The Jade Maiden used her silken ribbons to reel in the scroll, giving it a sharp flick in mid-air to shake off the disgusting mucus before presenting it to Menma.
Taking the scroll, Menma pulsed his chakra to sense its contents. Inside the storage seals, a surge of titanic life force ebbed and flowed like a tide. While Orochimaru was undeniably depraved when it came to human experimentation, his credibility remained solid when dealing with someone of equal strength or potential for cooperation.
Menma watched as Orochimaru vanished into the forest before departing himself, flanked by the Death God and the Jade Maiden. Had a true battle erupted, the Shinigami's scythe wouldn't have just drained chakra—it would have inflicted direct damage to the soul. Against an Orochimaru whose soul was already fragmented, it would have been a natural counter.
As Menma landed, a masked white tiger leapt from the foliage and skidded to a halt before him, lowering its body. Menma climbed onto its back, and the beast sprinted through the woods.
There were many secret bases scattered around the outskirts of Konoha—some so well-hidden that even Danzo didn't know they existed. With Orochimaru's flight, these facilities would be abandoned. Menma had no intention of letting such an opportunity go to waste.
Before long, the White Tiger stopped at a hidden entrance perched on a cliffside. Standing on the precipice, Menma could see the Naka River and the Naka Shrine ten kilometers in the distance. That was the Uchiha clan territory—their secret gathering place which housed the stone tablet supposedly left by the Sage of the Six Paths, though it had long since been tampered with by Zetsu.
"The view from this base isn't bad at all," Menma remarked, withdrawing his gaze and heading down the dark tunnel. The Jade Maiden and Death God drifted ahead, clearing any traps or hidden mechanisms in the corridor.
Though small, the base was fully equipped. Unformed test subjects floated in culture vats, and an independent power system hummed steadily. The three summons—the Tiger, the Maiden, and the Shinigami—began clearing out any residual traps or snakes Orochimaru had left behind.
Menma walked into a lounge and found a stack of experimental logs. It appeared this wasn't one of Orochimaru's primary labs; the notes were sparse and hurried, but they gave Menma a basic understanding of the facility's purpose. The White Tiger, possessing high sensory capabilities, had already located three of these bases. They would all become Menma's property.
Suddenly, a searing, burning pain radiated from the sealing array on Menma's waist.
"Is he here?" Menma set down the logs and wove a series of hand signs, slamming his palm against the small of his back.
"Caged Seal!"
A faint cursed seal flared briefly on his skin before fading into silence.
Outer Forest of Konoha
Uchiha Obito, clad in the red-clouded black robes of the Akatsuki and wearing his spiral mask, stood atop a massive tree, frowning.
"Obito, something seems to have happened in the Leaf. The White Zetsu clones report that security is incredibly tight. They've deployed numerous sensory ninja to scout the area," White Zetsu said, his torso emerging from the tree trunk.
"Call me 'Madara' when we're out here!" Obito snapped coldly.
"Sure thing, Obito-sama," White Zetsu chirped with his usual chatter.
Obito was used to the bickering. Ever since being saved by Madara Uchiha and kept underground, Zetsu was the only being he could communicate with. Even when the creature was being idiotic, Obito usually just ignored it.
"Has the Zetsu I placed at the orphanage reported back?" Obito's Sharingan flickered toward his companion.
"Now that you mention it, that Zetsu hasn't sent any info in quite a while," Zetsu replied, fully stepping out of the tree and tilting his head playfully.
"It seems things are happening in Konoha that we aren't aware of." Obito attempted to sense his mark using Kamui once more. However, he could no longer feel the anchor he had placed on Minato-sensei's child.
The brows beneath his mask furrowed deeply. He recalled the battle three years ago; Minato-sensei had deciphered his abilities after a single exchange, wounding him with a Level 2 Flying Raijin and severing his control over the Nine-Tails with a Contract Seal.
Is there a sealing technique capable of masking space-time markers? Obito thought of the Uzumaki clan, famous for their sealing prowess. But the Uzumaki were long gone, and no ninja currently in the Leaf should be capable of such a feat.
Damn it... what happened to that kid! Obito felt a rare surge of urgency. That boy was a vital piece of his revenge! He wanted to see Minato-sensei's sons tear each other apart in ten years' time!
"Hey, hey! Obito, are you really going into the Leaf?!" Zetsu called out as Obito's body began to warp and distort.
"Relax. The Fourth is dead," a deep, confident voice rumbled from behind the mask. "No one left can threaten me."
Deep within Konoha, Root Base
A Root ninja landed outside the sliding doors of Danzo's chambers.
"Danzo-sama! Orochimaru has defected!"
Lying on his futon, Danzo snapped his left eye open. "Bring 'Kinoe' to me," he commanded.
"Understood!" The ninja vanished.
Danzo threw back his covers and rose slowly. Orochimaru, so you finally took that step... Danzo had provided immense support for Orochimaru's research, but he knew using Leaf shinobi for experiments was the one line Hiruzen would never let go. When the supply of prisoners from the jails had run low, Danzo had directed his men to kidnap ordinary ninja to fuel the research. Officially, he knew nothing; it was all the work of "rogue subordinates."
"Danzo-sama!" Moments later, the thirteen-year-old boy codenamed "Kinoe," wearing a lynx mask, appeared.
Danzo handed him a scroll. "Go to this location. Deliver this to the contact there, then wait for Orochimaru. Assist him in his escape."
Though Kinoe possessed the Wood Style, his strength was only around Jōnin level—a far cry from an elite like Orochimaru. Danzo didn't expect him to fight, but Orochimaru could not be captured. If Hiruzen brought him back, he might talk, and that would be troublesome for Danzo. Since he couldn't kill him and still needed his expertise, assisting his flight was the only option.
"Yes!" Kinoe took the scroll and flickered away.
Immediately after he left, an ANBU ninja arrived at the Root base, led by Ryoma Aburame.
"Danzo-sama! The Hokage requests your presence!"
"I'm coming." Danzo donned his cloak, hiding the secrets of his arm deep beneath the fabric.