"From today onward, you are to address him as Master Menma. When I am away, he is the absolute authority in this household!"
In the courtyard, following the instructions of 'That Person', Gato had reduced the staff to only two servants. He stood on the veranda with Menma, sternly lecturing the two women.
"Yes, Master Gato! Understood, Master Menma!" The two servants, both middle-aged women, bowed respectfully.
They were ordinary civilians of Konoha without ninja talent, earning their living through manual labor. Gato, noting they were locals, paid them double the average wage, making them cherish this position immensely.
Having finally left the orphanage and escaped the constant surveillance of the White Zetsu clones, Menma was in high spirits. He sat on the veranda, basking in the crisp air of freedom. Sunlight filtered through the cherry blossoms, casting dappled shadows across his small frame.
Gato moved quickly to establish the Konoha branch office. After appointing a store manager, he departed the village to continue his trade across the nations—earning funds for the organization and gathering global intelligence.
With the Kakuzu-guarded security detail arranged by Menma, even an elite Jōnin would find it difficult to threaten Gato. In fact, Kakuzu was more than happy to "liquidate" any business rivals if the price was right. Gato had the money, and Kakuzu loved the profit.
Meanwhile, back in Konoha, Menma began to settle into his life as a young master.
His days followed a peaceful rhythm: practicing chakra control at dawn, researching elemental combinations in the afternoon, and crafting his "Nine Masked Beasts" or developing the "Kuji Kiri" seals after dusk. In his spare time, he wandered the village to familiarize himself with the layout, often buying sweets for his little companion.
The days blurred together. The air grew chilly; winter was approaching.
"Hey, Menma," Little Kurama poked his head out from Menma's fluffy scarf, nibbling on a piece of marshmallow.
Gato had left Menma a small fortune, supplemented by the revenue from the branch company. Consequently, Menma's quality of life had skyrocketed. He was now dressed in fine, new clothes.
"We should open a dessert shop," the mini Nine-Tails suggested. He was only the size of a palm, hugging a marshmallow larger than his own head. As he spoke, his fluffy tails brushed against Menma's neck, making him itch.
"You just want an endless supply of sugar for yourself," Menma said, seeing right through the 'conspiracy.' He added playfully, "Eat too much and you'll get fat."
"I'm a Tailed Beast! I don't get fat!" Little Kurama began to protest, but suddenly his fox ears twitched and stood upright. "Menma, looks like the 'Big Sis' is in a bit of trouble."
Little Kurama looked toward the distance. Menma saw it too.
In a park where autumn leaves were drifting in the wind, a young girl was being surrounded by three boys. As he drew closer, Menma could hear their taunts.
"Ha! Look at her! Her eyes are totally white!"
"Whoa, is she some kind of Byakugan monster?"
"So gross!"
They say children are innocent, but in reality, they often don't realize how razor-sharp their words can be. Young Hinata, having never faced such malice, had tears pooling in her pale eyes as she crouched on the ground, sobbing quietly.
Seeing the Hyuga girl cry only emboldened the bullies. They laughed hysterically, completely unaware of the shadow looming behind them.
Strange, I remember this scene happening in the snow, Menma thought as he stepped up behind the three boys. He raised his hand, tucked his middle fingers against his thumbs, and delivered three sharp flicks to the back of their heads.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The laughter stopped instantly.
"Ow!"
"That hurts!"
"Who did that?!"
Menma had controlled his strength, but the impact was still enough to make their heads spin. They staggered back several steps, clutching their skulls.
"Hey, you three. Bullying a girl? Really?" Menma shook out his hand and glanced at Hinata, who was peeking at him from her crouched position.
It was the shy, timid Hinata. If this had been the 'Big Sister' Hinata from his original world, these three would have been crying for their mothers by now.
"You brat!" The tallest of the trio shouted, rubbing the back of his head. "Looks like we need to teach you a lesson! You need to know who runs this park!"
"Jerks! Using a sneak attack!" A chubby kid waved his fists.
"I'm gonna wreck you!" The shortest one added, grinning to reveal a missing front tooth.
All three were a head taller than Menma and Hinata, likely around five or six years old. It was three against one—clear odds in their eyes. For children, numbers and height were the only metrics of combat power.
Ignoring the urge to use Ninjutsu, Menma simply stepped in with a quick burst of speed. He landed a punch squarely on the tall kid's face and followed up with a leg sweep that sent the chubby boy sprawling on his back.
In an instant, two were down. The gap-toothed kid stood paralyzed, looking back and forth, unable to comprehend how his friends had been floored so easily.
"Waaaaah! It hurts!"
"Mommy!"
The two on the ground burst into tears. The sight was so pathetic that the third boy started tearing up out of pure fear.
Menma placed a hand on the short kid's head and leaned in. A spark of mischief danced in his narrowed blue eyes as he grinned. "From now on, I'm the boss here."
"Waaah! Don't hit me, Boss!!" the kid wailed.
What am I even doing? Menma thought, mentally face-palming. Am I really playing King of the Hill with a bunch of toddlers?
After the brief "education," the three bullies scrambled away as fast as their legs could carry them.
"Here. Let's get acquainted. My name is Menma." Menma turned and reached out a hand. Hinata was frantically wiping her tears with her sleeve.
Though this wasn't their first time meeting in the grander sense, it was their first official meeting in this village.
"H-hello... my name is Hinata..." Her small face flushed a light pink, and her cold fingers trembled like a startled bird as she took his hand.
She didn't know why this boy—whom the "Big Sister" inside her thought of constantly—wanted to re-introduce himself, but she instinctively complied.
After he pulled her up, Hinata kept her head low, her hands fidgeting at her chest. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum. "Am I... am I really useless?"
"If it were Big Sister..." Hinata couldn't help but think of the fiery personality residing within her. What would she have done? She probably would have knocked those three boys flat.
Hinata's words sparked a memory for Menma. In the Limited Tsukuyomi world, during a winter when he was three or four, he had been mocked by three kids in a park and ended up in a scuffle. Since he hadn't started formal training or refined his chakra yet, he had been beaten quite badly.
At the critical moment, 'Big Sis' Hinata had stepped in and sent those bullies home crying.
It felt like destiny. From that point on, their relationship in that world grew closer until they became a couple during the Chūnin Exams.
"Gentleness is never a weakness," Menma said, reaching out to pat her head and ruffle her short hair. "Your kindness is like a warm breeze. I think that version of Hinata is incredibly cute."
Cute... The compliment made Hinata's face explode in a deep crimson, steam practically rising from her head. Growing up under the suffocating rules of her clan and the heavy expectations placed upon her because of the 'Sister's' presence, her gentle nature was viewed by her father and the elders as nothing but weakness. She had never received such praise.
Grumble~
A loud protest erupted from Hinata's stomach.
The sound turned Hinata's already red face into a shade of purple.
"Come on. My treat—let's get some Ichiraku Ramen!" Remembering Hinata's legendary appetite, Menma suspected she had never truly been allowed to eat her fill. He grabbed her hand and started running toward the ramen shop.
In the park, ginkgo leaves drifted down. As she was pulled along, Hinata looked at the back of the boy in front of her, a soft light glimmering in her pale eyes.