Black Zetsu's kidnapping plan had failed.
Kimimaro did not care about the Ōtsutsuki.
Having been raised by the Kaguya Clan as a tool since childhood, he did not believe that family or so-called bloodlines could bring him anything.
It was impossible for Black Zetsu to fool Kimimaro using the same methods he had used on Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha.
Before long, the village's shinobi arrived.
Any conflict within the village would naturally be detected by the barrier.
And since it had happened at a special place like the orphanage, the shinobi had arrived especially quickly.
Orochimaru naturally arrived alongside the other shinobi and saw Haku and Kimimaro standing on guard, as well as Kabuto and Nonō, who had just settled the children down.
"What happened?"
"An enemy infiltrated the village and has already escaped using Earth Release."
Kimimaro did not go into detail. He also knew that matters concerning the Ōtsutsuki were still a village secret, and much of Orochimaru's research was related to the Ōtsutsuki.
"Lord Orochimaru, there are indeed traces of Earth Release, but the technique was so advanced that it cannot be tracked!"
"Earth Release?"
Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully.
He had been worrying about not having an excuse to cause trouble for Hidden Rock Village. Hadn't one just fallen into his lap? Such advanced Earth Release surely had some connection to Hidden Rock Village, didn't it?
"All right, reinforce the barrier! Have the sealing team study how to extend the barrier underground as well."
After saying that, he turned to Haku and Kimimaro.
"You two, come with me."
Orochimaru took the two of them away to ask about what had happened that day.
Meanwhile, the merchant caravan Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were accompanying was already nearing the Land of Rain.
As a small country situated between