The web makes for strange bedfellows. Witness the latest news from Yahoo, which late today announced a limited test to monetize its search traffic with a little help from rival Google.

The test will only affect U.S. traffic from Yahoo.com. Yahoo said it would limit the test to two weeks. Only three percent of Yahoo's search traffic will see ads from Google's AdSense.

Yahoo officials were not quoted in the press release. However, the decision comes at a critical time for the company, which is currently fending off a near-hostile takeover bid from rival Microsoft.

An anonymous source at Google told The Associated Press that a long-term deal -- presumably something that could come after the two-week experiment -- would be the only way for Yahoo to remain independent.

For its part, Microsoft has objected to the test.

"Any definitive agreement between Yahoo and Google would consolidate over 90 percent of the search advertising market in Google's hands," Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said in a statement.

While that number is not confirmed, Google's recent acquisition of DoubleClick certainly highlights the company's growing control of the web.

One thing is for certain, the test certainly will add more bile to the already tense talks between Yahoo and Microsoft. While Microsoft said it's still looking at its options, the decision can only serve to increase the bad blood between the two companies, according to All Things Digital.

In fact, TechCrunch interpreted the test simply as a move in a "chess match" between Microsoft and Yahoo. But CNET observed that the test also highlights the failure that was Panama, Yahoo's last ad serving solution. 

But whether the test is solely a jab at Microsoft or part of a larger effort to increase returns on its search traffic, one thing is clear: Yahoo has been in full development mode these past few weeks. With Microsoft playing hardball, Yahoo has been on a blitz to promote AMP, its next ad serving platform, which is expected to be ready this summer. The company also made headlines with Shine, a new site designed for women. And earlier today, Yahoo picked up IndexTools, a web analytics firm, for an undisclosed sum.