Karin slowly pulled away.
Menma, sensing her movement, naturally released his hold and took two steps back. The moment the warmth of that embrace vanished, Karin felt an unexpected sense of loss.
The instant she realized it, her heart skipped.
What am I thinking…?
A faint wave of embarrassment rose within her.
She quickly took a deep breath to steady herself, lifting a hand to brush her hair aside in an attempt to mask her flustered expression. Even so, the shy redness on her face was difficult to hide.
Menma, however, acted as though he noticed nothing at all.
He smoothly changed the subject, his tone calm.
"You've been here for the past month, right? Did they do anything to you?"
Karin shook her head lightly.
"Since Orochimaru-sama took me from Konoha, I've stayed here the whole time. I wasn't asked to do anything special. They only drew a bit of my blood… and restricted me to this area. That's all."
"Blood?"
Menma's brows furrowed instinctively.
Orochimaru was never patient when it came to research. Once he found something worth studying, he wasted no time. Fortunately, from the sound of it, he had not gone further.
"At least it was limited," Menma said quietly.
Karin noticed his expression change and immediately became nervous.
"D-Did I do something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Menma replied, shaking his head gently. "Don't worry. From now on, just stay with me. Tell me everything you've seen here about this base, the Sound Ninja, anything useful."
"Okay!"
Karin nodded firmly.
After that, she began recounting everything she had learned during her stay.
Menma listened attentively while organizing the information in his mind.
There was no denying it, Orochimaru was exceptional.
Not just in strength or forbidden research, but in how he managed people.
Compared to Danzō Shimura, the difference was obvious.
Root relied on the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal to suppress its members and prevent information leaks. While effective, it was also proof of Danzō's deep mistrust of his own subordinates.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, didn't need such crude methods.
Many of his followers were willing to die for him of their own accord.
The Curse Mark was not created to control subordinates it was a tool to enhance them. At most, it served as a contingency Orochimaru kept for himself.
In Orochimaru's eyes, forcibly binding people with seals was nothing more than a vulgar approach.
Kimimaro.
Kabuto Yakushi.
The Sound Four.
Even later figures like Guren.
Each followed Orochimaru for their own reasons.
The rapid establishment of Otogakure alone proved his ability. Years of preparation had allowed him to gather more than a thousand shinobi. During the Konoha Crush, hundreds if not thousands had already been deployed.
Based on Karin's sensory perception, however, fewer than three to four hundred shinobi remained in this particular stronghold. Most were low-level operatives. Only a handful possessed jōnin-class strength.
Even without Konoha pursuing us… this base is already half-abandoned, Menma concluded silently.
Karin hesitated for a moment, her fingers unconsciously twisting together.
"Um… Menma… are we going to stay here forever?"
Her voice was soft, cautious.
Menma shook his head.
"No. But in the short term, we can't leave."
He met her gaze calmly.
"Setting aside my deal with Orochimaru, we still need him right now. Whether it's your Uzumaki bloodline… or my own identity."
Earlier, Menma had already revealed the truth of who he was and why he chose to leave Konoha. He regarded Karin as his companion his only companion he could truly trust at this stage.
Naturally, she needed to know.
The impact on Karin had been enormous.
For the first time, she fully understood why Menma abandoned Konoha.
It was no different from Kusagakure.
The same indifference.
The same rejection.
The same feeling of being unwanted.
At that moment, Karin felt closer to Menma than ever before. A deep sense of trust and reliance quietly took root in her heart.
"This is only temporary," Menma continued. "I have my own plans. They'll just take time."
He wasn't comforting her with empty words.
Orochimaru was nothing more than a stepping stone.
Unlike Sasuke Uchiha who spoke endlessly about revenge and clan restoration without any concrete plan, Menma knew exactly what he wanted.
A shinobi clan could not be revived by one person alone, no matter how strong they became.
Menma's first goal was freedom.
Leaving Konoha was only half of that.
As long as he relied on Orochimaru, he was still constrained.
True independence would come only with strength.
"Well… I believe you, Menma."
Karin looked up and nodded earnestly.
She didn't need to know his plans.
All she needed to do was stay by his side
And become someone he could rely on.