"No, no, Orochimaru-san. Wasn't that already part of our agreement?"
Menma smiled faintly as he looked at Orochimaru.
"And if we're being honest, you've been the one helping me the most all this time. I will continue to need your assistance in the future. We are companions walking the same path, aren't we, Orochimaru-san?"
The meaning behind those words was impossible to miss.
Ever since leaving Konoha and obtaining the freedom that many people might consider worthless or even foolish Menma's mindset had gradually changed.
As his training advanced and his research continued to bear fruit, his strength increased steadily.
And so did his ambitions.
Revenge remained his most fundamental goal.
That had never changed.
However, beyond revenge, Menma also desired greater power, higher realms of existence, and one ambition that he rarely revealed to anyone.
The desire to return home.
A longing buried deep within his soul.
If he could somehow arrive in this world from another existence, then logically, the reverse should also be possible.
Was it guaranteed?
No.
But neither was it impossible.
The purest power of the Ōtsutsuki Clan was not merely overwhelming chakra.
It was their ability to travel between worlds and dimensions.
That was the destination Menma sought.
He was Menma Uzumaki.
But he was also the young man from another life.
The people and bonds he had formed in this world mattered greatly to him.
Yet the memories of his previous life mattered just as much.
Because of that, Orochimaru was undoubtedly the most suitable ally he could ask for.
Especially when it came to scientific research.
Menma had confidence in many things.
Scientific genius was not one of them.
Compared to Orochimaru, he knew his own limitations.
"You're right."
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"That was indeed part of our agreement."
At that moment, the legendary Sannin was not merely interested because of the materials and information Menma had provided.
It was because of Menma himself.
After spending so much time together, Orochimaru knew that Menma had already seen through many of his intentions and ambitions.
Yet Menma still spoke those words.
That alone was enough to prove that they shared certain goals.
For perhaps the first time in many years, Orochimaru felt a trace of genuine excitement.
Many things in life were difficult.
Finding a true confidant was perhaps the hardest of all.
Orochimaru could not yet say whether Menma would ultimately become such a person.
But this beginning already exceeded his expectations.
Without realizing it, Menma's importance within Orochimaru's heart had risen another level.
"Then allow me to congratulate you in advance, Menma-kun."
Orochimaru chuckled.
"May your future endeavors proceed smoothly. And remember, if you require assistance in the future, you may ask. That is also part of our agreement."
"Haha, then I'll gladly accept those blessings."
Menma smiled.
"As it happens, there is indeed a small favor I would like Orochimaru-san to help me with."
"Oh?"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.
"Let's hear it."
"I would like one person from Orochimaru-san."
Menma looked directly into Orochimaru's eyes.
"And I hope you can part with him."
For the first time, Orochimaru appeared slightly surprised.
"One person?"
"Yes."
Menma nodded firmly.
"Just one person."
Some time later, Menma's figure had already disappeared from the underground base.
Only Orochimaru and Kabuto remained.
Orochimaru sat quietly upon his seat, his golden eyes fixed on the place where Menma had been sitting earlier.
Thoughtfulness flickered across his face.
"Lord Orochimaru."
Kabuto Yakushi stepped forward from the shadows.
"Is it really appropriate to let Menma Uzumaki take Suigetsu away?"
The person Menma had requested was none other than Suigetsu Hōzuki.
Among all of Orochimaru's subordinates, Suigetsu was one of the few individuals with notable talent, unique abilities, and future potential.
More importantly, unlike most of Orochimaru's followers, Suigetsu feared Orochimaru but was not truly loyal to him.
To put it bluntly, among Orochimaru's forces, Suigetsu was the only person Menma believed he could realistically recruit for himself.
Whether he could truly earn Suigetsu's allegiance would depend entirely on Menma's own abilities.
However, now that Orochimaru had personally agreed to release him, the first obstacle had already disappeared.
Orochimaru merely smiled.
"It doesn't matter."
His tone was relaxed.
"The Hōzuki Clan's Hydrification Technique certainly has value, but it isn't comparable to the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku. Furthermore, you know Suigetsu's personality as well as I do."
Kabuto nodded slightly.
Suigetsu had never been the obedient type.
Even when he followed Orochimaru, he did so more out of necessity than loyalty.
"Letting him leave changes nothing."
Orochimaru's expression remained indifferent.
Although Suigetsu's combat ability had already surpassed most of the shinobi under his command and his future potential was considerable, his bloodline had limited research value compared to other projects.
Most importantly, he lacked complete loyalty.
Under those circumstances, Orochimaru felt no attachment whatsoever.
Compared to what Menma had provided, Suigetsu's value was insignificant.
And Orochimaru also understood exactly why Menma wanted him.
You truly think highly of me, Menma-kun.
A faint smile appeared on Orochimaru's lips.
Interesting. Very interesting.
"Kabuto."
Orochimaru suddenly spoke.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
"The Rinnegan research project should be accelerated."
Kabuto's expression immediately became serious.
"Yes."
"This time, we will directly incorporate Hashirama's cells into the experiment. No substitutes."
"I understand."
Kabuto nodded.
Then Orochimaru continued.
"Also, increase surveillance around Konoha. I want information regarding any members of the Hyūga Clan who leave the village."
Kabuto's eyes widened slightly.
The Hyūga Clan?
The Byakugan?
Although the Byakugan possessed immense research value, it had never been among Orochimaru's immediate priorities.
At least, not until now.
However, Kabuto wisely suppressed his curiosity.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
Members of the Hyūga main family rarely left Konoha.
Rarely.
Not never.
Even Hyūga Hiashi had performed missions outside the village during his youth.
Capturing a member of the main family would be extraordinarily difficult, but not impossible.
Orochimaru paused briefly before speaking again.
"Begin with the branch family."
His eyes narrowed.
"Alive."
"Understood."
"The Caged Bird Seal may restrict their Byakugan, but as long as they remain alive, their eyes retain research value."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
Kabuto bowed respectfully.
Different choices created different futures.
Ever since Menma defected from Konoha, the original course of history had already begun to shift.
Kakashi Hatake had lost his Sharingan.
Ōnoki had established a special relationship with Menma on behalf of Iwagakure.
Menma had joined Takigakure.
Orochimaru's research direction had begun to diverge from its original path.
The future was no longer the one recorded in Menma's memories.
And the changes would only continue to grow.
Even Menma himself could no longer accurately predict what lay ahead.
The original storyline could no longer serve as a reliable guide.
At best, it provided information regarding potential enemies and future threats.
Everything else would have to be determined by his own judgment and strength.
Which was precisely why he needed to become stronger as quickly as possible.
And the most direct method remained unchanged.
The Nine-Tails.
Kurama's power.
Once he fully mastered it, whether through the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode or complete Tailed Beast Transformation, Menma's strength would undergo a qualitative leap.
Only then could he truly step into the realm occupied by the strongest shinobi in the world.
Konoha Year 61 January 1st
Takigakure
Northern Wilderness Region.
A large but relatively simple structure stood alone upon an isolated stretch of land.
This was Menma's private laboratory.
Originally, Shibuki had wanted to construct something far more luxurious, but Menma had refused.
Functionality mattered.
Appearance did not.
One noteworthy detail was that every piece of equipment, every supply, and every facility within the laboratory had been funded personally by Menma.
Not a single ryō came from Takigakure's treasury.
The research conducted here belonged solely to him.
Menma had no intention of treating Takigakure as a resource to exploit.
Whether he ultimately succeeded in integrating himself into the village was another matter.
For now, he intended to proceed carefully.
Deep within the laboratory stood a heavily secured chamber.
Barrier techniques.
Sealing arrays.
Layer upon layer of protection surrounded the room.
While they could not compare to the strongest barriers in the shinobi world, they were more than sufficient to prevent intrusion by ordinary shinobi.
Inside the chamber stood two figures.
Menma.
And Karin.
More than ten days had passed since Menma's return from Orochimaru's base.
Aside from necessary appearances within the village, he had spent nearly all of that time here.
It was now the sixty-first year of Konoha.
According to Menma's memories, less than three years remained before the beginning of Naruto's Shippūden era.
And that assumed history continued along its original course.
Considering how much had already changed, Menma could not afford complacency.
Time was becoming increasingly precious.
Today marked the beginning of another gamble.
A dangerous one.
He intended to challenge the seal within his body.
The Eight Trigrams Seal.
"Are we really doing this today?"
Karin's expression was filled with concern.
"Menma, isn't this too reckless?"
She glanced toward the prepared equipment.
"We've only completed fifteen rounds of comparative testing. Even with Orochimaru's data, experimental subjects and real human bodies are completely different."
Menma smiled reassuringly.
"There is no need to worry."
"The previous experiments already verified our hypothesis."
He picked up a specially prepared vial containing a pale liquid.
"And most of the foundational research came directly from Orochimaru's work."
His gaze became serious.
"This activation compound should significantly increase my cellular activity and physical adaptability."
Then he added:
"The worst-case scenario is that the enhancement falls short of expectations. Nothing more."
Karin clearly wasn't convinced.
But she remained silent.
To break the restraints imposed by the Eight Trigrams Seal, Menma first needed sufficient mastery over sealing techniques.
Unfortunately, he did not possess the key that Jiraiya carried.
Therefore, he could only pursue an alternative solution.
After combining his growing knowledge of fūinjutsu with information obtained from Orochimaru and his memories of future events, Menma had finally developed a possible method.
Not a guaranteed solution.
But a possibility.
And for Menma, a possibility was enough.
The second requirement was even more important.
His body had to withstand increasingly larger quantities of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Normally, an Uzumaki's physique would gradually adapt over time.
But time was precisely what Menma lacked.
He could not afford to wait years.
The specially developed activation serum represented his shortcut.
By stimulating cellular growth and increasing overall physical capacity, it would theoretically allow his body to endure greater amounts of Kurama's chakra far earlier than normal.
Most of the formula originated from Orochimaru's research.
Menma and Karin had merely modified it to better suit the Uzumaki bloodline.
The previous fifteen experiments had already produced favorable results.
More testing would certainly reduce the risks.
But only marginally.
One percent.
Perhaps two.
Nothing more.
Which meant the answer remained the same.
This was a gamble.
A dangerous gamble.
Yet from the moment Menma chose to abandon Konoha, his life had already become one.
The only option left was to keep moving forward.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 278 ON PATREON.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED CHAPTERS BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE OR PURCHASE THE BOOK FOR LIFETIME ACCESS!
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD