Outside the Konoha Orphanage, the laughter of children playing drifted with the wind.
Yamanaka Santa and Gato stood not far away, their eyes scanning the carefree figures.
Santa placed a hand on his hip and said, "Gato-san, these children are all war orphans from Konoha and the surrounding areas. Their backgrounds are clean, but whether they have ninja talent will require further testing."
He was the person in charge of liaising with Gato and handling the subsequent adoption procedures.
Santa, a Chunin from the Yamanaka Clan, was currently 15 years old. Over a decade later, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, he would form a team with Nara Ensui and Tatami Iwashi to assist Kakashi in battling the reanimated Zabuza and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
"It's fine. In fact, requiring ninja talent might be too strict of a condition on my part." Gato said with a kindly expression, without any trace of the fierce look he displayed in the business world.
"Then let's go meet the Director first." Santa said as he walked toward the orphanage.
Gato followed closely behind, accompanied by a bodyguard.
As they approached the orphanage, Gato's small eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses, scanning each orphan in search of the target described by 'that person'.
But after searching for a long time among the children, he couldn't find the one matching the description.
'Strange, is he not here?' Gato frowned inwardly.
Suddenly, a solitary figure under a distant tree caught Gato's attention.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the grass. Beneath the tree, a child sat alone, fiddling with a doll in his hands, as if isolated from the world.
The indifferent expression and detached demeanor were strikingly similar to 'that person'.
Almost unconsciously, Gato walked over.
Crunch-
Menma had noticed Gato the moment he arrived, but to avoid drawing attention, he didn't actively guide him over.
Only when Gato stepped under the shade of the tree did Menma slowly look up. His young face bore a calmness that didn't match his age: "You're here. Are the preparations done?"
This familiar tone reminded Gato of the instructions of 'that person'.
'You'll find a child named Menma at the Konoha Orphanage. He's a member of the organization, ranked above you. Your task is to ensure he's properly settled.'
Gato had initially assumed it would be a teenager, someone with exceptional ninja talent to have been recruited into the organization.
After all, 'that person' had single-handedly destroyed half of Kumogakure, and Kakuzu, who had been subdued, had also displayed terrifying combat prowess while protecting him.
But the child before him couldn't be more than three or four years old, his face still soft with youth. Yet, in his hands, he clutched a dark red fox doll wearing an eerie mask.
'Was this really the target 'that lord' had described?'
So, Gato said tentatively: "The house and the branch office have been arranged."
"Let's go." Menma said, standing up. His tone brooked no argument.
"Yes." Gato was finally convinced that this child was indeed the one that 'that person' wanted him to find.
At the entrance of the orphanage-
"Menma!" Yunai, the acting director of the orphanage, stood with her hands on her hips beside Santa. Her eyes were filled with helplessness as she looked at Menma.
'This child was always so aloof and withdrawn, making it hard not to worry about him.'
"So his name is Menma." Gato nodded to Santa and said, "I feel a connection with this child. I'll take him."
Santa was slightly surprised. He had just brought Yunai over, yet Gato had already found a suitable candidate. His orange eyebrows lifted slightly as he glanced at the child holding the fox doll beside Gato.
Yunai quickly explained, "Menma has been here for three years, but he's very introverted. I'm not sure if he's the right fit..."
'Three years ago...'
When hearing this information, Santa couldn't help but recall the terrifying orange-red Nine-Tailed Fox.
After that day, the village had been left with many orphans.
Santa's attitude toward Menma softened slightly. He crouched down and pulled out a Chakra test paper from his pocket, saying to Menma: "Here, little one. Try this."
Menma expressionlessly took the square Chakra test paper and attempted to channel his Fire Attribute Chakra.
Soon, the top of the test paper began to burn.
"Fire Attribute, huh?" Santa wasn't particularly surprised. Most of the orphans here were from Konoha and the Land of Fire, so it wasn't unusual for them to have talent.
Standing up, he said to the Acting Director, Yunai: "Then it's settled. This child will do."
"But..." Yunai still hesitated. After all, Menma was still so young, and his personality was too withdrawn.
"Auntie Yunai, let me go." Menma looked up at Yunai and spoke softly.
Though Menma was the youngest among the twenty or so children in the orphanage, the way he looked at Yunai at that moment made her feel as though she were facing an adult.
For some reason, Yunai had always felt that Menma didn't belong in the orphanage.
In the end, Yunai let out a deep sigh and gathered the children to watch as Menma was led away.
"Menma! Remember to come back and visit us!" Urushi, the oldest among the children, called out loudly.
The other children also waved their hands, their eyes filled with reluctance.
Menma turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Urushi and the other orphans, recalling his agreement with Kabuto.
"I will." Menma replied quietly.
After leaving the orphanage, Gato and Santa took Menma to the administrative center next to the Hokage Building to complete the adoption formalities.
With the Hokage's special approval, the process was smooth, and the adoption procedures were quickly completed.
Gato then brought Menma to the newly purchased residence in Konoha.
"Master!" The servants in the mansion bowed respectfully.
"Hmm, all of you may leave." Gato waved his hand.
The servants withdrew one after another.
In the room, only Menma and Gato remained.
"There's no need for so many servants. Keep just two to take care of daily needs." A voice that was both familiar and intimidating to Gato came from the shadows.
Gato turned sharply and saw 'that person', wearing a mask, step slowly out of the darkness.
"I thought you'd be faster. You kept me waiting for so long." Menma's clone looked at his main body and complained without hesitation.
The original Menma ignored his clone's complaint and simply said to Gato, "You may leave now."
"Yes!" Gato obeyed respectfully.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard the voice of 'that person' sounded again from behind him: "Within Konoha, follow Menma's arrangements."
"Yes!" Gato bowed once more before quietly stepping out of the room.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Gato waited silently outside the door.
Inside the room.
"Alright, dispel the shadow clone already. Staying in the orphanage was suffocating." The clone Menma grumbled.
The original Menma formed a hand seal: "Release!"
Poof!
A puff of smoke dispersed as the clone vanished, flooding the original Menma's mind with a surge of memories.
At the same time, Menma dispelled his Transformation Technique, reverting to his three-year-old appearance.
"According to the time, Orochimaru will be defecting soon." Menma walked to the window and pulled open the curtains.
From here, he could see the Hokage Building and the Hokage Rock From here, he could see the Hokage Building and the Hokage Monument in the distance in the distance.
The portrait of the Fourth Hokage stood out to Menma.