Luckily, Menma likely wouldn't encounter him under normal circumstances. Otherwise, the thought of having to fight a "beast" like that in the finals was already giving him a headache.
With no objections from anyone, Hayate Gekkō reiterated the rules for the main tournament one last time before dismissing Menma and the others.
As the group exited the Forest of Death, they immediately spotted Kakashi waiting at the exit, waving at them with a smile.
"Hey, hey! Kakashi-nii, did you see that? We all made it to the final round!" Naruto announced, puffing out his chest with an expression of pure pride.
"Haha, of course. I believed you guys could do it. Otherwise, why would I have recommended you for the Chunin Exams?" Kakashi replied with a chuckle.
As he spoke, he seemingly casually glanced at Sasuke. Neither Naruto nor Sakura noticed, but it didn't escape Menma's eyes.
Menma knew exactly why—Kakashi was worried about the curse mark on Sasuke's neck. When they had arrived at the tower yesterday, Kakashi had made a brief appearance. Upon hearing about the strange mark on Sasuke, Kakashi had immediately turned serious and taken Sasuke away. Sakura and Naruto assumed it was just for a routine check-up or treatment, but Menma knew better.
With the current level of medical ninjutsu in Konoha, it was impossible to remove a curse mark specially placed by Orochimaru. At best, Kakashi could only temporarily seal the mark's power to prevent it from leaking out. But even that seal relied entirely on Sasuke's own willpower.
If Sasuke actively sought out that power, no seal in the world would hold.
Kakashi knew Sasuke's personality all too well, so it was only natural for him to be concerned.
Of course, Sakura and Naruto were oblivious to all of this. Neither Kakashi nor Sasuke would volunteer this information, and Menma—the only other person in the know—would play dumb.
"Hehe, so Kakashi-nii, shouldn't you do something special? You know, to celebrate all of us making it to the finals?" Naruto leaned in, grinning cheekily at his sensei.
"Haha, you... Sure, no problem. Today, eat and drink to your heart's content. It's a celebration, and a reward for your hard work!" Kakashi laughed, patting Naruto on the head.
"Awesome! You said it! I'm definitely not holding back today, Kakashi-nii!" Naruto shouted happily.
"Yeah, yeah, I said it."
Seeing that Sasuke maintained his usual cool demeanor without any strange changes, Kakashi felt a little more at ease inside.
"Haha, you'd better be ready then, Kakashi-nii! Hey, you guys are free, right? Sakura? Menma? Sasuke?" Naruto eagerly turned to look at his three teammates.
"Yeah!"
"Hmph."
Sakura and Sasuke responded in turn.
From the back, Menma gave a faint smile and nodded gently.
It looked like a perfectly harmonious scene. But the others failed to notice the deep rift that had already formed, separating them completely.
"Alright! Let's go!"
Naruto's familiar, loud voice rang out.
Under the setting sun, their shadows stretched long against the ground as the five of them walked side by side. Yet, in this moment, neither Kakashi, nor Naruto, nor Sakura realized that this might very well be Team 7's last outing together.
It wasn't necessarily fake affection, but to Menma, these were empty bonds, devoid of meaning.
Whether it was Sakura or Kakashi, they held no place in Menma's heart beneath his veneer of a polite smile.
The same went for Naruto. They simply shared a blood relation, nothing more. Unlike Minato and Kushina, who had at least given him life in this world, this so-called "brother" was destined to be his enemy in the future.
Ever since that night in the Land of Waves, Menma had already cut himself off from these people internally. Sasuke was the only exception, slightly different from the rest, but what the future held would depend on the choices they each made.
For now, no final decisions could be made.
Wearing his mask of gentle warmth, Menma sat through the so-called celebratory feast. After it ended, he returned to his apartment, only to find a special guest waiting for him.
"Hmph. Since you're already here, what's the point of hiding?"
To Menma, the intruder's chakra fluctuation was as obvious as a light in the dark. He had detected the presence the moment he neared his home.
"My, my. It seems Lord Orochimaru didn't overestimate you after all, Menma-kun. Only twelve years old, and you already possess such sensory abilities. Is this the power of the Nine-Tails? Or perhaps a talent of your Uzumaki lineage?"
From the end of the hallway, in a dark corner that had appeared empty a second ago, a straight-backed figure emerged as the voice spoke.
Silver hair, round glasses. And that familiar, fake smile.
It was Orochimaru's right-hand man—Kabuto Yakushi.
"Hmm? A Leaf headband? And the scent of Orochimaru-san... Oh, I see. You must be the spy Orochimaru-san planted in Konoha," Menma said, his gaze cool and scrutinizing. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
The moment Kabuto met Menma's gaze, his heart tightened involuntarily. He felt as though he was being stared down by something incredibly dangerous.
When he first received orders from Lord Orochimaru, Kabuto had been intensely curious about Menma. As the person responsible for Orochimaru's external affairs, Kabuto knew a fair bit about Menma's situation—not everything, perhaps, but certainly the key details. He genuinely hadn't expected a boy raised entirely within the Leaf's education system to undergo such a drastic change at this stage.
To dare meet with Lord Orochimaru alone, and even propose defecting from the Leaf to cooperate with him...
It wasn't that Kabuto doubted Lord Orochimaru. It was just human nature to hold a bit of skepticism until seeing things with one's own eyes.
But now, after this brief encounter, Kabuto could tell immediately: Menma Uzumaki was definitely not someone to be taken lightly.
"Yes, as you say, Menma-kun. I am a spy serving under Lord Orochimaru. My name is Kabuto Yakushi. I look forward to working with you from now on," Kabuto said with a smile, bowing slightly in greeting.