Menma did not take the warning seriously.
This was, after all, someone else's territory. Being reminded of rules and restrictions was only natural. Throughout the escort, Menma responded casually, maintaining a polite smile on his face. Outwardly relaxed, inwardly he was already thinking several steps ahead. how he should establish initial contact with the young leader of Takigakure, and how best to guide the conversation afterward.
At the same time, he quietly expanded his perception, carefully probing the interior of the village.
The Takigakure shown during that particular episode in the original records appeared small and unremarkable, hardly resembling a true ninja village. But Menma knew very well that such a portrayal was only partial.
This village possessed the Seven-Tails, and in its prime, Takigakure had once been regarded as a strong candidate to become the sixth great ninja village. Even Kakuzu had originated from this place.
There was no way Takigakure was as insignificant as it appeared on the surface.
Within Menma's vast sensory range, hundreds of chakra signatures were clearly detectable nearby, with many more moving farther away throughout the village. Although the scale was nowhere near that of the Five Great Villages, Takigakure still housed tens of thousands of civilians and several hundred active shinobi.
When accounting for patrol units, border guards, and outlying task forces, the total number of shinobi likely exceeded a thousand.
However
The overall chakra quality was undeniably weak.
The number of shinobi whose chakra reached jōnin level could be counted on one hand. Compared to its peak era, Takigakure was clearly in decline, disorganized, underpowered, and lacking true high-level combatants.
What concerned Menma most was something else entirely.
Within the range of his perception, he did not sense any particularly overwhelming chakra fluctuations.
Given how far his sensing abilities extended now, this absence was glaring.
'Is the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki… not currently in the village?'
A figure surfaced in Menma's mind almost instinctively.
Fū—the girl with short blue-green hair.
She was one of the most critical pieces in Menma's long-term plans.
Any jinchūriki, as long as they could draw out even a portion of their tailed beast's power, possessed combat strength comparable to a Kage-level shinobi.
And perfect jinchūriki
Those were monsters among monsters.
Figures like Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage and Three-Tails jinchūriki, or Killer B, the Eight-Tails jinchūriki especially the latter. When fully unleashed, even ordinary Kage-class shinobi stood no chance against them.
Although Fū played a limited role in the original records, she was still the Seven-Tails' host.
Even under conservative estimation, she should possess at least baseline Kage-level potential.
This alone was enough to make Takigakure a priority target.
"Please wait here for a moment," the escorting shinobi said respectfully.
"Our leader, Lord Shibuki, will arrive shortly to meet the two of you."
Under normal circumstances, foreign visitors would never be granted a direct audience with a village leader.
Even though Takigakure was no longer among the Five Great Villages, its leader still commanded a ninja village with hundreds of shinobi under his authority. In the ninja world, such a position was already considered extremely prestigious.
The only reason Menma could bypass standard protocol
Was because he carried the identity of an envoy representing a high-ranking official of the Land of Fire.
"Mm," Menma replied with a nod, moving to his seat.
Karin followed and sat down beside him without expression. This had been agreed upon in advance—she would maintain a cold, distant demeanor, leaving all negotiations to Menma.
Otherwise, Menma was genuinely concerned she might expose something unintentionally.
Of course, Menma had also prepared contingency measures in case their disguise failed.
Transformation Jutsu was deceptively profound. While most ordinary shinobi could not detect it, elite illusion specialists, sensor-type shinobi, or those with special dōjutsu could potentially see through it.
Menma never assumed things would go perfectly.
He had come with a "test the waters" mentality.
If it failed, he would withdraw without hesitation.
'It all depends on whether the opportunity exists.'
Menma lifted the tea that had just been served, taking a light sip as he waited.
The wait was brief.
Less than ten minutes later, footsteps echoed from the entrance of the reception hall.
Menma had already sensed the approaching chakra beforehand.
When he turned his head
A young man entered first.
Behind him followed a middle-aged shinobi wearing a turban, his facial features sharp and severe. A faint but unmistakable chill radiated from his body.
There was no doubt this man was strong.
"Apologies for keeping our two distinguished guests waiting," the young leader said warmly, smiling as his gaze settled on Menma.
"Please forgive the delay."
At first glance, his demeanor hardly resembled that of a ninja village leader.
Rather than authority, he gave off the impression of a friendly neighbor.
Karin maintained her icy expression on the surface, but internally she was already complaining nonstop.
Menma, however, was unsurprised.
Shibuki had always appeared this way in the original records. gentle, hesitant, lacking decisiveness.
Menma even suspected that Shibuki barely held real control over the village.
Otherwise, why would Team 7 have been assigned as guards when Shibuki returned to the village in the past? Where were his personal bodyguards?
Add to that the internal rebellion, the conflict over Hero Water, and the infiltration by rogue shinobi
Everything pointed to one conclusion.
Takigakure was plagued by internal power struggles.
"No, the fault lies with us for visiting without prior notice and troubling Lord Shibuki's time," Menma replied courteously.
He and Karin stood simultaneously as Shibuki entered, Menma offering a shallow bow with a polite smile.
"How could this be considered a bother?" Shibuki said quickly.
"It is an honor for Takigakure to be valued by a minister of the Land of Fire."
Despite his weak appearance, Shibuki handled formal occasions competently.
After a brief internal confirmation, he was already sixty to seventy percent certain that Menma's identity was legitimate. For a village like Takigakure, receiving a mission from the Land of Fire,especially one connected to high-ranking political figures was extremely rare.
"You don't need to be so formal," Shibuki continued as he took his seat at the head position.
"Just call me Shibuki. The person beside me is Shibasa, the strongest jōnin of Takigakure."
He gestured toward the stern man behind him.
"If the mission is appropriate, it will be handled directly by Shibasa. Ah how rude of me. May I ask how I should address the two of you?"
The opening had been made.
And Menma knew
This was where the real game began.
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