"I will."
Minato nodded, his eyes darkening. He had long noticed his disciple's abnormality—Sakumo-senpai's suicide, Obito and Rin's sacrifices... these blows were too heavy for Kakashi.
Thinking of this, Minato felt a surge of self-reproach: as a teacher, he had failed to protect his disciples.
"Kakashi?"
Menma perked up his ears. He only knew a part of the Hokage story, but he had heard of this iconic silver-haired Jonin.
"Is that the lazy, masked, outwardly reserved but inwardly passionate handsome guy? He's actually Dad's disciple? Wait... then isn't he Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's future teacher?"
While Menma was lost in thought, Minato had already changed into his jacket and was ready to leave.
"Going out again?"
Kushina asked, puzzled.
"I'm going to ask Kakashi to come over for dinner."
Minato smiled and turned to leave.
In his mother's gentle rocking and lullabies, Menma's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, eventually falling into a deep sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Menma groggily opened his eyes, and what greeted him was a handsome face wearing a black mask. The silver-haired youth was holding him reluctantly, yet dared not complain, which Menma found amusing.
"So this is the young Kakashi..."
Menma curiously observed the future "Copy Ninja."
Sensing that the baby in his arms had woken up, a trace of panic flashed in Kakashi's eyes—
He had no experience with babies! Fortunately, Menma just quietly watched him, showing no intention of crying, which made Kakashi breathe a sigh of relief.
"Menma..."
He whispered, carrying Menma to the crib, and after carefully comparing him with the sleeping Naruto, he murmured, "Menma doesn't have whiskers on his face, but Naruto does..."
"Ding! Detected a clan prodigy! No one is allowed to hide their face in front of the future clan leader! Mission: Remove the prodigy's mask. Reward: Innate Lightning Spirit Root."
Just as Menma was curiously observing the silver-haired youth in front of him, the system prompt that suddenly sounded in his mind made his mouth twitch uncontrollably.
"I already have Wind and Fire Chakra attributes. As long as I take off Kakashi's mask, I can get the Lightning attribute..."
Menma calculated in his mind, his gaze involuntarily falling on Kakashi's iconic black mask.
Looking at his chubby little arms and legs, Menma was a bit troubled: "Direct action definitely won't work... But Kakashi wouldn't always be on guard against a baby, would he?"
Thinking of this, Menma suddenly giggled at Kakashi, his innocent laughter instantly making the usually calm Kakashi flustered.
The silver-haired youth stared blankly at the baby in his arms, and when he saw the chubby little hands reaching out to him, he inexplicably leaned his face closer.
"Here's my chance!"
Menma was ecstatic, his small hand "accidentally" stroking Kakashi's cheek, his fingertips skillfully hooking the edge of the mask.
"Got it!"
As the mask was pulled off, Menma's heart almost stopped from tension.
However, before he could clearly see Kakashi's true face, the other party put the mask back on with lightning speed.
Although he couldn't get a good look, the system prompt had already sounded: "Ding! Mission complete, reward: Innate Lightning Spirit Root!"
"Now I have three spirit roots... No, three Chakra natures."
As Menma was feeling the newly awakened Lightning Chakra within him, Kushina's gentle voice came from the kitchen: "Kakashi, come eat!"
"Yes!"
Kakashi instinctively stood at attention and responded, carefully placing Menma back in the crib, then almost fled to the dining table, sitting up straight and proper.
Menma watched Kakashi's unusual behavior, puzzled: "Strange, Mom is so gentle, why is he so afraid?"
Before he could figure it out, he felt a gaze fixed on him from beside him.
Turning his head, he saw Naruto's big blue eyes curiously examining him. The little guy stretched out his chubby little hand, babbling in baby talk.
"What do you want to do?"
Menma helplessly held his brother's outstretched hand.
"Waaah—"
Feeling his brother's coldness, Naruto's small mouth pouted, and he instantly burst into tears.
Menma was dizzy from the sudden crying and quickly forced a brilliant smile to cheer him up. Sure enough, Naruto immediately stopped crying and laughed, his giggles as clear as silver bells.
"Taking care of children is truly exhausting..."
Menma sighed softly in his heart, resignedly continuing to play the role of a good big brother.
Time, like sand, quietly slipped through his fingers.
In a blink of an eye, it was Konoha 54, three years had passed since the Nine-Tailed incident.
During these three years, although there were occasional frictions between Konoha, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure, under the deterrence of the "Yellow Flash" Minato Namikaze and the "Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki" Uzumaki Kushina, a superficial peace was maintained.
"Big Brother! Avenge me!"
With a loud "bang," the front door was violently kicked open.
The bruised and swollen little Naruto rushed into the house like a whirlwind, heading straight for his older brother who was reading by the window.
"Be gentle!"
Menma scolded softly without lifting his head, gently turning a page of his book, "If Mom finds out you kicked the door, you'll get another beating."
In these three years, he finally understood where Kakashi's fear of his mother came from.
The title "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero" was no exaggeration—
Whenever her red hair moved without wind, even his Hokage father would wisely retreat.
He remembered the time the brothers and Kakashi were caught peeking at make-out paradise; Kushina's punches kept Kakashi in bed for half a month, and Kakashi still shudders at the memory to this day.
Putting down the book, Menma finally examined his brother's injuries carefully.
Little Naruto's golden hair was messy, and there were noticeable bruises under his blue eyes, making him look like a bullied little animal.
"Who did you fight with this time?"
Menma helplessly put down his book.
"That scoundrel Uchiha Sasuke!"
Naruto waved his small fists, pouting as he complained, "He called his older brother when he couldn't beat me!"
"His brother got involved?"
Menma frowned. In his impression, the precocious Uchiha Itachi shouldn't be so thoughtless.
"No, he didn't..."
Naruto pouted, "Brother Itachi didn't care about us at all."
"Then these injuries..."
Menma narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Given Naruto and Sasuke's strength, they should have been evenly matched.
"And Hyuga Neji helped him!"
Naruto added, feeling wronged.
Menma almost laughed out loud.
The Hyuga and Uchiha clans were always at odds, yet this brother of his had forced them to team up against him. Catching sight of two sneaky little figures outside the door, a knowing smile played on his lips.
"Choji, Shikamaru, stop hiding."
Menma called towards the door, "I see you two."
The two little guys sheepishly revealed themselves.
Akimichi Choji's chubby cheeks were swollen high, but he still didn't forget to stuff potato chips into his mouth; Nara Shikamaru, on the other hand, covered his bruised left eye with a gloomy expression, clearly having also participated in this "fierce battle."