After this period of continuous experimentation, Uzumaki Menma had gradually begun to adapt to such grotesque scenes.
In the very beginning, when he conducted his first human anatomical experiment, he had believed he possessed enough mental fortitude to endure it. Reality had proven otherwise. The overwhelming stench of blood and the sight of ruptured organs had forced him to turn away and vomit repeatedly, frustration and disgust mixing in his chest.
Only now did he truly understand what an old acquaintance from his previous life had meant when he spoke of the psychological horror medical students experienced during their early training. Human experimentation demanded not only knowledge, but terrifying courage.
Menma himself had only managed to overcome that threshold after suppressing nausea again and again, forcing himself to observe and record every reaction without flinching.
As for Karin, he had no intention of involving her in direct human experimentation at such an early stage. The procedures were still far too bloody and mentally taxing. For the time being, she would remain responsible for auxiliary research chakra detection, vitality analysis, and stabilizing support tasks.
If she were ever to participate in deeper biological trials, it would have to be at a much later point.
It still needs to be approached step by step… adaptation cannot be forced overnight.
After taking a deep breath, Menma reorganized his experimental notes and adjusted the parameters of his plan before restarting the procedure.
The objective itself never changed.
Only the method required constant revision.
Everything needed to be calibrated according to real-time results. If possible, Menma hoped that in the coming period he could advance his ambitions under relatively stable conditions whether that meant strengthening his own body or establishing an external power base.
Yet reality rarely unfolded according to one individual's wishes.
Especially not for someone like him, a jinchūriki who had become the focal point of attention across the entire shinobi world.
His every movement naturally attracted scrutiny.
Moreover, he was still heavily dependent on Orochimaru. That dependence imposed invisible constraints on his freedom.
For instance, Orochimaru was likely unaware of the groundwork Menma had quietly laid in Takigakure, but the sannin's intelligence network was vast. Discovering clues would only be a matter of time. Despite his ambitions, Menma still needed Orochimaru's resources, protection, and research infrastructure.
There was little room for pride in such circumstances.
Orochimaru was effectively sharing the burden of pressure from multiple great shinobi villages on Menma's behalf. Without that shield, there would be no secure base from which Menma could operate.
Otherwise, instead of discussing long-term strengthening or faction building, he would be forced into a constant game of pursuit wandering across the continent merely to avoid detection.
He had already learned from Orochimaru's intelligence reports that the number of Kumogakure shinobi operating covertly in various countries had increased significantly. Ever since diplomatic tensions with Konohagakure failed to produce exploitable weaknesses and the Fourth Raikage shifted strategic focus, Menma himself had become a priority target.
He was not particularly afraid of ordinary Kumo tracking squads.
However, if his days devolved into endless cycles of battle and flight, then all his so-called grand plans would become nothing more than hollow fantasies.
If one could not even secure personal stability, what qualification was there to reshape the shinobi world?
This had been one of the primary reasons Menma chose to reach a necessary working agreement with Orochimaru before leaving Konoha.
He genuinely required such a powerful "natural ally."
If circumstances allowed, Menma would not even mind maintaining this unusual covenant indefinitely. Judging from Orochimaru's long-standing ambitions, the man's goals had always been singular and unwavering pursuit of knowledge and transcendence. Their paths might not fully converge, but cooperation remained possible.
Naturally, numerous complications existed.
Sasuke Uchiha was only one of them.
Fortunately, Menma still possessed time and strategic flexibility.
There was no need for haste.
Advancing step by step along the current path was the most rational approach.
Time flowed quietly under such tension.
Soon, a reply arrived from Iwagakure.
Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, had agreed to Menma's proposal. The meeting would take place at a neutral location far from the Hidden Stone Village. Both parties were permitted to bring only a single accompanying individual.
"Oh? Tsuchikage-sama actually agreed?"
Upon hearing the report from Kabuto Yakushi, Menma raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise.
Strictly speaking, his request had been somewhat excessive. Ōnoki was one of the Five Kage an elder old enough to be Menma's grandfather. Agreeing to travel far from his own territory for negotiations with a missing-nin jinchūriki, and limiting his escort to one person, was hardly conventional diplomacy.
Menma had initially assumed the Tsuchikage would refuse outright.
Yet the opposite had happened.
"Yes, Menma-kun," Kabuto replied with a faint smile. "Tsuchikage-sama has also specified that the person accompanying him will be his son. You may determine the time and location."
This response conveyed both sincerity and confidence.
Ōnoki was currently the oldest active member among the Five Kage. Even well past seventy, his mastery of Dust Release remained one of the most terrifying offensive powers in the shinobi world. While his overall stamina might no longer match legendary figures like the late Third Raikage, the sheer destructive potential of Jinton was still considered among the highest-tier abilities.
Furthermore, his ability to fly granted him overwhelming tactical superiority.
As for the escort he intended to bring
Kitsuchi, a shinobi widely acknowledged to possess near-Kage-level combat capability.
With such strength and mobility, it was only natural that Ōnoki felt confident. Unless trapped within a large-scale barrier or surrounded by overwhelming numbers, he had little reason to fear an ambush.
This confidence was not arrogance.
It was the assurance born of decades on the battlefield.
"I see…"
After a moment of contemplation, Menma nodded slowly.
"As for the location, Kabuto-san, select an appropriate site on my behalf. And while you're at it, ask Orochimaru-san whether he would like to take a walk outside. After all, this could also be considered a reunion between old acquaintances."
Kabuto blinked in surprise.
"…Let me confirm. You want me to choose the meeting location and then have Orochimaru-sama accompany you to meet the Third Tsuchikage?"
"Yes," Menma replied with a quiet chuckle.
Although the idea had only formed moments earlier, the more he considered it, the more logical it became.
Ōnoki's sincerity might be genuine.
But he was still the leader of a major shinobi village.
Menma could not afford to take negotiations without safeguards.
Confidence alone was not enough.
Orochimaru would serve as the perfect counterbalance a "security guarantee" ensuring that neither side possessed overwhelming advantage.
In the world of shinobi diplomacy, sincerity mattered.
But strength mattered more.
Only those who stood on relatively equal footing were truly qualified to negotiate.
The weak were not negotiated with.
They were consumed.
Inviting Orochimaru also served another purpose.
At this stage, the sannin was Menma's most important perhaps only ally. Allowing suspicion or imbalance to grow between them would be strategically disastrous. Maintaining transparency in critical matters was essential if their cooperation was to endure.