Every red cross on the map marked one of Orochimaru's Secret Bases.
No matter how secretive an organization was, as long as there were people in it, they still needed food and water.
Madara Uchiha now had companies under Gato's name serving as his eyes and ears at the ports. On land, he worked closely with the Kōzuki Family to build an intelligence network staffed primarily by ordinary people.
Over the past few years, Madara's subordinates had also infiltrated the governments of several small countries. Whenever they uncovered anything unusual, Madara would send powerful ninja like Shisui and Ajin to investigate.
With this intelligence network drawing on so many sources, Madara easily kept track of both the Akatsuki and Orochimaru.
Madara might not have uncovered every one of Orochimaru's secret bases, but he had undoubtedly located his most important northern and southern hideouts, along with other bases housing large numbers of subordinates and test subjects.
If those hideouts were destroyed, even Orochimaru would need decades to rebuild them. Whoever overran the bases would also inevitably obtain all his existing research materials, another loss he could never accept.
"Uchiha Itachi..."
This time, when Orochimaru called out Madara Uchiha's name, there was genuine hatred in his voice. Madara had clearly struck where it truly hurt.
"You have three seconds to think it over. Three."
As Madara Uchiha spoke, he began stirring the chakra within his body.
The moment his words fell, Madara displayed the full extent of his current power before Orochimaru.
How is this possible!
His vast chakra bore down on Orochimaru with an overwhelming pressure. This power surpassed that of anyone Orochimaru had ever encountered in his life.
Orochimaru was absolutely certain that even Hanzo of the Salamander, who had once bestowed the title of Sannin on him, would be