Chapter 266
The Nine Tailed Beasts were born from the division of the Ten-Tails.
At present, this thousand-year-old secret was known only to Obito, aside from Menma, whose knowledge came from his unique circumstances as a transmigrator.
As the successor chosen by Madara Uchiha, Obito had inherited far more than just the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Everything Madara knew, Obito had learned as well.
Unlike Nagato, who had merely been manipulated and used from the very beginning, Obito’s relationship with Madara was far more complicated.
Aside from Madara deliberately orchestrating Rin Nohara’s death in order to plunge Obito completely into darkness, most of Obito’s later choices were ultimately his own.
In every other regard, Madara had hidden nothing from him.
Madara genuinely intended for Obito to complete the Eye of the Moon Plan, so naturally he had passed on every piece of knowledge he possessed even though much of that information had itself been subtly manipulated by Black Zetsu.
However, the information concerning the Ten-Tails was genuine.
Because of that, Obito was not particularly concerned about anyone else.
Only Orochimaru warranted genuine caution.
Even if the probability was incredibly low…
What if Orochimaru had truly begun researching the connection between the Nine Tailed Beasts?
That would become an enormous problem.
“…That shouldn’t be possible, should it?”
Black Zetsu frowned slightly after hearing Obito’s speculation.
“Without any clues pointing in that direction, how could Orochimaru possibly arrive at such a conclusion through research alone?”
Even Black Zetsu found himself becoming uneasy.
The Eye of the Moon Plan had already reached its final stage of preparation.
Once the Akatsuki and Nagato completed their remaining arrangements, the operation to capture the tailed beasts could officially begin.
The closer they came to that moment…
The less Black Zetsu wanted any unforeseen variable to appear.
Just like when Obito had lost one of his Sharingan to Menma.
Black Zetsu had believed with certainty that Menma would never understand the true value of that eye and would inevitably waste it.
Likewise, Black Zetsu also agreed with Obito’s decision not to move recklessly and expose themselves prematurely.
But if Orochimaru truly uncovered the secret connecting the Nine Tailed Beasts…
That would become a serious threat to everything they had worked toward.
“Hmph… that’s difficult to say.”
Obito snorted coldly.
“That snake has always been obsessed with every conceivable field of research. Whether it’s immortality or ultimate power, his goals have never changed.”
“The tailed beasts are the greatest military assets in the shinobi world. Why wouldn’t Orochimaru study them?”
“And with his research ability…”
Obito’s visible eye narrowed.
“Can you truly guarantee that once he acquires several different tailed beasts as experimental material, he won’t discover something he shouldn’t?”
Orochimaru’s individual strength was already among the greatest in the shinobi world.
Although he had appeared to be effortlessly defeated by Itachi Uchiha, there were special circumstances behind that encounter.
First, Orochimaru had underestimated Itachi.
Second, the side effects of the Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique had weakened Orochimaru’s spiritual resistance, making him especially vulnerable to powerful genjutsu particularly the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Being severely injured under those conditions was hardly surprising.
Even so, Orochimaru had still escaped alive.
Could it really be because Itachi had deliberately spared him?
Impossible.
Itachi was someone who had massacred his own clan for what he believed was peace within Konoha.
As one of Konohagakure’s greatest missing-nin, Orochimaru would undoubtedly have been killed had Itachi possessed the opportunity.
Likewise, Orochimaru’s later confrontation against Jiraiya and Tsunade further demonstrated his overwhelming strength.
Among Kage-level shinobi, he unquestionably ranked among the elite.
Such an individual naturally inspired fear.
More importantly…
Combat ability was never Orochimaru’s greatest asset.
His true talent lay in scientific research.
The Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique.
The Impure World Reincarnation.
These two forbidden techniques alone perfectly illustrated Orochimaru’s brilliance.
The former had been created entirely by Orochimaru himself.
Although the latter had originally been invented by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, Orochimaru was the one who had truly perfected it.
Otherwise, Tobirama’s original version could only revive the dead at perhaps ten or twenty percent of their original strength.
Under Orochimaru’s improvements, however, the reincarnated possessed nearly seventy to eighty percent of their original combat power.
Later refinements even allowed legendary shinobi like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha to fight at almost their full strength.
Considering all of this…
Obito had every reason to remain wary of Orochimaru.
“…”
Black Zetsu fell silent.
Obito’s reasoning made it difficult even for him to refute the possibility.
“Increase the search immediately.”
Obito’s voice grew colder.
“We can no longer leave Orochimaru unchecked.”
“The moment his location is confirmed, inform Nagato at once.”
“Have Sasori and Deidara eliminate him.”
“If necessary…”
Obito’s gaze turned ice-cold.
“Nagato himself will intervene.”
“No matter what, Orochimaru must be eliminated before he becomes a greater threat.”
Previously, after Orochimaru defected from the Akatsuki, they had indeed issued a pursuit order.
But neither Obito nor Nagato had truly regarded him as a priority.
If they encountered him, they would kill him.
If not, they simply ignored him.
The Eye of the Moon Plan had always taken precedence.
Now, however, everything was different.
Orochimaru’s research and Orochimaru himself had begun to threaten Obito’s plans.
Even if it remained nothing more than suspicion…
Suspicion alone was enough.
Orochimaru had to die.
Curiously, Obito still paid almost no attention to Menma.
In his eyes, Menma was merely a hatred-driven thirteen-year-old boy.
Someone like that could never orchestrate such elaborate schemes.
Everything must have been planned by Orochimaru.
As long as Orochimaru disappeared…
The problem would solve itself.
“I understand.”
Black Zetsu nodded heavily.
“I’ll immediately expand the search for Orochimaru.”
“As for Nagato…”
“I’ll notify him right away.”
The next instant, Black Zetsu slowly sank into the earth before disappearing completely.
Buzz!
Space twisted violently.
Obito activated Kamui, and his body vanished into the distorted vortex.
The situation had become too delicate.
He could no longer afford to remain hidden while continuing his own investigations.
He needed to oversee matters personally.
If necessary…
Even exposing himself ahead of schedule would be acceptable.
The Eye of the Moon Plan stood above everything else.
Unknowingly, Orochimaru had become the perfect scapegoat.
It was an outcome born from countless coincidences.
Had Menma known about Obito’s conclusion, he would undoubtedly have been delighted.
This was precisely why he had chosen to remain alongside Orochimaru from the very beginning.
After all…
No matter how mature Menma truly was, the outside world only saw a thirteen-year-old boy.
Who would believe such a child could formulate plans of this scale and complexity?
Naturally…
Everything was assumed to be Orochimaru’s doing.
That had already become the consensus throughout the shinobi world.
The only exception was Ōnoki.
Having dealt with Menma personally, the Third Tsuchikage no longer believed Orochimaru was simply manipulating him.
Even so, Ōnoki still assumed Orochimaru remained the senior partner directing Menma from behind the scenes.
No one could truly be blamed for thinking that.
After all…
Who could possibly believe that a boy barely thirteen years old possessed such mature judgment and meticulous foresight?
Even Orochimaru himself had once jokingly told Kabuto Yakushi that he wanted to dissect Menma to discover exactly what made him so extraordinary.
Of course, that joke also reflected Orochimaru’s genuine curiosity.
In truth…
Orochimaru willingly accepted playing the role everyone assigned to him.
He had always possessed an inexplicable intuition.
The dream he had pursued throughout his life…
His future…
His research…
Everything would ultimately be fulfilled through Menma.
From that perspective, Orochimaru was perhaps one of the few people in the shinobi world who had never abandoned his original ambition.
So what if he became Menma’s scapegoat?
Compared to realizing his lifelong dream…
Such things were utterly insignificant.
That was also one of the primary reasons Menma had firmly chosen Orochimaru as his ally.
Every ounce of attention diverted toward Orochimaru bought Menma invaluable time.
Without stopping to rest, Menma led Suigetsu, Karin, and the accompanying Taki-nin northward through the Land of Grass.
After traveling for most of the day…
They finally arrived at the agreed meeting point.
“Search the surrounding area.”
Menma calmly surveyed the forest before giving his orders.
“Find the marker.”
“Yes, Lord Menma!”
The Barrier Team members answered simultaneously before immediately scattering in every direction.
Just as Menma had revealed his true identity before Ajun…
He had also decided to reveal it to the Barrier Team beforehand.
Since some of them would accompany him during future operations, concealing his identity any longer served no purpose.
Naturally, only carefully screened shinobi were entrusted with the truth.
Furthermore, Shibuki had personally been present during every revelation.
Otherwise, privately disclosing such a secret could easily create the impression that Menma was secretly cultivating his own faction.
That would be foolish.
Being aggressive was one thing.
Being reckless was another.
Not long afterward…
“Lord Menma!”
A short-haired Taki-nin returned swiftly.
“We’ve located the marker.”
“The coordinates correspond to the twelve o’clock direction.”
“Excellent.”
Menma nodded.
“Let’s move.”
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The group departed once again.
After roughly twenty minutes of travel…
Menma’s extraordinary sensory ability detected a familiar chakra signature.
“Oh?”
His eyebrows rose slightly.
Thud.
Landing lightly upon the ground, Menma looked toward the predetermined meeting place.
Standing there was a broad-shouldered, middle-aged man whose stern face remained completely expressionless.
“Haha…”
Menma smiled faintly.
“So you came personally, Warden Mui.”
“I had expected you to leave this meeting to someone else.”
The man standing before him was the most important piece of Menma’s current plan.
Mui, the jōnin of Kusagakure and warden of Hōzuki Castle.
“Uzumaki Menma.”
Mui’s expression remained icy.
“Enough with the pleasantries.”
“Tell me.”
“Are your previous promises genuine?”
“If they are not…”
His eyes became razor-sharp.
“Then don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”
The cold killing intent radiating from him was unmistakable.
“…!”
Behind Menma, Karin and the others instinctively tensed.
Several Taki-nin even stepped forward angrily.
“That bastard “
Menma calmly raised one hand, stopping everyone before the situation escalated.
“Don’t worry, Warden Mui.”
Menma’s expression became serious.
“I never make promises lightly.”
“I will help you open the Box of Bliss.”
“However…”
“There is something I must make absolutely clear beforehand.”
“The Box of Bliss is not a machine that grants wishes.”
“I can only promise to do everything within my power.”
“As for whether your son can truly return…”
Menma paused briefly.
“I can only say that the chances are roughly fifty percent.”
Mui remained silent.
As one of Kusagakure’s senior leaders and the warden of Hōzuki Castle, he commanded enormous influence within the village.
Many Grass shinobi even believed he was more qualified than the current leadership to become Kusagakure’s next leader.
Yet beneath that cold exterior…
Mui still possessed deep paternal affection.
Everything he had done ultimately stemmed from his desire to save his son, Muku.
That was precisely why Menma had chosen to approach him first.
If everything proceeded smoothly…
Menma could seize control of Kusagakure with minimal bloodshed.
If anything went wrong…
Then he would be forced to adopt far harsher methods.
That would be his final option.
“Kurama… I’m placing this gamble in your hands.”
Within his consciousness, Menma silently spoke.
“Hmph.”
Kurama snorted.
“I’ve already told you.”
“It’s merely the Box of Bliss.”
“I can suppress and redirect the negative chakra within it.”
“That part isn’t difficult.”
His crimson eyes narrowed.
“But whether that child can withstand its corruption…”
“That’s another matter entirely.”
“Even if it was merely one of the Sage of Six Paths’ creations…”
“I don’t believe an ordinary human can endure its influence.”
“Understood.”
Menma answered silently.
“Then everything depends on Muku himself.”
Naturally, Mui could hear none of that exchange.
He merely stared at Menma for several long seconds.
Finally…
He slowly nodded.
“…Fifty percent is enough.”
“As long as you fulfill your promise…”
“I will support your plan with everything at my disposal.”
A faint smile appeared on Menma’s face.
“Then we have an agreement, Warden Mui.”
Shortly afterward…
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Led by Mui, Menma and the others disappeared deeper into the northern reaches of the Land of Grass.