Life at the Ninja Academy, after the dramatic flair of the opening day's self-introductions, gradually settled into a steady, flowing routine.
The lush green leaves grew more abundant, and sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, casting warm patches of light onto the neatly arranged desks. The air was a mixture of chalk dust, the scent of new books, and that unique, slightly sweaty vitality characteristic of children.
Menma sat by the window, resting his chin on his palm. His eyes seemed to be fixed on Iruka Umino, who was tirelessly explaining the basic theory of chakra refinement on the podium, but in reality, his mind was wandering far away.
Refining chakra? To him, it was as natural and deep-rooted as breathing. The points regarding ninjutsu and the chakra system that Iruka was lecturing on had already been hammered into his instincts during the brutal slaughters of the "Limited Tsukuyomi" world.
At this moment, the vast, sea-like chakra within his body was slowly flowing and circulating in an extremely subtle, undetectable way. Most of the time, the figure appearing in the Academy was merely a Shadow Clone. His true self used the Flying Raijin Technique to flicker between the administrative affairs of the Land of Stars, the construction of the Star Village, or other more secretive operations.
Only occasionally—when Naruto was particularly excited about going to school together, or when a situation arose that a clone couldn't conveniently handle—would Menma's true body briefly appear in this classroom filled with childish clamor.
Today, for instance, the one sitting next to Naruto was the real Menma. He could clearly feel the thick, authentic texture of the chakra within him, rather than the subtle, energy-constructed illusion of a clone. He listened to Iruka explain the "Will of Fire"—protecting the village, guarding comrades, and creating a peaceful future for the next generation. To Menma, who was currently dismantling the old order with his own hands, these words felt hollow and hypocritical. He lowered his eyes, hiding the flash of cold detachment in his gaze.
Naruto, on the other hand, was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, completely stirring up the class's atmosphere. He had endless energy; he couldn't sit still during class, constantly looking around or whispering to Menma. After class, he was like a high-spirited puppy, running and laughing in the hallways.
Surprisingly, his unhidden enthusiasm and somewhat goofy sincerity began to attract companions. Chōji Akimichi soon discovered that Naruto shared his pure love for snacks, and the two quickly bonded over "potato chip friendship." Kiba Inuzuka admired Naruto's fearless drive. Even Shikamaru, who always complained about things being "troublesome," would occasionally look at the trio with a flicker of interest in his half-lidded eyes.
Even Sasuke, surrounded by a swarm of girls, didn't treat Naruto with the same loathing the other villagers did. They were more like bickering rivals than enemies. Without realizing it, Naruto was slowly blending into the student body.
The dismissal bell rang like heavenly music.
"Brother Menma! Hinata! Hurry up!" Naruto stood at the end of the corridor, shouting with his hands cupped around his mouth, drawing good-natured laughter from other students.
Menma unhurriedly packed his books. Hinata followed closely beside him, her small, pale face slightly flushed. Since the "Big Sister" declaration on the first day, the restored, normal Hinata had become even shier around Menma, though her reliance on him was evident in the way she reached out to snag the hem of his dark blue jacket before quickly letting go as if burned.
The three met up and walked out of the school gates, their shadows stretching long in the golden glow of the sunset.
Shikamaru Nara walked home slowly with his hands in his pockets. He pushed open the gate to the Nara compound, where the air was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs and ink.
His father, Shikaku Nara, was sitting cross-legged on the veranda, staring at a Shogi endgame. Without looking up, Shikaku asked, "You're back late today, Shikamaru. Having fun with the new classmates?"
Shikamaru flopped down opposite his father, letting out a long, weary sigh. "Hah... I'm dead tired. It's not about being 'fun,' it's just a bunch of troublesome things." He rubbed his messy ponytail.
"Oh?" Shikaku finally looked up with a knowing smile. "Like what? That high-energy Uzumaki Naruto? Or the genius kid from the Uchiha?"
"Tch." Shikamaru puckered his lips. "Those two are natural enemies. Naruto flares up the second he sees Sasuke, and Sasuke is like he ate gunpowder. Iruka-sensei spends half his time just pulling them apart. It's noisy."
Shikaku laughed heartily. "Being young is good. Naruto... he's an interesting kid. You should get along with them, Shikamaru." There was a subtle weight in his tone.
Shikamaru caught the nuance. He sat up a bit straighter. "Dad, that Naruto... is there something special about him? I feel like some people in the village look at him with weird eyes." Even at the school gates, Shikamaru had heard parents whispering: "Why is that thing here?" "Is it safe for our kids?"
Shikaku's smile faded slightly. He put down his game piece and looked toward the deer park in the twilight. "Naruto's background... it's complicated. It's not something you need to know yet. You'll understand later."
Another vague answer, Shikamaru thought. He shifted to someone else who piqued his interest. "Then... there's another kid named Menma. He's always with Naruto. He doesn't talk much and doesn't seem to pay attention in class, but his test scores are always good. I feel like he's... different. He's too quiet. Sometimes I feel like he's even more 'over' everything than I am. He doesn't act like a kid."
"Menma?" Shikaku's fingers paused imperceptibly. He recalled the scattered reports from the Intel Squad two years ago. A war orphan adopted by the wealthy merchant Gato. Gato adopted many orphans across various nations, seemingly leaving them to their own devices while he traveled for business.
Shikaku quickly suppressed his thoughts and shook his head. "Oh, him. Just an ordinary war orphan lucky enough to be adopted by a businessman. He's probably seen some things, so it's normal to be introverted. Don't think too much about it, Shikamaru."
The next afternoon, a rare weekend.
Shikamaru was being "kidnapped" by Ino and Chōji for a stroll through the commercial street. As the heirs of the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio, they were raised together to build rapport.
"Hey, can we just sit down somewhere?" Shikamaru complained for the hundredth time.
"Oh, Shikamaru, don't be a killjoy! Look over there!" Ino pointed to a newly opened shop with a long line. "A new dessert shop? Let's check it out!"
The shop had a modern, minimalist design with a dark wood sign: "Wanxiang Sweet Drinks" Below the sign hung a unique wind chime with a star-shaped pendant Shikamaru hadn't seen before.
Standing in line were three familiar figures. Naruto was on his tiptoes, crane-necking into the shop. "Red bean! Matcha! Strawberry Daifuku! Which one is good? Brother Menma, what do you recommend?"
Menma stood beside him, looking remarkably calm as the villagers instinctively made a slight path for the group. He looked at the menu. "I'll have a red bean milk tea," he said softly.
"Young Master Menma! Please wait a moment!" The shop manager bowed deeply to Menma and personally began preparing the drinks.
On Menma's other side, Hinata stood with her head down, her face a pale pink in the sunlight. When Naruto shouted his choices, she whispered in agreement, "I... I also think red bean... sounds good..."
Shikamaru watched the trio, particularly Menma, who seemed so settled in the middle of the crowd. He thought back to his father's words: "Just an ordinary war orphan." A subtle sense of dissonance rose in his heart again. He looked at the shop, at the star-shaped wind chime tinkling in the breeze, and felt that something was very, very "troublesome."
(End of Chapter)