When Naruto failed to answer him, Shikamaru looked over curiously. Naruto had his head lowered, seemingly deep in thought, and was muttering something too quietly for Shikamaru to hear.
Shikamaru asked in confusion, "Naruto, what are you thinking about?"
Naruto snapped out of his thoughts, smiled, and waved a hand. "Oh, nothing. Yeah, you're right. That might be why the Gnomes disappeared. They didn't even have time to pack up the equipment and specimens in their laboratory. That disaster must have dealt them a devastating blow. No one's encountered a single Goblin even now, which suggests they still haven't recovered. Or perhaps they found another place to settle and went into seclusion. After all, the Gnomes live underground and don't like dealing with other races."
Shikamaru nodded. "Maybe."
After a brief silence, Naruto smiled. "But none of that really matters. We're not looking for the Gnomes themselves, just the Magic Crystal and Heavenly Flame kept in their Sacred Land. Everything else can wait. I'd really like to see the Gnomes and witness their ingenuity, but we can leave that for when we have more time. Right now, our priority is finding the altar in their Sacred Land as soon as possible. I think what we're after should be there. Shikamaru, does the notebook say where the altar is?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "It doesn't, but it says that every year, at a certain time, the Gnomes would go to the summit of Blackglow Mountain to honor their ancestors. I think that must be where their altar is."
Naruto said eagerly, "Yes, yes, that's it! Does it give a route?"
Shikamaru checked the notebook. "It does, but we'd have to pass through the First Laboratory. The First Laboratory has been completely sealed off, though, and it's full of the Solar Beast's