Want to Come Play at My House?

It was winter.

The whole of Konoha was blanketed in snow, clad in silver, and breathtakingly beautiful.

Uzumaki Menma had secretly slipped out of Root and headed straight for where the crowds were.

But the moment Uzumaki Menma reached Konoha's streets, he realized something was wrong.

Everyone on the street looked at him as if they had seen the plague, their eyes filled with hatred.

Unable to bear those stares, Uzumaki Menma chose to leave.

Uzumaki Menma understood that these villagers hated him because they mistook him for Naruto Uzumaki.

But they were not wrong to hate him. After all, he too was a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

It was just that Uzumaki Menma did not know whether the Nine-Tails inside him was the genuine article.

Uzumaki Menma's mood had gone from boundless excitement to utter dejection.

Everyone he encountered on the road looked at him with hostility.

Root was better than this.

The people in Root were all talented. They did not discriminate against him, and they spoke so nicely. It was far better than here!

As he walked, Uzumaki Menma arrived in Konoha's forest.

Uzumaki Menma walked along a woodland path. Even with the trees covered in heavy snow, the scenery was still beautiful.

Suddenly.

Uzumaki Menma heard a commotion.

Looking toward the source of the noise, Uzumaki Menma froze.

Short blond hair, a red scarf, a face almost identical to his own, and six whisker marks on his cheeks.

His identity was obvious.

Uzumaki Menma's biological brother, Naruto Uzumaki.

Besides Naruto, there were four other people.

One was a little girl crouching on the ground.

She had pale eyes, short purple hair, and tear tracks on her face. She looked as though she had just been crying.

Naruto's future wife, Hinata Hyuga.

At that moment, Naruto was being bullied by three boys, pinned to the ground and beaten.

For some reason, Uzumaki Menma was suddenly enraged. He picked up a stone from the ground and charged over without hesitation, bringing it down toward the forehead of the nearest boy.

However, another boy noticed Uzumaki Menma's movement and slammed into him.

Uzumaki Menma fell into the snow, and the stone slipped from his hand.

In the end...

Naruto had been the only one getting beaten before, but now both Naruto and Uzumaki Menma were getting beaten.

A while later.

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto lay on the ground, their faces bruised and swollen.

The three boys laughed wantonly at Uzumaki Menma and Naruto.

"These two have Byakugan now too."

"What future Hokage? What's with that red scarf, acting all tough?"

"And this black-haired one is just as stupid. Hahaha."

The three boys swaggered away.

Naruto suddenly sprang up from the ground.

"It's not over yet! I've got something even stronger..."

Only then did Naruto realize that the three boys who had beaten them had already left.

Uzumaki Menma stood up, rubbing his swollen cheek. "That hurts..."

When Naruto saw Uzumaki Menma, he froze and stared at him without blinking.

Uzumaki Menma shuddered under Naruto's gaze. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Naruto said blankly, "You look a lot like me."

Uzumaki Menma complained inwardly.

Of course we do. We're biological brothers.

Seeing Uzumaki Menma gave Naruto a strange feeling, as if they were supposed to be friends from the start. He wanted to get close to him.

Naruto held out his hand to Uzumaki Menma. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm going to be the future Hokage. What about you?"

Uzumaki Menma took Naruto's hand. "Uzumaki Menma."

Naruto froze again. "Your name sounds a lot like mine too."

"Maybe it's a coincidence."

Uzumaki Menma did not know how his Grandpa Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi felt about this, so he did not dare acknowledge Naruto so easily.

At that moment, the two of them squatted down in perfect sync.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."

Hinata walked over and asked softly, "Are you two okay...?"

Naruto and Uzumaki Menma stubbornly answered at the same time, "How could we not be okay?! If those three guys were still here, we'd definitely show them what we're made of!"

Holding Naruto's already torn scarf, Hinata said guiltily, "Um... the scarf..."

Naruto sighed and waved his hand.

Hinata apologized remorsefully. "I'm sorry."

Naruto smiled and comforted her. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal!"

Naruto stood up and suddenly shouted at Uzumaki Menma and Hinata with great gusto, "Let's be friends!"

"Huh?"

Uzumaki Menma and Hinata were caught completely off guard by Naruto's sudden declaration.

The moment Naruto met Uzumaki Menma, he felt an overwhelming urgency to form a bond with him and become his friend.

When Uzumaki Menma and Hinata did not answer, Naruto gradually wilted, thinking they were like everyone else and did not want to be his friends.

Then Naruto heard the words he had wanted to hear most in his life.

Uzumaki Menma agreed, "Sure."

Then Hinata also said quietly, "I want to as well."

Naruto's eyes filled with tears.

Uzumaki Menma said disdainfully, "Hey, you're not about to cry, are you?"

Naruto suddenly threw his arms around Uzumaki Menma and Hinata. "Menma, Hinata..."

Naruto burst into tears with a wail.

Uzumaki Menma complained, "Cry if you want, but don't wipe your snot on me."

Hinata had gone completely red, her cheeks flushed bright crimson and steam practically rising from her head.

After the three of them sat in the snow and chatted for a while.

Because the Hyuga Clan had strict rules, Hinata had to return home.

After agreeing to meet again tomorrow, Uzumaki Menma and Naruto said goodbye to Hinata.

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto strolled through the forest.

The smile on Naruto's face had not faded once since the beginning.

Uzumaki Menma asked tentatively, "Naruto, aren't your family worried about you being out here alone?"

Naruto clasped his hands behind his head and replied with a smile, "I live by myself now. Hokage Grandpa is very busy and only comes to see me once in a while, so he won't worry. What about you, Menma?"

Uzumaki Menma answered, "I live with my grandpa. It's about time I went back now."

Naruto looked a little disappointed when he heard that, but he still smiled. "Is that so? Then let's play together again tomorrow."

Uzumaki Menma suddenly felt as if his heart had been squeezed, as though he could feel Naruto's emotions at that moment.

Uzumaki Menma's head suddenly heated up, and he asked, "Naruto, want to come play at my house?"

Naruto's eyes lit up as he excitedly asked, "Really?"

Uzumaki Menma's scalp went numb. Why could he never keep his mouth shut?!

Taking Naruto to Root? Wasn't that just asking for trouble?

But the words had already left his mouth, and Uzumaki Menma could not bear Naruto's expectant gaze.

"I guess... you can?"