"Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we? Orochimaru-san wouldn't send you here just to chat. We're in Konoha—speak directly."
Menma's voice was curt, his eyes fixed sharply on Yakushi Kabuto.
"Heh… Menma-kun really is impatient." Kabuto replied with his usual polite, false smile. "My objective is simple. I'm here on behalf of Orochimaru-sama to formally invite Menma-kun to join our plan. How about it?"
The smile was soft. The words gentle.
But Menma's heart jolted like a struck bell.
"A plan? What plan? Don't play riddles with me."
He creased his brows, annoyance in his expression, while a faint ripple of the Nine-Tails' chakra leaked out around him.
Kabuto felt that chakra instantly—and his heartbeat tightened for a moment.
"My apologies," Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses. "Just as Menma-kun stated earlier to Orochimaru-sama—Orochimaru-sama did not return to Konoha to reminisce. His goal is to destroy the Hidden Leaf. Menma-kun has held hatred toward Konoha for years, hasn't he? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance."
Menma's pupils tightened. The confirmation hit him harder than expected, even though he already suspected it.
"What did you say? Destroy Konoha?"
His voice became razor-sharp.
"Yes," Kabuto said smoothly. "To destroy Konoha. That is Orochimaru-sama's true reason for returning this time."
He continued, smiling faintly.
"For you, Menma-kun… isn't this also something you desire?"
Menma's expression shifted.
As a transmigrator, he naturally knew about the Konoha Crush Plan.
What he didn't understand was:
Why invite him? And why now?
But the doubt lasted only a second.
After all, the moment he openly offered cooperation to Orochimaru, he had stepped onto this dangerous path himself.
"It's true," Menma said slowly, his tone measured. "I'm interested in seeing Konoha fall. But—no offense to Orochimaru-san—Konoha might be weakened without Jiraiya or Tsunade around, but even starving, a giant remains a giant. It's been just over ten years since Orochimaru-san defected. To say he has enough power to destroy Konoha now? Heh… forgive me if I'm not fully convinced."
He raised an eyebrow deliberately, letting doubt show plainly on his face.
Kabuto's smile deepened.
"Heh… Menma-kun has his concerns, of course. But since you've fought Orochimaru-sama personally, you should know his strength. Over the years, his forces have grown far beyond what Menma-kun imagines. And there's more—our most crucial ally is one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages: Sunagakure, the Hidden Sand Village."
Kabuto's glasses glinted.
"With their cooperation… don't you think that's enough to bring down Konoha?"
"Hidden Sand, huh?" Menma mused. "That is a large move. But tell me this: how exactly do you plan to act? Orochimaru-san, of all people, should understand Konoha's real strength. No other village has a higher number of active, trained ninja. Even if most are stationed around the Land of Fire or out on missions, there are still thousands in the village."
Menma's eyes sharpened.
"So even with the Sand's help—how many shinobi can they sneak near Konoha? Too few is meaningless. Too many, and the border guards will notice immediately. Or is Orochimaru-san planning some kind of border ambush? That would be disappointing."
It was the flaw in the original manga's logic—how did Oto and Suna forces bypass Konoha's border without being detected?
Menma already had guesses.
But as a collaborator—not a subordinate—he had to voice the question.
Kabuto's expression stiffened for the first time.
"Menma-kun is… cautious and meticulous."
A strange glint passed through his eyes.
"If I weren't, would I have survived to this age, Kabuto-san?" Menma said with mocking calm.
Kabuto exhaled lightly.
"Then Menma-kun should know this as well. We can bypass Konoha's border defenses. With the right timing, Oto-nin and Suna-nin can infiltrate the outskirts of the village undetected. Naturally, if we wish to destroy Konoha, we must strike its heart."
Kabuto's voice was steady, confident.
"Of course, a full army would be impossible. But a thousand elite shinobi is feasible. As you said, Orochimaru-sama was once a high-ranking Konoha shinobi. Konoha is filled with his spies—people like me, and… others in even higher positions."
Kabuto smiled.
"These people are Orochimaru-sama's hidden blades."