The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

Black Zetsu took away Obito's 'order'.

First, he immediately dispatched hundreds of White Zetsu to infiltrate various parts of the ninja world to gather intelligence, especially targeting the reactions of the major powers. The more detailed the intelligence, the more likely the corresponding actions could further provoke relations between the major powers. As Obito said, as long as he could successfully incite conflict between the five major powers and cause them to break out into a new round of ninja war, then...

This would allow them to weaken the power of the five great nations as much as possible before their "Eye of the Moon" plan begins. With the balance of power shifting, the difficulty of executing the plan will decrease.

After all, the most important tailed beasts in the plan are all in the hands of the five great nations.

Obito and Black Zetsu don't think that these great powers would sit idly by and watch their tailed beasts be stolen.

Nagato, through Black Zetsu, received a message from Obito, who was impersonating 'Uchiha Madara'.

Then.

Nagato immediately used the ring sent by the organization as a medium to transmit his orders to Sasori's team and Itachi's team through a special technique, instructing both teams to gather necessary intelligence.

The former was in charge of Orochimaru and Uzumaki Menma.

The latter was in charge of Konohagakure.

This task allocation was decided a long time ago.

'Did the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki defect? ​​And the Third Hokage actually died at Orochimaru's hands? Who will be in charge of Konoha now?! Jiraiya? Or that old man again?!'

While Itachi was out carrying out routine Akatsuki missions, his inner turmoil was already palpable beneath his seemingly calm exterior the moment he received the intelligence.

As a traitor within the Uchiha clan, Itachi placed immense trust in the Third Hokage. This is why he could leave as a rogue ninja, leaving his only confidant, Sasuke, in the village. He genuinely believed that the Third Hokage would take good care of his younger brother.

He will become a hero of Konoha in the future.

This is the perfect future that Itachi believes he has arranged for Sasuke.

Now, before his younger brother has fully grown up and before his plans have been implemented, his biggest backer—the Third Hokage—has been killed in battle, which makes Itachi feel extremely troubled.

If the next Hokage is Jiraiya or Tsunade, Itachi feels quite at ease, because he grew up hearing about the reputations of these two. Unlike Orochimaru, Itachi greatly admires and respects these two in terms of their character.

But what if the power of Konoha falls into Danzo's hands?

Itachi then had to consider whether he should take other measures.

Itachi had absolutely no trust in that old man. He was even capable of resorting to some crazy methods for the sake of his younger brother.

therefore.

Even without the order from Nagato, Itachi would have found time to return to Konoha to check on the situation, and perhaps even warn Danzo. This order was exactly what Itachi wanted.

"Itachi-san, what do you think? Shall we set off now?"

Kisame, who was sitting to the side, was naturally unaware of the many thoughts that were going through Itachi's mind. The moment he received the order, he immediately looked at Itachi and asked.

In their squad, Itachi was in a dominant position at that moment.

Kisame Hoshigaki also greatly admired Itachi.

If Itachi had lived longer in the original story, Kisame Hoshigaki might not have been bewitched by Obito disguised as Madara. It just goes to show that life's circumstances often differ by just a little bit.

"Yes, let's go now. Several days have passed, and we can't delay any longer."

Itachi nodded expressionlessly and replied.

'Sasuke, you have to be alright!'

Itachi gazed at Konoha Village, which was located thousands of kilometers to his west, and a faint trace of worry flashed across the deepest part of his pupils.

The various forces that have mobilized in the ninja world.

In particular, the deployment of additional troops by Iwagakure and Kumogakure to the border of the Land of Fire further exacerbated the turmoil throughout the ninja world.

Smaller ninja villages like Kusagakure, Takigakure, and Yugakure have all entered the highest level of combat readiness.

For these small ninja villages, a peaceful living environment is the best. The three Shinobi World Wars of the past few decades were all disasters that were no less than catastrophes for them, because they were all sandwiched between major powers. No matter which side they chose to side with, they could be purged.

Even though Konoha was the victor in the three Shinobi World Wars, it was ultimately powerless to dominate the entire Shinobi world.

If these small countries dared to side with Konoha so easily, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and even Sunagakure could easily teach them a lesson. Only the leaders of the five great nations can be called Kage, and there's a reason for that.

Even the weakest village, Sunagakure, is not a place that a small ninja village can easily bully.

Unless it's something like Amegakure, led by Hanzo of the Salamander, then they could indeed be a bit tougher on the Five Great Nations. This is due to the deterrent power of Hanzo's own Kage-level strength. With the Five Great Nations restraining each other, no one would want to provoke a Kage-level powerhouse, let alone Hanzo, who is a rare Kage-level existence with the ability to inflict damage on a group.

If Hanzo were allowed to go on a killing spree, the ninjas of the five great nations could very well suffer a devastating blow.

The coverage of poison gas is no joke.

But this is just an occasional event. If Kage-level powerhouses were so easy to appear, the status of the five great nations wouldn't be so secure.

Therefore, after more than a decade of hard-won peace, we are now facing the possibility of a major war breaking out.

These small ninja villages naturally had to be on high alert.

Even if it's just a tiny bit, they want to maintain as much initiative as possible to prevent their ninja village from falling into complete collapse.

Meanwhile, Menma, one of the key figures in this storm, is currently paying no attention to these external developments.

After resting for three or four days, Orochimaru, who had put a lot of effort into building the Hidden Sound Village in the Land of Rice Fields, finally gave way to the village.

Menma finally got to meet Orochimaru again.

Stepping into the dimly lit room, Menma frowned slightly upon seeing Orochimaru's sinister appearance. To be honest, Menma really didn't understand why Orochimaru, Danzo, and Obito liked this style.

They're not really short of money, yet they're making it seem so shady.

I'm not used to the numbing sensation at all.

It's like a horror movie.

Karin, who was standing right next to Menma, looked a little apprehensive.

Although it wasn't the first time Karin had met Orochimaru, she still felt a chill run down her spine every time she saw him.

It's as if Orochimaru really is an incredibly terrifying python.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 134 Information and Transactions

Therefore, Karin was almost pressed against Menma, her right hand tightly gripping Menma's collar.

"Ahem, I'm so sorry, Menma-kun, for making you wait so long to see you. I wonder if you've had a good rest these past few days?"

Orochimaru was clearly still recovering from serious injuries, but his aura remained powerful. Without his hands, Orochimaru's strength would indeed be greatly affected, but only for the moment. Later, Orochimaru would find a replacement. Even without his hands, he could still form hand seals and use ninjutsu, just not as conveniently.

Ordinary people would never be able to gain an advantage over Orochimaru.

In the original work, the Sharingan is indeed Orochimaru's nemesis. In addition, Orochimaru himself has his own plans. Otherwise, how could Sasuke, who only has three-tomoe Sharingan and is at most at the level of a quasi-Kage, possibly defeat Orochimaru!?

"Hehe, that doesn't matter. Although the conditions aren't that great, they're still much better than Konoha's prison. As for Orochimaru, I can understand. After all, the Reaper Death Seal isn't a pleasant experience. To be honest, I didn't expect that an old guy could learn this technique. And Orochimaru has exceeded my expectations. He managed to escape with just his hands, which is quite remarkable."

Menma chuckled softly, his gaze unabashedly fixed on Orochimaru's bandaged hands, and said in a low voice.

When Orochimaru heard Menma's words, a dangerous glint appeared in his narrow snake eyes, and Kabuto's expression changed drastically as well.

"So Menma-kun knows this technique too? It seems Menma-kun is far beyond my expectations."

Orochimaru stared intently at Menma and said something pointed.

"Orochimaru-san, there's no need to test me. I've already said it before: there's something extraordinary within me. And don't forget, I'm a true member of the Uzumaki clan. The Reaper Death Seal is a secret technique of our clan. Others might not notice the anomaly on you, Orochimaru-san, but I certainly do. This technique requires you to pay with your life."

Menma didn't care at all about the deeper meaning in Orochimaru's words.

He and Orochimaru are now working together.

If one is strong enough to protect oneself in front of Orochimaru, it is more beneficial than harmful to offer more of what does not jeopardize one's fundamental interests. The more bargaining chips one has, the more Menma can acquire.

And don't forget, all of this is just empty talk. To put it bluntly, Menma is trying to get Orochimaru out of nothing.

"Orochimaru-san, you must have come to a deep understanding of this these past few days, right? The terrifying nature of this technique."

Mianma smiled slightly and continued.

While the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique is only meaningful if one can get close enough to grab the enemy, as long as it is successfully released, the enemy, as long as they are still considered 'human', cannot escape the Grim Reaper's judgment.

Extracting a soul is an extremely terrifying thing.

“Since you understand this technique so well, you must have a corresponding solution, right? As you can see, I can’t use these two hands at all right now.”

Since their underwear has already been seen through by the other side.

Then there's nothing left to hide.

Orochimaru is not the kind of person who is overly sentimental.

In Orochimaru's eyes, Menma was a high-value partner. The fact that Menma was willing to speak up proved that he had the corresponding intentions. Orochimaru didn't intend to beat around the bush and directly state his attitude was the most important thing.

"Hehe, of course, but Orochimaru-san should also know that there's no such thing as a free lunch, right?"

Mianma smiled gently and said.

"Yes, transactions must be fair and equal. I agree with that, Menma-kun."

Orochimaru said in a hoarse voice.

"That's good. Here you go. This contains some records about the Reaper Death Seal Technique. Of course, it's not 100% accurate and can only serve as reference data for Orochimaru. Of course, if you can also get your hands on the core of this technique, you can verify it against each other. Oh, by the way, my requirements are also included here. You can take a look at them as well, Orochimaru."

Menma nodded in satisfaction, deliberately emphasizing certain words, then took out a scroll he had prepared beforehand from his pocket and gently tossed it to Orochimaru opposite him.

Kabuto Yakushi, who had been standing beside Orochimaru, simultaneously reached out and took the item, then unfolded it.

Orochimaru caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye.

Just one glance.

Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly.

"Hehe, this is already a great help, Menma-kun. As for your request, don't worry, I will prepare it in the shortest possible time."

Orochimaru's face revealed a peculiar, eerie expression as he replied with a smile.

That's the best.

With a numbed expression, he spoke calmly.

"But, Menma-kun, is there something you've forgotten?"

Orochimaru stared directly at Menma and spoke in a slightly low voice.

"Huh? Oh, of course I haven't forgotten. I just thought Orochimaru-san would be focused on dealing with his hands right now. Since Orochimaru-san is in such a hurry, here, this is what I promised you at the beginning. Orochimaru-san, it contains key information about the Sharingan and Rinnegan. This bottle contains my blood, which should be enough to support Orochimaru-san's current research. If you have any further needs, as long as it's within reasonable limits, I can cooperate with you, Orochimaru-san, including the Nine-Tails' chakra."