Menma stood at the entrance of the stronghold, his expression under the fox mask completely frozen. Beside him, Kakuzu lifted the hood of his cloak and looked at the complex of buildings with interest.
This... is the so-called "hidden stronghold"?
Just a moment ago, Menma had used the Flying Thunder God Technique to transport himself and Kakuzu back to the Land of Hot Water, back to the inn room. But this time, he hadn't summoned Hizashi. Instead, he had brought Kakuzu to the stronghold of the [JIN] organization, which Hizashi had spent a year building.
The result was...
Menma's gaze swept from the exquisite arched bridge over the artificial pond, past the meticulously trimmed pine and cypress trees, and finally settled on the towering main hall. The seven-story Japanese-style palace gleamed in the sun with the luster of expensive wood, and the wind chimes hanging from the eaves tinkled in the gentle breeze.
This didn't look like the base of a terrorist organization at all; it was clearly the palace of some daimyo!
"Heh..." Kakuzu's laugh came from under his mask. He glanced at the clearly expensive building materials. "It seems our organization's financial situation is quite good."
Menma silently pressed his mask. Although he knew Hizashi was exceptionally talented in business, this was just too...
Does that guy have some misunderstanding of the word "hidden"?!
"So..." Kakuzu's voice was tinged with a bit of teasing. "This is the headquarters of the [JIN] organization that has the five great nations trembling in fear? I must say... the taste is very unique."
Menma took a deep breath and decided to skip this topic. "...Follow me."
"Please wait a moment. Mr. Tanuma will be here to see you shortly."
A maid in a simple and elegant kimono bowed respectfully and withdrew. Menma, through his transformed eyes, silently watched this scene—is this something a terrorist organization can recruit?
But to maintain his cool and aloof "Menma" persona, he just nodded slightly. After a while, the Japanese-style sliding door was thrown open.
Appearing at the door were two ordinary-looking people. A middle-aged man in a plain brown kimono, and beside him, a little girl with round glasses. They had no distinguishing features and looked no different from any ordinary resident on the street.
With a fluctuation of chakra, their transformations gradually faded. Hizashi returned to his original form, and the "ordinary girl" transformed back into the red-haired, red-eyed Karin. She opened her eyes wide in excitement, her lips slightly parted as if to say something, but under Hizashi's stern gaze, she forced herself to hold back and just gave a proper bow.
Menma also released his second layer of disguise, revealing the signature fox mask.
"Lord Menma, I apologize for keeping you waiting," Hizashi said, bowing his head respectfully.
Just then.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host: You have established a bond (Level 4) with the original character "Karin"!]
[Points Awarded: 400!]
Menma wasn't surprised by the system points he received. It seemed Hizashi had indeed taken good care of Karin. He was about to introduce Kakuzu and then discuss the matter of the stronghold with Hizashi, but Hizashi spoke first.
"Lord Menma, is this the new member of the organization?" Hizashi's gaze turned to the cloaked Kakuzu beside Menma.
"Mhm. The immortal ninja Kakuzu, with the strength to serve as a 'Kage' of one of the five great nations. From today on, he is a member of [JIN]."
He briefly explained Kakuzu's origins but deliberately omitted the story of his fight with the First Hokage. When Hizashi heard that Kakuzu was over ninety years old, a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself.
Throughout the introduction, Kakuzu only said one cold sentence. "I thought joining [JIN] would get me more high-value bounties... but seeing the organization's financial strength, it's clear you don't make money that way. About the source of funding... tell me in detail later."
Faced with Kakuzu, who wanted to learn business management, Hizashi cautiously looked to Menma for instructions. Menma knew that Kakuzu liked to make and save money but not to spend it, so he nodded in agreement.
Kakuzu's life could be summed up by the phrase "the man died, but the money wasn't spent." In the long years of the original story, the wealth he had painstakingly accumulated over decades, he had hardly touched a single bit of it, only for it to be squandered in one night by a certain spendthrift woman.
Then, just as Naruto was about to question Hizashi about how this magnificent palace was in any way related to the word "hidden," Hizashi, as if he had anticipated it, spoke first.
"Lord Menma, you must have many questions about this place," Hizashi said, making a respectful gesture. "But please, follow me first."
Passing through the magnificent corridors of the main hall, they arrived at a spacious backyard. Here, there were only a few unremarkable work sheds, a stark contrast to the luxury of the front. Hizashi led them into one of them and pushed aside the tool cabinets on both sides—
With a soft click, a wide staircase hidden under the floor was revealed.
Naruto understood something... So... this luxurious building outside is just a front?
Descending the stairs, the scene before them gradually became familiar. A spacious underground space, cold stone walls, and a complex network of passages—it was a bit like the secret base of the "Root" organization in the anime. Hizashi explained in detail on the side.
"This place was actually just recently completed. The basic structures of the training grounds, laboratories, and archives are finished, but the equipment is still being configured. I will complete it as soon as possible."
He continued, "Throughout the town, I have also set up multiple secret entrances to this place, all encrypted with a specific sealing formula. Only organization members can enter..."
Faced with such a thorough arrangement, what could Naruto say?
"...Well done."
-------
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