Tsunade and the others, including Shisui of the Root, arrived.

Chapter 121 Tsunade and the others, including Shisui of the Root, arrived.

Compared to the Root team's cautious infiltration, Tsunade's group was much more direct.

Or rather, much more capricious!

"This is it!"

Tsunade stood on a ridge, hands on her hips, her gaze passing over the layers of tree canopy, looking towards the distant valley surrounded by mountains.

Her tone was so certain it was almost unreasonable; she acted entirely on her feelings, and was incredibly willful.

Kakashi stood half a step behind her, his right eye under his headband slightly narrowed, looking in the direction Tsunade was staring.

As far as the eye could see, there were only rolling green hills and scattered abandoned houses at the foot of the hills, with nothing unusual in sight.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back. The past few days had taught him a lesson.

Trying to reason with Lady Tsunade is pointless; you might as well save your energy.

Shizune was used to Tsunade's style, but muttered under her breath, "Lady Tsunade, you said the same thing last time, and we ended up taking three days of winding mountain roads—"

"Shut up." Tsunade didn't even turn her head, but Shizune immediately fell silent and hugged Ton-Ton tightly in her arms.

Kakashi sighed and reached out to pat Pakkun, who was perched on his shoulder.

Parker understood, jumped off the ridge, circled the mountain path a few times, and sniffed the ground.

He looked up and glanced in a certain direction for a moment, then turned back and nodded to Kakashi.

"The smell is faint, but it definitely extends in this direction." Parker's voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"And it's not just one person's scent. Several groups of people have passed through here recently, including ordinary people and ninjas."

Kakashi's gaze sharpened slightly. Several groups of people? Ninjas too? Who else is investigating this place?

Tsunade didn't seem surprised. She started walking down the mountain, her steps slow but carrying an undeniable certainty: "Let's go, we'll see for ourselves."

Kakashi and Shizune exchanged a glance and then followed.

The three of them descended the mountain path, passed through a dense forest, and suddenly the view opened up before them.

Nestled in the mountains, a mining village lies quietly, its houses built against the mountainside, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys, just like any other ordinary mountain village.

The entrance to the mine tunnel is on the mountainside behind the village, where figures can be vaguely seen going in and out, pushing mine carts, busy but orderly.

"Oxalis Gold Mountain," Kakashi murmured, reciting the name marked on the map.

He had seen this place before in the intelligence reports of the Dark Division, but at the time he thought it was just an ordinary mining site in the Land of Rivers and didn't pay much attention to it.

Standing here now, he realized that this place was an ideal hiding spot.

Surrounded by mountains on all sides, with only one mountain path in and out, anyone who tries to approach will be detected from miles away.

"It's very quiet," Tsunade suddenly said, her voice carrying a hint of scrutiny.

Kakashi understood what she meant; it was too quiet, a quietness unlike the natural stillness of the mountains and fields.

Rather, it was a deliberately suppressed, cautious quiet.

People come and go in the village, but you can hardly hear any loud noise.

There were guards at the entrance to the mine, but their eyes were not on the mine carts, but on the direction of the mountain road.

"Someone is watching us," Shizune whispered, her hand already subtly resting on the kunai pouch at her waist.

Tsunade raised her hand, signaling her not to act rashly. Her gaze swept across the village, finally settling on the mine behind them, where it lingered for a moment.

"Not here."

Kakashi was taken aback: "What?"

"The base isn't here." Tsunade turned around and walked along the other side of the ridge. "This is just a cover. The real entrance is elsewhere. Follow me."

Kakashi glanced at the distant village, then at Tsunade's retreating figure, his brows furrowing slightly.

He felt that Tsunade's familiarity with the place was unusual, as if it wasn't her first time here.

It's more like her body remembered something she shouldn't have remembered.

He didn't ask any more questions and silently followed.

Shizune, carrying Ton-Ton, jogged to catch up and whispered to Kakashi, "Don't overthink it, Lady Tsunade has her own way of doing things."

Kakashi didn't say anything.

He only glanced back at the quiet mining village.

As dusk settled, lights began to twinkle one by one in the village, their orange glow appearing warm and peaceful against the grey-blue sky.

But he knew that something unknown was hidden beneath those lights.

And they are getting closer step by step.

On the other side, as dusk deepened, mist rose slowly from the valley floor, shrouding the golden hill of oxalis in a hazy gray-white hue.

The root squad had been lying in ambush on a cliff on the northeast side of the village for two whole days.

The team leader, codenamed "", is a Root elite in his early thirties who wears an ANBU mask.

He looked away from the binoculars and tilted his head slightly toward the team members behind him.

"Shisui, it's your turn."

Uchiha Shisui silently rose from the shadows and nodded.

He wasn't wearing the ANBU uniform, but had changed into a dark-colored casual outfit. His dark eyes were fixed ahead as he began his operation.

He slid silently down the side of the cliff, like a falling leaf, without making a sound.

The mountain wind blew in from the valley entrance, rustling the bushes and conveniently masking the sound of his landing.

Behind the village, next to a detached wooden house, a middle-aged villager was chopping firewood.

He is the village's mining leader, which has been confirmed in the past few days. He goes to a certain place in the back mountain every two days, following a fixed route and acting cautiously. He is clearly not an ordinary villager.

Shi Shui emerged from the shadows of the wooden house, her footsteps so light they barely touched the ground.

When he appeared behind the villager, the villager didn't even notice anything amiss until a hand gently pressed on his shoulder.

"Don't move!"

The sound of still water was very low, but it came suddenly from behind, which was obviously quite frightening.

The villager's body stiffened abruptly, and he instinctively tried to turn around, only to meet Shisui's Sharingan eyes, which were already subtly shifting.

The three magatama slowly rotated on the scarlet background, like a bottomless vortex.

The villager's eyes quickly glazed over, his body went limp, and the axe in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

Shisui held his shoulder with one hand and pressed the other hand against his forehead to maintain the stability of the illusion.

"What's your name?" Shisui's voice was very soft.

"Sanlang—" The villager's voice was hollow and slow.

"Who are you working for?"

"For————-sama, Taketori-sama!"

Shisui's pupils contracted slightly. Taketori—Taketori Izumikawa?

He took a deep breath and continued to press for answers.

"Where is Lord Taketori's base?"

"In the back mountain, deep in the mine tunnels."

Is he currently at the base?

"No—I don't know. The adults often go out, and it seems like they went out this time too."

"Where did you go?"

"I don't know—I really don't know—only a few adults know—"

Shisui paused for a moment, then asked, "How many people are left in the base? Who's in charge?"

"There are skeletons, lots of skeletons."

"There is another adult—a skeletal woman who can control adults."

"She doesn't come out often—we occasionally deliver supplies on orders, leaving them in designated locations, but we're not allowed to go inside—"

Shisui frowned slightly. Skeletons? Manipulating bones?

He recalled the "Shikotsumyaku" mentioned in the intelligence report, which was the bloodline limit of the Taketori clan.

One of the abilities possessed by Taketori Izumikawa suggests that he has accomplices within the base.

He continued to ask a few more questions, but Saburo knew very little about them.

He was just a peripheral servant, responsible for delivering simple supplies, and had never entered the core area of ​​the base.

He knew nothing about the base's exact location, internal structure, or defense measures.

After asking his last question, Shisui withdrew his illusion.

Saburo swayed, his eyes gradually regained their clarity, and then he looked blank, as if he had no recollection of what had just happened.

"You're tired, take a rest." Shisui gently patted his shoulder, her tone as gentle as a friend's concern.

Saburo gave a blank "hmm," turned around, and walked towards the wooden house. His steps were unsteady, clearly still recovering from the aftereffects of the illusion.

Zhi Shui's figure disappeared into the twilight once more, and a moment later, he had returned to the cliff.

"I got the information!" He squatted down beside him and reported the information he had obtained in detail in a low voice.

"Deep in the mine tunnels behind the mountain is indeed the base of Taketori Izumi River, but he himself is not here at the moment; it is said that he left a long time ago."

"There are skeletal puppets in the base, and there seems to be a woman who can control his skeletal puppets. She must be his accomplice."

Nue listened in silence, then nodded. His expression remained unchanged, but a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

"The intelligence largely matches," he said in a low voice. "Lord Danzo suspected that the other side might have accomplices. Now it's confirmed."

He paused for a moment, his gaze falling on the mine shrouded in twilight.

"Continue to lie low, do not alert the enemy, send the intelligence back to Konoha, and await further instructions."

A Root ninja silently took out a scroll and began writing coded messages.

Shisui gazed at the distant mines, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The absence of Taketori Izumi means that he may not be able to see that man this time, nor be able to ask the answers that have troubled him for so long.

But at the same time, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

That man is not someone he can easily face in his current state.

The voice of "Shisui" interrupted his thoughts. "You did a good job. Next, we need to confirm the exact location of the base's entrance."

77

"Tomorrow, you will take control of someone who knows more information."

"9

Zhi Shui nodded, suppressing those distracting thoughts.

He and the Root ninjas began taking turns resting, keeping watch on the village below.

Many of the people in these villages seemed unaware of the truth, only knowing that the ninja had brought them a new life.

Therefore, in order to maintain their current life, they strictly abide by the established rules, otherwise they will be severely punished by the village chief and others.