Chapter 89:
"It lost contact? A barrier maybe?" Orochimaru muttered to himself, deep in thought.
"It seems like staying here any longer could be risky. If I get noticed by Zetsu, it could turn into a real problem."
With that realization, Orochimaru quickly memorized the surrounding terrain and decided to leave, heading in the opposite direction to avoid detection.
The fly he had used to track Madara was a mechanical construct, not a living creature. It didn't have any advanced AI or thinking capability. Instead, it operated solely based on Orochimaru's direct instructions. The orders were simple: remain invisible and follow Madara, keeping a two-meter distance at all times.
Yet, the connection had been severed so abruptly.
"Strange," Orochimaru mused. "It's like the signal just vanished… a barrier, most likely."
He had experimented with the flies before, and typically, simple stone doors couldn't block their signals. The fact that it lost contact so suddenly could only mean one thing: some sort of advanced barrier inside the mountain. And knowing that Madara was involved, it had to be something strong enough to prevent any surveillance from the outside.
Orochimaru wasn't eager to probe further. Right now, Madara was far too strong, and pushing his luck would be akin to walking into certain death. As powerful as Orochimaru was, facing Madara in his current state would be nothing short of suicide.
With a swift motion, Orochimaru pulled away the human skin mask, returning to his original appearance, and quickly disappeared into the jungle under the moonlight.