This was never meant to be a one-time transaction.
Nor was it a deal that would end after a single exchange.
Menma had already made his intentions clear from the very beginning. He did not come to Orochimaru merely as a temporary ally, but as a long-term collaborator. Menma needed Orochimaru, and from the current situation, Orochimaru also needed Menma just as urgently—if not more so. Not to mention the fact that the fragmented intelligence and unknown variables Menma could produce at any time were, in themselves, an immeasurable treasure.
Of course, compared to calling it cooperation, their relationship was better described as mutual exploitation.
It was much like Orochimaru's past dealings with Shimura Danzō. However, compared to Danzō, Orochimaru would find Menma far more troublesome—and paradoxically, far more suitable. That "suitability" applied to every aspect of the matter.
What Orochimaru did not know was that, in Menma's eyes, he was nothing more than fertile soil.
Before Menma fully matured and mastered power sufficient to stand at the top of the shinobi world, he needed someone capable of supplying everything he lacked—manpower, resources, funding, intelligence, experimental facilities, and protection.
That was precisely why, after deciding to sever all ties with Konoha, Menma's choices had been extremely limited.
It wasn't that there were no other forces or individuals with resources. Rather, every alternative came with risks Menma was unwilling to gamble on.
Only Orochimaru—someone utterly devoid of hypocrisy in certain crucial aspects—was the most suitable option.
You will become the most important stepping stone in my plan, Orochimaru-sama. Either I will be devoured by you… or you will be reduced to my pawn.
Menma gazed at Orochimaru at close range. Beneath his calm and polite exterior, his heart was colder than ice.
"Then I'll have to trouble Kabuto-san to prepare the items recorded in the scroll from earlier."
Menma turned his attention to Yakushi Kabuto and spoke evenly.
"Additionally, I'll need a relatively large open area and a separate room. Please make the necessary arrangements."
"Yes, I understand."
Kabuto adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and replied with a professional smile.
"Please rest assured, Menma-kun. Everything will be prepared within three days. As for the open space, I will immediately have the training ground on the far right side of the base cleared. There is an unused laboratory adjacent to it—you may use it freely. Will that suffice?"
"Yes, that will be fine."
Menma nodded lightly.
"I trust Kabuto-san's efficiency. Then I'll take my leave for today. Orochimaru-sama, please focus on recovering from your injuries. If there's anything you require, feel free to summon me at any time."
After offering these final words—polite yet distant—Menma turned and left without hesitation.
Karin hurried after him, and the two figures quickly disappeared into the dark corridor, their footsteps fading from the dim chamber.
The moment they were completely gone—
Orochimaru's expression darkened.
"Kabuto."
His voice dropped, cold and sharp.
"Based on the contents of those materials, begin a preliminary investigation immediately. Also, arrange for our people to re-establish contact with Shimura Danzō. There is certain information that must be clarified as quickly as possible. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
Kabuto nodded, then hesitated briefly.
"There was a message from Danzō earlier. Should we respond to it?"
Shimura Danzō was a man who rarely acted without purpose.
Not long after the Konoha Crush had concluded—and after learning that Menma had defected alongside Orochimaru—Danzō had immediately ordered Root operatives to contact Orochimaru and deliver his instructions.
It was a blatantly condescending approach.
Under normal circumstances, Orochimaru and his subordinates would not even bother acknowledging it. Ignoring Danzō entirely would have been perfectly reasonable.
However, the situation had changed.
And more importantly, it now involved Menma.
Kabuto, who had not yet become the near-equal to Orochimaru that he would be in the future, naturally needed to seek his master's opinion.
"There's no need to concern yourself too much with that."
Orochimaru replied with a cold chuckle, his lips curling into a disdainful smile.
"Just maintain contact through standard channels. That old man won't truly turn hostile. He still needs me."
He paused, then added as if recalling something.
"Oh, and deliver what we agreed upon earlier in advance. Inform him that the experiment has reached its final stage and will be completed soon."
Orochimaru frowned slightly, then continued.
"And regarding Tsunade—continue expanding the search. Increase the manpower. The moment there's any information, report it to me immediately."
Even with Menma's early disclosure, Orochimaru could roughly determine the true method for counteracting the Reaper Death Seal. Still, Menma's words alone were far from enough to earn absolute trust.
Caution was necessary.
Tsunade, his former teammate, was currently the most powerful medical ninja in the shinobi world. It would be foolish not to attempt to bring her into the equation. Moreover, Orochimaru possessed more than enough bargaining chips to entice her.
"I understand, Orochimaru-sama."
Kabuto nodded firmly.
Uzumaki Menma… how interesting.
A glint of cold amusement flashed through Orochimaru's snake-like pupils.
Let me see what your true objective is—and just how far you can go.
Since defecting from Konoha, Orochimaru had invested immense effort into building his own power base. This was most evident in the speed and efficiency with which resources could be mobilized.
Unlike rogue ninja such as Momochi Zabuza, who had relied on only a single subordinate, Orochimaru commanded a vast underground network. With a mere gesture, he could not obtain everything—but acquiring basic materials and specialized supplies posed little difficulty.
The items listed in Menma's scroll—
Were prepared in just over a day.
When Menma saw the neatly organized collection of special materials and experimental tools stacked within the room, his resolve hardened further.
As expected… I still need to move forward with that plan.
And I need to accelerate the pace.
The target—there's no need to hesitate anymore. I'll choose that one.
Menma's gaze lingered on the supplies, a thoughtful glint flickering in his eyes.
Personal strength was one thing.
Possessing a force capable of acting on one's behalf was another entirely.
At the very least, intelligence gathering and material acquisition would become vastly easier.
And unlike Orochimaru, Menma could not afford to start from nothing.
Because he only had
Three years left.
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