In the stillness of the deep night, a bolt of lightning swiftly darted through the forest, moving at incredible speed—Ye Zi, racing toward the direction of Konoha. With Lightning Release coursing through him, he moved rapidly, leaving the first White Zetsu clone far behind.
Suddenly, he kicked off a tree, forcibly halting his momentum and staring coldly in a particular direction.
Deliberately releasing its chakra to be noticed, the second White Zetsu clone emerged from a tree, forming a solid figure.
"What's the situation?" Ye Zi asked as he swiftly moved beside the clone. The White Zetsu clone, expressionless as always, responded, "Konoha's target for this operation is Orochimaru."
"Orochimaru..." Ye Zi furrowed his brows.
"Details are unclear, but the reason remains unknown," the White Zetsu clone calmly added.
Ye Zi ignored the clone's comment, deep in thought. Soon after, his furrowed brow relaxed.
He knew that Orochimaru had been conducting human experiments for a long time and had been in league with Danzo, but with so many high-level Konoha ninja mobilized to target Orochimaru, it was likely that his experiments had finally been exposed.
In this situation, Orochimaru would either surrender or attempt to escape.
Considering the heavy firepower Konoha deployed, including the Third Hokage, Orochimaru's chances seemed grim.
With that thought, Ye Zi's mind began to work. Orochimaru, who had long been his enemy, could potentially become an ally if he managed to escape and became an official Konoha traitor.
If Orochimaru managed to flee, it would open the door for Ye Zi to recruit him.
Under the watchful eye of the White Zetsu clone, Ye Zi transformed into a bolt of lightning and darted forward, disappearing from sight in mere moments. The clone then melted back into the trees, disappearing as well.
Knowing that Konoha had deployed such a large force, Ye Zi suspected that Orochimaru might not escape easily. Yet, Ye Zi harbored a strong desire to form a team with both Orochimaru and Nanako, so he was determined to assess the situation. If possible, he would help Orochimaru escape, though he was not willing to risk his life if the situation became too dire.
As he sped through the forest, Ye Zi regretted not bringing Sasori along. At least Sasori could have provided additional firepower. But on the other hand, he reasoned, if he had brought Sasori, by the time they reached the battlefield, Orochimaru might have already been captured.
In many ways, being alone offered more freedom, despite the significant chakra expenditure.
As he passed various landscapes, Ye Zi deliberately slowed down. The high-speed travel was depleting his chakra rapidly, and if he didn't conserve his energy, he would be spent by the time he reached the battlefield.
Along the way, encountering ninja to replenish his chakra wasn't likely.
He needed to slow down to reduce his chakra consumption. Once he reached the battlefield, using his Spirit Transformation Jutsu to absorb chakra from a few Jonin should be enough to restore him.
According to the intel, the confrontation was happening about 100 kilometers northeast of Konoha, in a dense forest. As Ye Zi passed a large, distinctive lake, he noted that the forest was now only a few dozen kilometers away.
"Almost there," Ye Zi muttered to himself, observing the distant horizon. The high-speed journey had already consumed nearly seventy percent of his chakra, along with most of his stamina.
The scenery blurred as he flew past it, and in the moonlight, the silhouette of the forest began to emerge.
As he neared the forest's edge, Ye Zi's eyes narrowed. With his enhanced sight, he could vaguely make out two large black shapes clashing in the sky above the forest. While he couldn't see the forms clearly, the sheer size of the figures, in comparison to the forest below, suggested their enormous scale.
"Summoning beasts? Then that must be Orochimaru and Jiraiya's beasts," Ye Zi speculated, confident in his assumption.
Quickly accelerating, Ye Zi dashed into the forest, suppressing the lightning surrounding him. It was far too conspicuous in the dark.
From his ninja pouch, he took out a soldier pill, popped it into his mouth, and chewed, recovering some of his stamina and chakra.
The side effects of the soldier pill were significant, but in critical moments, it was an excellent tool for quick recovery. As such, it was a standard item carried by the ANBU. Outside of war, ANBU members typically used these pills during high-risk missions, driven by their steadfast commitment to complete their assignments at any cost.
Ye Zi's habit of carrying soldier pills had been ingrained during his time in Root. Despite his ability to absorb chakra with his Spirit Transformation Jutsu, he always made sure to keep some on hand.
Feeling some of his energy returning, Ye Zi enhanced his sensory abilities and moved carefully toward the direction of the summoned beasts' battle.
Boom!
As he got closer, the sound of heavy impacts occasionally reached his ears, accompanied by faint tremors in the ground. The battle between the giant summons was sending shockwaves through the forest.
As Ye Zi ventured deeper into the forest, he realized that no chakra signatures were detectable within his sensory range, leaving his plan to replenish chakra through absorption useless.
This made sense. When Jiraiya had summoned Gamabunta, all the Konoha ninja who had been forming a perimeter around Orochimaru's base had likely been drawn toward the battle.
Gamabunta and Manda were locked in an intense battle, while Jiraiya had engaged Orochimaru, slowing the latter's escape. Meanwhile, Konoha's Jonin were positioning themselves to close off any potential escape routes.
Once the perimeter was set, escaping would be nearly impossible.
Those forming the perimeter weren't just ordinary ninjas; they were some of Konoha's top Jonin. Even Kakashi, the youngest among them, was no pushover. However, if Kakashi faced Orochimaru, his chances of survival would be slim.
"You can't escape, Orochimaru," Jiraiya said, clutching his bleeding right arm. He had paid a steep price to stall Orochimaru. If he hadn't reacted quickly, the wound would have been fatal, not merely a gash on his arm.
Orochimaru coldly stared at Jiraiya, glancing at the Konoha ninjas surrounding him. He quickly identified them as highly skilled Jonin, including members of the Hyuga clan. Even the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki had shown up. It seemed the village wasn't holding back.
"If you insist on chasing me, aren't you worried about that old man's condition?" Orochimaru asked, carefully calculating his next move.
"Tsunade has already gone to check on him," Jiraiya replied, his voice tired from both the injury and the chakra he had expended.
Orochimaru's gaze grew colder. Konoha was taking this very seriously, deploying all its heavy hitters.
Although he wasn't injured, Orochimaru had expended more than half of his chakra. With Manda being held up by Gamabunta and the Hyuga clan members present, his usual escape tactics were useless. How could he break through this formidable force of Jonin?
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