2 First steps

Year 3 A.N.B. (December 27) ~ 6:00 A.M ~ Uzumaki Apartment

He woke up to the sound of the morning birds and the villagers' daily chores and voices outside of the apartment.

"Hraaarrhh!" I yawned deeply as I opened my eyes and got up from my futon. I looked from the corner of my eyes at the bed on the side to see a soundly sleeping Naruto or as I could call him now, brother.

It has been three years since he's been born into this world and he has yet to get used to living with the idea of having a younger sibling and being reborn into the world of a manga/anime that he watched long ago.

He was now Menma, the eldest son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki and holder of the Ying half of the Nine-Tailed fox aka, Kurama. 

While Naruto was the living image of the father, Minato; blond with blue eyes, he was the living image of the mother, Kushina; a redhead with violet eyes.

While one possessed the Yang half of the fox, greater physical energy, giving him stronger stamina and resilience while he possessed the Ying half, holder of greater spiritual energy, the form, and the projection of stronger chakra techniques. Moreover, both still possessed smaller amounts of each other, hence, the Ying-Yang balance of the fox's power.

He had yet to have a chat with the fox...

So far his life in the village had been quiet but Naruto's was a different case.

While he could easily deal with the pests, Naruto couldn't. He had the mind of a much older individual but Naruto was still legitimately a 3-year-old. He couldn't handle the villagers' mistreatment.

Until a year ago, they were still being taken care of by their foster mother who seemed to share the idea that they were the incarnations of the demon fox and of course, she was neglecting us most of the time.

She was an issue until he could develop his limbs enough to walk on his own again but thankfully, he managed to set up a situation where the third Hokage had no choice but to fire her.

He thought that Naruto only suffered verbal abuse or was kicked out of stores from what he had seen in the anime but being here in person, he had seen the villagers reach an entirely new level of abuse. 

Sometimes they were hunted down by a small militia that had been formed ever since Kurama's attack and therefore, they had to watch out for their back whenever they were out of the apartment, especially at night.

He wondered if having two Jinchurikis could have doubled their hatred towards them.

Usually, he would be indifferent toward this type of nuisance but they weren't messing with him only; they were messing with what now, he considered his little brother. And he had already had enough of abuse for one lifetime. 

And of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't do shit to stop this barbaric act. He never got his ass out of that chair to stop this even after he managed to force a situation where he witnessed the deed, the best he did was to disperse the crowd and tell them to return to their homes. 

But thinking about it now, why was he expecting anything from him? He didn't do anything to stop the Uchiha massacre, imagine this.

That S-Rank silence order to stop anyone from telling us anything about Kurama or our parents didn't work at all. It did stop Danzo from spilling the beans to the whole village. One day, he would make Danzo eat the bread that the devil kneaded.

Strangely enough, the villagers only seemed to remember that we are Jinchuriki but they don't make an effort to remember that if it wasn't for us, Kurama would have all of them eating grass by the root today. 

He has already told Naruto the truth regardless of the S-rank law or not. The kid took the truth better than he expected. Maybe because of his presence, the loneliness that the boy felt of not having a father and a mother was covered. He made the boy swear that he would keep his awareness of the truth a secret.

Oh, and the apartment that they live in used to be a living mess. 

Hiruzen gave them a dusty apartment full of rats and roaches for them to live and there was only one bed so he let Naruto sleep in it while he slept in a futon on the floor. 

Their foster mother didn't bother cleaning it so he had to act. The situation finally changed when he started to clean it.

He grabbed what he could and made a few hand-made traps and pesticides to catch the rats and insects that swarmed their apartment. All so that they could enjoy a more pleasant atmosphere to call home until they got a better place.

That wasn't a problem for him though. In the terrorist camp, they made them sleep with nothing to protect themselves in the snowy forest in order to test the resistance in the middle of a dangerous environment so this was nothing.

The problem was, as he explained before, the little kid he was sharing his life with, Naruto.

He had already accepted that this was his new reality so he would take things seriously around here.

It seems that the villagers and even ninjas were ignorant of how the Fourth Hokage sealing process actually worked even after Danzo's little slip.

They didn't seem to know that the Nine-Tails had been split into Ying-Yang halves and one of them was also inside him. That's why they got their worst mostly on Naruto. They only attacked him because he was his brother, thinking that he was also influenced by the demon.

'Bastards!!' He thought with rage. He would get them a life that was worth their lives. They would live like kings in this world. He always wanted to know how was having a family was like and now that he has the opportunity, he wouldn't let it live in this hellhole.

XXX

"Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead," Menma spoke softly as he poked Naruto's cheeks.

The more time he spent with the kid, the more he got attached to him. It was like raising a little poor puppy. A totally different feeling from the toxic ambient he lived in his previous life.

"Oooowahhhwaah..." The little kid let tiredly out as a bit of saliva fell in a straight line down his cheek.

Menma sighed. 'Alright then, I think I'll let you sleep for the rest of the day. I guess I'll invite Sasuke to play with me instead..." He spoke with a malicious smirk.

In an instant, the kid jumped from his bed and landed on the floor, showing the disposition of a soldier. "At your command, boss!"

"C'mon, help me put up the table so we can have breakfast."

XXX

At the now put table, there was bread, baked eggs, toast, milk, cereal, and apple juice.

"Whoa, that's a lot more than we usually get. How did you get all this?" Naruto asked a little awestruck.

"I have my ways," Menma replied. The money Hiruzen gave them was not enough to buy healthy food and at this amount. He had to steal things from the store since the old man didn't want to give them a fair amount of their inheritance.

Menma filled a bowl with milk and put some cereal inside, mixing the two which made Naruto pout.

"Hmmm... why do I get to eat the "healthy food" while you get to eat that?"

Menma looked at him as if he pitied the kid. "Who said this is for me? It's also for you." He spoke, which made the kid widen his eyes in surprise.

"F-for me? But what about you? What will you eat, nii sama?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"I told you. You don't need to call me with such an honorific. Just call me Menma."

"Uh, uh. You told me sama is to be used to refer to people I should show respect and that's what I'm doing; you won't change my mind."

"You really are a knucklehead..." Menma remarked with a small smile and Naruto pouted, annoyed.

"Anyway, this cereal is a well-balanced, fiber-rich, cereal. It was carefully selected and it's not like the common ones you see in stores. Finish the toast and eggs and then start with the bowl. You need to eat well to grow healthy."

"You didn't answer my question. What will you eat?" Naruto asked slamming the spoon on the table, annoyed.

"I'll eat this," Menma spoke as he raised a piece of bread with his hand.

"Only that loaf of bread?" Naruto asked dumbfounded.

"It's alright, I'm used to it."

"No! If you don't eat as well as me, I swear I won't eat any of these!" Naruto chided, leaving his older brother silent in surprise as to being reprimed by a kid. It was a strange feeling, really.

Menma then started laughing uncontrollably, confusing Naruto.

Shedding a tear, Menma finally spoke, "Alright, I'll get some toast, okay?" He asked and Naruto nodded happily.

XXX

As they were eating, Menma decided to remind his brother of a very important note.

"Remember, bullying is bad. A place that allows bullying, emotional abuse, and physical abuse, is just a bad place. A place like that should be destroyed." Menma spoke with a moderate tone with a raised finger, trying to explain the best way for a little kid to understand.

"Yeah, I'm good to stand up for myself at last!" Little Naruto spoke with conviction and a passionate tone worthy of an innocent child. "I'll find the strength, deep in my heart," Naruto spoke while smashing the fist against his chest in a sign of a promise.

"Yes, that's good..." Menma prompted, further convincing his little brother into that line of thinking. "You're making decisions on your own, more than you did before. I know Mom would be proud of you!" "Keep using that inner strength for training so that one day, we take over our rightful place in this world."

He wouldn't let Naruto stay in a place as awful as this. He would sway him from the silly idea of becoming the Hokage of this wretched place. He deserved so much more.

It was a strange feeling, really. He never had an actual family so he didn't know how to think of it at first. But now, he would make sure to give his new family a life worthy of them. They would grow unimaginably rich and prosperous no matter the way.

 Year 3 A.N.B. (December 27) ~ 8:00 A.M ~ Main streets of Konoha

It was December 27 which meant that today was Hinata Hyuga's 3rd birthday and also the day wich Neji Hyuga will receive that disgusting seal; which also meant that he had to act quickly tonight. He had to be careful with the Hokage's watchful eye at 10:00 A.M. when he checks the village's business with his crystal ball.

By crossing the main streets of Konoha, he saw the people organizing a parade to receive the Kumogakure ambassador later today. He ran ask quickly as possible across the crowd, ignoring the worker's reactions and their disgusted stares at him and finally reached the Hyuga Clan compound. 

He passed through the entrance and search for any signs of Neji Hyuga.

"Is there something you desire in the Hyuga's estate, little man?" The voice from what he distinguished as a mature man asked from behind him and when he turned, he saw a man probably in his early thirties which he presumed to be Hizashi accompanied by none other than his objective, Neji.

"Oh, I believe we've never met before, Lord Hizashi, Neji-san," Menma said respectfully as he bowed. "My name is Menma Uzumaki, I'm here because I was curious about the Hyuga Clan."

Hizashi nodded understandably."Go show around the residence to your new friend, Neji. Don't forget that later today is Hinata-sama's birthday and we have to greet her and the rest of the Main Branch."

"Yes, Otou-san" Neji replied respectfully to his father as he left for his quarters.

"So, Menma is it? I'll show you around. Come with me please."

Neji took him for a small tour around the residence showing him the rooms, shrine, and garden.

They took a seat in one of the garden's wood seats and Menma thought it was time to change the subject, "Interesting place you got here, shame that you got to only enjoy a part of it." Menma prompted, and Neji looked at him confused.

"Neji, I've heard that your uncle wishes to appoint your cousin, Hinata Hyuga, as heir. However, it is my belief that you're the only person fit to succeed the Hyuga Clan."

"W-what?!" Neji stammered, surprised by the sudden claim.

"It would be terrible if a disgrace such as having a weak heir would befall the Hyuga Clan, don't you think?"

"That can't be! Father said that we from the Branch Family cannot ever become heirs to succeed the family; we are to serve and protect the Main Family regardless of who the heir is," Neji spoke firmly.

Menma gave out a deep sigh. "Well, that's a problem because I've just heard that today Kumogakure's ambassador is coming for a peace treaty" Menma spoke in a suggestive tone, confusing Neji.

"What does that have to do with my clan?"

"You don't pay too much attention to politics, do you, Neji? Well, it's understandable since we're still kids..." Menma spoke thoroughly, hiding the fact that he was actually much older mentally.

 "Kumogakure has been suffering from constant conflicts with the leaf, they keep a deep grudge against us for years now since the Yellow Flash put them in an embarrassing situation a few years ago." He spoke but Neji kept listening, still not catching up with the reasoning.

"Kumo has little to no amount of bloodline limit users in their village and they've been suffering for it. Their Raikage is a paranoid man who believes that power is the ultimate way of supremacy and refuses constantly to send his own shinobi to participate in the chunin exams or any sort of commodities towards other villages. So why is he sending men for a peace treaty now?."

"My only guess is that there's something here that he wants...and what does our village get the best when in comparison to other villages that could greatly benefit Kumo right now?" He paused for a moment so that Neji could answer.

"Kekkei Genkai..." Neji muttered under his breath, fearful.

"That's right Neji and they've been keeping a close eye on our precious Kekkei Genkai for a while now. Also, it strange that they've chosen today, the day that Hinata Hyuga will be declared as heir and the only day that the Hyuga will not be present in the welcoming ceremony for their ambassador" From that statement, Neji froze as realization overtook his mind.

"No way..." Neji spoke with disbelief.

"My reasoning is, Kumo is planning something sneaky and they'll probably take this night to set in motion whatever they're planning."

"Today we have to attend our own ceremony for Lady Hinata's birthday at the exact time the ceremony for the ambassador will take place... don't tell me that they're planning something against the Hyuga clan?!" Neji stuttered in his words and Menma smirked in delight, seeing how his trick went smoothly.

"And not only that Neji. Today you will be forever cursed to bear the burden of serving the Main Family and receive a slave mark on your forehead." He stated bluntly, making Neji growl irritably.

"What?! Slave mark?!"

"C'mon now, it's not a mystery to you that the Branch Family are cast aside for generations as inferior. All Branch members receive it once they reach a certain age"

"That's not true! There's no such thing as slave marks nor we are cast aside as inferior! You're lying! Everything that you speak is a lie!" Neji retorted furiously.

"Then let's do it this way, tomorrow if what I say ends up being a lie, you can simply proceed with your life quietly but if it ends up all being true...come to the training field tomorrow at 7:00 A.M. I'll be waiting anxiously for you, Neji Hyuga..." Menma spoke as he got up and left the compound with a smirk that he could barely control in his facial features.

XXX

 Year 3 A.N.B. (December 27) ~ 10:30 P.M ~ Uzumaki Apartment

It had been a long day. He spent the rest of the hours playing around the village with his brother and instructing him to do some physical exercises. It was important for both of them to increase their own strength from an early age.

When they finally reached the apartment at night, Naruto gave out a tired yawn, earning a chuckle from him.

"C'mon Naruto, go to your bed, I'll sing a lullaby for you." He spoke, and despite his tiredness, Naruto blinked and smiled, showing excitement at the prospect. 

Naruto smiled and climbed onto his bed, closing his eyes, expectantly waiting for him to start.

"Let's see... which lullaby should I sing for you tonight?" He pondered, trying to choose one of the ones he knew. So he decided, he would sing that one from one old Japanese anime movie he watched as a kid long ago.

"Haritsumeta yumi no furueru tsuru yo

Tsuki no hikari ni zawameku omae no Kokoro..."

"Togisumasareta yaiba no utsukushii

Sono kissaki ni yoku nita sonata no Yokogao..."

"Kanashimi to ikari ni hisomu

Makoto no kokoro wo shiru wa mori no sei

Mononoke tachi dake mononoke tachi dake..."

It didn't take long for the kid to start snoring and fall asleep.

'Good Night, Naruto, rest well; leave me to do the dirty from the darkness. I'll make sure we get the life we deserve one day...' He thought as he covered his brother with a blanket.

 "Now for that scroll..." He muttered and quickly readied himself for his infiltration at the Hyuga's estate.

He covered himself with a special scent to stop any Inuzuka's dogs and was poisonous to Aburame's insects that could track or identify him whether it was from smell or chakra's tracks after he comes back. He was also dressed in a outfit that wouldn't leave any tracks on the ground or be identified if someone saw him it would be difficult to see him since it merged itself with the dark ambiance of the night and would almost look transparent.

He was already trained in the art of stealth so it wouldn't be too difficult to not make sounds inside the mansion.

This was the perfect opportunity for him to steal that scroll. The suspicious Hiashi Hyuga would leave the residence and Kumogakure would take the blame for him. Since Neji showed the place for him, he already had an idea of where the scroll was. 

Only Neji and his father knew he was there in the morning and since there were no repercussions of his chat with the young Hyuga, he could only guess everything was fine and no one else would know he visited the place. There was not a most vulnerable time to attack than this.

 Year 3 A.N.B. (December 27) ~ 12:00 P.M. ~ Hyuga District

Menma ran across the streets and then climbed into a tree, and took a seat on one of its branches. He was waiting for the moment when Hiashi Hyuga would leave the compound for a night walk; the moment where he would encounter the ambassador and assassinate him.

He made a hand seal and converted his chakra to the sensor type yes, he was a sensor; probably inherited from Minato. 

Right now, he wasn't as skilled with it. He only discovered this ability because he knew Menma had it in the movie and since his reincarnation, he had been trying to access the ability until one day when he was running from the villagers, from the nervousness he felt, he started feeling their small presence around the area where he was hiding.

It was a useful ability. He could avert areas where he felt were dangerous and also where he felt certain animosity.

After some period of waiting, he felt an unknown chakra presence enter the Hyuga state, probably from a secret passage since it was somewhere underground. It had to be the ambassador who came to kidnap Hinata; his chakra didn't feel like all the others in the residence. He also felt and saw Hiashi Hyuga leave the residence and head towards a small side door in the estate so that was his chance. He quickly jumped over the wall and entered the residence.

The house was dark and only illuminated by the candles in the corridors. 

He stealthily made his way across the hall as his steps glided through it quietly as a ghost. He saw how every Hyuga seemed to be quietly sleeping in their own futons on the floor.

He found the small shrine he saw in the morning that Neji showed him. He used a special spray that the terrorists used to find digitals and footprints back in his previous life to identify any theft and possible traitors acting on their backs. 

Upon its use, it left reddish markings on the ground or wherever he used it and it stayed there for less than a minute. He crafted one just in case he needed it here and it was already coming in handy.

He noticed that the footprints led to a certain area in the back of the shrine that looked quite suspicious since it was far in the back and it stopped just before a very specific tatami.

He quickly search the room under the tatami and upon inspecting one of them, it sounded hollow. 

He removed the wood piece covering it and found a few scrolls, and funnily enough, one of them had the caged bird insignia that was just like the curse mark on Neji's forehead so that could only be it. 

He took all the scrolls that were in there just in case. They were probably secret Jutsus from the clan and he thought that if he was to impersonate a Ninja from Kumo who wanted to make an army of Byakugan users, it would be useful keeping some of these. It would make the situation more believable.

He used his sensory ability one more time and he only felt three presences about to encounter each other. Two of them were mixed together probably the ambassador running away with Hinata and the other had to be Hiashi.

'They'll probably wake up the Hokage soon and hold their meeting just like in the anime; I need to scram, now!' He thought as rushed outside of the mansion and quickly climbed over the walls of the compound and escaped to his apartment.

 Year 3 A.N.B. (December 28) ~ 7:00 A.M ~Training Field

In a distant field, an intense battle to decide the future leader of the clan was taking place.

On one side, the elder brother, the king of the black moon, facing his younger sibling in a battle to the death, and on the other side was the younger brother, king of the orange sun, who fought with all his might to resist the relentless attacks of his older sibling.

"Hohohoho! Foolish little brother! You're not even worth taking down! If you want to defeat me, then curse me, hate me, and then come back later and try again."

"Nooooo!!" The younger brother charged at him in a blind fury with a wooden sword in his hand trying to pin him down but all he did was feel as if he had hit a flimsy wall. He kept running at it but found no strength to take him down.

"You're weak, you need more training." The older brother mocked, flicking his younger sibling's forehead with a finger who started whimpering and sobbing.

"Nii-sama... you're so cruel!" The younger one spoke, giving him a puppy-eye look, and earning a giggle from his eldest who then pretended to be hit by a fatal arrow in his heart.

"Oh no! It's the secret technique: puppy eyes no jutsu!" He spoke as he held his chest and fell to one knee while using his wooden sword a cane. 

Naruto giggled happily as he returned to his usual mood.

Stopping his acting, the eldest spoke, "C'mon now Naruto, you got to be the villain sometimes too..." Menma spoke and Naruto crossed his arms in refusal.

"What you're two doing? I thought we were here for something serious!" A figure spoke approaching them. It was Sasuke. He just watched their exchange from afar and was annoyed at their lack of commitment to the training.

Menma had made sure to start frequently visiting the Uchiha compound to form an early bond with Sasuke. He didn't know if it was safe to try to stop the Uchiha massacre. 

Even if he wanted to, he would have to release sensitive personal information to make it even more credible, and seeing how Konoha has a division made specifically for intelligence gathering in conjunction with the Yamanaka Clan, he didn't want to risk them messing inside of his head.

There was also the possibility of them, as a form of backlash from their possible exterminations, trying to use Naruto to escalate the conflict within the village by releasing Kurama and that's something he wouldn't risk.

But there was still one person he could still save...

"Well, if you don't want to hang around with us, you can simply ask Itachi to train or play with you, right?" He spoke with a bit of malice.

Sasuke pouted and tried to make up an argument, but he soon lowered his shoulders in frustration and gave up the idea, knowing that his older brother didn't have much time for him and always ignored him by poking a finger at his forehead.

"Nii-san had become Genin and recently, he's been busy, that's all!" He spoke from the top of his lung while pointing his finger accusingly at him, trying to fake his disappointment with his older brother.

"Right..." He spoke with a bit of empathy for the boy, while he could only feign an understanding grin, knowing that the reason that Itachi had started to become absent from Sasuke's life is probably because he had already started to attend the Clan's underground meetings in the dead of the night. 'So it has already started.' He thought with a bit of concern.

"Sasuke, how about you play Anbu with us?" Naruto asked in a cheerful tone.

Sasuke scoffed. "And why would I want to do that?" He asked while crossing his arms. "I came only because Menma told me he had something important to say!"

"Awww..." Naruto lowered his head and shoulders, disappointed.

"It's alright, we can play another day, Naruto," Menma spoke and his little brother nodded.

"Well, why did you call me here for?" Sasuke asked with anxiety.

"No. We still have to wait for someone else to arrive." Menma spoke with expectation as he looked in another direction.

"What? who?" Sasuke asked, a little baffled. "You said to keep our meetings to train a secret and now you're getting yet another person involved? I had to lie to Tou-san and Kaa-san you know!"

"I know, but don't worry, this person won't be a nuisance, I swear." He reassured.

'Who could it be?' Sasuke asked curiously in his thoughts.

"There he is!!" Naruto shouted as he pointed to a figure emerging from behind the trees.

Menma had to drop his smile once he saw the face of none other than Neji Hyuga. The kid had a stern look on his face. It seems the events had played just as he predicted.

"A Hyuga?" Sasuke pondered as he noticed the unique eyes of the boy.

"You were right, about everything... from the nomination of Lady Hinata as heir, the Kumogakure's plot, the cursed seal..." Neji spoke with difficulty. "There was also a meeting late at night. I saw the Hokage and the elders hold a meeting in a private room." Neji spoke with a bit of anguish, making Sasuke raise his brows in confusion and Naruto tilt his head, not understanding the context.

"Wait! What's going on? Why is he...?" Sasuke spoke but was interrupted.

"I'll explain everything. It's time you all understand why I'm trying to keep this meeting a secret."

Sasuke didn't understand anything but nodded nonetheless.

"Neji, show him the seal." Menma requested and Neji started to unbind the bandages on his forehead, revealing his green cursed seal.

"What? What about that symbol?" Sasuke asked, still not following.

"This here, Sasuke, is the symbol that could summarize what this village actually is."

"What are you talking about?"

Menma sighed slightly. "Sasuke, have you ever noticed how people look at Naruto and me?"

Sasuke irked a brow but started to remember the times they were walking around the village together. "Hm...I remember they looking at you in a strange way and for some reason, they turned to another direction or straight up avoided us for some reason but I never understood why."

"That's because they're afraid and sick at our presence in this village," Menma spoke and this time, even Neji was confused. Naruto just dropped his face, being reminded of their situation always ruined his mood.

"Why would the villagers be disgusted at you two? I don't see anything bad." Neji asked and Sasuke seemed to share the inquiry.

"I think it's not a secret that three years ago, the Nine-Tailed Fox went on a rampage and attacked this village, right?" He asked and the two members of Konoha's most prestigious clans nodded in unison.

"It's simple, the villagers treat us badly like this because they believe that we are the Nine Tails incarnate."

"Wha...? That's absurd!" Sasuke stated with disbelief.

"It is true but in order to prove it to you two, I want you two to promise me that you'll keep quiet about what I'm about to tell you two," Menma requested and both boys nodded.

"Three years ago, our father sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox into both of us by using an ancient sealing technique from our mother's clan, the Uzumaki Clan," He spoke, surprising the two before him who were shocked at the revelation.

"Wait!! The one who defeated the Nine-Tails was the Fourth Hokage... don't tell me that you two..."

"Exactly. Naruto and I are the sons of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki, Princess of Uzushiogakure." Menma told which left Sasuke and Neji speechless.

"I thought you two were orphans because you lost your parents to the fox," Sasuke commented.

"Nah, that's just the lie the third Hokage spreads around for his castrated sheep."

" Hey Neji, how are things going in the Hyuga estate? How are they taking in the incident?" Menma asked curiously.

"The whole clan was left in a state of utter confusion and disarray. Not only lady Hinata was almost kidnapped, but it seems the intruders managed to escape with valuable scrolls containing the secret to the Hyuga secret arts." Neji spoke and Menma chuckled viciously at the addition of the letter s to "intruder."

"What's so funny?!" Neji asked, a bit angered.

"Neji, what do you think of the seal that is on your forehead?"

"Outou-san said that it is to protect the Byakugan...." Neji started but was interrupted by Menma.

"Then answer me, Neji. If the seal is to protect the Byakugan, then why does it also contain a failsafe torture as an extra? Also, the Main Family also share the trait of the Byakugan and yet, they don't possess any seals to protect the Byakugan so what's the excuse?"

Neji stood silent for a moment, unable to find a counter-argument.

"Tell me what you truly think of that seal." Menma requested.

"Outo-san said that..." Neji tried but was stopped.

"Not what your father thinks, but what you think."

Neji bit his lips with frustration, finding it difficult to voice out his opinion. "It... it's... uncle used it to torture my father!! It is a goddamn curse!!" He shouted, finally letting out the reprimed emotions.

"How can a member of your family treat their own kin like this?" Sasuke asked with incredulity and Menma let out a chuckle.

"You've got a lot to learn about this village yet, Sasuke."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked with genuine puzzlement.

"Only time will tell," Menma replied, frustrating the Uchiha.

"So, Neji, now you admit that your clan is practicing legalized slavery?" Menma asked and Neji, although reluctant, nodded.

"Destiny has cursed the Branch Family to slavery. With this seal on our foreheads, our side of the clan can never be free." Neji spoke with sorrow.

"I wouldn't say that. There is actually a way to escape that destiny, Neji." Menma spoke, confusing the Hyuga.

"It's impossible, the seal was made to never be removed and it only disappears upon death."

"That is what your clan wants you to think. Here." Naruto spoke as he pulled a scroll with the caged bird seal from his pocket from behind him, shocking Neji to the core.

"B-but that's....!" Neji stuttered in his words as realization overcame him.

"Yes, it is the scroll that contains the secret to the caged bird seal."

"It can't be!! Let me see that!" Neji yelled in disbelief, seizing the scroll from Menma's hands and rapidly opening it, inspecting its content but then, he frowned.

"What is the meaning of this?! Here only describes how the seal works, and how to apply it and use the seal! There's no method of how to remove it! What kind of sick joke are you playing on me?!" Neji asked outraged.

"Don't you get it? The scroll states that layers of a special chakra are inserted in your brain region that connects with the optical nerves which means that when you die, the seal activates and that layer of chakra in the form of the seal, descends and take control of your eyes; that's how the Byakugan is sealed."

"Yeah, but it still does not explain how I'll be free! And how did you get possession of this scroll? Did you get it from the intruder somehow?"

"Hehe, what intruder? I was the one who took it last night." Menma confessed in an almost proud tone as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

"You're insane! Do you have any idea what the elders will do with you once they find out?!" Neji yelled from the top of his lungs.

"Wool! Are you trying to deafen me? You don't need to be so loud! No one will find out about it, I made sure there was no one who will be able to track me. Have you never heard of the saying, what the eyes can't see, the heart doesn't grieve over? They'll never find out unless you tell them."

Neji had a stern glare at him, he was in a state of concern and anxiety.

Menma sighed profoundly. "Listen, I know of a method that will simulate the state of death without actually permanently killing you but it requires a thing that will only be accessible if we get out of this damned village."

"What? Do you intend for me to go rogue?!" Neji asked, outraged.

"Listen you all. I've got big plans and I want to share it with you two. But for that, we need to cooperate."

"Wait a minute! Why would I leave the village? My family's here!" Sasuke spoke, interjecting into the conversation.

"Sasuke, have you not listened to what's in the common folk's tongue about the Uchiha in these last three years?" Menma asked suggestively in a serious tone, face to face with Sasuke who felt uncomfortable with the sudden approach, worrying the Uchiha.

"W-what... what are they saying?" The young Uchiha asked, swallowing his saliva dry, fearful of what it might be.

"There have been suspicions that it was the Uchiha clan who orchestrated the Nine Tails attack."

"What!? But that's ridiculous!" Sasuke shot back. "How would the Uchiha do such a thing?"

"You're still innocent. You don't know the true power of the Sharingan?"

"What true power? The Sharingan doesn't possess any sort of ability that would help us orchestrate an attack with the Nine-Tails!"

"There's a secret power that runs in your family that allows the Uchiha to control the Nine Tails it is called the Mangekyo Sharingan. It is an evolution of the three tomoe you're so familiar with "

"How would you know something like that? You're not part of the clan!" Sasuke pointed accusingly.

"I've been keeping an eye on the activities of this village for some time now and you wouldn't believe what one can discover; you would be surprised" Menma replied, managing to calm down and satisfy the kid's curiosity.

"The fact is that the village already despises the Uchiha and already treats them as guilty without any proof of their participation in the attack. Don't you think that's an act of discrimination and defamation towards the Uchiha?"

"Yeah, but..." Sasuke started but was not given time before being interrupted.

"Have you never noticed how the Uchiha have been pushed far away from the village to a recluse place as if they were suffering from a contagious illness?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah, still..." Once again, Sasuke had no time of saying as he was interrupted yet again.

"The Second Hokage entrusted the police force to the Uchiha but if so, why are they the ones being policed? I've been seeing some Anbu members observe the Uchihas ever since I can remember now. The truth is that they don't trust the Uchiha and they are not interested in one of them ever becoming Hokage. They were one of the founding clans and yet, they're treated as strangers in here"

"I-I..." Sasuke whimpered, not finding words to speak.

"C'mon now, don't cry. I admit that I went too far but it is the truth and you can confirm that if you start observing these damn villagers on your own accord."

"O-okay..." Sasuke said, lowering his head.

"Listen, I don't plan on living in such a horrible place as this my whole life, serving as a ninja to a village that mistreats us like this. I plan to build a home for us, a place where our families will thrive and live the life we deserve and I want the Uchiha and the Hyuga to share it with us, what'd you say? Are you two in?" Menma asked, laying his hand in front of them, expecting their answers.

"I'm in!!" Naruto spoke as he laid his hand on top of his brother enthusiastically.

Menma giggled. "Of course you are."

"I'm in too," Sasuke spoke, laying his hand on top of Naruto's.

Menma turned to Neji. "If you truly believe in destiny, Neji, then rejoice, because today, destiny is on your side," Menma spoke. "Join us so we can close the book on this disaster called Birdcage once and for all."

Neji looked at their joint hands skeptically but it didn't take long for him to join his own for the team hand stack. "Right." He spoke with a small smile frame forming on his lips.

They all then raised their hands into the air, signing their thurst into each other for the next years to come.

"Alright. Now that we all agree with the idea, I've got to explain a few things..." 

Menma then explained how they should keep all this a secret and when they would be meeting again...

It was a little tricky, but he managed to convert both the Uchiha and the Hyuga kids to his side. The first part of his plan was a success.

As Menma waved off Sasuke and Neji, he had but one thought in mind.

'Wait for me, Shinobi world, your days of peace and quiet are numbered...' He thought, grinning in his mind.

Chapter End