Black and White Twin Serpents, Masked Man

Land of Frost.

Only after arriving did Naraku realize how small this place truly was. Although it was a country, Naraku felt that the Land of Frost might not even be as large as Konoha Village.

"Let's split up to search. Regardless of whether we find any clues, we'll meet back here tonight," Naraku said, turning to Yamato.

Yamato nodded. "Understood, Captain Naraku."

The two then went their separate ways, beginning their search across the Land of Frost to see if they could find any clues or information left behind by those individuals.

Perhaps because the territory was so small, there were no ninja villages in the Land of Frost—or rather, the entire country lacked ninjas altogether.

The only place in the entire Land of Frost where people resided was a place called Frost Town, and it was populated almost entirely by ordinary civilians.

Naraku was currently inside Frost Town.

He activated the Kagura Mind Eye, carefully sensing his surroundings in hopes of finding some leads. However, after wandering for half the day, he had nothing to show for it. Under the state of the Kagura Mind Eye, Naraku could clearly sense that everyone he encountered in the town was just an ordinary person.

Naraku kept the Kagura Mind Eye active until he had inspected the entire town, at which point he finally departed.

However, just as he left the town, Naraku suddenly sensed an icy, sinister aura.

Naraku turned his head and saw, not far ahead, a giant white snake looking toward him with cold, malevolent eyes.

In an instant, alarm bells rang in Naraku's mind. Orochimaru!

Naraku's body tensed slightly, ready to retreat at any moment; he could feel Orochimaru's presence on this giant white snake.

Even if Orochimaru wasn't nearby, this snake had to be his summoning creature.

The moment he saw the white snake, Naraku felt the fluctuation of chakra coming from it, which meant it was definitely a ninja beast. In the entire ninja world, the only person capable of summoning a snake-type ninja beast at this stage was Orochimaru.

Hiss! Hiss!

The white snake flicked its tongue slowly. Perhaps sensing the intense chakra radiating from Naraku, it abandoned its intent to attack, slowly backing away until it vanished from Naraku's sight.

After the white snake left, Naraku felt puzzled. He couldn't fathom why one of Orochimaru's summons would appear here. Before he could figure it out, he decided not to alert the enemy.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Poof!

After a burst of white smoke cleared, Naraku's shadow clone stood before him. Naraku then signaled for the clone to quietly follow the white snake.

He had a nagging feeling that this mission might be connected to Orochimaru.

After leaving the area, Naraku returned to the meeting spot he had agreed upon with Yamato.

Yamato was not there yet, but Naraku didn't mind; he simply waited. At the same time, he closed his eyes and activated the Kagura Mind Eye, struggling to extend its sensory range.

On the other side, Yamato seemed to have discovered a lead. He was currently lying prone in a patch of hidden brush, his eyes locked firmly ahead.

Within his line of sight, wisps of smoke were rising from a slightly concealed cave.

Yamato's brow furrowed. As someone who had served in Root, his investigative instincts were sharp; the moment he saw the cave, he knew something was amiss.

However, he felt something was wrong. If he were the one out on a mission, there was no way he would ever expose his position by cooking like this.

Watching the smoke drift from the cave and smelling the thick aroma of food, Yamato grew even more suspicious.

"Forget it, I'll go take a look first." Just as Yamato made up his mind to investigate the cave, his figure was suddenly shrouded by a shadow, and he felt an icy, sinister aura.

With no time to think, he pressed his hands against the ground and pushed off with a surge of force, springing to his feet. Even as his hands left the earth, he was already weaving hand signs.

"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"

A row of wooden pillars instantly erupted from the ground, interlocking to form a curved, arched shield that encased Yamato.

The next second.

BOOM! A massive Black Snake slammed into the shield.

Crack! Crack!

Under the impact of the Black Snake, the shield shattered rapidly.

Yamato had already retreated several steps before the impact. Seeing his shield crushed so easily by the Black Snake, his expression shifted, and he accelerated the speed of his hand signs.

"Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison Technique!"

Yamato let out a low shout, and four massive wooden pillars rose from the ground, instantly encircling the Black Snake and forming a giant cage.

BOOM! BOOM!

Violent crashing sounds echoed as the massive pillars shook incessantly under the force of the assault.

"It seems I have to retreat. I'll leave a monster like this for the Captain!"

Thinking this to himself, Yamato prepared to pull back.

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Spear!"

Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind him, followed by a massive stone pillar erupting from the ground, striking Yamato and sending him flying before he could react.

"A ninja from Konoha Village, are you?"

Watching Yamato being sent flying, the man muttered to himself.

Bang!

Yamato, who had been in mid-air, suddenly transformed into a puff of white smoke, and a block of wood fell to the ground.

Yamato now stood atop a large tree, watching the person who had just attacked him with vigilance. He saw that the individual wore a mask just like his own and was dressed in a simple white robe.

"Who are you?"

Yamato asked in a deep, stern voice.

"Heh, why bother with such childish questions?" The masked figure sneered, then charged toward Yamato with a kunai in hand.

Crack! Boom!

A loud crash echoed as Black Snake broke through the wooden pillar and freed himself.

Yamato's expression shifted instantly upon seeing this. Had anyone been standing behind him, they would have seen that his back was drenched in blood, his tattered vest soaked through with dark crimson.

That last attack had indeed wounded him severely.

Yamato pulled a kunai from his robes, preparing for the final gamble.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Whip."

The masked figure let out a low shout, and several whip-like streams of water surged toward Yamato.

"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall."

Enduring the pain, Yamato unleashed a defensive ninjutsu, and a row of curved wooden pillars rose up to block his front.

Snap! Snap!

The water whip attacks were blocked, but the very next moment—

Boom!

Black Snake's body slammed violently into the shield. The immense impact shattered the wooden wall, sending countless splinters flying in every direction.

Bang!

With the shield gone, Black Snake's body struck Yamato directly, sending him flying through the air before he hit the ground and lost consciousness.