A fierce wind swept around Tenchi Bridge, sending fallen leaves swirling everywhere.
Sasori stared at Kabuto and asked calmly, "Did you obtain what I asked for?"
Kabuto turned around to face Sasori directly, speaking with some difficulty,
"I'm truly sorry, Sasori-sama. I couldn't find what you wanted from Orochimaru-sama."
When Kabuto's face was revealed, Naruto and Sakura—who were hiding nearby—were shocked.
"Kabuto? I didn't expect the one meeting with the Akatsuki to be him. I thought Orochimaru would show up." Naruto muttered, a trace of disappointment flashing deep in his eyes.
Rorin, however, kept his gaze fixed on the two figures at Tenchi Bridge. Quietly activating the Byakugan, he realized with a start that "Sasori" was nothing more than a puppet—completely hollow inside.
He then turned to Chiyo and asked, "Is that your grandson?" They were now less than fifty meters from Tenchi Bridge, close enough to see clearly with the naked eye.
Granny Chiyo's expression grew solemn. She shook her head and said calmly,
"That's not my grandson's appearance. But if I'm not mistaken, that should only be a puppet."
Rorin nodded slightly. Hearing her words, Neji activated his Byakugan and looked through Sasori in the distance.
"That's right. It's a puppet," Neji said flatly.
Gaara frowned. The situation was becoming more and more complicated.
"Looks like we can't detonate the Explosive Tags under the bridge just yet," Kakashi said seriously.
"It seems Sasori and the others are like us—still hiding in the shadows and haven't shown themselves," Rorin added calmly.
...
On Tenchi Bridge.
"Didn't get it? What was the reason—couldn't find it, or something else?" Sasori pressed.
Kabuto quickly raised both hands, pretending to be afraid.
"I've been conducting some experiments under Orochimaru-sama, but he still doesn't fully trust me. He's even wary of me when it comes to certain deeper matters."
Sasori clicked his tongue, then said indifferently,
"In that case, take me to Orochimaru's base. I'll handle it personally."
Kabuto immediately replied respectfully,
"Yes, Sasori-sama. Please follow me."
At that moment, a sound came from the right side of the bridge. Sasori and Kabuto tensed up, focusing their gaze on the source.
"Seems like just a small animal," Kabuto exhaled slowly, as if relieved.
"No need to waste time. Let's go," Sasori urged.
Kabuto nodded. As the two slowly began moving toward the right side of the bridge, Naruto grew anxious.
"What do we do? They're leaving! Should we detonate it?"
As soon as he spoke, Naruto prepared to rush out. If they missed this chance, they might never find Orochimaru again. But Sakura grabbed him and shook her head.
Rorin calmly analyzed from the side: By all logic, Orochimaru should be on the opposite side. Next, the two would walk halfway across the bridge, then Kabuto and Orochimaru would act together—Orochimaru launching a feint while Kabuto quickly retreats to Sasori's side, then suddenly striking him.
Rorin raised his hand. "Don't rush. Wait until they're close to the edge of the bridge."
Naruto reluctantly suppressed his impulse and waited. After all, they were a team—they had to act together.
However, the disturbance Naruto caused earlier had already been noticed by Sasori and Deidara, who were hiding elsewhere.
Sasori said coldly, "So they're hiding too. Hmph."
Deidara asked, "Well? Should I just go deal with them now? Hmm?"
Sasori shook his head. "Orochimaru is the priority. If everything goes smoothly, we can still make use of them later."
After saying that, Sasori refocused on controlling the puppet on Tenchi Bridge. What he had asked Kabuto to obtain was the Edo Tensei technique possessed by Orochimaru.
He wanted to use this jutsu to revive his parents. It was what he desired most. From the moment he learned Orochimaru possessed this technique, he had set his sights on him and placed Kabuto as an insider near him.
But now there was no choice—Kabuto hadn't brought him the technique he wanted. That meant Sasori was now considering taking action against Orochimaru directly.
As Kabuto and Sasori continued walking forward, exactly as Rorin had predicted, things unfolded.
Kabuto and Orochimaru flawlessly put on an act. Kabuto destroyed Sasori's puppet, and as the pieces scattered across the ground, he frowned and muttered,
"Huh? Where's Sasori's real body?"
...
Elsewhere, both sides reacted differently to what was happening on Tenchi Bridge. Rorin's group all showed shocked expressions—yes, including Rorin's own "shock."
"What's going on? Why are they fighting?" Baki, whose presence had been somewhat low, asked in surprise.
On Sasori and Deidara's side, Sasori said in a low voice,
"As expected… my concerns have come true. Kabuto has completely broken free of my control."
Deidara stared at Sasori in astonishment, thinking to himself: As expected of Sasori.
On the bridge, Orochimaru and Kabuto faced each other. Orochimaru gave a ghostly smile and said lightly,
"Interesting. He only sent a puppet."
Kabuto looked at him in confusion.
"Orochimaru-sama, has our plan been exposed?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "Probably just a coincidence. But regardless, Sasori should be nearby. And… there are also some uninvited guests."
Kabuto asked in surprise, "There are others? Who could it be?"
Orochimaru smiled darkly, then turned his gaze toward where Rorin and the others were hiding.
"Do I really need to invite you out?"
"Looks like we've been discovered," Rorin said, rubbing his head with some regret. "I forgot—snakes have infrared sensing."
Everyone nodded. Since they'd already been exposed, there was no need to keep hiding. The only slight trouble was the clay bombs Deidara had left behind, but since they knew the areas where the bombs were placed, they could avoid them as much as possible.
The group then dashed toward Tenchi Bridge. In an instant, they arrived in front of Kabuto and Orochimaru.
Looking at them, Orochimaru smiled and spoke,
"Naruto, Kakashi… we meet again."