In a forest…
"Itachi, the leader already suspects us."
Kisame said in a deep voice.
Itachi nodded slightly, "Suspicion is inevitable. After all, hearing such news would raise questions. Once Naruto returns and clears up the misunderstanding, everything will naturally resolve itself. The only problem now... is Zetsu!"
Shifting the topic, he continued, "That Zetsu is an enigma. I've never heard any prior mention of someone with his capabilities. The claim that Naruto was poisoned is entirely false and was sealed off by Orochimaru. Yet Zetsu managed to infiltrate the Sound Village unnoticed, uncover this fabricated information, and evade Orochimaru's detection. His stealth is remarkable. We must be vigilant and avoid being followed."
Itachi believed Zetsu's infiltration and intelligence-gathering skills were exceptional but didn't consider the possibility of Orochimaru betraying them. After all, the Servant Contract ensured Orochimaru's absolute loyalty to Naruto.
"Humph, what's there to be afraid of a mere Zetsu? If he dares to come, I will make sure he won't leave alive!"
Kisame dismissed the concern outright. His resolve to follow Naruto was unwavering, making betraying Pain an eventual certainty.
"That may be true, but the meeting earlier was ultimately just Pain's side of the story."
Itachi's tone grew more serious.
Hearing the implied meaning, Kisame raised an eyebrow with interest, "What do you mean?"
Itachi's Sharingan glinted as he narrowed his eyes, "If the source of the news that Naruto was poisoned didn't come from Zetsu, then there is another possibility, that is, Sasuke may have already sought out the Akatsuki for revenge!"
Kisame couldn't help but chuckled, "Haha, are you kidding? Sasuke might have decent talent, but he's still young and inexperienced. Without access to intel, finding the Akatsuki would be next to impossible. If we were that easy to locate, we'd have been wiped out long ago."
Hearing this, Itachi sighed, "Maybe I'm overthinking it."
When it came to Sasuke, Itachi's thinking would always become unstable and flawed.
Swoosh!
At that moment, a black door materialized out of nowhere, and Orochimaru stepped through with a furrowed brow.
He wasted no time and said, "I've received a message from Sandaime that has been sent to all Shinobi Villages: Danzo was ambushed and killed. The culprit has not been identified, and his residence is now nothing but rubble."
"What?!"
Itachi's body stiffened in shock.
Kisame was puzzled and asked, "It's just an old guy from Konoha who died. What's there to be shocked about?"
Itachi said in a deep voice, "Anyone else would be insignificant, but not Danzo. For years, I've passed critical intel to him as part of my role as a double agent."
"What?!"
This time, it was Kisame's turn to be stunned.
He had always known Itachi operated as a double agent, but he didn't expect Danzo to be the one receiving the intel.
'It was so strange for that old guy to be ambushed and killed at this time. It was most likely Sasuke's doing.'
'If Sasuke asked that old guy about Itachi's whereabouts, he will definitely know the whereabouts of Akatsuki.'
'If that were the case, then Itachi's earlier theory would hold water: Sasuke was likely already at the Akatsuki's base. This would also explain how Pain came to know of the false claim about Naruto's death.'
No matter what, Kisame found it hard to believe that Zetsu could stealthily gather intelligence from Otogakure, evading even Orochimaru's detection.
After all, Orochimaru, for all his faults, was undeniably the most formidable Shinobi under Naruto.
"Itachi, perhaps your speculation this time is correct."
Kisame smiled wryly and said, "So, what do we do now?"
"What speculation?"
Orochimaru's sharp intuition picked up on the undercurrent of their conversation.
Kisame relayed the details of Pain's suspicion and Itachi's theory from start to finish.
After hearing this, Orochimaru's expression grew troubled, "If Sasuke is currently in the Akatsuki's base, then Itachi's lies to Pain during the earlier meeting must have reached Sasuke's ears. The misunderstanding will only deepen."
"Not only that, if Pain controls Sasuke and uses him against us, how will we explain this to Naruto-kun when he returns?"
Kisame couldn't help but frown.
He hadn't yet accomplished anything meaningful for Naruto, and Sasuke was like a brother to Naruto. If things went south, Kisame had no idea how he'd face Naruto.
"There's no time to waste. Orochimaru, I must trouble you to head to Amegakure and investigate. Check if Sasuke is there. If he is, bring him back immediately. I'll handle clearing up any misunderstandings!"
Itachi said solemnly.
For him, ensuring Sasuke's survival was the top priority. And Orochimaru's ability to traverse space via his black doors was the only reliable method to ensure success.
"Don't worry, leave it to me!"
Orochimaru nodded slightly. Without hesitation, he stepped into the black portal and vanished completely.
He knew that time was of the essence. Every moment mattered, and not a single second could be wasted.
…
Meanwhile, outside Amegakure.
A black portal appeared out of thin air.
Orochimaru stepped out, his expression sharp. This technique's advantage was evident, as he could instantly reach any place he had visited before.
"Rain Tiger at Will Technique, huh?"
Orochimaru glanced at the rain falling over Amegakure and couldn't help but chuckle.
He remembered that when he was part of the Akatsuki, he marveled at the technique's strength. Now, however, he considered it no more than child's play.
After forming hand seals, glimmering scales appeared across his body.
Using the power of creation of Yin-Yang Release, Orochimaru could mimic other entities' auras.
In this state, anyone sensing his presence would perceive him as an ordinary white snake.
The Rain Tiger at Will Technique was merely Pain's mechanism to monitor intruders. It didn't account for mundane creatures, as doing so would overwhelm even the most powerful mental reserves with unnecessary data processing.
Orochimaru walked into the Amegakure leisurely, and sure enough, he didn't attract any attention.
In a flash, he dashed toward the Akatsuki's high tower.
Whoosh!
The closer Orochimaru got to the tower, the stronger a familiar sensation grew.
It wasn't Chakra he was sensing, but it was the snake's instinct for recognizing scents.
Finally, the moment he arrived at the tower, Orochimaru completely confirmed that there was Sasuke's presence in the tower.
Having spent so much time together, Orochimaru wouldn't be mistaken regarding Sasuke's presence.
'The aura is very strong… I hope nothing goes wrong!'
Orochimaru couldn't fathom why Pain hadn't attacked Sasuke, 'Perhaps the two had reached some form of agreement.'
But none of this matters to Orochimaru. He only has one goal, which is to bring Sasuke back alive.
Planting his foot against the tower's exterior wall, Orochimaru shot upward.
After pinpointing Sasuke's room, he slipped inside without hesitation.
Seeing Sasuke sitting cross-legged in meditation, Orochimaru allowed himself a rare smile, "Sasuke, I've finally found you."
"Hmm?"
Sasuke thought he was hearing things. But when he opened his eyes and saw Orochimaru standing before him, he jumped to his feet.
"Orochimaru!!! What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to pick you up."
Orochimaru stepped forward and said, "There's no time to explain, come with me immediately."
"Go back?"
Sasuke couldn't help but sneer coldly, "How convenient. I was just thinking about killing you, and here you are, delivering yourself to me!"
In his opinion, Naruto's death ultimately boiled down to poison, and that poison was created by Orochimaru.
In Sasuke's mind, Orochimaru was the true culprit behind everything.