To be honest, Menma had never truly intended to make things difficult for Minato from the beginning.
Back in his previous life, many Naruto fans had argued that Minato Namikaze did not necessarily have to die during the Nine-Tails Incident. Some believed that he had chosen death so that he could remain with Kushina, claiming that he was an excellent Hokage and a devoted husband, but not necessarily a good father.
However, Menma had always felt that such views were heavily influenced by hindsight.
In his eyes, Minato was not that kind of man.
His death had never been a selfish choice.
Rather, it had been the inevitable outcome of an impossible situation.
As a result, whether it was Minato or Kushina, Menma did not truly believe they should bear responsibility for everything that had happened afterward.
From the perspective of the couple, their son should have become a hero of the village.
After all, he had become the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails for Konoha's sake. He was also the son of the Fourth Hokage.
Furthermore, Minato and Kushina had undoubtedly believed that people such as the Third Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, and especially Jiraiya would take care of their children.
Jiraiya was not merely Minato's teacher.
Even Naruto's name had originated from a character in one of Jiraiya's novels.
The bond between them had been profound.
Yet reality had unfolded very differently from what Minato and Kushina had imagined.
The Third Hokage had chosen a form of protection that was little more than neglect.
Kakashi, burdened by his own trauma and constrained by Konoha's leadership, had largely remained distant.
As for Jiraiya, the man whom Minato and Kushina trusted deeply, he had spent years traveling the world and never truly became a part of Menma's life.
None of this was what the couple had expected.
Menma understood that.
He truly did.
Yet despite understanding it, he could not completely suppress the resentment buried deep within his heart.
After all, children often carried subconscious grievances toward their parents.
Over the years, Menma had gradually come to acknowledge Minato and Kushina as his true parents in this world.
He had not stolen another person's body.
He had not been reborn into a corpse.
He had genuinely been born from Kushina's womb and inherited the blood of both Minato and Kushina.
He was their son.
Regardless of everything else, that fact would never change.
Because of that, the emotions that had erupted earlier had surfaced naturally.
Yet only a few seconds later, before Minato could even respond, Menma himself regained his composure.
I've done it again.
A pointless emotional outburst.
What exactly was I trying to accomplish?
A trace of self-mockery appeared in his eyes.
Then he silently exhaled.
Meanwhile, Minato looked at him quietly.
"Menma."
His voice was gentle.
"I understand your anger. I understand your resentment."
A complicated expression appeared on Minato's face.
"What happened was ultimately my failure."
"I believed the Third Hokage would take proper care of you."
"I believed the village would honor your sacrifice."
"I believed that everything I left behind would allow you to be recognized as a hero."
"But I was wrong."
The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable.
"I don't know whether leaving Konoha was the right choice or the wrong one."
"But I respect your decision."
"You are your own person."
"You only need to be responsible for your own life."
"I have neither the right nor the qualifications to force anything upon you."
Minato paused.
Then he continued softly.
"There is only one thing I wish to ask."
"Do not allow hatred to consume you."
His blue eyes carried the concern of a father.
"I don't want either of my sons to walk the endless path of revenge."
"And no matter what happened, there are still innocent people in Konoha."
Menma remained silent for several moments.
In truth, Minato's position was extremely complicated.
Konoha had failed Menma.
That much was undeniable.
The village had benefited from his existence as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki while simultaneously allowing him to be isolated and mistreated.
From any reasonable perspective, Konoha had a responsibility toward him.
Not as a favor.
Not as charity.
As an obligation.
Menma was both an orphan of the Hokage and the container of the Nine-Tails.
The village should have protected him.
Instead, it had failed.
Because of that, Minato could not honestly condemn his son's actions.
Not as Hokage.
And certainly not as a father.
Yet at the same time, Minato did not wish to see Menma lose himself entirely.
Especially not by turning his anger toward innocent people.
That was both the responsibility of a former Hokage and the wish of a father.
Naturally, Menma understood exactly what Minato was trying to say.
"Don't worry."
His tone remained calm.
"I'm not interested in slaughtering innocent people."
A faint trace of disdain appeared on his face.
"Most of them are simply ignorant."
"They were manipulated."
"They believed the lies they were told."
"As long as they don't foolishly place themselves in my path, I have no interest in them."
"The people I hold responsible have always been very specific individuals."
Those words were sincere.
Did Menma hate the villagers?
To a certain extent, yes.
They had enjoyed the peace purchased by Minato's sacrifice while treating his son as a monster.
That reality could never be erased.
Yet Menma could also understand the circumstances.
Many of those people had lost loved ones during the Nine-Tails' attack.
Their homes had been destroyed.
Their lives had been shattered.
Under Danzo's deliberate manipulation and the Third Hokage's silence regarding the truth, it was only natural that ordinary civilians would direct their fear and hatred toward the jinchūriki.
That was human nature.
Not justice.
Not righteousness.
Simply human nature.
More importantly, none of those civilians had personally inflicted the deepest wounds upon Menma.
Menma had always been clear about where he drew the line.
He could kill enemies.
He could take revenge.
But he would never massacre people simply because they had insulted him or hated him.
That was not strength.
Nor was it justice.
It was merely the behavior of a madman.
Even after fully integrating into this world, Menma still possessed his own moral boundaries.
Others could call him hypocritical if they wished.
He did not care.
Those boundaries were his choice.
Of course, if someone chose to stand before him in the name of Konoha's so-called righteousness, then Menma would gladly fulfill their desire for martyrdom.
That was a completely different matter.
After hearing his answer, Minato visibly relaxed.
"That's good."
A smile finally appeared on his face.
"That's enough."
The outcome was far from ideal.
Yet it was not the nightmare Minato had feared.
The possibility of Menma turning into a ruthless avenger and slaughtering everyone connected to Konoha had always weighed heavily on his mind.
At least now, that fear had been dispelled.
Meanwhile, Menma found himself feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Minato had accepted his departure from Konoha far more easily than expected.
Originally, Menma had assumed that his father would desperately attempt to persuade him to return.
That he would defend the Third Hokage.
That he would ask him to forgive Konoha.
Yet none of that had happened.
Minato's reaction had been remarkably calm.
In reality, Menma had underestimated him.
There was no doubt that Minato loved Konoha.
But he loved his children as well.
And unlike many others, he was capable of acknowledging when the village had made mistakes.
Moreover, Minato was dead.
As someone who had already fulfilled his duties as Hokage through both his life and death, he believed that the dead should not interfere excessively in the affairs of the living.
His role now was not that of Hokage.
It was that of a father.
"There's one more thing."
Minato's expression became serious.
"Naruto."
His eyes locked onto Menma.
"Neither your mother nor I want to see our sons become enemies."
"I hope that you and Naruto "
"This doesn't depend solely on me."
Menma interrupted before Minato could finish.
His expression remained unchanged.
"It depends on Naruto as well."
After a brief pause, he added:
"All I can promise is that I'll do my best not to kill him."
The atmosphere fell silent.
Then Minato slowly released a breath he had not realized he was holding.
As a father, this was the answer he had wanted most.
Whether Naruto killed Menma or Menma killed Naruto, the result would be equally unbearable.
Both were his sons.
There was no side he could choose.
"Thank you, Menma."
Minato's voice carried genuine gratitude.
He stepped forward.
Slowly.
Then he raised a hand and placed it atop Menma's head.
For an instant, Menma's instincts urged him to pull away.
But he stopped himself.
He remained still.
Allowing the gesture.
Minato's eyes softened immediately.
Within them lay regret, guilt, and countless unspoken emotions.
Unlike the original timeline, where Naruto eventually found happiness and became the village's hero, Minato could not simply comfort himself with a happy ending.
Menma had forced him to confront the ugly reality directly.
A reality he could neither deny nor escape.
Even someone as composed as Minato felt anger when faced with it.
Yet his principles prevented him from fully supporting Menma's path of vengeance.
All he could do was offer guidance and hope that his son would find the right path.
Then, as the chakra sustaining his existence began to fade, Minato suddenly remembered something important.
His expression turned serious.
"Menma."
"The masked man."
"The one who attacked during your birth."
"He possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan."
"He could control the Nine-Tails."
"He used space-time ninjutsu."
"He bypassed every barrier protecting Konoha."
Minato narrowed his eyes.
"I've always suspected that he was Madara Uchiha."
The warmth between father and son gradually faded as the conversation shifted to a more serious subject.
However
Before Minato could continue, Menma calmly spoke.
"It wasn't Madara."
Minato blinked.
"It was Obito Uchiha."
The words struck like thunder.
"The same Obito who was reported dead during the Third Shinobi World War."
"He survived."
"He later assumed Madara's identity."
"Behind him stands Akatsuki."
"And Akatsuki's leader is Nagato the Rinnegan wielder raised by Jiraiya in Amegakure."
"Their goal is to capture all nine tailed beasts."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Kurama's eyes narrowed.
The amount of information was overwhelming.
Several long seconds passed before Minato finally reacted.
"Obito…?"
Disbelief filled his expression.
His voice trembled slightly.
"Menma…"
"Are you certain?"
"Completely."
Menma's answer came without hesitation.
"I have no doubts whatsoever."
Minato stared at his son.
The information sounded absurd.
Impossible, even.
Yet when he looked into Menma's eyes, he could tell immediately.
There was no deception.
No uncertainty.
Only absolute conviction.
And that certainty left Minato unable to refute a single word.
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