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The sun hung lazily over the Hidden Leaf Village, casting warm light over terracotta rooftops and winding paths. Laughter from playing children echoed through the air. But not everyone joined in.
A young boy, about four years old, sat alone atop the Hokage Monument, red hair blowing softly in the wind. His legs dangled off the edge, eyes distant. Menma Uzumaki looked almost ethereal — same age as Naruto, but his demeanor was far more composed. More… observant.
He exhaled, looking over the village like an old soul in a young vessel.
"It's strange," he thought. "To be so young and so aware… of everything. The plot, the pain, the way the world sees us."
He glanced at the street below, where Naruto was being scolded for painting graffiti on the Hokage faces. Again. The villagers muttered insults just quiet enough for the boy not to hear — but Menma heard them all.
"Demon brat."
"Should've died with his parents."
"Both of them are bad luck."
Menma's fists clenched.
Naruto didn't deserve this. Neither of them did. But only Menma seemed to understand why. He wasn't a Jinchūriki — the other half of Kurama had been sealed inside Minato before he died. But that didn't matter to the villagers. In their eyes, he was Naruto's twin. Guilt by association.
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Four Years Ago
He still remembered their parents' final words. His mind hadn't forgotten the tears in Kushina's voice or the unyielding resolve in Minato's. Even as a newborn, he'd understood everything. That moment was seared into his soul like a cursed seal.
"I promised I'd seal that memory away once I learned the right jutsu..." Menma whispered. "Still working on that."
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At the Orphanage
Life in the orphanage was... tolerable. The caretakers weren't cruel, but they weren't loving either. Naruto was loud, hungry for attention — a flickering flame. Menma was different. Quiet. Distant. Not because he didn't care. He simply knew too much.
He'd long since tested his chakra. It was vast. Untrained, but deep. Meditation came naturally. Chakra control felt like instinct. And thanks to his mother's bloodline, he had immense reserves and a natural affinity for sealing techniques. Once he got formal training, he knew he'd excel.
But he had to stay just weak enough not to draw attention. Not yet.
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Secret Training
Each night, when everyone else was asleep, Menma snuck out. Into the woods. Into silence.
His goal was simple: Build a foundation. One that would outshine even the prodigies.
He'd learned how to suppress his chakra signature. Learned how to climb trees and walk on water by trial and error. He practiced sealing formulas on parchment scraps using ink he stole from the academy storage.
His progress was slow but precise. Every lesson, every movement, recorded mentally.
"If I master sealing techniques… I'll unlock so much more. Control. Knowledge. Power."
But more importantly… "I'll protect Naruto from the story that was meant to break him."
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Encounter with Hiruzen
One morning, as Menma returned from a solo walk through the training fields, he ran into the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen looked at him curiously. "Menma-kun, you're up early."
"I couldn't sleep," the boy said truthfully.
The old man studied him with interest. "You're quieter than Naruto… more thoughtful. It's rare in boys your age."
Menma offered a polite bow. "Naruto burns brightly, Hokage-sama. Someone has to keep watch behind him."
That answer earned a surprised chuckle from the Hokage. "I see... You take after your father in more ways than one."
Menma smiled faintly but said nothing. If only you knew…
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A Glimpse of Power
That night, he tried something new. A storage seal — basic, but enough to hold small tools.
He drew it onto a leaf and poured chakra into it.
Flash!
The leaf crumbled. Burned away.
But just for a second… the formula lit up correctly.
Menma stared at the ash with wide eyes.
"It's working. I just need more control."
He grinned for the first time in days. He could feel it — the future unfolding. Step by step.
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End of Chapter 1
As he sat again atop the Hokage Monument the next morning, Naruto waved up at him with paint still on his cheeks, laughing. Menma waved back.
"It's okay if the world hates us now. Someday… they'll know who we really are."
He looked up at the faces of the Hokage carved into stone.
"And one day... I'll carve my own name into that mountain. Not just as Naruto's brother. But as the one who changed everything."
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