The living room was quiet, lit softly by the overhead lights. One brother was doing math homework while the other sat nearby, drawing.
A few minutes passed.
"Ugh, this is so hard!" Naruto groaned, tossing his pen onto the table. He flopped to the floor, curled up dramatically, and clutched his head like he was in agony. After a moment, he noticed something odd—usually by now, his dear brother's fist of justice would've arrived.
Naruto sat up, watching Menma continue to draw, unbothered. Curiously, Naruto walked over and peeked at his brother's paper.
"Whoa! Brother, what is that? It's so cute!" In Naruto's eyes, it looked like an orange kitten—but it had nine tails! What kind of cat was that? Naruto looked at his brother with wide, puzzled eyes.
"It's a fox," Menma replied, clearly proud of his creation.
"Wanna know what it's called?"
"Yeah, yeah! What is it, brother? Tell me!" Naruto eagerly shook Menma's arm.
"It's called Nine Tails. Want to hear its story?"
Naruto lit up and immediately sat up straight, blue eyes shining with anticipation. "Yes!"
"Nine Tails is very powerful—it can fly through the sky and burrow into the earth. There's nothing it can't do."
"Wow! It can fly?" Naruto interrupted, excited.
Menma smiled and continued, "Even though it's powerful, it's kind. It never hurts people, and it used to live freely in the great forest. But one day, a powerful human came along. He wanted to control Nine Tails and seal it away, turning it into his tool. In the end… he succeeded. He sealed Nine Tails into his wife, who gained immense power because of it."
"Bad guy! What a huge jerk!" Naruto cried out, indignant on Nine Tails' behalf.
Menma kept going. "After that, Nine Tails was trapped in a dark place. There was no light, no sound, and no one to talk to. That's how it spent decades."
Menma gently placed a hand on Naruto's head. "Okay, that's enough for tonight. Time for bed."
"Nooo, brother! I want to hear more!" Naruto pleaded.
"Tomorrow," Menma said calmly. "Tomorrow I'll tell you about Brother Kurama."
"Nine Tails has a brother?!" Naruto gasped, even more excited.
"Of course. But if you want to hear more, go to bed now—or I won't tell the story at all."
Threat received. Naruto bolted toward his room like a streak of lightning.
Menma let out a soft chuckle, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.
He looked down at his cute chibi drawing of Nine Tails on the table and murmured to himself, "Nine Tails…"
Late at night, Naruto was sound asleep, occasionally kicking his quilt off.
A small hand gently reached out and pulled the blanket back over him.
"You kick in your sleep…"
Menma, still holding the drawing, quietly made his way to a dark place. Before him stood an enormous iron gate, like a prison. Behind the bars lay a massive creature—its fur a vibrant orange, and nine great tails swayed lazily in the air.
As Menma approached, the beast opened its eyes and fixed him with a piercing gaze. "Who are you, brat? And how do you know so much?"
Menma didn't answer. He simply held up the drawing. "Nine Tails, I brought a gift. Do you like it?"
"I don't," the fox scoffed, turning its head. But a red tendril-like chakra slithered past the bars, grabbed the drawing, and pulled it inside.
Its eyes narrowed slightly. "So ugly."
Menma chuckled and sat down. "Tonight's story is called: The Emperor's New Clothes."
"Many years ago, there was an emperor who was obsessed with fine clothes. He spent all his wealth on his wardrobe. He didn't care about his army or theater, and he wouldn't even go out unless it was to show off his latest outfit. He had a new suit for every hour of the day.
People would say, 'The Emperor is in the council room,' but what they really meant was, 'He's in his dressing room.'"
Menma spoke calmly and steadily. At first, Nine Tails had turned away, but the soothing voice slowly drew its attention. It turned to watch him, even nodding occasionally.
"In the big city he ruled, life was peaceful. One day, two swindlers arrived. They claimed to be weavers who could create the most beautiful fabric in the world—cloth that was invisible to anyone who was incompetent or foolish.
The emperor, fearing others would see him as stupid, pretended to see the invisible clothes. He even wore them in a grand parade, strutting proudly in nothing at all—while his people watched silently. None dared to admit the truth... until a child cried out, 'The Emperor has no clothes!'"
Half an hour later, the story ended.
Nine Tails was rolling with laughter, clutching its sides. "What an idiot! That emperor was so stupid!" It laughed, slapping the ground with its paws.
Menma stood, dusting himself off more out of habit than need.
"Kurama, I'm heading back. See you tomorrow night."
As Menma turned to leave, Nine Tails suddenly called out, "Brat—what's your goal? Who are you?"
Menma paused, smiling faintly. "Nine Tails… my name is Menma Uzumaki."
He looked over his shoulder, eyes calm. "As for my goal—it's simple. I need your power."
Just as Nine Tails opened its mouth to reply, Menma raised a hand.
"Think about it. I'm in no rush."
And with that, he vanished.
Nine Tails stared at the spot where he had stood, deep in thought.
Since that strange boy first appeared a year ago, everything had changed. Now, Nine Tails found itself looking forward to those nightly visits.
What does he need my strength for?
Could he be the Child of Prophecy the old man spoke of?
No… he doesn't quite match the description…
"Brother! Brother!! Ramen! Ramen!!"
Menma stirred, feeling himself being shaken awake.
He opened his eyes to see that familiar yellow hedgehog head, those bright blue eyes, and a beaming smile.
"Brother! Wake up! Let's go eat ramen!"
"…Naruto, what time is it?" Menma asked groggily, slowly coming to his senses.
"Six o'clock!"
Menma: "…" Six A.M.?! Are you trying to get us banned from Ichiraku?
Ichiraku Ramen's business hours are 10:00 to 22:00, Naruto…
"…Naruto, did you study this morning?"
Naruto's grin vanished instantly.
o(╥﹏╥)o
(End Of Chapter)
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