As Sarada blearily opened her eyes and tried to get up, her hand touched a black object with irregular bumps. It looked like a mask. "Wh-what is this?"
Mitsuki's voice rang out. "It's a Gas Mask. I found it under a bed in the house where I stopped earlier. Thanks to it, you escaped the worst..."
Sarada looked toward his voice and saw Hitomi lying unconscious nearby. A small snake emerging from Mitsuki's sleeve had its fangs sunk into his shoulder!
She immediately bolted upright. "What are you doing?!"
Mitsuki hastily explained, "Don't worry. I'm drawing the 'poison' out of Hitomi's body."
Hearing that, Sarada looked around doubtfully. They were behind a large boulder, with the edge of the poisonous fog halted not far behind them. Nearby stood a Scientific Ninja Tool Vehicle that had already begun smoking.
Was this... the safe zone?!
I remember passing out in the room. The place we were in must have been swallowed by the poisonous fog... but now we're in the safe zone. Could it have been... Mitsuki?!
Sarada gradually pieced things together. Looking at the Gas Mask, she thought, This kept me from being badly poisoned, so I woke up early.
She looked at Mitsuki and asked, "Mitsuki, why are you all right?"
Mitsuki answered honestly, "This poisonous fog was made by diluting the venom of a Sage Snake from Ryūchi Cave. I have some ties to Ryūchi Cave, so I'm resistant to it, but only in the early stages. To speed things up, the poison will keep getting stronger later on. I probably won't be able to withstand it then, either. And against the final poison, this Gas Mask won't stand a chance..."
"So that's how it is..." Sarada asked as though it were only natural, "Why didn't you give the