as if something tried to grasp my heart along with a feeling of intense rage...' Menma thought worriedly.

The strange sudden behavior didn't go unnoticed by Shisui and Itachi who stared at him questioningly.

Mikoto offered a look of pity, misunderstanding Menma's sudden reaction and wanting to avoid proceeding with this kind of conversation with a kid, She spoke out, "So, Menma Kun, why Naruto and Sasuke are taking so long to come and launch with us?"

"Oh, I just wanted to let them play with each other for a little while longer. I'm always around them and I wanted them to improve their friendship on their own accord."

"Oh, you truly are quite mature for your age, Menma Kun." The matriarch complimented.

"Haha, I guess," Menma replied sheepishly as he tried to alleviate the sudden tension he felt in the air.

'That feeling from before...' He thought with concern as he tried to keep his face as stoic as possible in the presence of the Uchihas.

Year 3 A.N.B. December 30 ~ 3:30 P.M. ~ Village Outskirts

Menma took a seat on the ground, crossed-legged. He closed his eyes while taking a deep breath and started to meditate.

He focused his mind as if trying to reach the seal on his belly. His mind slowly drifted into the midsection of his body, he felt like he was being pulled into a spiral, and before he knew it, his mind sank into the seal's landscape.

Everything was dark.

When Menma opened his eyes, all he saw was a dark corridor.

The place was eerie. For some reason, the gray walls kept pulsating and distorting incessantly, not possessing a definite form.

As he walked through it, he noticed various holding cells.

It looked like some prison. He thought he would be sent into some kind of sewer like Naruto's seal landscape, but he was mistaken.

"Why does the seal landscape look like this?" He asked out loud without even noticing but then heard an eerie, monstrous voice echoing from deep within the corridor.

"You should ask yourself that. Your mind created it, my jailor."

'The Nine Tails...!' He thought with surprise and realization as he heard the voice, remembering why he was here in the first place.

Its fur was darker than that of the complete form that he saw with his baby eyes a few years ago when reincarnated into this world, and its presence was so obscure that it made his heart feel ill at ease.

When he decided to come to his mental landscape, he expected to have the edge in the conversation, but now seeing it up close, he couldn't but feel he lost his initiative to speak.

The fact that his body was as small as that of a toddler didn't help. It felt like he was trying to escalate a mountain, an impassable wall. He slowly opened his mouth while trembling to speak but couldn't find the strength.

The beast slowly opened its jawline, showing its enormous teeth and fangs, then spoke gruffly, "Kid, won't you speak? Or are you so afraid that you can't muster a single word? Kukukuku..." The giant fox spoke sarcastically from within its prison.

Menma forced himself to close his mouth, which was agape; he needed to compose himself.

'So the Nine Tails woken from its sleep... but what caused it?

Earlier today, when he started remembering his past life, he was indignant about his mother figure's treatment, how he got to live all those years in that house...

His hatred towards her must've stirred its awakening after being fueled by the darkness in his heart. Menma pondered internally with concern.

"So... you're the nine-tailed fox..." Menma mustered with a bit of difficulty,

"Yes, and you're the little twerp who gets to be my vessel."

'What should I do? What should I do to convince this fox to work with me? Should I tell it the truth? No, at least, not completely. Maybe I should start with something that gets its attention?'

"Kurama..." He pronounced.

The fox widened its eyes, showing its surprise.

"What did you say, kid? Say it again so I can hear it."

"Kurama, that is your real name, right?" He asked, but the beast kept quiet, which unnerved him before it suddenly opened its jaw to start laughing maniacally.

"Mwahahahaa! I see, I see what you're doing, kid!"

Menma sweatdropped, not understanding what was happening. "What... what do you mean?" He asked nervously.

"Kid, I don't have the slightest idea how you know my name but..."

"But...?" Menma pondered concernedly.

"But you're still an open book to me when it comes to your emotions... I know quite well that right now, I know you're full of fear, concern, doubt, and still, trying to play smart to manipulate me by somehow, calling out my name..."

"So...you're not at all interested in the sage's wishes, is that it?" Menma asked moderately.

The beast snarled in its cage, this kid knew more than he thought but that didn't change anything.

"Naturally. Different from my other half. I'm not so docile as to go help some twerp out of weight on my conscience. I'm purely, an unadulterated hate. All I have is my will to escape this prison and I care less if you die. If you die, I'll simply reform somewhere far away from this disgusting village,"

'Although it says all that, it did help Minato and its other half in the war... that means my only appeal here is...'

Menma opened his arms to emphasize his next and last argument,

"Fine then, motherfucker, let me die then! And once you obtain your stupid freedom from this cursed cage, I hope you find a way to escape the grasp of the Akatsuki who'll be delighted to know you're unprotected and out of a Jinchuriki's body so they can easily put you under some Sharingan Genjutsu and seal you away forever in that blasted statue. Maybe then, you'll be satisfied, stupid fox!" He berated angrily at the beast who widened its eyes from behind the dark cage.

Its pupil dilated as it pulsed and shone brightly crimson from hate as it slowly showed its fangs from the opening of its maw to speak.

The beast raised its paw and then bared its claws out and slashed the cage as it roared with rage, releasing a deafening sound of metal being lacerated and a massive shockwave that reverberated throughout the mind landscape which made Menma cross his arms and stand his ground to not be taken out of his feet.

"You stupid braaaat! Who do you think you're talking to?!"

Menma thought for a moment but couldn't find anything to convince the fox at this point.

"Listen well, kid, every moment of your life that you show negative thoughts such as hate, I'll manifest, that is my will and it will slowly consume you, whether you like it or not, and one day, you'll be so drowned in my essence that you'll lose sight of yourself..."

Angered, Menma retorted, "When that happens, you'll also die." He spoke back to the beast with an intense glare and it, for the first time, took seconds to understand the implications of his words.

The beast growled, "Heh, spiteful child of humans, you'd rather take your own life than be consumed by me..." The words dripped with a sinister tone, settling heavily in the oppressive atmosphere.

Menma, though nervous, managed to crack a smirk. "Heh, see? I won't make it easy for you, fox."

The beast laughed maniacally, a guttural sound that echoed through the mental landscape. It spoke its final words with a wicked gleam in its eye,

"Hehehe! What an interesting child. But know this, not even I can control myself when it comes to devouring my vessel's heart. When you show any malice, I'll take over. Just know that..."

The voice spoke, each word dripping with ominous foreboding, slowly fading as everything went dark, and Menma found himself back in the tangible world.

"Fantastic, I take a detour through the fox's gloomy psyche, and all I get is a front-row seat to its twisted monologue. Real helpful, buddy." He muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes at the lack of assistance from the enigmatic beast.

"Strange, every reincarnate in those fanfictions gets Naruto disowned by his family and brothers, gets a cozy chat with the beast, and here I am—struggling through a maze of ominous mumbling. Guess the 'Nine Tails Reincarnate Starter Pack' skipped my mailbox..." He trailed off with frustration and irony before turning and heading back to his home.

Chapter End