As Karin gently pulled away...
Sensing her intent, Menma naturally released his hands and took two steps back. However, the moment she left his embrace, Karin felt a sudden, subconscious sense of loss. The instant she realized this...
Karin felt thoroughly ashamed of herself.
How could she be so unreserved?
She quickly took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, but she still looked visibly shy, nervously twirling a lock of her hair around her finger.
Menma acted as if he hadn't noticed a thing and changed the subject directly. "Have you been staying here for the past month? Did they do anything to you?"
"Mhm. Ever since Orochimaru-san took me from Konoha, I've been here. They didn't really do anything special to me. They just asked to draw some blood, and told me I couldn't leave this specific area. Other than that, nothing much," Karin replied, shaking her head gently.
"Draw blood?"
Menma's brow furrowed instinctively.
Orochimaru really had zero patience when it came to research. When he saw something he wanted to study, he didn't want to wait even a moment.
But, fortunately, it was just some blood.
"What's wrong? Is that not allowed?"
Seeing Menma's expression, Karin's small face immediately showed a hint of nervousness, afraid she might have done something wrong.
"It's nothing. Don't worry, it's a minor thing. But from now on, you will stay by my side, Karin. Tell me about your experiences during this time, and any information you have about this place," Menma said warmly, shaking his head gently.
"Mhm!"
Karin nodded heavily.
Following that, Karin detailed all the intelligence and information she had gathered during her stay.
As Menma listened, he silently calculated in his mind.
He had to admit, Orochimaru was indeed a rare talent. This wasn't just about his strength as a ninja or his scientific capabilities, but also his leadership skills, which were displayed vividly. If nothing else, a character like Danzo simply couldn't compare to Orochimaru.
A mere Root organization had to rely on the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal to maintain control. While that was indeed one of the best ways to prevent information leaks, wasn't it also proof that Danzo didn't trust his own subordinates?
Orochimaru didn't need such methods. He had a large number of subordinates willing to die for him.
Things like the Curse Mark weren't used to forcibly control subordinates; instead, they were gifts to enhance their power.
At most, they were a backup plan Orochimaru left for himself.
Orochimaru never relied on the Curse Mark to coerce loyalty. In his view, that was the lowest form of manipulation.
Kimimaro, Guren, Kabuto, the Sound Four, and others—they all obeyed and followed Orochimaru for one reason or another.
The founding of the Hidden Sound Village was proof of this.
The fact that Orochimaru could build such a massive force in such a short time spoke volumes.
However, the current Sound Village was somewhat "strong on the outside, but brittle on the inside." It had taken ten years of preparation for the Sound Village to amass over a thousand ninja, and the "Konoha Crush" plan alone had cost them hundreds.
Based on Karin's own sensory perception, there were fewer than three or four hundred ninja detectable in this exclusive stronghold of Orochimaru's. Most were very weak, with only a scant few reaching the Jonin level.
'It looks like even if Konoha doesn't come chasing after us, this base is already half-crippled...'
Menma mused silently.
"Um, Menma... are we going to stay here forever?"
A look of conflict and hesitation appeared on Karin's face before she finally mustered the courage to ask Menma timidly.
"Yes, we can't leave here for the short term, at least. Karin, setting aside the deal I made with Orochimaru, right now we need him. Whether it's for your Uzumaki bloodline or for my identity," Menma nodded, speaking in a solemn tone.
During their conversation just now...
Menma had casually revealed his true identity and briefly explained why he had left Konoha. Since he already considered Karin a comrade—and the only one he could truly trust at this stage—Menma naturally needed to share important information with her.
Predictably, Menma's identity came as a huge shock to Karin. But it also made her understand why Menma wanted to defect from Konoha. wasn't it exactly like her environment in the Grass Village?
Unrecognized.
rejected.
And having lost their families forever.
In that moment, Karin felt an unprecedented similarity and closeness to Menma. The feelings of intimacy, dependence, and trust in her heart grew significantly stronger.
"Of course, this is just a temporary arrangement. I have other ideas, but those will take time to realize slowly," Menma said, looking at Karin with a gentle expression.
He wasn't just saying this to comfort her; Menma truly had his own set of plans.
Orochimaru was ultimately just a stepping stone.
Menma was different from Sasuke. Sasuke was obsessed with revenge against Itachi and the so-called "restoration of the Uchiha clan." The original story made it clear that Sasuke never really had a comprehensive plan; he never put anything into practice regarding the clan's restoration, only paying lip service to the idea.
Of course, if Sasuke really wanted to revive the Uchiha clan, the first problem to solve would be the population issue.
One person cannot revive a ninja clan.
Even if that person becomes the strongest in the ninja world.
Menma, on the other hand, had precise goals and plans.
The first step was to leave Konoha and seize his freedom completely. Currently, this was only half-achieved. After all, staying with Orochimaru was still living under someone else's roof. Being called a "collaborator" was just a nice way of putting it.
It wasn't a truly equal standing with Orochimaru.
Menma knew this very well.
Therefore, at this stage, becoming stronger was the primary objective.
"Mhm, I believe you, Menma."
Karin looked up, tilting her small head, and nodded obediently. Although Karin didn't know exactly what Menma's plan was, she didn't feel the need to know. In her view, she just needed to follow Menma closely and become the support he needed.
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