The sky gradually brightened.
Takumi and the others were chasing behind, but they never closed the distance.
The enemy was also moving fast, advancing at a very quick pace.
Guren, eager to see Orochimaru, naturally wouldn't slow down.
"The scent is still there, but the enemy is too fast. We can't catch up."
Kiba said gloomily.
"It seems they're in a hurry to get somewhere."
Takumi had a carefree smile. "Where do you think they're rushing back to in such a hurry?"
"Orochimaru's hiding place."
Shino answered calmly.
"Really?"
Kiba's eyes lit up.
If they could locate Orochimaru's position, then their mission would be successfully completed.
"Highly likely."
Takumi nodded.
Turning back and seeing Hinata struggling a bit, he immediately stopped and said, "Let's rest for a while. Don't get too close."
"Good idea, so we don't alert the enemy."
Shino nodded.
"Fortunately, it looks like it won't rain today."
Kiba looked up at the sky, a cloudless, clear day.
That way, the scent wouldn't be interrupted.
"We haven't eaten properly since yesterday. Today, I'll show you my skills."
Takumi said with a smile. "Not everyone gets a chance to taste my cooking."
"Then it's really worth a try."
Kiba laughed and looked up at Akamaru on his head. "Right, Akamaru?"
"Woof!"
Akamaru, perched on Kiba's head, barked naively.
'Takumi-kun's cooking...'
Hinata's face gradually flushed red.
"If Sakura or Ino knew about this..."
Shino said in a very calm tone, saying something very underhanded.
"They'd probably be crazy with jealousy, right?"
Kiba laughed heartily, looking at Takumi as he pulled out numerous cooking utensils from a scroll, his gaze becoming increasingly expectant.
"The wind direction is good today. The smell won't drift towards the enemy."
Takumi smiled. "And this smokeless pan won't expose our position."
"It looks like we don't have to worry."
Seeing Takumi so well-prepared, Shino immediately felt relieved.
Soon, Takumi showcased his culinary skills.
This was also to compensate Hinata.
According to the normal simulation trajectory, he should have treated them to a meal yesterday.
And it would have been a full meal for Hinata.
But because of the emergency mission yesterday, Hinata had only eaten some military ration pills and hadn't had a proper meal.
He really felt guilty.
After all, Hinata had grown up not getting enough to eat since she was little.
And because of her shy personality, she had never complained.
Takumi even guessed that the reason Hinata couldn't surpass Neji and her younger sister Hanabi might be related to malnutrition since childhood.
After all, if a child who needs to eat ten times the normal amount per meal is only given one-tenth of that amount, how can they possibly grow properly?
Of course, all of this was just Takumi's speculation.
Only Hinata herself knew the actual situation.
To take care of Hinata's feelings, Takumi specially prepared some high-calorie foods that looked small in portion for Hinata.
That way, in the eyes of Kiba and Shino, Hinata didn't eat much.
In terms of calories, however, Hinata consumed more than ten times what the two of them ate combined.
Although the quantity was small, in terms of nutrition, it was a rare full meal for Hinata.
At the same time, she also realized that Takumi was already aware of her large appetite.
After eating and drinking their fill, their spirits recovered.
Just then, Shino's expression changed slightly.
"What's wrong?"
Takumi noticed his movement and frowned slightly. "What happened?"
"The enemy's position isn't moving anymore."
Shino relayed the intelligence he had just received. "But the number has decreased by one."
"Could it be a trap?"
Hinata said worriedly. "If we continue forward, will there be danger?"
Her Byakugan couldn't see that far, otherwise, she could help everyone solve the problem.
"Even if there's danger, we should advance!"
Kiba was full of fighting spirit. "We can't be timid and overthink just because of these small setbacks."
Takumi pondered.
If he remembered correctly, at this time, Guren should have settled her subordinates in some ruins and then gone alone to meet Orochimaru.
Guren probably left yesterday, but still hadn't returned.
It should still be some time before Guren returns.
After all, she had to bring Yukimaru, whose physical condition was like an ordinary person.
The speed certainly wouldn't be fast.
This was an opportunity to surprise attack.
There was no need to monitor those few small fries.
Amidst his racing thoughts, Takumi made a decision.
"Let's continue advancing."
Takumi looked at Hinata. "Hinata, after this, activate your Byakugan and confirm if there are any traps left along the way."
"O-okay!"
Hinata quickly responded.
"Shino, Kiba, the job of searching for the enemy is up to you."
Takumi then looked at Kiba and Shino.
"No problem."
Shino said steadily.
"Leave it to me!"
Kiba patted his left chest with his right fist, a smug smile on his face.
However, his smile soon faded.
Just three minutes after setting out,
Kiba said with a serious expression, "Something's not right."
"What's wrong?"
Everyone immediately stopped, and Takumi frowned. "Any abnormality?"
"The scent is gone."
Kiba said helplessly. "Neither Akamaru nor I can smell it anymore. Their scent suddenly disappeared without a trace."
"This kind of thing has never happened before."
Eliminating a scent was not impossible.
But that was within the range of human olfaction.
To make even a dog with an extremely sensitive sense of smell unable to detect any scent could only be done by a special Ninjutsu.
"Did the enemy find us?"
Takumi made a judgment.
He didn't care much about the strength of these few small fry.
What he was more concerned about was Guren's Crystal Release.
If hit, the inside of the body would also crystallize. It was a very troublesome Kekkei Genkai.
Even Takumi had to take it seriously.
But the other few small fry, he didn't think they were particularly noteworthy.
At least, he didn't have much impression of them.
He didn't expect they could use such an obscure Ninjutsu as scent elimination.
But for dealing with tracking, it was indeed very effective.
"It might not necessarily be that they discovered us, right?"
Hinata proposed another possibility. "It might just be to ensure their own whereabouts aren't discovered."
"That's impossible."
Shino immediately refuted. "The reason is that the enemy didn't eliminate it before, but they are eliminating it now."
"So there's only one possibility: they've detected an enemy's trail, meaning us, or other possible enemies."
Shino didn't speak definitively. This kind of steady personality was very reassuring.
"Shino is right. However, they most likely should have discovered our whereabouts."
Takumi nodded, agreeing with Shino. "They stayed put and didn't leave. There's probably a trap waiting for us."
"Of course, maybe they think they can defeat us with a trap, or maybe they're very confident in their own strength."
"Either way, we're being underestimated."
His expression darkened slightly. "Since we're being underestimated, let's turn the tables and directly barge in."
His words stunned the three for a moment.
"But only I, Kiba, and Hinata will go in."
Takumi continued. "Shino, you stay hidden, make sure you aren't discovered, and then if we fall into a trap, you can surround them from the outside."
"Understood."
Shino nodded.