Chapitre 70: Plans and Arrangements
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After leaving Konoha, Menma's options had been limited. Sure, there were other individuals and factions, but they each came with too much baggage. Orochimaru, despite his twisted nature, had a certain... pragmatism. And that made him the only one Menma could afford to trust, at least for now.
'You'll be the key to my rise, Orochimaru. Either I'll surpass you... or you'll become my pawn.'
Menma's expression remained calm as he met Orochimaru's gaze, but inwardly, his resolve was cold and calculating.
"I'll need you to procure everything listed in the scroll," Menma said, turning toward Kabuto. "Also, I'll need a large open space and a private room for my work."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses and offered a polite smile. "Understood, Menma-kun. I'll make sure everything is ready in three days. The far-right training ground will be cleared for your use, and you're free to access the main laboratory. Will that be acceptable?"
"Yes, that will do," Menma replied. His eyes flickered briefly toward Orochimaru. "Orochimaru-san, make sure you take care of your injuries. If you need anything from me, let me know."
With that, Menma turned and left the room, Karin trailing closely behind him.
As their figures vanished into the shadows, Orochimaru's expression darkened.
"Kabuto," Orochimaru's voice grew cold, "begin the analysis on the scroll's contents immediately. Also, contact our informants within ROOT. There are certain... details I need confirmed."
Kabuto nodded, his eyes gleaming behind his glasses. "Yes, Lord Orochimaru. However... Danzo has already sent word. Should we respond?"
After Menma's defection, Danzo had been quick to reestablish communication, sending his operatives to relay orders. His arrogance, as always, was infuriating.
Neither Orochimaru nor Kabuto had been inclined to acknowledge him.
"Ignore it for now," Orochimaru said with a sneer. "Reach out through our usual channels. He still requires my expertise, and he won't risk losing that connection. In fact, send him what we promised early. Tell him the experiment is nearing its final phase."
Orochimaru paused, frowning. "And keep monitoring any leads on Tsunade. If there's news, I want to hear about it immediately."
Even with the information Menma had provided about undoing the Shiki Fūjin (Reaper Death Seal), Orochimaru wasn't naive enough to trust him completely. He needed to be prepared. His former teammate, Tsunade, was still the most skilled medical ninja in the world, and he couldn't let the opportunity to involve her slip away.
"Understood, Orochimaru-sama."
Kabuto bowed slightly, fully grasping his master's intentions before slipping out of the room.
'Uzumaki Menma... just how far do you think you can go?' Orochimaru mused, a twisted smile creeping across his face. His snake-like eyes glinted with amusement.
Since his defection from Konoha, Orochimaru had painstakingly built an empire of his own, gathering resources and followers in secret. Unlike rogue ninja like Zabuza, who only had a single loyal companion, Orochimaru could command entire networks with a simple gesture.
It took less than a day for Kabuto to gather the supplies Menma had requested.
As Menma surveyed the stacks of rare materials and equipment, his resolve hardened.
'I can't afford to waste time. My plan needs to begin soon. And the target... has already been chosen.'
Menma's eyes narrowed as he stared at the resources before him.
Becoming powerful was one thing, but commanding resources, people, and influence was another. Unlike Orochimaru, Menma didn't have the luxury of years to build up from scratch. He had three years—three years to ensure everything fell into place.
The clock was already ticking.
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Setting a goal was inevitable.
As with the choices he had made before, there were only a few viable targets left for Menma. Narrowing them down further based on critical factors left just one or two options.
But how to proceed? That required careful thought.
A plan, Menma believed, was merely a guide—a general direction. It was never meant to be followed rigidly, especially when circumstances could change. And his situation was anything but stable. Konoha's pursuit would be relentless, and his own obstacles were mounting.
He couldn't afford any mistakes. The three years he had were short, and every step needed to be executed with precision.
After receiving the materials from Orochimaru, Menma threw himself into his experimental work. His goal? To reach Kage-level power—or beyond—in a limited amount of time. While he was determined to train, he also knew that time alone wouldn't be enough. He needed external methods to speed up the process.
'Let's start with this. I need a basic understanding before moving forward.'
From the pile of supplies Orochimaru provided, Menma extracted the most essential components.
Approaching his experimental table, Menma began his first test. This, in his mind, was the most urgent.
Even with the Nine-Tails' power—a built-in "cheat code"—Menma couldn't yet control it fully. His body, still maturing, wasn't ready to handle Kurama's overwhelming chakra. Until it could adapt, he couldn't unleash the fox's power at 100%. Naruto had managed it in the later parts of the original series, achieving Kyūbi Chakra Mode only after a drawn-out struggle with Kurama. But that was after years of physical conditioning.
Otherwise, Kurama's chakra would tear a jinchūriki apart. The corrosive nature of Tailed Beast chakra had been proven several times.
But Menma had no intention of waiting years for his body to naturally adapt. He wanted to accelerate the process using the Uzumaki Clan's innate vitality and regenerative abilities through cellular activation and physical enhancement.
His goal was to unlock his clan's latent potential sooner, giving him the strength to wield Kurama's full power as quickly as possible.
The Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, which regulated the Nine-Tails' chakra, was another hurdle. Without the "key," Menma would eventually have to figure out how to modify or bypass the seal himself. But that could wait for later—his relationship with Kurama was far from the camaraderie Naruto achieved.
For now, Kurama was merely curious about Menma's intentions.
Trusting Kurama at this point? Absurd. That kind of bond would take time.
Harnessing Kurama's chakra was just one part of Menma's plan. He also needed to become stronger in other ways. Experimentation, he decided, was the best path forward.
Of course, Menma wasn't a trained scientist. Fortunately, with Orochimaru's research and notes, he didn't need to start from scratch. Still, relying on Orochimaru too much was risky.
Menma knew Orochimaru could complete these experiments for him quickly. But that meant being dependent on the Sannin, something Menma had no intention of doing.
It wasn't a question of trust. Menma had bigger ambitions. He wanted to surpass everyone, and that meant mastering the necessary skills himself.
Experimenting on his own, no matter how difficult or time-consuming, was essential.
In the days that followed, Menma immersed himself in understanding Orochimaru's research. Though complex, Menma had a foundation from his past life, where he had studied basic sciences. He wasn't an expert, but his knowledge of physics and chemistry helped him navigate the initial stages.
'Cellular activation isn't as difficult as I expected.'
'So this is the method...'
'I'll try replicating it soon.'
With each small success, Menma's curiosity and excitement grew.
Karin, meanwhile, remained by his side, helping in ways that only she could. It wasn't just loyalty keeping her there—Menma had started training her as his assistant, much like Kabuto was to Orochimaru. Whether she had a talent for science didn't matter. Her powerful perception abilities, inherited from the Uzumaki Clan, were invaluable in the experiments.
Her sensory prowess allowed her to monitor Menma's experiments more effectively, especially when paired with her own immense chakra reserves.
Though Karin was uncomfortable with some of the work, she never protested. Her fear of losing Menma was stronger than any distaste she had for the tasks he assigned. Her feelings for him had grown even stronger than what she had once felt for Sasuke.
Thanks to her help, Menma's experiments progressed steadily.
One morning, Menma sensed two familiar chakra signatures approaching the room where he worked.
Orochimaru and Kabuto.
He met them at the door, arms crossed.
"Planning to leave for a while?" Menma asked, his expression calm as his gaze shifted between the two.
"Yes," Orochimaru rasped, his voice serpentine. "As you've guessed, Kabuto and I need to leave for a certain... task. Are you interested in joining us, Menma-kun?"
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