"So, the most important aspect of constructing and deploying a barrier is the stable output of chakra. This is the foundation, the most critical part."
"Therefore, chakra control is the top priority. In the upcoming initial training, we will strengthen everyone's chakra control as much as possible. This is a necessary process. Those who do not meet the requirements will be eliminated directly."
"Next, everyone needs to familiarize themselves with this content as quickly as possible, and then we will proceed directly to practical operations."
"Also..."
Menma looked at the dozens of Waterfall ninja gathered before him, meticulously teaching the most basic part of barrier jutsu formulas. He first needed them to understand the fundamental meaning of barrier jutsu and some basic deployment methods. Only after they understood what a barrier itself was could he proceed to the next step of operations.
The same applied to personnel screening.
It wasn't about screening personnel right at the start.
If they didn't even understand the most basic meaning and methods of barriers, how could he screen them!?
The vast majority of these transferred Waterfall ninja listened very attentively. As mentioned before, these young people still had their own ambitions. Unlike the batch of senior Waterfall ninja content with the status quo, the young Waterfall ninja were mostly full of vigor. They hoped to see their own ninja village continuously grow stronger.
Not only returning to its former peak, but ideally catching up with the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Five Kage!?
No!
Any young ninja in other ninja villages with a bit of spirit and ambition hoped to see their own village's leader be called a Kage as well!
Of course, not like that group in the Hidden Star Village amusing themselves by jokingly calling their leader the "Hoshikage" (Star Shadow). Instead, they wanted their village's strength to solidly rival the Five Great Nations, becoming the Sixth Great Ninja Village recognized by all nations and ninja villages in the ninja world—the Sixth Kage!
Therefore, as long as decisions and actions could enhance the ninja village's strength...
Most young ninja would pursue and strive for them.
The large-scale sensory barrier proposed by Menma, capable of covering the entire ninja village, was one of the direct means to enhance the village's strength.
Another point was that this was a new jutsu, new knowledge that the Hidden Waterfall didn't possess before!
Young people with aspirations for the future would naturally be more interested.
Of course, not everyone. Among those transferred, a small portion was not very keen on learning barrier knowledge. Menma saw this too, and it was understandable. Some young people still hoped to learn more and stronger ninjutsu, genjutsu, and so on. For these people, barrier knowledge was like a chicken rib—tasteless but wasteful to discard.
In the upcoming screening, Menma would prioritize excluding these people unless they were truly talented.
But there was one exception: Suigetsu Hozuki, whom Menma had also added to the lineup. He was one of only two "subordinates" Menma brought to the Hidden Waterfall Village from outside. Previously, Shibuki was a bit curious why Menma brought so many people last time but only two later. Shibuki thought Menma was worried about other issues and even actively comforted Menma, promising that all treatment would be the same as normal Waterfall ninja.
Little did he know those people were all Orochimaru's subordinates.
Menma didn't explain much, just using other excuses to brush it off with a smile.
Menma pulled Suigetsu into this team because of Suigetsu's "direct subordinate" status. Although it was obvious this "subordinate" only obeyed verbally but not in his heart, he was still more reliable than the Waterfall ninja Menma had just met.
Since Karin had other arrangements...
Menma had to assign someone to be responsible for this team. From personality and attributes, Suigetsu indeed wasn't that suitable; it was a bit like forcing a duck onto a perch. But Menma had no other choice.
Suigetsu was the only candidate.
Another theory class ended. After all the Waterfall ninja dispersed...
"Lord Menma, I'm really not suited to lead this team. I can basically only understand the gist of the barrier content," Suigetsu walked lightly to Menma's side, looking at him with a bitter face and speaking blatantly.
After spending this period together, Suigetsu could more or less grasp Menma's personality. Generally speaking, Menma wouldn't fuss over non-principled issues.
Including etiquette and attitude—even being slightly presumptuous was harmless.
If he didn't have his own ideas, Suigetsu actually felt following Menma wouldn't be bad, because this guy looked like someone who could achieve great things.
But that was just a fleeting thought.
Suigetsu's greatest wish right now was still to flee here as much as possible.
He didn't want to truly take orders from anyone.
It was just that he couldn't find a suitable opportunity right now, and he was also very afraid of Menma's personal strength. Just like with Orochimaru, Suigetsu could always smell a very dangerous scent on Menma.
Suigetsu had always trusted his instincts.
Regarding the twists and turns in Suigetsu's heart...
Menma could see through part of it, but he didn't care. As long as Suigetsu was willing to work for him, there would be ways later.
Whether he could make Suigetsu submit wholeheartedly was hard to say, but Menma had considerable confidence in keeping Suigetsu under his control.
"It's fine, understanding the gist is enough. I don't really need you to be the person in charge of barrier deployment, but rather the person in charge of this team. Suigetsu, you are the second outsider I brought to this village. You should know what my intention is. This village concerns my plan, and this group of people is the most important first step. I trust you very much."
Menma chuckled lightly, staring straight at Suigetsu, speaking meaningfully.
This expression, which looked dangerous no matter how Suigetsu viewed it, made him shudder subconsciously in his heart.
Trust me?
Trust my ass!
I don't want your trust, okay?
Suigetsu couldn't help but curse inwardly. The more Menma said this, the more he felt he was being beaten into line.
The feeling was indescribably awkward and uncomfortable.
Yet, he couldn't say anything.
He could only force a smile and respond, "Yes, I understand, Lord Menma."
Endure. For now, he could only endure. But once he found a suitable opportunity, Suigetsu would definitely choose to slip away. Such days were not what Suigetsu wanted.
He still had his own magnificent goals to achieve!
"Wait until everything here stabilizes; you can also do what you want to do. Whether you want to obtain some thing or some person, I will do my utmost to assist you. Suigetsu, I am different from Orochimaru-san. To gain, one must give; only by giving can one gain, right?"
Menma smiled lightly, looking straight into Suigetsu's eyes, and spoke softly.
Causing Suigetsu's heart to tremble violently.
Things he wanted!
People he wanted!
Suigetsu subconsciously raised his eyelids. The moment he met Menma's eyes, he could clearly see a trace of a smile. But just a second later, as if reacting belatedly, Suigetsu hurriedly lowered his head.
In that moment, a rather fierce wave undoubtedly surged in Suigetsu's heart.
Does this guy know what I want!?
This thought surfacing in his mind...
Seemed to dilute Suigetsu's previous emotions unknowingly.
But Suigetsu was ultimately someone with a distinct personality and strong subjective will; he wouldn't be influenced so easily.
Menma never thought this shark-toothed guy would submit to him so easily. Today was merely planting a small seed. One had to let people see a glimmer of hope first, right?
Often, suffering isn't the most sinister or unacceptable thing.
Suffering without an end in sight is the most despairing.
Infinite exploitation will eventually only lead to desperate resistance. Letting people taste sweetness and see hope is the method a superior needs to master most. The current Menma was still very green and immature in this regard, but he was slowly exploring and growing in his own way.
Fortunately, Suigetsu was just a teenager.
He definitely wouldn't be as hard to hoodwink as those old guys.
And judging from the original story, Suigetsu's ambitions were quite direct and realistic: he wanted to revive the prestige of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, surpass his brother Mangetsu Hozuki, become the strongest sword wielder, and ideally collect all seven ninja swords for his own use.
In Menma's view, this was by no means an unachievable goal.
"Heh, let's stop here for today. Go back and rest well. Defense missions for this period can be temporarily canceled; just focus on participating in the intensive training here."
Menma patted Suigetsu's shoulder gently and said with a smile.
"Yes, Lord Menma."
After bowing, Suigetsu left with slightly complicated emotions.
Watching Suigetsu's figure gradually move away, Menma turned and returned to his laboratory. His subordinates like Suigetsu needed to study hard, and so did Menma. Although he was 70-80% confident when proposing the large-scale sensory barrier, the possibility of failure still existed.
Such a barrier...
Was truly not something an ordinary person could achieve.
Whether problems arose with himself as the core or any of the young Waterfall ninja assisting with the deployment made a mistake, it would lead to failure. Having already talked big, Menma absolutely would not allow this barrier deployment to fail.
This was his first formal debut in the Hidden Waterfall Village, concerning his future status in the village.
It was the initial establishment of his prestige.
Menma absolutely would not tolerate failure!
Therefore, during this period, he had to ponder all necessary conditions to the extreme, not letting go of any detail.
One month, two months.
As the intensive training progressed, time flew by quickly.
Several events occurred in the ninja world during this period that were enough to attract the attention of various nations and ninja villages.
For example, the Hidden Sand Village, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, after several months of internal discussion...
Finally elected their Fifth Kazekage.
Unlike in the original story, where they dragged it out for a long time until Gaara, whose strength was almost reaching Kage level, succeeded as the Fifth Kazekage...
In this life, without Naruto's "earnest teachings" to Gaara, Gaara's personality didn't undergo earth-shattering changes. He didn't become the most suitable Kazekage candidate in the eyes of Chiyo and Ebizo. Plus, Gaara was indeed too young.
Therefore.
After temporarily ruling out Gaara...
In the vast Hidden Sand Village, the most suitable candidate for Kazekage emerged.
That was Baki, a confidant of the Fourth Kazekage Rasa and hailed as the Hidden Sand's number one Jonin. Although from the perspective of personal strength, Baki wasn't worthy of the title of Kage, the current Hidden Sand truly couldn't select a suitable Kage candidate.
Baki was chosen as the best among a bad bunch.
Barely qualified.
There were objections within the Hidden Sand, but with the support of Chiyo and Ebizo, Baki successfully ascended to the position of Fifth Kazekage. Then, in the name of the Kazekage, he reaffirmed the alliance with the Hidden Leaf Village.
This also stirred up quite a wave in the ninja world.
There were only a few major nations.
If two of them were bound to stand closely together...
It could easily affect the balance of the ninja world, not to mention one party was the Hidden Leaf, a top-tier existence. However, because they had just experienced the Konoha Crush plan, other nations and ninja villages weren't truly terrified of the alliance between the Leaf and Sand. Who could be sure when the next backstabbing would occur?
Alliances between ninja villages?
Aren't those things like toilet paper?
No!
One should even say they might not be as reliable as toilet paper. At least toilet paper has a fixed function. So-called alliances are often a joke. Relationships between ninja villages are never maintained by alliances, but by iron and blood; they are the result of naked declarations of strength and the final product of interest distribution.
So, almost the vast majority of ninja villages just watched coldly.
Only the Hidden Cloud Village, under the orders of the slightly rough-tempered Fourth Raikage, once again increased troops deployed in the Land of Hot Water. This might be an imprint carved into the DNA of generations of Raikage. As long as there was a slight chance, or out of fear, the Hidden Cloud would target the Leaf from time to time. This had become almost a routine in the past decades. Over so many years, only during the Third Great Ninja War did an exception occur where the Hidden Cloud didn't target the Leaf but chose to go hard against the Hidden Stone.
The rest of the time, with or without reason, the Hidden Cloud would try to hit the Leaf.
It was just that in the last ten years, despite having two or three good opportunities, they ultimately missed them due to this or that reason.
This made the Fourth Raikage A feel very regretful.
The Land of Fire.
The Hidden Leaf!
This had always been the most delicious piece of fat meat in the Fourth Raikage A's eyes. If he didn't take a bite, he always felt as if thousands of ants were scratching at his heart.
He couldn't settle down for a moment.
Unlike the repeated tug-of-war behavior of the Fourth Raikage A...
In the Hidden Stone Village, Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, remained as steady as Mount Tai. Whether it was the Hidden Sand electing a new Kazekage or the Hidden Cloud's tug-of-war, Onoki took it calmly.
These small changes couldn't stir up even a ripple in Onoki's heart.