Naruto: Menma the Black Fox

Chapter 17: The Eighth Tail and The Demon Eyed Child

Speak: "Talk-no-jutsu"
jutsu/beast: "Talk-no-jutsu"
Thoughts/Beast thoughts: talk-no-jutsu/talk-no-jutsu
Mental speak/beast mental speak: "talk-no-jutsu"/"talk-no-jutsu"

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1st Pov
Timeskip-no-jutsu - One Year (Menma 11)

Land of Wind - Desert Outskirts

Menma: *sigh* "Let's see... Genbu should be somewhere around here."

A year... a whole year had passed since Haku's... confession.

Saying that I was a bit hysterical back when I heard it is an understatement.

I'm not a very... stable person.

Most of my early years were spent avoiding every big street and ducking through alleyways left and right. I'd have to stay confined in our home during every celebration and every city gathering.

Glares were my morning due. Insults were my bread and butter. Defending my family was second nature.

I thought I knew what I'd be in for when I began my life in this world, but I could never imagine what living your life being hated truly meant. Even my sunshine of a mother couldn't constantly handle the abuse and discrimination. I'd seen many times where she'd be driven to tears and tried to hide herself from Naruto and my sight.

How did Naruto never grow to hate them? How did he become such a positive person, escpecially on his own? It made no sense to me.

I on the other hand grew to simply hate. My seething anger was always there ready and waiting under the surface. I'd tried to bury it by being around the few I could like and love.

But there was always something there. Perhaps it was the secrets and lies I needed to tell. Perhaps it was because I constantly had to hide my true self and my intentions otherwise I put everything at risk.

It was like my anger and stress was building up and up and I never had a true outlet. I'd plot and scheme, train and think of new methods to fight and kill in order to distract myself.

I felt like my vision was constantly colored over with a tinted lense. The red tint of rage always just around the corner.

But now I fell... refreshed.

Like I can finally take in a breath of fresh air and actually see the world around me. The time I spent with my loved ones now felt more real then ever before. No, more like when my mother first hugged me. The first time I laughed with my brother. The first time I relaxed with Shikimaru. Everything simply felt fresh now.

I still didn't think I was worthy of Haku. I'd promises myself to look after her and make it so she didn't suffer the same way she did in canon. But that didn't stop me fromsetting her down the path of bloodshed and inevitable deadly battles she'd face under my orders. She was naturally kind and gentle, someone who didn't fit into this life, but forced to adjust because of her overwhelming natural talent.

I was her manipulator. Yet she saw me as her savior.

I thought I'd have to live with that guilt my entire life, but she understood. My intentions, my hate, my grief and my guilt. She was able to see through all of it.

Since then I've tried to spend more time with her and make her feel at least a little appreciated. I did attempt to dissuade her from trying to pursue me, but then I learned she was just so damn stubborn...

Kuro: "Wonder where she learned that from." *snicker*

Menma: "Stupid frigging *grumble* fox bastard." *grumble*