Menma put away his smile, raised his left hand, and bonked Sasuke on the head.
"OW!" Sasuke yelped in pain, rubbing his head as he stared at Menma with a wronged expression. But he didn't dare to complain. Naruto's older brother, Menma, was terrifying.
He had single-handedly beaten the shadows out of nearly every member of the Konoha Twelve. Sasuke included.
Uchiha Itachi walked over and gently placed a hand on Sasuke's head. Then he looked at Menma without saying anything, his protective instincts subtly flaring.
But Menma wasn't the least bit intimidated. He smirked. "Itachi, seems like your education needs some work. Brothers are like clothes, but women—they're like arms and legs. There's only two of us left in our family, so for the sake of carrying on the bloodline, that great responsibility falls to Naruto."
He continued, "Naruto and Hinata are clearly in sync—a perfect match made in heaven. But then you've got his so-called good brother here asking whether he should choose him or her. Tell me, doesn't that call for a fight?"
Itachi couldn't help but give a wry smile.
Then his eyes flicked downward—at Naruto's… lower body.
Already able to blossom?
His gaze shifted to Sasuke.
If Naruto's ready… is Sasuke…?
Itachi suddenly felt an immense sense of self-blame. As an older brother, I've failed.
Just then, Naruto's panicked voice cut through his thoughts.
"Brother! Hinata fainted!"
Menma turned to look—sure enough, Hinata's face was flushed red like a tomato.
Yep, definitely my future sister-in-law, Menma thought, the corners of his mouth twitching up in amusement. So adorably shy.
Hmm, I wonder if I can get my nephew and niece to come out ahead of schedule… Nephew gets the stick, niece gets pampered—obviously. A tiny Himawari flashed in his mind, and Menma's grin deepened.
"Brother?" Naruto called again, now supporting Hinata's weight with one hand while tugging on Menma's sleeve with the other. "Is she okay?"
Menma finally responded, "Don't worry. She's probably just a little overwhelmed. You should carry her on your back."
"Got it!" Naruto nodded without hesitation and gently hoisted Hinata up.
"Take good care of her, Naruto," Menma said with a warm smile. "Don't let her get tired."
Naruto nodded seriously, adjusting Hinata to make sure she was comfortable.
Watching this, Itachi let out a small sigh.
I'm really behind… My own little brother doesn't even know what a 'wife' is… Meanwhile, Naruto's already way ahead.
He glanced around the Academy courtyard, eyes scanning for potential candidates. He saw two girls that stood out—one with soft pink hair, and one with long blonde hair standing near the Nara and Akimichi heirs. That one had to be from the Yamanaka clan.
The Yamanaka girl's family is strong. And if combined with Uchiha blood… interesting possibilities.
"Itachi, who do you think would make a good match for Sasuke?" Menma asked playfully.
Itachi looked genuinely bothered. "You found a wife for Naruto, so I have to find one for Sasuke too."
Menma: "…"
Is this really happening right now?
To be honest, if Sasuke were a girl, Menma wouldn't mind calling him his sister-in-law. But sadly, Sasuke was very much not a girl—and currently staring daggers at Naruto like he'd just stolen his soul.
"If you're serious, maybe you should pick someone from your own clan," Menma shrugged. "Uchiha are all attractive, after all… even if a few of you have some... brain short-circuits."
Itachi: "…"
Menma added, "Besides, don't you have Izumi Uchiha? She's gorgeous, and if you don't act fast, someone else might snatch her up. Don't come crying to me when that happens."
Izumi had inherited the full Uchiha gene jackpot. She was already a village beauty—and while many had fallen for her, her eyes were always on Itachi. But Itachi, the genius ninja, was an absolute dunce in love. He clearly cared about her, yet never acted.
"Impossible," Itachi muttered. "I asked Izumi. She said she's not interested in dating."
"Oh really?" Menma snorted, watching as Itachi's black eyes subtly turned red—his Sharingan activating with emotion.
Heh. This guy's already this worked up? Definitely whipped. He just doesn't know it yet.
In Menma's opinion, if the Uchiha had just flexed their strength instead of folding, they could've negotiated with the village. With his Mangekyō Sharingan alone, Itachi had the power to bargain.
The Third Hokage wasn't a man of confrontation. If he saw an opportunity to unite with the Uchiha instead of fighting them, he absolutely would.
Forget the Will of Fire. In this world, power is everything. You don't have strength? Then your so-called ideals are just hot air.
Luckily, Jiraiya's return had shifted everything. Danzo's Root was disbanded. Itachi never joined Anbu. The clan supported Jiraiya's rise to Hokage. Everything had changed.
Still, Menma hadn't forgotten—Danzo was a ticking time bomb. One I intend to defuse.
"Maybe Izumi is just waiting for me to grow up," Menma teased.
"Get lost!" Itachi snapped. "Don't even think about hitting on Izumi!"
Oh? So even the great Uchiha Itachi gets jealous? Now this is entertaining…
Menma grinned. "If you want me to back off, then you'd better make it official. Otherwise, I might just confess to her first. Who knows? Maybe she's waiting for me."
With that, Menma turned and walked away, whistling.
That's all I can do for you, Izumi. The rest's on him.
As Menma strolled off, he imagined their future child—Itachi and Izumi's baby. Definitely good-looking, he mused. A wicked grin tugged at his lips. I'll be the godfather. Yes, that's it. I must!
Better move, Itachi… or don't blame me if I step in.
Itachi, still standing in place, stared at Menma's back and flushed slightly.
Should I confess? What if she rejects me? Does she even like me?
A hundred questions spun in his mind.
Even Sasuke calling "Brother? Brother!" didn't snap him out of it.
Sasuke, meanwhile, looked ready to cry. His best friend had been stolen by some strange, blushing girl. His brother was spacing out. His whole world was crumbling.
Just then, a girl with soft pink hair approached him shyly.
"Hi! My name's Haruno Sakura."
Wow… he's so handsome… Stay calm… don't freak out… stay calm… she chanted in her mind.
"Uh." Sasuke blinked. Then, slipping into a prideful pose, he said, "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Wanna be friends?"
"Of course!" He wants to be friends?! AHHHHH!! Does that mean he likes me?!
Sasuke grinned slightly, shooting a glance toward Naruto.
Hehe. Naruto… I have a good friend too now.
(End Of Chapter)
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