"Let's go."
Kabuto watched Yukimaru finish eating, then stood up and said.
"Okay."
Yukimaru obediently got up, and the two continued heading towards a certain place.
They walked and rested, and before they knew it, the sun had risen to its highest point and slowly begun to descend again.
Seeing that the sun was about to sink below the horizon once more, Kabuto stopped.
He looked around the environment, scattered some powder to repel wild animals and insects in the vicinity, then said, "Wait here. I'm going to a place first."
"Okay."
Yukimaru didn't ask where he was going; he just obediently agreed.
It was as if he had no desires of his own.
Although he occasionally talked a lot,
Kabuto had spent a long time with Yukimaru and was familiar with his personality.
Hearing Yukimaru's reply, he nodded, then his figure flickered and disappeared from the spot.
Without needing to drag along the dead weight of Yukimaru, Kabuto moved quickly and arrived at a hidden secret base.
This was indeed one of Orochimaru's secret bases.
And the person managing this place was one of the targets of his trip, Guren.
But before he could even get close, several thick pink crystal pillars suddenly erupted from the ground.
Kabuto retreated repeatedly, his violent movements causing his hood to flip back.
"I thought it was someone, turns out it's you."
A woman who seemed quite bold stood atop a pillar, looking down at Kabuto. "I thought there was an intruder."
"You did that on purpose, didn't you, Guren."
Kabuto had a smile on his face, but his eyes were full of killing intent.
But this killing intent was quickly suppressed.
"How could that be."
Guren chuckled lightly, then jumped down from the crystal pillar and came before Kabuto. "What's the matter, you coming all this way?"
"Orochimaru-sama wants to see you."
Kabuto said flatly, watching the change in Guren's expression.
"Orochimaru-sama?"
Guren was momentarily stunned, then revealed a wildly joyful smile.
"I didn't expect Orochimaru-sama to still remember me! Hahaha!"
"Being sent to this remote place back then, I thought I had been abandoned. I never imagined he still remembered me!!"
Kabuto watched this woman shouting wildly with joy, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes.
Although Guren did possess a strong Kekkei Genkai, her personality greatly displeased Kabuto.
Of course, his intense dislike for Guren might also be related to some past entanglements.
Anyway, he simply couldn't stand this woman.
But this woman was still useful to Orochimaru; he couldn't dispose of her privately.
"Follow me."
After being wildly happy for a while, Guren finally composed herself.
She led Kabuto into the secret base.
While it was called a secret base, it was more like an arena.
Below was an open space underground.
Surrounding it were rows upon rows of cells, filled with imprisoned people.
These people all bore traces of the Cursed Seal.
They were all survivors of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal.
But their strength was inferior to the Sound Four beside Orochimaru, so they were imprisoned here.
Guren was responsible for overseeing these people.
Of course, she also had the right to execute them at will.
"Since I'm going to meet Orochimaru-sama, going alone would be a bit embarrassing."
A strange smile on her face, Guren looked at those imprisoned people.
Then, she shouted loudly, "I'm giving you a chance to follow me. Go ahead and fight to your hearts' content. Only the strong who survive can become my subordinates."
With her shout, the cell doors opened one by one, and all the people were driven to the open space above ground.
Now, with so many people crowded there, it looked even more like an arena.
"What are you planning to do?"
Kabuto watched silently, the smile fading from his face.
He didn't like Guren's approach.
After all, each of these people had value as experimental subjects.
If they just killed each other off like this, it was actually a waste.
As a researcher, he disliked this kind of waste.
But Guren wasn't a researcher; what she wanted now were just a few subordinates she could show off.
As for how many would survive, she didn't care.
The slaughter quickly began.
Under the influence of the Cursed Seal, they were already filled with killing intent and destructive urges.
The powerful strength the Cursed Seal had arbitrarily given them allowed them to vent the violence within their hearts.
No one begged for mercy here.
The smell of blood aroused everyone's desire to kill.
Chaos and slaughter ran wild.
Standing on the high ground, Guren's face wore an unrestrained smile, her eyes carrying a hint of anticipation.
Kabuto, on the other hand, was expressionless.
He grew to hate Guren even more.
Finally, the sounds of killing gradually weakened.
The fighting continued, but eighty percent of the people had already fallen.
"Enough!"
Guren shouted loudly, instantly making those still fighting below stop.
Just then, a large man, using a limb that had transformed into a cannon, fired a blast infused with Chakra.
Boom!
Guren was instantly engulfed by the explosion.
"Hahaha!"
The large man laughed heartily, but before he could speak, he found another figure beside him.
It was Guren.
"I said stop."
Guren's smile was gone.
With a casual wave of her hand, the large man's head flew off, as if severed by an invisible blade.
This move immediately intimidated everyone.
"Alright, you've passed."
The smile reappeared on Guren's face. "From today onwards, you are my subordinates."
"Now, follow me out of here."
Having said that, she directly turned around, not fearing a sneak attack at all.
"Wait."
A voice called out to her. "Where are you trying to take us?"
"Where?"
Guren tilted her head, looking back at the speaker, a smile of anticipation mixed with arrogance on her face.
"To meet Orochimaru-sama, of course."
Hearing this name, everyone's bodies trembled.
They still remembered that snake-like man and what he had done to them.
He was an existence they could not possibly resist.
After speaking, Guren ignored them and leaped away.
These people glanced at each other, then silently followed.
The changes caused by the Cursed Seal on their bodies had also subsided, returning to normal human appearance.
As for Kabuto, he had somehow already left.
Guren didn't mind.
What she wanted most now was to reach Orochimaru's location as soon as possible.
She couldn't wait.