"Menma!!!"
A crisp, youthful voice pierced the silence of the training hall, shattering the boy's deep contemplation.
Menma stepped out of the room and headed to the second-floor window. As he pulled it open, he was met with the sight of a petite figure waving her arms with unbridled energy.
Standing in the soft glow of the morning sun, Hinata looked up, calling his name.
Behind her stood a stiff, guarded boy with pale eyes, a bandage wrapped tightly around his forehead to conceal his mark. It was Hyuga Ko.
As a member of the branch family, Ko's talent was said to be second only to Neji's. In another life, he would become a devoted guardian, risking everything to protect Hinata during Pain's assault on Konoha.
"What are you dawdling for? Get down here!"
Big Sister Hinata stood with her hands on her hips. Her voice carried an authority that stood in stark contrast to her delicate appearance.
Ko silently wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow. Even he was a little terrified of this "second personality" the eldest daughter had developed.
At eight years old, Ko already possessed the strength of a Genin despite not yet graduating from the academy. He had been chosen as Hinata's guardian and sparring partner because he was slightly older.
Normally, with the gentle Hinata, Ko was incredibly careful, holding back his strikes to ensure she wasn't hurt.
But with this fiery version of the mistress, he didn't dare hold back.
More often than not, he was the one left bruised and swollen. Sparring with her felt less like training a child and more like facing a master who had studied the Gentle Fist for decades.
"Coming!"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Menma's mouth as he dashed down the stairs.
Before long, two small figures were walking side-by-side down a park path carpeted with fallen leaves.
Ko maintained a professional distance, watching from afar to ensure the young mistress had her private space while remaining under his watchful eye.
"Let me tell you, that old man at my house... he's nothing like the one I knew. He's such an old fossil," Hinata rambled, her voice a constant chirp as she shared her grievances. "Luckily, Mother is still as kind and graceful as ever. Sometimes I feel bad for losing my temper around her..."
She kicked a stray pebble. It traced a perfect arc before plunking into a distant pond. Her brow furrowed, a look of deep internal conflict crossing her face.
"I understand how you felt back then, but it's still so hard to accept."
For her, the "Limited Tsukuyomi" world was her true reality. She had lived over a decade of her life there.
Suddenly being thrust into this world—where everything looked the same but the people she loved acted like strangers—was jarring. This sense of unreality made her irritable, lashing out at anything and everything.
Only in front of her mother did she show a hint of her former softness.
"Do you miss it?"
Menma moved half a step closer. As their sleeves brushed, he felt a slight tremor in her fingers.
"A little, but..."
Hinata exhaled sharply and suddenly reached out, grabbing Menma's hand.
"When I decided to be with you, I had already prepared myself to leave the clan behind."
She spoke the secret she had carried in her heart for years. In the shinobi world, many women retired after marriage to raise families. Uchiha Mikoto, once a Jonin, had given up her career to support Fugaku and mentor her sons.
By saying she was ready to leave the Hyuga, she was confessing the depth of her resolve.
Menma was genuinely moved.
However, that warmth didn't last long.
"So—"
Hinata tightened her grip on his hand, her eyes narrowing into a dangerous crescent as she smiled.
"If you ever dare to betray me, I'll kill you. Got it?~"
The killing intent in that smile was almost physical, sent a shiver down Menma's spine.
In the distance, Ko immediately looked away, suddenly finding the landscape very fascinating.
"Menma-niichan!"
A joyful shout echoed from the distance.
Hinata turned toward the sound and froze.
A young boy with bright golden hair and whisker-like marks on his cheeks was sprinting toward them, waving his hand frantically.
"He is..."
Hinata blinked. He looked incredibly familiar.
"Uzumaki Naruto. My... friend," Menma said softly, giving her a meaningful look.
She understood instantly.
Her Byakugan scanned the boy as he skidded to a stop in front of them. He was a mirror image of what Menma looked like as a child in her memory.
"Menma-niichan! Good morning!"
Naruto's face beamed with a happiness he couldn't quite put into words. Menma was his first friend. No one had ever taught him how to talk to friends or how to play.
Then, Naruto noticed the girl standing next to Menma. She had pale eyes and was very cute.
His blue eyes flickered with a hint of confusion when he saw their hands locked together.
"Hello! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" he greeted her with his usual boisterous energy. "Are you a friend of Menma-niichan too?"
"Ah, I'm Menma's best friend!"
Hinata gave a charming smile, then promptly delivered a sharp elbow to Menma's ribs.
Ugh!
The blow caught Menma right in the stomach. He nearly gagged.
She hadn't held back at all; the strike was powerful enough to nearly dispel his shadow clone.
"Morning, Naruto," Menma managed to wheeze out, straightening up. "This is Hyuga Hinata. My... good friend."
They were too young to explain the concept of a "girlfriend" to him.
"So... do you want to play together?" Naruto asked expectantly.
Menma glanced at Hinata.
For two people who had technically lived through their teenage years, playing in a sandbox felt incredibly childish.
But Hinata recognized Naruto as Menma's counterpart—his brother in this world—whom he couldn't officially acknowledge for complicated reasons.
"Let's go fishing at the Naka River outside the village," Hinata suggested.
"Yes! Race you there!"
Naruto didn't wait a second longer.
Despite being only three, their shinobi lineage meant they could already leap nearly ten meters in the air. Their stamina far exceeded that of any ordinary child. Naruto had even been practicing his throwing accuracy while fishing to improve his meals.
Hinata turned and leaped onto a roof with fluid, graceful movements. In that fleeting second, a genuine, tender smile passed between her and Menma—one only he could read.
The three children took off, chasing each other across the rooftops.
Naruto ran with all his might, his heart racing with the thrill of finally having companions.
He glanced back over his shoulder.
He saw Menma and the cute girl laughing and talking as they followed him at a steady pace.
For some reason, as he watched them, little Naruto felt a strange, fleeting sense of being both found and lost at the same time.