Naruto's initial enthusiasm had long been exhausted by the constant travel.
The group moved through the tall trees, the huge and dense foliage rushing past them.
After finally crossing a hill, Naruto leaped to Kakashi's side and walked alongside him.
" Kakashi-sensei, where are we going? What's the objective of our mission?"
Kakashi glanced at Naruto, then observed that Shinsei beside him didn't object, and then stepped onto the ground.
Sasuke and Sakura also stopped and surrounded Kakashi.
"If I'm not mistaken, we should be close to the rendezvous point."
" Kakashi-sensei, where are we? We've been walking for so long, I've forgotten how far we've gone."
Sakura, being the second-best student after Shinsei, has some knowledge of the Shinobi World and answered the question:
"This is the Land of Demons, isn't it, Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi nodded in satisfaction and praised Sakura:
"Not bad, Sakura's knowledge is indeed extensive. This is the Land of Demons, the location of our mission."
Naruto found it strange and couldn't help but ask, " The Land of Demons? How can there be a country with that name?"
"Idiot! This is knowledge we learned in school!"
Naruto shrank back; it would be strange if he could even pay attention in class.
Sakura continued, "Don't underestimate this country. It's said that a monster capable of destroying the world lurks within its borders."
"Monsters that will destroy the world? That's perfect, let me, Naruto Uzumaki, wipe them all out!"
Naruto recently mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and his confidence is soaring. He doesn't care about any monsters that could destroy the world; he only hopes that the enemy becomes stronger so that he can demonstrate his own worth.
Ideally, Naruto Uzumaki should appear when Shinsei and Sasuke are both unable to handle the situation, rescue his two idiot teammates, and then wipe out all the monsters amidst their adoring gazes.
Kakashi took out a scroll he always carried with him and explained to his three disciples:
"This mission is not so simple. The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki of Kumogakure escaped from the village and should have disappeared around this location. Therefore, the main objective of this mission is to rescue the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki."
" Jinchūriki?" Naruto was very sensitive to this term, as he himself was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Now, upon hearing that the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki had gone missing, he immediately became alert.
Sasuke had met Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and had a deep impression of Jinchūriki. Although they had never fought, he had observed Killer B's battle with Obito.
Moreover, it is said that the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is Perfect Jinchuriki, capable of cooperating with the Tailed Beast, making him no ordinary person.
If even a ninja of this caliber can go missing, it's no wonder they need Shinsei and his own Team 7. Since Uchiha Itachi's death, Sasuke has gained a deep understanding of his own strength; even in the Shinobi World, he would be a powerful figure capable of dominating a region.
Only with a genius like Shinsei in Konoha does he seem less conspicuous.
Naruto is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and has even mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. These three are strong enough to conquer an entire country, yet they're working together on a mission, which shows just how challenging this mission is.
"This mission may involve the secrets of the Land of Demons, so everyone must be cautious. After we meet with the ninjas from Kumogakure, we'll understand the situation and then discuss our next steps."
Naruto, eager to prove himself, urged Kakashi, " Kakashi-sensei, let's hurry and find our contact! Let's rescue the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!"
Kakashi carefully put the scroll away, glanced at Shinsei, and seeing that Shinsei had no objections, said, "Then let's go find the contact person."
After speaking, Kakashi surveyed his surroundings and Hand Seals. As the smoke dissipated, several Ninja Dog appeared in the open space.
Pakkun spotted Shinsei beside him immediately, his eyes filled with resentment. He still harbored a grudge against Shinsei for using his appearance to perform Ninjutsu last time.
"Hey, Pakkun! Don't look at me like that." Shinsei squatted down and teased Pakkun, "Using your appearance to perform Ninjutsu is just to increase your fame, you know. I can touch the fleshy ball on the sole of your foot to express my apology."
Pakkun's eyes grew even more resentful. Its ears drooped, and it said in a somewhat aggrieved voice, "But I don't want this kind of fame. I'm just a little dog with no fighting ability. After what happened last time, I was laughed at by the other dogs for a long time after I got home."
The dogs nearby couldn't help but smile human-like when they heard Pakkun's words.
Kakashi crouched down and patted Pakkun's head. "Alright, Pakkun, we have a mission this time. Can you help us find out if there are any Kumogakure ninjas nearby? The mission log only specifies the location, not the contact person."
Pakkun nodded and quickly barked at the Ninja Dog beside him. The Ninja Dog scattered and disappeared into the surrounding dense forest.
While waiting for the Ninja Dog to reply, Sakura conscientiously opened her storage scroll, took out water and food, and distributed them to everyone. The group, who had been running non-stop, also felt a bit tired, so they sat cross-legged on the grass, drinking water and eating food.
Sakura kept feeding Sasuke the dorayaki in her hand. Sasuke hesitated for a moment, but still took it with his mouth. Naruto's eyes were full of resentment, and when he looked at Sasuke, his eyes seemed to be spitting fire.
But what could he do? Sakura had always been like this towards Sasuke since they were little. It's just that Sasuke used to always reject Sakura, but now that barrier between them had been removed, and Sakura's efforts were no longer one-sided.
Shinsei, out of sight, out of mind, didn't care about Sakura's actions. If Ino were there, she could have gone even further than Sakura.
About ten minutes later, a Ninja Dog quickly ran over, stood in front of Kakashi, and barked incessantly.
Kakashi listened intently to the Ninja Dog's barking, then stood up and said to the others present, "We've found it. Everyone, follow us."
Everyone quickly got up and followed the running dog. They passed through dense forests and climbed over several hills, finally arriving at a cave halfway up a mountain.
A dark-skinned young man with short white hair stood at the entrance of the cave. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the group of people in front of him.
"Greetings! I am Darui, a ninja from Kumogakure! Please help heal my comrade!"