Early the next morning, the Hidden Rock ninja army arrived as scheduled and merged with the elite squad.
The elite squad, which originally had only a dozen or so people, suddenly swelled to nearly a hundred after the addition of the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Rock ninja armies, becoming a sizable ninja force.
After the increase in numbers, Kakashi divided the ninja army into several teams, dispersing them in the forest to search for traces of Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto.
Over the next few days, the three forces—Orochimaru, the Ninja Village Alliance, and the Akatsuki organization—played a game of hide-and-seek in this forest in the Land of Rice Fields.
Orochimaru was slippery, popping his head out occasionally and then immediately concealing his tracks.
The Ninja Village Alliance had the advantage in numbers and could cast a net in the forest for a carpet search. However, on one hand, they were wary of the Akatsuki members in the air, and on the other hand, they were worried about the 'Impure World Reincarnation bodies' summoned by Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto, so progress was slow.
The Akatsuki organization had air superiority, but their numbers were limited, making it impossible to monitor the entire forest.
Friction occurred occasionally among the three parties, but a major battle never broke out.
Orochimaru, pursued by the Ninja Village Alliance and the Akatsuki organization, was focused on maneuvering and had no intention of fighting.
As for the Akatsuki organization and the Ninja Village Alliance, both were fixated on Orochimaru, so they were very restrained and didn't want to waste too much energy on each other.
On the crown of a large tree.
Kakashi observed the surroundings while comparing with a makeshift map in his hand, his brows furrowed tightly.
Just then, Sasuke, Yakumo, Ameyuri Ringo, Darui, and Kurotsuchi rushed to Kakashi's side from different directions.
"The second squad found no trace of Orochimaru!"
"The third squad found nothing either!"
"Same for the fourth squad..."
"Same for the fifth squad..."
Several people reported at once, relaying intelligence from each squad to Kakashi.
Kakashi's brows furrowed even tighter, murmuring: "Where exactly did he hide?"
It had been ten hours since Orochimaru last showed up. The opponent seemed to be playing hide-and-seek with them, showing up every once in a while to demonstrate his presence, then disappearing for a while, forcing them to search continuously in this dense forest.
Sasuke looked up at the black dots on the horizon, looking very unhappy.
Undoubtedly, the black dots on the horizon were Deidara's clay birds. Like the Ninja Village Alliance, the few members of the Akatsuki organization were also riding on three clay birds separately, searching for Orochimaru in the forest like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Yakumo pondered for a moment and said: "Kakashi-sensei, I have a question!"
Kakashi nodded: "Speak!"
"Where did Yakushi Kabuto go?" Pausing, Yakumo wondered: "It seems only Orochimaru has shown up these few days, but Yakushi Kabuto hasn't shown his face even once!"
Hearing Yakumo's question, everyone fell into thought.
Kakashi shook his head and didn't answer Yakumo's question.
Because the doubts in his heart were no less than Yakumo's. Moreover, compared to Yakushi Kabuto, he was more concerned about why Jiraiya, who was pursuing Orochimaru before, had disappeared without a trace and couldn't be contacted no matter what.
Whoosh...
Bang...
Suddenly, a conspicuous firework exploded in the distant sky.
"It's a signal flare, found Orochimaru!"
Sasuke looked delighted. Without waiting for others, he directly activated the 'Body Flicker Technique' and rushed towards the direction of the signal flare.
Seeing this, Kakashi had to say to everyone: "Go, let's go over too!"
In the forest.
Itachi and Juzo Biwa stood on a clay bird, confronting Orochimaru on the ground from a distance. While on the periphery, several Hidden Rock ninjas were nervously watching the battlefield.
The signal flare just now was secretly fired by them.
Glancing at the signal flare exploding in the air, Juzo Biwa said to Itachi: "Better finish this quickly, otherwise those guys from the ninja villages will arrive!"
Itachi nodded, then said to Orochimaru: "Hand over the Nine-Tails!"
Orochimaru smiled sinisterly: "My conditions haven't changed. As long as you hand that person over to me, I'll give you the Nine-Tails!"
Itachi said indifferently: "Then we have no choice but to fight."
Orochimaru hurriedly raised his hands, making a posture of forming seals.
Swish...
At this time, Sasuke rushed to the battlefield.
However, his gaze did not linger on Orochimaru, but was instantly attracted to Itachi on the clay bird. After a slight stun, he roared: "Itachi, I'm going to kill you!"
Undoubtedly.
Although Sasuke knew the Akatsuki organization was also looking for Orochimaru, he didn't know Itachi was among them. Now encountering Itachi, he immediately threw Orochimaru to the back of his mind!
Looking at the furious Sasuke, Juzo Biwa teased Itachi beside him: "Shouting to kill as soon as you meet, Itachi, seems like the relationship between you brothers is very good!"
Itachi remained expressionless, his gaze still fixed on Orochimaru.
Kakashi, leading the crowd, also arrived at the battlefield at this time and shouted to Sasuke: "Sasuke, don't be impulsive!"
Just at this tense moment, Orochimaru, surrounded by the Ninja Village Alliance and the Akatsuki organization in the center, suddenly transformed into the appearance of Yakushi Kabuto amidst a poof of white smoke.
"Everyone, excuse me!"
Yakushi Kabuto smiled, then broke out through the gap between the Akatsuki organization and the Ninja Village Alliance.
Undoubtedly.
From beginning to end, it was Yakushi Kabuto who lured the Ninja Village Alliance and the Akatsuki organization to search in the forest, not the real Orochimaru.
And this time he seized an opportunity, deliberately luring Itachi and Sasuke to meet, inciting conflict between the Akatsuki organization and the Ninja Village Alliance.
"This!?"
The Ninja Village Alliance side was all stunned.
Even the experienced Kakashi was surprised because he really didn't expect Yakushi Kabuto to be able to impersonate Orochimaru so vividly. Whether it was appearance, demeanor, chakra fluctuations, smell, etc., it was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan, the ninja dogs of the Inuzuka clan, the kikaichū of the Aburame clan, etc., were all deceived by him.
Akatsuki organization side.
Juzo Biwa was also startled, a flash of annoyance at being played appearing in his eyes, while Itachi remained expressionless, showing no emotional fluctuations.
Itachi said: "Let's go!"
"Okay!"
Juzo Biwa nodded.
Since it wasn't Orochimaru, they naturally didn't want to stay here and fight to the death with the Ninja Village Alliance.
"Don't run!"
Seeing Itachi and Juzo Biwa about to leave, Sasuke couldn't hold back anymore, shouting while lunging forward.
Itachi ignored Sasuke, directly controlling the clay bird to ascend and fly away.
Sasuke chased closely behind.
"Sasuke, don't chase!"
Helpless, Kakashi had to follow.
At this time, a split appeared in the Ninja Village Alliance. Yakumo and the Hidden Leaf ninjas followed Kakashi, chasing after Sasuke.
While the ninjas of the Hidden Rock and Hidden Cloud, led by Kurotsuchi and Darui, chased after Yakushi Kabuto who had just escaped.
For them, capturing Yakushi Kabuto and interrogating him for intelligence on 'Sage Art' was obviously more valuable than fighting the Akatsuki organization to the death...