章 57: Gaffes and Stalkers

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Even though Baki had been briefed in detail, his mind nearly shut down at the revelation before him.

A Jinchūriki was the ultimate weapon in any ninja village. Could Menma really be rebelling so easily? Or was this some elaborate deception?

But everything about Menma—the power, the confidence, the sheer presence—aligned with the intelligence Sunagakure had gathered over the years. This boy truly was Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. And Kabuto Yakushi wasn't one to joke about something of this magnitude.

In just three days, they would launch a surprise attack on Konoha, the largest and most fortified ninja village. Elite forces from both the Hidden Sound and Hidden Sand would strike in unison. The leaders of both villages—one already in place, the other on the move—would oversee the assault.

This operation was critical for the survival and future of both villages. Baki doubted Kabuto would dare to lie about something so monumental.

Though it felt unreal, Baki had no choice but to accept the reality in front of him.

Taking a deep breath, Baki quickly adjusted his mindset.

"Haha, of course, Menma-kun," Kabuto said with a sly smile. "I brought you here today to finalize the plan and ensure you're ready to act when the time comes, right, Baki-san?"

Baki, still eyeing Menma carefully, responded coldly, "The plan is solid. We, the Suna-nin, will execute our part flawlessly. According to the strategy, we'll initiate the first wave of the attack."

He paused, narrowing his eyes at Menma. "But can we trust that there won't be any problems on your end? And Menma-kun, this talk of 'acting according to the situation'—what does that mean, exactly?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like," Menma replied, his tone flat but firm. "I'll cooperate, but only if things go according to plan. From what I've gathered, Konoha is already on high alert. Security has been tightened inside and outside the village. Jiraiya—the Toad Sage, one of the Legendary Sannin—is back. Don't pretend you don't know this. Your plan might look perfect on paper, but what happens if something goes wrong? I'm not interested in dying because of someone else's mistake."

His voice was calm, yet every word struck with undeniable weight. The cold dismissal in his tone made Baki frown. As a veteran of the Third Shinobi World War, Baki understood Konoha's strength all too well. The presence of someone like Jiraiya increased the stakes tenfold. A single misstep could lead to disaster.

They had spent countless hours planning to ensure minimal risk, but Konoha was not to be underestimated.

"You needn't worry, Menma-kun," Kabuto said, pushing up his glasses with a confident smirk. "We're all in this for our own reasons. No one's forcing anyone. We're cooperating for mutual benefit. Everything happening in Konoha is as we expected."

Menma, however, remained unmoved. The promise of mutual gain didn't concern him in the least. He had no real stake in the attack on Konoha. His involvement came from a mix of circumstance and emotion, not necessity. Menma was willing to take a calculated risk, but he would never gamble with his life.

"Baki-san," Kabuto continued, turning to the Suna-nin, "as long as Gaara begins the assault, I will intervene when needed. Kazekage-sama and Orochimaru-sama will then eliminate the Third Hokage, as planned. Our elite forces from Sound and Sand are already in position. As for Jiraiya, we have made special preparations to deal with him. All you need to do is protect Gaara-kun when the time comes. You should be able to manage that, correct?"

Kabuto's voice was smooth, filled with a self-assuredness that bordered on arrogance.

This was the final meeting before everything was set into motion. They had to address every potential response from Konoha.

"Fine," Menma said, his tone just as cold. "As long as things go smoothly, I'll play my part."

In truth, the safest option for Menma was to disappear in the chaos, avoiding the Konoha Crush altogether. Joining the attack was the riskier choice, and for what? There was little to gain. But ever since his dealings with Orochimaru, he knew his hands were tied. He no longer had full control over his own path.

Still, Menma intended to act according to the situation, maintaining his freedom to choose when the time came.

"Baki-san, any other concerns?" Kabuto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We Sand-nin will handle our end," Baki replied coolly.

"Good," Kabuto said with a smile. "Then everything is set. In three days, we move."

But just as they prepared to leave, Menma's eyes shifted toward the back of the room. His sharp gaze locked onto a spot where he sensed a faint chakra signature.

"Well, well... Looks like we have a guest," Menma remarked, his eyes narrowing.

"Damn it!" a voice whispered from the shadows, realizing they had been discovered.

Whoosh!

The figure bolted from their hiding place, chakra surging as they made a desperate escape.

"Haha, just a spy," Kabuto began, casually adjusting his glasses. "Menma-kun, don't trouble yourself. I'll handle—"

"No," Baki interrupted, his voice hard as stone. "Leave this one to me."

Boom!

Baki moved in an instant, disappearing in a flash of speed as he pursued the spy. The intruder was quick, but Baki was faster. Within moments, he had cut off the spy's escape route, his grim expression signaling the inevitable confrontation.

---

Seeing his escape route completely cut off, Hayate's heart sank. He reached for a signal flare in his vest, but before he could activate it, Baki was already closing the gap.

"Damn it!" Hayate muttered, barely dodging Baki's first strike.

Bang!

Baki's right leg slammed into Hayate's arm with brutal force, sending the flare clattering to the ground. Hayate winced in pain, knowing he had no chance to retrieve it while under attack. Forced back step by step, he attempted to put distance between them, but Baki's relentless assault allowed no room for error.

The moonlight broke through the clouds, casting an eerie glow on Hayate's pale, sickly face—Hayate Gekko, the proctor of the third stage of the Chūnin Exams, was now fighting for his life.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Chūnin Exams proctor, out for a moonlit stroll. What's the matter, feeling restless?" Baki taunted, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"Suna… Otogakure... What are you planning? Sunagakure is supposed to be an ally of Konoha! And you, Menma—are you really betraying the village?" Hayate demanded, his gaze shifting from Baki to the silent figure of Menma, who had appeared at Baki's side.

The sight of Menma sent a chill down Hayate's spine. He had heard rumors about a conspiracy between Sunagakure and Otogakure, but to see Menma—Konoha's own Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—among them was a betrayal too terrible to process. The sheer power of the Nine-Tails' chakra, which Hayate had sensed earlier, was unmistakable.

Menma, however, remained expressionless. To him, Hayate was nothing more than a minor obstacle—hardly worth the effort of an explanation.

"Allies? You really believe Konoha sees us as allies?" Baki sneered. "For over a decade, Sunagakure has been pushed to the brink. It's time to break free from this charade of cooperation."

Baki's tone was sharp, and the intent to kill was evident in his eyes.

"Wind Release: Blade of Wind!"

A razor-sharp gust of wind erupted from Baki's hand, forming a near-invisible blade of cutting air. Hayate's eyes widened, and he instinctively drew his sword, meeting the attack head-on.

Boom!

The impact of the wind blade sent shockwaves through Hayate's arms, forcing him back. His teeth clenched as he tried to hold his ground.

"Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

Hayate executed the sword technique with precision, creating afterimages as he moved at maximum speed. He knew he couldn't win against both Baki and Menma, but if he could create an opening, he might escape to warn the village.

Clang!

Their blades clashed again, but Baki, a seasoned jōnin, easily saw through Hayate's movements. In a matter of moments, Baki found an opening in Hayate's defenses.

"Gah!" Hayate gasped as Baki's wind blade sliced across his abdomen. Blood splattered onto the ground, and Hayate's vision blurred as pain shot through his body. Desperation filled his mind, and images of Uzuki Yugao flashed before his eyes.

Shink!

Baki's follow-up was swift and merciless, driving his wind blade straight through Hayate's skull. He twisted the blade to ensure the kill, leaving no chance for the Yamanaka clan to retrieve any vital information from Hayate's body.

Hayate's lifeless form collapsed to the ground, his final breath escaping silently into the night.

Baki wiped the blood from his blade, casting a glance toward Menma. The latter had observed the entire scene without a word, his face devoid of emotion. With a silent flicker, Menma turned and vanished into the darkness.

Baki's eyes followed Menma's departure, a sinister smirk creeping across his face.

'Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki siding with us? This is an unexpected gift from the gods,' Baki thought, disappearing into the shadows as well, leaving Hayate's cold corpse behind.

The death o fHayate Gekko was a silent warning that something ominous was approaching Konoha. Even without hard evidence, the disappearance of a tokubetsu jōnin would send ripples of suspicion through the village. The heightened alert would be felt, but by then, it would be too late to stop what was coming.

---

As the final days of the Chūnin Exams approached, Konoha was buzzing with excitement. The villagers, unaware of the looming danger, were swept up in the anticipation of the final matches. The festive atmosphere stood in stark contrast to the tension brewing beneath the surface.

Menma, now fully prepared for what was to come, stepped out into the bright sunlight, his gaze sweeping across the village. A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

'Twelve years of peace... How long will those smiles last when the walls come crashing down?'

His eyes gleamed with cold determination as he made his way to the arena, where the final stage of the Chūnin Exams would take place.

'The real game is about to begin.'

The arena was already packed with spectators, eagerly awaiting the battles to come, even though the matches were still an hour away. The stage was set, and all the players were in position.

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