"Mikoto-san, I'm here!" Menma greeted cheerfully.
"Menma! You came!" Uchiha Mikoto said warmly, eyes full of joy.
"You're too kind, Sister Mikoto," Menma replied with a smile.
"Oh my, such a sweet mouth," Mikoto laughed. Even though she was about to become a grandmother, hearing him call her sister made her beam.
"How could I not be sweet? I came for dinner after all," Menma said teasingly. "Naruto told me last night that your cooking is amazing."
"No problem! You can eat to your heart's content tonight," Mikoto said proudly. "Sit and relax, I'll go buy some fresh ingredients."
Before Menma could offer to help, she had already rushed out the door.
"...Well, that was fast," he muttered helplessly.
A moment later, Izumi Uchiha entered the living room. Menma immediately stood up to help her, but Izumi waved him off.
"No need, Menma," she said with a light laugh. "I'm not that fragile."
Menma smiled awkwardly and sat down.
"Where did Mikoto go?" Izumi asked.
"She went grocery shopping," Menma replied.
Izumi nodded, then smirked. "I heard from Itachi that you're the new Director of Konoha's Scientific Research Department. Congratulations, Director Menma."
Menma groaned. "Please, don't start. That place is a bottomless pit. It'll eat through every coin I have — and it's short on talent too."
"Money?" Izumi tilted her head. "How much do you need? I have plenty."
Menma blinked. "You? How much exactly?"
Izumi smiled. "A few hundred million."
Menma sighed dramatically. "Forget it."
"Not enough?" she asked curiously.
"I just invested ten billion into the research department this morning," Menma said flatly.
Izumi froze. "Ten… billion?"
Then she chuckled and gave him a thumbs up. "You really are something else."
Still, she thought for a moment and said, "Why not ask Itachi? He'd definitely invest. The Uchiha family has plenty of resources."
Menma's eyes lit up briefly, then he frowned. "No. I can't take advantage of him. What I'm doing will take time — a lot of time. The longer it takes, the greater the cost. Itachi just secured his position as clan head; if I drag him into this now, it'll only cause trouble."
Izumi nodded in understanding. "You're right. The elders weren't exactly thrilled when he became patriarch. It took him a lot to earn their trust."
At that moment, Itachi appeared.
"Menma," he said calmly, "don't you remember? I told you before — I'll support whatever you choose to do. How much do you need?"
Menma smiled. "I appreciate it, Itachi. For now, I can manage. But when the time comes, don't you dare refuse me."
He draped an arm around Itachi's shoulders — the two were nearly the same height now, though Menma's healthy appetite made him noticeably sturdier.
Itachi smiled faintly. "I'll hold you to that. Still, I truly hope your plan succeeds. If it does, maybe… we'll finally see a world without war."
Menma shook his head. "Too naive, Itachi. Even if I build everything I imagine, war will still come. Unless…"
"Unless what?" Itachi asked.
"Unless the world is unified under one banner — Konoha's," Menma said seriously. "Only when there's one authority, one law, can conflict truly disappear."
Itachi wasn't surprised. He'd already guessed Menma's vision long ago.
"But before that," Menma added, "I need to deal with some people who still cling to chaos."
He had recently received a message from Orochimaru — the Akatsuki's leader, Pain, was about to call a full assembly.
Menma frowned. So the tailed beast hunt is starting earlier than in the original timeline.
Two years early, in fact. But considering how much he had already changed the world, it wasn't unexpected.
He sent a message back to Orochimaru, instructing him to report any vital information immediately — and threw in a few "innovative ideas" to pique the scientist's curiosity.
After all, nothing hooked a researcher faster than something mysterious and unknown.
Meanwhile, Naruto was walking with Sasuke through the village.
"Sasuke, I need to discuss something," he said.
"What is it?" Sasuke asked.
"From now on, whenever we go out to eat or have fun… you pay."
"Sure," Sasuke replied casually. Normally, Naruto insisted on paying, so he didn't mind switching roles. Plus, he wasn't exactly short on cash.
Sasuke's allowances came from his father, his mother, his brother, and his sister-in-law.
Naruto's allowance came from… his brother.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You've changed. You used to fight me for the bill."
Naruto sighed. "I'm broke. My brother said I have to earn my own money now. I've been saving, but it goes fast…" He looked genuinely depressed. Should've taken that extra two million yesterday…
Sasuke burst out laughing.
Naruto glared. "What's so funny, Sasuke?!"
"Pfft—hahahaha!"
Naruto's fist clenched. "Sasuke, you jerk!"
Sasuke: "Hahahahahahaha!"
(End of Chapter)
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