The moment they entered the hospital, the sight before them stunned them.
"How could it be this run-down?" Dan Katō couldn't help exclaiming as he surveyed the hospital's interior.
Outside, he had assumed only the exterior was dilapidated and that the furnishings inside might be decent. But as soon as he entered, he realized he had been far too optimistic.
Vines covered the hospital walls, and apart from a single flickering incandescent bulb, there were no other sources of light.
There wasn't a soul in the hospital, either. Beyond a long corridor, they couldn't even see any rooms or examination offices.
"Orochimaru, is Mifune really in this hospital?" Jiraiya lowered his voice and whispered into Orochimaru's ear.
Orochimaru shook his head slightly.
In truth, he didn't know, either. But judging by the state of the place, Mifune probably wasn't here.
"Let's go. We shouldn't waste any more time..." Orochimaru sighed softly, then turned and walked out of the hospital.
"Yeah..." With nothing else he could do, Jiraiya followed Orochimaru out.
Dan Katō, however, remained where he was, gradually sinking into thought.
Then he activated his Sensory Ninjutsu, sending a wave of invisible mental energy outward from himself to probe the entire hospital.
After a long while, he canceled his Sensory Ninjutsu and shook his head slightly.
"No one..." he murmured.
Could there be another hospital in Iron City?
With no sign of Mifune, they had no way to confirm what they had been considering.
That was what truly worried them...
"Hey, are you coming or not?" Watching Dan Katō stand there in a daze gave Yui a headache.
"Orochimaru and Jiraiya have already gone ahead!" she reminded him. "If you're not leaving, I am."
With that, Yui stopped paying attention to Dan Katō behind her and set off after Orochimaru