Reborn as Naruto's older brother

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***

Standing in the middle of the destroyed buildings I thought about everything that had happened. Was it my fault? I guess it was.

- Sweetheart? What happened? Where were you? - Mina tried her best to get my attention while I couldn't utter a single word. But it couldn't last long.

- Mina. - I interrupted her string of questions.

- Yes?" she looked straight into my eyes with genuine concern. I could feel how badly she was feeling. And it wasn't because she was hurt or upset, no. She felt bad because I felt bad, and she couldn't help it.

- Just...let's do this later, okay? - Looking at me puzzled, she didn't know what to say. On the one hand she was really worried, but on the other my orders were absolute for her and she couldn't disobey me. With a face full of worry and regret, she lowered her head and whispered softly.

- Good. - and then she left me. I didn't know what to do. In my own stupidity and temper, I had done...a lot of bad things, particularly to Naruto. I wouldn't have cared if people hated me even more, but Naruto...Once I thought I didn't care what the citizens thought and let them hate Naruto to death, but...but when Naruto said those words after the first day of visiting that playground. That he was going to prove to everyone that we're not demons and that we're good. I thought it was stupid at the time, but Naruto. He wanted to prove it with all his heart and make people change their minds. More importantly, he thought I was good and believed it with all his soul, but today I ruined everything.

Not knowing what to do, I remembered my old habit. Heh, it's been a long time since I've done that. Moving towards Hokage Mountain, I tried to push all thoughts away and clear my mind. Already on my father's head, I was in a quiet state of mind, looking at the night Village without any thoughts.

- Ha-ahhh. - I sighed in the cool refreshing air.

- What are you sighing about? - A familiar female voice sounded behind me.

- Why are you here, Mariko-san? - Without turning round, I asked in a slightly displeased tone.

- Do you dislike my presence here? I apologise if I've disturbed you. I can leave if you wish. - I didn't get the chance to calm down.

- Do as you wish. - I wasn't in the mood for a fight, so I didn't send her away. I'd already taken my anger out pretty well. I couldn't see her face, but I could easily see that she smiled at my words. Moving closer Mariko carefully sat down next to me, trying not to embarrass me.

- Would you like to share your thoughts? - She said, gazing at the marvellous view of the lights of the night Village. My interest overcame my stubbornness and I turned round to look at her. Sitting next to me was a beautiful young woman wearing a white Kimono over which was worn a Scarlet-coloured Uchikake. It looked like it was the outfit for that banquet held at my house and she hadn't changed it. But why did she come here? And how did she even know I'd be here? Heh, and the last thing that bothers me is whether it's normal for her to soil such an expensive looking Shiro-maku sitting on the muddy ground. Hmm, my notion of aristocracy is crumbling with every second looking at this unusual picture. But remembering that she has recently become one and lived poorly in another Country before that, it all becomes clearer, though a bit unusual. Thinking about her appearance, I didn't notice that she had already turned her eyes to me and a blush appeared on her cheeks. I quickly looked away and there was an awkward pause. Yeah, looking at the body of a woman who got married this afternoon was a little embarrassing because of the situation, but contrary to my expectations the woman only giggled softly, covering half her face with her hand. Though most of that job was done by her sleeve, but no matter. The awkward silence faded quickly and I smiled myself, then found a way to answer her.

- You look good. - Her appearance was certainly captivating at the moment, and all my thoughts were taken up by her appearance.

- Thank you, Menma-kun. Rarely have I heard someone sincerely say such words to me, especially such a young and handsome young man. - A pleasant voice, that's what I thought of when I heard those words. Indeed, the charm of a grown woman sometimes even surpasses the charm of young cuties.

- Come to think of it, my age doesn't match my body at all. In total, I am now over thirty years old. So calling me a young youth would be incorrect. Ha-ah-ah, although calling myself an adult considering all my childish behaviour is also wrong. - I remembered all the things I had done and felt like a thoughtless, silly child calling myself an adult.

- You know, I haven't had the opportunity to experience the feeling of being reborn in a child's body, but it seems to me that no matter how long your life is, as long as you're in a child's body and interacting with people of the same age, it's hard to behave any differently than a child. Ryoshi-kun told me everything that happened, and I don't think you should be blamed for what happened.

- You...you don't understand. This whole thing could have been avoided if I hadn't gone on a rampage like a stupid child. Ryoshi is right, I...I did all of this and ruined your holiday, the Clan's reputation and the residents' attitude towards Naruto.

- Menma-kun, did you get angry because you were insulted? - After listening to what I said, she waited a second before asking that.

- No. I've been insulted before and many other things, but I was able to ignore them.

- Then why did you get angry?

- Because... ha-ah, because the Clone arranged it all in my absence. I was angry because I thought I'd been left out and forgotten about. And then there's the fact that it's fucking.... ha-ah. - Sighing, I tried to calm down and not start getting angry again. - The fact that he and the other arrogant lowlifes came into my house and acted like that. That pissed me off the most. This house was very important to me, I wanted to keep it intact, to.... - I stopped there. Telling her that I was keeping this house for my parents was not something I wanted to do. I didn't want to claim that I would definitely bring my parents back to life at all until I did so.

- To do what? - she asked. After that question, I realised that she wanted me to talk and not feel guilty about what had happened. And her next words only confirmed it.

- Nothing, it doesn't matter. - she didn't pry, but calmly continued the conversation.

- It's not all your fault. Ryoshi should have thought about your feelings and desires. We could have postponed all of this until you came back.

- No, it had to be today.

- On Naruto-kun's birthday?

- Yes.

- No.

- ...? - I stared at her with a mute question, but she just smiled and then looked forward again and began to explain her point.

- Ryoshi-kun might as well do it another time. Still, your presence on this day was very important and he should have thought about it. And also he should have taken into consideration your attitude towards this house left behind by your parents, right? - I couldn't deny anything she said.

- Yeah. I guess that's true.

- But I think you were guilty of something, too. I think you should understand each other's feelings and apologise. Both of you.

- But what can I do? My mistakes are much bigger than his, and he certainly won't forgive me even if I make it up to him....

- Menma-kun. - Touching my shoulder, she turned my attention to herself and smiled softly. - Just start apologising and do it sincerely, and from there, I'm sure he'll understand. - Surprisingly, her words really convinced me easily. I felt the desire to do what she said and the faith that it would work out. She's a master of persuasion. I decided to talk to Ryoshi and clear up the situation and resolve our conflict, no matter how it ended.

- I'll do that. Mariko-san?

- М? What?

- How did you find me? Don't say you were passing by, I won't believe that, no matter how good your beliefs are.

- Hee hee hee. - The woman laughed without hiding her face. - It's just that Ryoshi-kun often told me that you used to always come here when you didn't know what to do, so I thought that.

- Ha, I see...

***

In a dark room, lit only by the light of the moon streaming in from the windows, a young boy was sitting on a tall red armchair turned towards the window. He held a small glass of wine in his hands and occasionally brought it to his lips. He looked at the moon in silence and once again reached for the bottle to pour himself some more of the scarlet liquid. Without changing the expression on his face he said in a measured tone, "Why are you here?

- Why are you here? - Half-filling his glass, he leaned back in his chair and listened to the sound behind him.

- 'Are you going to get drunk? Is now the time for that? - Menma appeared in the passageway and, not the least bit surprised to be seen, walked into the room.

- For your information, my Clones are already dealing with all the things that have fallen on my head today. And no, getting drunk is the last thing I want to do right now. - After taking another sip, Ryoshi fell silent.

- What? Isn't getting drunk the most logical thing you'd do right now? - To continue the dialogue Menma asked, waiting for a response from the Clone.

- Oh, trust me. We better not get drunk if you want to see Konoha intact the next day.

- What? What do you mean?

- Never mind, so why did you come? - The Clan Head turned round in his chair and looked at the boy carefully.

- Look, I'm sorry for what happened. I really acted stupidly and even childishly. Believe me, I absolutely did not wish for everything that happened because of my fault. I should have listened to you before throwing that tantrum and blaming you for everything. I really ruined all the work you did for Naruto and the entire Clan. And I apologise for ruining the banquet after your wedding. I must have left the worst memories of your and Mariko's big day. I promise I won't go on such a rampage again and I will keep my rage under control, and I won't doubt you or your intentions. Forgive me. - Menma bowed at the end as a sign of apology and sincerity of his words. Ryoshi listened to him attentively and did not interrupt him once. After finishing Menma's apology, he also stared at him intently, but after a couple of seconds, he tiredly closed his eyes and sighed.

- Hah-ah-ah, raise your head. It's not proper for an Original to bow in front of a Clone. - Ryoshi smiled, which showed that he was just joking.

- Hei, I did apologise for that accusation. - Menma straightened up and looked at Ryoshi indignantly.

- Haha, come on. I accept your apology and I'd like to apologise myself too. I heard you and Mariko talking and she's right about everything. - Menma was surprised by his words and even blushed a little.

- S-heard?

- Yes, and I even saw it. Are you targeting my wife too, so that you can form a harem after all? - Ryoshi had already glanced at Menma with a sneer and was enjoying his embarrassed reaction.

- No, it just happened. What are you talking about, we have the same tastes, so it's not surprising that I liked her as much as you did.

- Yeah, but you're gonna have to wait till we merge.

- I wasn't planning on it. I've had enough of Mina.

- Oh, so your harem thoughts went away after you met her? Have you become a one-woman man?

- That's it, we're done!

- Ha-ha-ha. Okay, okay, what was I saying? Oh yeah, I apologise too for not thinking about your feelings and desires. I won't organise anything like that in your house again and I won't let any more guests you hate in. I have forgotten all my attachments to the house during the long time I have been away from it, and I did not think that you might be angry about it. But still, attacking the guests...that was a bit reckless.

- Yeah, I know. But he called me and Naruto your uncontrollable animals! What was I supposed to do?

- Tell me about it. That little heir would have died in a lot more pain if you'd let me handle it quietly. As it was, he died quickly, even though he was scared to death.

- What?! He died?!

- Don't worry. He was a little pain in the arse, so the village will overlook it, but the fight that followed will be hard to cover up. You fought not only the bodyguards of some nobles, but also the heads of the Clans. You'll have to apologise to them personally and officially.

- But they're the ones who attacked me first.

- You used Nine-tailed's chakra and attacked one of the guests! Their actions, unlike yours, have already been justified.

- That's fine.

- Huh, but the fact that you were wearing the Fox cloak even worked to our advantage. The elders and other Clan Heads thought your mind was clouded by Kurama and you couldn't control it. That can be blamed on Biju's control training, so you won't get much punishment from the Hokage. In your case, you could say that you put your body in danger and suffered some damage from Kyuubi's chakra. You remember how you trashed the hospital when you released the Three Tails, right?

- Yeah, that's when I was stopped by the Third.

- That's right, after that, the Village paid to rebuild the Hospital, and nobody touched you.

- What? Why?

- You're a Jinchuriki, that's the main reason. I don't remember that from the anime, but in this world at least, the Village had an obligation to take care of Jinchuriki and all your outbursts of rage over Ninetails should have been the Village's responsibility. But that was before you joined my Clan. Even so, Hiruzen and the rest of the Elders will understand our situation, even though we'll have to compensate them a lot.

- Listen, I've been thinking.

- Hmm? What do you mean?- Of course, my Taijutsu is at a good level and I've had some physical damage recently, but still, I'm just now thinking about how easy it was for me to knock out those Shinobi I fought at the banquet.

- That's right, you only fought minor Clan Heads who were Jonin level at most. Monsters like Hiashi, Fugaku and even more so Hiruzen didn't interfere, nor did other Influential and powerful individuals. They're smarter than that and knew it wasn't worth doing. You're lucky you didn't have to face them in battle.

- Because I could have unleashed a couple more Tails.

- Partially, but not quite.

- Hmm, I guess fighting monsters like that would be too dangerous, I agree. Heh, okay. So we have a lot to do tomorrow, right?

- Yeah, we do. Now, shall we go? - Ryoshi stood up from his chair, adjusted his clothes and walked towards the exit of the office.

- Where to?" Menma jumped up from the chair he had sat on in the middle of the conversation.

- Where to? To Naruto's, of course. It's his birthday today, remember?

- Oh, right! Naruto. I didn't even congratulate him the first time I met him, damn it!

- It's not too late, let's go. He spent the entire evening walking around the festival, which was not only to celebrate the opening of the Clan, but also his birthday. The villagers were a little outraged, but on the whole no one objected too much. Today, as promised, I'll give him the gift of meeting his parents, not in the literal sense, of course. - grinned the elder Uzumaki. - I hope you didn't forget about the present for him? - Clone asked as he slowly walked out of the mansion. Menma followed him and said indignantly and then proudly.

- No of course not! I've been looking forward to giving him his gift in my Inventory for six months now.

- And to wrap it in a gift box? - Menma stood stunned and stared wide-eyed into the void.

- Fuck!

- Relax, we'll still have time. Let's go. - clapping the Original on the shoulder, Ryoshi left with Shunshin.

- Hey! Wait for me!

***

In the same gloomy office, the sound of someone's footsteps rang out. *The sound grew and grew, and after a few seconds, a scarlet-haired woman appeared at the door. She froze at the entrance and began to scrutinise the office. Her gaze lingered on the chair that stood with its back to her. After a few seconds, the woman slowly entered the room and sat down on the couch against the wall.

- Thank you for your service, Mariko. - A man's voice came from the direction of the unfolding chair. The woman said nothing and looked calmly into the scarlet eyes of her interlocutor. - You're still against it, aren't you? - The man remarked.

- You're going behind your Original's back. That's why you've played this pathetic game and gained his complete trust, which was previously unattainable because of his suspicions about you. But aren't you being too mean to him? He blamed himself for something that wasn't his fault at all.

- This is all for the good of me and the Original. Believe me, when I'm done by the time the war starts, we'll already control half the world, instead of trying to brute force wipe everyone out like Menma would have done.

- Are you really going to suppress Menma-kun and not merge with him, but keep the real you? - Ryoushi's face broke into a soft smile at first, and then he laughed uncontrollably.

- Pha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, you really decided that? Oh, Mariko, how could I? The Original and I should merge, it's only a matter of time. Except before that, I need to finish a couple of things he shouldn't have interfered with. - The woman looked at her husband with distrust and even suspicion, but then sighed and asked curiously.

- And yet, how did you manage to time his awakening exactly? - Ryoshi smiled slyly at his wife's question and stood up from his chair, then slowly walked to the window and looked out over the Quarter.

- I didn't have to guess when he would wake up, I had organised his awakening myself....

The head of the Uzumaki Clan began to remember that day. The day he had travelled to his summoning world to find the Original. Specifically the moment when Sip had left him alone with Menma. Ryoshi turned round to the unconscious body of the young Uzumaki and unsealed from his brush a small box containing a set of unusual looking needles.

- The Original's feature that alerts him when his body is affected doesn't always work. It only works when he is being poisoned or affected by some kind of energy. Like mental techniques and the like. But! I can't remember a single time when it would notify him of a wound caused by a simple Kunai, Shuriken, Senbon, or any other weapon that wasn't infused with chakra.

- What are you...?

- I've learnt a lot of things during my journey, and one of my very useful skills has helped me in this case as well. Did you know that it only takes a couple of needles to put a person in a state comparable to an actual coma?- You're telling me you knocked him out for days?

- Not exactly. It was our system that knocked him out. I just extended his hibernation period for as long as I needed. And then, when it was time for him to wake up, the Fuin Seal used to programme certain actions not only pulled out my Needles, but destroyed them without leaving a trace. And the Original's natural regeneration, which exceeds that of many Shinobi, left not a single wound that could tell him anything. Simple actions and nothing more. And then it got more complicated. All those Shinobi I had hired, all the heads of small Clans whose contract was vital to them, and of course to know the ones I had easily negotiated with. They had fulfilled their task perfectly. Even though there was the loss of one small piece of business.

- But how did you know Menma would react this way? What if he'd done something different and held back, and then found you?

- God, Mariko. Isn't it obvious? I know the Original better than anyone in this world, and I was sure he'd do exactly what I expected him to do. After all, we were once as identical as two peas in a pod. - The woman was still doubting and contemplating her own in disbelief.

- Looking at Menma-kun, I keep thinking, how could you have changed so much in just three years while you were away from him? What could have changed such a small, loving and selfless person? - Turning to his wife, the guy only smiled and taking the glass in his hands, took one sip and again turned his gaze to the window, looking at the bright full moon.

- Three years, huh? Heh, I was separated from the Original for much longer than that. So much longer that my views have fundamentally changed and are now different from that child's. I have become a completely different person and that, alas, cannot be changed....