Menma was, at his core, the ultimate realist.
What he believed in now was the exchange of benefitsnothing more, nothing less. In his view, that was the most stable and reliable form of relationship.
It wasn't that Menma inherently distrusted others; rather, trust depended on circumstances and value. At present, the only person he could truly place unconditional trust in was Karin. As for everyone else, whether Menma was willing or not was irrelevantwhat mattered was whether they themselves were worthy of that trust.
Because of this, Menma understood something very clearly: if he simply rejected Ōnoki outright, then in the foreseeable future, the Third Tsuchikageand the vast military power of Iwagakure under his commandwould inevitably become one of his greatest enemies.
The Nine-Tails.
A rogue jinchūriki.
If Menma placed himself in the position of a Kage, he knew he would never tolerate such a variable. Capturing that jinchūriki and replacing the host would immediately elevate a village's military strength to an entirely new level.
No one could resist such temptationunless they simply lacked the strength to act on it.
And did Iwagakure look like a weak village?
Ōnoki had been far too candid earlier. His response to the third question had already revealed his stance with complete clarity.
"So, you're proposing that we deal with Konoha together?"
Ōnoki narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Menma, a contemplative glint flashing within them.
This was not a development he had anticipated.
Unexpected? Not entirely.
But from Ōnoki's perspective, Menma was still just a twelve-year-old boy.
From the standpoint of forming an alliance, that hardly inspired confidence.
And yet, for reasons he couldn't quite articulate, as he looked at Menma's composed and confident demeanor, Ōnoki found himself considering the possibility more seriously than he expected.
Still, there was a fundamental prerequisite: he needed to see tangible benefits for Iwagakure.
Ōnoki was not a man who acted impulsively. But when he did act, he ensured that the rewards were worth the riskhe was not one to make a move unless he was certain of securing the prize.
An alliance against Konohagakure did present potential advantages.
But Ōnoki was no ordinary shinobi. He was a Tsuchikage who had ruled for decadessomeone who had witnessed countless wars, betrayals, and shifting alliances.
Menma's intentions were transparent to him almost instantly.
An alliance required more than words. At its core, it demanded parityeither in strength, influence, or strategic valueand a shared objective that justified cooperation.
From Ōnoki's perspective, Menma alone did not fulfill those conditions.
To be blunt, he did not believe Menma currently possessed the qualifications to stand as an equal ally.
Ōnoki represented Iwagakureone of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
He commanded tens of thousands of shinobi.
He had access to two jinchūriki.
In contrast, Menma stood alone, unable to fully wield the power of the Nine-Tails.
The disparity between them was obvious.
The respect Ōnoki had shown earlier was not born of equality, but of appreciation for talentand a deliberate display of goodwill.
"No, Menma-kun," Ōnoki said calmly, shaking his head as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Let us set aside the matter of an alliance. Iwagakure has no need for allies."
The meaning behind those words was unmistakable.
Yet Menma showed no sign of urgency.
Instead, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Haha… Ōnoki-san, there's no need to be so hasty. Konoha may be the primary target, but I have other bargaining chips. If, after hearing them, you still find no interest in forming an alliance, then we can simply pretend I never brought it up. How about that?"
Menma's tone was calm, almost casual.
Ōnoki paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity surfacing.
"Oh? Then I'm all ears. Let's hear what kind of bargaining chips you believe you possess, Menma-kun."
The shift in attitude was subtle, but unmistakable.
And entirely natural.
Ōnoki had already made his position clear earlier. Menma understood this perfectly and did not take offense.
After a brief pause, Menma spoke again.
"In that case… this involves an organization known as Akatsuki."
To put it simply, Menma did not possess many tangible assets at this stage.
Compared to a Kage, his current value was limitedprimarily his status as the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, and to a lesser extent, his Uzumaki lineage.
But unlike the Uchiha or Hyūga clans, whose dōjutsuthe Sharingan and Byakuganwere recognized as the pinnacle of kekkei genkai in the shinobi world, Menma had no such advantage to leverage.
So he had to take a different approach.
Akatsuki.
Konoha.
The Nine-Tails incident twelve years ago.
The underlying tensions between the Five Great Nations.
These were the real bargaining chips Menma could offerintelligence, foresight, and his willingness to act as a blade.
In truth, despite his outward confidence, much of this was calculated performance.
Earlier, when Ōnoki extended the invitation, the initiative had been entirely in Menma's hands.
Now, the situation was reversed.
Ōnoki held the advantage.
All Menma could do was present as many compelling conditions as possible and attempt to persuade him.
Even by his own estimation, the probability of success was less than thirty percentperhaps even lower.
This was not an equal negotiation.
Menma was, in essence, operating from a position of disadvantage.
As he carefully revealed fragments of informationdeliberately controlling what was said and what remained hiddenŌnoki's expression gradually turned more serious.
At the same time, Orochimaru, standing nearby, showed a faint flicker of surprise in his golden, slit-like pupils as he cast Menma a sidelong glance.
Setting everything else aside…
The sheer volume of intelligence Menma possessed regarding Akatsuki was unexpected.
Even for Orochimaru.
What he did not know, however, was that Menma was still holding back. Every piece of information shared had been carefully filtered.
Menma knew exactly where the line was.
Even so, the value of this "intelligence" was not absolute.
While Menma maintained a composed exterior, his thoughts churned rapidly beneath the surface.
Because, in truth, he lacked absolute confidence.
The man standing before him was no ordinary opponent.
Ōnoki was a veteran of countless conflictsa true relic of the shinobi world.
And in reality…
Ōnoki was not easily persuaded.
Although Menma had mentioned Konoha, Akatsuki, past conflicts, and various other factors that might sway an average individual, they were far from sufficient to move someone like him.
To Ōnoki, most of this information was neither particularly valuable nor entirely irrelevantit simply did not carry decisive weight.
At best, it prompted a slight adjustment in his attitude.
However…
Among everything Menma had said, there was one particular point that caught Ōnoki's attention.
Whether or not it would be enough to influence his final decision was another matter entirely.
"What do you think, Tsuchikage-sama?" Menma asked, exhaling softly as he met Ōnoki's gaze with unwavering calm. "I believe this proposal offers considerable benefitsfor both you and Iwagakure."