"Huh?"
Naruto pointed at Isaribi, turning to Anko in confusion. "Didn't you say she was the Sea Demon? But she's clearly human."
"This..."
Anko was also stunned.
The memories she just recalled did indeed include this girl's figure.
Although the girl's body was covered in scales back then, some of her features were still recognizable.
That's why she thought this girl was one of the children harmed by Orochimaru's experiments.
But now what was this?
'Did I remember wrong?'
Anko fell into deep self-doubt.
"Maybe Anko-sensei remembered wrong?"
Ino tried to give Anko an out. "If you saw her a long time ago, it's possible the memory is unclear."
"That possibility is very small."
Shino immediately and calmly refuted. "A Jonin's memory is undoubtedly excellent. If even the appearance of such a distinctive person can be forgotten, it's somewhat unbecoming for a Jonin."
"Shino!"
Ino immediately shot Shino a look, but his emotional intelligence was too low.
He didn't understand what Ino's look meant.
They argued behind the rock.
Meanwhile, the playing children, upon seeing Isaribi, were also dumbfounded.
A ball they were playing with fell to the ground and rolled away, carried off by the waves unnoticed.
They all ran over.
"Huh? Sis, where are your bandages? The grown-ups said you were a fish-person, a horrible Sea Demon. But you look just like a normal person."
One child asked curiously.
"Yeah, my grown-ups said that too. But the Sea Demon is supposed to be scary. Sis, you're not scary at all."
Another child chimed in.
"Right, right, big sis isn't scary at all."
The other children all agreed.
"That's why I taught you a lesson, understand?"
Takumi lightly smacked the first child's head. "Not knowing anything, just joining in the fun, and you ended up wronging a good person, right?"
"Go back and clear up the misunderstanding with your grown-ups. If they annoy me, I won't hold back for real."
He pointed at the two flattened hilltops nearby. "You saw my power, right? If you don't want your grown-ups to end up like that hill, scram."
"Ah! The big brother is scary!"
The children immediately scattered, shouting as they ran.
A bold one even turned back to stick out his tongue at Takumi.
Takumi's expression immediately turned ugly. "I told you I hate these brats. So lacking in manners."
"It's fine, Takumi-kun."
Isaribi, having regained her human form, reverted to her formerly gentle personality. She reached out and held Takumi's hand. "They're just children. What do they understand at this age?"
"They just lack proper upbringing. I've decided I want to become a teacher in the future, to teach them how to behave."
As Isaribi said this, her eyes sparkled.
This was something she hadn't possessed before… the light of hope.
"Since you say so, fine."
Takumi was still somewhat displeased, but if Isaribi said so, pursuing it would seem petty. "But your dream is good. Teaching is always the most respectable profession. Pity I don't have that talent."
"I believe with Takumi-kun's strength, if you wanted to, there's nothing you couldn't do."
Isaribi looked at Takumi tenderly, her bright pupils filled with trust in him.
"Hey, Takumi."
Anko, unable to figure it out, simply stopped trying and went straight to Takumi. "What's the deal with this girl?"
She genuinely thought she might have been mistaken.
Takumi glanced at Naruto and the others behind her and smiled. "Don't you remember?"
His words immediately made Anko freeze.
She instantly understood her earlier guess was correct. But why didn't Isaribi have the strange state she had seen before?
She immediately realized Takumi was the key and quickly pulled him aside for a private talk.
Leaving Naruto, the others, and Isaribi together, all looking at her mysteriously with puzzled eyes.
"She really is an experimental subject left by Orochimaru? How did you know?"
Anko had too many questions.
"Do you know why Hokage-sama specifically sent you here?"
Takumi countered. "I think you've remembered some things, right? Some memories sealed by Orochimaru?"
"How do you know that?"
Anko's expression completely changed.
Some Jonin knew about her situation, as her information wasn't top secret.
But it wasn't something just anyone knew.
"Hokage-sama told me specifically before I left."
Takumi casually used Hiruzen as an excuse. "He told me to watch out for your condition. It seems you're doing well. You can still control the 'gift' Orochimaru left, right?"
"Is that so?"
Anko smiled bitterly, covering the Cursed Seal on the back of her neck with her hand. "Making Hokage-sama worry about me... I'm not a qualified Shinobi."
"The Hokage is just concerned about your well-being. Your childhood was too unique."
Takumi casually added to the excuse. "As for Isaribi's body, don't worry. I've already cured her. And the real mastermind behind the Sea Demon incident is someone else."
"She told you?"
Anko glanced back at Isaribi discreetly. "Was she involved?"
"Ultimately, she was definitely involved."
Takumi said. "You should remember her original appearance. It must have been frightening to ordinary people."
"But aside from looking scary, she wasn't very strong. The ones truly doing those things were those Shinobi."
Anko nodded understandingly. "Then where do we find them?"
"Of course, have Isaribi lead the way."
Takumi said matter-of-factly. "I'll protect her. Nothing will happen to her."
"That's good."
Anko said decisively. "Then let's not delay. Let's resolve the Sea Demon issue before tomorrow's escort mission."
"Alright."
Takumi nodded. Just as he was about to leave, Anko tugged his sleeve.
"Um... how exactly did you cure her?"
For her, this question might be the most important.
"You'd better ask her herself."
Takumi couldn't help but show a mysterious smile. "It's hard for me to explain directly."
'Huh?'
Anko had a confused expression.
'What?'
'Didn't you treat her?'
'Why is it hard to explain?'
But she couldn't press further now.
Couldn't she see Naruto and the others giving her increasingly strange looks?
"Alright, we set off now to find the mastermind behind the Sea Demon incident."
Anko waved her hand grandly. Everyone immediately boarded the small boat and headed towards Demon Island.
As for why they used such an inconvenient mode of transport as a small boat, it was naturally because Isaribi, their guide, didn't have the ability to run on water.
Strictly speaking, she wasn't even a Shinobi.
Although she had some Chakra within her, she was ultimately an experimental subject and had never received any Shinobi education.
She couldn't control her Chakra.
Therefore, to accommodate her, everyone had to slowly travel to Demon Island by boat.
It wasn't until dark that they reached Demon Island.
"This is the place. But to get in, you need to go underwater."
Isaribi pointed at the water surface. "As for whether there are other entrances, I don't know."
"There must be other entrances."
Anko said definitely. "I didn't enter from underwater back when I came here."
"Huh?"
Naruto looked at Anko puzzled. "You've been here?"
"Didn't I mention it?"
Anko said. "Forget it. It's not something worth mentioning."
"This place used to be one of Orochimaru's experimental bases. But from what I know, Orochimaru abandoned this place some time ago."
Takumi stated directly.
His words immediately surprised Naruto. "Orochimaru?! Then why has Anko-senpai been here?"
"Because Orochimaru was once Anko-senpai's team leader. Don't think too much into it, it's a very ordinary thing."
Takumi said.
Although he said it lightly, Naruto and the others were still shocked.
As for Anko herself, she showed no reaction.
She had experienced too many unusual things since childhood simply because she was the student of the traitor Orochimaru.
"Seems we don't need to go in."
Takumi looked up. "Looks like they welcome us."
The others turned and saw three figures standing halfway up the mountainside, each on a rock.
"Well, if it isn't Anko."
A man in a white lab coat saw Anko and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't expect to run into you here. Pity Orochimaru-sama isn't here."
"Who are you?"
Anko didn't recognize him. "And I'm here to eliminate the Sea Demon, not to find Orochimaru."
"You don't even remember me?"
The lab coat man shook his head repeatedly. "But I remember you. How pitiful you looked when Orochimaru-sama abandoned you."
"Tch!"
Anko's expression immediately turned sour.
"Hey!"
Naruto shouted. "It's you guys, right? The bad guys creating the Sea Demon!"
"Hmph, if we're talking about the Sea Demon, it's right beside you... Huh?"
The lab coat man pointed at Isaribi, only now noticing her change. "What happened? How did you turn back into a human?"
"Damn it! Your data collection wasn't complete! Do you know how much of a loss this is to my experiments?!"