Although Menma already had a solid plan in mind for their next steps, he still wanted to hear everyone else's opinions. This wasn't just to show respect and humility toward Shibuki, Fu, and the others; it was also because listening to diverse perspectives had genuine tactical value.
Menma didn't suffer from the delusion that he could perfectly account for every single variable. If he made decisions based solely on his own judgment without consulting the others—even though his absolute authority in the Hidden Waterfall meant his word was law—it could easily lead to a catastrophic misstep.
His strength hadn't reached the point of absolute invincibility in the ninja world yet.
The Flying Thunder God merely made him practically unbeatable under normal circumstances, but not flawlessly invincible. In the original timeline, his deadbeat father—who also possessed the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and had a mastery of the Flying Thunder God far exceeding Menma's—was the perfect example.
Six Paths-level power simply couldn't be planned around using conventional logic.
Furthermore, Menma could no longer afford to only think about himself. Karin, Utakata, Shibuki, Fu, Mui and Muku, along with the entirety of the Hidden Waterfall and Hidden Grass villages—they were all people he had to protect and account for.
He was no longer a man with nothing to lose.
He had real stakes now. Every decision he made had to be comprehensive, without losing his signature boldness and decisive edge.
"Lord Menma, if I may be so bold, I suggest we press our advantage and continue the pursuit!" Doran spoke up, clearly eager to prove his loyalty. Seeing that Shibuki, Fu, and Utakata weren't rushing to speak, he seized the moment. "We've heavily crippled both the Cloud and the Mist, but the Leaf's forces remain largely intact. The Hidden Leaf is our village's greatest enemy. I firmly believe we must deal them an equally devastating blow!"
This proposal was both a display of Doran's submission to Menma and a symptom of his rapidly inflating ego.
They had gravely wounded the Fourth Raikage, captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, inflicted over a thousand casualties on the Cloud, repelled the Leaf vanguard in a head-on clash, and split their forces to crush the Mist. Their Lord Menma had even personally executed the Mist's commanding officer.
The Mist's death toll alone was over a thousand.
With a track record that terrifying...
How could anyone's blood not boil with excitement? How could Doran and the other Waterfall shinobi not feel their confidence skyrocketing? They had essentially defeated three of the Great Nations simultaneously! And as a high-ranking official, Doran knew full well that the Grass Village forces were currently stalemating the Hidden Sand on another front.
Otherwise, Lord Menma could have pulled those forces from the Grass as well. Their military might had expanded to an unprecedented level.
Doran felt it was time for the entire ninja world to fear the name of the Hidden Waterfall.
He even believed they could ascend in a single leap, dominating the entire world and becoming the undisputed number one Great Nation!
Sensing this glaring, almost fanatic resolve and confidence radiating from Doran...
Menma frowned slightly. But a second later, he simply nodded, giving a noncommittal response.
Pursuit?
That was naturally one of the options Menma had considered. But again, defense and offense were two entirely different concepts. The situation looked fantastic on the surface, but it was riddled with hidden dangers. A rash move could bring incalculable risks.
For one, the Leaf hadn't truly been defeated; that alone was a massive hurdle. Then there was their so-called ally—the Hidden Stone. They were the ultimate ticking time bomb.
Previously, the Stone had viewed Menma's faction as a "weak" ally worth propping up, hence the "mutual assistance." But what would happen the moment Menma's power exceeded the Stone's acceptable threshold!?
The Third Tsuchikage definitely wouldn't play the fool and keep helping them.
No one should assume Onoki deploying his army against the Cloud was done out of the goodness of his heart. The old man simply wanted to take advantage of the Cloud's vulnerability, cripple them further, and expand his own territory, while subtly encouraging Menma to bleed the Leaf and the Mist. Menma saw right through it.
It was an overt conspiracy.
Onoki knew that even if Menma saw through it, he had no choice but to play along. Menma didn't hold the initiative; as long as the Leaf and the Mist pressed their attack, he had to meet them head-on.
From Onoki's perspective, the absolute best-case scenario was Menma's faction being entirely wiped out, but only after severely crippling both the Leaf and the Mist in the process.
After all, Menma possessed three Tailed Beasts and thousands of Waterfall shinobi. Even if many of those shinobi were just making up the numbers, they were still a formidable force.
Onoki's calculations were incredibly shrewd.
Unfortunately for the Tsuchikage, the war hadn't played out exactly as he envisioned.
Menma could easily guess the old man's reaction once news of this battle reached him.
He was a cunning, calculating old fox.
Menma had never trusted him for a second. Therefore, treating the Hidden Stone as a potential enemy was the most logical and correct basis for all future planning.
Menma might have led the Waterfall to victory against three Great Nations, but strictly speaking, they had only faced localized detachments, and defeated them one by one. In an all-out war—if the Cloud mobilized their full strength, led personally by the Fourth Raikage alongside Yugito Nii and Killer B, backed by ten thousand shinobi—Menma's forces would be utterly crushed.
Even if they somehow scraped out a win relying entirely on their top-tier fighters...
It would be a catastrophic, Pyrrhic victory.
Add one more major village to the mix—even the Sand—and Menma's faction would inevitably fall. Of course, this was purely theoretical. In reality, any Great Nation had countless political and logistical factors to consider.
They couldn't just casually declare total war and mobilize their entire military force on a whim.
The same applied to Menma.
Winning this war was only the second step on his path. They were still lightyears away from the grand, happy ending.
Reason and extreme caution were Menma's most valuable assets right now.
"I agree. We should consider launching an aggressive counter-push. The Leaf needs to fully comprehend exactly how strong we are, Lord Menma."
Further down the table.
Muku spoke up slowly after a moment of thought.
It wasn't that Muku was letting the victory go to his head like Doran. His suggestion was born entirely out of consideration for Menma. In Muku's eyes, the Leaf was Menma's greatest enemy—or perhaps "nemesis" was the more accurate word.
As the son of the Fourth Hokage, to be isolated, ostracized by the entire village, and ultimately forced into exile—there was undoubtedly a bottomless well of hatred there.
In this war...
The Cloud and the Mist had both paid a horrifying price in blood.
Yet the Leaf had seemingly escaped with little more than a scratch. Muku believed the Leaf needed to be taught a similar, bloody lesson.
Only then would his Lord Menma finally find peace of mind.
That was Muku's perspective.
And you couldn't really blame him for overthinking it.
Who could have known Menma possessed such terrifying self-restraint? It was natural for anyone to assume Menma harbored an intense, burning hatred for the Leaf.
He just hadn't shown it openly.
Menma obviously couldn't discuss these deeply personal issues in public.
So naturally, people formed deeply rooted assumptions.
Besides, from a certain perspective, those assumptions weren't entirely wrong.
It was just a matter of prioritizing the order of operations.
The successive statements from Doran and especially Muku made the others hesitate. This was particularly true for Shibuki. He had originally intended to suggest they quit while they were ahead. Part of it was his naturally cautious personality, but more importantly, he felt the death toll among their comrades had already reached a terrifyingly high number. If they kept fighting, the village wouldn't be able to bear the strain.
Every single death shattered a family.
Shibuki couldn't stomach the thought of bringing tears to any more households.
But Muku's statement...
Made Shibuki second-guess himself.
Coincidentally...
Shibuki came to the exact same conclusion as Muku simultaneously, and even began wondering if Menma had secretly instructed Muku to bring it up.
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
There were certain things a leader couldn't comfortably suggest themselves; having a subordinate propose it was far more appropriate.
Once that possibility entered his mind...
Shibuki found himself completely at a loss for words.
Hatred wasn't something easily dissolved, right? Especially considering Menma's specific history. He hadn't had the opportunity before, but now the Leaf had delivered themselves right to his doorstep. There was no logical reason Menma would just let them go, right?
Shibuki's brows furrowed deeply.
Menma, on the other hand, was slightly taken aback by Muku's suggestion.
But a few seconds later, he accurately deduced the thought process behind Muku's words.
Realizing it was Muku's convoluted way of showing loyalty...
Menma didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
But outwardly, he couldn't exactly scold the man. You couldn't exactly punish a subordinate for trying to be loyal and considerate of your feelings, could you?
Cough. "What are your thoughts, Shibuki?"
Menma cleared his throat and smoothly shifted his gaze to the Waterfall leader.
Hearing his name called...
Shibuki initially thought Menma was seeking his validation for the attack. His expression shifted several times before he took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and spoke his truth. "Menma, I... I don't think pursuing the Leaf right now is the right move. I strongly advise we take a more cautious approach!"
In the end, Shibuki stayed true to his own heart.
He cared far too much about the lives of his shinobi. He refused to watch more of his comrades bleed and die in a battle that held little strategic value.
Still, he had to consider Menma's attitude.
Therefore...
Just as Shibuki carefully weighed his next words, preparing to elaborate...
"I agree. Shibuki makes an excellent point. It is not an ideal time to push a pursuit. The Leaf still retains nearly its full combat strength, and they've already retreated past our borders. Continuing the chase means surrendering our geographical advantage and taking on massive, unnecessary risks. There's no point."
Menma nodded approvingly, directly backing Shibuki's stance.
Hearing Menma's response...
"Eh?"
Shibuki blinked, instinctively taken aback.
Further down, Muku and Doran exchanged looks of pure disbelief. Both of them had been absolutely certain Menma wanted to go on the offensive.
Of everyone present, Utakata was the only one entirely unsurprised.
He knew exactly what kind of person Menma was. He wasn't someone easily swayed by emotion, and he certainly wouldn't make irrational tactical blunders just to vent his anger. Even if he did order an attack on the retreating Leaf forces, it would be for cold, calculated strategic reasons, not petty revenge.
"Furthermore, don't forget the threat of the Hidden Sand to the southwest. We need to tread carefully," Menma added calmly.
"Yes, Lord Menma."
Even if they didn't fully understand...
Since Menma had made his decision...
Muku and Doran immediately compiled. Beside them, Ajun, who had been preparing to speak up in defense of Shibuki, swallowed his words.
The lingering anxiety in his heart completely dissipated.
"Since there are no further objections, everyone will return to their designated defensive sectors and hold the line. We may hold the initiative now, but until the very end, I expect all of you to remain entirely vigilant," Menma declared, his voice ringing with authority.
"Yes, Lord Menma!" / "Got it. You can count on us, Menma."
Shibuki, Utakata, Fu, Doran, and Ajun responded simultaneously.
"Additionally, I need you to keep a very close eye on the ongoing conflict between the Stone and the Cloud, Ajun. If anything changes—no matter how small—I want to be informed immediately."
Menma nodded, shifting his gaze to Ajun with a deadly serious expression.
"The Stone and the Cloud? Understood. Please rest assured, Lord Menma. I will monitor them closely, and I'll make sure to maintain 'frequent communication' with the Hidden Stone."
Hearing the order...
Ajun paused for a fraction of a second before nodding in perfect understanding.
As a highly experienced veteran, Ajun had seen it all. He instantly read between the lines of Menma's command. The true focus wasn't the Cloud; it was the Hidden Stone.
Menma had been prepared to elaborate, but hearing Ajun's phrasing, he knew the man had perfectly grasped his intent. A satisfied smile touched his lips, and he nodded.
Following that...
Menma issued a few more specific directives regarding critical post-war logistics before officially adjourning the high-level strategy meeting.
Meanwhile, the shocking results of this massive war rapidly spread like wildfire across the ninja world. The profound implications of this overwhelming victory would soon irrevocably alter the global balance of power!!!