The three of them arrived at a small barbecue restaurant—much smaller and humbler than the one run by the Akimichi Clan. The aroma of the meat was… okay at best.
Menma couldn't help but frown. Meh. Not even close to Akimichi standard.
Tsunade sat down and began ordering without a hint of restraint—barbecue, sake, sides, more sake…
Shizune looked embarrassed.
Tsunade-sama, please… control yourself. You're not the one paying this time!
She stole a glance at Menma, only to find him completely unfazed.
"It's fine. I've got money," Menma said calmly, clearly catching on to Shizune's silent panic.
"Eh?!" Shizune blinked in surprise. How did he know what I was thinking...?
Before she could dwell on it, Tsunade suddenly grabbed Menma, pulling him into a bear hug. "Little brat, don't think I didn't notice what you did. You used me to win a ton of money at the casino, didn't you? Time to cough it up!"
She had noticed back then—but had been too caught up in her gambling addiction to care.
Menma turned bright red, quickly squirming out of her grip and returning to his seat. "Don't just hug people out of nowhere!"
Tsunade smirked, amused at how easily flustered he was. He's so different now from the cool-headed strategist back there.
She reached for him again, but Menma instantly jumped back, holding up a hand. "Touch me again and I'm canceling the treat."
Tsunade froze. "Okay, okay—no more hugging. I promise."
You can't offend the God of Wealth. Just behave. Eat. Drink. Enjoy.
Only when she backed off did Menma return to his seat.
Soon, the food and drinks arrived.
Tsunade poured herself a generous cup of sake and downed it in one gulp. Meanwhile, Menma picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and took a bite.
(⊙﹏⊙)
…This tastes terrible.
"You two eat up," Menma said politely, forcing the bite down.
Over the past few years, he'd only eaten at the Akimichi Clan's barbecue house—rich, juicy cuts, seasoned to perfection. This place was just... dry and bland. Like moving from a luxury villa into a leaky shack.
Still, hunger made anything edible. And there's that old saying: When you're starving, even tasteless food becomes a feast.
"This is great!" Shizune said, happily stuffing her mouth. The flavor spread across her tongue, and she grinned. "You don't like it?"
"It's not the food's fault," Menma explained. "I've just gotten used to higher quality. Took a few years of Akimichi barbecue to spoil me."
Shizune paused mid-bite, suddenly curious. "Akimichi barbecue…?"
Tsunade immediately chimed in, "Don't tell me you're talking about the Akimichi Clan's place back in Konoha?"
There was only one legendary barbecue restaurant in the village—and as a certified foodie, Tsunade knew it well.
At the mere mention, Tsunade instinctively licked her lips. It's been years since I've tasted that heavenly meat...
"That's the one," Menma nodded, then looked at Shizune with a grin. "If you wanna eat there, you'll need money. Might have to sell that pig of yours."
^(*￣(oo)￣)^
The pig, furious, let out a loud squeal in protest.
Shizune rushed to comfort her companion. "Tonton is family! I'd never sell her!"
The pig huffed at Menma, as if to say: Yeah! You got a problem?!
Menma couldn't help but smile.
Maybe I should get a pet too. Animals in this world seem pretty smart.
"Oh, and Shizune," Menma added. "You should call me Menma Uzumaki, otherwise it gets confusing. My little brother is also named Uzumaki—Naruto Uzumaki."
"You… have a younger brother?" Tsunade asked, blinking.
Did Minato… cheat?
"Yeah. We're twins," Menma said casually. "I'm the older one, and Naruto is the younger."
Tsunade let out a sigh of relief. Twins. Not a scandal. Thank god.
"Twins?" Shizune said, intrigued. "Are you identical?"
"Pretty much, except for our hair. Mine's red like Mom's. Naruto's is blonde like Dad's."
Tsunade and Shizune pictured the boy sitting in front of them and mentally filled in the blanks.
"That's wonderful," Tsunade said warmly. "If Minato and Kushina could see you now, they'd be so proud. Both of you, living a good life."
Menma forced a smile.
If only you knew…
If his mother found out how they'd actually lived the past six years, she'd probably storm the Hokage Tower and raze it to the ground.
"By the way," Tsunade said, pouring another drink. "How old are you, kid? And why are you out doing missions? Where's Jiraiya?"
"Got punished," Menma replied with a shrug. "And Jiraiya probably went to a bathhouse."
Smack.
Tsunade slammed the table so hard it nearly collapsed.
"That pervert never changes!" she grumbled.
Then she paused.
"…Wait. Punished? What for?"
"I almost killed someone," Menma replied without hesitation. "They insulted my brother, so I nearly snapped. Jiraiya was sent to 'handle' me."
Tsunade fell silent.
Killing a villager? That's not something they can overlook.
"You little brat… has no one ever taught you not to harm your own people?" she asked sternly.
"No," Menma replied, his tone cold. "All I know is that no one hurts my brother. Not physically. Not with words. And if they try—I'll make them pay."
The air around him grew heavier. A fierce, unshakable aura surged from his small frame.
Tsunade frowned.
No one taught you?
Then I will.
She sat up straighter. "Listen, brat. Let me teach you something, on behalf of your parents. We learn ninjutsu to protect our home—and Konoha Villageis our home. Your parents gave their lives for it. So if you want to follow in their footsteps… you protect the village too."
Menma paused.
And then—
"Pfft… hahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
He burst out laughing.
(End Of Chapter)
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