"Ryōma."
A low, cold voice echoed through the dim chamber.
"Whoosh!"
A figure instantly appeared beside Shimura Danzō.
Tall and imposing, the man knelt on one knee before his master.
"Personally lead two Root squads to the Land of Spring. Take Fū and Torune with you. If you can persuade him, that would naturally be the best outcome. If not…" Danzō's single exposed eye narrowed dangerously. "The method does not matter. I only need to see the Six-Tails Jinchūriki. Once he is in my hands, everything else will become simple. Bring him back. Do you understand?"
Danzō's voice carried an unquestionable chill as he looked at his most trusted subordinate and one of the strongest shinobi within Root.
He knew very well just how terrifying a tailed beast was.
If he had once underestimated Menma due to incomplete information, he would never repeat the same mistake regarding the rogue Six-Tails Jinchūriki who had defected from Kirigakure.
With Ryōma's strength, two elite Root squads, and specialists proficient in sealing techniques, Danzō believed they possessed enough power to contend with even a fully transformed Six-Tails.
Moreover, they did not necessarily need to act immediately.
They could simply wait for the perfect opportunity and reap the rewards after others had exhausted themselves.
Danzō trusted that his subordinate understood his intentions.
"Yes, Danzō-sama. Please leave it to me."
Ryōma replied calmly.
"Good. I leave everything in your hands, Ryōma."
Danzō nodded with satisfaction.
Ever since Ryōma had joined Root, he had never once disappointed him. Danzō firmly believed that this mission would be no different.
"Understood."
After lowering his head respectfully, Ryōma's figure flickered and vanished.
Only a few minutes later
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
On the eastern outskirts of Konoha, more than ten figures dressed in black ANBU attire leaped through the forest and sped toward the south.
The Root operatives had already departed from Konohagakure.
At the Hokage Office.
Tsunade had already received the report.
"As expected… that old man just couldn't sit still."
Sitting behind the Hokage's desk, Tsunade sighed, a look of inevitability appearing in her amber eyes.
The current Konoha was nothing like it had once been.
As Hokage, she understood her own situation perfectly.
Although every order issued by her office appeared absolute to ordinary shinobi, the truth was that Danzō, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane would inevitably learn of it sooner or later.
Each of them had governed the village for decades.
Their influence permeated every department and every corner of Konoha.
Unless she completely stripped them of their authority, imprisoned them, and forcefully purged their influence from the village, Tsunade could never achieve absolute control over Konoha.
But if she did that…
The entire village would descend into chaos.
That was a situation Tsunade neither wished to see nor possessed the prestige to suppress.
Even if she were determined to do so, her staunchest supporters, Jiraiya and Nara Shikaku, might not necessarily agree with such drastic measures.
After all, she was not Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The Third Hokage had been unwilling to make such a decision.
As for Tsunade…
She simply could not.
The stability of the village came above all else.
"Tsunade-sama, what should we do? Should we send someone to intercept them?"
Shizune asked worriedly.
Tsunade frowned and pondered for a long moment before slowly shaking her head.
"No. There's no point."
"Leaving aside everything else, Danzō has undoubtedly dispatched his elite forces this time. We don't have enough manpower to stop them without creating unnecessary conflict."
She paused briefly.
"Besides, this matter concerns only the Six-Tails Jinchūriki and Kirigakure. It's not worth turning Konoha upside down."
Then her expression softened slightly.
"Pass the information to Jiraiya immediately and let him handle the situation on-site."
From Tsunade's perspective, this incident did not warrant a direct confrontation with Danzō.
More importantly, she had already received word that Jiraiya had gone south to the Land of Spring.
With one of the Legendary Sannin present, she did not believe Root would be able to cause much trouble.
"Understood, Tsunade-sama."
Shizune nodded and quickly departed to relay the order.
The movements of all parties had gradually converged.
This was a development that had exceeded nearly everyone's expectations.
Even Menma himself had not foreseen it.
As he traveled south, he deliberately avoided the major roads. Although doing so consumed additional chakra, Menma maintained his transformed appearance throughout the daytime and advanced cautiously.
After all, he had to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
His sensory abilities remained fully expanded the entire time.
Every movement within the surrounding area remained under his surveillance.
Menma was not particularly worried about ordinary pursuers.
The only beings he truly feared were the elusive White Zetsu.
He would never allow those creatures to discover his whereabouts.
'This should be the agreed location.'
After more than a day of travel, Menma had crossed nearly half the continent and finally arrived at a coastal region in the southernmost part of the Land of Fire.
This route had been the shortest path while avoiding the main roads.
His gaze swept across the area.
There was no one in sight.
Yet after only a brief extension of his senses, Menma immediately locked onto a presence hidden within the forest to his right.
"Haha, Menma-kun is still as sharp as ever. You found me so quickly."
The moment Menma's gaze settled on the woods, a familiar chuckle emerged from within.
A slender figure slowly stepped out.
Yakushi Kabuto.
"Don't forget my surname, Kabuto-san. No one can escape my perception."
Menma looked at him calmly, though there was an unmistakable hint of warning in his tone.
Kabuto's expression stiffened slightly.
To be honest, his concealment had indeed been intentional.
He wanted to see just how much Menma's abilities had grown.
Unfortunately, not only had Menma discovered him immediately, but he had also seen through his intentions at a glance.
For an instant, Kabuto felt a slight chill.
However, after only a second, he adjusted his expression once more.
That familiar smile returned to his face.
"You truly are remarkable, Menma-kun."
It was as though he had not heard the warning hidden within Menma's words.
The man's ability to change masks and adapt his mentality at any moment truly made him worthy of being one of the greatest spies in the shinobi world.
No wonder Orochimaru valued him so highly.
Excellent intelligence-gathering skills.
Superb medical ninjutsu.
Outstanding support and experimental capabilities.
Any one of these talents would make a shinobi exceptional.
Possessing all three made Kabuto an extraordinary existence.
Because of this, Menma increasingly wished he could recruit him.
Of course, that thought lasted only a moment.
Menma knew himself well.
Subduing Yakushi Kabuto was practically impossible.
Although the man appeared gentle and courteous, he was incredibly proud deep down.
Such a person would never easily submit to another.
The only reason Orochimaru had succeeded was because he had chosen the perfect opportunity.
Even then, Kabuto's loyalty to Orochimaru was not as absolute as that of Kimimaro, Guren, or the Sound Four.
Only Shimura Danzō had once possessed the chance to make this unique genius completely loyal.
Unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong method.
The death of Yakushi Nono had shattered Kabuto's heart entirely.
But if Danzō had not acted that way…
He would not be Danzō.
"Enough small talk."
Menma waved his hand.
"Can you still track Utakata's location in the Land of Spring?"
"For now, yes."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses.
"However, I still cannot determine his exact position."
"What about the Kirigakure pursuit squad? Did anyone die during the previous battle?"
Although Menma possessed knowledge of future events, he still needed as much first-hand information as possible.
"Based on the traces left behind, only injuries occurred among the Mist shinobi. No one died."
Kabuto smiled lightly.
"This can also be inferred from their continued pursuit. Their numbers haven't changed, and there are no signs of reinforcements from Kirigakure."
"Hmph."
Menma snorted softly.
"That's more or less what I expected. A rogue ninja, yet not completely severed from his village. Or perhaps someone within the pursuit force shares a special relationship with Utakata."
"So, what is your plan, Menma-kun?"
Kabuto asked with his usual smile.
"Plan?"
Menma raised an eyebrow.
"First, we need to meet Utakata."
Then he looked directly at Kabuto.
"The next step depends on you, Kabuto-san."
Kabuto immediately bowed slightly.
"Please rest assured, Menma-kun."
A mysterious smile spread across his face.
"Leave everything to me."
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