PS: Don't forget to VOTE!
As soon as Naruto finished speaking, the bullies scattered like cockroaches when the lights came on. Under normal circumstances, they would have killed for a chance to rub elbows with the "Young Master." But today? Today was just bad luck. Not knowing how Naruto would react if they stuck around, they figured it was best to cut their losses and run.
Watching them flee like refugees, Naruto scratched his head, completely confused.
"Weird," he muttered. But hey, problem solved.
Even though his status was different from the original story, Naruto was still Naruto. The only things that had changed were his environment and his mindset.
"They're gone now. You don't have to worry," Naruto said, turning around to face Hinata. He flashed that trademark, sunny grin. "Uh, what was your name again? I'm Naruto Namikaze."
"Um... my name is... Hinata Hyūga... Thank you... Naruto-kun..."
Different circumstances, different buildup, but almost the exact same result.
In that moment, the little girl's world seemed to shrink until it contained only the boy in front of her. Her voice was soft as a feather, her expression filled with obvious admiration.
"Oh? Hinata! That's a really nice name!" Naruto said, his natural charisma on full display.
His words made the girl's cheeks flush even deeper. Her small hands nervously played with her hair as they locked eyes.
Three people. Two worlds.
It was like looking at two different dimensions. Like two parallel lines that were never meant to intersect.
Menma stood in the distance, his expression wooden as he watched the boy and girl together.
So, we really are different in the end, aren't we, Naruto?
He took one last look at the smiling pair, then lowered his gaze. He turned around and walked away, his steps heavy.
The same winter snow fell on all of them. But they were living in two completely different realities.
The gap between heaven and earth.
Menma walked away into the solitude.
Naruto stayed behind, surrounded by warmth. Soon, the Hyūga bodyguards and Naruto's own personal detail would arrive, creating a bustling, happy scene.
"Lady Hinata!"
"Master Naruto!"
It was a picture-perfect match, happening even earlier and more seamlessly than in the original story. You could only describe it as destiny.
But that warmth, that excitement—none of it belonged to Menma. The faint ripple of emotion he had felt earlier receded like the tide, leaving nothing behind.
It was as if he had never been there at all.
Menma returned to his empty apartment, just like any other day.
Expressionless, he cleaned the fish he had caught, cooked a simple meal, and sat down at the table. The silence, the loneliness, the cold—these were Menma's only companions.
I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. That life isn't for me. That life belongs to the real son of the Fourth Hokage.
Menma's heart felt like ice.
December, Year 53.
Since arriving in this world, this was the coldest winter Menma had ever felt.
---
On the last day of December, New Year's Eve, a visitor arrived.
"Little Menma! Have you been eating well and getting enough rest?"
The "kindly" Third Hokage showed up at his door, carrying a pile of gifts—snacks and treats that kids usually loved.
This had become a routine over the past five years. Hiruzen would drop by every month or so to check on him.
He never missed big occasions like New Year's Eve. In his mind, this was the best way to show he cared.
In the original story, this act worked. It moved Naruto to tears and made him see the Third Hokage as the first person he could truly trust.
But Menma was different.
He knew the Third Hokage might have some genuine concern for him, but ultimately, the old man was viewing him through the lens of the Hokage.
Orphan? Son of the Fourth?
No.
To Hiruzen, Menma had one identity: The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki of the Hidden Leaf. Nothing more.
"Yes, Grandpa Third. I've been sleeping well and eating a lot. I've been exercising, too! Look, I'm way stronger than before!"
Maybe his acting skills weren't Oscar-worthy, or maybe his heart just wasn't in it, but Menma couldn't pull off the carefree, goofy attitude of the original Naruto.
However, showing some attachment to Hiruzen wasn't hard. It was a survival instinct. Menma knew that in this village, Hiruzen was the only one who could "protect" him and grant him any semblance of freedom.
If he had to choose between evils, Hiruzen was vastly superior to Danzō Shimura.
Even if the old man was getting soft and senile, he still had some principles. He still cared about public image.
Danzō? He was pure, unadulterated slime. If Menma fell into his hands... Heh. He wouldn't wish that on his worst enemy.
So, Hiruzen it was. The man might be flawed, but at least he had a shred of a conscience left.
"Oh? That's wonderful to hear. Eat plenty, sleep plenty, and train hard. You'll grow up big and strong, Menma," Hiruzen said with a benevolent smile, patting the boy's head.
"I will, Grandpa Third," Menma replied respectfully.
"The New Year is almost here. Do you have a wish, Menma?" Hiruzen asked softly.
"Hmm? I want to grow up fast and become a great ninja that everyone acknowledges!"
Menma crinkled his nose as if thinking hard, then looked up at Hiruzen with a serious, determined gaze.
"Oh? A great ninja acknowledged by everyone? That is a fine wish indeed. But you will have to work very hard for it," Hiruzen said warmly.
"I will! I promise, Grandpa Third!" Menma nodded vigorously.
"Good. You're almost six now. You're getting to that age... Next year, you should enroll in the Ninja Academy, Menma," Hiruzen continued.
"The Ninja Academy? Really?! Grandpa Third, can I really go to the Academy?"
Menma's eyes lit up instantly. He stared at Hiruzen with genuine eagerness.
For once, he wasn't acting.
As his sixth birthday approached, Menma had been genuinely worried about whether he'd be allowed to attend the Academy.
After all, he wasn't Naruto—he was Menma.
The timeline had already diverged. The original story was just a reference now.
Assuming that everything from the anime would happen exactly the same way here would be a fatal mistake.