NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: The situation that must be realized
Chapter
2: The Situation That Must Be Realized
Time flies, and five years have
passed quickly.
In the 53rd year of Konoha, a short
red-haired boy sat on a high platform on the upper floor of a slightly
dilapidated apartment building on the west side of the village. Facing the
rising sun, the first rays of morning light illuminated the earth. He gazed at
the Hokage Rock in the distance, a hint of sarcasm hidden in his pupils.
'Has it really been five years since
I came to this world? Uzumaki Menma, what a name. Different, but still the
same!'
Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.
These were the names of the boy's parents in this life. That's right, this
red-haired boy wasn't originally from this world. He came from a planet called
Earth. With the memories of his previous life, he couldn't tell if he was a
soul or a reincarnation.
He had been an ordinary college
student, napping in a classroom in his previous life. When he opened his eyes,
he found himself witnessing the scene of Minato and Kushina dying in front of
him.
At that moment, the impact was
tremendous. He initially thought he was Naruto. But soon, he realized he wasn't
Naruto. Yet, he was Naruto in a way. He had the last name Uzumaki, and the
Nine-Tails was sealed inside him. But he wasn't blonde with blue eyes, and he
wasn't called Naruto.
He was Uzumaki Menma, who looked
somewhat like his father Minato but inherited his mother's red hair and gray
eyes. And the blonde, blue-eyed boy named Naruto had the last name Namikaze!
They were brothers from the same mother.
Namikaze Naruto lived in Minato and
Kushina's house as the orphan of the Fourth Hokage, enjoying the villagers'
support and love. And what about Menma? He was an ordinary orphan, adopted as
the container for the Nine-Tails, labeled a monster by the villagers, living in
this dilapidated apartment building!
He reminded himself multiple times
that this wasn't Naruto's fault. Ordinary people were just deceived by the
higher-ups, and they had lost loved ones five years ago, so it was easy for
them to vent their anger on him. But who could understand the loneliness,
resentment, jealousy, and pain in his heart?
'We have the same father and
mother!'
Uzumaki Menma looked at his father's
face on Hokage mountain and clenched his small hands involuntarily. Despite
living two lives, he had been an ordinary college student in his previous life.
Mental resilience? Willpower? Don't be ridiculous! He was just an ordinary
person, a human with joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, with all the emotions
and desires.
But he knew he had to hide all these
feelings. He could be lost, unwilling, and in pain, but he couldn't show
jealousy or anger. It was his only choice to survive and have a pitiful limited
freedom.
After all, he had spent five years
observing the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Menma grasped some of his
personality traits. The Third Hokage wasn't as dark, dirty, or evil as some
Naruto fans speculated, but he wasn't as righteous, kind, or reasonable as
portrayed in the original work. He was an ordinary leader of a powerful
organization, balancing village justice with personal selfishness.
In his youth, Hiruzen had done
commendable deeds, saving Konoha from danger and leading it to its peak. But in
his old age, his strengths dwindled, and his weaknesses magnified. The current
Third Hokage still valued justice and fairness, but not as much as before. He
prioritized maintaining his power and the village's peace and overall
interests.
Especially after returning as
Hokage, if Hiruzen sensed malice or hatred in Menma, how would he react? Even
if he didn't execute Menma for Minato and Kushina's sake, he might imprison him
forever or extract the tailed beast, leaving Menma to fend for himself.
Thus, Menma knew he couldn't act
recklessly until he had the power to protect himself.
'One step at a time! It's time to go
out today!'
Menma jumped lightly from the
platform, returning to the corridor and descending the stairs. He wanted to go
out early in the morning when fewer people were around, reducing the chances of
encountering ordinary villagers.
His destination was a mountain range
a thousand meters from his apartment. It was part of the Hidden Leaf Village
territory. For the past two years, it had been Menma's place to relax,
exercise, and supplement his food supply.
Of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't
let him starve. Menma received subsidies like any other orphan, preventing him
from starving. The ninjas responsible for Menma's care were trusted
subordinates of the Third Hokage, ensuring nothing too bloody happened.
However, Menma faced real
challenges. No store was willing to sell him goods, and almost everyone looked
at him with disgust and hostility. So, he began exercising his body at three
years old. Although he hadn't learned how to refine chakra or master the
special powers of this world, Menma felt it necessary to train his body in
advance.
He didn't subscribe to the notion
that it was unsuitable to train too young, a concept from his previous life.
After all, Kakashi graduated from the ninja academy at five years old. So,
Menma didn't worry about over-exertion. Exercise required extra energy, and the
human body needed replenishment.
With no other channels to obtain
resources, Menma became self-reliant. The fish and shrimp in the stream, the
fruits and wild vegetables in the mountains and forests, became his targets.
"Hua La La!"
After finishing his exercise, Menma
reached the familiar riverbank. He plunged directly into the water. After
swimming for a while, he began his fishing endeavor. He was quite skilled.
Despite being only five years old in this life, his physique from his previous
life helped him easily catch seafood ingredients for the day.
"Oh! Winter swimming is quite
exhilarating," he thought, shivering slightly. It was already December,
and it had snowed a few days ago. The stream's coldness made him tremble
slightly. However, seeing the rich harvest in the basket, Menma felt a sense of
satisfaction