Chapter

What to do next had already become a headache for the two of them. Deidara and Sasori exchanged glances—should they bypass these two and attack the Sound Village directly? Their mission, after all, was to send a warning to Orochimaru by attacking the Sound Village.

But just as this thought occurred to them, two figures shot over, coming to stand beside Gaara and Granny Chiyo. It was Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had been observing the battle all along.

Seeing this, Deidara and Sasori abandoned all other ideas and retreated immediately. The two of them alone were no longer capable of causing any real damage to the Sound Village. Thus, the Akatsuki’s attack on the Sound Village drew to a complete close.

...

Kabuto was leading Naruto toward the Snake Cavern, uneasy about Deidara and Sasori’s movements and unable to fathom Orochimaru’s true plans. Why hadn’t Orochimaru made a move? Why hadn’t he ordered Kabuto to act, either? In terms of high-level combat strength, only the two of them could be mobilized; the others, even if the Sound Village were destroyed, might not lift a finger. They revered Orochimaru, not the Sound Village.

At that moment, a subordinate came to report news from outside: the Akatsuki had retreated.

Kabuto was taken aback, inquiring in detail about the course of battle, and gradually a smile appeared on his face. So, everything had unfolded just as Lord Orochimaru had foreseen!

With Gaara and Chiyo’s enhancements, they now possessed the power to hold their ground against the Akatsuki duo for a short time. Once a stalemate was reached, Jiraiya and Tsunade were bound to intervene to drive away the Akatsuki, out of concern that the Konoha captives might get caught in the crossfire.

Perhaps Gaara and Chiyo lacked the means to kill the Akatsuki duo or had other reasons for holding back, but Jiraiya and Tsunade certainly possessed the power to do so. In reality, the Akatsuki had no pressing reason to fight to the death or force a decisive outcome, making retreat their only real option.

Orochimaru had anticipated everything, while Kabuto was always a step behind.

“No, all of this was orchestrated by Lord Orochimaru in advance!” Kabuto recalled the two things Orochimaru had done: giving Gaara the Byakugan and turning Chiyo into a jinchuriki. These were not merely experiments; they were also countermeasures specifically designed for the Akatsuki duo.

Because with these enhancements, Gaara and Chiyo’s actual combat strength might not be enough to defeat the Akatsuki, but they could at least restrain them. Especially Gaara’s Byakugan, which turned Deidara—once Gaara’s natural enemy—into prey instead, making Gaara the hunter.

“But how could Lord Orochimaru have known that the Akatsuki would send Deidara and Sasori?” Kabuto’s admiration for Orochimaru only deepened.

At that thought, Kabuto suddenly turned to look at Naruto. What was Orochimaru researching Naruto for now? Was he not only conducting experiments but also preparing for some enemy in the future? Who could that enemy be?

“???”

Naruto was startled by Kabuto’s sudden glance. After the destruction of his village and the initial period of collapse, Naruto seemed to have grown up overnight. He was no longer clumsy; instead, he became sharp-witted and stubborn. He vowed to take Orochimaru’s life with his own hands and rebuild the Leaf Village.

Both this goal and his true emotions were hidden deep inside, never easily revealed. He had become the sort of person who could drink with the enemy one moment and draw a blade to kill them the next.

Kabuto gave Naruto a long, searching look, remaining silent. He became ever more certain that Orochimaru’s interest in Naruto went far beyond mere experimentation.

When they arrived at the Snake Cavern, they found not only Orochimaru but also Tsunade, who were together studying a piece of microscopic equipment.

Seeing Kabuto bring Naruto in, Orochimaru smiled slightly and said, “Lie down over there.”

Kabuto understood and motioned for Naruto to lie on the experimental table. Naruto complied without protest.

Orochimaru turned to Tsunade. “I’m about to begin. Watch carefully. If Naruto dies or if the Nine-Tails goes berserk, it would be a disaster.”

Tsunade’s expression grew solemn, and she gave a cold snort.

Orochimaru walked to Naruto’s side, channeled his chakra, and a chakra scalpel appeared in his hand. Meeting Naruto’s steady gaze, he brought the blade down, severing Naruto’s right arm in one swift motion.

At Orochimaru’s signal, Kabuto used medical ninjutsu to stop th