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  In an unknown location Orochimaru was leaning against the wall watg Shizune desperately try to stabilize her teacher with a malicious grin.

  'Just as I thought. Her vital rea is much better than all of my previous test subjects. But this is still a delicate moment. Things could g at any moment. But if I succeed, I'll be that much closer to achieving my ambition.'

  As he watched the young medic work he noticed a paper with a seal on the nearby wall suddenly burn to ssh. The Snake Sannin's grin slightly widened as he saw the paper go up in fmes. 'So they found the body huh. They must have gotten the information from Mizuki somehow. Well, it won't matter.'

  Orochimaru's mio the st time met with Ko Yamanaka.

  Fshback.

  Knock! Knock!

  Orochimaru only had to wait a couple seds before the door opened. He saw the surprise on Ko's fad couldn't help but grin.

  "Lord Orochimaru. Please e inside. I just fihe task you assigned me."

  "Kukuku… Hello Ko. I take it that everythi well."

  "Yes Lord Orochimaru. Mizuki just left a few minutes ago. I did just as you asked and got the payment right here."

  Orochimaru could see that the blonde ninja was nervous and trying to hide that fact.

  "Good. I knew I could t on you. There is one more thing I need you to do."

  "Whatever you need my Lord." Ko replied and gave a small bow. Orochimaru's grin widened as he looked at the man.

  The Grass Sword suddenly appeared from Orochimaru's sleeve. The Sannin grabbed it and sshed at Ko with murderous i. "Die for me."

  The Yamanaka ninja quickly reacted and was able to avoid the killing strike but he was still wouhere was a deep ssh across his chest.

  Orochimaru smiled as he saw that. "Very good Ko. You wouldn't have been able to avoid that strike if you weren't vigint against me… And if I wasn't toying with you… Hihi…"

  Ko was grim as he looked at his oppo. He knew just how dangerous the man in front of him was. "Wh-why? I have served loyally…"

  Hearing that excuse Orochimaru's expression ged into one of mock disappoi. "Why do you lie to me Ko? Hihihi…"

  The Yamanaka ninja was silent and was thinking of ways to escape. 'He knows. Damn it. But I was so sure that I wasn't followed…'

  The smile on the snake Sannin's face vanished and Ko began to feel his killing i.

  "I followed you to your meeting with the Leaf Anbu. I saw that Anbu f your hand. I know you're spying on me uhreat from the Hokage. I could have killed both of you then and there but… Well, I had a better idea."

  Ko immediately knew what Orochimaru did. "You want to use me to feed them false intelligence."

  "Yes. That was the inal pn. I know you were keeping an eye on my shipments and their routes. I thought about using you to send them on a wild goose chase but I've ged my mind."

  Before Ko could use any seals to and try to escape, Orochimaru vanished from his position and Ko was stabbed through the heart from behind.

  "It's better if they had no i all." The cruel Sannin whispered in Ko's ear. He sehe man's vitals drop and in seds the spy was dead and on the ground.

  Orochimaru looked at the dead man bleeding on the floor with no outward rea. 'My pns 't have any wrinkles. I o make sure all the variables are in my favor.'

  He quickly sealed the body in a scroll ahe after setting up the trap.

  Fshbad.

  'No loose ends.' Orochimaru thought as he looked at Shizune and the unscious Tsunade. 'Hmm… I wonder whered my trap?'

  —-

  BOOOM!

  Daichi, Anko and Genma watched the explosion from behind a tree several meters away from the bst.

  "That's a big explosion. I guess he really did y a trap for whoever came here." Genma said with a raised eyebrow as he saw the fiery smoke rising into the sky.

  "Shadow es for the win." Anko said with a whistle.

  The three ninjas got the memories of their es and couldn't help but sigh. "So much for colleg evidend clues." Genma spoke as he looked at the destroyed .

  "We do know a few things." Daichi suddenly spoke and the two Jonin turheir attention to him.

  "I saw the wounds on that man's body. A ssh wound across the chest from a sword and a stab wound to the heart. And he died about a week ago." Daichi looked at the destroyed and then turned his attention to the iory list infront of him.

  In it the test item was the hand of Ko Yamanaka. 'This will definitely e in handy.'

  "Orochimaru is being too careful. Something tells me we won't have any luck following our other leads." Anko spoke as she looked at the burning with a dark frown.

  Daichi's eyes narrowed as he looked at the inferno. 'I 't waste anymore time. This is the best opportunity. Time to put my pns into a.'

  "I'm going to expand my search. We 't give up." Daichi spoke while making the seal for the Shadow e jutsu.

  5 solid es popped up in a rge puff of smoke. Uhe cover of the smoke and in just a split sed the real Daichi gave two of his es a scroll. Of the 5 shadow es created, two of them had very specifistrus.

  With Daichi's two es.

  The five es vanished in different dires. But two of them had certain goals in mind.

  One was making his way towards the Fire Capital. He jumped into a thick vegetation part in the forest and immediately used Mana scout.

  'Alright. Good. I'm alone.'

  The shadow e immediately used 'Mana Cloak' skill and became invisible. 'This skill bends light and makes the user invisible and also masks the st. But there is still the problem of chakra sensing.'

  Knowing that a sensor ninja could find him, Daichi used 'Chakra Suppression' skill . 'Now I'm uable. Time to meet that man.'

  A near uable Daichi quickly began to make his way to the capital.

  The sed e was making his way to the border. Uhe first e, after making sure he was alohe shadow e opehe scroll the real Daichi gave him. In it was Atamagai's invisibility cloak. He quickly put it on and rushed toward his destination.

  The e's target: Orochimaru's Main base in the Land of sound.

  Time: 2:30pm.

  With the real Daichi.

  The trio of ninjas were quickly making their way to the capital. Daichi's mind was owo es he sent out for the special operations.

  'All the information Amachi gave me has been examined. If Orochimaru is not in that base this is the best time for me to infiltrate it. But if someone like Jugo is there, then it's best that I not use the cloak ihe cloak will help me stay uhe radar and save me a good k of my mental energy. I'll save my Mana points till I reach the base and then I'll switch to using Mana cealment skills.'

  Daichi remembered the information his observe showed him on the cloak.

  [This cloak absorbs, stores and when activated, uses nature energy in jun with mana energy of the wearer.

  Note: Sages rofit in utilizing nature chakra detect the cloak eve is active.]

  'Jugo utilizes nature energy. Even if it's untrolled if he somehow senses me, things will get much more plicated. I better not take that ce. I don't know if things ged in this time line so I better not risk it.'

  At that time Genma spoke. "Orochimaru is taking every measure to ehat we know nothing about his pns. But we still o iigate Nam's whereabouts just to make sure. But if we don't find anything in a few hours then we'll return to the vilge."

  Anko and Daiodded and soon they reached the capital gates. The ninjas showed their identification and sooered the Capital and began their search.

  Land of Rain.

  Konan walked through the dimly lit hall of her base. She was soon standing behind an e haired man who was looking out the window with a stoic gaze. The sound of heavy rain made them feel almost peaceful… Almost.

  "Pain. It's time." Konan spoke in a soft too her friend and the leader of the anization.

  Nagato nodded and closed his eyes. Moments ter when he opened his eyes he was standing on the fiips of a rge statue in a giant cave and all the members of the Akatsuki were present.

  "About time you got here."

  Kakuzu frow his partner's tone. "Show our leader respect Hidan."

  "Yeah yeah." Hidan stuck a pinky finger into his ear as he listeo his partner and gave a nont reply.

  Kakuzu could only growl at his partner's antics.

  "Hey Kakuzu. Are you gonna take that disrespect my man?" Deidara looked at the two with a grin trying to fan the fmes of tensioweewo.

  "Mind your own business you ugly bomber." Hidan looked at Deidara's shimmering holographic image and spoke.

  "Who're you calling ugly you stupid cultist?"

  "Calm down Deidara." Sasori spoke in a gruff voice.

  "Hey e one Sasori. Who's side are you on?"

  Itachi, Konan asu were silent as they watched the antics of the other members.

  At this time Kisame looked at Pain and Konan and spoke. "You know Itachi and I were in the middle of trag our targets though the Land of Snow whesu showed up. He said it was something important. So what happened?"

  Everyone quieted down and turheir attention to their leader.

  Pain was silent for a few seds before he replied. "Last night Orochimaru attacked and abducted Tsunade Senju audent Shizu the border of the Fire try and the Hidden Waterfall vilge."

  The eyes of several people widened as they heard that news.

  "Wow. He actually went after his former teammate? What a ruthless guy." Deidara spoke with a small chuckle.

  "You're oo talk." Sasori mumbled under his breath.

  "That should be near impossible. The Leaf would have patrol squads hat area. How did they miss su attack?" Itachi asked in a calm tone. He was the one who was most familiar with the defenses of the Leaf vilge in the room other thasu.

  "Orochimaru killed one of the patrol squad he border and the Leaf at the time was more focused on taining the prisohat happe night." Zetsu replied.

  "Prison break? Looks like a lot of exg things are happening in your former vilge Itachi." Kisame said with a chuckle while the Uchiha remained silent.

  Zetsu began inf them about the situation at the Leaf vilge. From the theft of the Forbidden Scroll to the prison break and finally Orochimaru's attack.

  "Do we know why Orochimaru would go after her at this time?" Kakuzu asked Pain.

  "It could be for her bloodline. He's had a fasation with woodstyle jutsu and the power of the First Hokage." Bck Zetsu replied.

  Itachi meanwhile was trying to figure out a way to inform the vilge of the information he was gathering here. 'If anything happens to Tsu would make the other vilges bolder and they would start to act. Things are bound to go out of trol in such a sario. They o find her as quickly as possible before anything happens.'

  "Has information about this i spread to the other vilges?" Itachi asked with a calm tone.

  "No. Based on my observation, even amongst the Leaf vilge only a handful of people know the matter. Several high level Jonin who are iigating the attack, her student Daichi and the Hokage." Bck Zetsu replied.

  "Where do you think that snake hid them?" Deidara asked.

  "Attag one of the Sannin and a member of the Senju is bound t Orochimaru trouble. But abdug them. If it were me I wouldn't even stay in the try for a while… But then again I might… just to see who would e after me…" Kisame said with a blood thirsty grin.

  "Any information on Orochimaru's movements?" Itachi asked with a nont tone.

  Bck Zetsu was silent as he heard Itachi's question. He khe man y. 'Obito didn't say to keep the information hidden. So he must have a way to stop Itachi from tag the vilge.'

  "I was able to analyze his travel patterns for the st several months and I might have something. There is a ce he's in the Earth try." Bck Zetsu replied after careful sideration.

  "I don't think he could be ione vilge. That damn old Tsuchikage wouldn't trust Orochimaru o and he wouldn't give him any assistance or hide that snake in his vilge." Deidara quickly shook his head and replied.

  "I didn't say the Hidden stone vilge. I said he might be in the Earth try. And you're right Deidara. Based on my intel, Orochimaru didn't go to the vilge. He met with someone ione Royal court. But I don't know any more. He mao keep things hidden even from me."

  Deidara nodded in uanding. "Ohh that makes more sense. Oh man. That old man is not gonna be happy if anything happens." He chuckled as he imagined Onoki's angry expression if he heard the hat Orochimaru and Tsunade were in his try.

  "If the other vilges find out about the situation in the vilge, they would defiry to take advantage." Sasori khat everyone would be looking to tear a piece of the Fire try if they showed any signs of weaknesses.

  "Yes. That's why we'll o monitor the situation closely. And if the opportunity arises then we take advantage as well." Pain replied.

  "What about Tsunade's student?" Kakuzu suddenly inquired.

  "Shizune? She was also taken. Whereabouts unknown." Zetsu replied.

  "No. Not her. I'm talking about Daichi Hekima." Kakuzu had a grin as he asked this question.

  "Hey Kakuzu. You going after that kid?" Hidan asked his partner.

  "I'm sidering it."

  "Based on my information, he left the vilge this m with Jonins Anko and Genma."

  "What are you think of, Kakuzu?" Pain asked the man.

  "Based on what we know, that kid is quite the medija. He could be a valuable bargaining chip for us. Maybe even hold him for a nice ransom."

  Pain was thoughtful as he heard that. 'If he could heal my legs then I'll be that much stronger.'

  "The Leaf vilge is on high alert. All movements throughout the try are being monitored." Bck Zetsu replied.

  "Where is Daiow?" Pain suddenly asked Zetsu.

  "Hmm. If I'm right, his team should be he capital. Are you pnning on going after that kid Pain?"

  The leader of the Akatsuki anization nodded. He turned his attention to the Zombie brothers. "Kakuzu, Hidan. Your tasks have ged. Track Daichi Hekima and subdue him. Then bring him to me."

  "Alright. Let's go kill some Leaf vilgers." Hidaement was visible to everyone.

  "No. You should only go after Daichi if he's alone or if there is only minimum prote. You're not allowed to attack the Leaf vilge or cause too much chaos in the Fire try. anization still o maintain anonymity." Pain gave the order.

  "What about the rest of us?" Kisame asked while Itachi remained silent.

  "You'll plete the current tasks and wait for further instrus. Depending on how this situation develops, we might have to take a."

  "Uood."

  "That is all." With that Pain's figure disappeared from the cave and then everyone else left as well.

  —-

  Somewhere in the Land of Snow.

  Itachi opened his eyes and slowly stood from his spot. He began to make his way towards the nearby woods while his partood and stretched his arms. Itachi only took a couple of steps before he saw a masked figure hidden in the shadows of the woods.

  'Madara. He's making it obvious that he's watg me. It seems I won't be able to send ao the vilge…'

  "What is it, Itachi?" Kisame came up from behind and asked.

  "It's nothing. Let's go." Itachi gave a short reply and started moving in another dire.