Konoha: The Man Who Became the Fourth Hokage

"Go take a shower. Wear my clothes."

Kyūsei tossed a clean set of his own clothes at the rebellious young man.

Menma was already twenty, and his build was almost identical to Kyūsei's. So without hesitation, Kyūsei simply grabbed one of his own outfits from the wardrobe and threw it over.

"Hmph. I'm not wearing something you've already worn."

Menma turned his head away in disgust.

"Say that again?"

Kyūsei clenched his fist.

Menma's lips twitched.

He might be arrogant—

But he wasn't stupid.

His Nine-Tails was sealed. His chakra was sealed.

Right now, he was nothing more than a physically fit ordinary man.

After the earlier beating, he had clearly understood his position.

Continuing to provoke him would only earn him another round of pain—with zero benefits.

Silently, he took the clothes and walked into the bathroom.

Kyūsei exhaled in relief and slumped onto the sofa.

He was exhausted.

He had rushed from Konoha to the border, fought Menma, returned to discuss his fate with Hiruzen, dealt with Nao—

And now this.

Menma's sudden arrival from another world meant one thing:

There would definitely be a pursuit squad.

Just like last time with Hyūga Hinata.

But this case was different.

Menma wasn't some accidental traveler.

He was a criminal.

In his world, he had bombed Sunagakure.

And more importantly—

Years ago, he had obliterated Konoha with a massive Rasengan-like attack.

He had destroyed his village.

And yet—

He had survived.

A crime of that magnitude should have meant death.

The power of that attack rivaled Pain's Shinra Tensei.

There was no way he survived without interference.

Minato and Kushina must have done something.

Now this twenty-year-old Menma was here—

What happened to Minato and Kushina over there?

The bathroom door opened.

Menma walked out shirtless, wearing only shorts.

"Hey. Which room is mine?"

"First, my name isn't 'hey.'"

"Second, I'm your mother's counterpart. Calling me 'Dad' wouldn't be wrong."

"Third, you have a proper place to sleep because of me."

"Show some respect."

Kyūsei raised three fingers and spoke clearly.

Menma stared at him for a long moment.

"…Understood."

He swallowed his pride.

Kyūsei could throw him straight into Konoha Prison anytime.

He had already spent four years there.

He had no intention of going back.

"Sit down. I have questions."

Menma sat, water droplets still clinging to his skin.

Kyūsei didn't care.

"How are Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina?"

Menma's eyes lifted slightly.

"…Why do you know those names?"

That question had bothered him from the start.

These two—his father and mother's counterparts—

Had recognized him immediately.

And that man had even mentioned someone named "Naruko."

Who was Naruko?

Without playing mysterious, Kyūsei opened a drawer and pulled out a photo album.

He flipped past casual photos and stopped at the final pages.

A picture of four people eating together.

Minato. Kushina. Kyūsei. Kaoru .

"Your parents once came to this world."

Then he pointed to another photo beneath it.

A five-person picture.

Kyūsei. Kaoru . Two white-haired men. And a blonde girl.

Menma recognized the white-haired men.

One was Hatake Kakashi—the unreliable hot-blooded idiot.

The other was Kakashi's father.

That large portrait in Kakashi's house—

The one covering the entire wall—

That man giving a thumbs-up with sparkling teeth.

That same man.

But Menma's gaze fixed on the blonde girl.

Twin tails.

Blue eyes.

She looked almost identical to him.

Like siblings.

Except for that idiot grin.

"This is your counterpart."

"Uzumaki Naruko."

"She's completely different from you."

"Hmph."

"She looks like an idiot."

Menma closed the album.

Kyūsei waited.

"…Kushina's situation is unclear."

"As for Namikaze Minato… he's probably in Konoha Prison."

"Why?"

Menma's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Because I blew up Konoha with a Tailed Beast Bomb."

"I was imprisoned."

"Recently, I used Minato's sense of responsibility to escape."

"And knowing him? He would confess everything."

"At best, he'd be detained."

"How's that?"

"Better keep a tight leash on me."

"Or I might just blow up this Konoha too."

Kyūsei nodded calmly.

"You're right."

"I shouldn't relax at all."

Golden chakra flared in his palm.

Menma stiffened.

"Hey—what are you doing?"

"As you said, I can't give you even the slightest chance to run."

"You should recognize this seal."

Kyūsei pressed his glowing palm against Menma's abdomen.

"Sealing Technique: Grand Blazing Heavenly Prison."

Golden seal markings spread across Menma's body like tattooed chains.

The technique was far more ruthless than the Fire Temple's version.

If Menma strayed too far—

Or tried to use chakra—

The seal would ignite using his own chakra as fuel.

It would burn until his chakra was exhausted—

Or he burned to death.

Menma's face darkened.

He deeply regretted running his mouth.

"You idiot…"

"Your room's there."

Menma walked off without another word.

Kyūsei sighed.

Minato really had it rough.

A son permanently stuck in rebellion.

This Minato valued family over village.

That weakness had been exploited.

Kyūsei left and went next door to Kaoru 's house.

She was sitting on the couch in pink cat pajamas, drying her hair.

"Kyūsei? Is he asleep?"

"Yeah. After getting beaten up, he understands reality now."

Kyūsei took the dryer and stood behind her, gently drying her golden hair.

Like a waterfall.

Soft.

Warm.

He told her everything Menma had said.

"…I see."

Kaoru held his hand.

Would she break Konoha's laws for her child?

She didn't know.

But she knew one thing.

If Kyūsei were imprisoned—

She would.

"What do we do?"

She leaned fully into his arms.

"If Hinata had a pursuit squad," Kyūsei said calmly, "Menma will too."

"And not just search."

"A capture squad."

"Do we hand him over?"

She pressed closer.

Kyūsei paused.

Menma had destroyed his own Konoha.

Escaped prison.

Refused repentance.

If the squad arrived—

They might extract the Nine-Tails.

Kyūsei hesitated.

Menma wasn't a good person.

But—

"…What about Kushina?"

"Let her decide whether he stays or goes."

Kaoru spoke softly.

Kyūsei frowned.

If it were only that simple.

Regardless of Kushina—

Hiruzen would not let go easily.

A second Nine-Tails.

Who would give that up?

To Read 60+ ahead advanced Chapters, head over to P@treon

/DarkVerse146