Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 84 A New Year, Menma and Naruto

"Hey, Menma-kun, don't you feel lonely living in such a big house all by yourself?" On the veranda, Naruto, wrapped in a red scarf, exhaled white breath that dispersed in the winter night.

He peered out at the unfamiliar house, its spacious veranda and Japanese-style rooms appearing eerily quiet even from the outside.

Naruto had known Menma for about half a year, but this was the first time he had come to Menma's house to play.

On several occasions when I lingered on the street corner, I always heard the neighbors talking: the owner of this courtyard seems to be some kind of big businessman who is away doing business all year round, and only his adopted son lives here.

So Naruto noticed that the room behind Menma was not only much larger than his own apartment, but also much emptier, and he could even hear some echoes.

"Are you lonely?" Menma sat on the edge of the veranda, supporting herself with her hands behind her back, leaning back and looking up at the fireworks blooming in the night sky.

"Actually, it's alright." Having lived two or three lives, Mianma has a very mature mindset and is already used to spending the New Year alone.

In the first few years when I was in the orphanage, although the children were noisy, it was quite lively. Yakushi Nonou would also prepare New Year's gifts for the children.

As for the fifteen years in the 'Limited Tsukuyomi World', Menma always felt it was all an illusion, that Obito had cast a genjutsu on him to keep him quiet.

However, his very existence remains inexplicable.

"And you, Naruto?" Menma, still leaning back, turned his head to look at Naruto's perpetually sunny and cheerful face: "How are you doing on your own?"

"Me?" When asked about himself, Naruto felt a warm feeling in his heart. He scratched the back of his head and grinned, saying, "I'm fine. Although I don't have parents, I've always lived alone. I'm used to spending holidays alone."

Children in the Naruto world are generally precocious, so it's not surprising that four-year-old Naruto would say such a thing.

Gugu~~
A series of gurgling sounds came from Naruto's abdomen, making him blush slightly.

“Let’s go, I haven’t had dinner yet, let’s eat together.” Menma stood up and opened the sliding door.

Naruto also stood up and his eyes lit up when he saw the dishes covered by the dishcloth on the table.

"Please sit down first, I'll go heat up the food." Mianma opened the dish cover, touched the plate with his hand, and found that the food was already a bit cold, so he asked Naruto to wait.

These dishes were all specially prepared for Mianma by the women we hired today; there were both hot and cold dishes.

After all, the two women also have their own families, and they need to go home to reunite with their families during the Chinese New Year.

After having them prepare some food, Mianma gave each of them a red envelope and told them to go home early to celebrate the New Year with their families.

The two women felt somewhat guilty and prepared a lot of exquisite and delicious food.

Mianma initially thought it was a bit too much, and that she couldn't finish all the dishes by herself, and that most of them would go to waste.

Naruto's arrival is just in time.

Naruto, who had been invited, carefully took off his shoes and walked into the restaurant.

He looked around curiously, then slowly climbed onto the chair next to the table.

Naruto remarked that compared to his own home, this house was much bigger, with a dedicated dining room and kitchen.

A short while later, Mianma heated up several dishes in the microwave, then found two sets of bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen and began to set them out.

Naruto watched Menma bustling around in the restaurant and kitchen with a look of longing throughout.

After placing a bowl of boiled rice cakes in front of Naruto, Menma returned to his seat.

The two four-year-old children were too small for the tables and chairs; Naruto even had to stand on the chair.

"Do you remember what we say before we eat?" Menma asked Naruto, who was standing to the side.

"Mmm!" Naruto laughed, clasping his hands together, his voice louder than fireworks: "Let's dig in!"

Mianma also put his hands together and said, "I'm starting to eat." After the pre-meal ritual, the two picked up their bowls and chopsticks and began to feast.

Naruto, who always lived alone, rarely had the chance to eat such fresh and hot food. He hurriedly ate this and that.

Seeing that Naruto was eating mostly meat, Menma pushed a plate of vegetables in front of him: "Being picky about food is not good. Remember to eat more vegetables."

Naruto, who was eating a piece of beef, was taken aback when he saw the vegetables being pushed towards him.

This feeling of being cared for made Naruto's nose turn red.

"Mmm! Thank you, Menma-san!" Naruto whimpered, then picked up some vegetables and gulped them down. "So delicious!"

Although he used to hate eating vegetables, the feeling of being cared for at this moment was really wonderful!
------

The land of the Sarutobi tribe.

After finishing his dinner, Hiruzen Sarutobi added some tobacco to his pipe, lit it, and walked towards his study while puffing out clouds of smoke.

Behind them, in the kitchen and living room, the eldest daughter-in-law was busy cleaning up the mess, while the eldest son sat on the sofa reading the newspaper.

Since his wife Biwako sacrificed herself in the Nine-Tails' attack, his youngest son has been running away from home due to escalating conflicts with him.

Now, Hiruzen Sarutobi always feels like something is missing from this house.

Back in his study, Hiruzen Sarutobi went behind his desk, placed a crystal ball on it, and began to use his 'Telescope Technique'.

"It'll be good to see what Naruto is doing. I hope he's not too lonely." On the crystal ball in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Naruto's figure gradually began to appear.

"Hmm? This room... doesn't seem like Naruto's house." Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly noticed the anomaly. Only when he raised the crystal ball's field of vision did he see a small figure across the dining table.

"Did you go to play with Menma? Oh right, little Menma is an orphan too." Hiruzen Sarutobi remembered that the wealthy merchant who adopted Menma was too busy with business to come back and live there for long periods of time.

Seeing that there were only Naruto and Menma, two children, in such a big house, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a pang of heartache.

However, when he saw the table full of dishes on the two children's table, which was even more abundant than his own, Hiruzen Sarutobi's old face broke into a smile again.

'It seems that allowing Menma and Naruto to interact is a good choice.' Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his pipe, clearly aware of Naruto's experiences in the village.

He also knew who was behind the rumors that Naruto was the incarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not reveal Naruto's true identity to the outside world.

Minato killed quite a few ninjas during the Third Shinobi World War and had enemies in various ninja villages.

Moreover, Naruto is the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki...

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that although this kind of growth was somewhat difficult, he believed that Naruto would definitely grow up healthy.

"In two more years, Naruto will be six years old and it will be time for him to go to the Ninja Academy." Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered, noting that each clan had members of the same age as Naruto.

Their generation can start cultivating friendships in school.

Naruto also needs a qualified teacher to instruct him on the Will of Fire.

“Menma…” Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the child in the crystal ball, recalling the report he made three days ago when he applied for the adoption of this child.

The presence of fire-style chakra in the chakra test indicates that he possesses ninja talent, making him a suitable candidate for admission to the ninja academy.

Suddenly, in the crystal ball image, Menma looked up at the ceiling, then lowered his head again to continue eating.

"Your perception isn't bad either." Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe, exhaled a puff of smoke, and smiled with a profound look in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)