Early the next morning, the Iwagakure ninja forces arrived as scheduled and joined up with the elite squad.
The elite squad had originally numbered just over a dozen, but after the Kumogakure and Iwagakure forces joined them, their numbers swelled to nearly a hundred, forming a sizable force.
With their numbers increased, Kakashi divided them into several groups and spread them throughout the forest to search for Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi.
Over the next few days, the three factions—Orochimaru, the Ninja Village Allied Forces, and the Akatsuki Organization—played a game of hide-and-seek in the forests of the Land of Rice Fields.
Orochimaru was slippery as an eel. He would show himself briefly, then immediately disappear again.
The Ninja Village Allied Forces had the advantage in numbers and could comb the forest systematically, but they were wary of the Akatsuki members in the sky on one hand, and worried about the Impure World Bodies summoned by Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi on the other. As a result, their progress was slow.
The Akatsuki had the advantage in the air, but they had too few members to keep watch over the entire forest.
The three factions clashed from time to time, but a major battle never broke out.
Orochimaru, pursued by both the Ninja Village Allied Forces and the Akatsuki, focused entirely on evading them and had no interest in fighting.
As for the Akatsuki and the Ninja Village Allied Forces, both were focused on Orochimaru, so they held back and had no desire to waste too much energy fighting each other.
In the canopy of a large tree.
Kakashi scanned his surroundings while comparing them with the rough map he had drawn, his brows tightly furrowed.
Just then, Sasuke, Yakumo, Ringo Ameyuri, Darui, and Kurotsuchi arrived beside Kakashi from different directions.
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