Menma reclined lazily on a lounge chair in the courtyard outside the newly built Star Country Council Hall. He flipped through an intelligence scroll detailing the life of Yakushi Kabuto—or rather, "Kumamoto Kabuto"—a faint, playful smirk playing on his lips.
The documentation was flawless.
Kumamoto City was the second-largest city in the Land of Stars, boasting a population of over eighty thousand. Among them were more than a hundred orphans. Before Menma took control, these children existed in loose gangs, drifting through the city as beggars and petty thieves.
When the new officials processed these orphans, they conducted only basic interviews, asking for birthplaces or lingering memories of parents. Since most orphans knew nothing, they answered honestly, making it laughably easy to plant a fake identity. A year ago, children like "Kabuto" were everywhere in the Land of Stars.
Thus, eleven-year-old Yakushi Kabuto now held a perfectly legal identity. Once the Ninja Academy opened, he would undoubtedly showcase his talent for medical ninjutsu, earn the trust of the higher-ups, and eventually infiltrate the upper echelons of the Star Shinobi Army to gather deep-level intel.
"Since Kabuto has shown up here, there's no need for him to leave," Menma mused, plotting how to bring both the boy and Yakushi Nono under his command.
The autumn afternoon sun filtered through the branches, dappling him in warmth. Yet, the cozy atmosphere did nothing to dampen his appetite for a little "troublemaking."
"What is it? Do you know that child?"
Uchiha Hikari stepped into the courtyard, her long blue coat lightly creased and dusted with grime.
As the Captain of the Jonin for the Star Shinobi Army, Hikari's days were split between overseeing military defense and training the local Jonin—including Natsuhi, Hotarubi, Uzumaki Kasou, and Uta. Even Haku and Kimimaro were part of her rigorous curriculum.
As the strongest combatant under Menma's command, Hikari was a powerhouse of the "Beyond-Kage" level with vast combat experience. For these shinobi, being trained by her was a rare and coveted opportunity.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu served as the Captain of the Anbu and the Chief Warden. He handled the "dirty work," overseeing the interrogation and imprisonment of captured spies and foreign ninjas. His fighting style was far too eccentric and lethal for casual sparring; Kakuzu had a nasty habit of "losing control" and going for the kill during practice.
"You could call him an old acquaintance," Menma said, setting the scroll on the tea table and pouring a glass of water for Hikari.
"And what do you plan to do?" Hikari asked, sinking into the opposite lounge chair. She was slightly breathless, her skin glistening with sweat as her breathing gradually steadied.
Menma hummed in thought, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the scroll.
"It's time to activate the Marked Tsukuyomi I planted inside Gari, the Explosion Style user from the Hidden Stone. Let's see what he can find out about Yakushi Nono's movements in Iwagakure."
"I'll try," Hikari replied, her voice as cool and crisp as ever.
Her black pupils bled into a vivid crimson as the intricate pattern of her Mangekyō Sharingan surfaced. She closed her eyes, her spiritual energy stretching out like invisible tendrils across the vast distance, pinpointing Gari's chakra over a thousand miles away in the Hidden Stone Village.
A year ago, Gari had led a squad to infiltrate the Land of Stars, only to be captured by Hikari and Kasou. They had branded him with the Marked Tsukuyomi before releasing him. By manipulating a traitor from the old Star Village to stage a "pursuit," they ensured Gari passed his observation period upon returning to the Stone.
Every night when Gari slept, his mind was subconsciously pillaged. He would leave intelligence about Iwagakure within Hikari's Tsukuyomi space, serving as a vital, silent pawn. Now, after half a year of dormancy, the piece was being formally moved.
The control offered by the Marked Tsukuyomi was terrifyingly close to the Infinite Tsukuyomi. It ignored distance and architecture, allowing for the remote manipulation of any target bearing the mark.
In the Hidden Stone Village, Gari was on the training grounds, instructing a new batch of ninjas. He was a lean man with a gaunt face and spiky hair, wearing the classic Iwa Jonin uniform with the right sleeve missing.
The moment Hikari activated the mark, the Mangekyō pattern flickered briefly on the back of Gari's hand. His body stiffened for a fraction of a second. His consciousness was plunged into a void as an icy torrent of foreign will shattered his mental defenses.
As an Elite Jonin, Gari couldn't offer even a shred of resistance. His pupils lost focus, becoming hollow and wooden, while his actual spirit fell into a deep slumber.
Across the continent, Hikari issued her commands. Gari's body reacted automatically, resuming his previous movements with the precision of a masterfully crafted puppet. He continued correcting the stances of the three Genin before him, and the surrounding Stone ninjas noticed nothing amiss.
Under Hikari's control, "Gari" began to actively sniff out information regarding Yakushi Nono.
He visited a local izakaya to share drinks with old friends, casually steering the conversation toward village affairs. He questioned acquaintances in the medical department about "difficult cases," using the pretense of a mission injury to fish for data.
Before long, he struck gold. He found information on a female ninja who fit Nono's profile, operating under an alias.
'Aisora Suzuhara.' A wandering ninja who joined Iwagakure a year ago. Skilled in medical ninjutsu, she had supposedly traveled throughout the Land of Earth before being recruited.
Villages often recruited such "ronin" ninjas—remnants of small clans or talented civilians. While most were Genin or Chunin rank, a rare few possessed Jonin-level utility. To a Hidden Village, these recruits were the ultimate expendable assets. They were sent on the grueling, thankless missions that the village's "own" shinobi were too valuable to risk.
"Hey, Yoshikawa," Gari said in the izakaya, taking a shallow sip of his sake and acting nonchalant. "Have you seen that Suzuhara woman lately? The medicine she prescribed me last time is almost out."
"Oh, you mean that Chunin from the medical department?" The ninja named Yoshikawa laughed, scratching his head. "I think she was sent to the border near the Land of Rain. The Rain ninjas have been acting crazy lately, picking fights at the border. A bunch of our guys got poisoned, so the medical department dispatched several teams."
"Tsk, the Tsuchikage really knows how to work the newcomers," Gari remarked with a dry chuckle.
Inwardly, however, this information was already surging through the Marked Tsukuyomi, crossing mountains and rivers to reach the City of Stars.
Hikari opened her eyes and immediately relayed the intelligence to Menma.