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It was a flawless infiltration plan. To execute it, Obito didn't even hesitate to deploy a batch of White Zetsu clones ahead of schedule. He had them slip into the Hidden Mist, starting from the bottom by taking out the weaker Mist shinobi. Then, he had the White Zetsu mimic their chakra and transform directly into them. Given the absolute perfection of the White Zetsu's Substitute Jutsu, not a single person in the Hidden Mist would be able to detect the deception.
Keep in mind, this was a transformation technique that even the Byakugan couldn't see through. Let alone any other standard sensory methods.
They didn't need to replace everyone. As long as they swapped out the Mist shinobi in the most critical positions, the entire Hidden Mist would fall completely into Obito's hands.
"Oh? Their efficiency is surprisingly high. Well, there's no need to rush on the remaining targets for now. Once I finish up my current business, I'll handle them myself. This time, without those pests getting in the way, I'd like to see if that old geezer can still stop me from taking over the Mist!"
Obito first nodded with a look of satisfaction, but then, as if recalling a rather unpleasant memory, a chilling light flashed in his eyes as he spoke with an icy tone.
Seven or eight years ago, Ao had used his Byakugan to completely see through the genjutsu Obito had cast on Yagura Karatachi, thereby shattering his control over the Hidden Mist. Obito had deeply carved that grudge into his heart—not to mention the fact that the Hidden Mist had always been the root of his deepest hatred.
Because in Obito's eyes, the Hidden Mist bore absolute responsibility for the death of the woman he loved. And now, the opportunity to reclaim control over the village had presented itself once again.
This time, Obito was determined to ruthlessly squeeze every last drop of residual value out of the Hidden Mist, before brutally kicking it straight into the abyss of total destruction.
In the peaceful, dream-like world of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the absolute scum of the Hidden Mist had zero right to exist. They were only fit to serve as his disposable pawns.
The Hidden Mist. It was the absolute final vessel for the darkest, most malicious remnants of Obito's humanity.
"Yes, Lord Madara. Your will is absolute," Black Zetsu chuckled deeply.
The chilling laughter echoing continuously through the dim room added a heavily sinister atmosphere to the air.
An altered timeline, entirely new ripple effects, and a completely different set of developments. Menma definitely couldn't have predicted that his 'unexpected birth' and his divergent choices would push Obito to make such drastically different decisions.
But just because he didn't know the specifics didn't mean he hadn't prepared for the possibility. To be more accurate...
The exact moment Menma decided to defect from the Hidden Leaf and abandon the golden-boy path of the original timeline, he clearly understood that the future would massively deviate from the story he knew. The only remaining asset he could safely exploit was his foundational intelligence on the individual characters. As for the plot? It had long since been battered beyond recognition.
Moving forward, whether it was the geopolitical decisions of the Five Great Villages, the operations of the Akatsuki, the moves Obito made, or the grand designs of the true mastermind, Black Zetsu—all of it was utterly unpredictable.
Menma could only—and absolutely had to—formulate meticulous plans while simultaneously acting dynamically. Take one step, anticipate three more. He had to constantly adjust his strategy based on the shifting landscape and whatever variables he encountered.
Setting aside Obito's current machinations. After executing the White Zetsu spy, Menma accelerated south at top speed. He rendezvoused with Kabuto Yakushi, whom he had ordered to wait at a designated location. Boarding a small vessel Orochimaru had prepared in advance, they sailed east along the southern coastline, heading straight for the Land of Water.
Menma had two primary objectives for this excursion. The first was Hiruko. The second was the Three-Tails, Isobu—who had regained his freedom years ago and had been quietly living somewhere in the Land of Water ever since.
To realize his grand design, Menma desperately needed this specific Tailed Beast's cooperation. The only reason he hadn't made a move earlier was simply because he couldn't remember the exact details of this particular storyline from his past life. He wasn't sure if he had forgotten, or if the original story had never explicitly stated it in the first place. Either way, in this life, Menma genuinely had zero clue where the Three-Tails was hiding.
He had no choice but to outsource the job to Orochimaru and his sprawling intelligence network. It had taken an entire year of exhaustive searching to finally pinpoint Isobu's exact coordinates. Since Menma was already out here, he figured he might as well take care of it in one fell swoop.
Setting sail and pushing steadily east, it took just over two days for Menma's group to officially enter the territorial waters of the Land of Water.
When a Tailed Beast dies, it requires several years to fully resurrect. While the location of their revival is technically 'random,' it wasn't as if they could spawn absolutely anywhere on the planet. There were always traces and patterns to follow.
For instance, the Three-Tails, Isobu, loved the quiet and deeply favored the water. Ever since the Sage of Six Paths had split him from the Ten-Tails a millennium ago, he had spent the vast majority of his existence roaming the boundless oceans. On the rare occasions he had died, he always resurrected somewhere in this general oceanic region.
The world shifted and changed over a thousand years. By the modern era, this entire geographic zone had fallen firmly under the jurisdiction of the Land of Water.
That was exactly why the Mist shinobi were always able to locate and capture Isobu so easily. Years ago, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, had been mind-controlled by Obito for so long that his mental state and life force had essentially been drained to absolute zero. When Ao finally saw through the genjutsu, Obito had forcefully manipulated Yagura into one final, violent clash before retreating.
Because of the sheer trauma inflicted on his body and mind, even after the genjutsu was dispelled, Yagura couldn't survive. He didn't even have the strength to linger for a few extra days.
Given the incredibly short window of time, the Hidden Mist naturally couldn't find a suitable candidate to become the next Three-Tails Jinchuriki. Forcibly extracting the beast and trying to seal it into a random container would only trigger a catastrophic rampage. Therefore, under Elder Genji's decisive orders, the village could only watch helplessly as the Three-Tails temporarily 'died' and dissipated alongside Yagura.
However, being intimately familiar with the behavioral patterns of the Tailed Beasts, the Hidden Mist easily tracked down Isobu's general location once he resurrected. Elder Genji had originally planned to wait until the village recovered a bit more of its foundational strength and identified a perfect Jinchuriki candidate before launching an operation to recapture the beast. It was merely a matter of waiting a little longer.
Unfortunately for them. Elder Genji—and by extension, the entire Hidden Mist—would never get that 'perfect timing.' A single, devastating defeat at Menma's hands had utterly annihilated the precious little strength they had painstakingly rebuilt over the past few years. Putting aside the fact that Obito had already set his sights back on them, even if the Mist were given absolute peace, it would still take them years, possibly a full decade, to recover.
And now that Menma was here, the Hidden Mist was about to lose this opportunity forever. In fact, somewhere down the line, either because of Obito or Menma, there was a very real possibility that the Hidden Mist wouldn't even exist anymore.
"It's right in that massive lake ahead. Our operatives detected an overwhelmingly massive chakra signature there. After multiple verifications, we are absolutely certain the Three-Tails is down there."
Standing near the peak of a mountain range, Kabuto maintained a highly respectful demeanor as he stood beside Menma, pointing toward a colossal lake in the distance.
It looked like a completely ordinary lake. But by pushing his sensory net to its maximum output, Menma could clearly detect that an entirely separate domain existed beneath the water. It wasn't an entrance to a Summoning Realm, of course. Since the dawn of their existence, the nine Tailed Beasts had never actually lived in the so-called Summoning Realms; they had always roamed the physical world, finding environments that suited their specific tastes.
Deep beneath this lake lay a massive, submerged cavernous space. It was impossible to tell whether it was a natural geographical formation or if Isobu had used his own abilities to carve it out.
An ordinary person had zero chance of discovering the beast lurking at those depths. Generally, it was only when Isobu occasionally surfaced that a normal ninja might catch his chakra signature. Orochimaru's operatives had simply gotten lucky, stumbling across the exact moment Isobu came up for air, allowing them to hard-lock his precise coordinates.
"Excellent. I'll handle things from here myself. There's no need for you to tag along, Kabuto-san."
Having verified Isobu's exact position, Menma nodded with a faint look of satisfaction, turning his head to address Kabuto with an utterly flat, dismissive tone.
Hearing Menma's dismissal, a strange, subtle glint flashed through Kabuto's eyes. Maintaining his perfectly respectful posture, he replied, "Lord Menma, the Three-Tails isn't simply resting at the bottom of the lake. Lord Orochimaru gave specific instructions regarding this. He specifically deployed a subordinate capable of resonating with the Three-Tails' chakra. Perhaps it would be best if I brought this subordinate along with you? That way, you could very easily..."
"Are you trying to tell me how to do my job, Kabuto-san?"
Before Kabuto could finish his sentence, Menma cut him off. Clasping his hands casually behind his back, he spoke with an icy, apathetic tone.
He wasn't radiating any physical killing intent or chakra pressure. He was just looking at Kabuto with total, dead-eyed calmness. It was the exact same expression he always wore, yet in that split second, Kabuto felt his heart skip a violent beat. An extreme, bone-deep chill rapidly crawled up his spine, instantly freezing the polite smile on his face.
The scent of absolute, lethal danger was practically suffocating. Cold sweat immediately beaded on Kabuto's forehead. He instinctively bit his lip, swallowing whatever words he had left.
It felt like he had been plunged into a pitch-black abyss of terror. The atmosphere grew heavier and more sinister by the millisecond. Kabuto's breathing involuntarily hitched.
"Heh. Kabuto-san, you really shouldn't forget your place. Do we understand each other?"
And just like that, Menma let out a soft chuckle. The suffocating, lethal pressure vanished instantly, as if it had never been there at all.
Kabuto felt an immediate, massive wave of relief. Taking a sharp breath, he hurriedly bowed deeply. "Yes. Thank you for the guidance, Lord Menma. I will absolutely keep it in mind."
"Mm. See that you do."
Menma shot him one final, apathetic glance.
Swoosh!
Channeling a burst of chakra to his feet, he launched himself off the ground. In a blur of motion, he vanished from the cliffside, rocketing straight toward the colossal lake in the distance.
Kabuto was left standing entirely alone. He didn't dare straighten his posture until Menma's figure was completely out of sight. Staring at the boy's fading silhouette, Kabuto shakily wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his heart still hammering against his ribs.
The current Menma was becoming genuinely, terrifyingly monstrous. Every casual movement, every simple glance... he effortlessly projected an aura of absolute, suffocating lethality. Compared to him, even Lord Orochimaru felt like he existed on an entirely lower tier of existence. And the most horrifying part was that it hadn't even been two full years since Menma defected.
'Lord Orochimaru... are you absolutely certain about this alliance? Siding with him might trigger an apocalyptic backlash one day...' Kabuto thought grimly, a profound sense of dread settling in his gut.
Menma was already aggressively trending toward becoming the undisputed strongest shinobi on the planet. Even though their two factions appeared to be deeply cooperative right now, an ultimate fallout was inevitable. If nothing else, their fundamentally conflicting interests regarding Sasuke Uchiha made long-term coexistence mathematically impossible.
Kabuto knew Lord Orochimaru's obsessions better than anyone. He also knew that Menma's relationship with Sasuke was highly irregular and complex. That single variable was practically guaranteed to ignite a violent war between them.
Kabuto didn't think for a second that Lord Orochimaru was blind to this reality. But why hadn't he implemented any defensive countermeasures? Or... had he already laid out a massive trap that Kabuto simply wasn't privy to?
Kabuto's brow furrowed heavily, his face tight with anxiety. But a second later, he violently shook his head, forcefully tossing the paranoid thoughts out of his mind. At the end of the day, he was just a subordinate. He had to trust Lord Orochimaru's judgment.
Exhaling a quiet sigh, Kabuto flickered out of existence, speeding away in the opposite direction. Menma engaging the Three-Tails was guaranteed to cause an apocalyptic disturbance. Since the monster had explicitly told him to stay away, Kabuto figured he would just run perimeter security and keep an eye out for strays.
Right as Kabuto evacuated the area, Menma touched down on the shore of the colossal lake. Pushing his sensory abilities, he locked onto the incredibly dense, suffocating mass of chakra submerged deep below the surface.
"Isobu. I humbly request an audience."
Menma took a deep breath, flooding his vocal cords with chakra. He stomped the ground heavily, projecting his voice with terrifying volume.
The sheer physical force of the soundwaves rippled violently across the lake, echoing all the way down to the deepest trench. The previously glass-like surface of the water churned wildly, kicked up into turbulent waves solely by the power of Menma's voice.
It wasn't just raw screaming. Menma had borrowed the fundamental principles of specialized sound-based jutsu, utilizing intense chakra vibrations to physically transmit his voice. He perfectly condensed the acoustic range, guaranteeing that his specific target would hear him loud and clear.
The shockwaves continuously violently echoed across the surface and deep into the abyss. Yet, aside from the churning water, there was absolutely zero response. It was as if the Three-Tails Isobu hadn't heard a thing, or simply wasn't home. Complete silence. Menma's brow furrowed in annoyance.
"Isobu, I possess zero malicious intent toward you. You should be able to clearly sense Kurama's chakra inside me. I have come here today both to ask for your assistance and to offer you mine. Please, show yourself."
Menma took another deep breath and violently projected his voice a second time.
The deafening shockwaves battered the lake once again. After waiting in absolute silence for another minute or two, Isobu still completely refused to surface. Menma couldn't help but sigh, an expression of helpless exasperation crossing his face.
It seemed Isobu was genuinely, irreparably paranoid of humanity. Even with Menma actively reaching out like this, the beast utterly refused to engage.
"It looks like I'm going to have to resort to more aggressive methods. I suppose I'll just have to apologize later..." Menma shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips.