Time slowly ticked away.
Menma sat quietly, waiting.
Just over an hour later...
Two familiar chakra fluctuations were detected not far to the direct east. Menma's eyes slowly opened.
The figure of Tayuya, carrying a barrel as large as a person on her back, came into view.
And the moment she saw Menma...
Tayuya was first startled, then revealed a look of pleasant surprise.
"Menma-sama."
Although they weren't from the same ninja village, under the dual instructions of Orochimaru and Kabuto, these people from the Hidden Sound Village maintained the most basic superficial etiquette when they saw Menma.
Just as they did with Sasuke.
Who the person was didn't matter.
What mattered were the orders of their Lord Orochimaru.
"Is Sasuke inside?"
Menma raised an eyebrow, asking the obvious as he looked at Tayuya.
"Yes, Menma-sama. Please leave intercepting the enemies here to me, and take Sasuke-sama back with you. The time limit set by Orochimaru-sama is approaching."
Comrades had been left behind one by one to cover their retreat.
Enemies had chased them down one after another.
If Kimimaro's support hadn't been timely just now, Tayuya very likely would have been left behind there as well.
Even so...
"Bastards! Give Sasuke back to me!"
The enemies chasing from behind were still in hot pursuit.
As that familiar roar fell...
Tayuya's expression changed, and she spoke to Menma in a very hurried tone.
However, Menma remained completely unmoved. He smiled lightly and waved his hand. "Don't be in such a rush. It looks like Sasuke is about to come out anyway. Let's settle the pursuers right here once and for all."
"Eh?"
Tayuya was stunned.
Then, in the next second...
The barrel began to shake violently.
A special wave of power permeated from within.
Boom!
By the time two figures—Naruto and Shikamaru—flashed onto the head of the Hashirama Senju statue opposite them...
The barrel exploded.
Whoosh!
Sasuke's figure flew out from inside.
"Eh?"
"Sasuke! Huh? Menma!?"
The moment they saw this scene, both Naruto and Shikamaru were stunned. Naruto's eyes widened even further.
He stared fixedly at Menma's location.
"Haven't seen you for over half a month. It looks like you're in pretty good shape, Sasuke."
Menma glanced indifferently at Naruto and Shikamaru not far away, then turned his head to look at Sasuke, chuckling lightly as he spoke.
"Hmm? So it's Menma. Ah, I do feel extremely good right now. Did Orochimaru send you to receive me?"
Sasuke, likewise, paid absolutely no attention to Naruto and Shikamaru opposite him. He looked at Menma with a cold expression and spoke in a flat tone.
"Send? Heh, it seems you've misunderstood something. Orochimaru-san and I merely have a cooperative relationship. And my role is limited to receiving you here. Whether you can make it out depends entirely on those few over there, and your own efforts, Sasuke."
Menma scoffed.
That was what he said.
But in reality, Menma was paying quite a bit of attention to Sasuke.
Because Sasuke was a very important pawn in his future plans.
A combat power ceiling—that was absolutely no joke. Even Sasuke in just his Mangekyō Sharingan mode was solidly beyond the ordinary Kage level.
Therefore, Menma very much hoped that Sasuke could defect from the Hidden Leaf and join Orochimaru, just like in the original story, because this version of Sasuke was simply too easy to "bamboozle."
And his goals were very pure and direct.
Menma had no intention of deceiving Sasuke.
They would simply walk a common path, with Menma taking the lead, that was all.
Of course, paying attention was one thing. Expecting Menma to shoulder excessive risk to retrieve Sasuke was impossible.
If he couldn't even ensure his own safety, how could he hope to support others?
That would be having water in his brain.
"Is that so?"
A look of understanding surfaced in Sasuke's pupils, and he nodded lightly.
"So, what's the plan here today? Naruto is your brother, right? Or can you really harden your heart?"
Sasuke stood sideways, looking at Naruto not far away while asking Menma with an inscrutable expression.
"Harden my heart? If it's truly necessary, why not? We aren't travelers on the same path, after all. Besides, isn't it the same for you, Sasuke?"
Menma gave a cold smile, looking at Sasuke meaningfully.
Brothers in the same situation.
Going separate ways just the same.
At least from the current perspective, the situations Menma and Sasuke faced were identical.
"True enough."
A cold look appeared between Sasuke's brows as well.
"Then let's end this boring game right here."
As those chilling words fell...
Buzz!
The next second.
Sasuke decisively activated his Sharingan.
Pitch-black tomoe appeared.
Deep within his pupils, a third tomoe seemed to be flickering in and out of existence.
"Sasuke! Menma, come back! This is all just a misunderstanding, right!? I've already talked to Granny Tsunade and Pervy Sage—Jiraiya-sensei. As long as you're willing to come back, we can treat everything as if it never happened. Everything can start over!"
This clearly drawn line...
Let alone Shikamaru...
Even Naruto could see it clearly.
The nearly identical look of indifference on Menma and Sasuke's faces was so clear, so piercing, so heartbreaking.
But Naruto still clung to that last shred of hope.
He hoped the two had simply been deceived and bewitched by Orochimaru.
As long as they cleared the air, they could return to the times before—that period when Team 7 was incredibly happy.
"Start over? You really are as foolish as ever, Naruto. That village, the people in that village... in my eyes, every single one of them is filth. Besides, go back!? Heh, why don't you take another look at the people next to you before you say that?"
A look of mockery appeared at the corner of Menma's mouth. Following his slanted gaze and icy words...
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
On the other side of Naruto and Shikamaru...
Suddenly.
Six or seven figures wearing the standard black uniforms of the Hidden Leaf Anbu flashed out.
"Menma Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha. As rogue ninjas of the Hidden Leaf, this is your final warning. surrender and return to the village with us. If you resist, you will be killed on sight!"
The leader, wearing a cat-face mask, stared straight at Menma and Sasuke, speaking in an incredibly harsh tone.
The powerful aura emanating from his body...
Was proof enough that the strength of this leader was solidly at the Jonin level!