I saw a light at the end of the tunnel and made sure to emerge first. If I was going to protect Naruto, I had to be the older brother. It didn't truly matter—but it mattered to me.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Kushina. She was even more beautiful in person, her crimson hair flowing like fire despite how pale and exhausted she looked. And I knew it wasn't about to get any easier for her.
She grew worried when I stared silently instead of crying, but the nurse quickly smacked me, and I wailed louder than I'd ever admit. Naruto made up for my delay by crying enough for both of us.
From there, all I could do was watch canon unfold before my eyes. I felt the shockwaves of battle as our sanctuary crumbled during the clash between Obito, the Nine-Tails, and Minato.
I watched Kushina and Minato sacrifice themselves to protect us, sealing Kurama's yang half within Naruto—since the full beast was too powerful for a newborn—and the yin half within me. Before they passed, the Third Hokage arrived just in time to hear Kushina's final plea.
"The blonde one is Naruto. The redhead is Menma. Please… protect my children."
She closed her eyes, holding us close as we cried.
I wept because watching them die was heartbreaking—but also because I knew Hiruzen would place us in an apartment the moment we were old enough to live alone. I had to figure out how we would survive. While still under supervision, I planned to begin basic exercises as soon as possible and read whatever martial arts books I could find. By four or five, we'd likely be on our own.
I also cried because I had just learned I was a redhead.
————-—-(Five Years Later)——————
We'd been living alone in the apartment for a few months now. It could've been worse. The Third Hokage paid the rent and provided a monthly allowance—which I managed to increase after skillfully guilt-tripping him. It was surprisingly easy, given how weighed down by remorse he always seemed. I almost felt bad for him… until I remembered he still tolerated Danzo.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a die-hard Naruto fan who memorized every hand sign. I only knew the basics from pictures and general knowledge from the anime and manga. So I started with chakra control—practicing wall-walking and water-walking to refine it. Once we moved into the apartment, I taught Naruto. As jinchūriki, chakra control was essential.
I waited until we had privacy before training him. I didn't want interruptions, and I needed to master the exercises myself first. Adjusting to a toddler's body was frustrating, but strangely, none of the adults questioned it when I disappeared at age three to train. That worked in my favor.
Then the atmosphere shifted.
Danzo must have spread rumors about us being jinchūriki. The villagers' glances turned from neutral to disgusted, and the hostility gradually intensified. I shielded Naruto from bullies whenever I could. Now I could handle some academy students and even a few genin—but if they were skilled, they still beat me down. Still, every fight was a lesson.
I'd been a decent fighter in my previous life, but chakra was literal magic. I was faster and stronger than any child my age had a right to be—and that applied to everyone in this world. Chakra existed in all people, making even civilians sturdier than normal humans. Naruto and I, however, were above average thanks to our lineage and Kurama.
I'd avoided speaking directly to Kurama, but I'd begun drawing on a fraction of his power—just enough for my eyes to turn red, boosting my speed and strength while granting minor regeneration.
I'd already told Naruto what we were. He needed to understand both the prejudice we faced and the power we carried. He was improving steadily—he'd mastered wall-walking and sharpened his fighting instincts—but he hadn't accessed Kurama's chakra yet.
One winter afternoon, while wandering through the woods, we spotted Hinata being harassed by three older academy boys. They mocked her eyes.
Before I could intervene, Naruto shouted, "Leave her alone! I'll take you on, believe it!"
One of the boys—a stocky kid—cracked his knuckles.
"Look, it's the demon twins. You think we can't handle you runts?"
I stepped back and let Naruto charge in alone. Watching him stand his ground filled me with pride. This was the moment Hinata would start falling for him—and as his older brother, I'd make sure he didn't end up chasing Sakura instead.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said shyly. "I don't know how to repay you."
Naruto scratched the back of his head.
"It's nothing. I just hate bullies. And your eyes are really pretty—believe it!"
He flashed his signature grin and gave her a thumbs-up. She blushed before we parted ways.
I slung an arm around his shoulders with a smirk.
"You're pretty smooth, you know that?"
He looked at me in confusion. I just laughed.
"Don't worry about it, knucklehead. Want to grab ramen and train?"
He bolted toward Ichiraku.
"You read my mind! Hurry up! Fighting makes me hungry—and if I get there first, you're paying!"
Soon we'd enroll in the Academy and officially begin our path as shinobi. I'd been preparing for this—the point where major events began to unfold. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop the Uchiha massacre; the clan could have been invaluable in the future.
Once inside the Academy, I'd grow strong enough to reshape canon. I had roughly seven years to train, deepen my connection with Kurama, and strengthen Naruto. I'd intentionally rank last so Mizuki would approach me about stealing the Scroll of Sealing. I'd let events proceed just enough to learn Shadow Clone Jutsu, teach Naruto, and eventually attempt to master Flying Raijin.
After all, it was practically a birthright.