A Special Conversation

A scarlet, savage aura.

A deep crimson Chakra vortex slowly coiled around him.

Just as it began winding toward Menma bit by bit, his heart suddenly jolted. The light returned to his eyes, and the clarity from before was restored.

His steps came to a steady halt.

As his consciousness cleared once more.

Menma's face showed lingering fear. That sensation, that temptation.

It had to be said, it had truly dealt Menma an enormous blow.

He subconsciously raised his little head.

Before him stood a scarlet figure, completely exposed.

This was the strongest Tailed Beast in the Shinobi World, the Nine-Tails—Kurama, split from the Ten-Tails.

"Heh, being this rough and direct at our first meeting? That isn't the attitude a good tenant should have, Nine-Tails."

Menma Took a deep breath to steady his wildly fluctuating emotions. Suppressing his feelings, he deliberately looked at the Nine-Tails' massive body with a faint smile and spoke.

Though he kept telling himself that he had no need to fear the Nine-Tails before him.

His instincts still made Menma somewhat afraid of Kurama. Mainly because that aura was simply too terrifying.

Right now, Menma felt like a lone boat drifting across an ocean battered by raging winds and torrential rain, with nowhere to turn.

The Nine-Tails' power!

Menma could finally sense a tiny glimpse of it.

And one had to remember that this was merely half of Kurama's Chakra at his peak.

Yet even this half.

Still possessed Super Kage Level strength. Didn't Nagato, known in the Original Work as the gatekeeper of the Super Kage level, fail completely to suppress the Nine-Tails!?

That inferior version of Planetary Devastation had been utterly unable to restrain the Nine-Tails.

This was because Nagato himself was not strong enough, but it also proved from another angle just how terrifying the Nine-Tails was.

"Hmph? So you've known of my existence for a long time, have you, brat? You're not ordinary. You truly aren't ordinary."

Kurama lowered his body slightly, his enormous Fox Eyes fixed tightly on Menma at Close proximity. A humanlike look of surprise and curiosity appeared on his face.

Though the Nine-Tails had been sealed inside Menma's body.

As the strongest of the Tailed Beasts.

His senses could never be completely sealed off!

Over the past five years, he had still been able to perceive some of the outside world through Menma. He could also detect a portion of Menma's emotional changes. Menma's outward behavior being completely different from his inner emotions had already caught the Nine-Tails' attention.

And now.

This brat clearly knew of his existence in advance.

Interesting!

Truly interesting!

"Heh, of course I'm not ordinary. Otherwise, how could I have become the vessel sealing you? If you count it up, this should already be our second meeting, shouldn't it, Nine-Tails? We're bound together by the same life now, after all. How about it? We can get along a little more amicably."

As though he were in his own home, Menma casually sat down cross-legged and looked at the Nine-Tails with a smile.

"Second meeting? Hmph? Who do you think I am, brat!? Bound by the same life? What a colossal joke. Get along amicably with a human like you? Hand over your body, and I might consider it!"

Rather than growing angry at Menma's words, Kurama laughed, looking at him with extreme mockery.

Though this brat before him seemed somewhat special!

At the end of the day, wasn't he still just a six-year-old child!?

That red hair of his was quite glaring, but that was all!

Could a six-year-old brat possibly possess powerful sealing abilities like his mother!?

Kurama truly did not take Menma seriously at all.

"Our first meeting was naturally more than five years ago, Nine-Tails. Oh, of course I know you won't die. You're the strongest collection of Chakra, after all. But if I really died, it probably wouldn't be good for you either, would it? As for giving you my body, heh, no problem—as long as you think my body can endure it."

Menma smiled softly. Then, as the Nine-Tails' Pupils suddenly constricted, he naturally stepped over the metal bars and walked directly inside, under Kurama's incredulous gaze.

This choice was beyond the Nine-Tails' expectations.

As were Menma's words just now.

"More than five years ago!? Could it be that you!?"

Kurama looked at Menma with obvious shock, suddenly not knowing what he should say or do.

"Of course it was more than five years ago. That mysterious Sharingan Masked Man, our parents sealing you away, and my foolish Younger Brother... Nine-Tails, I know everything!!!"

Menma lowered his Eyes slightly as he spoke in a cold, chilling voice.

After freezing for a moment.

The Nine-Tails burst into unrestrained laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha! So that's how it is? So that's how it is!? That old man thought you knew nothing. It's unbelievable, but ha ha, interesting, interesting! This is truly interesting, brat!! You really are different!"

At that moment, Kurama's Fox Eyes brimmed with mockery.

It was directed at Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage.

As a being who had lived for a thousand years, the Nine-Tails possessed an exceptionally precise grasp of the human heart. Kurama knew all too well what Sarutobi Hiruzen was plotting.

But from Menma's words, Kurama could clearly tell that this little brat knew everything.

Including his identity, his circumstances.

And his intentions!

As for whether Menma was deceiving him?

Please, he was the Nine-Tails!

He was the embodiment of malicious Chakra.

Humanity's negative emotions were crystal clear in his eyes. This was Menma's mental world, so Kurama could not read his mind.

But he could still tell that Menma was not lying!

In other words, this brat had truly been conscious from the moment of his birth.

"So, we naturally have a basis for getting along amicably, even working together, don't we, Nine-Tails?"

"Hmph, a basis for cooperation? That really is laughable. Why do you think I would cooperate with you, brat? Hmm?"

Kurama looked down at Menma from above, his face full of disdain.

"Heh, naturally, there are more than enough reasons. If I die, it will be somewhat detrimental to you too, won't it, Nine-Tails? And don't you yearn for freedom, Nine-Tails? The kind of freedom that truly belongs to you!!"

This time!

Menma looked at the Nine-Tails with a smile, speaking in an exceptionally seductive tone.