Northern hideout

At the hideout, they discover that the guard is missing and are subsequently attacked by a prisoner, who is in the second stage of his cursed seal. Having killed all the guards, the prisoner decides to attack Sasuke, only for Sasuke to cut him down with his sword. As they enter the hideout, they are faced with various other prisoners also in the second stage of their cursed seals, and Sasuke asks Suigetsu to deal with them without killing them

As Sasuke's team make their way through the hideout, Karin sends Suigetsu down the wrong hallway and leads John and Sasuke to Jūgo's cell. Sasuke opens the door. Jūgo enters into a partial transformation and attacks Sasuke, who also undergoes a partial transformation into the second stage of his cursed seal. Repelling Jūgo's attack, Sasuke tells Jūgo that he is not here to fight but to merely talk to him.

As Sasuke attempts to avoid Jūgo's attacks, Suigetsu interferes, blocking the strike with his Kubikiribōchō. Jūgo retaliates with his Destroying Axe Fist but the pair is stopped by Sasuke's Binding Snake Glare Spell, asking them if they both wish to die.

The restraint causes Jūgo to revert back to normal. Outside, Sasuke tells them that his goal is to murder Itachi Uchiha of the Akatsuki and that they are to help him reach his goal. However, he offers them all the choice to join him. Jūgo joins the team as well, wanting to see what kind of shinobi Sasuke is, as his best friend Kimimaro considered Sasuke his "reincarnation". Sasuke then dubs their team as "Hebi"