"Next time, don't go so overboard."
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle as he knocked on Kabuto's head again, making the latter suck in a sharp breath from the pain.
"I told you before—I'll help you reunite with Nonou. Even if you don't butter me up, I still intend to do that."
The young Kabuto's eyes shimmered with emotion, his voice full of gratitude:
"Thank you, Menma-sama. I truly admire you. What I said earlier wasn't just flattery."
Naruto smiled slightly.
Yes, the boy beside him was none other than Yakushi Kabuto—the future medical ninja who would shine brightly in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
After Naruto took over Otogakure, Kabuto naturally became his subordinate.
He had promised him that, if possible, he would resurrect Nonou—earning Kabuto's undying loyalty.
Whether that promise was real or not… didn't matter.
"Calmed down now?"
Naruto turned to look at Uchiha Shisui.
The latter, dulled by the sedative, was slowly regaining composure—but he still gritted his teeth and asked:
"What did you mean by what you just said?"
Naruto thought for a moment, then smiled.
"Let's put it this way—I accidentally overheard a conversation between Hiruzen and Danzo. I know their plan."
"In six months, Konoha will carry out the Uchiha clan extermination plan. When the time comes, the Uchiha will be wiped out."
"In other words… the Uchiha clan will be gone."
"Impossible!!!"
Shisui's face contorted in rage as he roared:
"Don't lie to me! The Hokage would never do that to the Uchiha! The Uchiha and Konoha will coexist in peace!"
"And that's exactly why you're an idiot."
Naruto's voice was casual.
"You thought sacrificing yourself to weaken the Uchiha would stop the clan from turning against Konoha."
"You believed that once you died, Konoha would be moved with compassion and treat the Uchiha kindly, ending the conflict…"
"But come on. You willingly dropped your sword and expected your enemy to show mercy?"
Listening to Naruto's words, Shisui's heart began to tremble. His face turned paler and paler—but he still shouted in denial:
"Stop talking nonsense! Hokage-sama wouldn't do such a thing! And there's still Itachi—the Uchiha won't be—"
"That's exactly why I find this interesting." Naruto chuckled.
"I deliberately saved you, just so you can witness what happens six months from now. I think it's going to be very entertaining."
With that, Naruto waved his hand dismissively.
"Kabuto, take care of him. His chakra has been sealed—he's basically useless now. Don't let him escape."
"Yes, Menma-sama!"
Kabuto replied respectfully.
"Wait—! Get back here—!"
Shisui began to struggle.
"Let me go back! I need to return to Konoha! Hokage-sama won't do this! I need to see him in person!"
"You'd better stay put," Kabuto said coolly, walking over with another syringe.
"The eyes I transplanted into you are just ordinary ones. Your body is rejecting them. And honestly, I don't have much surgical experience—if you keep thrashing around, you'll go blind again."
With that, he plunged the needle into Shisui's arm.
The sedative kicked in fast. Shisui's mind grew hazy, and sleep began to take hold.
As darkness closed in, he heard Kabuto mutter beside him:
"Menma-sama was right. You really are a fool… just like I used to be. Believing Danzo…"
"But your luck is better than mine. You met Menma-sama. That man… is truly merciful..."
"Maybe the Uchiha can be saved after all…"
With those words echoing in his ears, Shisui drifted into unconsciousness.
—
"Menma-sama, how's that guy doing?"
Karin ran over happily and hugged Naruto's leg.
"Not great. Stubborn as hell," Naruto shook his head, then smiled.
"But if he were that easy to sway, the Uchiha wouldn't be in such a mess."
He didn't dwell on the matter. Ruffling Karin's hair, he asked,
"How's your fuinjutsu training going?"
Recently, Naruto had inherited Orochimaru's legacy—including nearly ten thousand different jutsu.
Among them were a huge number of fuinjutsu scrolls, most of them from the Uzumaki clan. Naruto had handed them over to Karin.
Karin happily raised her right hand:
"I don't know why, but I learn sealing jutsu really fast. I've already mastered the Gogyō Fūin!" (Five Elements Seal)
As she said that, five differently colored chakra lights lit up on her fingertips.
It was the same jutsu Orochimaru once used to seal Naruto's chakra flow—each finger representing a chakra nature to disrupt internal chakra circulation.
Naruto nodded with satisfaction and praised her, before turning to look at the others.
At the training field, under Guren's supervision:
Suigetsu was running laps, face full of despair—half his body had liquefied into water.
Beside him, Kimimaro was doing perfect push-ups while bearing a massive boulder on his back, drenched in sweat.
In the center, Jūgo had entered Sage Mode and was roaring wildly, venting his rage within an illusionary barrier.
Yakumo stood calmly at the edge of the field, painting on her sketchpad.
The other children were also gasping for breath under Guren's strict training regimen.
"Not bad. Everyone's training seriously. Looks like morale is high."
Naruto praised them with a satisfied smile.
He had to admit—Orochimaru was twisted, but his eye for talent was exceptional.
Every one of these orphans he'd gathered had outstanding potential. In any smaller village, they'd be considered geniuses.
With proper training, in just a few years, they could become formidable assets.
Suigetsu's mouth twitched.
"You say that… but do you ever consider how brutally you beat us every day?"
Naruto chuckled.
"'Beat you'? What are you talking about? I'm just sparring. I even suppress my chakra to keep things fair."
Even the stoic Kimimaro couldn't hold back. His icy gaze locked onto Naruto, and he gritted his teeth:
"Namikaze Menma… one day, I'll kill you…"
"Heh."
Naruto laughed, walked up to the weights, and announced:
"Sounds like no one's tired. Great! We'll add an extra half hour to tonight's training."
Suigetsu instantly burst into a puddle of water in despair.
Kimimaro went pale as if remembering some kind of traumatic experience.
Amid the horrified stares of his subordinates, Naruto hoisted a thousand-pound iron block onto his back…
…and began today's training.
(End of Chapter)
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