Chapter 27: Hinata's White Moonlight

“From now on, you shall address him as Young Master Menma. In my absence, everything here shall be decided by Menma!”

In the courtyard, following the instructions of ‘That Lord,’ Kardo had left only two servants and was currently lecturing them while standing with Menma.

“Yes! Master Kardo, Young Master Menma!” Both servants were women, and they bowed respectfully to Kardo and Menma on the veranda.

They were ordinary people from Konoha Village with no particular talent for ninjutsu, making a living primarily through manual labor. Because Kardo paid them twice the average wage out of consideration for them being locals, they cherished this job dearly.

Having finally left the orphanage and escaped the surveillance of White Zetsu, Menma was in a good mood, sitting on the veranda and leisurely enjoying the scent of freedom. Sunlight filtered through the cherry blossom branches, casting dappled shadows across the veranda and onto Menma.

Kardo quickly established a branch in Konoha. After leaving a manager in charge, he departed the village to continue his merchant travels across the various nations of the Shinobi World, earning funds for the organization and gathering intelligence from different lands.

With Kakuzu, arranged by Menma, responsible for his safety, even an elite Jonin would find it difficult to pose a threat to Kardo; Kakuzu could even go and cause chaos in the territories of Kargo's competitors. Kargo had the money, and Kakuzu was more than happy to earn it.

Meanwhile, in Konoha, Menma began to enjoy his life as a young master.

Every morning, he woke up to practice chakra control; in the afternoon, he studied various elemental chakra combinations; after dusk, he worked on creating the ‘Nine-Faced Fox’ and developing the ‘Nine-Faced Suvaha’; and in his leisure time, he would stroll through the village to familiarize himself with it and buy some sweets for Little Nine-Tails.

The days passed one by one. The weather grew cooler; winter was approaching.

“Hey, Menma,” Little Nine-Tails poked its head out from Menma’s fluffy scarf, eating a small piece of marshmallow handed to it by Menma.

Kardo had left a large sum of money to Menma, and since the revenue from the Konoha branch was also under his control, Menma's quality of life had improved significantly, and he had even changed into new clothes.

“Let’s open a dessert shop too,” Little Nine-Tails said. Being only the size of a palm, it took a huge bite out of a marshmallow larger than its own head. As it spoke, its fluffy tail brushed against Menma’s neck, making it itch.

“I think you just want to eat sweets yourself,” Menma said, exposing Little Nine-Tails' 'scheme.' He added, “If you eat too many sweets, you'll get fat.”

“I am a Tailed Beast! I won't get fat!” Little Nine-Tails protested, but suddenly its two fox ears perked up. “Menma, it looks like Big Sister is in trouble.” Little Nine-Tails gazed into the distance.

Menma saw it too.

In the desolate autumn park, a little girl was being surrounded by three boys. As Menma walked closer, he could hear the various provocations from the three little boys.

“Ha! Look, her eyes are white!”

“Whoa, is she a Byakugan monster?”

“So gross!”

They say children speak without filter; in fact, when children say such things, they don't even realize how hurtful their 'malice' can be.

How could the young Hinata have ever heard such cruel words? With tears welling in her Byakugan eyes, she crouched on the ground and began to cry. Seeing the little girl from the Hyuga clan cry, the three children laughed even more shamelessly, completely unaware of the shadow approaching behind them.

*Strange, I remember this plot was supposed to happen during a heavy snowfall,* Menma thought. He slowly walked up behind the three boys, raised his right hand, tucked his thumb against his middle finger, and gave each of them a flick to the forehead.

*Pop! Pop! Pop!*

Three crisp flicks brought the laughter to an abrupt halt.

“Ow!”

“It hurts!”

“Ah! Who was it?!”

Menma controlled his strength, but he still hit them hard enough to make their heads spin, causing them to stagger back several steps.

“I say, you three, bullying a girl,” Menma said, shaking his right hand, before glancing at Hinata, who was crouching on the ground and stealing glances at him.

So, it was the shy little Hinata. If it had been the "Big Sister" Hinata, she would have beaten these three until they were wailing for their parents.

“You brat!” The tallest boy in the trio clutched the back of his head and shouted aggressively, “Looks like you need a lesson! We'll show you who runs this park!”

“Bastard! Attacking from behind!” another chubby boy brandished his fists.

“Damn it! Just wait till I get you!” A short boy scratched his head, clenched his fists, and grinned with a gap-toothed mouth.

All three were a head taller than Menma and Hinata, appearing to be about five or six years old. Moreover, it was three against one—the advantage was theirs! To children, numbers and height are the most direct representations of combat power.

Watching the three brats act so arrogant, Menma resisted the urge to use ninjutsu. He simply stepped forward with a swift movement, landing a punch on the tall boy's face, followed by a sweeping kick that sent the chubby boy flying onto his back.

In just an instant, two of the trio were down. Only the gap-toothed short boy remained, looking around in panic, unable to understand how his companions had been defeated so quickly.

“Waaa! It hurts!”

“Uwaaa, Mommy!”

The two boys on the ground burst into loud wails. The short boy was so frightened that tears began to stream down his face as well.

Menma reached out and pressed his hand onto the short boy's head, leaning in close. With a mischievous glint in his narrowed blue eyes, he grinned and said, “From now on, I’m the boss here!”

“Waaa! Boss, don't hit me!!” The short boy cried from fear.

*So, what am I even doing?* Menma thought to himself, looking at the three crying brats. *Am I playing 'King of the Hill' with a bunch of toddlers?*

After Menma's brief lesson, the three children ran away in a panic.

“Hey, let's get acquainted. My name is Menma.” As Menma turned and reached out, Hinata was frantically wiping her tears with her sleeves. Although this wasn't their first time meeting, it was their first formal encounter.

“He... hello... my name is Hinata...” Little Hinata's face turned slightly red, and her cold fingers trembled like a startled fledgling. She didn't know why the boy her 'sister' was so obsessed with wanted to re-introduce himself, but she instinctively complied with Menma.

After being pulled up, Hinata kept her head down, hands clasped in front of her chest, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. “Am I... am I... very useless...?”

*If it were Big Sister...* Hinata couldn't help but think of the fiery-tempered 'sister' within her body. What would she do? She would probably have knocked those three kids flat.

Hinata's words reminded Menma of a winter when he was three or four years old in the 'Limited Tsukuyomi World.' He had been mocked by three brats in a park and ended up in a scuffle. Because he hadn't formally trained or refined his chakra back then, he had been beaten quite pathetically. At the critical moment, the "Big Sister" Hinata had stepped in and beaten those three kids into tears in just a few moves.

Perhaps it was fate. From then on, the relationship between the "Big Sister" Hinata and Menma in that world grew closer and closer, eventually developing into lovers during the Chunin Exams of that world.

“Gentleness is never a weakness. Your gentleness feels like a spring breeze. A Hinata like that is especially cute!” Menma reached out and patted little Hinata's head, ruffling her short hair.

“Cute...” Menma's praise made Hinata's face instantly turn bright red, steam practically rising from her like a steam engine.

Having been restricted by various clan rules since childhood, Hinata had been placed under high expectations because of the existence of her 'sister.' To her father, Hiashi Hyuga, and the elders of the Main House, her gentle personality was seen as far too weak. Consequently, Hinata had never received much praise.

*Gurgle~*

A hungry sound came from Hinata's stomach. This made the already blushing Hinata turn completely crimson.

“Come on, my treat! Let's go get Ichiraku Ramen!” Remembering Hinata's appetite—suspecting she might not have eaten her fill since she was little—Menma grabbed her hand and ran toward the Ichiraku Ramen shop.

Ginkgo leaves drifted through the park. As she was being pulled along, Hinata looked at the silhouette ahead of her, tears shimmering in her white pupils.

(End of Chapter)