The forest grew thicker the closer they got to Lab Beta.
Kakashi led the way with measured steps, the ANBU shadows slipping smoothly between trees, each movement precise and purposeful.
Their senses were sharp, scanning the air, the earth, and even the subtle rustle of leaves that could betray an enemy's presence.
Naruto and Sasuke moved behind the main group, each trying to keep pace but also trying to adapt to the new rhythm Kakashi demanded.
It was no longer a reckless dash into danger; this was a campaign. Every step was calculated. Every breath is measured.
Naruto's bright eyes flicked around constantly, but now with purpose. Instead of simply reacting, he was watching, studying the patterns of birdcalls, the faint footprints on the mossy ground, the way the light shifted when a breeze passed through.
His body still tensed to react at a moment's notice, but his mind was working harder to interpret the signs, just as Kakashi had said.
Beside him, Sasuke's Sharingan eyes scanned continuously, not only watching but breaking down every chakra signature. The faint hum of chakra leaked through the forest, subtle fluctuations indicating hidden traps or long-dormant jutsu seals.
Sasuke pointed out one such distortion to Naruto with a whisper, and Naruto nodded, impressed.
"It's like reading a map written in chakra," Naruto said quietly.
"Exactly, and the more you understand it, the fewer surprises you get," Sasuke answered.
"Good. Keep that focus." Kakashi glanced back at them with a faint smile on his handsome face.
…..
As the trees finally began to thin, a chilling atmosphere settled over the land. The usual forest sounds, the chatter of birds, the rustling of small animals, were muted, almost swallowed by an unnatural silence.
The ground felt heavy as if weighed down by unseen burdens. The air was thick with a low hum of chakra, but it was twisted, irregular, like a faint pulse skipping erratically.
"We are close. The presence of tailed beast chakra grafting attempts always leaves a unique residue, distorted, unstable, and dangerous." The Orochimaru clone stepped forward, his gaze narrowing as he scanned the environment.
"Show us." Kakashi looked at him sharply.
The clone extended a pale hand and touched a nearby tree trunk. The bark instantly shimmered, revealing faint chakra seals burned into the wood.
"My inferior clone used the natural environment as part of his containment and enhancement systems. This forest is a living extension of the lab's defenses."
"The trees are like traps?" Naruto's eyes widened.
"Not traps exactly," the Orochimaru clone said calmly. "More like sensors. They can detect vibrations and chakra fluctuations, then relay information back to the core facility."
"So we have to move carefully. Any big chakra burst or loud noise and the whole forest will know." Sasuke's Sharingan twitched involuntarily.
"Exactly," Kakashi said in a low voice. "Ghost, Crane, Mantis, take point. Ox, cover the rear. Naruto, Sasuke, stick close. We breach quietly."
The facility's entrance appeared suddenly, a jagged scar in the earth, half-hidden beneath twisted roots and vines.
Unlike the wreckage of Subject V's lab, this one was intact, sealed with thick metal doors inscribed with faint chakra seals that glowed weakly under the Orochimaru clone's gaze.
"He favored complex, layered seals here, more than any other lab. The grafting experiments required constant chakra regulation." He said as he knelt, tracing the seals with a finger.
"Can you find a weak spot?" Kakashi crouched next to him.
The clone nodded. "Yes. Here." He pointed to a barely visible seam at the door's bottom corner, where a smaller auxiliary seal was tied to the main one.
"It controls emergency containment. If triggered, the entire lab floods with gas and lockdown fields."
"We disable this, quickly," Kakashi said with resolve in his eyes.
Naruto and Sasuke watched closely as Kakashi and the clone moved deftly to remove the smaller seal. The tension was thick, any mistake could trigger a deadly trap.
With a soft click, the door hissed open.
….
Inside, the air was thick and metallic. Flickering lights cast long shadows over the long, sterile hallways lined with tanks and strange machinery pulsing with erratic chakra.
This lab felt different.
Almost immediately, they detected unstable chakra pools, volatile remnants of the failed grafting experiments. Pools of semi-solid chakra swirled in containment vats, glowing dangerously bright and twitching like restless snakes.
"Those pools contain incomplete grafts," the Orochimaru clone explained. "Failed attempts to merge tailed beast chakra with artificial bodies. They are highly unstable, any disturbance could cause a chain reaction."
Ghost immediately set a perimeter, creating small glowing seals to suppress any sudden outbursts. Crane and Mantis moved cautiously, disabling several security mechanisms still active, sharp, needle-like chakra traps embedded in walls and floors.
Suddenly, a low groan echoed down a side corridor.
Kakashi motioned for silence.
They moved toward the sound.
The groaning led them to a large chamber filled with rows of glass tanks. Inside each tank, faintly glowing with blue light, floated figures unconscious or barely conscious. One tank, larger and isolated in the center, pulsed with a darker, stronger chakra.
Naruto's breath caught.
Sasuke's Sharingan locked on immediately.
The central tank contained a figure suspended in thick, viscous liquid. Dark chakra veins crawled over the glass, wrapped with chains made of chakra seals.
The captive's face was pale but recognizable—a young shinobi from the Hidden Mist, their uniform still intact but torn and stained. Their eyes fluttered weakly beneath closed lids, lips trembling slightly.
"Is that…?" Naruto stepped forward, heart pounding.
"Yes. A prisoner. A failed experiment, or worse, a living test subject." Kakashi nodded slowly, his gaze hardening.
The Orochimaru clone inspected the seals closely. "The restraints suppress the captive's chakra output. Any attempt to escape or call for help triggers a feedback loop designed to incapacitate."
"They're holding this person because of their chakra. Orochimaru must have wanted to experiment directly on their body." Sasuke crouched beside the tank, analyzing the chakra signatures.
Kakashi's mind raced. "This changes everything. We're not just here to destroy. We need to extract them."
"We're getting them out." Naruto's eyes shone with determination.
The team moved quickly, but carefully. Disabling the seals required delicate chakra control. Naruto's recent training helped him sense the feedback loops and avoid triggering them while Sasuke focused on analyzing the seals' patterns and weaknesses.
The Orochimaru clone guided them with intimate knowledge, pointing out which seals could be temporarily suppressed and which required full dismantling.
As they worked, the captive stirred, eyes opening slowly, revealing pain and confusion.
"You're safe now. We're getting you out."Kakashi crouched in front of the tank.
"Mist… betrayed me…" The captive whispered hoarsely.
"We'll fix that." Naruto clenched his fists.
Suddenly, alarms blared. The facility's defenses reacted.
"Too slow," Kakashi growled.
Ghost and the ANBU prepared to defend the team as volatile chakra constructs materialized, semi-formed beasts flickering in and out of solid form. These were failed grafts, half-living, half-chakra monsters desperate to protect the lab.
"Hold the line! Protect the captive!" Kakashi shouted.
Naruto, Sasuke, and the clone formed a tight circle around the tank, finishing the final seals. A pulse of chakra shattered the binding chains.
The captive slumped forward, weak but free.
As the team fought, Kakashi's mind raced.
"This isn't just about labs and weapons," he muttered. "Orochimaru's experiments extend to political prisoners, Jinchūriki, and anyone with rare chakra attributes or kekkei genkai. This is a war on identity itself."
The Orochimaru clone nodded grimly. "And it's escalating. The more we find, the clearer it becomes: we're dealing with a multi-layered plan to harvest and corrupt chakra from all nations."
"Then we have no choice. We finish this raid, extract the captive, and prepare for what comes next."