"You're awake?"
Seeing Yukimaru awake, Guren ignored her own disheveled state and moved closer to help Yukimaru sit up.
She looked at Yukimaru's still somewhat pale face with concern. "How do you feel? Does anything hurt?"
Yukimaru shook her head and then smiled. "I'm fine, just a little tired."
"That's normal."
Takumi finished dressing and came to the two women, smiling. "After all, she lost a lot of blood earlier. She'll need to eat some blood-nourishing things to recover."
"I think you should be able to handle that."
"Take advantage of the fact that no one else is around nearby. You'd better leave quickly, just in case that guy Kabuto suddenly returns. That would be troublesome."
Guren carefully helped Yukimaru up, then reluctantly glanced at Takumi. She opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't say what was on her mind.
She knew Takumi certainly couldn't leave with them.
Although she didn't know what crisis Takumi mentioned would sweep through the entire Shinobi World in the future, she believed Takumi wasn't just making up excuses.
She had, after all, seen with her own eyes what Obito had done.
Collecting Tailed Beasts wasn't something an ordinary person would do.
"Take care of yourself, then."
Guren nodded to Takumi and withdrew her gaze.
Suddenly, a pair of arms hugged both her and Yukimaru. "Don't worry, it won't be long before we're reunited."
"When that time comes, I'll give you a huge surprise."
Takumi hugged them tightly for a moment, then let go and turned to Gozu, who had appeared at some point. "I'll leave their safety to you. Can you do it?"
"Before they step over my dead body, I won't let anyone touch them."
Gozu said gruffly.
Earlier, when he had finished patrolling and returned, he had happened to see a scene he shouldn't have.
Although he was simple, he wasn't stupid.
He knew very well what he should and shouldn't see.
So he decisively went out to patrol again.
He just didn't expect to go from morning patrol until afternoon; soon it would be evening.
"We'll part ways here, then."
Takumi looked at Guren. "This parting is for the sake of our reunion."
"We'll wait for you."
Guren nodded.
Yukimaru was a bit puzzled.
She didn't know what had happened while she was unconscious.
She felt that many changes had occurred, and she couldn't quite process them.
Watching Takumi's departing back, she was even more confused.
But what confused her even more was the strange feeling in her body.
"Um, I feel something's off with my body."
Yukimaru frowned slightly, looking down.
"What's wrong?"
Guren quickly asked, feeling around her body for possible wounds.
"I'm not hurt, I just feel strange."
Yukimaru hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but stopped, making Guren realize something.
Guren's expression also became strange.
"Um, just get used to it. Think of it as starting a new life from today."
She tried to comfort Yukimaru.
Fortunately, Yukimaru was still young and had lacked education since childhood, so she didn't have much reaction to the changes in her own body.
"Mm."
She nodded and then stopped paying attention to the strangeness in her body.
"..."
Guren breathed a sigh of relief.
To be honest, she had just forgotten about the changes Takumi had made to Yukimaru's body.
Fortunately, Yukimaru was just a child and didn't realize anything was wrong.
Otherwise, Guren wouldn't have known how to explain what had happened to Yukimaru.
…
Orochimaru's secret base.
Kabuto, panting heavily, appeared at the entrance.
"Why are you the only one back?"
Kimimaro, guarding the entrance, saw that only Kabuto had returned and couldn't help frowning.
According to Orochimaru's plan, if the plan had succeeded, more than just Kabuto should have returned.
"There was a problem with the plan, huff, huff..."
Kabuto gasped for breath, but a strange smile lingered on his face. "I need to inform Orochimaru-sama of this matter personally."
Kimimaro frowned at him and only moved aside after Kabuto's breathing evened out.
"It shouldn't be a problem if I listen in, should it?"
As Kabuto passed by him, Kimimaro suddenly asked.
"Of course."
A smile remained on Kabuto's face. "This isn't something that needs to be kept secret."
The two stepped into the dark entrance and slowly disappeared.
In a dim room, candlelight bravely illuminated the surrounding space.
Even though the people in this room didn't need it to try so hard.
"Tell me, Kabuto, cough, cough, what exactly happened."
Orochimaru was still weak, but he wasn't surprised that only Kabuto had returned.
Or rather, he always considered multiple scenarios.
No matter what happened, most of it was within his expectations.
"Indeed, something very noteworthy happened."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses, that strange smile on his lips.
Seeing his smile, the interest on Orochimaru's face grew even stronger.
He coughed lightly a couple of times, his eyes fixed on Kabuto. He didn't speak, but the sense of urging was already very strong.
In the room, besides the two of them, there was only Kimimaro.
The remaining Sound Four were in the outer room.
"As expected, there was a problem with the plan, but the issue was with Guren."
Kabuto said softly. "Her base was discovered, and by Konoha's Shinobi."
"Did Takumi come?"
A flash of longing appeared in Orochimaru's eyes, then quickly faded.
Kabuto nodded, confirming Orochimaru's guess.
"Even so, I still took the risk and carried out the plan with Yukimaru."
Kabuto continued his story. "At first, the plan went very smoothly."
"After putting on the amplifier, the stimulated Yukimaru successfully summoned the Tailed Beast hidden at the bottom of the lake."
"But unfortunately, with Guren's own strength, she simply couldn't restrict the Tailed Beast, and Yukimaru didn't have enough willpower to control it."
"So, unfortunately, the plan failed."
He paused here.
He knew Orochimaru would definitely ask him a question.
"The backup plan?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and asked. "Wasn't it activated?"
"I didn't have time."
A hint of regret remained on Kabuto's face. "The enraged Tailed Beast released a vast mist, and within it, a slight misstep could trap you in a Genjutsu."