Avengers of the Whirlpool Family.

Chapter 98 Separation and Visit (First Order)
PS: I just hope the first order can be two or three hundred. Thank you all my book friends.

In other words, he wouldn't encounter this kind of creature under normal circumstances. Otherwise, Menma would have a headache just thinking about having to fight against such a 'beast'-like guy in the main competition.

No one objected.

After Moonlight Gale emphasized the rules of the final competition once again, he let Menma and the others disperse.

As soon as the group left the Forest of Death, they saw Kakashi waving at them with a smile at the exit.

"Oh? Brother Kakashi, see, we have all entered the final round!"

Naruto also held his head high and said with a very proud expression.

"Haha, of course I believe you can do this, otherwise why would I recommend you to participate in this Chunin Exam?"

Kakashi said with a smile.

As he spoke, he glanced at Sasuke casually, but neither Naruto nor Sakura noticed.

But he couldn't escape Menma's gaze.

He also knew that Kakashi was worried about the curse seal on Sasuke's neck. After they arrived at the tower yesterday, Kakashi appeared once. When he heard that a special mark appeared on the neck of the second pillar, Kakashi took Sasuke away with a serious face. Sakura and Naruto just thought that they were going to do a routine check-up or treatment, but only Menma knew that with the current level of Konoha, it was impossible to break the curse seal specially engraved by Orochimaru. With Kakashi's level, he could only temporarily seal the leakage of the curse power. It still depended on Sasuke's own willpower.

Once Sasuke himself actively desires this power.

Any seal is of no use at all.

Kakashi knew very well what kind of personality Sasuke had, so it was natural for him to be concerned and worried.

And it is impossible for Sakura and Naruto to know these things at the moment.

Neither Kakashi nor Sasuke would tell the other party on their own initiative, and Menma, the only one who knew about it, would just pretend not to know.

"Hehe, then Brother Kakashi, shouldn't you express your congratulations to celebrate the fact that all of us have entered the final competition?"

Naruto walked closer and said to Kakashi with a grin.

"Haha, you guys, of course there is no problem. You can eat and drink as much as you want today. This is a celebration and also a reward!"

Kakashi said as he patted Naruto's head amusedly.

"Great! You said it, so I will not be polite today, Brother Kakashi!"

Naruto shouted with a happy expression on his face.

"Yeah, that's what I said."

When Kakashi saw that Sasuke still had his usual cold expression and there was no special change, he felt much more relaxed.

"Haha, then you better be prepared, Brother Kakashi. Um, you all are all right, right? Sakura? Menma? Sasuke?"

Naruto couldn't wait to turn around and look at his three teammates.

"Ok!"

"Humph"

Sakura and Sasuke also replied one after another.

Menma, who was sitting in the back, also nodded slightly with a faint smile.

This seems to be a very harmonious scene.

But the others did not notice that there was a complete crack separating the two.

"Yoshi, let's go!"

The familiar loud voice of Naruto fell. The setting sun, the elongated shadows, the five people walking side by side. But at this moment, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura could not realize that this might be the last collective activity of their team 7.

This may not be called a false friendship, but in Menma's opinion, it is an empty bond that is meaningless.

Be it Sakura or Kakashi.

There is no place for you in Menma's heart underneath that fake smile.

The same is true for Naruto.

They are simply related by blood.

Unlike Minato and Kushina, who at least gave him life in this life, this so-called younger brother is destined to be his enemy in the future.

After that night in Wave Country.

Menma has already completely separated himself from these people in his heart. Only Sasuke is slightly different. However, what the future will be like still depends on the choices made by each other.

It is impossible to make a decision now.

After ending this so-called reward banquet with false gentleness, Menma returned to his residence, only to be greeted by a special guest.

"Humph, now that we're here, why do we need to hide aside?"

To Menma, this was a chakra fluctuation as obvious as a light in the dark night. Almost at the moment the person approached his area, Menma detected the breath of the person.

"Oh my, it seems that Lord Orochimaru really didn't overestimate you, Menma-kun. You are only 12 years old, but you can have such a sense. Is this also the power of the Nine-Tails? Or is it the ability of you as a member of the Uzumaki clan?"

At the end of the corridor.

At first glance, there was no figure in the dark corner, but as these words fell, a straight figure appeared in Menma's eyes.

Silver hair, black frame glasses.

And that familiar fake smile.

This figure was none other than Orochimaru's right-hand man - Kabuto Yakushi.

"Hmm? A forehead protector from Konoha? And there's Orochimaru-san's scent. Oh, it seems like you're a spy that Orochimaru-san specially placed in Konoha?"

Menma looked at Kabuto Yakushi with a scrutinizing look and indifferent eyes, with a hint of sharpness in his pupils.

The moment Yakushi Kabuto's eyes met Menma's, his heart couldn't help but tighten.

It felt like I was being stared at by something extremely dangerous.

Originally, when he received the order from his lord Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi became extremely curious about Menma. As the highest person in charge of Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi might not know Menma's situation 100%, but he knew a certain part of it. He really didn't expect that a young man who seemed to have completely accepted Konoha's education would have such a big change at this stage.

He even dared to meet with their Lord Orochimaru alone, and even proposed to leave Konoha and cooperate with their Lord Orochimaru.

It’s not that I don’t trust my own Lord Orochimaru.

It's simply human nature. Before you see it with your own eyes, you'll always have some doubts.

But now it seems.

It was just such a brief contact.

Kabuto Yakushi could tell that the Uzumaki Menma-kun in front of him was definitely not a good person.

"Yes, just as you said, I am a spy under Lord Orochimaru. My name is Kabuto Yakushi. I will ask for your guidance from now on."

Pharmacist Dou bowed slightly and smiled.

(End of this chapter)