Seeing Menma's cold demeanor...
Tazuna's heart tightened. He hurriedly stepped between Menma and his grandson, intending to say something.
"Menma!"
Kakashi also noticed Menma's somewhat abnormal emotional fluctuation. Frowning, he called out in a low voice.
As if awakened by Kakashi's voice...
"Sorry, I was rude. I just thought of something unpleasant."
Menma took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and retracted his killing intent.
At this moment, Inari had lost the courage to shout. He trembled uncontrollably, as if all strength had left him. He collapsed into his mother's arms, hugging her tightly and burying his small head against her, not daring to look at Menma again.
Tsunami also hugged her son tightly, looking at Menma with fear. Originally, she had thought these young ninja were just children, but now she thought differently.
A ninja was a ninja, after all.
Tazuna felt like he was about to collapse.
In that moment...
No joke, Tazuna was genuinely afraid Menma would attack his grandson.
Behind them, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke looked at Menma with varying degrees of surprise. This sudden outburst felt strongly inconsistent with Menma's usual persona.
Menma seemed to realize this as well.
"How utterly stupid..."
Muttering these words in a low voice—whether directed at Inari or himself—he clasped his hands behind his head and walked out of the living room toward the stairs.
Watching Menma leave...
Naruto wanted to say something, but ultimately chose to give up.
To be honest.
In that moment just now...
Naruto had also felt the urge to scold Inari. Although Naruto in this life hadn't suffered the same treatment as in the original story, his personality couldn't accept the crying of cowards. Keep in mind that in this team, three of them had lost their parents in early childhood or infancy. Even though Naruto always acted positive and optimistic...
Privately, he longed for parental love just as much.
But he never showed it outwardly.
That was Naruto's own persistence.
Inari was very young.
But who hadn't been a child once?
Naruto felt he could somewhat understand Menma's feelings right now.
Standing furthest away, Sasuke also took a deep look at Menma's retreating figure, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
You and I... are the same!!!
Only Sakura couldn't understand Menma and felt he had gone too far. In her view, Inari was just a child, and one who had lost his father. Some inappropriate remarks should be tolerated. How could Menma treat him like that?
Sakura felt Menma was in the wrong and disliked him even more.
Of course, in this moment...
Sakura completely ignored the fact that she was the only one in this squad with both parents alive. Or perhaps she had never even considered that aspect, always centering her thoughts on herself.
Kakashi held a view similar to Naruto's.
He believed Menma's outburst was triggered by Inari because the scars from Menma's childhood were too deep.
Their guesses couldn't be called wrong.
Just incomplete.
Menma, having left, naturally couldn't know what Kakashi, Naruto, and the others were thinking. Arriving at a high point on the coastal cliff, the cold sea breeze blew gently against him. As his mind cooled down, a self-mocking expression appeared on Menma's face.
I'm still not mature enough. He's just a stranger, a brat. Why am I getting worked up over him? Seriously, what am I doing? When did I become this stupid?
Menma patted his cheeks with a bit of force.
Smack!
He muttered in annoyance.
Why care about a brat destined to have no intersection with his life, someone who didn't even count as a minor supporting character in this world? Why take him seriously?
Because of his experiences in this life?
Because of the déjà vu from something in his past life?
Indeed, Menma didn't deny that in that moment, he had an overwhelming urge to rush up and beat Inari. Just like when Naruto insisted on continuing the mission earlier...
Both instances made Menma extremely annoyed.
But thinking about it now, was there any point to it?
No!
It was purely a disgusting venting of personal emotions, meaningless to himself or the current reality.
In the end...
It was a sign of his own immaturity, a manifestation of his twisted personality.
Including his inexplicable concern for Naruto, even getting angry at Naruto's attitude and personality. So what if he was his brother? Did they grow up together? No!
Did they have true brotherly affection? No!
Just because they were related by blood? Just because Naruto's personality was very similar to his brother from his past life?
Fine, maybe those were reasons. But did the current Menma have the qualification or leeway to consider these things?
There had to be a limit to messing around.
Pretentiousness had to stop immediately.
Stupidity was impermissible.
What was his goal? What was his plan?
Could he still not see himself clearly? Could he still not make up his mind?
If that were the case...
Then he might as well just die!
Humans were indeed creatures with emotions and desires, prone to making mistakes. But after making a mistake, one must learn to reflect and correct it!
Thinking of his previous affectation and pretentiousness, Menma felt disgusted with himself. He had already said he would be a thorough egoist.
Yet in the end, he was still worried about this and that?
Was there something wrong with his brain? Was he schizophrenic?!
During this mission...
Menma truly examined his own heart.
What did he really want?!
To live! To live as freely and unrestrainedly as possible, and to do things that cleared his mind and spirit!
In this life, he wanted to live with clarity!
Menma gazed at the calm yet deep sea, a look of resolute determination appearing in his eyes.
No one can stop me. No matter who tries to stop me, I won't hesitate again!!!
In this moment, in the Land of Waves...
Menma truly made his resolution.
After letting the cold wind blow on the cliff for a while until he was completely calm, Menma returned to the house.
Everything seemed as if it had never happened.
Menma returned to his usual calm demeanor.
With his mindset having undergone a true transformation, beneath that seemingly calm and even slightly gentle exterior lay an even stranger detachment.
But unlike his immature past...
The current Menma could perfectly wear the mask of hypocrisy that others wanted to see.
People needed setbacks to grow.
No one was born mature; no one was born rational.
The current Menma had just taken that most crucial step.