"Indeed, it's disgusting." Shinji nodded in agreement.
He didn't know what kind of daiyōkai Mimi was referring to. But the Chakra he saw with his own eyes was certainly repulsive. And this blood-red color made him somewhat suspicious.
"Also, when we get back, you owe me bean buns." Mimi looked at Shinji indifferently, putting on a fierce facade.
"...Alright." Shinji replied helplessly, releasing Sage Mode.
This glutton really only remembered to eat.
"Hmm?"
Shinji seemed to sense something and looked to the side, only to see swarms of insects hovering there.
"Let's go."
Shinji walked towards the insects, guessing that Muta and the others had returned.
They were just unsure of the situation and had released the insects.
Seeing this, Mimi swayed leisurely behind Shinji.
Following the guidance of the insects, Shinji arrived behind a dense forest.
Muta and a few others were under a tree. Seeing Shinji approach, Muta said, "Captain, we found some symbols."
"Symbols?" Shinji stepped forward curiously.
Yushu was checking if the symbol had any abnormalities. Seeing Shinji squat down, she spoke, "Captain, this symbol has no abnormalities. It's just that the person who left it seemed to be in a hurry."
"Rather than a symbol, it's more like an ancient writing of a single character, but due to some reason, the last stroke deviated, making it look like a strange symbol."
"What character is it?" Shinji reached out and rubbed the surface. The marks indeed looked like they were carved by a kunai.
"Haru." Yushu replied.
Shinji was startled, looking at the direction indicated next to the character.
"It seems we've found information about the Yugakure elder."
Shinji stood up and said, "The elder who sent the message is named Haru."
"Muta, track in that direction and see if any similar marks were left."
Shinji pointed in the direction indicated by the mark, towards a location not far away that was gradually enveloped by thick fog.
"Yes." Muta didn't hesitate.
He raised his hand, and countless insects flew out from his sleeve.
Mimi, seeing this, seemed disgusted, a look of disdain appearing on his face.
"Huh, where did this raccoon come from?" Yushu had just noticed Mimi and asked curiously.
"That's enough! I'm a cat!" Mimi shouted, very indignant.
Slap—
Shinji impatiently slapped Mimi's head and said to the others, "This is my summoning beast."
"Captain." Muta, who was holding up his fingers to maintain his search, suddenly spoke.
"A new mark has been found in that area."
Shinji stretched his neck. Finally, there was some information.
Shinji instructed his team members, "Get ready. The area ahead is almost completely covered in thick fog, it might be dangerous."
"Yes."
The team members responded and immediately began to change back into their original uniforms. After all, their current attire was just ordinary casual wear and offered no protection.
Yushu unsealed Muta's large jar. Mimi thought it was a sake pot and was about to take a look when—
Muta stepped forward and opened the lid, placing his hands on the jar's opening, and countless insects surged out.
"Oh my—"
Before Mimi could finish his sentence, Shinji picked him up and placed him on his shoulder.
Shinji said to Muta, "Muta, from now on, I need your insects to scout. If anything seems off, alert us immediately."
Even though his and Mimi's senses weren't bad, after the Chakra that interfered with their senses just now, Shinji wasn't very confident in his own perception anymore.
And if he kept Sage Mode active, he would collapse before they even found the elder.
"Yes." Muta nodded.
The insects that had returned to the jar seemed reinvigorated. Under Muta's command, they flew out, heading forward.
Shinji said slowly, "Muta leads the way, I'll be in the middle, and you two will cover the rear. Don't let the distance get too far, so I can always provide support."
"Yes."
The others nodded in agreement, then leaped up and vanished from their original positions.
—
Near a deserted ancient hot spring area, a woman who looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a Yugakure forehead protector, was curled up on the ground.
Strange runes surrounded the ground around her, isolating her presence. Not far from her, several humanoid figures twitched their ugly noses, seemingly detecting something.
The woman gritted her teeth, preventing herself from making a sound. In her heart, she couldn't help but pray for the Konoha ninjas to arrive quickly.
This person was an elder of Yugakure, and it was she who had sent the distress signal to Konoha.
Creak—
Perhaps maintaining one posture for too long had stiffened her body. The woman's foot touched a nearby dry branch, emitting a faint sound.
Whoosh—
The humanoid figures paused for a moment, then in the next instant, they rushed madly towards the woman's location.
Oh no—
The woman's pupils trembled uncontrollably. Against these fast-reacting, immensely powerful monsters, she had almost no way to stop them.
At that moment, a piercing shriek seemed to tear through the air.
No... it was hundreds, even thousands, of dense, sharp screeches, like a chorus of birds.
A figure, with a dazzling, brilliant blue-white light in his right palm, emerged from the thick fog behind these monsters.
Chidori!
The figure swiftly passed through the bodies of several monsters.
Boom—
The monster figures fell one after another, emitting a foul, electrocuted stench.
Shinji stopped, the Chidori in his right palm gradually dissipating. He looked excessively disheveled.
Following the guidance of the symbols, Shinji and the others initially encountered nothing. But as they went deeper, humanoid monsters appeared in the thick fog. Both their strength and speed far surpassed ordinary ninjas.
Even Muta, who had been constantly scouting, only had time to issue a warning before several humanoid monsters charged out.
If not for Mimi and Shinji quickly eliminating them with their swift speed, Yushu and the others would likely have perished there. After all, these humanoid monsters had almost no sense of pain, and even with mutilated limbs, they attacked the group like mad. Moreover, the blood splattered from them was corrosive and hallucinogenic.
Fortunately, Shinji and Mimi quickly annihilated them, but before they could even rest for a moment, several more humanoid monsters charged out.
Helpless, Shinji could only cooperate with the reacting Muta and Koto, re-engaging in battle.
As for Yushu, she immediately began to formulate an antidote based on the blood of these monsters.
After all, the bloodlust emanating from those monsters was eroding the surrounding environment. If they stayed in this environment for too long and were contaminated and hallucinated by the blood, that would undoubtedly be a catastrophic mistake for Shinji and his team.