I Am Uzumaki Menma

"Hey, Menma." Hinata's timid voice came from behind, interrupting Menma's thoughts.

Earlier, when they were about to head to Ichiraku Ramen for dinner, Naruto suddenly excitedly suggested having an eating contest with Menma.

So Menma decided to drag Little Hinata along to join this three-person gluttony competition.

As a result, Menma only ate two bowls before sitting back to watch Naruto and Hinata stack up empty bowls into a small mountain.

Naruto ultimately managed ten bowls before slumping in his seat with a round, bloated belly, soup still dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Hinata, on the other hand, ate twenty bowls, but Menma keenly noticed she still had room to spare… she had just chosen to stop.

"What's the matter?" Menma shifted his gaze away from Hikari, who for some reason was in Konoha Village, and turned to Hinata behind him.

Ahead of them, Naruto's voice rang out indignantly as he patted his balloon-like belly, vowing that next time he would definitely beat Hinata.

Hinata covered her mouth with her hands and chuckled softly, and said softly to Menma, "It's about time to head home."

The sky was already growing dark, the evening sun casting its glow over the three children, outlining them in gold.

"Ah, but it's not even dark yet." Naruto said, tilting his head to look at the setting sun. Suddenly, he caught sight of Hikari in the distance.

"Hey, there's a pretty big sister over there." Naruto blinked curiously.

Unlike the other villagers, her gaze didn't hold the disgust Naruto was used to. Instead, it carried a faint trace of sorrow.

"Then I'll walk Hinata home first." Menma glanced at Hikari standing quietly in the distance.

Then he turned to Naruto and said, "You can head back by yourself, Naruto."

"Ah, wait!" Naruto dashed over to Menma and Hinata, his belly wobbling with the movement: "Let me walk you guys home. It's on the way anyway, and I can just go back alone afterward."

Truthfully, he just wanted to cherish every moment he could spend with his friends, even if it was just chatting on the way home, laughing and joking under the setting sun.

"Fine, let's go together." Menma didn't call Naruto out, and just patted his head.

Naruto immediately retaliated with flailing limbs, only to be effortlessly subdued by Menma with one hand.

The two of them roughhoused their way toward the Hyuga Clan's compound, with Hinata jogging after them, her eyes brimming with happiness.

…

As the sun set over the Naka River at the outskirts of Konoha.

Izumi walked along the path back to the Uchiha Clan's compound, holding a paper box containing a few sticks of tri-colored dango, her expression somewhat absentminded.

'I wonder why Itachi hasn't been around lately...' Izumi thought of Itachi, who had refused her invitation a few days ago, citing more important missions. A shadow of worry crossed her brow.

Suddenly, an orange cat wearing a small vest brushed past her feet.

"Huh? A Ninneko?" Izumi's gaze followed the orange cat.

The orange cat padded gracefully to the small dock by the Naka River and sat down beside a girl.

The river breeze stirred the girl's waterfall-like black hair, and the Uchiha Clan's crest on her blue coat stood out prominently.

But at the same time, this dock gave Izumi a slight sense of unease, reminding her of that endlessly looping night of the massacre that had haunted her for so long-

Suppressing the faint discomfort in her heart, Izumi walked over curiously, intending to greet the other girl.

As she got closer, she noticed the girl had her arms wrapped around her knees, her face buried, shoulders trembling slightly.

Hesitantly, Izumi approached and heard the faint sound of sobbing.

"Um, hello there, big sister!" Izumi called out softly.

The girl lifted her head slightly, tear stains still glistening on her cheeks.

'So beautiful-' Izumi unconsciously held her breath, struck by genuine admiration.

Even as a girl herself, she was stunned by the other's beauty.

"If something's bothering you, eating something sweet might help you feel better." Izumi sat down beside the girl and opened the paper box in her hand, offering it to her.

Seeing the tri-colored dango held out to her, as well as the Uchiha Clan's crest on Izumi's clothes, the girl hesitated for a moment before reaching out and taking a skewer.

She sniffed it first, then slowly took a small bite.

The orange cat curled up obediently between them as Izumi smiled at the girl and asked curiously, "Big sister, what's your name? I don't think I've seen you around the clan before."

The sweetness in her mouth eased some of her earlier melancholy. The girl gazed at Izumi, who was only about seven or eight years old, and answered in a slightly hoarse voice, "My name is… Uchiha Hikari."

"My name is Uchiha Izumi." Izumi grinned, the beauty mark near her right eye lifting slightly.

She didn't pry into why the other girl had been crying alone here… instead, she simply shared the sweets with her warmly.

In her heart, the Uchiha Clan might sometimes seem cold and proud, but they all hid gentle hearts.

And Izumi couldn't help but admire someone as beautiful as Hikari and wanted to be her friend.

…

"Arara, I've been looking all over for you… so you're here." Just as the two were chatting, a lazy voice came from behind them.

Izumi turned to see a spiky-haired boy in a black jacket walking over, his right hand in his pocket and his left scratching the back of his head.

Menma bent down, leaning his head to the side to peek at Hikari's face with a teasing grin: "Are you really crying?"

"Hmph!" Hikari suddenly whipped her head around, her long black hair smacking Menma in the face. The faint floral scent tickled his nose and cheeks.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." Menma sat down on Hikari's other side, placing both hands on her shoulders, "I didn't mean to trick you, and it's not that big of a deal, right?"

This was the first time Menma had been caught in his true identity… mostly because he hadn't expected Hikari, who was supposed to be on a mission in the Land of Rivers, to suddenly show up in Konoha Village without even giving him a heads-up.

Hikari angrily bit into another dango, chewing fiercely with puffed-out cheeks, clearly still upset.

Menma smiled awkwardly at Izumi on the other side: "Sorry you had to see that."

Izumi covered her mouth with a light laugh, recognizing the classic lovers' quarrel. She handed the box with remaining dango to the boy and said: "Here, you can have this. You should cherish such a pretty big sister, you know?"

"Thank you." Menma took the box, which still held two more skewers of dango, and nodded gratefully.

Humming a tune, Izumi tactfully stood up to leave. She didn't ask for Menma's name, simply assuming he is also Konoha's Ninja.

As she walked up the riverbank, Izumi glanced back and saw the boy on the dock was still trying to coax the girl.

'How nice... If only Itachi could-' Izumi's thoughts drifted back to the one she admired.

"Meow~"

The orange cat, having somehow followed her, rubbed against her legs.

"Oh? You didn't want to be a third wheel either?" Izumi crouched down, scooping up the cat and gently scratching under its chin.