The temporary base was over a hundred kilometers from the Merchant Company's headquarters, with mountainous terrain covering most of the distance.
Even at Zou Hyuga's speed, reaching it would take several hours.
But Zou Hyuga had to go and see what had happened. The organization's next generation was there.
When he was a dozen or so kilometers from the temporary base, Zou Hyuga sensed that the battle had already ended. He slowed down and left Sage Mode.
Half an hour later, Zou Hyuga appeared outside the small mountain village.
The villagers were still going about their work, completely unaware that a battle had taken place on the Back Mountain.
With his Byakugan activated, Zou Hyuga soon spotted the injured Kisame Hoshigaki and the frightened children beside him amid the wreckage of the battlefield.
After a quick scan of the battlefield confirmed that no one had been killed, Zou Hyuga relaxed a little.
He then turned his gaze to Kisame, waiting for an explanation. Any ninja capable of injuring Kisame had to be at least Jonin level. Besides, who would attack this peaceful group?
Instinctively, Zou Hyuga thought of the Akatsuki. But if the Akatsuki had attacked, none of these children would have survived. Kisame's current strength was also nowhere near what Zou remembered.
Could it have been Konoha ninja who mistook Kisame and the others for rogue ninja terrorizing the area?
Surely Kirigakure's ANBU hadn't pursued him all the way into the heart of the Land of Fire.
As Zou Hyuga used medical ninjutsu to heal Kisame's injuries, Kisame explained what had happened. He had been teaching the trainees the finer points of the Three-Body Technique at the training ground.
He had been enjoying teaching them, watching them improve step by step.
But a ninja without even a forehead protector