A petty person? Selfish? Narrow-minded? Devoid of justice?
So what!?
This is a world where the strong represent everything, a world where power determines everything. Is it so wrong for him to be a selfish person!?
He is not Naruto Uzumaki.
He is Menma Uzumaki.
To this end, the first thing he must do is obtain the most absolute freedom and greater power. These are the most basic conditions.
Without freedom and power...
Talking about anything else is just a joke.
"Father and Mother? You really do know your own identity, Menma-kun. And, are you the same as me? Heh, interesting. You truly are an interesting fellow, Menma-kun."
A look of "just as I expected" appeared in Orochimaru's snake eyes.
"Well then, Menma-kun, let's end it here for today. I look forward to our next meeting."
With those final words...
His figure gradually faded.
In just a few seconds...
The figures of Orochimaru and Karin vanished from Menma's sight.
The forest returned to profound silence. As a gentle breeze blew past, and after the last trace of that chilling aura completely dissipated from his sensory range...
Menma took a deep breath. As if all his strength had been exhausted in that moment, he slumped limply against the large tree behind him.
"Fortunately, no unexpected accidents occurred..."
Menma let out a long breath of turbid air, thinking with a hint of relief in his heart.
After all, in this deal with Orochimaru, despite Menma acting as if he had everything under control, the initiative actually lay in Orochimaru's hands. If Orochimaru had been unwilling to trade with Menma, or even decided to sell Menma out, Menma would have had absolutely no means of counteracting it.
But why would he do that?
The reason was simple: this was currently his best option. Moreover, Orochimaru was a very pragmatic person. As long as you could give him what he wanted, he would definitely not break his promise.
It was the same with Danzō.
It was the same with the deal he planned to make with Tsunade in the original story.
Although it might seem strange to talk about credibility regarding a ninja like him, Orochimaru could actually be considered a man of his word.
This was one of the reasons Menma made such a decision.
However, a certain "beast" might not be so happy about it.
"Hmph, brat, you really know how to turn black into white. An existence within your body? Hmph, are you trying to say I told you those things? And the relationship between the Sharingan and the Rinnegan... Brat, where on earth did you get this information? And you even used my chakra as a bargaining chip? You really have some nerve."
Almost immediately after Orochimaru left, inside Menma's body, the Nine-Tails lifted its fox head and snorted coldly.
Under normal circumstances, as long as Menma intended to suppress and isolate the Nine-Tails' chakra, the Nine-Tails couldn't access information from the outside world. But just now, Menma had utilized the Nine-Tails' chakra for battle. This leaked chakra was enough for the Nine-Tails to glean intelligence and information from the outside.
Given that Menma still needed to rely on the Nine-Tails' chakra...
The Nine-Tails had heard that entire conversation.
Naturally, it expressed its dissatisfaction directly.
"Heh heh, don't be so impatient, Kurama. Didn't I need you to act as a shield? Otherwise, how could I persuade that guy? Don't mind these small details."
Inside the spiritual world...
Menma looked at the Nine-Tails with a smile and said.
"Brat, who exactly are you? It's been twelve years. I dare not say I know everything about you, but I can absolutely confirm you haven't had contact with anyone. Where on earth did you get this intelligence? Whether it's my name, or the Rinnegan you just mentioned... these aren't things you should know. Are you..."
The Nine-Tails lowered its giant head slightly, its fox eyes staring dead at Menma.
"Shh, that is a forbidden matter! Just as I said before, Kurama, I don't need you to trust me. You can treat this entirely as a game in your boring life. Even if I fail, you can just start over. At worst, you spend some time reviving. In the worst-case scenario, the situation just remains unchanged. I am merely a qualified trading partner for you, Kurama. When it's time to tell you, I will naturally tell you, but not now."
Menma placed his index finger over his lips, looking at the Nine-Tails with clear eyes, and spoke with a light chuckle.
The next moment.
Not waiting for the Nine-Tails to say anything more, his spiritual avatar actively dissipated.
"Brat, you...!"
The Nine-Tails was startled. Before it could raise its giant front paw, Menma's spiritual avatar had completely vanished in less than a second.
Is it those two brats? Or is it simply you, Old Man!!
The Nine-Tails instinctively clenched its front paw into a fist. A rare look of reminiscence appeared in its fox eyes.
---
Menma's consciousness returned fully to the real world. Thinking that he could finally leave this nauseating village, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward slightly.
The time was set.
The destination was set.
Now, he just needed to wait.
Moreover, through this battle, Menma had gained a clearer and deeper grasp of the Nine-Tails' chakra. He also faintly felt that his personal strength had made a breakthrough.
The transformation of a Jinchūriki's body by Tailed Beast chakra was a silent, nurturing process.
Now, I just need to peacefully be a spectator.
Looking in the direction Orochimaru had left...
Menma smiled gently. Immediately after, he leaped up and headed back the way he came.
The battle and subsequent conversation with Orochimaru had only taken Menma a few dozen minutes. By the time Menma returned to the area where Orochimaru had toyed with Naruto and Sasuke, the figures of the two unconscious boys were gone.
Menma wasn't surprised. Spreading his sensory perception and searching carefully...
"At the 8 o'clock direction?"
Menma precisely locked onto the specific location.
Exploding chakra from the soles of his feet, he sped forward.
"Who's there!?"
Menma didn't deliberately hide his presence. Just as he arrived close by...
Outside a tree hollow...
Sakura, who was already on edge and startled by the slightest sound, instantly became alert, assuming a fully guarded stance.
But just a second later...
The moment she saw Menma's figure...
"It's me, Sakura."
A look of joy appeared on Sakura's face.
"Menma-kun!"
The previous battle had truly delivered a massive psychological shock to Sakura. Orochimaru's power, followed by the sight of Sasuke and Naruto falling unconscious one after another, had cast a heavy shadow over Sakura's heart.
After managing to move the two of them to this seemingly relatively safe tree hollow...
Sakura had been in a state of constant fear and anxiety.
She was terrified of encountering another powerful enemy.
For a moment, Sakura had truly felt despair. She deeply regretted not decisively giving up before the exam, allowing Menma to team up with Naruto and Sasuke. If she had done that, perhaps the result wouldn't be what it was now.
Now, seeing Menma...
The joy in her heart was self-evident, accompanied by a feeling of a heavy burden being lifted.
As long as Menma was here, then all problems were no longer problems.