The situation in Takigakure had become particularly delicate after the recent rebellion. The instigator had not been an outsider but a veteran Takigakure shinobi like Suien, making the incident even more damaging to the village's internal stability. Furthermore, Shibuki's personality had always been gentle and somewhat indecisive. Although he seemed to have grown firmer recently, Ajun still felt that he needed to exercise greater caution than ever before and remain vigilant in all matters.
Naturally, these thoughts remained buried in his heart.
Expressing them openly would only create instability within the village. Besides, Menma still held considerable goodwill toward Takigakure. In Ajun's eyes, he was also a noble representative of the Land of Fire a misunderstanding that persisted to this day. At present, only Shibuki and Fū knew Menma's true identity.
"Hehe, I've rested long enough. My family has settled in properly, and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to continue sitting idle at home. It's time for me to fulfill my responsibilities."
Menma smiled lightly as he replied.
"You are too courteous, Yifang-san."
Ajun responded with a smile, though a trace of suspicion lingered deep within his eyes.
He could not help wondering whether Menma's enthusiasm concealed some deeper objective.
However, the thought quickly faded.
Ajun shook his head inwardly.
Vigilance was necessary, but suspicion without evidence was not. Menma had been personally approved by Elder Wu and accepted by Chief Shibuki. Excessive doubt would only damage relationships within the village.
"Since Yifang-san is interested, these are the duties you will be responsible for. Please familiarize yourself with them first."
Ajun pulled several documents from the stack beside him and handed them over to Menma before pointing toward another pile of scrolls nearby.
There were countless administrative responsibilities within a shinobi village.
Among them, village defense was unquestionably the highest priority.
A military organization that could not guarantee its own security would never be able to maintain unity or authority. The existence of a hidden village itself was founded upon the idea of collective protection and mutual strength. This principle applied equally to the Five Great Shinobi Villages and to Takigakure.
Unlike the Five Great Nations, whose military influence extended across vast territories and even into neighboring countries, smaller villages possessed far more limited operational ranges.
Villages such as Takigakure, Kusagakure, and Yugakure could project some influence beyond their borders, but they remained heavily restricted. The Five Great Nations had little interest in allowing smaller villages to expand their authority too far.
As a result, Takigakure's sphere of activity was largely confined to the Land of Waterfalls and a few strategically significant border regions near major nations.
Historically, during the First, Second, and Third Shinobi World Wars, these areas frequently became battlegrounds for the competing interests of Konohagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure.
Fortunately, Takigakure's location was relatively isolated.
Unlike Kusagakure or Yugakure, which often found themselves trapped directly between major powers, Takigakure occupied a more protected position. This allowed the village to preserve a greater degree of autonomy and self-defense capability.
Even so, the circumstances of smaller nations remained difficult.
As captain of the village garrison force, Ajun was broadly responsible for Takigakure's internal security. Most of his duties involved overseeing patrols and maintaining order within the village itself. Border deployments were generally arranged personally by Shibuki.
The work Ajun assigned to Menma involved organizing, analyzing, and compiling reports submitted daily by patrol units and stationed shinobi.
It was an important responsibility.
Yet compared to the overall defensive structure of the village, it remained a relatively peripheral task.
As Menma sat down and began reviewing the contents of the scrolls, he quickly understood Ajun's intentions.
And honestly, he found nothing strange about it.
Any newcomer entering an organization would have to earn trust gradually. No matter how charismatic someone was, immediate trust and authority were impossible.
The idea that a person could simply arrive, radiate overwhelming presence, and instantly gain everyone's loyalty belonged in fairy tales rather than reality.
Thus, Menma was quite satisfied with the current pace of events.
Everything had to be taken one step at a time.
At present, he neither possessed the qualifications nor the desire to pursue any form of power within Takigakure. Without prestige or trust, discussions about influence were meaningless.
Before anyone could follow you, they first had to believe in you.
Therefore, Menma's current objective was simple.
He needed to establish his presence within the village and earn the trust of people like Ajun.
The most effective method was equally straightforward.
Bring tangible benefits to Takigakure.
Create visible development.
Deliver real change.
As it happened, Menma already possessed several ideas in that regard. Most remained theoretical or were still in preparation.
However, one concept could be implemented immediately.
It concerned the village's defenses.
Naturally, before introducing it, Menma needed to understand the current situation thoroughly and ensure no unnecessary misunderstandings arose.
"Ajun-san, may I review the village's defensive deployment records? I'd also like to examine personnel assignments."
After spending more than an hour studying the available materials, Menma finally looked up and asked.
The request itself was not inappropriate.
As deputy captain of the garrison force, a position personally assigned by Shibuki, Menma technically possessed the authority to access such information.
Normally, however, a newcomer would never make such a request on his first day.
Even when authorized, most people would wait until they had fully integrated into the organization before touching matters involving village security.
Consequently, Ajun paused slightly.
For a brief moment, hesitation flashed across his face.
Then he remembered Shibuki's prior instructions.
Taking a slow breath, he suppressed his initial refusal.
"Of course. I originally intended to show it to you later. After all, you'll eventually be leading patrol units and participating in defense operations yourself."
As he spoke, Ajun retrieved another scroll from a drawer and tossed it toward Menma.
Menma caught it effortlessly.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
This went more smoothly than expected.
To be honest, he had fully expected Ajun to reject the request.
The defensive deployment of a hidden village constituted highly classified information. If such details fell into enemy hands, the consequences could be catastrophic.
This was especially true for a village like Takigakure.
Until recently, only Shibuki, Ajun, Elder Mizuno Satoru, and the executed Suien had possessed full access to these records.
Therefore, a refusal would have been perfectly reasonable.
Menma had even considered approaching Shibuki directly later.
His goal was not to uncover secrets for personal gain but to identify weaknesses and improve the village's defenses.
Now, however, Ajun's willingness to share the information demonstrated a level of trust that exceeded Menma's expectations.
That trust would make future plans considerably easier.
Eventually, Menma's true identity would become impossible to conceal forever.
Before that day arrived, he intended to reveal the truth gradually to a small circle of trusted individuals.
He could not remain "Accelerator" forever.
And among the people in Takigakure, Ajun was perhaps the most suitable candidate to learn the truth one day.
Opening the scroll, Menma carefully reviewed the information.
Combined with the reports he had already studied, he quickly formed a complete picture of Takigakure's defensive structure.
The conclusion was disappointing.
The village's decline was entirely understandable.
Whether measured in manpower, deployment efficiency, or defensive infrastructure, modern Takigakure was only a shadow of its former glory.
Years ago, according to information Menma had gathered including intelligence indirectly connected to Orochimaru's investigations Takigakure had once been powerful enough to earn recognition throughout the shinobi world.
Although it had never rivaled Konoha, it had unquestionably surpassed many smaller hidden villages.
Otherwise, why would Takigakure have been entrusted with the Seven-Tails?
The distribution of tailed beasts after the founding of the hidden village system had never been arbitrary.
Hashirama Senju's goal had been to create a balance of power among the strongest villages in order to preserve peace.
If Takigakure had truly been weak, the Seven-Tails Chōmei would never have ended up within its borders.
The very fact that the village once possessed a tailed beast demonstrated its former strength.
Had history unfolded differently, had Takigakure produced one or two elite Kage-level shinobi and continued expanding its military capabilities, it might have emerged as the unofficial sixth great shinobi village.
Its leader could even have earned recognition equivalent to a Kage.
Unfortunately, history offered no second chances.
Following the devastating internal conflicts that ravaged the village decades earlier, Takigakure entered a prolonged decline.
Its strongest shinobi perished.
Its influence diminished.
Its prestige faded.
Over time, villages such as Amegakure, Kusagakure, and even Yugakure gradually surpassed it in several areas.
Without Fū and the power of the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, Takigakure's standing would have fallen even further.
Considering all this, the deterioration of the village's defensive network became entirely understandable.
In fact, after reviewing everything, Menma found himself thinking that even Otogakure's security system appeared more refined.
There are simply too many flaws.
Silently, he shook his head.
"Hm? Finished already?" Ajun asked. "Then you should have a basic understanding of our defensive structure. My plan was to have you gradually participate in the next phase of village security "
Before he could finish, Menma raised a hand.
"Oh, there's no rush, Ajun-san. I'm still getting familiar with everything. It would be irresponsible for me to involve myself too deeply in the village's overall defense at this stage. Besides, I haven't even gotten to know the rest of our colleagues properly yet."
His smile remained calm and sincere.
Ajun blinked.
This was not the reaction he had expected.
He had assumed Menma's eagerness stemmed from a desire to acquire authority quickly.
Now he wasn't sure what to think.
"Well… that's reasonable," Ajun replied after a moment. "Becoming familiar with everyone first is certainly important."
Yet confusion lingered within him.
Then what exactly is he trying to accomplish?
The answer came immediately.
"However," Menma continued, "I do have a few suggestions regarding the village's defense."
Ajun's brows instinctively furrowed.
Before he could respond, Menma spoke again.
"For example, Takigakure currently lacks a comprehensive sensory barrier surrounding the village. From a security standpoint, isn't that an extremely serious vulnerability, Ajun-san?"
Menma lifted his gaze and looked directly at him.
His expression was completely serious.
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