Chapter 62: The Action of Akatsuki

Chapter 62: The Action of Akatsuki

Chapter 62: The Action of Akatsuki

**Swoosh! Swoosh!**

The wind howled.

Sasuke sped through the forest, letting the gusts blow his black hair straight back. His sharp eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings, alert for any movement.

Suddenly, he noticed something and swiftly stopped, hiding behind a large tree. He cautiously peeked out to look ahead.

"One, two, three, four. It's a Konoha patrol squad."

Konoha's forces weren't all concentrated in the village.

Aside from the border guard units, there were numerous patrol squads outside Konoha, serving as an early warning system to prevent enemy incursions.

The recent Chūnin Exams had drawn many VIPs and tourists, causing Konoha to reallocate many external squads to maintain internal security. This lapse allowed the surprise attack to succeed so easily.

Learning from that, Konoha had now intensified its external patrols, even with tight resources, to avoid another unexpected assault.

After waiting for the patrol squad to pass, Sasuke resumed his journey.

The Sound Four faced similar obstacles but, being stronger, could force their way through any unavoidable encounters with Konoha ninja.

Thus, despite the distance Sasuke had gained, the Sound Four managed to keep up.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru's squad, although the last to set out, utilized their home-field advantage to steadily close the gap.

In the grand scheme, the distances between Sasuke, the Sound Four, and Shikamaru's squad were gradually shrinking over time.

But they weren't the only ones in play.

The news of Konoha's last Uchiha's defection had already reached interested parties, even though it had happened only recently.

**Beep-beep.**

In a dim underground base, Orochimaru, lying on a hospital bed and hooked up to an IV, suddenly sat up, crying out in pain.

"The new drug didn't even last a day. Is it still not enough?" Kabuto sighed, adjusting his glasses as he stood by.

"Where...where is Sasuke?" Orochimaru, sweating profusely from the pain, glanced at his bandaged arms and asked urgently.

"There's been a complication," Kabuto replied. "According to the latest report from Tayuya and the others, Sasuke has left the village but didn't join them."

However, Itachi, possessing his own Mangekyō Sharingan and a deep mind, was the only one Obito couldn't fully control.

Thus, he had Kisame, his loyal subordinate, partner with Itachi to keep an eye on him.

Fortunately, Itachi's health issues somewhat alleviated Obito's concerns.

"Why did Sasuke defect?" Obito asked.

Zetsu shook his head. "Not sure yet. But there's another tidbit—Orochimaru's men are pursuing him."

"Orochimaru..."

Hearing the name, Obito tapped his fingers on the iron railing.

As an Akatsuki defector, Orochimaru was under a kill-on-sight order from Pain. Obito also wanted to eliminate this snake, who knew too much about the organization.

But Orochimaru had always been slippery, evading capture despite several Akatsuki raids on his bases.

"If I recall, Itachi and Kisame are still in the Land of Fire?" Obito asked.

"Yes. After failing to capture the Nine-Tails, they remained in the Land of Fire. It's a large country, after all," Zetsu replied cheerfully.

"Inform Itachi about this. He will know what to do. Also, notify Pain," Obito instructed.

Knowing Itachi's nature, Obito was confident of his next steps.

This was a perfect opportunity to sever Orochimaru's reach and ensure nothing jeopardized his plans for Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Additionally, interrogating Orochimaru's subordinates might reveal his location, which many in Akatsuki were eager to discover.

With such a dual benefit, Obito felt the plan was flawless.

Zetsu dutifully went to relay the messages.

Soon, Pain responded.

Seizing a chance to eliminate the Akatsuki traitor, Pain wouldn't miss out.

Using the Akatsuki rings for remote communication, Pain contacted Itachi and Kisame miles away.

Receiving the orders, Kisame's shark-like face twisted into a grin. He turned to Itachi and said, "Itachi, looks like we'll see your dear brother again."

Itachi calmly donned his hat, the clear ring of his wind chimes sounding as he replied:

"He was never the target."