"Furthermore, there is Gaara of the Hidden Sand. You've met him already, haven't you, Menma-kun? I'll be direct: he is the linchpin of this entire operation. He is the Hidden Sand's One-Tail Jinchuriki. You, of all people, should know exactly what that implies, right? This information hasn't been made public yet, but on the day of the Chunin Exams, the Kazekage of the Sand will also be in attendance. When the time comes, he will strike alongside Lord Orochimaru. I wonder... is that enough firepower to satisfy you?"
A gleam of excitement surfaced in Kabuto's eyes as he spoke.
"The One-Tail Jinchuriki, a covert elite force, and the Kazekage? Indeed, that is sufficient power. It seems Orochimaru has been preparing for this for a long time," Menma replied with a cold sneer.
It was the exact same military configuration as in the original story.
According to the plan between the Sound and the Sand, Gaara would unleash the Tailed Beast straight into the heart of the village. Then, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, would join forces with Orochimaru to take down the Third Hokage. Simultaneously, the elite troops waiting outside would raid the village. Given Konoha's current lack of high-end combat power, the destruction would be catastrophic.
The destructive power of the One-Tail, Shukaku, was unparalleled.
Theoretically, two Kage-level fighters joining forces should be enough to suppress the aging Third Hokage. If they could kill him quickly, the "Konoha Crush" plan would undoubtedly succeed. Whether they could completely destroy the village was another matter, but crippling it was a guarantee.
And one shouldn't forget: there was a certain "scheming old hypocrite" within Konoha who would choose to sit on the sidelines and watch the village burn.
Kabuto didn't say it explicitly, and the original story never confirmed it outright, but Menma could easily guess who Orochimaru's biggest internal asset was. It had to be Danzo Shimura. No one else had the authority or the means to help the Sound and Sand ninja bypass the border defenses and surveillance.
And no one desired Hiruzen Sarutobi's death more than him.
Most "impenetrable" defenses are usually broken from the inside, after all.
In the original timeline, the plan failed because of two key deficits in combat power: Gaara failed to transform fully within the village and was subsequently defeated by Naruto, and the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, likely got cold feet about working with Orochimaru, forcing Orochimaru to assassinate him and impersonate the Kazekage to keep the plan moving.
In this timeline, Rasa would most likely still be killed by Orochimaru.
Menma couldn't interfere with that. In fact, from Menma's perspective, Rasa had to die. If the Fourth Kazekage remained alive and decided to unilaterally call off the attack, Orochimaru's Sound forces alone wouldn't be enough to launch the invasion.
If that happened, Menma's own escape plan would be obstructed.
So, if Rasa was going to have second thoughts, he needed to die.
As for Gaara, Menma would just have to see how things played out on the day. But for now, Orochimaru was clearly counting on Menma to be a factor.
"Well? Menma-kun? Can you give me your answer? Will you join Lord Orochimaru's plan? This is the perfect opportunity to vent all the resentment you've built up over the years," Kabuto asked, smiling broadly.
Facing Kabuto's expectant posture, Menma's expression turned grim.
This was an invitation.
But it was also a test.
Although their previous deal was enough to show Menma's attitude toward the Hidden Leaf, that had only been words. Orochimaru hadn't seen any concrete action yet.
After returning and thinking it over, Orochimaru had decided that inviting Menma into the "Konoha Crush" would be mutually beneficial—both for the plan itself and for Menma.
Menma could smell the distinct scent of manipulation in the air.
'As expected of the biggest boss in the early game,' Menma mused internally.
A second later, he looked Kabuto in the eye and gave a soft chuckle. "Since Orochimaru has prepared so thoroughly, I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't participate. However, let me make one thing perfectly clear from the start: I will only make my move after I see the Leaf plunge into chaos. If your attack is suppressed right at the start, or if you've lied to me about your military strength... then I apologize, but I won't be playing with fire alongside you."
Before leaving, he would leave Konoha a "special gift."
Truth be told, after Kabuto extended the invitation, that dark desire within Menma began to grow like wildfire.
There was no point talking to Menma about justice or innocence. In this world, those words were luxuries he couldn't afford.
The old Menma might have hesitated or refused, still clinging to the moral filters of his past life as an ordinary person. But things were different now.
Menma had fully integrated into this world. He didn't care about those minor moral dilemmas anymore.
He only cared about himself and the people who truly stood by him. Everything else was meaningless.
Therefore, without further hesitation, Menma accepted Orochimaru's invitation.
Hearing Menma's answer, the smile on Kabuto's face deepened. This was exactly what he wanted to hear, and exactly what he had predicted.
Since Menma was already allied with Lord Orochimaru and held a grudge against Konoha, refusing this invitation was essentially impossible.
"I knew you wouldn't refuse, Menma-kun. Here is the basic outline of the plan. Take a look. Of course, this is just a preliminary draft. There is still a full month before execution, and things may change. If there are any adjustments, I will contact you immediately."
As he spoke, Kabuto pulled a scroll from his vest and tossed it lightly toward Menma.
Menma caught it with a backhanded grab.
"Heh. Just remember what I said. I will act based on the situation. Make sure you tell Orochimaru that personally," Menma said indifferently.
"Naturally. Well then, I won't disturb you any longer. excuse me."
Kabuto bowed slightly.
Whoosh.
With a flicker of movement, he melted into the thick night and vanished completely. Within seconds, he had moved beyond the range of Menma's sensory perception.