Naruto:The avenger of the uzumaki clan

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.