I Am Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 352 352 Minato: Happy New Year, Naruto

After the sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner, Menma let Naruto go to the living room to watch TV and rest by himself while he began clearing the table and washing the dishes.

Naruto, rubbing his round belly, chattered noisily as he ran to the living room, turned on the TV, switched to his favorite movie channel, and settled comfortably into the sofa.

However, he was completely unaware that the metal necklace around his neck was emitting an extremely faint, barely visible glow.

A faint, relaxing, and soothing energy quietly spread.

Watching TV, Naruto suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of drowsiness wash over him. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, his head nodding bit by bit. Finally, he tilted against the soft sofa cushion, letting out even, deep breaths, falling soundly asleep.

When Menma finished cleaning up in the kitchen and came out, he saw Naruto curled up on the sofa, sleeping soundly.

A smile that suggested everything was going according to plan, carrying a hint of deeper meaning, appeared on his face.

He walked over, gently picked up a blanket he had prepared earlier, and carefully covered Naruto, tucking him in.

Then, he himself sat in a single-seat sofa nearby, picked up the remote to lower the TV volume, and quietly watched the program.

At the same time, far away, thousands of miles away in the Land of Stars' capital, Star City.

In the basement of the Menma's home, a Flying Thunder God kunai hung. As space slightly distorted, Menma's main body appeared quietly.

He walked up the steps to the living room, where another scene of lively warmth unfolded.

Kushina, wearing an apron, was bringing out the final plate of snacks from the kitchen. Minato sat on the sofa, smiling as he watched his wife busy.

Hikari sat on the other side. Although her expression remained somewhat cold, her eyes were softer than usual.

Ajisai sat obediently on the carpet beside Hikari.

And on that large sofa, leaning against it, was a roughly shaped puppet doll with short blond hair, motionless.

"I'm home," Menma said, his voice carrying the relaxation of returning home.

Seeing him, Kushina's face immediately broke into a brilliant smile. "Welcome home, Menma! Perfect timing, the snacks are all ready."

Menma looked around the living room and asked, "By the way, where are Mikoto and Gaara? Haven't they arrived yet?"

Minato interjected gently to explain, "Mikoto just contacted us via communicator. She said she's taking Gaara, along with Temari and Kankuro, to her place to celebrate New Year's. She wanted to let the children have fun together, so they won't feel lonely spending New Year's away from home for the first time."

Hearing this, a flash of appreciation passed through Menma's eyes. "Auntie Mikoto is very thoughtful."

He paused, then said, "If she's willing, in the future, leaving the children Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara for her to care for and guide might be a good choice."

He believed that with Mikoto's gentleness and resilience, she could guide these children well.

Just then, the golden-haired puppet doll on the sofa, which had been completely still, twitched a finger almost imperceptibly.

…

[A/N: Mecha Naruto]

Naruto felt as if he were floating on warm clouds. In his grogginess, he vaguely heard a faint, chaotic sound like many people whispering.

He subconsciously rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the drowsiness.

When he struggled to open his heavy eyelids, what met his eyes was not the familiar living room ceiling of Menma's house in Konoha Village, but a completely different, warm, bright, and unfamiliar living room.

He blinked in confusion, his vision still somewhat blurry, as if through a thin veil of mist.

He realized he was sitting on a soft sofa. The surroundings were cozy and tidy, the air filled with the aroma of food.

Just then, a figure approached with a fragrant breeze. Immediately after, he was gently pulled into a warm embrace by a pair of arms that were gentle yet full of strength.

That embrace carried a sense of security he had never experienced before, yet it felt like something his soul had longed for countless times.

A woman's voice, choked with emotion and filled with infinite tenderness, sounded softly by his ear.

"Naruto... my little Naruto..."

Naruto was completely stunned, his mind blank, as if still lingering between dream and reality.

He looked up. His vision gradually cleared, and he saw the person holding him was a beautiful woman with hair as bright as flames. Her face wore an extremely excited smile, yet her grey eyes were brimming with tears, staring at him unblinkingly, greedily.

Immediately after, he saw a handsome man with similarly gentle grey eyes and blond hair also stand up from nearby and walk over slowly.

Even more surprising to him, he also saw Menma, as well as two older girls. They all stood not far away, smiling as they watched this scene.

"This... this is..." Naruto murmured to himself, feeling dizzy. Everything seemed shrouded in a beautiful yet unreal veil.

Standing beside Minato, Menma softly explained to his father, "The initial test of this mind-link puppet was relatively successful. Using that specially-made necklace and Hikari's [Yachihoko] as a one-time medium, part of Naruto's spiritual consciousness was temporarily guided and projected here."

"However, for safety, the link is very weak, the duration won't be long, and a memory-blurring technique was applied. When he 'wakes' up, he'll only feel like he had a particularly warm but detail-blurred dream. He won't become suspicious."

Minato looked at the younger son presented through the puppet body, held tightly in his wife's embrace. A look of extremely complex yet gentle emotion appeared on his Edo Tensei face. He said softly to Menma, "Being able to reach this point... is already enough. Really... thank you very much, Menma."

He stepped forward and pulled both Kushina and Naruto tightly into his own embrace.

It was a hug realized across life and death, relying on Forbidden Techniques and technology.

Naruto, held tightly between his parents, felt the warmth transmitted through the puppet. A tremor originating from the depths of his bloodline made him involuntarily murmur:

"Dad...? Mom...?"

He couldn't shed tears, as the puppet body didn't have that function.

But his spirit trembled violently.

Reason told him this might just be an overly realistic dream, an image conjured by his deepest, most profound longing.

Yet, if it was a dream... he would rather sink forever into this dream and never wake up.

"Alright, alright, the New Year's Eve dinner is getting cold. Everyone, come sit down!" Menma spoke up at the right moment, breaking the overly heavy yet warm atmosphere, calling everyone to the table.

Hearing Menma's familiar voice, seeing his family gathered in the 'dream', Naruto's lively nature seemed ignited.

Even though his body was a puppet, his spirits instantly soared, as if trying to make up for all the missing family warmth of these years in one go.

Ajisai obediently sat in the seat beside Hikari. She looked at the suddenly lively blond 'puppet boy' and couldn't help but lean closer to Hikari, asking quietly, "Hikari-nee, he... is he the younger brother Menma-nii often mentions?"

Having joined this family not long ago, Ajisai had gone from being somewhat intimidated by the powerful aura of Hikari to, after witnessing Hikari's strength and receiving occasional pointers from her, completely becoming Hikari's little admirer.

Hikari also looked gently at the noisy Naruto by the dining table. She nodded lightly, her voice still cool but carrying a trace of pity. "Mm, yes. Also a... pitiful little one."

She had infiltrated Konoha before and seen Naruto once. She also knew the tragic past of Menma's family.

Kushina was attacked by a mysterious person on the night of childbirth, dying alongside Minato. The newborn Menma and Naruto became orphans.

Yet, for some reason, the two brothers were in the same village, the same school, but couldn't acknowledge each other.

Therefore, she felt deep sympathy for Naruto, this child who had never experienced a father's or mother's love.

Moreover, since she had already decided on Menma, she naturally also regarded Naruto as a younger brother who needed protection.

At the dining table, the atmosphere was lively.

Naruto looked at the table full of delicious-looking, aromatic dishes and was about to cheer when he noticed his own bowl had been filled by his mother Kushina with all sorts of green vegetables, while the meat dishes he wanted were a bit far away.

He immediately pouted, pointing at his bowl and complaining, "Why is my bowl full of vegetables?! I want meat! I want ramen!"

Before he could finish, a 'fist of love' accurately landed on his puppet head with a light thump.

"No picky eating allowed, Naruto!" Kushina placed her hands on her hips, her vibrant red hair seeming to flutter slightly with her agitation. She glared at Naruto, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Vegetables are the most nutritious! Eat more to grow as tall as your father and brother! Now, quickly, eat all of these!"

Seeing this, Menma and Minato, father and son, lowered their heads in perfect unison, burying themselves in their food, not daring to say a word, as if transported back to the days years ago when they were under the rule of the [Red Hot Habanero].

Hikari and Ajisai immediately followed suit, focusing intently on the food in their own bowls, trying to minimize their presence.

In this household, Kushina's authority, whether in life or death, stood unquestionably firm.

Naruto, holding his head that had been lightly thumped (though the puppet body felt no real pain), the sensation of being disciplined by his mother was transmitted to his spiritual consciousness with utmost realism.

He grumbled a couple of times, but under Kushina's 'loving' gaze, he obediently picked up his chopsticks and muttered softly, "Okay, okay, Mom... I'll eat it..."

Even though 'scolded', a strange, unprecedented warmth surged in his heart.

This feeling of being restrained, of being nagged, felt like a luxurious coziness to him.

The lively New Year's Eve dinner finally ended in an atmosphere of warmth mixed with a little 'minor oppression' for Naruto.

Hikari and Ajisai proactively stood up to help Kushina clear the table.

When Minato stood up wanting to help, Kushina gently pushed him away.

"You go spend time with Naruto," Kushina said to Minato with a gentle smile, then glanced at Naruto, who was looking over curiously. "Menma too, take Naruto to play. Leave this to us."

Minato and Menma exchanged a smile and nodded.

Minato walked over to Naruto and said gently, "Naruto, come. Dad and your brother will take you to set off fireworks."

"Fireworks?! Really?!" Naruto's eyes instantly lit up.

In Konoha, aside from the Gato Department Store under Menma's name, Naruto usually struggled to even buy daily necessities, let alone fireworks.

The father and two sons went into the courtyard.

Several boxes of various fireworks had already been neatly placed under the engawa veranda.

Minato and Menma carried the fireworks to a cleared patch of ground in the center of the yard.

Naruto excitedly picked up a sparkler. Under Minato's guidance, he carefully lit it.

Fizz—

The fuse burned out.

The next moment, a bright trail of light shot into the sky, cutting through the quiet snowy night. Against the starry black canvas, with a bang, it burst into a magnificent, colorful flower of light, instantly illuminating the entire courtyard and lighting up the faces of the three looking up beneath the tree.

Gazing at the short-lived yet breathtakingly beautiful sight in the sky, Minato looked down at Naruto beside him, his small face upturned, eyes reflecting the firework's glow. A smile of utmost gentleness and contentment appeared on his Edo Tensei face as he softly said:

"Happy New Year, Naruto."