Chapter 87: Movements in the Background

While Yuna and the rest were fighting Orochimaru, a group of 8 ANBU were speeding through the Forest of Death.

Their leader held a piece of paper with a childish crayon drawing on it. He would occasionally give the drawing a glance and then slightly adjust the direction he was going towards.

When Hiruzen gave the drawing to him, the ANBU leader was sure he was getting pranked by Hiruzen. Now, however, he could only marvel at the usefulness of it.

No matter what obscure methods Kabuto used to hide his tracks, one glance at the arrow on the piece of paper was enough to see through it.

Even a child could track down an experienced shinobi with this.

Kabuto, meanwhile, wasn’t having a good time at all. No matter how many clones he spread out or how often he substituted himself with them or other things, nothing he tried worked at all.

He could feel the ANBU coming closer every second, but there was nothing he could do about it but to run faster.

After a few more minutes of running, however, someone he didn’t expect to appear, appeared.

“Kabuto, what is going on? Why are you being chased by ANBU? Have you blown your cover?”

“I’m sorry, Orochimaru-sama. I don’t know how they found out. I haven’t even done any spy work this month. Worst of all, they can somehow track me down no matter what I do.”

Orochimaru’s eyes widened when he heard that.

‘Are they using a tracking seal? But how did they get it on Kabuto? That should take some time to do.’

” Kabuto, circulate your cha… *cough* *splat*.. “

Without any forewarning, Orochimaru coughed up some blood.

“OROCHIMARU-SAMA!!! What happened!?”

Orochimaru, however, didn’t answer Kabuto. He only looked at the blood he just spat out in disbelief. Moments later his anger burst forth.

“Those damn brats actually killed my special [Blood Clone]! I will make them pay for this!”

‘The worst part is that I don’t even know how it happened. Blood clones tend to live rather long so it would be dangerous if they returned their memories when they die.

Did ANBU reinforcement appear? But even then, I am confident I can run away. Was it sensei? That’s possible. If he got support from those four it might be possible for them to win this fast. After they tricked me the first time, I increased my vigilance so there is no way they lured me into another trap, so that was probably the case.

Shit, I really miscalculated. Since they even managed to put a tracking seal on Kabuto, they must have known that I would be here. Sensei was probably on standby from the start and just waited for me to make a move. I admit that was well played, but I won’t be defeated this easily, sensei.

For now, let’s cut off wherever that tracking seal was placed. I hope it isn’t somewhere necessary, I would hate to lose the, ever useful, Kabuto.’

Kabuto, on the other hand, was bewildered by what he just heard.

‘Orochimaru-sama’s blood clone was killed. This is quite the big deal. He will be weakened for a few weeks from now on. It isn’t even certain that he will have completely recovered when the big event starts. We need to get somewhere safe, so I can treat him as soon as possible.’

Kabuto was just about to say something when Orochimaru gave him a glance that sent shivers through his spine.

“Kabuto, let your Chakra flow on your skin while searching for a place that feels different. The tracking seal will be at that place. I don’t have the time to unravel it right now, so if possible, we’ll have to cut that part off.”

Kabuto sighed in relief when the place he was looking for was just his ankle. A foot is something that can be easily replaced after all.

A few minutes later, The ANBU team that was chasing after Kabuto arrived at their target.

All of them looked at the cut-off foot on the ground and could only shake their heads.

“Seems like he noticed the tracking seal and decisively cut it off his body. He must have had some help, there is no way he could get away from us with only a single foot.

For now, we will keep searching some more. Two of you get back and inform Hokage-sama about what happened.”

“”Yes!””

Hiruzen Sarutobi, meanwhile, was sitting in his office in a good mood.

‘I expected Orochimaru to have a spy or two inside Konoha, so it’s good that he was found. Whatever Orochimaru is planning, this should at least put a small dent in it.

That guy was really unlucky, huh? He simply got exposed because he sat next to Yuna during the chunin exam. He probably still has no clue what is going on. From his perspective, Yuna isn’t involved in the case at all. He was simply partaking in the chunin exam and the next thing he knows is, that a bunch of ANBU are chasing him down.’

Hiruzen chuckled a little when he imagined what kind of weird reason Kabuto would come up with to explain his failure to keep hidden.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door.

“Hokage-sama, I have an important message from Anko Mitarashi-sama.”

“Enter!”

A chunin that was part of the crew responsible for the chunin exam entered the room and immediately kneeled in the middle of the office.

“Mitarashi-sama’s student told her that there is a very high chance that Orochimaru is currently in the Forest of Death.”

Hiruzen’s eyes widened when he heard that.

‘If Yuna is the one to say it, the chance of it being true is rather high. Although she likes messing with people, I don’t think she would do something as stupid as crying wolf. At least not without a good reason for doing so.’

He was just about to get ready for battle himself when there was another knock on the door.

“Hokage-sama, we have an important report from our ANBU captain.”

Hiruzen hesitated for a split second whether to listen to the report now or later, but since it was about a person Yuna claimed to “smell like a snake” there was a rather obvious connection that might be important.

“Come in and follow me to the Forest of Death and make your report while we move. We need to move as soon as we can.”

Although the ANBU outside were startled for a moment, they still entered Hiruzen’s office and prepared to return to the Forest of Death together with Hiruzen.

While they were traveling Hiruzen listened to the report and nodded his head.

‘I see, I guess Kabuto coincidentally met Orochimaru inside the Forest of Death. Orochimaru realized how Kabuto was being tracked so easily and since he didn’t have time to meticulously unravel the seal, he just cut it off. I wonder if there is a reason why Yuna didn’t put it on a more important body part? Might as well ask her when I meet her again.’

While traveling, however, he had a very important realization.

‘Yuna and Anko both know that Orochimaru is inside the Forest of Death. Both of them have a very good reason for being in the Forest of Death, right now. Will they…try to fight Orochimaru? The is no way they would do something that stupid…’

“Hurry up! There is a good chance that Anko is already fighting Orochimaru! Her life might be in danger! We will be moving at top speed from now on!”

“”YES, HOKAGE-SAMA!””