By chance, the young Naruto ran into the equally solitary young Menma.
Menma made Naruto treat him, and they ate at Ichiraku Ramen, becoming friends.
They explored forests together, clumsily catching fish and eating them even when charred with relish. A girl with Byakugan also joined them, becoming three little companions who were often inseparable.
On cold year-end days, Menma would drag the lonely Naruto, who was eating instant noodles at home, back to his own house to share a sumptuous feast.
Menma's environment also changed from the orphanage to a wealthy, spacious mansion.
Watching that 'version' of himself in the 'scene', who spent time with his older brother, had a childhood worlds better than his own, and always showing a bright smile, Naruto's tears flowed again, but this time they were warm.
A feeling both sour and warm filled his chest.
He had never experienced such a childhood… having companions, care, and the joy of looking forward to the New Year.
'If I… could have had such an older brother when I was little, how great that would have been…' This thought surfaced in Naruto's mind, carrying endless envy and a trace of belated comfort.
But the warm tone abruptly shifted!
Menma in the scenes gradually grew up, his demeanor becoming more composed, introverted, and also more… dangerous.
He put on a white fox mask with three eerie eye holes and draped a black cloak embroidered with complex patterns of nine beasts.
His shadow writhed behind him… the Dark Nine-Tails' power transformed into nine summons of various forms, emitting terrifying auras.
Seiryu, Suzaku, Genbu, Byakko, Kinja, Nanto Sennin, Hokuto Sennin, Tennyo, Shinigami!
The Nine Masked Beasts!
Active in the shadows of the Ninja World under the codename [Shura], his style was decisive and ruthless, yet carried an elusive purpose.
A heart-stopping great battle erupted in Kumogakure!
[Shura], with his power alone, clashed head-on with the perfect coordination of the Fourth Raikage, A, and the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, Killer B, displaying overwhelming strength. He ultimately severely injured both, leaving Kumogakure in ruins before departing with ease.
He traveled various places, seeking and 'collecting' Kekkei Genkai Ninja like Kanon and Hikari, subdued the wealthy merchant Gato and the bounty hunter Kakuzu.
His methods varied and the processes weren't always peaceful, but the result was that a group of powerful subordinates began gathering around him.
He dispatched people to attack Hoshigakure in the Land of Bears, suppressing them with absolute power, seizing their treasured [Star], and effectively taking control of this Ninja Village.
Immediately after, using Hoshigakure as a base, he began an action that shocked the entire Ninja World!
It wasn't mere conquest… he ignited a massive-scale 'revolution'!
Leading his subordinates and the gradually coalescing force, he eradicated the Land of Bears' corrupt, incompetent Daimyo and noble class that exploited the common people with thunderous methods, establishing the brand-new Land of Stars!
Land of Stars' ideology and policies stirred huge waves in the Ninja World.
It declared the abolition of unreasonable feudal hierarchies, land belonged to the state and was then distributed to the people, Ninja power served national construction and improving people's livelihoods, no longer being tools for noble infighting and oppression.
This ideology quickly attracted countless oppressed commoners, idealistic Rogue Ninja, and even reformist factions within some small countries.
The Land of Demons, the Land of Swamps, the Land of Snow…
One small country after another in the western part of the Ninja Continent was subverted by Land of Stars' powerful military force combined with internal revolutionary uprisings, merging into Land of Stars.
Land of Stars' territory expanded rapidly like a snowball!
In the scenes, countless Ninja could be seen using Earth Release to level land and build irrigation, using Fire and Lightning Release to assist smelting and forging, using Water Release to nourish parched farmland, Medical-Nin going deep into villages to treat commoners' illnesses…
Ninja power was, for the first time, used on such a large scale and systematically for national construction and development, rather than solely for killing and destruction.
In just a few short years, Land of Stars rose from a small country to a vast, newly emerged power with a novel system, brimming with vitality and formidable military strength!
The Ninja World watched with apprehension… the Five Great Nations felt unprecedented pressure and vigilance.
Minato and Naruto were deeply shocked by these magnificent, perception-shattering scenes.
They witnessed the birth of a completely different Ninja World, and also saw the terrifying power Menma possessed, his deep planning and iron-fisted execution.
The perspective shifted back to Konoha Village.
Within Konoha Village, after the Nine-Tails Attack, the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the village intensified.
The exceptionally talented Shisui was seen as key to easing relations between both sides.
However, after a secret meeting, Shisui was ambushed by Shimura Danzo, who forcibly took one of his Mangekyo Sharingan. Severely injured, Shisui escaped and disappeared.
Shisui's disappearance enraged the Uchiha Clan, who believed the Konoha's higher-ups were responsible. Conflict was imminent.
Under immense pressure and suspicion, the Konoha's higher-ups made a cruel decision.
They issued a secret order to Itachi: personally exterminate the Uchiha Clan intent on rebellion.
In exchange, his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, could continue living as a Konoha's Ninja.
For his brother, and for some twisted sense of 'greater good' in his heart, Itachi accepted this task stained with his clansmen's blood.
But knowing his own strength was insufficient to slaughter the entire clan, he secretly contacted the masked mystery man who caused the Nine-Tails Attack and claimed to be 'Uchiha Madara', as the 'helper' for executing the clan extermination.
However, on that bloody night, a variable appeared!
Shisui returned, accompanied by Land of Stars's elite Ninja Troops, descending like divine soldiers, boldly intervening in the Uchiha Clan's residential area… Preventing Itachi's massacre.
Star Ninja clashed with Danzo's Root Ninjas, who were ordered to 'maintain order' but were actually prepared to cooperate with Itachi in the purge, along with Konoha's Anbu who arrived later, engaging in fierce battle within the Uchiha Clan's compound.
Kunai, shuriken, and Jutsu light wove a net of death… explosions, shouts, and metal clashes echoed incessantly.
The Uchiha Clan's members never imagined being attacked by their own village within their own homes, thrown into chaos and panic.
At the critical moment, Shisui, who had lost an eye, stood before his clansmen.
He publicly exposed Danzo's despicable act of ambushing and stealing his Sharingan, hoarsely questioning the Konoha's higher-ups' betrayal of trust and cold calculation.
However, facing this accusation that could shake the village's foundation, to maintain superficial stability and authority, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, under immense pressure, made the choice to protect the village's interests.
Danzo further accused this as a meticulously planned Land of Stars' conspiracy, ironclad evidence of Shisui's betrayal of the village and collusion with external enemies… Attempting to shift all blame onto outsiders and 'traitors'.
This stance completely chilled the hearts of all Uchiha clansmen.
Looking at Shisui, still standing under the protection of Star Ninja, looking at the Star Ninja fighting Konoha's Ninja in bloody battle, then looking at the Anbu and Root who turned blades on their own clansmen… the Uchiha Clan's members, especially the younger generation already dissatisfied with village policies, felt the scales in their hearts tipping.
With Shisui's rallying cry, a large number of surviving Uchiha clansmen, filled with disappointment and anger towards Konoha, resolutely chose to follow Shisui, joining the Star Ninja's ranks, crossing blades with their former comrades!
The battle became more chaotic and brutal.
The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan bloomed with eerie light on the battlefield… Fire Release Ninjutsu painted the night sky crimson.
This sudden large-scale battle ultimately ended with the Star Ninja and Uchiha Clan's successful withdrawal.
Konoha paid a heavy price.
The Anbu and Root suffered heavy losses, the Uchiha Clan's grounds were nearly half-destroyed, the clan head and his wife died. More importantly, the village's internal trust and the Third Hokage's prestige suffered irreparable damage, severely weakening Konoha's vitality.
The scenes rapidly flowed.
Having gained the strength of the Uchiha Clan and Hyuga Clan, Land of Stars, like a tiger with wings, saw its national power and military strength soar again.
A few years later, Land of Stars, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth erupted into a large-scale, all-out war over border and resource issues.
In this war, Land of Stars displayed fearsome power surpassing traditional Ninja Village's warfare models.
Highly organized Ninja legions, coordinated with advanced scientific ninja tools and new combat methods incorporating Kekkei Genkai, plus Hikari's terrifying, strategic weapon-like strength… even without Menma personally intervening, Land of Stars achieved overwhelming victory!
Sunagakure was defeated, and the Land of Wind was annexed by Land of Stars.
The Land of Earth was forced to cede a quarter of its territory, surrendering in humiliation, becoming a vassal state of Land of Stars.
After this battle, Land of Stars leaped to become the undisputed strongest nation in the Ninja World, with vast territory, abundant resources, and peak military power.
Its gaze turned eastward.
There lay the territories of traditional great nations: the Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Water…
An unprecedented super war engulfing the entire Ninja World seemed inevitable. War clouds loomed over everyone's heads.
The 'movie's' finale focused on this era's Amegakure.
They saw Menma's fierce battle with that pale monster named [Otsutsuki Isshiki].
Isshiki casually flung black rods, easily harvesting the lives of over a dozen elite Amegakure's Anbu. Even Hanzo the Salamander, hailed as the Demigod of the Ninja World, was easily impaled and brutally killed before him, utterly helpless.
It was a power gap completely transcending the conventional Ninja System, leaving one in despair.
Immediately after, Menma's duel with Madara, restored to youth and possessing Rinnegan!
The towering Complete Body Susanoo, Wood Release Ninjutsu sprouting forests covering the earth, meteorites descending from the sky…
The power displayed by Madara seemed like mythology reborn, each strike capable of altering terrain, destroying a nation.
Yet, Menma countered with an even more composed, dominant stance, ultimately securing victory.
Every frame of these two battles was filled with destructive power and violent aesthetics, delivering an indescribable visual and psychological impact to Minato and Naruto.
Whether it was Isshiki's bizarreness and strength, Madara's legendary Rinnegan reappearing, or Menma's unfathomable responses and counterattacks-
For the first time, they realized so viscerally that Ninja power could reach such unbelievable heights!
Light and shadow dissipated, consciousness fully returned to reality.
Minato and Naruto both gasped for breath simultaneously, as if struggling up from deep water, faces pale, forehead hair damp with sweat.
They looked at each other, seeing deep shock, bewilderment, and a trace of indescribable exhaustion in each other's eyes.
That 'scene' condensing over a decade of tumultuous changes, war, and rise in another world contained too much information, the impact too intense, leaving them unable to calm down for a long time.
Menma slowly withdrew his fist. He looked at the two, summarizing: "Although there are many differences from this idiot brother's world, some key historical nodes, like the Uchiha Clan's destruction, the general outline should align."
Naruto nodded vigorously, digesting the information, his face showing confusion and a trace of unease. "In my world… after the Uchiha Massacre, only Sasuke and Itachi remained. But… you said the massacre was ordered by the Konoha's higher-ups? How is that possible! Grandpa Hokage… he was always so kind to Sasuke!"
Menma glanced sideways at Naruto, his gaze as if looking at an unenlightened blockhead. He retorted: "Oh? Really? Then why do you think Sasuke was willing to defect from Konoha at all costs to pursue so-called power? Do you truly believe that vast Konoha had no way to teach him, to make him stronger?"
"!!!"
This question made Naruto tremble all over.
The resolute, pained look in Sasuke's eyes when he defected, his frantic thirst for power, his searing hatred for Itachi…
Could such a dark truth really lie behind all this?
Menma ignored Naruto, now thrown into confusion, and turned his gaze to Minato. "So, do you have any other questions?"
Minato's current state was even more deeper than Naruto's.
He not only saw the tragic circumstances of the children after another 'self' sacrificed to protect the village, saw the Uchiha Clan being suspected by the Konoha's higher-ups and their bloody end under political conspiracy, but also saw a world landscape reshaped by power and new ideologies.
He raised a hand to his forehead, his heart filled with pain and struggle.
The Konoha he vowed to protect… in another possible future, why did it become like this?
Power struggles, suspicion, purging of fellow clansmen…
Was this still the Konoha he was willing to give his life to protect?
But soon, he forcibly suppressed his churning emotions and began to calmly organize and analyze the intelligence.
Minato looked up, his gaze sharp as he looked at Menma.
"You and Naruto come from different parallel universes. Naruto's world has no you. Meaning, in Naruto's timeline without you, you and Land of Stars didn't exist as variables. So, how do you prove the authenticity of the 'alternative possibility' you showed regarding the Uchiha Massacre's night?"
Nearby, Choza and Shibi, hearing the words 'Uchiha Massacre', already showed expressions of horror, exchanging shocked glances.
Such a thing, merely hearing it, was enough to cause a magnitude-10 earthquake in Konoha!