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After switching bodies, Orochimaru was markedly improved in every respect. The most obvious change was that he no longer seemed perpetually drained. He was far more energetic now, and his movements had become much swifter. That said, Orochimaru had been extremely fond of his original appearance. Even after taking possession of the White Zetsu's body, he had still used a jutsu to reshape himself back into his familiar form.
Following his failed sneak attack, Orochimaru had also become considerably more subdued. He no longer adopted an antagonistic attitude toward Midorima, but instead regarded him with what could only be described as curiosity. Every now and then, when he looked at Midorima, his eyes would take on a distant, unfocused quality. It made Midorima deeply uncomfortable. Orochimaru might have earned himself the nickname "Aunt Snake," but that certainly didn't mean Midorima enjoyed being stared at by a man with such an inexplicable expression.
"What do you want?" Midorima finally voiced his internal misgivings once they had put a suitable distance between themselves and the White Zetsu.
"Nothing... I'm simply curious about you, that's all."
"Huh?" Midorima blinked, regarding Orochimaru with even greater wariness. "Curious?"
"That's right. When I first met you, you were nothing but a greenhorn shinobi. How many years has it been since then? Now, I can't even gauge the depth of your strength. So I've decided to observe you," Orochimaru said with a smile.
Midorima rolled his eyes. He had no desire to be scrutinized like a lab rat. But with the Akatsuki as their common enemy, he had no choice but to cooperate with Orochimaru for the time being.
"I'm hardly the only person worth observing."
"I'll decide that once I've found the others," Orochimaru replied.
Unwilling to remain tangled in this topic any longer, Midorima shifted the conversation. "The Reanimation Jutsu requires cellular tissue from the deceased. Without it, even if we capture enough White Zetsu, we won't be able to perform the jutsu."
"That's correct, but at the moment we have our hands full," Orochimaru said.
"Let's leave the task of gathering cells to Kabuto and Jūgo. Once we've secured enough White Zetsu, we can proceed with the Reanimation Jutsu immediately," Midorima proposed.
The corner of Orochimaru's mouth curled upward. "If the other great shinobi villages ever learn of your intentions, they'll likely hate you for the rest of their lives. The dead were never meant to reappear in this world, and yet here you are, disturbing their peace."
"Wrong. It's you who will be disturbing them," Midorima corrected, shaking his head.
Orochimaru's smile stiffened.
"Besides," Midorima continued, "although using the Reanimation Jutsu is disrespectful to the deceased, we have to look forward. For one thing, they'll be able to see their descendants one more time, and the younger generation may draw some comfort from seeing those they've lost. For another, if their participation in the battle can reduce the death toll by even a single person, I believe it's worth it. After all, the future of the shinobi world belongs to those who are still alive."
"I never imagined you'd thought this through so thoroughly," Orochimaru remarked in surprise.
"If I hadn't thought it through this thoroughly, do you think I'd still be alive?" Midorima countered.
Orochimaru said nothing more.
"Alright, find a way to contact Kabuto immediately. Tell him to take Jūgo and begin searching for the cellular tissue of the deceased," Midorima instructed.
"Why do I have to be the one to go?" Orochimaru asked.
"If you don't go, are you expecting me to?" Midorima replied, his expression incredulous.
Orochimaru's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. How can you say something so shameless with such utter self-assurance? Left with no alternative, Orochimaru used one of his summoning snakes to relay the message to Kabuto.
At the same time, Deidara, who had been speeding through the air on the back of a giant bird in hot pursuit of Midorima and Orochimaru, was forced to land alongside Kisame and Mui. A gap in his information had left him directionless.
"What's the matter?" Kisame called from his own giant bird behind Deidara, his expression puzzled.
"The forest is too dense. I'm afraid I'll lose their trail. I need to verify the information with Zetsu again," Deidara explained.
Even as the words left his mouth, a figure, half black and half white, materialized from the trunk of the nearest large tree.
"Zetsu, have you located them?" Deidara asked.
"Midorima and Orochimaru are roughly five kilometers from here," Zetsu said, pointing straight ahead. "But there's a new problem."
"What is it?"
"There's another squad heading in this direction." Zetsu gestured to the left. "Four people in total."
"Huh? Could they just be shinobi passing through? We're short on time," Kisame said.
"No. They're shinobi from the Leaf Village, in their twenties," Zetsu clarified.
"What are they doing all the way out here?" Deidara's brow furrowed. The Akatsuki's last experience in the Leaf Village hadn't exactly been pleasant.
"Don't forget, we still have the Nine-Tails jinchūriki in our custody," Zetsu reminded him.
"So what do we do now?" Deidara asked. "Split up?"
"We don't have much choice," Kisame said.
"I'll handle that bunch from the Leaf Village. Midorima is all yours," Deidara declared immediately. If there was any way to avoid it, he wanted no part in fighting Midorima. A confrontation with that man was pure torment for Deidara. Midorima could materialize right in front of him without warning, and then proceed to beat him senseless before he even had a chance to self-destruct. Running away might be shameful, but it was effective. Until he could genuinely defeat Midorima, he had to exercise extreme caution.
"By yourself? That might not be enough. Why don't I send Mui with you?" Kisame suggested.
"No," Deidara shook his head. "Midorima is stronger. Even if the three of you go after him, there's no guarantee you'll win. And don't forget, you're still in the middle of recovery."
"Don't forget, Pain is right behind us. He can reinforce us at any moment," Kisame countered.
Deidara was about to argue further when Mui voluntarily stepped over to his side. His recent clash with Midorima had been the closest he had ever come to death. Even now, the memory sent a chill through him. If there were any way to avoid a second round with Midorima, he would take it. Now that this opportunity had suddenly presented itself, he'd be a fool not to seize it.
And so, the four of them split into two groups. Deidara and Mui would deal with the newly appeared Leaf Village squad, while Kisame and Zetsu would handle Orochimaru and Midorima.
"Do you honestly think the two of us can actually capture Midorima?" Kisame asked plainly.
"No," Zetsu answered truthfully.
"Then what should we do?" Kisame asked.
"We tail them. The Animal Path will be here soon," Zetsu said.
"That'll do." Kisame cast one last glance in the direction Deidara and Mui had gone, then disappeared into the forest alongside Zetsu without a moment's hesitation.
...
After departing the Leaf Village, Shikaku and his team had pushed steadily eastward and soon crossed into the territory of the Hidden Rain Village. The moment they entered the region, Shikaku's nerves pulled completely taut. He repeatedly warned his comrades that their mission was solely to locate traces of Naruto. The instant they found anything, they were to turn back immediately. Yet even as he said this, he had long since prepared himself for the worst possible outcome—even if it meant death, he would cover his teammates' retreat.
"Be on guard, someone's approaching," Sō Hyūga announced suddenly. In an instant, the entire team shifted into full combat readiness.
"Where?" Shikaku asked.
"Above us," Sō replied, his Byakugan already activated, his gaze lifted toward the sky.
Shikaku Nara, Tsume Inuzuka, and Might Guy all raised their heads. A giant bird was flying directly toward them.