After the Akatsuki meeting ended and everyone had discussed what needed to be discussed, the members gradually dispersed. Orochimaru's reasoning for his actions during the previous mission was deemed acceptable, especially with Itachi's testimony supporting his explanation. As a result, Orochimaru did not face any punishment for abandoning Sasori during their mission.
However, the incident made it clear that the partnership between Sasori and Orochimaru was no longer viable. Coincidentally, Itachi had recently joined the Akatsuki, and both he and Orochimaru were former members of Konoha. Thus, Pain decided to temporarily pair Orochimaru with Itachi for the next mission. After the assignments were given, everyone left.
But as Orochimaru departed, a new thought took root in his mind: "I can't stay in the Akatsuki any longer."
The reason? Kotoamatsukami.
Orochimaru knew the power of Kotoamatsukami well. When Uchiha Akira had revealed the Mangekyō Sharingan containing this fearsome genjutsu, it was clear that he intended to alter Orochimaru's will. This was why Orochimaru had fled immediately. However, Akira did not use Kotoamatsukami on Sasori, allowing him to escape with only the loss of his Hiruko puppet. This indicated that while Akira was willing to use the technique on Orochimaru, he was not as willing to use it on Sasori.
For the Akatsuki, Uchiha Akira's Kotoamatsukami was a formidable weapon. The mere existence of such a powerful technique meant that the Akatsuki would likely act with more caution in the future. Knowing this, Orochimaru suspected that the organization would eventually decide to expend Akira's use of Kotoamatsukami by sacrificing someone. Given the events, it was clear that Akira was willing to use the technique on Orochimaru, which made him the most likely target for such a plan.
Realizing this, Orochimaru began to seriously consider leaving the Akatsuki.
This also suggested that Akira considered Orochimaru's value to be quite high. Although Orochimaru appreciated Akira's keen judgment, he couldn't ignore the fact that being highly valued also meant being targeted. Torn between feeling flattered and anxious, Orochimaru didn't know whether to be happy or troubled by the situation.
However, perhaps luck was still on his side. Before he could escape, the Akatsuki decided to pair him with Itachi. Orochimaru thought to himself, "If I could seize Itachi's body before leaving, that would be perfect."
The next day, Orochimaru and Itachi set out on their mission. As they traveled together, they occasionally engaged in small talk. After all, the two had known each other before Orochimaru defected from Konoha and had interacted on a few occasions.
For instance, during the Third Shinobi War, the young Itachi had witnessed the horrors of battle and had once asked Orochimaru about the meaning of life during a funeral in Konoha. Orochimaru had expressed his disdain for such ceremonies, and from that moment on, he had taken a special interest in Itachi, who, even as a child, was contemplating the meaning of life.
Orochimaru had watched Itachi's growth closely over the years, which had only deepened his obsession with the Sharingan and his desire to possess Itachi's body. This obsession was so intense that it was almost as if he had fallen under the influence of Kotoamatsukami himself.
As they walked, Orochimaru subtly engaged Itachi in conversation, discussing the corruption within Konoha's leadership, reminiscing about the Uchiha clan, and reflecting on past events—all in an effort to lower Itachi's guard.
When Orochimaru judged the moment to be right, he suddenly launched his attack, using his Shadow Snake Hand technique. Massive, powerful snakes shot out and coiled around Itachi, binding him tightly. Orochimaru was ecstatic, his body trembling with excitement. After so many years of yearning for Itachi's body, had he finally succeeded?
However, despite being restrained, Itachi remained calm, showing no signs of panic. Slowly, the Sharingan in Itachi's eyes began to spin.
"I... I've been immobilized by the Binding Jutsu!" Orochimaru exclaimed in disbelief as he realized he couldn't move a muscle. The Binding Jutsu, also known as the Paralyzing Jutsu, was not considered a particularly advanced technique in Konoha—most Jonin and even some Chunin could use it. Yet here was one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru, rendered helpless by a simple jutsu. Orochimaru was stunned, realizing that Itachi's Sharingan was far more powerful than he had anticipated.
"In front of these eyes, you pose no threat at all," Itachi declared, his voice steady as he gazed at Orochimaru.
Indeed, Orochimaru was an immensely powerful Kage-level shinobi. However, Itachi could clearly sense that Orochimaru's mental defenses were exceedingly weak, making him almost entirely vulnerable to genjutsu—Itachi's specialty, and a domain in which he excelled.
Thus, despite both being Kage-level ninjas, Itachi had managed to subdue Orochimaru with a mere Binding Jutsu.
Orochimaru fled.
Even though he was defeated, Orochimaru, with his reputation as the most elusive character in the Naruto world, managed to escape. Defeating him was one thing; killing him was another matter entirely. He fled, wounded, and made no attempt to return to the Akatsuki.
Having already planned to leave the organization, Orochimaru now had even more reason to do so. After attacking a fellow Akatsuki member, he could no longer remain in the group.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Akira and his team continued their journey toward the border of the Land of Earth. Their pace was neither fast nor slow—typical for a group of their caliber.
During their journey, Jiraiya took the time to learn more about Naruto's situation, providing him with systematic and targeted training to build a solid foundation. Given the current battlefield conditions, Jiraiya knew that rapidly increasing Naruto's strength would not be easy. After some thought, Jiraiya brought out a contract scroll, had Naruto sign it, and taught him the Summoning Jutsu.
With Naruto's massive chakra reserves, he would likely have no trouble using the Summoning Jutsu. In critical situations, summoning one of the powerful toads from Mount Myōboku could serve as an excellent means of self-defense.
"Haha! I did it!" Naruto's joyful shout echoed through the night as he successfully performed the Summoning Jutsu. A massive toad, as large as a small mountain, appeared, easily visible from several kilometers away.
"Summoning Jutsu, huh? I wonder when I'll find a suitable summoning creature for myself," Akira mused as he observed Naruto's success. A powerful summoning contract could indeed be a valuable asset for any ninja.
Looking at the Naruto universe, the most powerful summoning contracts were held by the Legendary Sannin—Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest. The specifics of Shikkotsu Forest were unknown, as only Tsunade could summon from there. But Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku were known for their ability to teach Sage Mode.
"Impressive. He managed to summon Gamabunta so quickly!" Nara Shikaku remarked, a hint of nostalgia and amazement in his voice as he gazed at the massive toad in the distance.
"Gamabunta... It's been a long time since I last saw him," Akimichi Chōza added, his tone filled with reminiscence. As one of the Fourth Hokage's most trusted subordinates, Chōza had fought alongside Gamabunta many times, so the sight of the giant toad was a familiar one.
Just as Akira and the others were looking at Gamabunta, a chilling cry suddenly pierced the night air. The sound of a crow, pitch black against the night sky, echoed eerily, making the scene feel even more ominous.
Akira's eyes narrowed as he noticed a crow descending from the sky, its wings flapping steadily. What caught Akira's attention was the crow's eyes—glowing with the distinctive pattern of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
It was clear that this was not an ordinary crow; rather, it was a reflection of the power of the Sharingan. Just as the Nine-Tails' eyes displayed the Sharingan pattern when controlled, or how the summoning creatures of Pain's Animal Path bore the Rinnegan, this crow was influenced by the Sharingan's power.
A crow with the Sharingan? Akira immediately guessed where this crow had come from.
As the crow landed before Akira, he instinctively reached out his hand, and the crow perched on it without hesitation.
With a sense of anticipation, Akira closed his eyes. When he reopened them, his own Three-Tomoe Sharingan was active.
A message, sealed within the crow's Sharingan, was triggered by the contact with Akira's Sharingan, satisfying the conditions for its release. The message then entered Akira's mind.
The first part of the message was a warning: the Akatsuki now knew that Akira possessed Kotoamatsukami. The second part informed him that Orochimaru had attempted to attack Itachi but was severely injured and had likely defected from the Akatsuki.
This was the information Itachi had sent—just these two points.
The first part, a warning about the Akatsuki's potential plans, made sense to Akira. But the second part, about Orochimaru's situation—why had Itachi gone out of his way to share this?
After a moment of contemplation, a small smile formed on Akira's lips. He understood what Itachi was trying to convey...
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