Although Yamato and the others had not fully understood what Sai meant at first—Moriyue and the others had attacked Sai? No matter how they thought about it, it seemed impossible.
But Sai's bedraggled state did not look faked either. Though they did not know the reason, Sai was still from Konoha. They trusted Sai a little more than they trusted Moriyue and the others.
Moreover, Moriyue and the others' behavior had indeed been suspicious. They had vanished from the very start of the battle. They had promised to help, yet not a trace of them had appeared until the end.
Naruto was still unconscious due to his Tailed Beast Transformation, and Sakura had been accidentally injured by Naruto. The area around Tenchi Bridge had long since been devastated beyond recognition. Ominous black-red Chakra, seemingly carrying endless resentment, scorched the surrounding grass. Mournful cries occasionally came from the sky—the fleeing swallows.
Yamato helped Sakura and Naruto over to the side. He only half believed Sai's words. He had once served in the Root Organization and knew its darker side. There was no way that Danzo would be so kindhearted. Sai surely had some ulterior motive that no one knew about.
As for Orochimaru...
"So it really was him..."
His fists clenched tightly as childhood memories surged back. The days when he had been experimented on like a lab rat were awakened once more. Wood Release was indeed a noble ninjutsu that only the First Hokage had mastered, but only Yamato himself knew the price he had paid to wield it.
He had crawled out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, watching fellow children his age die agonizing deaths before his eyes, becoming corpses fused together with trees...
"I'll find Orochimaru. As for Moriyue and the others, I won't interfere