The Land of Frost,
Only after arriving here did Naraku realize just how small the place really was. Though it was a country, he felt the Land of Frost might not even be as large as Konoha.
"Let's split up and search first. Whether we find any clues or not, we'll meet back here tonight," Naraku said, turning to Yamato.
Yamato nodded. "Understood, Captain Naraku."
Then the two went their separate ways and began searching the Land of Frost for any clues or news left behind by those people.
Perhaps because the country was so small, there were no ninja villages in the Land of Frost. In fact, the entire country seemed to be without a single ninja.
The only inhabited place in the whole country was a town called Frost Town, and almost everyone there was an ordinary civilian.
Naraku was in Frost Town at that moment.
He activated the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and carefully sensed his surroundings, hoping to find some clues. But after wandering around for ages, he came up empty-handed. With the Mind's Eye of the Kagura active, he could clearly sense that everyone he encountered in town was an ordinary civilian.
Naraku kept the Mind's Eye of the Kagura active as he checked the entire town. When he had finished, he left.
But just as he had left town, Naraku suddenly sensed a chilling presence.
He turned to look. A short distance ahead, a huge white serpent was staring at him with cold eyes.
In an instant, alarm bells rang in Naraku's mind. "Orochimaru!"
Naraku tensed, ready to retreat at a moment's notice. He could sense Orochimaru's chakra in the white serpent.
Even if Orochimaru wasn't nearby, the serpent had to be his summoning creature.
The moment he saw the white snake, Naraku sensed chakra coming from it. That meant it was definitely a ninja beast, and at this point in the Shinobi World, Orochimaru was the only one capable of summoning snake-shaped ninja beasts.
Hiss! Hiss!
The white snake slowly flicked its tongue. Perhaps sensing the powerful chakra within Naraku, it abandoned its plan to attack and slowly slithered backward, disappearing from sight before long.
After the white snake left, Naraku was puzzled. He couldn't figure out why one of Orochimaru's summoning creatures had appeared here. Until he knew what was going on, he decided not to alert anyone.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof!
When the white smoke cleared, Naraku's Shadow Clone stood before him. Naraku signaled for it to quietly follow the white snake.
He had a feeling this mission might have something to do with Orochimaru too.
After leaving, Naraku returned to the place where he and Yamato had agreed to meet.
Yamato wasn't there yet, but Naraku didn't mind. He waited, closing his eyes and activating the Mind's Eye of the Kagura as he tried to expand its range.
Elsewhere, Yamato seemed to have found a clue. He was lying in a concealed patch of grass, his eyes fixed on what lay ahead.
From where he was, he could see wisps of smoke rising from a fairly well-hidden cave.
Yamato frowned. Having once served in Root, he had keen instincts for reconnaissance. The moment he spotted the cave, he knew something was off about it.
Still, something didn't seem right. If he were out on a mission, he would never give away his position by cooking, no matter the circumstances.
Watching the smoke drift from the cave and smelling the strong aroma of food, Yamato grew increasingly puzzled.
"Forget it. I'll check it out first." Just as Yamato made up his mind to investigate the cave, a shadow suddenly fell over him, and he felt a chilling presence.
With no time to think, he planted both hands on the ground and pushed off hard, springing to his feet. His hands had barely left the ground when he was already forming Hand Seals.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
A row of wooden beams shot up from the ground. They joined together into a curved, arched shield that enclosed Yamato.
The next moment—
With a crash, a gigantic black snake slammed into the shield.
Crack! Crack!
The shield quickly shattered under the black snake's impact.
Yamato had already retreated several steps before then. Seeing how easily the snake had smashed through his shield, his expression changed, and he sped up his Hand Seals.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison Technique!"
Yamato shouted, and four enormous wooden pillars rose from the ground. The next moment, they surrounded the black snake, forming a huge cage.
Boom! Boom!
A series of violent impacts rang out. The massive wooden pillars shook under the force.
Looks like I have to retreat. The captain can handle a beast like this!
Yamato was about to back away when—
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Spear!"
A shout came from behind him, and a huge column of earth shot up from the ground, launching Yamato into the air before he could react.
"A ninja from Konoha?"
The masked man murmured as he watched Yamato get knocked away.
Poof!
Yamato suddenly turned into a cloud of white smoke in midair, and a wooden log fell to the ground.
Yamato was now standing atop a tree. He warily watched the person who had attacked him. The man wore a mask just like Yamato's and was dressed in an ordinary white robe.
"Who are you?" Yamato asked in a low voice.
"Heh. Why bother with such childish questions?" The masked man sneered, then charged at Yamato with a Kunai in hand.
Crack! Boom!
A loud crash rang out as the black snake smashed through the wooden pillars and broke free.
Yamato's expression changed. If anyone had been standing behind him, they would have seen that his back was already drenched in blood and the inside of his tattered vest was dark red.
That last attack had left him badly injured.
Yamato pulled a Kunai from his clothes, preparing for one last gamble.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Whip!"
The masked man shouted, and several whip-like streams of water lashed toward Yamato.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Seeing this, Yamato endured the pain and used another defensive technique. A row of curved wooden beams rose in front of him.
Smack! Smack!
The water whips were blocked, but in the next instant—
Boom!
The black snake slammed into the shield. The tremendous impact shattered it, sending wooden splinters flying in every direction.
Thud!
With no shield to protect him, Yamato took the black snake's full impact and was sent flying. He hit the ground and passed out.