Menma, who had been secretly pleased with his ability to persuade both Shibuki and Agun, was momentarily stunned upon hearing Shibuki's words.
He quickly waved his hands, a wry smile touching his lips. "No, no, Shibuki-san, that's too heavy. I can understand Agun-san's position. By rights, I should be the one apologizing."
Some things don't need to be said to be understood.
Keeping the mutual understanding unspoken was often the most reasonable and correct approach.
Especially for Menma, Shibuki, and Agun right now.
Trust and suspicion.
Are often separated by a mere instant.
The sensitivity and delicacy of this relationship were best understood only by the parties involved.
To put it bluntly, Menma's current approach was actually quite eager for quick success and instant benefit. It could easily ruin the trust and goodwill he had painstakingly built up with Shibuki, Agun, and Fu in the Hidden Waterfall Village.
Menma actually didn't want to do this.
But reality forced his hand.
The result of failure would be nothing short of death.
Having already mentally prepared for the worst outcome, taking a bit more risk was understandable.
In matters like this.
Menma truly had no room for choice.
Stepping forward was a risk.
Stepping back was also a risk.
Standing still was the riskiest of all.
So the answer to choose was obvious.
"Everything is for the village!"
As if to further emphasize his resolve, Menma deepened his tone and said.
"Mhm, everything is for the village."
A complex look seemed to flash deep in Shibuki's pupils, but ultimately, he nodded heavily and replied.
"Then, I entrust this plan to you, Menma-kun. As for the village, I will do my best to coordinate and fully support you!"
After speaking.
He stood up very solemnly and bowed to Menma.
"This is what I should do!"
Menma also stood up immediately, bowing in return.
"Then! I'll go back and make other arrangements first."
Shibuki nodded slightly, then turned and strode away.
Watching the direction Shibuki left.
Menma pursed his lips slightly. He knew very well that this plan allowed only success, no failure, not even a prolonged stalemate.
Because once such a situation occurred.
The entire Hidden Waterfall Village would fall into a great crisis.
His own position in the Hidden Waterfall Village would also become extremely awkward and delicate.
Succeed or die trying.
This plan would either see Menma carry the prestige of a great victory to openly reveal himself to the ninja world and truly lead the Hidden Waterfall Village against his enemies, or he would suffer a crushing defeat, flee from the Hidden Waterfall Village in disgrace again, or perhaps even be killed on the spot!
So, it's still the same as before, nothing has changed.
Menma took a deep breath, clenching his hands slightly.
"It doesn't matter, Menma. You can definitely do it. I believe in you. This time will be like before, victorious in every battle!"
Karin, standing behind, seemed to sense Menma's turbulent heart. She stepped forward, looking at Menma with a very affirmative tone.
"Mhm, thank you, Karin. Don't worry, I won't lose confidence in myself. Utakata-san, I'll have to trouble you next, even though I said I wanted you to have a peaceful living environment."
Menma nodded, then turned to look at Utakata on the side, speaking with a hint of apology.
"No, it's nothing. We agreed on this. As long as your goal doesn't change, Menma-kun, and remains as you told me before, then I will definitely follow you!"
Utakata shook his head gently, speaking with an equally serious expression.
"Please rest assured, Utakata-san. This is not only my promise but also my conviction. Unless I die, I won't stop, nor will I change my pace!"
Menma looked straight into Utakata's eyes, replying with an incredibly firm tone.
"That's enough then, Menma-kun!"
Utakata rarely revealed a smile, replying softly.
The resolution set.
The plan to be unfolded.
The sequence adjusted.
While the Hidden Waterfall Village mobilized, Menma also transmitted his resolution and some intelligence to Orochimaru in the distant Land of Tea through special channels.
In the previous planning, he needed to wait a bit longer.
But now the plan had changed.
Menma needed Orochimaru's immediate cover. Right now, the outside world still thought he was staying at Orochimaru's base.
This was news even Obito hadn't learned yet.
Because White Zetsu couldn't get close to Menma's surrounding area at all.
Kagura Mind's Eye + Nine-Tails' Malice Sensing.
It was just that broken (overpowered).
Orders were arranged quickly.
Taking advantage of this final preparation time.
Menma took Suigetsu, Karin, and some people from the Barrier Squad to set up a certain number of small defensive and sensory barriers in the forward positions east of the Hidden Waterfall Village. If one had to say, the effect of these barriers wasn't particularly great, especially the former; basically, a barrage of a few A-rank ninjutsu could shatter them directly.
But for ordinary Waterfall ninja, it was a precious bonus. At least it could prevent these stronghold Waterfall ninja from being easily assaulted.
This was most common in the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf Village.
Using such barriers to guard some important strongholds.
Even the weak Hidden Sand Village set up a large-scale defensive barrier at their most important fortress on the northern border to defend against Rock ninja.
Menma's current ability could certainly set up higher-level barriers, but the quality and quantity of the Waterfall ninja in the Barrier Squad below him weren't enough. He could only set up corresponding barriers in the three most important areas.
Then he had two to three hundred Waterfall ninja spread out in this area. Unless it was truly an overpowered elite squad, if any troop from other ninja villages invaded, they could obtain the most accurate news in the first instance.
They could also rely on these barriers to effectively block the enemy, or at the very least, buy some retreat time for their own Waterfall ninja.
And just as all this was completed.
In the ninja world, the confrontation between the three nations also ushered in its climax.
At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water, Leaf ninja and Cloud ninja had already entered a heated battle.
Although the scale hadn't expanded.
It was limited to skirmishes of a dozen, at most dozens of people, but the frequency was high. From the time the Fourth Raikage ordered the friction to start until now, less than a week had passed.
Both the Leaf and Cloud sides had suffered nearly a hundred casualties each, with deaths and fatal injuries accounting for more than a third of that ratio.
In a period where a Great Ninja War hadn't broken out.
This was already a very eye-catching casualty figure.
Unlike before, where it was just lip service, the two major ninja villages were now fighting with real swords and guns, directly causing the surrounding small countries to tremble. Especially the Hidden Hot Water Village, whose country had half-become a battlefield, hadn't had a single peaceful day. Don't look at the war seemingly always erupting at the border.
But sometimes, Leaf ninja needed to infiltrate for reconnaissance.
This inevitably triggered battles in local areas within the Land of Hot Water.
Even if not, the battles at the border affected the entire country. The Hot Water ninja now faced the problem of taking sides. Neutrality wouldn't work, but choosing either side wouldn't work either.
This is the sorrow of small nations.
However, Menma couldn't care about these things for now. Or rather, the Leaf and Cloud getting angry and fighting was actually what Menma was most happy to see.
Because this could buy him some more time.
At this time point in July of Leaf Year 61.
Outside the east side of the Hidden Waterfall Village.
Menma appeared here with a group of people.
Besides Suigetsu and Karin, there were also several young Waterfall ninja belonging to the Barrier Squad. Each possessed Chunin-level strength. Although not very strong, they were currently the batch of Waterfall ninja Menma trusted most in the village.
Because of the plan's particularity, Menma had to bring more manpower this time.
As for Utakata, he remained in the village.
This was also to prevent the scenario where the Leaf and Cloud reacted too quickly and launched a direct assault. With Utakata and Fu joining hands, they could at least withstand the first wave of offensive. It couldn't be that these two major ninja villages wouldn't even do probing attacks and just swarm up with their main force directly, right? The possibility of such a development was infinitely close to zero.
Therefore, having Utakata and Fu there was enough.
"If the plan goes smoothly, at most five days. Please dispatch troops according to this time. Not too many, just five hundred people will be enough!"
Before departure.
Menma confirmed some key details of the plan with Shibuki again and again.
The most important things were the grasp of timing and the deployment of personnel.
Not too early, not too late.
This depended on their information transmission capability and whether there were any unexpected events!
After all, the Hidden Grass Village wasn't made of clay; it was hard to say everything was under control.
"Is five hundred people really enough? Even after dividing them, the number of combat-ready people in the Hidden Grass Village far exceeds this number, right?"
Shibuki said with a bit of worry.
Before, he thought at least half of the troops, meaning two thousand people, would be dispatched. But when confirming later...
The number Menma stated was only a quarter of that figure.
Even at the point of departure.
Shibuki still felt it was unrealistic and unreliable.
The Grass ninja, fully counted, had two or three thousand people, or even more!
This number of Waterfall ninja was completely insufficient, right?
"If my plan fails, sending more people over would be meaningless, Shibuki-san. And once it goes smoothly, these people are enough to maintain stability!"
Menma shook his head gently.
Originally, there was no plan to let these Waterfall ninja fight a tough siege battle. If losses were too high, Menma couldn't accept such a situation.
In the original plan.
It was enough for him to lead a small unit there.
"Alright, then I wish you prosperous military fortune!"
Shibuki said with a very serious expression.
"Ah, just wait for my good news, Shibuki-san!"
Menma smiled and nodded.
"Depart!"
Immediately after.
With a sudden wave of his right arm, his figure flashed out first.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Behind him, Karin, Suigetsu, and others also leaped, following closely at high speed.
And just as Menma's group left the Hidden Waterfall Village again...
Heading towards the direction of the Land of Grass...
Far away on an archipelago further south of the Land of Water.
Inside a primitive jungle.
There existed a large flat-roofed building. This was a special base prepared and established when Madara Uchiha was still alive.
It stored a large amount of strategic materials and many taboo research materials.
As Madara Uchiha's spokesperson, Obito frequently came to this base. Especially years ago when controlling the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi, this was Obito's base camp.
Obito was currently in this base.
"Still haven't found any trace of the Six-Tails!? It's been a full week of lost contact. Was he really captured by that guy Orochimaru!? Zetsu!"
Looking at Black Zetsu appearing in front of him, Obito's single exposed eye revealed a chilling look.
One-Tail to Nine-Tails!
Obito naturally arranged corresponding personnel to supervise, in order to grasp the specific tracks of these Tailed Beast Jinchuriki at all times. When the plan officially started, he could capture these Tailed Beast Jinchuriki in place in the shortest time.
However, this supervision was only periodic, not tracking the whole process, because it wasn't realistic, as most Tailed Beast Jinchuriki stayed in their villages for a considerable part of the time.
Only a rogue Tailed Beast Jinchuriki like Utakata was an exception.
Anyway, because the timing in the plan hadn't arrived yet...
Obito didn't really force keeping a close eye on the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki's locations at all times. Based on this point...
The news of Utakata being directly abducted...
It took a full day or two...
Before Obito received it.
He immediately ordered Black Zetsu to lead White Zetsus to launch a carpet search.
Again, right now they didn't need to pinpoint the exact locations of the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, but the approximate range of activity had to be determined. This would facilitate their capture operations when the plan officially started at a certain point in the future!
"There is no accurate intelligence yet, but combining the information received before, the probability of being taken by Orochimaru is very high. After all, Menma Uzumaki, Kabuto Yakushi, and Sasuke Uchiha all appeared there!"
Black Zetsu said gloomily.
"Did this guy research something!? Locking onto the Six-Tails directly?"
Obito said with a deep frown.
For Obito, who temporarily captured the Six-Tails wasn't a big problem. All he wanted was to confirm the specific location. When the time came, capturing the Six-Tails from anywhere made no difference.
But Obito was very worried if Orochimaru had researched something!