"Hello, brother!"
"Hello, brother!"
"Hello, brother!"
Menma and Naruto had just arrived at the Ninja Academy when their classmates spotted them. The memory of what happened yesterday still lingered in everyone's minds, and the moment they saw Menma, they couldn't help but greet him enthusiastically.
Menma gave them a slight nod, while Naruto waved and returned their greetings with excitement. His brother was incredible—he'd gathered so many followers in just one day!
"Shikamaru, Choji!" Naruto suddenly spotted Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji in the distance.
"Ugh..." Shikamaru sighed deeply. He'd already seen Menma and Naruto approaching, so he tried to slip away, pulling Choji with him. But Naruto's shout made it impossible to avoid them now.
Choji wasn't nearly as flustered as Shikamaru. Munching on potato chips, he followed along calmly.
"Hello, brother."
"Hello, brother."
The two walked up to Menma, greeted him, and then waved at Naruto.
"Mm." Menma nodded, then smirked slightly and looked at Shikamaru. "Were you trying to avoid me, Shikamaru?"
"I—of course not!" Shikamaru immediately denied it.
"I don't blame you if you were. At worst, I'll just beat you up again. Not like it hasn't happened before," Menma said casually, still smiling.
Shikamaru: "..."
The memory of being tossed around by Menma flashed in his mind, and a chill ran down his spine.
Meanwhile, Choji offered Naruto some of his chips. "Want some?"
Naruto shook his head. "No thanks. My brother doesn't let me eat that kind of stuff."
Choji instantly pulled the chips away, panic setting in. If Menma thought he gave Naruto something against the rules, he might get beaten up for real! Even with his thick skin, Menma's punches really hurt!
"Good morning, Naruto!" a sweet voice called out.
It was Hinata, arriving at the school gates. As soon as she saw Naruto, she ran over happily.
"Good morning, Hinata!" Naruto greeted her with a grin, then wrapped her in a warm hug. His brother had told him a proper greeting with your future wife should include a hug—and besides, Hinata was so soft!
Hinata's face turned bright red.
Naruto released her and tilted his head. "Are you okay? Do you have a fever or something?" He pressed his hand to her forehead. "Hmm… I'll ask my brother later why you keep blushing like this."
"I'm fine, Naruto..." Hinata whispered, even redder now.
Before Naruto could say anything else, he caught sight of his best friend.
"Sasuke!"
He immediately let go of Hinata and sprinted toward the boy with excitement.
Menma: "..."
Menma had been silently enjoying the budding romance, ready for things to escalate—only for Sasuke to show up and ruin the moment. Tch… I'll have to find time to beat up that emo. Preferably during class.
Unaware of Menma's silent wrath, Sasuke looked as grumpy as ever. His scowl alone was enough to keep others at a distance. He was not in a good mood.
But Naruto didn't notice and ran up with a smile. "Sasuke! Morning!"
"…Morning," Sasuke replied, visibly less moody upon seeing Naruto.
"Hey, you came alone today? Where's your brother?" Naruto asked innocently.
Sasuke's face darkened instantly. Why'd you have to bring that up!?
Itachi had promised to take him to school that morning—but when Sasuke got up, his brother's room was empty. Their mother told him Itachi had left early with their father. Furious, Sasuke refused to let his mom walk him and stormed off with his lunchbox alone.
At home, Mikoto just smiled and shook her head. Knowing your children well is a mother's gift.
One younger brother, one older brother... Just like Kushina's kids.
With a sigh, Mikoto glanced at the family photo on the table, imagining how she and Kushina would be laughing and talking together about their children. Looking up at the sky, she whispered:
Kushina, don't worry. Menma and Naruto are doing well—under Jiraiya's care.
If Menma heard that, he would've rolled his eyes. Under Jiraiya's care? He eats, drinks, and lives in my house and hasn't paid for food in months!
Back at the academy, Sasuke glared at Naruto. "You're annoying."
He pushed past him and stomped ahead.
"Huh?" Naruto blinked, confused. "Sasuke, what did I do?!"
"Go away."
"Nope! Not until you explain!"
"Go away."
Their bickering continued as they walked into the school.
Menma followed behind at a calm pace, flanked by his crew—Shikamaru, Choji, and now two more: Inuzuka Kiba and his dog Akamaru, along with Aburame Shino.
Inuzuka Kiba was the son of the Inuzuka Clan Head, part of a family that raised and fought alongside ninja dogs. To them, their canine partners weren't just tools—they were true companions.
Shino, son of Aburame Shibi, hailed from one of the most secretive clans in Konoha. The Aburame clan used their bodies as hosts for chakra-fed insects, employing them in battle with terrifying precision. Always calm, always quiet—they were not to be underestimated.
Menma still remembered the effort it took to handle Shino.
As the group walked forward, three older students—Passerby A, B, and C—suddenly stepped into their path. They were all a head taller than Menma and his crew.
Passerby A smirked. "Hey, kid. Heard you picked up a bunch of followers your first day here."
Menma ignored him and turned to Shikamaru. "Do you know them?"
Shikamaru sighed. "Nope. But whoever they are, they've got a death wish."
Menma looked to the others. They all shook their heads.
"No idea? Then they must be nobodies."
Passerby A's face twisted in anger. He raised his fist and swung at Menma.
Gasps erupted from the nearby students—many turned away, too scared to watch.
But—bam!
Menma casually caught the punch with one hand.
A small smirk appeared on his lips. Then he squeezed.
Crack.
"AAAAAGGGHHH!" Passerby A screamed in pain.
"Boss!!"
"Boss!!" Passerby B and C shouted in panic.
Menma turned to his crew. "You four handle the other two. If you don't, I'll deal with you next."
Without waiting for a reply, he walked off.
Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Shino glanced at each other.
"…If we don't beat them up, he'll beat us up."
"Then let's go."
"Shikamaru and I take the left—Kiba and Shino, you go right!"
Before Passerby B and C could even react, they were met with a storm of fists.
"AAAAHHHHHH—!"
"STOP—!"
"HELP—!"
The beatdown commenced.
(End Of Chapter)
Gimme Powerstones :)))
Also Check out my Patreon at [Patreon.com/GGFanfiction]