Orochimaru's Defection

Orochimaru quickly escaped from the underground base. As soon as he stepped out, he saw a young-looking Anbu member holding a ball of lightning.

He was the third member of the Third Hokage of the Anbu Guard squad.

"Lightning Blade!"

Kakashi's body, amplified by the activation of Lightning Blade Lightning Release: Lightning Blade, allows him to strike at a speed that is impossible for humans to react to. Faced with Lightning Blade, a normal person would simply be pierced through by Lightning Blade.

Kakashi's invincible Lightning Blade thrust at Orochimaru, but Orochimaru ducked and dodged, disappearing under Kakashi's arm.

Lightning Blade easily dodged and broke through the Orochimaru Release: Lightning Release.

Orochimaru dodged the Lightning Blade and launched a counterattack with a horizontal slash, wielding a Kunai.

Kakashi's left eye is Obito's Sharingan, granting him excellent perception. With a quick leap and a slight tuck in of his abdomen, he dodged Orochimaru, narrowly escaping his grasp.

Kakashi landed and stood firm. As soon as he turned around, Orochimaru Body Flicker Technique in front of Kakashi, Kunai and cutting Kakashi's Anbu mask in two, revealing Kakashi's shocked eyes.

The two brushed past each other, and in two rounds, Kakashi was easily defeated by Orochimaru.

"You have good eyesight."

Orochimaru turned his head and glanced at Kakashi, praising Kakashi's crimson Sharingan. Kakashi had seen through Orochimaru's identity: a genius boy, the son of White Fang, and the disciple of the Yellow Flash.

"But I don't need fakes."

Orochimaru turned around, licked the Kunai in his hand, and a giant yellow python descended from a branch of a nearby tree and coiled around Orochimaru.

"Heh heh heh, cute little guy, do you want to see him bleed too?"

Orochimaru, holding Kunai, asked the giant yellow python in a low voice.

The giant yellow python seemed to respond by opening its massive mouth, but an Explosive Tag was affixed to the upper palate of its mouth.

"Um!?"

Orochimaru's pupils widened in horror.

Boom!

With a loud boom, thick black smoke billowed up. When the smoke cleared, Orochimaru lay on the ground, his right side covered in red marks, a serious injury.

"Third... is this what you did?"

Orochimaru stood up, looking at his blood-stained right hand and muttering to himself.

Kakashi, having recovered from the gloom of defeat, got up.

"Don't move!"

Kakashi looked at Orochimaru, who was staggering and clutching his stomach and right hand, clearly injured, and shouted an order.

Orochimaru walked slowly forward, ignoring Kakashi's words, and approached Kakashi step by step.

Kakashi Kunai in front of him with his right hand, staring at Orochimaru, but faced with the aura emanating from Orochimaru, especially those yellow snake eyes, Kakashi felt apprehensive.

Orochimaru followed closely behind Kakashi. Kakashi stood there, frozen, watching Orochimaru walk past him without stopping him.

Sweat beaded on Kakashi's forehead, dripping onto his mask. His scarlet left eye glanced to the left, but he dared not turn around.

"Hey!"

As the footsteps behind him faded into the distance, Kakashi finally mustered the courage to turn around and take action.

However, Orochimaru had vanished without a trace.

That's... Orochimaru.

Konoha

Evening

In the Hokage Building, Naraku stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the office window at the view of most of Konoha's environment and buildings.

Sarutobi Hiruzen open the door and entered. Having failed in his mission, he needed to gather more Anbu to hunt down Orochimaru.

Orochimaru simply couldn't bring himself to Sarutobi Hiruzen, given his deep bond with his master.

However, as long as he doesn't personally handle the arrest, issuing orders for his subordinates to make the arrest is fine with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Third Hokage, Orochimaru has been captured, hasn't he? I can't believe that Orochimaru, Sannin, would harm his own village's ninja. It's truly unbelievable."

However, with the Third Hokage, the strongest Hokage, on your side, I think Orochimaru won't be able to escape your pursuit. Konoha can't do without your assistance, Third."

Naraku turned to look at the Third Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had entered through the door, and spoke respectfully.

"Fourth generation, I, I, I failed the mission. We didn't capture him, and two members of the Anbu were killed."

When Sarutobi Hiruzen faced Uchiha Nara, he was completely humiliated and even stammered.

"What! How is this possible! You are the Professor of Ninjutsu, proficient in all of Konoha's Ninjutsu, Sannin are all your disciples, disciples you personally trained. You even failed to capture them? What, what are we going to do..."

Naraku seemed somewhat flustered, pacing back and forth, but his eyes kept glancing at the Third Hokage. Naraku wanted to know what the Third Hokage planned to do next.

"Fourth Hokage, we should immediately mobilize the ninja forces to hunt down Orochimaru. Half a day has passed, and Orochimaru still hasn't left the Land of Land of Fire."

It would take at least three days to leave the Land of Fire from Konoha, and although the attempt to capture Orochimaru failed, Orochimaru was seriously injured.

"As long as a ninja force goes after them, they will definitely be able to capture Orochimaru."

The Third Hokage had originally planned to send the Anbu to pursue Orochimaru back to his office, but he needed to explain this to the Fourth Hokage first.

To avoid any misunderstanding by the Fourth Hokage and any trouble that might occur.

"Alright, then I'll have to trouble the Third Hokage. Orochimaru possesses many of Konoha Style Ninjutsu and is very knowledgeable about all kinds of information about Konoha. He is a valuable asset to Konoha."

We absolutely cannot let him leave the Land of Fire! We must bring him back! We must find him alive or dead!

Naraku solemnly explained.

"I understand, Fourth Generation! I'll handle it."

Today's falling out between master and disciple dealt a heavy blow to Sarutobi Hiruzen; he simply couldn't bring himself to harm his beloved disciple.

Even though Orochimaru had become addicted to forbidden techniques, cruelly experimenting on living people and his fellow villagers, and had completely turned into a demon, Sarutobi Hiruzen still couldn't bring himself to do it.

In the 51st year of Konoha, the 56-year-old Sarutobi Hiruzen can still subdue Orochimaru, whose forbidden Ninjutsu is not yet fully mastered.

A few years later, an older Hiruzen Sarutobi Hiruzen might not have been a match for Orochimaru.

"Alright, then Third Hokage, you can get busy! It will take at least three days to escape the Land of Fire. I hope to see Orochimaru in the Hokage Office within three days."

I will personally interrogate him and ask him why he did this!

Naraku a deep voice, indicating that the Third Hokage could go about his business.

The Third Hokage, a bitter smile on his lips, turned and left, heading towards the Anbu building in Konoha.

Naraku watched the Third Hokage's departing figure, his face expressionless.

It's too early to blame the Third Hokage. When we set off this morning, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, said that he would take care of Orochimaru and that he would definitely kill him.

When he came back that night, he had this expression on his face. The only two pieces of information he could give were: two members of the Anbu died, and Orochimaru was seriously injured. That was all.

Now, the Third Hokage has once again promised Naraku that he will definitely capture Orochimaru within three days. Naraku wants to see how Sarutobi Hiruzen will handle this matter and how he will capture Orochimaru.

If things don't go smoothly, this Anbu can be left to its own devices for Third Hokage; let the people in charge take over.

Furthermore, Orochimaru, the Third Hokage Orochimaru's beloved disciple, defected, and did so by murdering his own Konoha comrades and using them for human experiments. This greatly damaged the Third Hokage's reputation, and at this critical juncture, Konoha was set to undergo a true reform.

Naraku himself also dispatched Special Police Division ninjas to track Orochimaru. If the Third Hokage's operation failed, Naraku would have to personally intervene to capture Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, you can't escape my grasp..."

Naraku with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window with a deep look in his eyes.

Orochimaru harbored many secrets and developed numerous forbidden techniques, all of which Naraku needed. He had already arranged covert tracking methods to finish Naraku off.