Itachi and Orochimaru got together?

A temporary base of the Akatsuki Organization within the Land of Lightning.

In the dim, dark cave, several shadows on the ground flickered and swayed in the faint Kakkō.

"Has the message been released?" Uchiha Madara casually sat in the main seat, while several people stood in the open space at the cave entrance.

"The news should have already reached the Land of Lightning. If the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is within the Land of Lightning, he will definitely know," Black Zetsu replied.

Uchiha Madara slightly. As long as the Raikage was in his hands, he wasn't worried about the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki not appearing.

After a moment's hesitation, Uchiha Madara asked again, "What about the other matter? Is there any progress?"

"There is no information about Mount Myōboku yet..." Before Black Zetsu could finish speaking, he felt a sharp gaze shooting towards him.

He quickly corrected himself, saying, "However, the approximate area has been determined, and we'll be able to confirm it after the Eight-Tails capture is complete!"

Having received an affirmative answer, Uchiha Madara slowly withdrew his gaze.

In the snow- Forest, a cold front descended, whipping up a biting Cold Wind, and snowflakes fluttered and drifted to the ground.

The giant raccoon walked ahead, heading towards a Valley deep in the Forest.

A long trail of footprints was left on the thick snow.

Killer B unusually quiet, following Budong behind the raccoon.

Beneath the low rocks in the Valley, in a sheltered spot, a campfire crackled and popped as dry wood burned.

The warm flames dispelled the chill, and a short, middle-aged man sat cross-legged in front of the campfire.

"Teacher Kojin!" Killer B quickly approached and sat down next to the middle-aged man.

"Bi? Why are you here?" Xiaojin Jin was slightly taken aback, then looked as if he suddenly realized something. "Did you leave Kumogakure to look for clues about Lord Raikage?"

The news that the Raikage had fallen into the hands of Uchiha Madara had spread throughout the Land of Lightning via White Zetsu.

But Killer B was different. He sneaked out of Kumogakure and, to avoid being discovered by the Cloud Ninja, he didn't contact any ninjas along the way, and he took a route through a remote Valley.

Therefore, Killer B was unaware of what was happening in the Land of Iron.

Hearing Xiaojin's words, Killer B looked puzzled. Wasn't his older brother secretly heading to the Land of Iron for the Five Kage Summit?

Why did Teacher Kojin say that...?

"Teacher Kojin, why would you ask that?" Killer B frowned slightly, his tone turning serious and uneasy.

"Don't you know? Lord Raikage, he..."

The Land of Rice, the Otogakure.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows; a clever Rabbit prepares several hiding places.

Orochimaru's strongholds in the Land of Rice were naturally not just one or two; after Orochimaru's resurrection, the power of the Otogakure was quickly consolidated.

The heads of the various strongholds expressed their willingness to follow Orochimaru's orders.

During this process, a minor incident occurred.

Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's former confidant, disappeared completely before Orochimaru returned to Otogakure.

No one knows where Kabuto Yakushi went, but one thing is certain: he has betrayed Orochimaru.

Orochimaru stood in the Underground Hidden Chamber; all his research data had been taken away.

This includes Forbidden Jutsu such as the Living Corpse Reincarnation Impure World Reincarnation, as well as extremely important information about Ryūchi Cave, the White Phosphorus Snake, and more!

Only Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi are allowed to enter this room.

"Kabuto... what a greedy fellow." Orochimaru pinched his chin, his golden, Snake Eyes- like eyes narrowing dangerously.

The taste of betrayal is truly unpleasant...

Hiss hiss hiss~~

A small, slithering snake slithered in, coiling around Orochimaru's leg and darting upwards.

Then, the nimble little snake darted into Orochimaru's wide sleeves.

Orochimaru, who was lost in thought, was startled awake by the small snake in his sleeve. With a flick of his finger, the Jutsu Formula was released, and all the information the snake had seen was fed into his mind.

"Oh, so it's that guy!"

Orochimaru chuckled softly, then turned and walked out of the Underground Hidden Chamber.

The narrow passageway was dark and cold.

The Sound Four stood in the middle of the road with solemn expressions, their Red Clouds on a Black Background Coat and leaf-shaped Ninja Headband marked with a horizontal line.

None of that is the point. The point is those scarlet eyes, with two large black triangular windmills appearing in their pupils.

An immense Dojutsu, seemingly capable of sucking a person in with a single glance.

The Sound Four their bodies stiffen instantly, as if the scene had been frozen in time, and everyone stood there blankly with stunned expressions.

Budong!

With just a glance, the proud Sound Ninja Four were plunged into an illusion!

Genjutsu, Itachi Uchiha's Genjutsu!

"Tsk tsk... Itachi, you've learned to bully kids too?" A hoarse, deep voice suddenly broke the frozen scene.

The Sound Four also snapped back to reality in an instant, staring at Itachi Uchiha with expressions of terror.

With just a casual glance, he had them all trapped in an illusion. This man was terrifying!

"Go down," Orochimaru waved his hand impatiently.

Upon hearing this, the Sound Four were overjoyed, bowed respectfully, and then vanished from the spot in a flash.

Only Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha remained in the narrow, dimly lit passage, the flames on the walls flickering incessantly.

The Kakkō fell on the two figures, casting two dark shadows on the ground.

The shadows swayed with the flickering flames, like two vengeful demons intertwined, desperately tearing at each other.

An invisible contest unfolded, and the aura emanating from the two grew increasingly intense.

The air seemed to be squeezed together by two giant hands, incredibly heavy, making it hard to breathe.

"Orochimaru, you seem to be getting weaker and weaker." The crimson color in Itachi Uchiha's pupils faded, and his aura also disappeared.

Orochimaru chuckled, habitually licking his lips and revealing a wicked smile.

It's not that he's getting weaker, but rather that Itachi is getting stronger.

The unsettling atmosphere in the air gradually dissipated, and Itachi Uchiha strolled closer, while Orochimaru turned and walked into the base.

Step... step...

In the long, narrow passage, the clear sound of footsteps gradually faded into the distance, heading towards the underground base inside the passage.

The hall was dim, damp, and cold—a favorite environment for Poisonous Snake.

The Otogakure's base was also arranged entirely according to Orochimaru's preferences.

Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha sat on opposite sides of the long table, a cup of strong tea placed in front of them, its distinctive aroma wafting out.

"Orochimaru, let's get straight to the point." Itachi Uchiha didn't want to waste time; he also disliked being in this gloomy, damp place.

It was as if countless Poisonous Snake were lurking in the darkness, waiting to strike their prey dead!

Orochimaru swirled the cup, brought it to his lips, and took a sip. He seemed to notice the unnaturalness on Itachi Uchiha's face.

"Itachi, I'm surprised you're here."

However, this was also expected.

Because Sasuke-kun is also in Otogakure!

"You betrayed Tōka, and you want to live." Itachi Uchiha stared at Orochimaru expressionlessly and said coldly, "So don't waste your breath."

Dry, cold, and harsh words would be unpleasant to anyone, especially to the proud and arrogant Orochimaru.

Just as expected!

Upon hearing Itachi's words, Orochimaru's expression immediately darkened, and a dangerous glint flashed in his Golden Slit Pupils.

However, Orochimaru was also a very cunning fellow, and the dangerous glint in his eyes vanished in an instant.

Immediately afterwards, Orochimaru gave a low chuckle with a smirk.

The oppressive and heavy atmosphere was instantly dispelled.

"Betray Tōka? No, no, no..." Orochimaru shook his finger, "Tōka and I were never allies."

Therefore, there's no question of betrayal.

In Orochimaru's eyes, there are only allies with shared interests. When those interests clash, that's when the alliance is torn apart and they become enemies.

"I asked you to come here because I want to verify something," Orochimaru said.

"To verify something?" Itachi Uchiha raised an eyebrow, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his dark eyes.

"That's right!" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, a confident smile playing on his lips. "What exactly did you see in those mysterious ruins in the Land of Grass?"

The mysterious ruins of the Land of Grass?

Kaguya's Royal Palace?

Itachi Uchiha's expression froze, his usually calm face finally changing color. He remembered that only Tsunade, Kakashi, Might Guy should know about this.

In order to avoid arousing Orochimaru's suspicion.

Itachi leaned back in his chair, relaxing his body and lazily propping up his hands.

It seems those three guys don't trust him, so they deliberately revealed his name when they were telling those secrets.

The purpose was to determine which side he was truly on.

During the time Orochimaru was dead, Kabuto Yakushi continued to use the power of the Otogakure to monitor the Konoha.

The Five Kage's plan was quite good; they left behind a shadow to mislead the enemy, while their Original Body quietly left the village and entered the Land of Iron for talks.

Even though Tsunade was always by her side, Shizune deliberately stayed in the village.

Originally, when Tsunade, Kakashi, Might Guy, Sarutobi Asuma first left Konoha, the Sound Ninja lurking in Konoha did not notice.

However, when Sarutobi Asuma returned to the village injured, Konoha sent out an Elite Squad composed entirely of Jonin, which was discovered by the Sound Ninja hiding in the shadows.

Therefore, Orochimaru obtained complete information about what Tsunade and the others said at the Land of Land of Iron.

"The Five Kage Summit may be secretive, but it couldn't escape my eyes and ears," Orochimaru said confidently.

"What do you want to verify?" Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Itachi Uchiha was not angry; he might have done the same in his place.

After all, he was a sinner who massacred the entire Uchiha Clan.

The only two people who truly know the truth are the deceased Third Hokage and that Danzo.

"The Stone Tablet in the Kaguya's Royal Palace, concerning Tōka's background." Orochimaru's smile faded, and his expression became extremely solemn.

"Is he really... the son of Rabbit Goddess Otsutsuki Kaguya, and the younger younger brother of Otsutsuki Hagoromo of Sage of Six Paths?"

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere froze instantly, as if the space itself had been frozen.

They could only hear their own heartbeats. Itachi Uchiha's eyes were obscured by the wisps of hair on his forehead, and Orochimaru could not see into his heart.

Even Orochimaru himself didn't realize that his hands were clenched into fists so tightly that his fingertips dug into his palms.

The Kakkō flickered in the hall.

For a moment, the room fell into an eerie silence.

After an unknown amount of time, when Orochimaru felt his body stiffening, Itachi Uchiha slowly lowered his hands from the table.

"That's exactly what the Stone Tablet says." Itachi sat up straight and gave a definite answer.

When Itachi uttered a positive answer, Orochimaru changed drastically, even though he had been mentally prepared.

His already pale face looked even more unsightly.

"So, regarding the Eye of the Moon Plan, is it true that Tōka wants to see Kaguya again in his dreams?" Orochimaru pressed in a deep voice.

He found it hard to believe that such a thing could really happen.

Let everyone drift off into a sweet dream...

"The Infinite Tsukuyomi does exist. It's not just recorded on the Stone Tablet at the Kaguya's Royal Palace; it's also recorded on Stone Tablet passed down within the Uchiha Clan." Itachi Uchiha's tone was as calm as if he were discussing the weather, unsettlingly so.

"So, Tōka really did it to see Kaguya?" Orochimaru frowned, asking again uncertainly.

"Perhaps..." But this time, Itachi Uchiha's answer was very vague.

Because Senior Tōka is the only person he can't see through!

The flames in the brazier on the wall emitted a dry, crackling sound.

The temperature was gradually warming up. The two of them had been here for too long, and the oxygen in the enclosed hall was becoming increasingly thin.

Orochimaru took a deep breath, Teuchi the hall door, and a fresh stream of air rushed in, dispelling the stuffy and oppressive feeling.

"Itachi, I think we can cooperate."

This was also Orochimaru's real purpose in inviting Itachi Uchiha to the Otogakure, besides confirming what Kakashi said at the Five Kage Summit.

Orochimaru decides to join forces with Itachi Uchiha; his dream won't come true in a dream.

Fighting?

Orochimaru has no interest!

Orochimaru only wanted to find a way to avoid being trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

"Ha... I never expected to hear such words come out of your mouth."

Itachi Uchiha sneered; he could tell Orochimaru was real.

It's still funny, though. Itachi is laughing because Orochimaru, such a proud guy, is actually afraid of that guy.

That's right, Orochimaru was afraid!

Otherwise, they wouldn't have prepared techniques to deal with Infinite Tsukuyomi in advance.

"The key to completing that technique is the power of the Tailed Beast. If the Ten-Tails cannot be revived, the Infinite Tsukuyomi cannot be completed," Itachi Uchiha said.

"The Akatsuki Organization now possesses seven Tailed Beasts; the remaining Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails are the most crucial..."

At that moment, Orochimaru suddenly interrupted Itachi. He shook his finger, "Itachi, you've misunderstood."

Itachi Uchiha frowned slightly upon hearing this. Had he misunderstood?

"I don't want to stop Tōka or Uchiha Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan..." Orochimaru curled his lips into a wicked smile.

"I just want to find a way to break the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

There is a significant difference between stopping the Eye of the Moon Plan and breaking the Infinite Tsukuyomi!