"Inoyama-san, what could it be? Why did the Yamanaka clan's sensory techniques suddenly stop working in this cave?" Shikaku asked, beginning to boil again at such a "fortunate" coincidence.
As soon as they arrived, Inoyama began scanning everything with Yamanaka clan techniques but after several minutes was surprised to find it impossible.
"I don't know, Shikaku-san. Somehow my scanning techniques don't work in this place. More precisely, they work, but only up to yesterday evening. Anything earlier seems erased… I've only seen this at the site of a tailed beast battle, specifically the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha. After its poisonous chakra, scanning anything was also impossible…"
"I see… Well, from what we have—this neatly cleared collapse. Some boulders still bear traces of a very thick rope rubbing against the stones. So Kasumi was saved… But by whom? Who has such abilities to hide all traces? And who needed an unremarkable Nara Clan kunoichi?" Shikaku pondered. He was quite intelligent, so he noticed many non-obvious details that even Kenshin hadn't thought to destroy.
Kenshin knew such an important figure would definitely be searched for, so he carefully concealed traces. He installed an interference formation over the entire nearby area. Even their boots left no prints. All footprints and various clothing threads were thoroughly removed. But even so, he hadn't considered the small worn and rough rope marks on large boulders that the Nara clan head immediately noticed.
Shikaku shifted his gaze to one of his subordinates and ordered: "Bring people and have them search the entire territory within a ten-kilometer radius for traces. Report all news to me personally."
"Yes, sir!" the Jonin said and immediately went to carry out the order.
"Inoyama-san, thank you for your help. I won't forget this." Shikaku said, unable to force even a semblance of a smile.
"No trouble, Shikaku-san. Our brother clans must help each other to survive the whirlpool of intrigue and even grow stronger." Inoyama said with a smile.
After exchanging pleasantries with Inoyama, they were already near the forest. Shikaku formed several seals and, to Inoyama's astonishment, disappeared, merging with the shadow.
Inoyama had heard of this technique but was seeing it for the first time. One of the strongest techniques in the Nara Clan arsenal. The so-called "Shadow Walking Technique," which had monstrous variability. The user could easily merge with any shadow and travel through shadows, unnoticed by everyone around. Most attacking, defensive, and sensory techniques had no effect on shadow, so theoretically one could even survive the terrifying "Tailed Beast Bomb" this way. This technique largely guaranteed that even a Kage would have trouble eliminating the best of the best Nara Clan shinobi.
According to information available to Inoyama, currently only two shinobi in the Nara Clan could use this technique. One was the current clan head, and the other was the great elder. Shikaku's father, also known as the "Shadow Dragon," were the pillars of the clan, providing it a solid foundation and protecting it from all adversity.
Sighing inwardly, Inoyama leaped onto a tree and raced toward Konoha, mentally cursing the cunning Shikaku who had surely already covered 150-200 kilometers and in ten minutes would be sitting in his office. The less fortunate Yamanaka clan member would have to run at least another hour to the home village. If not for numerous restrictions, Inoyama could reach the place in 15-20 minutes, but strong shinobi were forbidden from moving at such high speeds—at least for their own safety. A relatively "modest" speed of 300-350 kilometers per hour could be adapted to terrain and trees.
An experienced shinobi easily dissipated the impulse from such speed and prevented trees from exploding and the ground from collapsing and cracking beneath their feet. But a speed of 500 kilometers per hour, available to all reasonably strong Jonin, required enormous control, and most shinobi—even Elite Jonin level—couldn't move that fast without consequences. Trees torn to splinters threatened to hit very fragile eyes and damage them slightly, and feet threatened to sink knee-deep into loose soil, so for their own safety no one traveled at such enormous speeds.
****
After Kasumi finished her coffee, Kenshin decided not to pressure her and tried to cheer the girl up a bit, first giving her a tour of his home. The dejected and upset girl noticeably cheered up—she loved learning new things, especially when the "new" seemed to have come from another world.
Just as he was showing the curious girl the heated swimming pool, Kenshin suddenly felt an alarm signal, and the smile instantly vanished from his lips.
"Kasumi, stay here for now. You can put on a swimsuit in that room and swim a little. Only if you want, of course." Kenshin said politely and quickly headed to a relatively secret room accessible from the gym.
Kasumi mentally scolded this scoundrel for his shamelessness and promised herself never to let him see her in a swimsuit. Nevertheless, she approached the pool edge, leaned over, and touched the water, surprised that it was indeed warm.
Even the Nara Clan couldn't afford such a facility. In this world there were durable metals and pipe-smelting methods, but constant pool water heating would require enormous amounts of firewood or coal, and even expensive fuinjutsu seals were an unaffordable luxury for heating such huge water reservoirs.
While the girl was lost in thought, Kenshin quickly "connected" to the main formation nodes and began examining the received data.
"Hm, the search has reached even here… Good thing I thoroughly hid traces of our activity. But even so, if Jonin arrive, they'll definitely find something. I didn't think Kasumi was so important to Shikaku…" Kenshin mused, watching the carelessly wandering Genin nearby. Apparently these Genin didn't care much about the mission, and this place raised no suspicions, so it was quickly ignored.