Orochimaru's Believers

"What connection does this person have to the Senju, to be able to use Wood Release ninjutsu?" Looking at Yamato, who had collapsed on the ground, the masked man reached out and removed the mask from Yamato's face, revealing a strange, unfamiliar countenance.

"What an unexpected delight!"

He then used rope to bind Yamato's hands and feet, dragging him into the cave.

A black snake slithered along behind him.

Upon returning to the cave, the masked man tossed the bound Yamato to the side.

"This is..." Hearing the commotion, Akimichi Yamaichi slowly opened his eyes, catching the sight of Yamato being thrown to the floor. Upon seeing the familiar Anbu uniform on Yamato, his expression shifted instantly.

He knew this must be someone the village had sent to search for them, but what surprised him was Yamato's age. Now that the mask had been removed, his true face was exposed.

One had to realize that Yamato was even younger than Kakashi; in the entire Anbu, aside from Naraku and Itachi, he was likely the youngest.

What a waste of a genius, a sense of regret rose in Akimichi Yamaichi's heart, followed immediately by a surge of anger.

With an angry glare directed at the masked man, Akimichi Yamaichi spoke up, "Nakashita So, you will definitely pay the price for this."

To Akimichi Yamaichi's words, Nakashita So—the masked man—remained completely indifferent.

"Heh, a price?" Nakashita So sneered, then removed his mask. With black hair and skin that looked slightly sallow, he appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary middle-aged man.

Bang!

Nakashita So suddenly kicked Akimichi Yamaichi's sturdy frame. "There are some things that people from big clans like yours will never understand!"

A look of pain flickered across Akimichi Yamaichi's face, yet he continued to glare at the man with hatred.

In his eyes, Nakashita So was nothing but a madman.

"Heh," Nakashita So sneered and left the area, carrying a bowl of food toward the depths of the cave, where a man sat leaning against a large rock.

One could see that the man's hands and feet were bound by chains, and a strange, flickering seal was visible on his body.

Nakashita So's arrival seemed to disturb the man, who lifted his head slightly to reveal a pair of pale, blank pupils.

Byakugan. It was clear that this man was a member of the Hyuga clan and had successfully awakened the Byakugan.

"Captain Hyuga, you really are in a sorry state now!" Nakashita So mocked, looking down at his former superior.

Facing his words, Hyuga Hi's expression did not change in the slightest; he merely struggled to prop himself up and accepted the bowl of food from Nakashita So's hand.

"Eat up. It isn't time for you to die yet. After all, the special powers possessed by your big clans can be of help to Lord Orochimaru."

Nakashita So thought this to himself.

Just then, as if sensing something, he vanished in a flash, reappearing at the entrance of the cave.

What he did not know was that after he left, a smile appeared on Hyuga Hi's lips. His pupils were now a pale blue, and veins were bulging prominently on both sides of his eyes.

"It seems we are going to..."

At the cave entrance, Nakashita So felt a sense of relief upon seeing the White Snake return, and a smile spread across his face.

"Let me see what Lord Orochimaru's latest orders are!"

Nakashita So stepped toward the White Snake, which seemed to sense his presence and opened its mouth to spit out a scroll.

Looking at the scroll in his hands, Nakashita So's body could not stop trembling.

In truth, Nakashita So, Akimichi Yamaichi, and Hyuga Hi had once been members of the same squad, with Hyuga Hi serving as the captain.

They were the very squad sent by the Third Hokage to gather intelligence.

Originally, this mission was supposed to be very easy for their squad, as ninjas rarely appeared in the Land of Frost, and at most, they only had minor friction with people from the Land of Lightning.

As another major nation, the Land of Lightning also periodically sent ninjas there to gather intelligence.

They had lived in peace there for a long time, until one day, Nakashita So suddenly turned on Hyuga Hi and Akimichi Yamaichi.

Nakashita So had first used poison to knock Akimichi Yamaichi unconscious, then used a special technique to control Hyuga Hi. Just like that, those who were originally stronger than Nakashita So had become his captives.

It had remained this way ever since; Nakashita So seemed to be waiting for something. Although he had them under control, he did not kill them, and he even cooked food for them every day.

In truth, what they did not know was that the person Nakashita So was waiting for was the S-rank missing-nin from Konoha, one of the Sannin: Orochimaru.

Nakashita So, a child from an ordinary family, perhaps because he shared the same experience as Orochimaru—losing both parents at a young age—harbored a near-fanatical obsession with him.

It was precisely because of this obsession that, upon learning of Orochimaru's defection from Konoha, he had mentally cast himself as a missing-nin from Konoha as well, and had taken actions befitting his new identity.

That was why he had captured Hyuga Hi and the other.

As for why he kept them alive, the main reason lay with Orochimaru.

As Orochimaru's most loyal follower, Nakashita So knew a little more than others; he knew that Orochimaru loved research above all else.

That was why he had kept them alive, intending to hand them over to Orochimaru for study. After all, both Hyuga Hi and Akimichi Yamaichi possessed special abilities, especially the former's Byakugan, which was quite famous throughout the ninja world.

After successfully controlling them, Nakashita So had contacted Orochimaru through special means, and the man had given him some simple orders.

"Lord Orochimaru," after reading the scroll, a look of intense excitement shone in Nakashita So's eyes, as if something incredible were about to happen.

"So, they were all here!"

Outside the cave, Naraku's Shadow Clone muttered to himself. Although a Shadow Clone could not use the Kagura Mind Eye, Naraku could still sense several chaotic auras inside the cave through his own perception.

One of them was even quite familiar.

"Could Yamato be inside as well?" The shadow clone furrowed his brow slightly. He turned his head to look at the wood shavings scattered on the ground, confirming his suspicions.

"If that's the case, let me see who dares to bully my little team member!"

The shadow clone muttered to himself, "Shadow Clone Technique!"

Poof!

A burst of white smoke appeared. A second later, the smoke dissipated with a gentle breeze, and another figure stood on the scene.

The two shadow clones exchanged a glance and nodded at each other, then the newly appeared shadow clone turned into a puff of smoke with a poof.

"Hm? Does this mean they've been found?"