Prey's dying struggle, a venomous snake watching in secret

There was a dessert shop on the border of the Land of Fire, not long ago.

Kisame Hoshigaki briefly explained the situation.

Wu Chiwu suddenly appeared.

He's ruthless and incredibly fast.

The reason is unclear, but as soon as they showed up, they took Itachi away.

After hearing Obito Uchiha's eyes dimmed.

From these fragmented pieces, I couldn't find a single clue.

What's hidden behind this?

And after Wu Chiwu took Black Zetsu away last time, there has been no further news of Black Zetsu.

Is Black Zetsu dead?

Or was he just locked up?

And why did it have to be Black Zetsu?

Obito Uchiha's mind worked quickly, and he immediately grasped the crux of the matter.

When Wu Chiwu first joined Akatsuki, his primary target was most likely Black Zetsu.

But why did he capture Black Zetsu?

Is there any connection between capturing Black Zetsu last time and capturing Uchiha Itachi this time?

Black Zetsu was left behind by Madara Uchiha, and Itachi also has Uchiha Clan blood flowing through his veins.

Wu Chiwu arrested the two of them; what's the key point here?

Does he know about Madara and Black Zetsu?

A jumble of confusing questions only solidified Obito Uchiha.

We still need to start by getting close to Kakashi.

I just hope he doesn't ruin his own plans.

otherwise...

Kakashi, far away, had no idea that a considerable amount of trouble was about to befall him.

Pain slowly began to speak from the side.

"Whatever the reason, he keeps ruining our plans."

We'll settle this score with him sooner or later.

Everything in the way needs to be cleared away.

There are too many things piling up right now, and we can't free up manpower for the time being.

There's no rush to go find him after things are settled here.

Since he's a stumbling block, there's no intention of letting him stay standing.

On the other end.

Otogakure, Orochimaru's Snake Den.

"Lord Orochimaru, I can't quite figure out what you're thinking."

Kabuto Yakushi voiced his doubts.

Why should we help that old Danzo?

He doesn't seem to have any chance of winning no matter how you look at it.

Not long ago, Danzo sent Root's people over, saying nice things about cooperation and mutual benefit.

What he wanted was for Lord Orochimaru to intervene during the Five Kage Summit and help him become the Hokage.

Although the detailed plan wasn't revealed, just from his tone, you could tell that the idea couldn't be worse.

It's simply impossible for it to succeed.

Danzo seems to have suffered some kind of trauma lately; he's gone even crazier, becoming so obsessive that he doesn't care about anything else.

They don't even bother to think about the consequences before doing anything.

If Danzo were to hear these words from Kabuto Yakushi, he would surely grit his teeth and say that it was all the fault of that mysterious person.

Without that person, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

Anyone would be devastated if years of hard work were all wasted in one fell swoop.

Not to mention that this was the second time he had done it, and both times all his hard work was wasted.

For the first time, Sharingan I'd been saving up for so long was taken away.

The second attempt to steal the Sharingan the Uchiha also failed.

He was hit twice in quick succession and couldn't recover for a while.

Unfortunately, at this crucial moment, the position of Hokage of Konoha fell to Tsunade, the gambling addict.

Danzo compass was completely shattered.

Relying on the foundation he had built up over many years in Konoha, he gritted his teeth and decided to take a gamble, directly overturning the table and launching a coup.

Orochimaru smiled after hearing this, a very different light flickering in his golden eyes.

Don't you think this play is quite interesting?

"A prey that sees itself as the hunter, baring its fangs and claws to pounce on other prey."

"Then he was defeated, and struggled desperately a few times before dying."

In the end, he will realize that he is just one link in the ecosystem.

No matter how much you struggle, you can't escape what's destined for you.

Ultimately, he was also prey targeted by others.

The feeling of desperately clinging to life even as death approaches must be quite exquisite.

Orochimaru's tone was unhurried, yet it sent chills down one's spine.

"I see."

"It seems Lord Orochimaru never truly intended to help him."

The Kabuto Yakushi down the medicine bottle in his hand and smiled knowingly.

A small patch of light was reflected from the metal frame.

He understood Orochimaru's meaning in an instant.

"So, Lord Orochimaru, are you planning to join in the fun at this Five Kage Summit?"

Kabuto Yakushi then asked another question.

"Of course I'll go."

Orochimaru spoke in a very low voice.

Let's see if we can stumble upon something interesting.

He turned his head, glanced at the Kabuto Yakushi beside him, and spoke again.

"By the way, how's your investigation into Wu Chiwu going?"

Is there anything new?

The Kabuto Yakushi his glasses and slowly revealed the intelligence he had accumulated, piece by piece.

"After he left Otogakure, he joined Akatsuki."

"He betrayed Xiao not long ago, and nobody knows where he is now."

"But I heard that after he left Xiao, he didn't stay idle; he was always on the move."

"They even helped Team Kakashi take care of Hidan and Kakuzu along the way."

"Judging from this, he must have quite a close relationship with them."

"His most recent appearance was on the border of the Land of Fire."

"I heard he took Uchiha Itachi from Akatsuki."

Orochimaru's expression changed, and his eyes flashed with astonishment and disbelief.

He was in a weakened state recently and didn't hear much from the outside world.

I never expected so many things to happen during this period.

Wu Chiwu actually spent time in Akatsuki?

How could someone who betrayed Xiao be alive and kicking all this time?

He also has the lives of two Akatsuki members on his hands?

Such a record, when it hits Orochimaru right now, would have an immense impact.

I never imagined that Wu Chiwu's skills had become this formidable.

To achieve such a remarkable record.

I simply can't believe it.

Orochimaru's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints, his eyes flashing with a sinister yet excited light.

I knew my eyes hadn't misjudged him.

He's just different; he's on a completely different path from everyone else.

That's so unexpected.

So, it seems Wu Chiwu had been hiding his true abilities all along?

Or has his strength increased dramatically during this period?

It's so intriguing, it's driving me crazy!

These thoughts swirled in Orochimaru's mind, and the more he thought about them, the more intriguing they became.

They were able to easily take Uchiha Itachi away right in front of the Akatsuki members.

As expected, I had underestimated him earlier.

The surprise he gave me was far greater than I had expected.

He was able to easily defeat Uchiha Itachi, whom even he himself couldn't chew.

This jealousy was burning inside me, an indescribable scorching sensation.

Orochimaru's desire for Wu Chiwu has now burned even brighter.

It took him quite a while to cool down from that excitement.

The light in his golden pupils also dimmed slightly.

Orochimaru turned his head and his gaze fell on Kabuto Yakushi.

"Besides these, is there any other usable information?"

That's all we can gather.

The Kabuto Yakushi spoke slowly and deliberately.

"After that, no one saw him again."

The moment Kabuto Yakushi got the information, he knew perfectly well that Orochimaru would be extremely interested in it.

Because even he himself couldn't suppress his curiosity.

Not to mention Lord Orochimaru, who was already keeping an eye on this matter.

Wu Chiwu.

He really gave me a huge shock.

The Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses, continuing his conversation.

"However, if you wish to delve deeper, there might be someone who can clear up many of your doubts."

Who are you talking about?

Orochimaru's voice was deep and unreadable.

Kabuto Yakushi glanced at Orochimaru, his voice as flat as still water, and uttered a name.

"Kakashi Hatake."

"I heard that Wu Chiwu and he have a good relationship."

"He even saved Xiao's life after betraying him."

"Aside from those around Xiao, he's probably the one with the most information."

"Perhaps he can give you an answer."

The light inside the Snake Den was dim, and Orochimaru looked at Kabuto Yakushi with a meaningful expression.

The shadows fell on his face, sometimes bright, sometimes dark, and no one could tell what he was thinking.

Kabuto Yakushi, you really are the one who knows my thoughts best.

Upon hearing this, Kabuto Yakushi's expression froze slightly, and cold sweat silently streamed down his face.

He steadied himself and spoke calmly.

It's not that I'm good at reading people's minds.

"The adults never intended to hide it in the first place."

"How could I possibly understand what adults are thinking?"

Orochimaru, with that smirk still lingering on his lips, was ignored by Kabuto Yakushi.

Those golden snake eyes stared at the dark place ahead, seemingly plotting something.

He spoke in a very low voice, slowly uttering a few words.

"Kakashi Hatake?"