Chapter
4: Three People, Two Worlds
PS: Please collect it!
After saying this, the little boys
hurriedly ran away. Under normal circumstances, they would have jumped at the
chance to interact closely with Master Naruto, but today they felt unlucky and unsure
of how Naruto felt about them. It was better to slip away first.
Watching the boys flee as if
escaping a disaster, Naruto was slightly confused. But he was relieved that the
issue had been resolved smoothly. Although his identity was different from that
in the original story, Naruto still seemed like the same Naruto, only with
changes in his environment and mentality.
"They're gone now, so you don't
have to worry. What's your name? I'm Naruto Namikaze," Naruto said,
turning to Hinata with his familiar hearty smile.
"Uh... My name... is Hyuga
Hinata... Thank you... Namikaze-kun..." Hinata stammered.
It seemed like the same situation,
though with a different development. The result was almost the same. At that
moment, the little girl's eyes were filled with admiration for the boy in front
of her, captivated by his gentle words.
"Oh? Hinata! That's a really
nice name!" Naruto said cheerfully, causing the little girl's cheeks to
turn even rosier.
The delicate little hands, the gently swaying hair. Their
eyes met. Three people, two worlds. It felt like a completely different
dimension, as if two parallel lines that would never intersect. Menma stood at
a distance, watching the boy and girl together, his face expressionless, but
inside, a storm of emotions brewed.
As Menma watched Naruto protect Hinata with such ease and
confidence, a mixture of emotions surged within him. A pang of envy struck his
heart, tightening his chest. He felt an intense longing to be in Naruto's
place, to be the one standing heroically before Hinata, offering protection and
kindness. The sight of Naruto's sunny smile and his effortless charm only
deepened Menma's sense of inferiority and isolation.
Anger flickered momentarily, directed at the unfairness of
their circumstances. Despite sharing the same parents, Menma was cast aside,
living in the shadows while Naruto basked in the villagers' admiration and
love. The bitterness of resentment tasted sharp on his tongue, mingling with
the sorrow of his solitude.
Menma's eyes, though outwardly vacant, reflected the
turmoil within. He yearned for acceptance, for a place where he belonged. The
loneliness of being labeled a monster, of being avoided and feared, weighed
heavily on his small shoulders. The desire to prove himself, to be recognized
and loved, burned fiercely within him.
'So we are different after all, Naruto!' Menma thought, the
realization settling like a stone in his heart. Despite their shared blood,
their paths were worlds apart. Naruto, with his golden hair and bright eyes,
stood as a beacon of hope and warmth, while Menma, with his red hair and somber
gaze, remained in the shadows, burdened by the weight of the Nine-Tails within
him.
He finally took a look at Naruto and Hinata, who were still
talking with smiles. Menma's eyelids drooped slightly, and then he turned
around and strode away.
The same winter snow scene, but they were in two completely
different worlds. This was the huge gap between heaven and earth. Menma went
away. Naruto stayed where he was, along with the guards of the Hyuga clan and
Naruto's exclusive guards. That happy scene, 'Miss Hinata,' 'Master Naruto,'
was a couple more compatible than in the original, a match made in heaven.
All this excitement was theirs and had nothing to do with
Menma. The light waves that had just been set off receded like a tide,
extremely fast and steadily, as if nothing had happened. Menma returned home as
usual. He handled the harvested ingredients expressionlessly, cooked simply,
and then sat at the dining table. The unique emptiness, loneliness, and
indifference were only clear to Menma himself.
'I shouldn't have had such extravagant hopes! These are not
for me, but for the son of the true Fourth Hokage!'
Menma's heart was cold.
December of the 53rd year of Konoha. This was the coldest
winter Menma had ever felt since he came to this world.
It was on the last day of December, as a new year was about
to begin, that the 'amiable' Third Hokage visited Menma once again with a bunch
of gifts, all kinds of food that children liked to eat. This was something
Sarutobi Hiruzen had done regularly over the past five years. Generally
speaking, he visited Menma once a month. Especially on New Year's Eve, Sarutobi
Hiruzen wouldn't miss it, believing it was the best way to show his love to
Menma.
In the original work, Naruto was moved by Sarutobi Hiruzen
and regarded him as the first person he could talk to. But Menma was different.
The Third Hokage may have some genuine concern for him, but he saw him from the
perspective of the Ninja Village and as the Hokage. Orphan? Son of the Fourth
Hokage? No! Menma had only one identity: the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of
Konohagakure Village, nothing more.
"Yes, Third Grandpa, I've been resting and eating well
recently, and I also exercise regularly. You see, my body is much stronger than
before," Menma said, showing some closeness to Sarutobi Hiruzen, a genuine
performance despite his internal resistance.
In Konohagakure Village, only Sarutobi Hiruzen could
"protect" him and grant him certain freedoms and rights. If he had to
choose, Sarutobi Hiruzen was much better than Shimura Danzo. The former,
despite his flaws, still had some sense of justice, while Danzo was completely
insidious and cunning. Falling into Danzo's hands was something no one could
accept. Sarutobi Hiruzen was better, although not by much, but at least he had
some conscience.
"Oh? That's great. Eat more, sleep more, and exercise
more, and our little Menma will thrive," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a
loving look, smiling.
"Yes, Third Grandpa," Menma replied with a hint
of respect.
"New Year is coming soon, Menma. Do you have any New
Year's wishes?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked softly.
"Hmm? I want to grow up quickly and become a great
ninja recognized by everyone in the future," Menma said, wrinkling his
little nose as if thinking, then looking up at Sarutobi Hiruzen with a serious
and firm tone.
"Oh? A great ninja recognized by everyone? That's a
wonderful wish, but it also requires you to work hard on your own,"
Sarutobi Hiruzen said warmly, touching Menma's head.
"Yes, I will definitely work hard, Third
Grandpa," Menma nodded heavily.
"Well, you're about to turn six, so you're almost the
right age. You should go to the ninja academy next year, Menma," Sarutobi
Hiruzen continued.
"Ninja academy? Really? Third Grandpa, can I really go
to the ninja academy?" Menma's eyes lit up with genuine eagerness, looking
directly at Sarutobi Hiruzen. This time, Menma wasn't pretending at all. As he
grew older and approached six, he worried about whether he could attend the
ninja academy as he wished.
He knew he was not Naruto, but Menma. The plot of this
world was already different from the original one. He could only treat
everything in the original work as a reference. If he thought everything from
the original work would happen in this timeline, he would be totally wrong.