"Brother, why didn't you wait for me!" Naruto, after arguing with Sasuke for ages, finally turned around—only to find his brother was gone.
Did he disappear again?!
Panic flooded Naruto's face. His eyes began to water again.
Just then, Hinata spoke gently, "Naruto… Brother Menma said to tell you—he went home first."
Home?
The moment Naruto heard that, he bolted out of the classroom and ran straight home. When he burst through the door, he saw his brother lounging on the couch, sipping tea like a retired shinobi. Instantly, all the worry melted away.
He ran straight into his brother's arms, hugging him tightly.
"You didn't even call me to go home with you!"
Menma chuckled and ruffled his head with his left hand. "I saw you were having fun with Sasuke, so I didn't want to interrupt. Besides, I had to deal with a big rat. It won't happen again."
Then he glanced up and smiled at the black-haired boy who had followed Naruto in.
"Thanks for walking Naruto home, Sasuke."
Sasuke's face turned red immediately. "No need! I just… didn't want to deal with him crying in public again."
"I did not cry!" Naruto protested, pulling back from his brother and spinning on Sasuke. "You're the one who almost cried when I beat you in sparring!"
"Oh yeah?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Then who was sobbing in class just now?"
Naruto: (#￣～￣#)
"Anyway, I wouldn't cry on the way home!"
"You would."
"Would not!"
"You would."
Oh, here we go again… Menma sighed, shaking his head. He sipped his tea, then cut in with a calm voice:
"Naruto, did you mop the floor today?"
Naruto immediately stopped mid-squabble. "Not yet, Brother!"
"Then get on it. It's a little dusty." (Not really—Menma just needed some peace and quiet.)
"Okay!" Naruto dashed off to the bathroom to grab the mop.
Menma turned to Sasuke. "Want to help?"
Before Sasuke could answer, Naruto's voice shouted from the bathroom: "Don't bother, Brother! Sasuke doesn't even know how to clean. He's useless with housework!"
Sasuke's face turned dark. "Who says I can't clean?!"
He marched to Menma, puffing up his chest. "Assign me something."
Menma raised an eyebrow, amused. Free labor? Sure.
"Alright, then. Clean the windows."
"Done." Sasuke nodded confidently. How hard can it be?
And then…
CRASH!
"What the heck?! Why did it break? This glass is cheap!" Sasuke exclaimed, startled as a crack split through the window pane.
"You're cheap!" Naruto shot back from the hallway. "That glass is expensive! If my ramen allowance gets cut, I'm punching you!"
Menma rubbed his temples. "It's okay, Naruto. Don't worry about it. Just teach him how to do it right."
Naruto huffed but obliged. He started lecturing Sasuke on proper window-cleaning techniques like a true housework veteran, while Sasuke listened with unexpected seriousness.
He even took notes.
Menma couldn't help but smile.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Puff!
A clone appeared.
"You're on cooking duty."
Clone: (#￣～￣#) "...Fine."
The clone headed into the kitchen.
Wait...
Menma's eyes widened.
I still owe Kurama another chapter!
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Puff! Puff! Puff!
Three more clones appeared.
"You guys handle the novel drafts. Work hard."
Clones: o(╥﹏╥)o
Shadow clone labor abuse was real.
Satisfied, Menma leaned back, stretched, and let out a deep sigh.
Finally, a break.
He strolled into his room, laid down, and sank into the soft mattress.
He was out like a light in seconds.
Meanwhile, in the living room…
Naruto and Sasuke had just finished cleaning up. The clone in the kitchen called out, "Dinner's ready!"
"Brother's cooking! Let's go!" Naruto exclaimed, dashing to the table.
Sasuke stared at the clones, dumbfounded. "How many shadow clones does your brother use in a day?"
Naruto didn't even pause. "A lot. My brother's lazy. He makes them do all the work."
Sasuke: "…"
Naruto grinned. "He said we have way more chakra than normal people. Like… dozens of times more."
Sasuke froze. Dozens?
One Naruto = 40 Sasuke?!
He couldn't accept it.
"I'm going home!" Sasuke declared suddenly.
"Huh?"
"I need to ask Itachi something. I'll see you tomorrow!"
And just like that, Sasuke vanished.
Naruto blinked. "Weird."
Then he happily dug into dinner.
Later that evening…
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune arrived at the Uzumaki household. Tsunade blinked in surprise at how nice it was inside.
As they stepped in, Jiraiya immediately froze.
At the door stood Menma and Naruto, both holding feather dusters like swords.
"…What's going on?"
"Welcome home, Jiraiya-sensei." Menma said with a bright smile—and then WHACK!
He slammed the duster onto the shoe rack, making Jiraiya jump in fright.
"Pay up, Jiraiya-sensei!" Naruto shouted next. "If you don't give my brother the money you owe, I won't be able to eat Ichiraku Ramen this month!"
Menma crossed his arms. "Yeah, think about it. No ramen."
Jiraiya gulped.
This... is terrifying.
(End Of Chapter)
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