Chapter 48: Visiting Orochimaru's Base

Kado rummaged through the bookshelf filled with scrolls for a moment, pulled out several yellowed maps, and respectfully spread them out on the table in front of Menma.

"My Lord, these are the national maps of several countries in the West. Please take a look," Kado said with a slight bow.

Menma picked up the maps on the table and began to examine them with the keen eyes of a hawk.

As a world-class conglomerate, Kado Company was spread across many countries. The simplest method of business was to buy specialties at low prices in one country and transport them to another to sell at high prices.

For example, transporting tea from the Land of Tea to the capitals of various nations could fetch a very high price.

Naturally, this merchant model required familiarity with the geographical environment. Major chambers of commerce, companies, and fleets all possessed their own drawn or purchased maps and nautical charts, which were themselves considered rare resources.

However, it was difficult to produce highly accurate maps; most were like ancient maps, requiring the use of professional guides or experienced merchants.

"Prepare some supplies to be sent to the Land of Bears, and organize preparations to build a stronghold here." Menma tapped his finger on a map of the Land of Bears.

Kakuzu also walked over and looked at the maps on the table.

The Land of Bears was located between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind, bordering medium and small nations such as the Land of Demons, the Land of Ghosts, and the Land of Birds.

The entire country was long and narrow. The western region, bordering the Land of Ghosts and the Land of Demons, consisted of vast plains suitable for agricultural development.

The central and eastern regions were comprised of expansive forests and high mountains, and in the east, there was even a hellish chasm filled with poisonous gas.

"As you command, My Lord," Kado bowed even lower.

"Do you need me to clear out the Star Ninja Village?" Kakuzu asked, licking his lips.

"No," Menma shook his head. "You will act with Kado to handle the escorting of supplies. As for the clearing mission in the Land of Bears, it will be handled by another team."

Although he had recruited Kakuzu and Kado, he couldn't let these two do everything, as he needed to avoid exposing the fact that the organization was short-handed.

Hearing that the organization would send another team ahead of them, Kakuzu's cyan pupils constricted slightly, and he felt a sense of anticipation.

Since joining the organization, he had only acted with Kado and had yet to see any other members. This would be a chance to see them.

In such a mysterious organization, what kind of powerful ninjas would there be?

——————

After issuing the new orders to Kado and Kakuzu, Menma left the capital of the Land of Fire.

The organization was currently in dire need of manpower, so Menma planned to recruit some rogue ninjas to join.

'However, at this point in time, Pakura is already dead, Kisame and Zabuza shouldn't have defected yet, Deidara is still in the Stone Village, and I don't know where Sasori is hiding...' Counting them up, Menma realized there were actually very few capable rogue ninjas he could find.

After all, he had no intention of recruiting a killing machine like Hidan.

'Black Zetsu Raiya and Ran should be in the Land of Rivers right now. At least they have the combat power of a Jonin, and it seems the entire Black Zetsu clan defected from the Mist Village.'

Although the Black Zetsu clan didn't possess any Bloodline Limits, they were still a ninja clan with a certain level of foundation.

'Right, there are also the scattered members of the Uzumaki clan.' Menma thought of the Uzumaki mother and daughter, Karin and her mother, in the Grass Village, and Uzumaki Hanabi in the Land of Sea.

"But for now, I can go to the Land of Rice Fields to find Orochimaru first."

In the forest under the cover of night, Menma, wearing a fox mask, sped through the trees.

'If I remember correctly, the Sound Ninja Village should be located in the north-central part of the Land of Rice Fields.' Menma activated his *Kagura Shingan* (Mind's Eye of the Kagura), sensing the chakra within a hundred-kilometer radius.

This unique secret technique of the Uzumaki clan was something Menma had learned from Kushina during the "Limited Tsukuyomi World" period.

The sensing range of the *Kagura Shingan* varied depending on the user's chakra volume, but even Karin could cover a range of thirty to forty kilometers. When Menma used it, he could cover over a hundred kilometers!

Within this range, any fluctuation in chakra would be detected by him.

During his last encounter with Orochimaru, Menma had marked Orochimaru's specific chakra signature.

Not long after entering the Land of Rice Fields, Menma's *Kagura Shingan* sensed several fluctuations containing Orochimaru's chakra, though they were very faint and surrounded by very little other chakra, suggesting they were likely just backup outposts or warehouses.

Heading north, as he approached the capital of the Land of Rice Fields, Menma sensed a large amount of chakra signatures appearing north of the capital. They were very similar to Orochimaru's chakra, yet possessed slight differences.

"Are you already that impatient, Orochimaru?" Menma speculated that Orochimaru had already performed the *Fushi Tensei* (Living Corpse Reincarnation).

After all, his current body was over forty years old and had been heavily wounded by the Third Hokage. Although it could be repaired, the body's performance and reaction speed would inevitably decline year by year.

Taking this opportunity to undergo the *Fushi Tensei* was logical.

"Found you!" Menma burst out of the forest, and the view suddenly opened up.

It was a small village on the edge of the forest. On the surface, it appeared to be an ordinary rural village, but in reality, the ground beneath had been hollowed out by Orochimaru to build a secret base.

Under the night sky, Menma, wearing a white three-eyed fox mask, did not hide and walked straight into the village.

The bright moonlight cast a cold glow on his mask, and his black coat fluttered slightly in the wind. The appearance of such a mysterious figure immediately drew out Orochimaru's subordinates.

Several ninjas jumped out from various locations, standing on the rooftops of the village, staring seriously at the seemingly hostile stranger.

Menma used his *Kagura Shingan* to sense the chakra of these three ninjas and found they were only at the Genin level.

It made sense; ninja resources in various countries were monopolized by their respective villages. After Orochimaru established his own power, he could only train people starting from childhood.

From his defection to the Konoha Crush plan, in nine years, Orochimaru had only cultivated the Sound Four. Aside from Kimimaro, who possessed elite Jonin strength, the others were only at the Chunin level, reaching at most Special Jonin level after activating their Cursed Seals.

Then there were the unstable Jugo and Suigetsu Hozuki, whom Orochimaru had captured.

"Kid, this is no place for you," a ninja with a bandage wrapped around his right eye, seemingly their leader, stood on a rooftop and issued a warning.

"Is Orochimaru sending a bunch of small fry like you to die?" Menma frowned slightly, wondering what Orochimaru was planning.

"You bastard! So you really are here to hunt Lord Orochimaru!" The ninja leader seemed to be triggered, ordering the other two: "Kill him!"

Two ninjas threw kunai, attacking Menma from the left and right.

The ninja leader also tore away the bandage covering his right eye, revealing a crimson two-tomoe Sharingan, which glared fiercely at the mysterious man on the ground.

"I see." Seeing that two-tomoe Sharingan, Menma understood Orochimaru's intention.

He was sending him a gift.

(End of Chapter)