The smell of grilled meat filled the Akimichi BBQ Restaurant, mingling with the distinctive scent of burning charcoal. Menma and Naruto were seated inside, happily devouring the grilled meat, its glistening fat sizzling enticingly on the grill.
Might Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi sat nearby. They had all come at Menma's invitation. The atmosphere in the restaurant was rather subdued; after all, not many people came to eat barbecue so early in the morning.
"By the way, why did you call us out for barbecue so early?" Asuma asked, looking at the brothers, Naruto and Menma. Just then, a waiter came over to serve them fresh ingredients and drinks.
"Menma said he'd lost his appetite at the sight of noodles today, so we came for barbecue," Naruto replied, reaching for another slice of meat.
"Barbecue tastes so much better. That stuff we had this morning wasn't fit for human consumption," Menma complained. His mouth was stuffed full, his cheeks bulging.
"Yeah! I agree," Naruto said, stuffing more meat into his mouth with an expression of pure enjoyment.
"But you managed to swallow it, so I'll give you that," Menma added, sounding impressed with Naruto.
"Let's get down to business. Any ideas for Kakashi's birthday?" Might Guy asked, sitting up straight, his gaze serious.
"Eat, have fun, then eat again, and finally a surprise. That's it." Menma kept eating, speaking indistinctly around his food and occasionally taking a sip of his drink.
"You really know how to keep things simple," Kurenai Yuhi teased with a smile.
"By the way, how are your gifts coming along?" Asuma asked.
"I've had mine ready for ages. How could I forget, when he's my best friend and eternal rival?" Might Guy said, pulling out a barbell. Its metal gleamed under the restaurant lights.
"Just like you, Guy-sensei—thoughtful and full of personal flair," Menma remarked, sounding a little sarcastic. He'd noticed that whenever Guy had to give someone a present, his first thought was always a barbell.
"Of course! How could I not put my heart into Kakashi's eighteenth birthday?" Might Guy said, then burst into loud laughter that echoed through the restaurant.
"So, what have the rest of you prepared?" Might Guy asked, turning to them.
"Mine's a custom lighter," Asuma said, taking it out. The words "For Kakashi" were engraved on it, and its casing looked exquisite under the lights.
"Mine's a custom Kunai." Kurenai Yuhi took one out to show everyone. Its blade glinted coldly in the light.
"You should already know what I got him." Menma took out a brand-new copy of Icha Icha Paradise and set it on the table. Everyone who saw it wore a rather peculiar expression.
The others laughed awkwardly, then turned to Naruto.
"Don't tell me you still haven't prepared anything. I told you a week ago, and reminded you again yesterday," Menma said, looking at Naruto with what seemed like a hint of anger in his eyes.
"My shadow clone is preparing it. I can only make it on the day," Naruto said, scratching his head.
"What is it?" Menma asked, intrigued, leaning forward slightly.
Everyone turned to Naruto at the same time, their eyes filled with anticipation.
"Grilled fish," Naruto said.
"..." A silence fell. Nobody spoke; only the chatter of the other customers continued around them.
"Grilled fish sounds pretty good, too. I heard Kakashi-sensei likes fishing," Menma said, continuing to eat.
"Right? Right? Kakashi-sensei once told me that he used to fish for food all the time when he was a kid," Naruto said excitedly, looking at Menma as if he'd found a kindred spirit.
"Then it's settled. Let's go see Kakashi in a bit!" Might Guy said, already eager to celebrate Kakashi's birthday.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Once Naruto and Menma had finished eating, they all headed to Kakashi's house. Unfamiliar flowers and plants lined the path to his door, swaying gently in the breeze. Might Guy stepped forward and knocked. The sound rang out unusually loudly in the quiet street.
"Hey, Kakashi! Don't tell me you're still asleep?" Might Guy called.
"Oh? You're here so early." Kakashi opened the door with a broad smile. Sunlight fell across his face, giving him a warm look.
"Happy birthday, Kakashi-sensei."
"Happy birthday, Kakashi."
They all spoke in unison.
Before Kakashi could react, they handed him their gifts.
"Thank you so much. Come in and sit down." Kakashi invited them inside. The room was simply furnished, with ninja weapons and protective gear hanging on the walls as decorations.
"Kakashi-sensei, my gift is really special. I'll give it to you later," Naruto said, his eyes twinkling with mystery.
"Then I'll look forward to it." Kakashi smiled at Naruto.
"Kakashi-sensei, this is for you." Menma took a special Kunai bearing his Flying Thunder God Mark out of his ninja pouch. It reflected a faint gleam in the light indoors.
"Is this a Flying Thunder God Kunai?" Kakashi asked.
"That's right. It's one of my custom Kunai, and it wasn't cheap to make. It's more durable than an ordinary Kunai, so think of it as a bonus gift for you, Kakashi-sensei." Menma smiled at Kakashi.
"Mm. I'll gladly accept it." Kakashi took the Kunai.
"Kakashi-sensei, you'll have to plan something fun for today. Menma and I are planning to spend the whole day with you," Naruto said from nearby.
"Why?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.
"Because there's a King of Dark Cuisine at home," Menma replied, as if he'd just brought up something terrifying.
"A King of Dark Cuisine?" Kakashi repeated, confused.
"Ah, you'll find out tonight, Kakashi-sensei." Menma waved a hand and continued.
"Tonight?" Kakashi was even more bewildered. He couldn't make heads or tails of what Menma and Naruto meant.
The group chatted at Kakashi's house. A relaxed atmosphere filled the room, and sunlight streamed through the window, making patches of light on the floor. Might Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi told Naruto and Menma stories about Kakashi's childhood, though they deliberately avoided talking about Rin and Obito.
As they reminisced about Kakashi's past, Kakashi brought up embarrassing stories about them in turn, leaving all four of them awkward. Naruto and Menma felt awkward just listening. Their expressions ranged from embarrassed to helpless, and every so often one of them sheepishly scratched their head.
Just then, someone knocked at the door. Kakashi stood up, went over, and opened it.
"Oh! It's you. Come on in!" Kakashi greeted the visitors with a smile and invited them inside.
"Kakashi's changed a lot," Kurenai Yuhi said quietly, so only the others could hear.
"Yeah, he's definitely become more cheerful than before," Asuma replied.
"Kakashi is, after all, my eternal rival." Might Guy struck his signature pose again, his face full of pride.
It was true: ever since Menma had come to this world, a lot had changed. Naruto and Kakashi were the most obvious examples.
No matter what, the main story still needs to follow its original course. I can't let it stray too far. I'm not confident I can beat Madara on my own, let alone the Six Paths-level opponents who come later. Menma couldn't help shivering at the thought. Just thinking about those terrifying opponents made him uneasy. A flicker of worry crossed his eyes, and his body tensed slightly.
"What's wrong, Menma? Are you feeling sick?" Kurenai Yuhi noticed that his face had gone pale and thought he wasn't feeling well.
"N-no. I just thought of that breakfast from this morning." Menma smiled and explained.
"Just how awful was it? It's enough to give a kid a trauma," Asuma said, baffled. He couldn't imagine how bad it could have been.
"Next time, I'll invite you all over for dinner, so you can try my mom's cooking—our housekeeper's cooking," Menma said, almost letting it slip before quickly correcting himself.
"If her cooking's so bad, why keep her as a housekeeper? Why not hire someone else?" Kurenai Yuhi asked.
"She said the Third Hokage had arranged for her to work there. Menma said to let it go—maybe she'd only just started learning to cook and was using us to practice," Naruto said.
"Is that so?" Asuma muttered. The others looked thoughtful, their faces full of uncertainty.
"Oh, you're all here," someone said, standing before them.
"Oh, Yugao and Hayate! Long time no see!" Asuma stood up to greet Uzuki Yugao and Gekko Hayate, and the others followed suit.
Kakashi and Uzuki Yugao had become good friends while serving together in the Anbu. As for Hayate, he and Kakashi had been classmates at the Ninja Academy. They hadn't been as close as Obito and the others, but they were still classmates.
"Hey, these two kids must be the Fourth Hokage's sons, right?" Hayate looked at Naruto and Menma, then glanced at Asuma and the others.
"That's right. These two are Minato-sensei's sons," Kakashi said, walking up behind them.
"Oh, so I was right," Hayate said.
Gekko Hayate... He was the one who, during the Chunin Ninja Exams—or, more precisely, the Konoha Crush Plan—overheard Yakushi Kabuto and Kazuma discussing an attack on Konoha while tailing them. Baki spotted him, forcing him into a rooftop battle. Hayate struck Baki's shoulder with the Dance of the Crescent Moon, but Baki's special ability kept him from pulling out his sword. In the end, Baki killed him with Wind Blade. Menma looked at Hayate and thought to himself.
His first impression of Hayate was that he seemed really weak. He looked sickly all over.
"Hey, mister, do you have kidney problems?" Menma blurted out without thinking. As soon as the words left his mouth, the air around them seemed to freeze.
Everyone was stunned by what he'd said and turned to look at Menma.
"Huh? What are kidney problems, Menma?" Naruto asked curiously, looking from Menma to Hayate.
"No, Hayate's just sick. It's not what you said," Uzuki Yugao said, looking at Menma with some embarrassment.
"Then why don't you go to the hospital?" Naruto asked.
"The doctors said I'll need several years of rest and recuperation. They told me to stop taking missions," Hayate said.
Menma seemed lost in thought. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were pondering something important.
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