Takumi looked at the others. "Shino, did you detect what the enemy used to detect our movements?"
"Mm, although I can't be one hundred percent certain, there is one animal whose movements are very strange."
Shino pushed up his sunglasses.
Takumi immediately became interested.
He only remembered that someone on the other side could control animals, but he forgot what kind of animal it was.
"It's bats."
Seeing everyone's attention on him, Shino stopped being mysterious and directly said, "There were a large number of bats hidden in the shadows around us, observing the surroundings."
"Honestly, if Takumi-kun hadn't scared the enemy away, I probably would have been discovered very soon."
"Bats, huh."
Takumi nodded knowingly. "They are indeed suitable animals for reconnaissance."
"That being the case, there's no way for us to hide our movements, but we can't reveal this fact. We still need to show the intention of wanting to conceal our whereabouts."
In other words, they couldn't reveal that they already knew Rinji could control bats.
This would allow Rinji and the others to think the situation was still under their control.
But in Takumi's view, as long as they didn't catch up to Guren and the others, the situation was still under his control.
After all, Orochimaru's real goal this time was the Three-Tails.
As long as the Three-Tails hadn't appeared yet, the situation wasn't fully under control.
The key to this mission would be when the Three-Tails appeared.
As for whether Takumi could successfully seize the Three-Tails from Orochimaru, and even the highly likely appearance of the Akatsuki, would depend on the subsequent situation.
"Understood!"
The three immediately replied.
Kiba also handed the paper with the intelligence to Akamaru, letting him quickly rush back.
Actually, Takumi could use Summoning Technique; at least Kakashi's summoning dogs had very fast speed.
But it wasn't necessary.
After all, Kiba wouldn't be needed in the subsequent battles.
Their mission was reconnaissance, not combat.
Fighting was something for Takumi to handle.
So having Akamaru or not didn't matter.
Takumi wouldn't let them participate in the upcoming battles anymore.
The battles that might happen next were far beyond what they could participate in.
Watching Akamaru leave, the four immediately disappeared from the spot, chasing in the direction Shino had detected.
Guren took the lead, carrying Yukimaru on her back at the front.
Beside her were Gozu and Kabuto, with Kigiri, Kiho, and Rinji behind.
Although Yukimaru was a child valued by Orochimaru, carrying a child still gave Guren a strange feeling in her heart.
She felt a bit uncomfortable.
After all, she was someone who admired power.
Since childhood, she had followed Orochimaru faithfully because she admired his power.
This behavior of carrying a child, like a mother, made her very uncomfortable.
Having always believed she could become Orochimaru's vessel, she had never imagined she would one day become a mother to a child.
Kabuto noticed her discomfort from the side, and a strange smile appeared on his face.
Guren hadn't realized it yet, but he knew the special relationship between the two.
It was evident that Yukimaru was very dependent on Guren.
Perhaps he saw Guren as the mother he lost when he was young.
But Yukimaru didn't yet know that Guren was the person who killed his mother.
Based on this, Orochimaru had entrusted this mission to Guren.
He also determined that only Guren could complete this mission.
In Kabuto's view, this had an element of gambling, but it indeed had a higher success rate than if he and Orochimaru had done it themselves.
If Orochimaru could hold on a little longer, perhaps the success rate would be even higher.
Unfortunately, time was now of the essence.
They had to use Yukimaru to control the Three-Tails as soon as possible, allowing Orochimaru to gain control over the power of the Three-Tails.
This would both increase his own strength and cause trouble for the Akatsuki.
After all, he hadn't left the Akatsuki voluntarily back then.
Defeated and forced to leave in such a humiliating way by someone he considered a junior, Orochimaru's dignity could never tolerate it.
He would sooner or later take revenge for all the humiliation he had suffered.
But he also knew the Akatsuki was very strong, not something he could confront alone.
So he needed to accumulate more power.
Originally, Takumi's appearance had given him great hope of taking revenge on the Akatsuki.
Unfortunately, he thought well but discovered he simply couldn't do anything to Takumi.
This was a bit awkward.
So now he could only settle for the next best thing and seek the power of the Tailed Beasts.
Kabuto looked at Yukimaru, drowsy on Guren's back, his eyes closing and opening, and spoke up, "Let's find a place to rest for a while. Yukimaru's stamina isn't very good."
"Hmm?"
Guren turned back and noticed Yukimaru was in very poor condition.
Thinking about it,
Yukimaru was after all just a child, and not a Shinobi. Without Chakra Enhancement, his physical and mental strength were very poor.
This kind of long-distance travel, even if he didn't need to walk himself, would still be a great burden on him.
"I advise you not to."
Rinji suddenly spoke. "The enemy is still chasing us from behind."
"How is that possible?"
Kiho exclaimed in surprise. "I've clearly eliminated our scent."
"It's probably that Aburame kid."
Kabuto said with a smile. "Although they are usually very low-key, Aburame Clan's Shinobi are all first-rate tracking experts."
"That kid wearing sunglasses?"
Guren frowned. "So they are right behind us now?"
"Absolutely no one can be allowed to disturb Orochimaru-sama's mission!"
She frowned deeply. Carrying Yukimaru at this moment, she couldn't fight freely.
And facing that terrifying guy on the other side, if she didn't go all out, she had no hope of victory.
"Kabuto, you take Yukimaru and go ahead. I'll go stop them all."
She made an immediate decision.
Although she utterly hated Kabuto in her heart, she still prioritized Orochimaru's mission.
"No, you can't go."
Kabuto shook his head in refusal.
'Ridiculous, the key to this mission was the two of you, both indispensable.'
"There's no need to worry for now. They're still about ten kilometers away from us. They won't catch up in a short time."
Rinji continued, "Moreover, they don't seem to be able to confirm our position with one hundred percent certainty. They occasionally pause, as if confirming our direction."
"It seems Kiho's technique still has some effect."
Guren nodded. With this distance, she didn't need to worry about the Konoha's Shinobi catching up for now.
"Although the timing is a bit ambiguous, there's no better option now."
Kabuto said with a smile. "After all, that guy is someone even Orochimaru-sama finds troublesome. If we really get caught up to, we'll have to abandon this mission."
As he spoke, a flash of ruthlessness appeared in his eyes as he looked at Yukimaru.
Yukimaru was indeed very important, precisely because of his importance.
If they couldn't use him, then he couldn't fall into the hands of others either.
Whether it was the Akatsuki or Konoha, either outcome was something Orochimaru would be unwilling to see.
So, once the mission deviated, Kabuto would not hesitate to kill Yukimaru.