Time flowed like a lazy river, and day by day, Tom began to accept the new life he had been granted. The trauma of betrayal and rebirth no longer weighed as heavily. He understood one truth: the past was gone. From now on, he would be known not as Zhu Weihong, but as Maelstrom Mian Ma, the child of the Hidden Leaf.
The days passed in a blur of sunlight and moonlight. In the blink of an eye, Mian Ma was five years old.
The aunt assigned by the village to care for him had moved out the previous month. There was no longer any need for her help—Mian Ma had demonstrated a level of independence, intelligence, and discipline far beyond his age. In this world, many children began living on their own around this age anyway.
Like Naruto.
Though he couldn't formally train without chakra scrolls or a mentor, Mian Ma hadn't wasted his time. He focused on building his physical foundation. His young body was still small and fragile, so he refrained from intense strength training and instead concentrated on agility, balance, and flexibility.
In his previous life, Tom had crafted a comprehensive training routine, blending ancient yoga with internal martial arts. Now, in his new body, that knowledge was more valuable than ever. Children's natural flexibility made the exercises easier, and the techniques promoted stronger bones, muscles, and tendon resilience.
When no one was around, he practiced Xingyiquan and Bajiquan, the martial arts disciplines from his past world. Each movement trained his mind and body to work as one.
---
One misty morning, in a secluded corner of the forest behind Konoha, Mian Ma took a deep breath, grounded his stance, and began his daily routine.
He flowed through the Xingyi Three-Body Pose, then moved through the Five Element Fists and the Twelve Animal Forms with precision. His motions were smooth, explosive when needed, and always calculated. Though his body lacked the raw strength to create the telltale "air-crack" sounds, the speed and fluidity of his movements carried a wind-like momentum.
Each stance embodied a living force—like a tiger descending a mountain, a dragon gliding through water, or a snake weaving through the grass.
Finally, he roared with a martial shout, "Ha!" The sound echoed faintly through the trees.
Mian Ma stood still, breathing deeply. His skin tingled, and his abdomen felt tightly coiled with strength.
"That's the feeling," he murmured. "Bones loosened, energy circulating, even my organs feel stronger. Xingyiquan really is something else."
---
After training, his stomach grumbled. With a bamboo skewer stuck in his mouth, he wandered the bustling streets of Konoha in search of a bite.
So far, he had mostly seen chunin and genin around the village. He hadn't once laid eyes on a jonin, let alone any of the powerhouse characters from the original Naruto storyline.
Even so, he had wandered near the compounds of the Hyuga, Uchiha, and Nara clans multiple times out of curiosity.
True to their portrayal in the original story:
The Akimichi clan were warm and good-natured.
The Nara clan remained laid-back and intelligent.
The Hyuga clan held themselves with cold pride.
The Uchiha clan... had a deep, looming gloom around them.
Lost in thought as he passed the Uchiha district, a commotion ahead caught his attention.
---
"Get out of here, monster!"
The voice carried a hint of fear behind its anger.
"What's going on?" Mian Ma frowned, dropping the skewer and jogging toward the sound.
At the edge of the Uchiha compound, he saw a small boy—no older than himself—with messy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and three distinct whisker-like marks on each cheek.
A few Uchiha teens stood over him, hurling insults.
Despite the abuse, the boy glared back defiantly, standing his ground. Yet, Mian Ma could see it—the loneliness clinging to him like a shadow.
He recognized the boy immediately.
"Naruto…"
As another cruel comment flew from one of the Uchiha kids, Mian Ma acted on instinct. He ran up, grabbed Naruto's hand, and said with a mischievous grin, "You can't run now—I caught you! Ghost tag. You're it!"
Without waiting for a reply, he took off running, dragging Naruto along.
They sprinted down alleys and across streets until they reached a quiet clearing. Naruto finally slowed, hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
"Hey, who are you?" he asked between gasps.
Mian Ma turned and smiled. "I'm Mian Ma. Nice to meet you."
Naruto tilted his head, confused, then smiled back. "Thanks for helping me. I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
"The protagonist himself," Mian Ma thought with an inward grin. "Finally, I've met him."
His excitement was genuine. For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt like his path was truly beginning.
"We're friends now, right?" Naruto asked hopefully.
"Of course!" Mian Ma replied without hesitation.
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Really? You don't mind being friends with me?"
"Why would I? Friends stick together."
"Then I'm going to become Hokage one day!" Naruto declared proudly.
Mian Ma grinned, still trying to act like a child. "I'm going to be the most violent ninja Konoha's ever seen!"
Naruto laughed.
---
Just then, a loud gurgle came from Naruto's stomach.
Mian Ma feigned surprise. "Hungry already? Let's go eat!"
"But I don't have any money…" Naruto said sheepishly.
Mian Ma had already guessed this. Remembering Naruto's difficult childhood, he patted his pocket. Still got enough left for ramen.
"No worries! We're friends, right? I've got it covered."
"Really?!" Naruto's eyes sparkled like twin searchlights.
---
The two of them dashed through the streets toward the famed Ichiraku Ramen stand.
As they stepped inside, Teuchi, the cheerful ramen chef, raised an eyebrow. "Hey, you two know each other?"
"Yep! Just met today—we're friends now!" Mian Ma said, dropping coins on the counter. "Two bowls of your best ramen, Uncle Teuchi!"
Mian Ma's appetite had grown ever since he began his training in earnest. Even though he'd eaten earlier, he was already hungry again.
"At this rate, I'll go broke just feeding myself. I need a way to earn money soon," he thought.
His eyes gleamed with an idea. "Maybe I can find my mom's old medical scrolls. If I can understand enough of her notes… what if I make cosmetics in the Naruto world? Chakra-enhanced skincare—guaranteed bestseller!"
But before he could fantasize further, two steaming bowls of ramen arrived.
"Let's dig in!" Mian Ma shouted.
"I'm gonna start!" Naruto echoed.
Together, the boys slurped down their noodles with childlike joy.
Naruto leaned back, sighing with happiness. "Uncle Teuchi's ramen is the best!"
Mian Ma drained the last of his broth and patted his stomach with satisfaction.
---
That night, as they parted ways, Mian Ma felt something stir in his chest.
For the first time since he had awoken in this world, he felt like he had taken his first real step. Not just as a reborn soul or a future shinobi, but as someone belonging to this world.
He had found a friend.
And the story of Maelstrom Mian Ma and Uzumaki Naruto—two orphans with dreams too big for their small bodies—was only just beginning.
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