After watching Kabuto leave, Zou Hyuga rose and walked over to the window.
From their brief conversation, Zou Hyuga could already see Kabuto's usefulness. Craving recognition, Kabuto had no worldly desires and devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving Orochimaru.
He had to admit that Orochimaru knew how to win people over. So many of his subordinates were utterly loyal.
Even after his death, people still spared no effort to resurrect him. On that count alone, he was far more capable than his teacher, the Third.
As he watched Kabuto's retreating figure, a faint smile appeared on Zou Hyuga's lips.
If he remembered correctly, Kabuto was also Sasori's spy at this point, bound by Sasori's formula. Sasori appeared to have gone missing, but in truth, Zou had kept him under his control all along.
In other words, he also held Kabuto's life in his hands, though that was not particularly useful.
Two more days passed. After resuming his own identity, Zou Hyuga followed Oto to a training ground outside the village, where Kakashi, Guy, and the others had already been waiting for some time.
Seeing the colleagues he had not met in so long, Zou Hyuga smiled and joined their chatter.
Before long, the exercise began.
The members of the Fire Squad split into pairs and scattered through the forest within the training ground, attacking and defending against one another in encounter battles, with hypothetical enemies established beforehand.
The use of hypothetical enemies in training brought a knowing smile to Zou Hyuga's face. He had trained that way before.
Soon, Zou Hyuga encountered Kakashi and Yamato in the forest.
After their eyes met, Zou Hyuga sensed killing intent. Kakashi's figure immediately vanished from the spot, and even as Zou twisted aside, a sharp lightning-attribute ninjutsu sliced through his vest.
"Byakugan, activate!"