Shisha truly had no intention of honoring any agreement with Amegakure.
To him, the Rain shinobi were nothing more than disposable tools.
"Don't worry," Shisha said coldly, his expression steeped in contempt. "I'm merely using those Rain-nin. Promises? Agreements? What are those worth? They're outsiders. Once our plan succeeds, dealing with them will be effortless."
He had never once intended to fulfill his so-called commitments.
He was a man aiming to seize the leadership of Takigakure.
To ally with Amegakure was one thing.
To actually reward them afterward?
Ridiculous.
In Shisha's worldview, contracts were merely convenient lies, scraps of paper meant to be discarded the moment they ceased being useful.
The horse-faced Taki shinobi froze momentarily before nodding enthusiastically.
"I see! Then I understand completely, Lord Shisha!"
Not only did he fail to find fault in this reasoning
He agreed with it entirely.
After all, this was the shinobi world.
A realm where morality was often secondary to survival.
Honor?
Trust?
Promises?
Such concepts were luxuries, not rules.
Had not Sunagakure itself recently betrayed its alliance and cooperated with Orochimaru during the invasion of Konohagakure?
If entire hidden villages could discard treaties for strategic gain, then what meaning did personal agreements truly possess?
Only fools, in his eyes, clung to such ideals.
"Then we should increase precautions," the subordinate continued cautiously. "Allocate additional personnel to guard against possible betrayal from the Rain-nin "
"No need."
Shisha waved dismissively, a smug smile crossing his face.
"I already have another arrangement prepared. There is nothing for you to worry about."
The horse-faced shinobi blinked in confusion.
Another plan?
He had heard nothing about this.
Yet Shisha offered no further explanation.
Instead, his gaze shifted southward, anticipation flickering in his eyes.
'It's almost time…'
The grand performance was nearing its climax.
And one vital actor had yet to arrive
Menma.
Unknown to nearly everyone involved, Menma's existence had already become a major catalyst in Takigakure's internal collapse.
Though not the direct cause of the rebellion, he had undoubtedly accelerated it.
By disguising himself as a subordinate of the Fire Daimyō and subtly manipulating existing tensions, Menma had intentionally fanned dormant political instability into open crisis.
His logic was ruthlessly practical:
A stable Takigakure was nearly impossible to infiltrate politically.
A fractured Takigakure, however
Could be controlled.
As long as internal conflict escalated to a village-wide scale, opportunities would inevitably emerge.
Whether his scheme succeeded or failed carried relatively little immediate risk to him personally.
At worst, he would lose time.
At best, he would gain access to an entire shinobi village and its military infrastructure.
For Menma, the gamble was more than worthwhile.
Nearly three days later, after crossing the strait and traveling northward, Menma's group finally arrived near Takigakure's outer territories.
Standing within the forested outskirts, Menma turned toward his companions Tayuya, Suigetsu, Karin, and the others.
"You all understand the plan, correct?"
His voice was calm, but commanding.
"Do not act prematurely. Until the final stage, we are merely supporting players. Do you understand?"
This operation was too important.
Takigakure represented Menma's first true opportunity to establish independent power.
A power structure loyal solely to him.
If this failed, he would be forced to build everything from nothing
A far slower and more dangerous process.
Thus, while setbacks were acceptable, total failure was not.
"Yes, Menma-sama."
Both Suigetsu Hōzuki and Tayuya bowed immediately.
"Good."
Menma then turned to Karin.
"Karin, you and Tayuya remain here. Monitor the surroundings. If anything unusual occurs, signal immediately."
"Yes, Menma."
Karin nodded firmly.
After months of development under Menma's guidance, Karin had matured considerably.
Though her direct combat power still hovered around chūnin-level, her sensory capabilities were extraordinary.
Her inherited Uzumaki sensory technique Kagura Mind's Eye allowed her to detect chakra signatures over vast distances with terrifying precision.
Within a radius of twenty to thirty kilometers, few movements could escape her notice.
With Karin in position, Menma could proceed confidently.
"Then let's move, Mizuki."
Whoosh!
Menma leapt forward toward the northeast.
Mizuki followed closely behind.
Throughout the three-day journey, Menma had harbored one consistent concern:
That Takigakure's internal conflict might spiral out of control before his arrival.
Fortunately, after contacting intelligence operatives placed by Orochimaru, he confirmed that the situation remained within acceptable parameters.
The coup had not yet begun.
Everything was still manageable.
This realization greatly eased his mind.
Meanwhile, Shisha also received word of Menma's arrival.
At their predetermined meeting point, Menma prepared accordingly.
Before entering contact, he utilized the Transformation Technique to once more assume the same false identity he had used during his prior interactions with Takigakure.
His disguise reverted him into the young political envoy persona tied to the Fire Daimyō's faction.
Though Mizuki found this behavior somewhat curious, he wisely kept silent.
He understood his place.
He was not an advisor.
He was merely an operative.
And more importantly
He knew better than to question terrifying individuals like Orochimaru… or Menma.
Even without witnessing Menma's full strength firsthand, Mizuki's instincts screamed one undeniable truth:
This boy was dangerous beyond reason.
'He's definitely a monster…'
Mizuki's conviction on that matter only deepened as he silently followed Menma into the next stage of Takigakure's unfolding political catastrophe.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 257 ON PATREON.
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