"Isn't this an unexpected surprise?"
Midori Aoi's death did not cause even the slightest fluctuation in Menma's emotions. Instead, his gaze settled on the blade resting in his palm, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
The Sword of the Thunder God.
Although Menma understood perfectly well that the weapon was far from the mythical artifact many in the shinobi world believed it to be, that did not diminish its value. At its core, it was a chakra-conducting weapon. However, both the craftsmanship and the materials used in its construction represented the absolute pinnacle of what the shinobi world could produce. Forged by master artisans and refined through generations, it was undoubtedly one of the most luxurious chakra weapons ever created.
From the perspective of ordinary shinobi, it was more than worthy of being called a divine weapon.
After all, this was the very sword once wielded by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. The fact that it had accompanied a shinobi of Tobirama's caliber into countless battles was proof enough of its quality. Even in conflicts involving Kage-level opponents, the blade possessed the durability and chakra conductivity necessary to remain effective.
At least for the present, Menma was extremely satisfied with his acquisition.
He calmly wiped the blood from the blade before raising the weapon and sliding it back into its scabbard. His hand lightly patted the sheath afterward, as though appreciating a treasured possession.
A small reward obtained from this mission.
Meanwhile, not far away, Suigetsu Hōzukihad also finished his battle.
The two remaining Amegakure shinobi had been eliminated without much difficulty.
Although Suigetsu at this stage was still far weaker than the version that would later emerge alongside Sasuke Uchiha, he was nevertheless a member of the Hōzuki Clan. Possessing the clan's unique Hydrification Technique and considerable combat talent, his strength was already approaching the level of a skilled chūnin or even a special jōnin. Against ordinary enemy shinobi, victory came easily.
After confirming that his targets were dead, Suigetsu straightened his posture and quickly approached Menma.
"Menma-sama."
Stopping a short distance away, he bowed respectfully.
Menma glanced toward him.
"How is it? What's the situation on the other side?"
"Yes, Menma-sama. Most of the Amegakure shinobi have already been dealt with."
Suigetsu lowered his head slightly as he delivered his report.
Everything had proceeded according to plan.
Within Shibuki's scheme, a large portion of the loyalists who had once served the previous leadership of Takigakure had been lured into the trap. Some individuals, such as Ajun and his followers, needed to be personally handled by Shibuki himself. However, the core supporters of the former regime the ones most likely to oppose the new leadership had to be removed entirely.
That responsibility had originally been assigned to the Amegakure force led by Midori Aoi.
Menma's designated role had been relatively simple. He was supposed to appear at the final stage and eliminate Midori Aoi's group, thereby preventing any evidence of direct cooperation between Takigakure and outside forces.
Even if everyone understood what had truly happened, appearances still mattered.
A village leader could not openly bear the stigma of collaborating with foreign shinobi to massacre his own people.
However, Menma had chosen to reverse the arrangement and use the situation to his advantage.
He dispatched Suigetsu, Tayuya, Kaoru, and the other subordinates Orochimaru had sent with him to ambush the Amegakure shinobi instead.
Originally, Midori Aoi's forces had been expected to clash with Ajun's group first. After the battlefield fragmented, even though Tayuya's side would be outnumbered, their superior strength and the advantage of surprise would still allow them to eliminate most of their targets.
The only complication had been the sheer number of enemy shinobi.
Realizing the situation was turning against him, Midori Aoi had attempted to retreat immediately. That decision had allowed him to temporarily escape the encirclement. Nevertheless, he was already wounded, and Suigetsu had continued the pursuit.
Whether sooner or later, his death had been inevitable.
As for the remaining subordinates, a few escaping would not matter.
Midori Aoi himself, however, absolutely could not be allowed to survive.
That had been Menma's direct order from the very beginning.
Before the mission started, Orochimaru had personally emphasized that Menma's commands were not to be questioned. Consequently, Suigetsu, Tayuya, Kaoru, and the others carried out every instruction with absolute obedience.
"Very good."
Menma nodded with satisfaction.
"Let's regroup with the others. I'd rather avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."
"Yes!"
The two vanished simultaneously.
Shunshin no Jutsu.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Their figures blurred across the forest as they headed toward the primary battlefield.
Menma's concern was not without reason.
Although Tayuya and the others had clearly assisted Ajun's group by attacking the Amegakure shinobi, they were still complete strangers to the Takigakure forces.
Once the battle ended, Ajun and the surviving Taki shinobi naturally maintained their guard.
The strength displayed by Tayuya's group had been overwhelming.
Even Ajun himself doubted whether he could defeat Tayuya in direct combat.
Who exactly are these people?
Ajun narrowed his eyes as he observed the group standing across from him.
None of them are wearing forehead protectors…
The former Otogakure shinobi no longer carried village insignia.
After Orochimaru abandoned any intention of maintaining the Hidden Sound Village as an official shinobi settlement, Otogakure had effectively vanished from the political stage of the shinobi world.
As a result, Tayuya, Kaoru, and the others no longer wore forehead protectors identifying them as Sound shinobi.
Given their relative obscurity, it was perfectly normal that Ajun could not recognize them.
Until he learned their identities and motives, caution remained necessary.
"Ajun-san, should we make a move?"
A young Taki shinobi with black hair and gray eyes stepped closer and spoke quietly while keeping a wary eye on Tayuya's group.
Ajun shook his head.
"Wait."
Although he remained cautious, the strangers had arrived specifically to assist them against the Amegakure attackers. Attacking them immediately would be reckless.
"Let's determine whether they're friend or foe first."
Just as Ajun took a step forward
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two figures appeared from the eastern side of the battlefield.
Menma and Suigetsu.
Ajun's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the masked figure.
It's him.
Menma landed nearby and offered a calm smile.
"Ajun-san, there's no need to be nervous. We came at Leader Shibuki's request to help Takigakure eliminate the traitors."
"Fang-san."
The tension in Ajun's expression visibly eased.
Although he could not claim complete trust, Menma was at least a familiar face.
More importantly, Shibuki had previously informed him about this arrangement.
"Then I must thank you for your assistance."
Ajun bowed slightly.
"Without your help, this battle would have been much more difficult."
"No need for thanks."
Menma replied with a faint smile.
"Helping one's allies is only natural."
The words carried a deeper meaning that only Menma himself fully understood.
After all, Takigakure would soon belong to him.
In a sense, he truly was helping his own people.
Ajun nodded.
"Then let's return to the village together, Fang-san."
"Of course."
Menma agreed immediately.
With the battle concluded and the final obstacles removed, the next phase of the plan could finally begin.
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