Menma was an ultimate realist.
He now believed in the exchange of benefits. This was the most solid relationship.
It wasn't that Menma didn't trust anything else, but trust had to be built on a case-by-case basis. Currently, the only person Menma could entrust with his complete trust was Karin. As for others... regardless of whether Menma was willing, he had to consider their willingness too, right?
Therefore, Menma knew very well that if he simply rejected Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage and his massive Hidden Stone forces would likely become one of his greatest enemies in the near future.
The Nine-Tails.
A wild Jinchuriki.
If Menma were the leader of any ninja village, he wouldn't be able to resist either. Successfully capturing the beast and replacing the Jinchuriki would elevate the village's strength to a new level.
No Kage could refuse such a temptation unless they lacked the strength.
And did the Hidden Stone Village look like it lacked strength?
Onoki had been overly frank this time; his answer to the third question earlier had already made his attitude crystal clear.
"Together against the Leaf, you say?"
Onoki narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Menma with a contemplative expression.
This was a development Onoki hadn't anticipated. It wasn't that he couldn't imagine it, but from his perspective, Menma was just a "12-year-old boy." From the standpoint of an alliance, he didn't seem very reliable.
But for some reason, seeing Menma's confident demeanor in that moment, Onoki suddenly felt that perhaps this wasn't impossible?
However, there was a major prerequisite: Onoki absolutely had to see the benefits his village could gain. To put it bluntly, this Third Tsuchikage was the type who wouldn't act unless there was profit; he wouldn't release the hawk until he saw the hare.
Uniting against the Hidden Leaf...
There seemed to be some potential benefit there, but who was Onoki? A Tsuchikage who had ruled the Hidden Stone for over forty years. What storms hadn't he seen?
Menma's little scheme was seen through by Onoki almost instantly. An alliance required many conditions, but the most basic and important one was that both parties had equal or similar status, followed by a common goal or interest.
Looking at it now...
Just because of the Leaf? Onoki didn't feel it was necessary to ally with Menma Uzumaki for that. Moreover, to be blunt, Onoki didn't think Menma was qualified to be his ally. He represented the Hidden Stone, one of the Five Great Nations. Under his command were fifteen to sixteen thousand Stone ninja and two Jinchuriki.
Menma, currently isolated and unable to fully utilize the Nine-Tails' power, simply wasn't in the same weight class. The earlier attitude of equality was merely due to Onoki's appreciation for talent and a display of sincerity.
"No, Menma-kun. Let's forget about an alliance. Our Hidden Stone Village does not need allies," Onoki said breezily, clasping his hands behind his back and shaking his head gently.
The meaning between the lines was glaringly obvious.
Menma, however, wasn't anxious at all.
"Heh, don't be hasty, Onoki-san. The Leaf is certainly the most important target, but I have other bargaining chips. If, after hearing them, you still aren't willing to ally with us, then pretend I said nothing. How about it?" Menma said with a faint smile.
"Oh?"
Onoki paused for a moment, then revealed an interested expression. He looked at Menma with a smile and said, "Then this old man is all ears. I wonder what other chips Menma-kun possesses."
This shift in attitude was natural. The Third Tsuchikage had already made his stance clear with his answers to the three questions earlier. Menma understood perfectly and didn't mind.
After a chuckle, Menma spoke directly: "This involves an organization called the 'Akatsuki'..."
To put it bluntly, Menma couldn't produce any tangible chips at this stage. Compared to a Kage of a village, Menma's only value in their eyes was his status as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, or perhaps barely counting his Uzumaki bloodline.
But that was ultimately neither Uchiha nor Hyuga. The Sharingan and Byakugan were recognized as the strongest kekkei genkai in the ninja world.
Since Menma couldn't use those as chips, he had to find another way.
The Akatsuki.
The Leaf.
The Nine-Tails Incident twelve years ago.
And the relationships between the other ninja villages.
These were the intelligence chips Menma could offer, along with his resolve to act as a "blade."
In truth, despite Menma's confident appearance, it was mostly an act. Unlike Onoki's previous invitation where Menma held the initiative, now that Menma was proposing an alliance, the initiative lay with Onoki. All Menma could do was lay out his conditions and try to persuade the Third Tsuchikage.
The probability of success was less than thirty percent, perhaps even lower. Although this wasn't quite "getting something for nothing," substantively, Menma was firmly in the "disadvantaged" position in this negotiation.
As Menma narrated the intelligence under careful control, not only did Onoki's expression gradually turn solemn, but Orochimaru's eyes also revealed a glint of surprise as he glanced at Menma with a strange look.
If nothing else, the fact that Menma knew so much about the Akatsuki was something Orochimaru hadn't expected.
Of course, what Orochimaru didn't know was that this was the result of Menma's controlled disclosure. Menma knew what could be said and what couldn't.
But because of this control, the value of the intelligence was greatly discounted.
While Menma calmly stated his position and conditions, his heart was pounding. He really didn't have much confidence. The Third Tsuchikage opposite him was a cunning old fox in the truest sense.
In fact, Onoki wasn't swayed much by Menma's words. Despite Menma mentioning the Leaf, the Akatsuki, his former favorite student, and other information... perhaps an ordinary person would be moved.
But who was Onoki? If this little bit of information could sway him, it would be laughable.
In Onoki's view, this intelligence wasn't useless, but it was lackluster. At most, it caused a slight shift in his attitude.
Among the many things Menma said, only one point touched Onoki slightly. But as for how to proceed, Onoki felt he needed to consider it carefully.
"How about it, Lord Tsuchikage? I believe this proposal should be very beneficial for you and the Hidden Stone Village," Menma exhaled gently, looking calmly at Onoki.