Nice fighting!
Orochimaru and the Ninja he had brought back through Impure World Reincarnation had certainly caused Kakuzu, Hidan, and Deidara some trouble.
"Unfortunately, the others from the Akatsuki are about to show up."
Sitting cross-legged on a white cloud, Shihōin Naraku watched with great interest, his Observation Haki covering the battle below.
Although the Ninja were fighting fiercely, not much time had actually passed.
On top of that, all the Akatsuki members were brimming with confidence. They did not believe Orochimaru could be their match, so they had been in no hurry.
That had delayed them a little, but now they were finally about to arrive.
"Wait, I can't let the tracking squad get close yet. The battle here isn't over. It's still going on, and it'll be troublesome if they get dragged into it."
Naraku glanced at the battle that had resumed below, the Akatsuki members drawing steadily closer, and Jiraiya and Naruto Uzumaki hiding on the outskirts of the battlefield.
Konoha's trackers were not slow. At their current speed, they would reach the battlefield at the same time as the other Akatsuki members.
After all, they were traveling at full speed, unlike the leisurely Akatsuki.
As their leader, Shihōin Naraku had gone to the battlefield himself. Naturally, his subordinates did not dare drag their feet, so after hurrying all the way, they were finally about to arrive.
But now was not the right time for them to get involved!
Shaking his head, Naraku prepared to tell them to keep their distance. Then he reconsidered. There was no harm in having them come over. "I'll have them meet up with Naruto. They can get some information about Naruto from Jiraiya-sensei while they're at it, then report to Tsunade when they return."
"Pick up the pace!"
Shibi Aburame's