Land of Fire, on the road to the Land of Hot Water.
Jiraiya and Takemi were moving rapidly, though Jiraiya's expression was somewhat odd.
He asked, "What was with Naruto just now? When he heard you were going on a mission, his face turned green."
Takemi replied, "He's probably worried about me."
Takemi glanced at Jiraiya. He didn't want to admit that he had tricked Naruto too many times, resulting in Naruto developing a stress reaction.
Jiraiya suddenly ran over and shouted for him to go on a mission, it would be impossible for Naruto not to be startled.
However, this time, Takemi was somewhat decent. He had earned some money from the many missions he had done with Kakashi before, so he didn't bail.
Takemi said, "After all, Jiraiya-sama, you suddenly ran over and asked me to perform a mission. Anyone would be worried, right? But speaking of which, what is it this time? Where is Kakashi-sensei?"
"Kakashi is still resting, but he's not far from full recovery. You can follow him when we get back this time." Jiraiya thought for a moment before replying, but quickly became serious again.
"As for this time, kid, you need to pay attention. We are going to investigate Orochimaru's whereabouts."
"Orochimaru's whereabouts?"
Takemi raised his eyebrows, his mind filled with strangeness. How was Orochimaru found?
"Yes, him. You still remember that one-eyed old man you saw that night, right?"
Jiraiya didn't know what Takemi was thinking, so he naturally continued.
"He provided the information, and he has also made progress on the Kirigakure side. Although I don't like that guy, he really is capable."
"..."
What does 'capable' mean?
Isn't this directly selling out Orochimaru?
Others might not know, but Takemi was clear that the relationship between Danzo and Orochimaru was very close.
So, what was Danzo trying to do?
"So, why am I coming along on this mission?" Takemi asked, full of confusion.
Hearing Takemi say that, Jiraiya became a little dispirited, but he still said some things.
"It's the old man's idea. He said your intelligence analysis ability is great. If you become my assistant, you can help figure out more things."
"After all, the focus is currently on Kirigakure, so we shouldn't overdo anything here. It's mainly just for reconnaissance."
"I see, I understand."
Takemi shrugged. He really understood.
Apparently, he was here to act as Jiraiya's stabilizer, to make him consider his own safety more before acting.
But this wasn't a bad thing. Orochimaru was really difficult to deal with.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, his eyebrow twitched slightly. He found that his system had reacted again.
[Obtained Jiraiya's Exclusive Side Mission]
[We're Brothers That Stab Each Other]
[Assist Jiraiya in finding Orochimaru]
[Exclusive Side Missions will not affect normal Side Missions]
[Accept?]
Another exclusive mission?
Takemi couldn't help but blink. The benefits he got from the previous exclusive mission were still fresh in his memory. He hadn't expected another one to pop up now.
This kind of mission...
He definitely had to complete it well!
Anyway, when Jiraiya and Orochimaru meet, they really just stab each other. They only have each other in their eyes, so it's highly unlikely to affect him.
"Maybe I can even meet Kimimaro."
Orochimaru certainly had a lot of good stuff, but it was quite difficult to snatch it from him, especially with Jiraiya around.
But Kimimaro was different. This guy had long been on Takemi's 'hunting list'.
He was very suspicious that Kimimaro, a member of the Kaguya clan, was actually from the clan that had inherited the physical power of Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
"This really is a good mission..." Takemi muttered to himself.
Jiraiya also spoke at this time, "Alright, let's speed up. Let's try to reach the Land of Hot Water tonight. The hot springs there are absolutely amazing!"
Takemi said, "Really? Then I'm really looking forward to it."
Jiraiya said, "About that, you might not be able to get in."
Takemi asked, "Huh? What do you mean?"
Jiraiya replied, "Because you're too young."
Takemi helpelsslt said, "Jiraiya-sama, are you going to an illegitimate place?"
Jiraiya refused and said, "It's precisely because it's legitimate that you can't enter."
"..."
Takemi almost laughed in anger. Seriously, they don't even let minors in? Is this considered a legitimate place?
But on second thought, it seemed that it was indeed legitimate.
.....
"Failed again."
In an underground laboratory in the Land of Hot Water, Orochimaru looked at the test tube in his hand and finally shook his head helplessly.
He didn't mind failure as each failure could be considered a step towards success.
However...
He felt like he might have found the wrong direction. If the direction is wrong, no experiment will yield the correct result.
"Shikotsumyaku, it really is incredible."
He couldn't help but lightly lick his lips. Orochimaru casually threw the test tube aside, and Kimimaro, who had been lying on the experimental table, also stood up.
His expression was cold, but his eyes were filled with admiration and respect, as well as some guilt.
He said, "I have disappointed Orochimaru-sama. I cannot become your best vessel."
Orochimaru shook his head and said, "I am not disappointed. Anyway, I still have some time."
He was indeed not disappointed. In fact, he was even somewhat excited.
What he liked most was researching unknown things, and the problem with Kimimaro had clearly piqued his interest.
Kimimaro's talent was unique, especially his kekkei genkai, Shikotsumyaku, which was somewhat beyond imagination. That kind of intense Yang Release even made him feel a bit uneasy.
It seemed that he had only felt something similar when studying the First Hokage's cells.
Of course, Kimimaro's Yang Release power could not compare to Hashirama's bur it was still noteworthy.
In the midst of such intense Yang Release bursts, Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku became stronger and stronger, but along with it came the outbreak of the kekkei genkai disease.
Moreover, with the appearance of this disease, Kimimaro's body began to show signs of collapse, which gave him a headache.
"Is this some kind of genius curse?"
Orochimaru couldn't help but ponder. The better he performed, the faster he would die. This situation made him somewhat confused.
But unfortunately, he had no way to explore the history of the Kaguya clan. After all, this clan had been destroyed by Kirigakure .
"However, that's what makes it interesting."
Orochimaru chuckled lightly. He thought for a moment and then spoke, "Your situation is a bit complicated. Currently, all I can do is suppress your kekkei genkai disease from worsening. What you need to do is use your power as little as possible, which will prevent your condition from getting worse."
"I understand, Orochimaru-sama."
Kimimaro lowered his head and replied in a deep voice, but this answer made Orochimaru shake his head.
He knew Kimimaro's personality. He probably wouldn't hesitate at all when it was time to act.
However, he didn't care, because he knew that Kimimaro was completely loyal to him.
Orochimaru said, "Alright, we don't have enough materials. I need you and others to go out and get some more, and also buy some food and water. There are quite a few people here."
Kimimaro asked, "Yes, Orochimaru-sama, are there any requirements for the materials this time?"
"Requirements?"
Orochimaru tilted his head. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "Whatever you like. They are just materials anyway, but if you want, perhaps you can bring back some people you find interesting..."