As it turned out, everything was just as Black Zetsu had expected. Although Shirou, disguised as Orochimaru, had managed to trick Anko away, he had left a trail of flaws so glaring that even Anko couldn't stomach it anymore.
Where did this amateur thief come from? He can't even remember the roads in his own village!
"That's a dead end," Anko said, rolling her eyes with theatrical weariness. She glared at the man impersonating her former master. "Teacher Orochimaru, this is the way out of the village."
"Is that so?" 'Orochimaru's' voice held a note of genuine puzzlement, before he quickly tried to cover his tracks. "I really didn't expect Konoha to have changed so much over the years..."
"Yeah," Anko nodded faintly, her tongue subconsciously licking a stray sugar stain from the corner of her mouth. She was already plotting a cruel and unusual death for this bumbling impostor.
"If you're thirsty, you can have a glass of sugarcane juice," 'Orochimaru' said, handing her an unopened drink. He was the very picture of a doting teacher.
"Thank you, Teacher Orochimaru~" Anko replied, a dangerous smile spreading across her face.
This guy... his impersonation was a disaster. As Orochimaru's disciple, she knew he would occasionally buy her sweets, but he would definitely buy her her favorite: red bean soup.
Sugarcane juice was Tsunade's thing. Orochimaru, ever the meticulous manipulator, would never make such a mistake. Though she was furious about his defection, she had to admit, he was a master at making people feel at ease, at knowing their every little preference.
This petty thief didn't even know what she liked to drink!
The wind rustled through the dense forest. The path Anko had pointed out was indeed a way out of the village, but it was deserted.
"Who are you?" Anko's steps suddenly stopped. "Orochimaru is not as naive as you."
"What do you mean?" 'Orochimaru' turned, a look of utter surprise on his face, as if he couldn't believe he'd been caught. It was only when he saw the kunai in Anko's hand, ready to strike, that he let out a sigh. "When did you see through it?"
"From the very beginning," she said, tightening her grip on the kunai, a sweet smile on her lips. "Your Transformation Jutsu is flawless, I'll give you that. But I'm his disciple. I know everything about him."
This knowledge was both a source of pride and pain. She had once been happy about their perfect chemistry; now, his traces were everywhere in her life, a constant, painful reminder. "For one thing, Orochimaru would never get the roads in his own village wrong."
Her voice suddenly turned severe. "Who are you? Why are you impersonating him? What's your goal?"
'Orochimaru' fell silent.
Underground, Black Zetsu, who had been eavesdropping, couldn't help but sigh. "See? This is what Wei Yuan calls 'concealment.' He always thinks that just being quiet is the pinnacle of ninja stealth."
"Fortunately," White Zetsu whispered back, "the other party doesn't know his real identity. Otherwise, this silence would just look like a tacit admission."
The next moment, 'Orochimaru' spoke. And he spoke the absolute truth.
"I can't tell you too much. I just need you as a hostage. I need to use the Cursed Seal Orochimaru placed on you."
"You see," Black Zetsu whispered, seizing the opportunity to criticize. "Once he doesn't know what to say, he just starts telling the truth."
"..." White Zetsu was, as always, helpless in the face of this.
"The Cursed Seal... so you wanted to kidnap me?" Anko narrowed her eyes, her hand instinctively going to her neck, where the seal had been placed. The memory of that time, even the location, had been wiped clean by Orochimaru. The Third Hokage had eventually sealed it away, freeing her from its torment.
"It seems there's no time to negotiate," 'Orochimaru' said, his gaze flicking to the distance. He had sensed Kakashi approaching. "Someone has been following us. I have to take you away quickly."
The next moment, he rushed forward.
"Then let me catch you and do the interrogating myself!" Anko snorted coldly. The trench coat on her body billowed in the wind. The fullness beneath her tight fishnet shirt trembled slightly, and her short skirt didn't stop her legs from propelling her forward at full speed.
The kunai in her hand drew a dangerous arc, a trace of the Snake Style swordsmanship Orochimaru had taught her.
"So weak," 'Orochimaru's' voice was filled with confusion again. He tilted his body slightly, dodging the kunai, and his palm was already on her wrist.
A look of shock flashed across Anko's face. Before she could react, a sharp pain shot through her wrist, and the kunai fell from her hand, landing directly in his. In a single exchange, she was disarmed. The cold, sharp blade was already at her neck.
"So strong," she thought, a cold sweat breaking out across her body. She had never encountered such a terrifying opponent in close combat.
"I'm borrowing your kunai. You don't mind, right?" 'Orochimaru' said, his gaze already fixed on a hidden spot in the distance. "Come out. I've known you were there for a while."
A young ninja with silver-white hair slowly stood up, his hands raised. "Kakashi?" Anko called out, her usual lack of respect for her seniors on full display.
"It's me," he said, his expression surprisingly relaxed. "Didn't expect to get involved in a kidnapping."
He raised his headband, revealing his Sharingan, and began to bring his hands together in a strange posture. "Orochimaru, let go of Anko. There's no need to hold a hostage in front of someone you've already defeated."
"Kakashi, he's not Orochimaru!" Anko quickly clarified. "He's an impostor!"
"Then who is he?" Kakashi's mind was a bit dazed.
"I haven't found out yet!" Anko replied, completely unconcerned about the blade at her neck.
"Your name is Anko?" 'Orochimaru' asked, as if he'd just learned her name.
"Hey, hey, you..." Anko's face darkened. "You want to kidnap me, but you don't even know my name?"
She couldn't believe this guy's incompetence. He didn't even know her name, and yet he'd still managed to accurately kidnap her!
"Then who might you be, sir?" Kakashi asked, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. "To infiltrate Konoha so openly... you don't seem to be an ordinary person."
"Don't ask about my identity," 'Orochimaru's' expression turned stern. "Lest I accidentally say it, which wouldn't be good for either of us. You can leave now, and I promise not to harm this person named Anko."
"That would be for the best," Kakashi nodded, as if agreeing.
But the next instant, a bright light burst from between his clasped hands. "Storm Release: Chidori Turbulent Flow!"
Arcs of electricity jumped violently from his palm, twisting through the air like flowing water. Under Kakashi's control, they bypassed Anko and flew straight towards the kidnapper behind her. The speed was incredible.
It was a jutsu designed to ambush enemies, even more practical than his beloved Chidori. Combined with the dynamic vision of his Sharingan, the attack was unstoppable. The tactic to rescue the hostage was guaranteed to succeed..