The dark cave was not unfamiliar to Kimimaro.
Whether it was the place where he had once been imprisoned or the cave where Jūgo secluded himself, it had always been a place like this.
He sniffed the air and caught a whiff of a sharp, metallic scent—blood.
The person should be here.
He pulled a flashlight from his backpack, ready to dispel the darkness and see more clearly.
Suddenly, a whooshing sound broke the silence beside him.
It was the sound of a blade slicing through the air.
An ambush!
Instinctively, Kimimaro dodged, his flashlight acting like a sword as he slashed forward.
*Clang!*
The flashlight was shattered by the incoming weapon, but Kimimaro had already determined the direction of the assailant.
"Binding Spell #30! Triple Beak Piercer!"
Three sharp, yellow beams of light shot forward!
*Whoosh!*
The yellow light flashed by, hitting the target!
*Crack, crack, crack!*
Three distinct snapping sounds followed as the yellow beams pinned themselves into the wall.
Left hand, right hand, waist!
The blade used in the ambush was now completely immobilized by the yellow light beams.
With the aid of the yellow glow, Kimimaro could finally make out the appearance of his attacker.
"It's you!"
The person who had ambushed Kimimaro was none other than Guren.
Hearing his voice, Guren looked up.
Seeing that it was Kimimaro, she too was a bit surprised.
"It seems fate brought us together again so soon. But why did you ambush me?"
"I thought you were a pursuer."
"A pursuer?"
Kimimaro glanced at Guren, quickly noticing the wounds on her body.
He had just treated her a few days ago, and now she was already injured again.
Moreover, the wounds appeared far more severe this time.
"It seems you've gotten yourself into some serious trouble."
Kimimaro waved his right hand, dismissing the Triple Beak Piercer, and the cave darkened once more.
Guren, exhausted, collapsed. Kimimaro hurriedly supported her, helping her sit against the wall.
He glanced at some dry branches nearby, likely prepared by Guren herself.
With a flick of his right hand, a bolt of white lightning shot from his finger and ignited the dry branches.
Flames flickered, brightening the cave considerably.
"You followed the markings to get here?"
"Correct."
"I didn't expect you to be the one to show up."
"We don't have many people from the Sound Village stationed here in the Land of Lightning, and I'm one of the few who can operate here. You're lucky I saw the markings."
Kimimaro shook his head with a smile and extended both hands to begin treating Guren's injuries.
Guren remained silent, lost in thought.
"So, what happened that left you in this state?" Kimimaro asked, curious.
Guren's injuries were different from before. Previously, she had mostly been wounded by sharp objects, but this time, she had severe burn marks.
It was clear that she had encountered a fire-style ninjutsu user.
A fire-style attack of this caliber was rare even among shinobi.
"In the Land of Lightning, I encountered the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii."
"The Two-Tails Jinchūriki? You sure know how to pick your fights. It's impressive you're still alive. Why did you provoke her in the first place?" Kimimaro remarked.
Even now, he knew he couldn't defeat the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
While Yugito wasn't a perfect Jinchūriki, she could still transform using the power of her tailed beast through sheer will.
She was just a step away from becoming a perfect Jinchūriki.
Of course, her strength wasn't that extreme at the moment, but she could easily take down any ordinary jonin.
For Guren to have fought her and survived, it was nothing short of a miracle.
"Orochimaru-sama sent me to retrieve someone, but she took them. When I found out, I chased after her. I thought she was just an ordinary Cloud ninja, but I didn't expect her to be the Two-Tails Jinchūriki," Guren said, clenching her fist in frustration.
"Kimimaro! Help me take back Yūkimaru. Orochimaru-sama specifically requested him. We can't let him fall into the hands of the Hidden Cloud!" Guren said, growing more agitated.
Originally, she hadn't planned on telling Kimimaro about Yūkimaru, but given her current state, she had no hope of retrieving him on her own.
Now, she could only rely on the person she disliked the most—Kimimaro.
She had left the markings, hoping to receive assistance from any Sound Village ninja nearby.
She hadn't expected Kimimaro to be the first to arrive.
"Yūkimaru? Where is he now?"
"He's probably already been taken to the Hidden Cloud Village by the Two-Tails Jinchūriki."
Kimimaro rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "You want me to go with you to the Hidden Cloud Village to snatch him back? Are you out of your mind?"
"Are you scared? For Orochimaru-sama, what's a little danger? Even if I die in this mission, I'll have no regrets!"
Guren's loyalty to Orochimaru was unwavering, her resolve unmatched by most.
"I'm afraid of dying."
"You! How can you face Orochimaru-sama with that attitude?"
"Calm down. Your wound has reopened."
"You!"
The intense pain from her injury forced Guren to calm down a bit.
"As Orochimaru-sama's subordinates, your value isn't in throwing your life away. Can't you use your brain for once? Always so reckless. No wonder Orochimaru-sama didn't take you back to the Sound Village," Kimimaro said.
Guren froze, stunned by his words.
Could that really be the reason Orochimaru had sent her to the Land of Lightning?
Seeing Guren quiet down, Kimimaro said nothing more and continued treating her injuries.
He stabilized the burns with the Mystical Palm Technique, while the wounds from the blade were sewn shut with chakra threads.
"All done."
In about ten minutes, Kimimaro finished treating her.
Guren, regaining her composure, couldn't help but think, "Isn't this guy supposed to be from the Kaguya clan, renowned for combat? How is he this good at medical ninjutsu?"
She had never seen a medical ninja as skilled as Kimimaro.
"Kimimaro."
"Hmm?"
"Does Orochimaru-sama really think I'm reckless and that's why he didn't bring me back to the Sound Village?"
Kimimaro hadn't expected Guren to take him seriously.
Her obsession with Orochimaru ran deeper than he had imagined.
"I was joking."
Guren lowered her head, deep in thought.
Kimimaro shook his head slightly. She was completely brainwashed by Orochimaru. There was no saving her.
"Thank you for the treatment," Guren said as she stood up, ready to leave.
"You're going to the Hidden Cloud Village alone?"
Guren remained silent.
"That's a suicide mission."
"If I fail, I die without regret."
"…"
Kimimaro was speechless. Guren just wouldn't listen.
"Fine, I was planning to go to the Hidden Cloud Village anyway. I'll help you, but you'll follow my lead."
"Do you have a plan?"
"I fear death. I don't take on missions I can't handle. Let me show you how to use your brain instead of brute force."
Tsunade had given him a prescription, but two of the ingredients were still missing.
These two herbs were the hardest to find.
To locate them quickly, he would need to visit the Hidden Cloud Village's medical department.
Kimimaro had already planned to go there for a heist, and having Guren with him might not be such a bad idea.
With a revised plan, the operation could be even more foolproof.
(End of chapter)