Land of Whirlpools.
The sound of wind and sand echoed in their ears.
What lay before them was a dilapidated ruin.
As Insect Man and his companions passed by, a wall suddenly collapsed, kicking up a large amount of dust, causing everyone to cough uncontrollably.
"Cough cough, isn't the destruction here a bit too much?"
This was the ruin of a town, ravaged and scarred. From the scale of the buildings, one could easily imagine its former glory, but with the outbreak of war, it had faded into the annals of history.
The fate of the Uzumaki Clan was also concluded here.
Due to their unique Sealing Techniques, the clan members faced slaughter, and many Sealing Techniques were used by various nations. Even those who survived had to live in hiding for a long time, living in the shadows like mice.
"Elder Morina, can we really find anything here?"
Accompanying Insect Man's group of five was an elderly man with long, withered white hair. Although he was over seventy years old, he was still in good health.
This elder was named Uzumaki Morina, the highest-ranking remaining elder of the Uzumaki Clan. However, due to the natural progression of age, his long white hair had turned white.
"Our clan once preserved many ancient books passed down through the ages, some of which concern Immortal Techniques and legends of immortals," Uzumaki Morina replied.
"Not related to history and such?"
Facing Insect Man's doubt, Elder Morina said helplessly, "The events of ancient times occurred too long ago, and many things may not be true. Furthermore, some of it is likely exaggerated, since even back in the Uzumaki Clan, many people regarded these tales as myths rather than actual historical events."
Obviously, even he himself did not fully believe in legends of immortals and the like.
Immortal Techniques could be traced, but things like immortals and demons were mostly embellished with artistic elements, spread in story form in this era.
"Will these books be of help to the Leader?"
Insect Man was anxious.
Haku's order to them was to search for historical and legendary books passed down from ancient times. Although they didn't know what he wanted them for, he must be planning something.
"I don't know either, but speaking of immortals... the most famous one would have to be the Six Paths Sage who taught the Ninja Sect. I read some myths about the Six Paths Sage when I was younger, including one where he battled a World-Ending Demon to save the world."
Insect Man and his companions blinked, as if listening to a mythical story.
They had heard many such stories as well, though the protagonist was often someone other than the Six Paths Sage.
In the storybooks popular among children, there are no fewer than a hundred similar world-saving stories.
"But the one we are looking for may not be the Six Paths Sage, but... toads, snakes, and Katsuyu-like immortals."
Insect Man made simple hand gestures depicting the three animals.
"The Three Great Sacred Lands?"
"Yes."
"That could be a bit troublesome because the Uzumaki Clan's records mostly cover human history. There's little documentation on the history of Summoning Beasts. However, in the past, some of our clan members had contracts with the Three Great Sacred Lands, so perhaps we can find something."
At this point, Elder Morina couldn't guarantee that they would find something.
"That's the idea. Thank you for your help."
The five followed Elder Morina forward.
The Uzumaki Clan was annihilated, but many things had been preserved.
For example, the large scrolls recording Sealing Techniques, along with various research materials on Sealing Techniques... certainly not everything was lost. The clan must have had backup copies of these precious documents.
"We've arrived. This is it."
The surroundings were broken walls, covered with moss making them slippery.
Insect Man's group used Natural Energy to increase their physical strength, lifting the piled-up slabs one by one, taking half an hour to do so, leaving them all panting from exhaustion.
Exposed was an ordinary stone slab, with worn corners.
Insect Man and the others couldn't see anything noteworthy until Elder Morina performed seals. Using a jutsu to activate it, light began to shine from the slab, revealing many floating curse symbols, unveiling an underground passage.
"Above us used to be our Intelligence Department, and below is where the compiled intelligence and document archives are stored."
Elder Morina took the lead down the stairs.
Since the electrical facilities were damaged, it was pitch dark below.
Insect Man took a flashlight from his pocket to light the way as they walked.
Upon reaching the bottom, they found it to be a rather spacious basement; the entire space slanted slightly but showed no cracks.
Elder Morina explained that anti-seismic sealing barriers surrounded the place, and any perception could be avoided.
In times of crisis, the Uzumaki Clan could seek refuge below, so they stored a certain amount of water and food here.
The amount of books stored here was astonishing, half of which were intelligence information, mostly outdated, only recorded until after the First Ninja World War. The rest were various precious document archives.
"There are very few books about legends... In any case, we should take everything back first."
Not knowing which book was needed by Haku, or perhaps all were needed, the five of them began the task of moving the books.