Outside the Konoha Orphanage, the laughter of children playing drifted through the wind.
Yamanaka Santen and Gato stood a short distance away, their eyes scanning the carefree figures. Santen, one hand on his hip, remarked, "Mr. Gato, these children are war orphans from Konoha and the surrounding regions. Their backgrounds are clean, though whether they possess ninja talent will require further testing."
Santen was the official in charge of Gato's reception and the subsequent adoption procedures. At fifteen years old, this Yamanaka clan Chūnin was the same man who, years later during the Fourth Shinobi World War, would form a team with Saltwater Nara and Naoki to assist Kakashi against the reincarnated Zabuza and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"It's fine. Actually, demanding ninja talent was perhaps too strict of me," Gato replied, his face a mask of kindness. He bore no trace of the ruthless tycoon who dominated the world of commerce.
"In that case, let's go pay our respects to the Director first," Santen said, leading the way toward the orphanage. Gato followed closely behind with a single bodyguard.
As they approached, Gato's small eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. He scanned every orphan, searching for the target specified by 'That Person'. After searching for a long while, however, he couldn't find the child described.
Strange. Could he not be here? Gato frowned inwardly.
Suddenly, a solitary figure beneath a large tree in the distance caught Gato's eye. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the grass in patches. Beneath the shade, a child sat alone, tinkering with a doll as if isolated from the rest of the world. That indifferent expression and aura of detachment were a mirror image of 'That Person'.
Gato walked over instinctively.
Crunch—
In truth, Menma had noticed Gato the moment he arrived. To avoid drawing unwanted attention, he hadn't moved to guide Gato toward him. Only when Gato reached the shade did the boy slowly look up. His small, youthful face held a level of calm entirely unsuited to his age.
"You're here. Are the preparations complete?"
The familiar tone immediately reminded Gato of his instructions.
'Find a child named Menma at the Konoha Orphanage. He is a member of the organization, and his rank is higher than yours. Your mission is to settle him in.'
Gato had originally assumed he was looking for a teenager with immense ninja talent. After all, 'That Person' had personally devastated half of the Hidden Cloud, and the recruited Kakuzu had displayed a terrifying level of combat power while protecting him.
But the child before him looked barely three or four years old. He was still soft with baby fat, clutching a dark-red fox doll wearing a grotesque mask. Was this really the target?
Gato decided to test the waters. "The residence and the branch company have been arranged."
"Let's go," Menma said, standing up. His tone brooked no argument.
"Yes." Gato was finally certain—this child was indeed the one he had been sent to find.
At the orphanage gates.
"Menma!" Yunai, the acting Director, stood with her arms crossed alongside Yamanaka Santen. Her eyes were full of helplessness as she looked at the boy. This child was always so solitary and socially detached; she had always worried about him.
"So his name is Menma," Gato said, nodding to Santen. "I feel a certain kinship with this child. He's the one."
Santen was slightly surprised. He had only just introduced Gato to Director Yunai, yet Gato had already made a choice. Raising an orange eyebrow, Santen looked down at the toddler clutching the fox doll.
Yunai stepped forward, trying to explain. "Menma was orphaned three years ago. He is quite withdrawn, I'm afraid he might not be a good fit—"
Three years ago...
Hearing that, Santen was reminded of the terrifying, orange-red Nine-Tailed Fox. Many orphans had appeared in the village after that night.
Santen's attitude toward Menma softened. He crouched down, pulled a slip of paper from his pocket, and offered it to the boy. "Hey there, little guy. Give this a try."
Menma took the square of Chakra Induction Paper without expression. He focused, channeling his Fire-natured chakra.
Almost instantly, the top of the paper ignited.
"Fire nature, I see." Santen wasn't particularly surprised; many of the orphans here were children of Leaf shinobi or the Land of Fire, so talent was to be expected. He stood and turned to Yunai. "Well then, this child it is."
"But..." Yunai was still hesitant. Menma was so young, and his personality was so closed off.
"Aunt Yunai, let me go," Menma said, looking up at her.
Though he was the youngest of the twenty-odd children at the orphanage, Yunai felt for a moment as if she were looking into the eyes of an adult. For some reason, she had always felt that Menma didn't quite belong in an orphanage.
Finally, Yunai let out a deep sigh. She gathered the other children to see Menma off.
"Menma! Remember to come back and visit us!" Urushi, the eldest of the group, shouted at the top of his lungs. The other children waved enthusiastically, their eyes filled with reluctance.
Menma turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Urushi and the others. He remembered his promise to Kabuto Yakushi.
"I will," Menma replied softly.
After leaving the orphanage, Gato and Santen took Menma to the Administrative Center near the Hokage Building to finalize the adoption papers. With the Hokage's special approval, they were given the green light at every turn, and the paperwork was completed in record time.
Gato eventually brought Menma back to the newly purchased estate.
"Master!" the household servants bowed in unison.
"Hmph. You are all dismissed," Gato waved them away.
Once the servants had withdrawn, only Menma and Gato remained in the room.
"We don't need this many servants. Keep two for daily chores and get rid of the rest."
A voice that was both familiar and awe-inspiring echoed from the shadows. Gato spun around to see 'That Person', wearing his mask, slowly stepping out of the darkness.
"I thought you'd be a bit faster. You kept me waiting," the 'Menma' standing by the window remarked, directing a dry comment toward the main body.
The true Menma ignored his clone and looked at Gato. "You may go."
"Yes!" Gato obeyed respectfully. Just as he was about to step out, the voice reached him again.
"Follow Menma's instructions for all operations within Konoha."
"Yes!" Gato bowed again and retreated from the room, wiping sweat from his brow as he waited outside.
Inside the room.
"Alright, hurry up and release the Shadow Clone. Staying in that orphanage was boring as hell," the clone Menma grumbled, pouting.
The true Menma wove the sign. "Release!"
Poof!
A cloud of smoke erupted as the clone vanished, and a flood of memories surged into Menma's mind. Simultaneously, Menma released his Transformation Jutsu, returning to his true form as a three-year-old child.
"Based on the timeline, Orochimaru should be defecting soon."
Menma walked to the window and pulled it open. From here, he had a clear view of the Hokage Building and the Hokage Rock. The carved face of the Fourth Hokage stood out sharply in his vision.