With his business concluded, Menma's Shadow Clone was about to disperse. Before it did, Menma made a special trip to see Mizaki Uzumaki—the pitiful woman whose name had never even been mentioned in the original story, and who had ultimately been bitten to death by Hidden Grass Village ninja.
She now lived safely in the Ember Organization's underground base, enjoying a peaceful and comfortable life. When she saw Menma again, the woman who had once been filled with wariness had completely let down her guard. Tears welled in her eyes as she repeatedly thanked the man who had brought her out of the Hidden Grass Village. She was even so overcome with emotion that she tried to prostrate herself before him, but Menma promptly caught her. He had never liked such formal displays of gratitude.
The system's notification sounded right on cue.
Ding! Congratulations, Host: You have formed a level 5 bond with original character "Mizaki Uzumaki"! Points earned: 50!
...That was a little low.
Naruto sighed inwardly, but quickly accepted it. After all, in the original story, this woman had existed solely to highlight Karin's tragic past. Being able to change such a tragic fate comforted him far more than however many points he received.
As the Shadow Clone's memories returned, Naruto's consciousness refocused on the classroom at Konoha's Ninja Academy. Outside the window, cherry blossoms bloomed and withered, and the days passed peacefully one after another.
During this period without any major plot events, Naruto lived an enviable, fulfilling life. Every day, he trained with his childhood friend Satsuki and spent time with the children from the major clans. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Kiba, Shino Aburame... they had all become his close friends.
Yet behind that seemingly leisurely routine lay near-mad training. Compared to being someone who