A Talk with the Nine-Tails

After Menma lost consciousness following his Tailed Beast transformation, he entered the Sealing Space.

In truth, Menma had wanted to enter the Sealing Space to see Kurama before, but Kurama was like a shy maiden, refusing to meet him at all. Every time Menma stepped into the Sealing Space, he would be blasted out by the shockwaves Kurama roared at him.

Therefore, this was the first time Menma had truly seen Kurama. He saw a massive, dark-orange nine-tailed fox lying behind the cage gate, eyes tightly shut as if in a deep sleep.

Menma said nothing, simply sitting cross-legged on the other side of the gate, gazing quietly at Kurama.

Time passed slowly, and eventually, it was Kurama who lost patience, suddenly snapping his eyes open.

"Hey, brat, why do you keep staring at me? Are you not afraid of me?" Kurama asked, putting on a terrifying expression.

"I saw you were sleeping, so I didn't want to disturb you." Menma looked at Kurama with a face full of smiles and an innocent expression.

Kurama was slightly taken aback, then continued: "I am the leader of the nine Tailed Beast, and you humans tremble in fear the moment you mention me. Are you looking down on me by acting like this?"

Menma knew Kurama's temperament well; he knew that lying to him was useless and that only sincerity could move him. Besides, Kurama had always been a bit of a tsundere.

After hearing Kurama's words, Menma first shook his head, then asked: "Does that mean you are the strongest of the nine Tailed Beast? That's amazing!" Menma stared at Kurama, showering him with constant praise.

"Then, Kurama, you must be able to easily defeat the other Tailed Beast, right? That's so cool. I really want to become as strong as you, so I can protect the people I want to protect." Menma continued.

When Kurama heard Menma say this, that tsundere streak in his heart flared up immediately; these words were exactly to his liking. Then, when he heard Menma mention protecting those he cared about, a subtle change flickered in Kurama's eyes.

"With your power, what could you possibly protect?" Kurama looked at Menma, speaking in a flat, indifferent tone.

"Aren't you very powerful, Kurama? Having you by my side is enough. If I were strong enough, I'd want to protect you, too." Menma's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Kurama with that same innocent gaze.

"Protect me? Brat, have you got it wrong? I'm so powerful, do I really need you to protect me?" Kurama's tsundere pride had just surged at the first half of the sentence, but his expression shifted again at the second half.

Menma shook his head and continued: "Kurama, even though you are powerful, you still need protection. Just like how there are so many people outside insulting you—aren't I the one standing up for you?" Menma said it with an air of nonchalance.

Kurama first let out a cold laugh: "A few idle whispers from mere humans can't hurt me."

"Is that so? You really are amazing." Menma praised him again.

Hearing this, Kurama's tsundere pride instantly hit the ceiling: "That's right, don't forget who you're talking to."

"By the way, Kurama, you must be very bored here all alone. If it's alright with you, I'd like to be your friend." Menma said slowly, a smile on his face.

Kurama froze and began to scrutinize Menma, thinking to himself: This brat, he actually treats me like an ordinary human?

"Be friends with me? Brat, have you lost your mind? I am a Tailed Beast." Kurama asked Menma, feeling somewhat at a loss.

"I know, but there's no rule saying humans and Tailed Beast can't be good friends." Menma said with a serious face, showing no signs of deception.

"I killed your parents! Don't you hate me?" Kurama glared fiercely at Menma and roared.

Menma's expression shifted slightly, then he shook his head: "No, I don't hate you. You only resisted because you didn't want your freedom restricted. If someone tried to restrict my freedom, I think I would make the same decision as you. The one who caused my parents' death was that masked man; he is the real culprit!" Menma spoke with unusual firmness, and Kurama could not see a shred of resentment toward himself in the boy.

"Hmph! You brat, I don't want to be friends with you. The moment I get out, you'll be the first thing I eat." Kurama laid back down.

"That's fine, I've already decided you're my good friend. As a friend, I will definitely open this gate. You can do whatever you want once you're out, because as your friend, I only need to understand you." Menma spoke with great sincerity, not joking in the slightest.

Kurama opened his eyes and looked at Menma in disbelief. He saw a look of determination on Menma's face; it seemed he wasn't joking at all.

Kurama couldn't help but size Menma up again, wanting to see right through him, but this child, not even four years old, showed no signs of deceit. These were his true inner thoughts.

Kurama pursed his lips and smiled: "I really can't do anything with you." Kurama stood up and extended his fist toward Menma.

Menma felt a surge of joy and stood up as well, the two of them bumping fists. At that moment, Kurama smiled, and Menma smiled back.

"Kurama, don't worry. One day I will open this gate; that is a promise between friends!" Menma said to Kurama with a smile.

"Mind your own business, you stinking brat. I don't even want to open this gate." Having said that, Kurama laid down on his own, closed his eyes, and seemed prepared to sleep.

Seeing this, Menma smiled: "Get some rest, Kurama. I'm heading out now, I'll come see you again later!" With that, Menma waved at Kurama and left the Sealing Space.

After Menma left, Kurama opened his eyes and looked at the boy's departing back, revealing a faint smile: "What a peculiar little brat." Kurama muttered to himself, then closed his eyes once more.

Meanwhile, inside Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others returned to the site of the Nine-Tails' rampage using the Flying Thunder God formation. Seeing them return, many Anbu rushed over.

"Third Hokage, are you alright?" An Anbu ninja immediately ran up to ask. He then glanced at Naruto and Menma, who were unconscious in the arms of Jiraiya and Kakashi, and asked: "Third Hokage, how should we handle them?"

"I am fine. Send Naruto and Menma to Konoha Hospital first; I will arrange for someone to look after them." Hiruzen Sarutobi replied.

"But Hokage-sama, this Nine-Tails rampage has caused destruction to Konoha. We must give the villagers an explanation; they..." Before the Anbu could finish, he was interrupted by Jiraiya.

"Explain what? If it weren't for them saying those things, would the Nine-Tails have gone on a rampage? Do you expect two children under four to fully control and suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra? You know better than I do how they lost control." Jiraiya said, sounding angry at the Anbu ninja who had just spoken.

The Anbu naturally knew; they had been secretly protecting Naruto and Menma, and they had witnessed the entire process of the rampage. As for why Jiraiya knew, Hiruzen Sarutobi would not hide this from him; he had the right to know.

Hearing this, the Anbu ninja was rendered speechless and silently stepped back.

At this moment, people nearby began to gather, many of whom were villagers who had been present at the time.

"Third Hokage, you cannot let these demon foxes go! Look at the damage they've brought to the village!" Someone shouted.

This person's words acted like a fuse, and the villagers began to pour out their grievances.

"Hokage-sama, my child was caught in the crossfire during the Nine-Tails riot and is still unconscious in the hospital! You must give us justice!" A woman cried out while sobbing.

"Hokage-sama, my shop, which I've spent over ten years building, is ruined! All my hard work!" A middle-aged man cried, as if he had suffered a devastating blow.

More people crowded around, demanding that Hiruzen Sarutobi severely punish the demon foxes.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a headache coming on, while Jiraiya, Kakashi, and others who understood the true nature of Naruto and Menma clenched their fists tightly.

"Have you all said enough!" Jiraiya, holding Naruto, glared angrily at the villagers.

The villagers were startled and turned to look at Jiraiya.

"During the Nine-Tails incident back then, Naruto and Menma's parents sealed the rampaging Nine-Tails inside their children to protect the village. They did it to save Konoha, and they sacrificed their lives in that riot. Their parents didn't just sacrifice themselves; they sacrificed their children's happy lives just to protect you and the village. As the descendants of heroes, you don't respect them, but instead slander, ostracize, and bully them? Is this how we, the villagers of Konoha, behave?" Jiraiya glared fiercely at the crowd.

"These two children have suffered your cold glares since birth, and today you've gone even further. Do you have the guts to repeat what you just said to my face, and to the face of the Third Hokage? I'm telling you now: these two children are my disciples' sons. If you insist on bullying them, you'll have to get through me first!" Jiraiya ignored Hiruzen Sarutobi's subtle signals and spoke his mind.

At this point, the sharper ones among the crowd caught the key point in Jiraiya's words. They took a closer look at Naruto and Menma, and suddenly, as if realizing something, they grew increasingly fearful and silently slipped away.