Kabuto blocks his vision with his hood as a means of evading the Uchiha's visual genjutsu, then starts the fight by unleashing multiple snakes at the two brothers. Both Itachi and Sasuke evade the snakes, then used their Susano'os to grab hold of them. As the fight continues, Kabuto tells Sasuke that he is underestimating him, and soon later, reveals that he possesses similar variations of some of the abilities of Taka: Suigetsu's flesh-liquid transformations, Karin's accelerated healing abilities, and Jugo's ability to utilize nature energy, though unlike Jugo, he doesn't utilize it through a Curse Mark Seal. Then he reveals that Orochimaru found the legendary Ry?chi Cave, but since his body couldn't tolerate nature energy, Orochimaru was unable to use it. Sometime after Orochimaru's death, Kabuto entered the same cave, and with a tolerant body, was trained by the White Snake Sage, giving him the ability to enter Sage Mode. Sasuke says that Kabuto is nothing different from Orochimaru, a "disgusting" snake. An amused Kabuto stops him and states that he had evolved into a dragon as the latter enters Sage Mode, with multiple short white horns growing on Kabuto's head. Back at the Five Kage's fight against the reanimated Madara, the Five Kage face the 25 wood clones. Then Madara makes all of the clones use Susano'o, destroying the Kages's assumptions of it being impossible. ?noki tells the other Kages that they should face the clones not individually, but as a group of five. Meanwile, Itachi and Sasuke continue their fight against Kabuto, who at some point unleahes a powerful technique with an extremely bright white sphere that temporarily blinds enemies and, with its very high pitched sound, pains the listener's ears. This attack disorients and immobilizes the two brothers enough for them to lose maintainment of their Susano'os, but leaves Kabuto unaffected due to his abilities. However Itachi manages to counter the technique just in time for him to block Kabuto's attacks, and he asks Sasuke if he remembered the plan they used while on a mission hunting a wild boar that once pested people until Itachi put a stop to it. Sasuke remembers and puts the plan into action, launching an arrow at Kabuto. Kabuto attempts to free himself from the arrow and with Itachi rushing in, he grabs the sword and stabs him. It is however revealed to be a crow clone. The real Itachi then cuts off one of Kabuto's horns. Itachi says that Sasuke right now would have been able to take down that boar. Sasuke notes to Itachi that instead of a wild boar, they have to take down the snake standing before them.