Slug's eyebrows raise in morbid curiosity, contemplating the significance of Jimmy's phraseology. A gradual yet appalling rivulet of revelations further inundates Slug with grief. However, the general methodology of Jim's machinations eludes the dying shinobi. Well aware subsequent elucidation will bestow further turmoil upon what remains of his decaying humanity, distress compels Slug to further inquire into Menma's undoing. "Pray, tell. What manner of transgression has befallen my late nephew?"

"It was a means to an end, and we're both aware of how ends justify the means." Jim smothers the cigarette stub beneath his boot, "I assure you, Señor Namikaze was a victim of circumstance and not the initial objective."

The shinobi's eyes narrow, "Victim of circumstance?"

"The Sovereign Colonies used commando units for skirmishes and raids against the Land of Fire as a diversion. Their primary target was the Namikaze compound. According to our Intel, The Namikaze were a clan of merchants; however, they had ties with the Uzumaki royal family and were proficient in fūinjutsu. Thereby, most were too hazardous to apprehend, so the Contras resorted to chemical and biological warfare to subdue the clan. I ASSURE you the few survivors were just lucky enough to be out on a mission or trading abroad that night!"

Slug sighs, recalling a petty dispute being the cause of Menma storming off in anger, 'So he never did return from his departure that night.' Slug realizes working overtime at the Hidden Leaf's medical research facility is what saved him from a similar fate.

"Now granted, there were other—more promising test subjects, but my platoon was short on time. We knew the survivors would seek refuge within the Hidden Leaf Village and took advantage of this fact."

Slug grits his broken teeth, "So murdering my sister and brother-in-law wasn't enough!? Did wiping out most of the Namikaze clan then razing the compound serve any purpose, or are you just that petty and vindictive? Have you the slightest inkling of psychological harm you've caused my nephew!? I knew straightaway Menma wasn't the same once I adopted him. I could see it in his eyes; they were empty, devoid of any life or cheerfulness. Doll-like, almost! He became reclusive and maniacal—much like…."

"As indicated: Menma Namikaze has been dead longer than you realize, Dr. Kuriarare," Jim says with a predatory, inhuman gaze. "I was an intelligence operative tasked with infiltrating the Konoha Cryptanalysis Team; furthermore, Menma just so happens to acquire an entry-level position following his internship. Isolation and vulnerability were the contributing factors that sealed Menma's fate!"

Uneasy of the awful truth developing within the gloomy confines of Slug's broken mind, he struggles to keep his voice from cracking. Slug proceeds with his inquiry to verify the horrendous theory behind Jim's rationale to confirm a means. "It's atypical of you to make a move nor reveal anything without a purpose. I'll ask one last time, Kruger. What manner of transgression has befallen my late nephew?"

"You deserve to know the truth at least, although, on account of my— 'alleged demise,' it's plausible the data I've acquired is obsolete or declassified at best." Jim whisks the blood dripping from Raven's sword with a flick of his arm before wiping it on the cloth between his forearm and bicep. 'It's not like you'll live to tell anyone, regardless.' Jim's eyes widen, almost gasping at the weapon's familiarity as he whirls then sheaths the blade. 'T-this is—my old…' Nevertheless, he perishes the alarming thought, refocusing on the task at hand. "The simplest explanation of what happened to Menma is an amalgamation of ancient techniques that I had stolen from 'Los Sabios Selladores' before defecting to the colonies."

"Los Sabios Selladores? Care to elaborate; I'm unfamiliar with your foreign vernacular."

"They were a loyalist battalion of genetically engineered super soldiers, proficient in the art of senjutsu (sage techniques) and fūinjutsu. Hence the name: the 'Sealing Sages.'"

"By chance, are you referring to those responsible for butchering the Hidden Cloud and Bloody Mist's forces in the Land of Whirlpools, then causing a ghoul infestation on the island?"

Jim nods, "More precisely, it was a subdivision, led by my older sister, known as the 'Valkyries.' However, the conflict's outcome was of no consequence to them. They consumed every shinobi, civilian, or any living being unfortunate to cross their path, regardless of affiliation." He sighs while maintaining a vigilant eye upon the shinobi, "I would know; I fought during the 'War of Whirling Tides.'"

"Some rather damning information came of that incident implicating you in various war crimes. You realize Hashirama hasn't forgotten what had happened to Mito and the Uzumaki royal family, right?" Slug chuckles, "There isn't anyone I know that wants you dead more than he does right now."

Jim rolls his eyes, "And I've got two balls for his chin."

The shinobi raises a curious eyebrow at Jim, "… Uh, anyway—the survivors mentioned those things were after you, Nazeem, and Cicero, specifically. Why? What was the point of a systematic mass slaughter of an entire amphibious joint strike force if the conflict's outcome was of no consequence to them?"

"As my sister oh so gracefully put it: 'They were starving since transit and needed to feed.'" Slug shudders, recalling the autopsy documents, photographs, and eyewitness reports from the Anbu. "Even at my prime, I didn't stand a chance against her; it took everything I had to retreat, and even then, it cost me my lower right arm. I had no choice but to amputate the infected limb to prevent the Nosferatu dye from spreading throughout the rest of my body." Jim lifts his sleeve, revealing the prosthetic limb.

Slug recognizes the symbol on Jim's prosthetic, 'That's the symbol of the 'Red Sands Contras;' figures someone like him would be in league with those terrorists.'

"Apropos to the rationale behind their pursuit of us is the initial reasoning we fled our homeland—"

"Your capture and subjugation to the 'Day-Breaker Initiative,' right?"

Jim's head tilts in curiosity, "Then you're aware of what happens to those unfortunate enough to undergo this process."

"The ASF has been sending Anbu to this godforsaken continent for years in preparation for a full-scale invasion. Intel regarding biological experiments began leaking back to HQ (headquarters) despite the infiltration team's disappearance. They feared the SSR had developed a weapon capable of surpassing the power of the tailed beasts. Our priority was to seize advanced weapons and technology after securing a beachhead, then capture as many scientists, engineers, or anyone with bloodline limits as possible. Furthermore, what we found in those research facilities during the initial assault was far worse than imagined."

"Tch." Jim scoffs, concealing subtle hand seal gestures to exploit Slug's weakening mental state with genjutsu. 'So—the Elemental Nations have started ramping up their eugenics programs.'

"Though exiguous, the data salvaged was horrific, to say the least, and classified as S-rank top secret. The Marine Contras were meticulous in destroying whatever the 'VCN (Fifth Commune of Nosferatu)' were up to in those labs."

"After storming the 'blood farms,' we ensured the VCN's research and experiments were unable to be replicated." Jim leans against a ruined pillar, crossing his arms. "Essentially, the Day-Breaker Initiative was a conspiracy of the Fifth Commune to genetically engineer their most elite units, either willingly or unwillingly, into soulless killing machines enslaved to a 'Hive Mind.'"

"And those supporting the Initiative, more specifically, your elder sister, Nevaeh, felt it would remove insubordination from their ranks. While those in opposition knew it robs them of their humanity then abolishes all free will. You'd have been no more than a petty slave to this—'Hive Mind' after being mutilated via invasive surgery, then further disfigured by injecting a whole cocktail of mutagens into your body. Yes, tell me, Kruger. How DOES it feel to become the very thing you so despise!?"

Jim sighs, "The irony isn't at all lost on me. Though I could never break the Hidden Leaf's Will of Fire, I did liberate my people from the Socialists, but at what cost? The rebellion succeeded, yet it was a pyrrhic victory at best—all those lives and years of planning all for nothing. I took a gamble and came up short, but life is about compromises. We can't always have what we want exactly the way we want it. Unfortunately, we don't live in a manga where the good guy always wins. And how there's always a hero that saves the day at the last minute. No one ever truly gets what they want in the end, and if one does, it'll be because they did something truly reprehensible to acquire it. Sometimes wants and needs are mutually exclusive; thus, it is imperative to perceive the cost/benefit analysis to determine if what one desires is worth it in the end. Or get what you deserve in a fucked up way. It's as you proclaim, Dr. Kuriarare: 'You either die a hero or become the very thing you so despise.'"