The setting sun cast long shadows across the park. Menma and Naruto sat on opposite ends of a wooden bench, two orphans silently watching as other children were gathered up by their parents.
"Um... Menma? Why did you want to play with me?"
Naruto finally summoned his courage, directed a gaze full of cautious hope toward the boy at the other end of the bench.
To them, it had only been a quiet moment sitting together after a meal, watching the sun dip below the horizon. But for Naruto—who was used to children fleeing at the mere sight of him—having someone willing to share a bench and a sunset was a rare and precious gift of friendship.
"Hmm?" Menma turned his head slightly, the dying light tracing a soft gold outline along his profile.
He looked at the blond, blue-eyed boy with the six whisker marks on his cheeks. This was the protagonist of the shinobi world, the future 'Child of Prophecy' who would save the world.
"I once had a friend who helped me when I was lost," Menma fabricated smoothly. "Maybe I just saw a bit of my old self in you."
He knew that the Third Hokage's crystal ball could be watching Naruto at any moment. With the ANBU constantly tailing the Jinchūriki, his proximity to Naruto was guaranteed to reach Sarutobi's desk.
In truth, Menma wasn't entirely sure of his own motives. Was he approaching Naruto because he was the protagonist? Or was it because, having been reborn as Naruto's brother, some primal, blood-thick bond was pulling at him?
He couldn't quite tell.
He had no intention of disrupting Naruto's growth—at least not until graduation when the main plot kicked off. But he couldn't help the simmering resentment he felt regarding Naruto's current life.
Where were the assets of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki? The mountains of money! The property!
Kushina was the last of the Uzumaki; Mito-sama had treated her like her own daughter. Even if the broader Uzumaki legacy hadn't passed to her, Mito would have surely set aside a fortune for Kushina to build a life.
And then there was Minato. Aside from his salary as the Fourth Hokage, he had completed thirty-nine S-rank missions. A single S-rank mission paid at least a million ryo. After the village's cut, the lead Jōnin usually took home half—five hundred thousand ryo per mission.
Thirty-nine S-ranks alone meant nineteen point five million ryo.
That wasn't even counting his 323 A-rank missions, 216 B-ranks, 147 C-ranks, and 122 D-ranks. Based on standard rates, Minato's career earnings likely exceeded two hundred and thirty million ryo. Even by the most conservative estimate, it was over fifty-four million.
All that money! It couldn't have all gone toward custom Flying Thunder God kunai or a single house.
Yet, Hiruzen Sarutobi provided Naruto with barely enough to survive, and the disappearance of the Fourth's estate remained an unexplained mystery. Naruto lived on instant ramen, rarely cooking. How much could a three-year-old spend? And yet, he lived month-to-month with almost no pocket money, viewing a trip to Ichiraku as a luxury feast.
"A friend?" Naruto's eyes suddenly ignited with excitement. "Does that mean... are we friends now?"
"I suppose so," Menma replied, patting his stomach.
The 'friendship fee' for the month had been collected, after all.
"Alright, it's getting late. I should head home." Menma stood up as the sun vanished completely, the twilight deepening. He brushed a few fallen leaves off his trousers.
"Then! I'll see you next time!" Naruto grinned widely. He had made his first friend today—well, if you counted the Ramen uncle and Ayame. His naturally resilient and cheerful personality allowed him to toss aside the malice of the villagers for a moment.
Naruto waved goodbye and went skipping off toward his apartment.
Once Naruto had vanished from sight at the edge of the park, the mini-Nine-Tails poked her head out from Menma's scarf.
"Menma, is that the boy? Your brother in this world? His chakra... it's very peculiar." The little fox had sensed a familiar yet strange Tailed Beast chakra earlier and had retreated into Menma's mental space. She only re-emerged once that restless energy had faded from her perception.
"Yeah, that's him," Menma said, his eyes narrowing as he watched the empty path. A playful, mocking smile quirked his lips. "Uzumaki Naruto. My foolish little brother."
With the Third's crystal ball voyeurism, the 24-hour ANBU surveillance, and the influence of Ashura's reincarnation, it would be difficult for Menma to "re-educate" Naruto's ideology for now.
He truly wanted to see the look on Naruto's face during the 'New Konoha Crush'—the moment he revealed the truth.
"I am your brother! We are both sons of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze!"
"My foolish little brother..."
However, before the 'New Konoha Crush,' Menma needed to find a way to spirit away several shinobi clans.
He imagined the scene: Orochimaru summons the First and Second Hokage via Reanimation, only for Hashirama and Tobirama to see the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Uzumaki clans all united—not for the village, but to tear it down.
What kind of expression would those 'ancestors' wear?
"Just thinking about it... how delightful," Menma hummed softly. He felt a thrill of excitement shivering through him. Even if Naruto was the protagonist, he wouldn't be stopped.
The Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, watched through his Telescope Technique as young Naruto hurried home. Beneath his Hokage hat, his aged face, marked with liver spots, remained as calm as a still pond.
He pulled a background check from the Intelligence Department out of a drawer.
"Menma?" Hiruzen scanned the data gathered from the orphanage. His eyes lingered on the final notes: 'Chakra nature primarily Fire. Possesses shinobi aptitude.'
The report identified him as just another ordinary war orphan.
"If the other child were still here, perhaps Naruto wouldn't be so lonely," Hiruzen sighed, putting the report down to take a long drag from his pipe. The smoke swirled slowly through the office.
He remembered the joy on Minato's face when they learned Kushina was expecting twins. To ensure a safe birth, Hiruzen had even sent his own wife, Biwako, to assist in the delivery room.
And then—the Nine-Tails incident. When Hiruzen and the other shinobi reached the battlefield where Minato had sealed the fox, they found only the barrier, the pierced bodies of Minato and Kushina, and a wailing Naruto in his swaddling clothes.
The other child had vanished without a trace. If he hadn't been taken by the masked man, he had surely perished in the chaos.
"Naruto is nearly three. He's starting to interact with others and form his own thoughts. It is time," Hiruzen mused, tracing the brim of his hat. "Time for him to understand the Will of Fire."
Watching the crystal ball, seeing Naruto lying in bed with a lingering smile on his face, Hiruzen began to calculate. He needed to decide exactly how to present himself to the boy to ensure Naruto would view him with the maximum amount of dependence and filial affection.