Menma Uzumaki

The violet-haired girl walked through the dimly lit corridors of Orochimaru's lair, her footsteps silent against the cold stone floor.. The girl moved with careful, measured steps, her presence nearly undetectable as she navigated the underground labyrinth.

She finally reached her destination, a dimly lit chamber filled with strange, bubbling liquids and an array of surgical tools arranged meticulously on a nearby table. The walls were lined with shelves of scrolls, flasks, and preserved specimens floating in murky glass containers.

At the center of the room, Orochimaru stood over a restrained figure, his pale hands moving with slow precision as he worked on his latest experiment. His golden, snake-like eyes flicked toward the entrance as he sensed her presence.

The girl took a deep breath, forming a hand seal, and with a faint puff of smoke, her disguise melted away, revealing her true form.

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Her long, light blue hair, tied into its usual high ponytail. Her pale skin and dark, piercing eyes contrasted against the dim torchlight. She wore her sleeveless purple dress with a high slit, allowing for ease of movement, and beneath it, black shorts that complemented her shinobi attire.

Orochimaru's thin lips curled into an amused smile. "Guren, have you completed your patrol in the village?"

She bowed her head slightly. "Yes, Lord Orochimaru. The village is stable as far as I could observe. However-" she hesitated briefly, "I've discovered a family attempting to escape. A mother and her two children, a girl and a boy. The father is a Chūnin-ranked shinobi."

Orochimaru hummed in amusement, placing down the scalpel he had been holding. "A foolish decision, but not an uncommon one," he mused, his tone light, as if discussing something as trivial as the weather. "And what do you intend to do with them?"

Guren's expression remained unreadable. "They won't get far. I will handle it personally if you command it."

Orochimaru let out a soft chuckle. "No need. Let them run for now. A little hope makes the fall all the more delicious." His golden eyes gleamed. "Good work, Guren. You may rest for the night."

She gave a short nod, but as she turned to leave, Orochimaru's voice stopped her.

"One more thing."

She turned back, awaiting his next order.

"Would you kindly inform our guest that I would like to meet him in the dining hall tomorrow?, I have a proposal for him."

Guren's eyes flickered briefly with curiosity, but she nodded nonetheless. "Understood, Lord Orochimaru. I will relay your message."

Without another word, she left the chamber, disappearing once again into the labyrinthine halls of the lair.

Orochimaru watched her go, a sinister smile still lingering on his lips.

"Let's see how our little visitor reacts to my offer."

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(Menma POV)

The moment Menma stepped forward, the world felt heavier-thicker, like he was moving through water instead of air. He wasn't sure when he had arrived in this strange place, but the weight pressing against his chest made it clear-

This wasn't just a dream.

It was his mindscape.

The sky above was a swirling void of storm-gray clouds, twisting and pulsing like a living thing. Beneath him, a vast sea of grass stretched endlessly, each blade swaying in an invisible wind.

At the center of it all, surrounded by the faint, crackling glow of dark chakra, lay Black Kurama.

The colossal beast was curled upon himself, his sleek fur a dark orange, his nine tails coiling and shifting as if restless even in sleep. And yet-he wasn't truly asleep.

His red, slit-pupil eyes cracked open as Menma approached.

"Uzumaki…?"

Kurama's voice rumbled through the air, vibrating in Menma's bones.

Slowly, the great fox shifted into a seated position, his towering form casting an imposing shadow over the dreamscape.

Menma swallowed but held his ground. Kurama was watching him. Studying him. Not just with curiosity- but with something deeper.

A seething hatred.

Then, Menma's eyes caught something else-something he hadn't noticed before.

Around Kurama's thick, muscular neck, a jagged chakra-forged collar pulsed with violent energy, like a living shackle.

Menma frowned. Had he done that?

The thought made his stomach twist.

Kurama's sharp gaze followed his line of sight, his lips curling into something between a snarl and a smirk.

"You admire your handiwork?" he said, his voice layered with bitter amusement.

Menma met his gaze, saying nothing.

Kurama's grin widened, baring razor-sharp fangs.

"You hesitate. That's new."

The silence between them was thick, suffocating.

Menma finally sighed. "Do you remember anything before I woke up in Otogakure?"

Kurama's ears twitched. He was silent for a moment, considering. Then, with a thoughtful hum, he replied:

"Hmph… We fought someone like us. That brat, Naruto, wasn't it? You and I lost."

His voice was eerily calm.

"And then… the One-Eyed Fool, the masked man.. tried to claim you as his puppet."

Kurama's tails lashed behind him, stirring up the grass like waves on a restless ocean.

"Then suddenly… we were here."

His red eyes flickered. "In a world that is not ours."

Menma inhaled slowly. 'So he knows something's off too.'

Kurama's gaze bore into him, sharp as a blade.

"Your turn."

Menma frowned. "What?"

Kurama tilted his head. "I answered your question. Now answer mine."

Menma exhaled sharply. "Fine."

The fox's grin widened.

"Why did you become so weak?"

The words weren't loud.. but they struck like a blade to the chest.

Menma felt a pulse of dark chakra ripple through the air.

"I could feel it when you spoke to that snake," Kurama continued, his tone almost mocking. "You've become… cautious. Hesitant."

The fox didn't blink.

"Like a child who forgot how to think for himself."

Menma's jaw tightened.

Kurama leaned forward, his massive snout mere inches from Menma's face.

"What happened to you?"

Menma inhaled slowly, willing himself to stay calm. "My memories are jumbled. I can't recall most of my abilities. I wasn't myself at that time."

He focused, willing something into existence-

And suddenly, a chair materialized behind him.

Menma sat down, exhaling through his nose. 'So I can manipulate things here. Definitely my mindscape.'

Kurama snorted. "That doesn't explain why you felt fear. We could have killed him."

A pause.

Then, Kurama's voice lowered, dripping with something twisted.

"Let me take over."

Menma felt it immediately-

A rising surge of raw, overwhelming power.

Dark chakra flooded the air, violent and hungry, curling around him like a living thing.

It whispered. It called to him.

It tempted him.

A part of him- a deep, buried part of him- wanted to accept.

Wanted to see what would happen.

Wanted to feel it.

NO.

Menma clenched his fists. The dark chakra trembled- then fizzled out.

"Not now."

Kurama's grin never faltered.

But his eyes…

They narrowed.

He had expected that response.

And somehow… that was worse.

The fox tilted his head, as if observing something invisible.

Then, in a tone of mock curiosity-

"Your mindscape has changed."

Menma stiffened.

Kurama gestured with a single tail.

"Before, it was a wasteland. Dead trees. A hollow place with no life."

His red eyes flickered.

"Now it's grasslands. Lush. Alive."

A slow smirk curled his lips.

"And so has your personality."

Menma said nothing.

Kurama's gaze pierced through him.

Then, his smirk vanished.

"There's something else."

The weight of the air shifted.

A disturbance.

Both Menma and Kurama felt it.

Something… intruding.

Kurama's ears twitched.

"We have a visitor."

His tails slowly curled around him.

"We'll finish this conversation later."

Menma nodded.

The world around him began to blur, the grassland fading into shadow.

Reality

Menma's eyes snapped open.

A dull knock echoed through his small, dimly lit room.

For a moment, he just stared at the ceiling, mind still reeling from the conversation.

Black Kurama was dangerous.

More than just a kyubi.

He was watching. Waiting. Testing him.

And…

He knew something was off.

Knock. Knock.

Another knock. More insistent.

Menma rolled out of bed, stretching lazily. He grabbed his fox mask from the table, adjusting it before moving to the door.

He unlocked it and pulled it open.

Standing before him was a girl.

Had fair skin, dark eyes and light blue hair which she kept in a spiky ponytail with long strands of hair framing her face. She wore a sleeveless purple dress with a slit up the side, short black pants, and a calculated expression.

Menma's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You're…"

The kunoichi crossed her arms, unimpressed.

"My name is Guren."

A pause.

Then, she spoke again.

"Lord Orochimaru wishes to speak with you."

Menma let the silence linger for a moment.

Then-

A slow, lazy nod of approval.

"Well then, let's not keep the snake waiting."

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Author's Note:

Hey everyone, sorry for the slow updates! Been doing some thinking these past few days, and I've decided to mix some Boruto into the story. The thing is, my Boruto knowledge is kinda...lacking. I've only seen the movie, some fight clips on YouTube, and, like, maybe 20 episodes of the anime. Honestly, I don't even remember why I stopped watching it. 🤷‍♀️ Anyway, I'm gonna take a month off to read the manga. Way faster than watching all those episodes. So, I'm not dropping this story, just taking a break.. Thanks for your patience.