Guren had immense respect for Orochimaru.
But the people behind her might not.
They still remembered that unforgettable moment.
Lying on the experimental table, letting that man perform all kinds of inhumane experiments on them.
Just thinking about it made them shudder.
Although they were temporarily following Guren,
They had no intention of going with Guren to find Orochimaru at all.
Soon, they discovered their thoughts were all quite similar.
So, after a brief exchange, they accelerated past Guren and blocked her way.
Then they surrounded her completely.
"What are you trying to do?"
Guren's expression turned cold.
She looked around at them, a trace of impatience flashing in her eyes.
She just wanted to see Orochimaru as soon as possible.
She had no time to waste with these small fries.
"You want to go find Orochimaru, that's your business."
One person stepped forward and said, "But we're not going with you."
"Oh really?"
Guren looked at him as if looking at a dead man. "So?"
"To ensure no one knows we escaped, you have to die here, woman."
As he spoke, he directly transformed.
The power of the Cursed Seal spread over his entire body, turning him into a strange form.
The others also transformed one after another.
"What a bother."
Guren had a headache. "Going to see Orochimaru-sama without a single subordinate would be too embarrassing."
"Hmph! Arrogant talk."
That person continued, "Do you think you can leave alive facing so many of us?"
"Idiot."
Guren spat out flatly.
And not far away,
A few people watched this farce calmly.
"They can't even see clearly the opponent's strength, truly a bunch of fools."
A slightly handsome guy with light green hair let out a disdainful remark.
"That's why they'll die, and we'll live."
Another man wearing a mask sat nearby and said.
The battle ended quickly.
After Guren dealt with those idiots, she came before these people.
"What are you planning to do?"
She looked at these few, her expression relaxed, as if dealing with dozens of Cursed Seal users wasn't much trouble.
"We greatly admire Orochimaru-sama. He's truly a man of courage. Being able to work for him is our honor."
The handsome green-haired guy spread his hands, indicating he had no hostile intent.
The others didn't speak, but their meaning was clear.
They didn't want to die here.
"Good."
Guren nodded satisfactorily.
At least she wasn't without any subordinates.
"Keep moving."
She left a command, then disappeared from the spot.
The others quickly followed.
Passing by the bodies of those Guren had dealt with, they couldn't help but feel a hint of emotion.
"Beautiful."
Under the moonlight, the pink crystals created by Guren's unique Kekkei Genkai emitted a soft, faint glow.
And those people were frozen within the crystals, displayed like works of art.
It had a strangely beautiful aesthetic.
They glanced only once, then followed behind Guren and quickly left.
On an unnamed lake,
Kabuto took Yukimaru on a small boat and slowly rowed to the center of the lake.
"What are we doing here?"
Yukimaru asked without understanding, holding a white flower in his hand.
He occasionally twirled the flower, completely unaware of his current situation.
"Here, put this on."
Kabuto handed Yukimaru a strange helmet, covered with things that looked like sensors.
"What is this?"
Yukimaru was a bit curious, but obediently put it on his head.
"Now, take this."
Kabuto then took out a pill and handed it to Yukimaru.
Yukimaru obediently swallowed it.
This time, before he could ask, his whole expression suddenly changed.
Then a violent surge of Chakra erupted within his body.
Yukimaru screamed from the impact of this power, intense pain spreading throughout his body.
Soon, Yukimaru's eyes began to roll back, and blood trickled from his nostrils.
Kabuto just watched the lake, and seeing a shadow gradually rising from the bottom, an ecstatic smile appeared on his face.
Then he looked at Yukimaru and found that he had fallen unconscious.
The effect of the medicine had also faded from his body.
"Reached his limit?"
Kabuto didn't mind. As long as he improved the medicine and tried a few more times, he would eventually succeed.
"This kid is usable."
With this answer, most of Kabuto's purpose for this trip was achieved.
…
Takumi and the others were moving rapidly.
Suddenly,
Kiba stopped.
The others also stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Takumi looked at him. "Did you find something?"
"Although it's very faint, I'm certain."
Kiba's expression was very serious. "It's the smell of rotting corpses, and a lot of them."
"How could that be?"
Hinata couldn't help covering her mouth.
Although as a Shinobi, she inevitably had to deal with corpses,
Even turning others into corpses was a common occurrence,
But hearing Kiba mention a large number of corpses, her kind heart couldn't bear it.
"Proceed carefully from now on."
Takumi nodded. "We shouldn't be far from our destination."
He looked at Shino. "Spread your bugs around to prevent enemy ambushes."
"Understood."
Shino nodded, then insects crawled out from his body.
"Hinata, confirm the base's location."
Takumi then looked at Hinata. "But don't look inside."
"It's okay, I can do it."
Hinata knew Takumi was worried she might feel unwell seeing too many corpses, and immediately stubbornly shook her head in refusal. "I am also a Shinobi."
"If you insist."
Takumi didn't rule it out completely. "Alright, let's continue moving."
"Byakugan!"
Hinata immediately activated her Byakugan, and everyone moved forward again.
"Found it!"
Hinata quickly discovered the hidden secret base.
Then, she saw the large number of corpses inside the base.
"Ugh!"
She couldn't help covering her mouth with her hand.
"Don't force yourself."
Takumi gently supported her. "Everyone has their own strengths. What you've done is already good enough."
Hinata deactivated her Byakugan, her expression somewhat gloomy.
As a member of the Hyuga Clan, reconnaissance had always been their greatest strength.
But here she was, feeling unwell just from seeing a lot of corpses.
She deeply felt she was not a qualified Shinobi.
"Hinata, you're too kind, but your kindness is your advantage."
Kiba said with a smile. "If one day you're no longer kind, then you won't be Hinata anymore."
"Well said."
Takumi looked at Kiba in surprise. "I didn't expect you to be so eloquent. I'm truly amazed."
"So am I."
Shino calmly expressed his surprise.
"You, you guys!"
Kiba's face flushed red with anger. "Don't underestimate me!"
"Pfft..."
Hinata couldn't help but laugh, and the uncomfortable feeling from before diminished a lot.
Then, her face slightly red, she said, "Um, I'm okay now."
She looked down at Takumi's hand resting on her waist, her face growing even redder.
Takumi obviously didn't realize.
He looked down at Hinata's flushed cheeks, smiled and said, "Alright then, let's continue moving forward. Don't push yourself, okay?"
"Mm."
Hinata nodded firmly.