Fumori Masaki directly inquired about the identity of the enemies for this mission. The shrine maiden nodded slightly and began to recount the situation of the group lurking around the old Ninja Sect site.
Actually, the shrine maiden wasn't entirely sure of their true identities. After the old Ninja Sect site was discovered, they seemed to appear out of nowhere, preventing people from the Land of Demons from entering, and then they started searching for something.
"They only appeared after the old Ninja Sect site was discovered, so it's safe to assume they had their eyes on it from the beginning." Fumori Masaki furrowed his brows. These people's objective was somewhat unexpected; they weren't the petty thieves he had imagined.
"But why? Besides us, not many people would be interested in the Ninja Sect's classics," Kana pondered.
"Perhaps it's not because of the Ninja Sect's classics, but for other reasons," Fumori Masaki said. "In any case, we can't underestimate these people. We need to investigate first."
"If Mr. Kazama needs any help, our Land of Demons will assist you with all our might," the shrine maiden bowed slightly.
"I'll handle the investigation myself. It's best left to a professional," Fumori Masaki smiled faintly. "As for Kana-san and my three students, I'll entrust them to your care."
The shrine maiden nodded and said, "No problem. You can rest assured that as long as they stay in this shrine, no one can harm them. Although we don't have any secret techniques for combat, we do have some experience with defensive barriers."
"That's excellent!" Fumori Masaki chuckled and said to Kana, "Kana-san, you all stay here for now. I'll go investigate alone."
"Teacher, aren't you taking us with you?" Hatake Sakumo asked.
"Hmm, I have a bad feeling. The enemy might be more formidable than expected. I'll go scout them out first, then decide if you all can get some practice," Fumori Masaki replied.
Tsunade and the other two were a bit disappointed. Having studied under Fumori Masaki for many years, they were eager to test their skills against others. Fumori Masaki understood this, but they were truly too young. If the opponent wasn't simple, there might be danger, and he didn't want to take that risk.
Fumori Masaki clarified the location of the old Ninja Sect site and the basic situation of those people, then bid farewell and left to investigate. The shrine maiden ordered a servant to prepare rooms for Kana and the others. Afterwards, the two parties continued chatting. Kana looked at the silent girl and asked, "Is this your student?"
"She is my daughter, Miroku, and also my student, as she will be the next shrine maiden after me," the shrine maiden said with a gentle smile, stroking Miroku's head.
It was then that Miroku spoke for the first time: "Hello everyone." Her voice was as gentle as her mother's.
"What a lovely girl! She'll surely be an excellent shrine maiden in the future," Kana said with a smile, looking at Miroku.
"Yes, Miroku has had powerful chakra since she was little, much stronger than mine, her mother's. She will definitely be an excellent shrine maiden," the shrine maiden said, smiling involuntarily at the compliment.
Hatake Sakumo was slightly startled and said, "Powerful chakra? Madam, do you also practice ninjutsu? There are no ninja villages in your country."
"We haven't specifically studied it. Traditional shrine maidens focus on spiritual cultivation. It's only been in the last hundred years that we've gradually started learning secret techniques of the Yin Release nature, such as genjutsu," the shrine maiden replied.
Everyone else suddenly understood. No wonder the Land of Demons' military strength wasn't formidable. They had only begun to master ninja secret techniques in the last hundred years, and even then, they were non-lethal genjutsu. It was unlikely they would have any spiritual secret techniques that directly harmed others, let alone the Five-Element Release.
If Fumori Masaki were still there, he might have mused that the Land of Demons had indeed preserved many Ninja Sect traditions. Their tradition of focusing on spiritual cultivation was identical to the original Ninja Sect. The chakra initially passed down by the Ninja Sect was the spiritual power that connected people. It was only after Indra created ninjutsu for killing that it began to combine with physical strength, thereby greatly amplifying chakra.
The two parties chatted until dusk. Fumori Masaki had not yet returned, indicating that the investigation wouldn't be a quick one. No one considered whether Fumori Masaki had met with an accident. Someone who could survive the Ninja World War, and a student of the Second Hokage at that, how could he fall in a place like this?
"Please go to your rooms to rest. The shrine will prepare dinner and send it to your rooms," the shrine maiden said. "Miroku and I will be undergoing training tonight, so we cannot accompany you all. Please forgive us."
"It's nothing. Madam also has her own matters. We are the ones imposing," Kana said indifferently.
Subsequently, the four of them were led by a servant to their prepared rooms. At their request, Tsunade and Kana stayed in the same room. This was partly to be with Kana and partly to protect her, as Kana had no means of self-defense.
"Ah, Kazama went to investigate those people himself, but we're stuck here. It's so boring," Tsunade had little interest in the Ninja Sect. When Kana and the shrine maiden chatted, that was the topic, so she didn't find anything interesting. When she went to see Hatake Sakumo and Hattori Heizo's room, she couldn't help but say.
"Teacher Kazama's words make sense. The enemy had their eyes on the old Ninja Sect site from the start, so they might not be ordinary people," Hatake Sakumo said.
"If the opponent truly has their own objective, then they are very likely ninjas," Hattori Heizo suddenly interjected. "As long as they are adult ninjas, we at this age have inherent disadvantages. Our experience, stamina, and chakra are all limited. Even if we possess secret techniques they don't, it's the same. It's only natural to treat them cautiously."
"Moreover, even a master like Teacher Kazama hasn't finished his investigation yet, so the opponent might truly be formidable," Hatake Sakumo added.
"That's true, but it's still boring," Tsunade was naturally restless. As a princess of the Senju clan, she was unlike a traditional lady.
"Let's just wait for Teacher Kazama's results. If the opponent isn't that capable, perhaps we'll still have a chance to show off our skills," Hatake Sakumo said.
"That's all we can do," Tsunade sighed.
While the others were at the shrine, Fumori Masaki was wandering around the old Ninja Sect site. The area hadn't been fully developed yet, so he couldn't see its entirety. However, through his unique sensory perception, he could detect the clandestine traces of some people. From their movements, he could tell that these people were all ninjas.
"I didn't expect them to be ninjas. But there shouldn't be many rogue ninjas around right now. Where did these people come from?" Fumori Masaki mused inwardly.