Late at night in the royal palace...
Karin was suddenly awakened from her sleep, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
"Wait... Sasuke..."
In her mind, the previously blurry image suddenly became clear— Sasuke's crimson Sharingan in the corridor, and his cold words:
"Don't assume you know me."
She was jolted back by a surge of Chakra, and her memories became hazy, as if shrouded in a mist. But now, the effects of that Genjutsu are fading.
"Oh no!" Karin sat bolt upright, her heart pounding. "Sasuke... he really has to go find Orochimaru!"
As a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan, her Chakra reserves far exceed those of ordinary people. Sasuke's Genjutsu had limited effect on her, and it was originally expected that she would not regain her memories until the next day. However, now, only half a night has passed, and she has already fully recalled everything.
She immediately jumped out of bed, not even having time to put on her coat, and rushed out of the room.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Karin pounded on Naruto and Kakashi's door, the sound particularly jarring in the quiet corridor.
"Hey! Naruto! Kakashi-sensei! Wake up!"
A moment later, Naruto rubbed his eyes and opened the door, looking completely bewildered. "Huh? Karin? What are you doing here in the middle of the night...?"
"Sasuke's going to defect! He's gone to find Orochimaru!" Karin exclaimed urgently.
"What?!" Naruto snapped back to reality, his eyes widening. "What did you say?!"
Kakashi's door opened, and the silver- Jonin, though wearing a mask, had a sharp look in her eyes. "Karin, are you sure?"
"I'm sure! He used Genjutsu on me to make me forget it, but I remember now!"
Kakashi's eyes darkened, and he immediately turned around. "Let's go check on Sasuke!"
In Sasuke's room, the bed was neatly made, the window was slightly ajar, and a cold wind swirled in snowflakes.
There was a folded note on the table. Kakashi picked it up and read it; it contained only a short line of text:
"Don't come looking for me."
"Damn it!" Naruto slammed his fist against the wall. "That bastard Sasuke! Why did he go looking for Orochimaru?! That guy is the murderer of the Third Hokage! He'll definitely get hurt if he goes there!"
Sakura rushed over and, seeing the empty room, her face instantly turned pale. "Sasuke-kun... is he really gone?"
Shikamaru walked in with a frown, scanning the room. "It seems he really intends to defect."
"Pervy Sage! Kakashi-sensei! We have to hurry and bring him back!" Naruto looked anxiously at Jiraiya and Kakashi.
Jiraiya crossed his arms, his expression grave. "Orochimaru's men might still be nearby; chasing after them rashly would be dangerous."
"We can't just leave Sasuke like this!" Naruto gritted his teeth.
Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his temples, "This is really troublesome... But since that's the case, we'll have to split up."
He quickly analyzed:
Group 1: Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, Sakura, Hinata and I -- tracking along the border of the Land of Snow, Sasuke is most likely heading towards the Otogakure.
The second group: Lord Jiraiya, Karin, and Kiba – responsible for searching for Orochimaru's subordinates and preventing them from lying in ambush.
The third group: Shino, Ino, Choji – will remain at the palace to ensure the safety of Koyuki, and will also serve as a support group.
"This allocation method is the most efficient," Shikamaru said.
"Alright! Let's go now!" Naruto rushed towards the door, unable to wait any longer.
Kakashi reached out and pressed down on his shoulder. "Naruto, calm down. Orochimaru's subordinates are no ordinary enemies, especially that Kimimaro..."
"I don't care!" Naruto clenched his fists, his eyes burning with rage. "I must bring Sasuke back!"
Jiraiya, seeing the determination in Naruto's eyes, nodded slightly. "Let's go, kids, time is of the essence."
A cold wind howled, and Sasuke's figure darted swiftly across the vast snowfield.
His Sharingan gleamed faintly in the night, and every step he took was firm and resolute.
"To become stronger... Only Orochimaru can give me power."
The image of Itachi flashed through his mind—the man standing under the blood moon, those Mangekyō Sharingan ...
"I must gain greater power... at all costs!"
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, keenly sensing the fluctuations of Chakra behind him.
"We've been caught?" He narrowed his cold eyes slightly.
Meanwhile--
On the distant snow-covered hill, several dark figures quietly emerged.
Kimimaro stood at the very front, his pale face appearing especially cold in the moonlight.
"Sasuke-kun, Lord Orochimaru is waiting for you."
Sasuke's lips curled into a slight smile, "Looks like you guys haven't left after all."
"Of course," Kimimaro said calmly, "We've never given up on bringing you back."
Sasuke didn't answer, but slowly tightened his grip on the Kunai in his hand. "Then lead the way."
A cold wind howled, and icy snowflakes lashed against Sasuke's face. His black hair fluttered slightly in the wind, Sharingan gleamed coldly in the night.
Kimimaro stood before him, his pale face as cold and stern as an ice sculpture, his voice low and calm:
"It seems you understand now that only Lord Orochimaru can give you the power you desire."
Sasuke didn't answer, but just gave him a cold look before nodding slightly.
Kimimaro's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He then turned and gave an order to the Sound Four behind him:
"You four, stay behind and intercept any pursuers that may appear."
Kidomaru grinned, revealing sharp teeth. "Hehe, finally I can have some fun."
Tayuya hummed softly, her fingers gently tracing the flute at her waist. "I hope those Konoha guys can give me some fun."
Jirobo silently clenched his fist, while Sakon smiled coldly, "Don't worry, none of them will get past."
Kimimaro said no more, turned and strode forward. "Sasuke-kun, come with me."
Sasuke glanced back one last time in the direction of the palace, a barely perceptible wavering flashing in his eyes, but quickly, his gaze returned to its cold and resolute state.
"Let's go."
The two figures quickly disappeared into the vast snowy night.
The Sound Four exchanged glances. Kidomaru licked his lips. "Well then, it's time to get to work."
Tayuya chuckled, "Let them have some fun."
The four quickly dispersed, deliberately leaving messy footprints in the snow and even releasing faint traces of Chakra to draw the pursuers' attention in the completely opposite direction.
On the other side, Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Hinata, and Shikamaru were already speeding along the snowfield.
"Damn it! The snow is so heavy, I can't see which way Sasuke went at all!" Naruto gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tightly.
Kakashi crouched down, his fingers gently brushing across the snow. "Pakkun!"
"Bang!" A puff of white smoke dissipated, and Pakkun, a small dog wearing goggles, appeared on the snow. He sniffed the air, then frowned:
"No, the scent has been completely masked by the wind and snow, and..." It sniffed carefully again, "There seems to be residual Chakra from someone else here."
"Anyone else?" Sakura asked nervously. "Are they Orochimaru's subordinates?"
"Very likely," Kakashi said in a deep voice.
Hinata immediately formed hand seals. "Byakugan!"
Her vision expanded instantly, piercing through the wind and snow, sweeping across the distant snowfield. A few seconds later, she suddenly pointed northwest:
"Over there! There are four figures. Their Chakra is unfamiliar, but... they seem to be deliberately slowing down?"
"Deliberately slowing down?" Shikamaru frowned. "A trap?"
"Whether it's a trap or not, we can't overlook any clues!" Naruto rushed out impatiently, "Let's go!"
Kakashi wanted to stop him, but Naruto had already disappeared into the snowstorm, so he could only helplessly follow. "Everyone be careful, it might be a trap!"
However, when they caught up, the Sound Four had already laid an ambush.
"Hehe, you're finally here." Kidomaru emerged from behind a snowdrift, his six arms slowly unfolding. "Welcome to our hunting grounds."
Tayuya's flute music began softly, and the Genjutsu energy subtly spread.
Meanwhile, Sasuke and Kimimaro had crossed a secluded snow valley and arrived at a narrow path hidden by cliffs.
The wind and snow had lessened considerably here, Kimimaro's steps remained steady, as if unaffected by the severe cold.
"Where is Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked coldly.
Kimimaro didn't turn around, but simply said, "You'll see him soon."
Sasuke said no more, but his Sharingan remained vigilant.
He knew that once he embarked on this path, there was no turning back.
On the other hand...
"Damn it! These guys aren't Sasuke at all!" Naruto roared, slamming his fist into the snow. "We've been tricked!"
Kakashi's expression turned serious. "They deliberately led us away... Sasuke is probably already far away."
Sakura bit her lip, her eyes slightly red. "Could it be... that I really can't catch up?"
Hinata scanned Byakugan surroundings again with her Byakugan, but could see no trace of them, only the swirling snow.
"No... I can't find Sasuke-kun's Chakra at all."
Shikamaru said in a deep voice, "It seems they were prepared."
--Sasuke has completely disappeared into the snowstorm.