Listening to the three's assessments, a smile appeared on the corner of Takumi's mouth.
He suddenly changed the subject and said, "Actually, the person who gave the order to raise Gu might not necessarily be Orochimaru."
"Huh?"
Kiba was stunned and looked at Takumi uncomprehendingly.
Shino and Hinata were the same.
"This place is relatively remote compared to others, although it is indeed a good place to hide."
Takumi said, "But I really don't think Orochimaru himself would be staying here."
"That makes sense."
Shino nodded, agreeing with Takumi's analysis. "So, that means the person who gave the order to raise Gu was the person in charge of this base."
"Even so, Orochimaru is unforgivable."
Kiba said angrily.
"I'm not asking you to forgive Orochimaru. After all, the crimes he has committed are indeed too numerous to count."
Takumi said with a smile. "I just want you to restore calm thinking."
"Don't let emotions drive your bodies."
"Once you act impulsively, it can easily cause unnecessary losses. No matter the time, calmly thinking about countermeasures is the right choice."
Takumi's words were like a bucket of ice water on a scorching hot day, immediately revitalizing the three of them.
"I've learned something."
Shino said admiringly.
"Tch, you're quite good with words."
Kiba curled his lip and muttered under his breath.
Hinata, on the other hand, looked at Takumi with adoring eyes, her face flushing red.
"Wait, I found something."
Just then, Shino stopped and said.
"It seems we're getting closer to our target."
Takumi said with a smile. "Which direction?"
"Follow me."
Shino said.
The team changed direction, with Shino now taking the lead.
Soon, they reached their destination.
"..."
Kiba looked at the scene before him in shock.
Hinata was also shocked, covering her mouth.
On the open ground, countless pink crystal pillars of various sizes stood erect on the ground, glittering under the moonlight.
"Beautiful."
Shino exclaimed. "But also cruel."
A flash of light revealed the figures sealed within the crystal pillars.
Takumi focused his gaze on the crystal pillars, his expression somewhat serious.
Guren's Kekkei Genkai, Crystal Release, was stronger than he had imagined.
Once sealed, one would probably die instantly.
Although with his speed, this kind of thing was impossible,
He still needed to be cautious.
Just then, Shino bent down and picked up something.
"What's this?"
Kiba curiously leaned in and saw it was a crystallized Kikaichu.
"My Kikaichu. The battle here should have happened not long ago."
Shino made a judgment. "I released two batches of Kikaichu in total."
"The first batch was to locate the base's position, and the second batch was to find the people who left the base."
"This should be one of the first batch of Kikaichu."
"Because the second batch of Kikaichu didn't have time to get here."
Shino's analysis was very logical.
Takumi nodded. "It means the enemy is not too far from us. Everyone remember to be cautious and on guard."
Just then,
The crystal pillars shattered one after another, and the bodies inside also crumbled along with them.
The shattered crystals turned into sparkling particles, emitting a dazzling light under the moonlight.
But thinking that these crystals contained fragments of corpses made people shudder.
It was filled with an evil kind of beauty.
"..."
Kiba couldn't help but fall silent.
He could feel the enemy's strength and cruelty.
Although unwilling, this was not an enemy he could confront.
Fortunately, with Takumi here, he wasn't particularly worried.
Always relying on Takumi wasn't a good thing,
But at critical moments, having someone like Takumi who could cover for them was also an extremely fortunate thing for them.
"Wait a moment."
Takumi took the crystallized Kikaichu from Shino's hand, then quickly formed hand seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
White smoke immediately appeared.
When the smoke dissipated, a white slug appeared before Takumi.
"You are?"
Katsuyu was meeting Takumi for the first time and was very surprised.
After all, Takumi was not the one who had signed the contract with it.
"I'm sorry to summon you so hastily. I hope you can take this item to Tsunade-sama."
Takumi said with an apologetic smile. "This matter is of utmost importance. We are currently tracking down traces of Orochimaru."
"I hope you can help."
Perhaps because of their Konoha's forehead protectors, or perhaps because she felt Takumi and the others were young and had kind faces,
Katsuyu still accepted the crystal.
"What is your name?"
Katsuyu asked considerately.
"Tell Tsunade-sama that Takumi asked for her help."
Takumi said.
"Understood."
Then, Katsuyu's figure disappeared in a puff of white smoke.
"What was that just now?"
Kiba asked blankly.
"That is Summoning Technique."
Shino explained seriously.
"Of course I know it's Summoning Technique!"
Kiba immediately interrupted Shino. "I mean, why was the thing summoned a slug?"
"This is Tsunade-sama's summoned beast."
Takumi said with a smile. "Be careful not to let her hear you, or you'll be in for it."
"..."
Kiba immediately covered his mouth, his eyes darting around nervously.
"I didn't expect Tsunade-sama's summoned beast to be so cute."
Hinata said admiringly.
"This is just a small clone of Katsuyu."
Takumi said. "Katsuyu's main body is bigger than a mountain and can split infinitely."
As the summoned beasts of the Sannin, whether it was Tsunade's Katsuyu, Jiraiya's Gamabunta, or Orochimaru's Manda,
None of them were simple characters.
"Moreover, these three come from the Three Great Sage Region: Mount Myoboku, Ryuchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest."
"Legend has it that in these three places, there are Sages."
"Alright, let's not worry about that for now. Let's hurry and move forward."
Takumi looked at the three curiously and decisively stopped the topic. "Don't forget our mission."
"It was you who started it!"
Kiba complained dissatisfiedly.
But he immediately began searching for the scent again.
"This way."
He quickly identified the scent they had been tracking.
"Don't we need to wait for Tsunade-sama's result?"
Shino asked.
"There's no hurry for this matter. And after we find the people, we won't rush in."
Takumi said. "Don't forget, our mission is to gather intelligence, not to eliminate the enemy."
"Understood."
Shino nodded.
The four immediately set off.
In Konoha,
Tsunade, who was sleeping soundly, was suddenly reverse-summoned to Shikkotsu Forest.
Her originally soft bed instantly turned into a wet swamp.
Tsunade dazedly opened her eyes and realized this was not her familiar ceiling.
"This is..."
She sat up and found this place somewhat familiar.
"Tsunade-sama."
A familiar voice came from behind her.
She turned her head and saw Katsuyu's enormous body.
"Did you summon me here?"
Rubbing her eyes, Tsunade perked up. "What happened?"
Her expression became solemn.
For Katsuyu to reverse-summon her, something big must have happened.
"A Konoha's Shinobi named Takumi asked me to give this to you."
A crystal fell before Tsunade.
"Takumi?"
Tsunade frowned, and upon seeing clearly the crystallized Kikaichu inside, her frown deepened.
She could tell the Kikaichu was dead.
But what did Takumi want by giving her this?