Menma woke up in the middle of the night, his stomach growling louder than a tailed beast on a sugar crash. He sat up slowly, still groggy, about to call out for help when the kitchen lights flicked on.
Turning his head, he sensed that "Brother Dog"—Kakashi—was there, and immediately relaxed. Still… wasn't this supposed to be Stone Sister No. 1's shift?
Kakashi stepped out from the kitchen and flipped on the soft light in the hallway, casting a warm glow over the house. It was a small but important routine—Menma didn't like the dark. He never had, thanks to a certain aunt from his previous life who used shadows as her personal horror theater.
Kakashi approached the bed and bent forward until their faces were nearly level.
"I thought our princess wasn't going to wake up, even for dinner. I was this close to putting a diaper on you again, just in case you wet the bed."
Menma's tiny eyebrow twitched. Internally, a red marker was scribbling "VENGEANCE" onto Kakashi's name. Again.
Sensing his error, Kakashi swiftly scooped Menma up like a sack of priceless flour and made his way to the bathroom. He plopped Menma on the stool and stood facing the door like a soldier awaiting execution.
Menma, now nearly eleven months old but built like a healthy four-year-old, handled his business. Afterward, the two made their way to the kitchen.
The smell hit Menma before he even saw the table. His eyes lit up.
"Brother Dog, what's for dinner? I don't think I've smelled this before."
Kakashi helped him up into his baby-sized chair, fastened the bib with veteran speed, and replied coolly, "It's called deboned, roasted fish. I think you'll like it."
He wasn't wrong.
Menma devoured three whole fish like a starved vacuum cleaner. After the feast, he leaned back in his chair, content, his belly round and glistening under the light.
Kakashi fought back the urge to poke that round belly. He liked his fingers. He planned to keep them.
Turning his head toward the window, he casually asked, "At the training grounds… what happened, Menma?"
The question caught Menma off guard.
He stayed silent for a moment, then countered with his own.
"Were my parents Shinobi too? Did they die fighting?"
Kakashi blinked. He hadn't expected that. Recalling Hiruzen's strict orders, he took the practiced route.
"I don't know. You were saved by the Fourth Hokage. No one knows your origin."
Menma felt the guilt coming off him in waves. He could tell Kakashi was lying, but he didn't press. Adults have their reasons. And he already knew the truth—thanks to his personal lie-detection skills.
"Brother Dog… will I become a Shinobi too?"
Kakashi smiled. "Menma… you already are one."
Menma blinked.
Wait, what?!
"I'm what now?"
Kakashi pulled up a chair beside him and began to explain in simple words—simple to him, anyway.
"A Shinobi, or ninja, becomes powerful by training super hard and learning to use special energy called chakra. Chakra is like magic energy. It's made by mixing physical and spiritual energy together. Ninjas can use it to walk on walls, breathe underwater, make clones, control fire, lightning, water—you name it."
"There are different types of techniques too—like ninjutsu for elemental attacks, genjutsu for illusions, and taijutsu for hand-to-hand combat. Some people are born into powerful clans and get a head start."
"You're one of them. You were born with an enormous amount of chakra. You just don't realize it yet. It's always there, circling through your body. It heals you, strengthens you, protects you. That's why, even when you're angry or hurt, you bounce back so fast."
Menma sat still, absorbing every word. His mind reeled.
(So… that red chakra… it's part of me? My body calls for it naturally? And what I thought was "aura"… was chakra this whole time?)
His understanding of the world shifted again.
He forced himself to calm down and pushed aside more questions. Kakashi had already lied to protect him earlier—he didn't want to corner him again.
Instead, he shifted gears.
"Big Brother Dog… was the Fourth Hokage powerful? Can you tell me about him?"
Kakashi stiffened.
That was a landmine he hadn't expected to step on tonight.
But after a moment of hesitation, he smiled softly. He didn't say it was his teacher. He didn't say it was Menma's father. But he spoke of Minato—the Yellow Flash. His strength, his calmness, his wisdom.
And Menma listened. Every word soaked into him like water in dry soil.
Eventually, sleep overcame him. Kakashi tucked him in, unaware he had forgotten to mention the new guest who would be arriving tomorrow…
And how it would change Menma's life forever.
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