Chapter 2: Little Naruto: You... Don't You Hate Me?

Chapter 2: Little Naruto: You... Don't You Hate Me?

*Splash~ Splash~*

White and azure waves crashed against the reefs, throwing up sparkling white water several feet high. Rushing ashore, they drew silver edges on the sand, as if framing the vast ocean with shimmering silver borders.

Looking into the distance, the sky and sea merged into one.

Although merely a scene simulated by the Book of the Crimson Moon, it felt refreshing and uplifting, bringing ease and joy from the depths of one's heart.

On the beach, two figures, one large and one small, sat cross-legged facing each other.

Beside them, a "cool and domineering" large Nine-Tailed Fox was fast asleep, letting out snores.

It looked like it was sleeping soundly, but its pair of sharply pricked fox ears, twitching occasionally, betrayed its true intention.

*[The fox feigned sleep, clearly eavesdropping.]*

"I know you have many questions, but try to pick the one you want to ask the most."

Uzumaki Menma broke the silence first, saying, "If this takes too long, a certain old man might become suspicious."

"The Strongest Hokage," Sarutobi Hiruzen, possesses a ninjutsu called the "Telescope Technique."

As long as he grasps anyone's chakra signature, he can use a crystal ball to monitor specific individuals from afar.

According to Menma's perception, whenever that damned old man uses the Telescope Technique, chakra fluctuations appear above Naruto's head.

And right now, Naruto's every move is under Sarutobi Hiruzen's surveillance.

Although little Naruto was curious about who the "old man" this big brother mentioned was, he still asked the question that concerned him most.

"Big brother... you... don't you hate me?"

The first question Naruto asked stunned Uzumaki Menma.

He had expected little Naruto to ask who he was, who the big fox was, what this place was, or how to get out.

But he never imagined little Naruto would actually ask if he hated him.

"Why would I..."

He was about to ask back in confusion.

Menma lowered his head and met the child's eyes. The rest of his sentence caught in his throat, and he instantly fell silent.

In those azure pupils, he saw the purest anticipation, and he also saw his own reflection.

Even the Nine-Tails, pretending to sleep nearby, let out a sharp snort.

From Naruto's birth until now, his third year, both of them had been paying attention to his life.

After the Fourth Hokage couple died, the Third old man, perhaps senile, actually handed the infant Naruto over to a nanny.

Initially, the nanny could be considered conscientious.

But ever since Konoha Year 53, when the rumor "Uzumaki Naruto is the Demon Fox Incarnation" spread, that nanny began to abuse little Naruto.

At first, she deliberately starved and dehydrated Naruto; later, she even tried to add something harmful to his food.

Clearly, the ANBU responsible for "protecting" Naruto were right outside, yet they turned a blind eye.

That's when Menma couldn't sit still anymore.

*"Although somewhat foolish, he's still my counterpart in this [Real World], my reserved subordinate. How could I let you bully him?"*

He had the Nine-Tails release a tiny bit of unrefined Tailed Beast chakra, directly turning that vicious nanny into an imbecile.

Satisfying as it was, the result was that Sarutobi Hiruzen mistakenly thought the seal was weakening and added another layer of the Five Elements Seal to Naruto.

It didn't affect Uzumaki Menma much, but the Nine-Tails' cage became noticeably smaller and tighter.

Menma: Congratulations, Mr. Kurama, on acquiring a luxurious sea-view villa suite.

The Nine-Tails' expression screamed three letters – FML.

Simultaneously, the village began strictly prohibiting mentions of terms like "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox."

The villagers then started referring to Naruto as "that thing." Due to fear and hatred, their previous beatings and scoldings evolved into the current cold indifference and ostracism.

Although the news "Uzumaki Naruto is the Demon Fox Incarnation" was secretly spread by Shimura Danzō, Sarutobi Hiruzen only gave him a mild reprimand.

Now, Hiruzen was still observing from the shadows, seemingly wanting to use this opportunity to test the stability of the "vessel" Uzumaki Naruto.

Then, waiting for the right moment to step in, become the idealized "white moonlight" in little Naruto's heart, and impart the Will of Fire.

Therefore, up to this point, the only attitudes little Naruto could sense from others were neglect, hostility, and scrutiny.

No wonder his first question to Menma was whether he hated him.

Transferring all hatred and malice onto a child, based solely on a nonsensical rumor – truly foolish and pathetic.

*"That guy, Namikaze Minato, was a qualified Hokage and a qualified ninja. But he definitely wasn't a qualified father, and even less a qualified politician."*

If Naruto were just an ordinary ninja, then as the son of a hero, the son of a Hokage, the Konoha leadership wouldn't mind casually tossing him a bone.

But Naruto is the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, equivalent to Konoha's nuclear weapon.

Both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō want to firmly control the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

It's just that one uses extreme and crude methods, while the other uses subtle and sophisticated ones.

Uzumaki Menma sighed inwardly.

*Child of Prophecy?*

*Utterly ridiculous!*

*Just a pitiful fool manipulated his entire life, unable to change anything.*

*Apart from his willpower and character, whether it's his vision, perspective, or methods, that adult Naruto was simply terrible.*

*Even the dream he pursued throughout his life was very likely forcibly instilled and brainwashed into him.*

*"Rather than being used as a pawn by that Old Toad and the Old Man of Six Paths, let me show you the truth of the world."*

Thinking this, the expression on Menma's face softened further: "You are optimistic, strong, and sensible. Why would I hate you?"

Though it was the simplest of sentences, it left little Naruto stunned.

Then, under the astonished gazes of the fox and the human, his eyes turned red, and tears began to fall uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, *sob*~"

Little Naruto frantically wiped his tears, constantly mumbling apologies.

The big brother had just praised his strength and optimism, yet the very next second, he disappointingly burst into tears.

Finally meeting someone who appreciated him and held no malice should have been a joyous occasion.

He should have smiled like he always did.

But why did his heart feel so sore, why did he want to cry so much...

Now the Nine-Tails dropped the act of sleeping, nudging its snout towards Uzumaki Menma, signaling him to hurry up and comfort the kid.

*This old fox hates seeing human cubs cry like this; it's really annoying.*

Menma's eye twitched; he genuinely found it troublesome.

He hadn't comforted a child in two lifetimes.

"Sigh." Uzumaki Menma patted little Naruto's head. "Go on and cry. It'll be better once you let it out."

No matter how sensible and mature he acted, he was still just a three-year-old child.

But Naruto forcefully held back his tears, revealing his usual sunny smile: "I-I'm okay now. Sorry, big brother..."

"My name is Uzumaki Menma. Call me Menma-nii."

"Menma-nii, I... My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

Little Naruto introduced himself so formally for the first time, appearing somewhat awkward.

The Japanese word for "dried bamboo shoots" (笋干) is *Menma* (メンマ), written in Kanji as 麺麻 (Miànmá), semantically meaning "bamboo shoots on ramen." The name "Naruto" (鸣人) shares its pronunciation with *Narutomaki* (鸣门卷), the swirl-patterned fish cake often found in ramen.

Naruto mentioned in the original story that he liked Narutomaki and disliked Menma (bamboo shoots).

If nothing unexpected had happened, Menma and Naruto should have been complete opposites.

But with the variable of an external soul, everything changed.