Fearing that Orochimaru might have left another "surprise" somewhere in the village—or taken something they hadn't noticed yet—all foreigners were invited to return to their homes for their own safety.
Translation: they already had more than enough problems—get out before you cause more!
Chad and his team left Konoha without delay, even if that meant being searched. Although they had already sent a scroll reporting what had happened in broad terms, the Raikage (and Mabui) would want answers, and there were things that couldn't be written down without leaving evidence.
They had barely traveled twenty kilometers away from Konoha when an ANBU kunoichi intercepted them in a forest clearing.
"Did you really think we wouldn't notice anything?" Yugao asked coldly, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword.
Ororomoi stepped back while Isaribi and Guren went on guard, searching for the rest of the ANBU hidden around them.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Chad replied evenly.
But Yugao wasn't about to let it go.
"At the Hokage Rock—did you really think ANBU, the unit that answers directly to the Hokage, would be so incompetent as not to notice you were using a clone?"
The air grew tense.
Ororomoi grimaced. In fact, even he had noticed Chad was a clone back then!
How could people skilled enough to enter ANBU not notice?
"Ah. I suppose I underestimated Konoha."
"Sensei?!" ×2
Yugao stepped forward with firm strides until she stood right in front of Chad.
"And stealing the Scroll of Seals—that was the last straw." She removed her animal mask and glared at him. "Did you really think Seizan alone would be enough to steal it?!"
Isaribi and Guren looked at Yugao in confusion.
How did she know about sensei's summoning?
"You were only supposed to loot the Senju compound!" Yugao jabbed a finger into Chad's chest. "But instead you went and filled it with explosive tags! Between that and stealing the scroll, you almost caused a change of Hokage!" She snorted. "You're lucky there was already a medical ninja treating that old man when he collapsed."
Alright—now the entire group was confused.
"The opportunity Orochimaru created was too good to pass up," Chad smiled as he gave Yugao a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Besides, weren't you there to cover for me? I trust your skills—and what we took is worth it!"
"It had better be. Years of infiltration in Konoha went straight down the drain because of that stunt," Yugao ran a hand through her hair. "I had to kill the ANBU who was monitoring your group and then report that he was killed by a fleeing Suna ninja, fabricating a story so they wouldn't suspect you. Luckily, there was no shortage of Suna corpses along the way, so I was able to sell it."
Ororomoi, Isaribi, and Guren's jaws dropped as the pieces clicked into place.
This ANBU kunoichi was a Kumo infiltrator?!
"Oh, right—let me introduce you properly. My team doesn't know you yet," Chad turned and draped an arm over Yugao's shoulders. "Guys, this is Yugao Uzuki. She's a Kumo 'seed' who was sent to Konoha years ago to infiltrate the village. As you can see, she did pretty damn well!"
Getting a spy into ANBU—of all departments—was extraordinarily difficult, yet she had done it without raising the slightest suspicion.
"You know that if it weren't for Hibui-san, I wouldn't have made it this far," Yugao denied modestly, not shrugging off Chad's arm. "Many of the 'achievements' I earned were orchestrated by her."
"I thought you were integrating pretty well—didn't you have a 'boyfriend'?" Chad teased, poking her cheek. "I remember you telling me about him six months ago during the secret meeting in Swallow Valley."
Since exposure couldn't be risked, whenever Yugao took missions near the Land of Lightning, Chad was the one who met her in person as her handler.
"Don't you dare remind me!" Yugao shuddered in disgust. "Even if it was for the mission, I hated every moment of it. Do you know I had to pretend to be in love with a sick man? Even if I only let him hug me at most—making excuses about marriage and chastity—I'd rush back to my apartment afterward and shower for an hour, terrified I'd catch something."
"When we get back to Kumo, I'll personally give you a medical checkup."
"…You'd better," Yugao's cheeks flushed slightly as she turned her head away.
"Um, Yugao-san?" Isaribi interrupted, voicing the question everyone had. "Did something happen that exposed your true affiliation?"
Everyone focused, and Chad fell silent as well, waiting for her answer.
"Come on, I'll explain while we move," Yugao sighed.
The five of them resumed their journey toward Kumo only after the kunoichi discarded her ANBU gear and changed clothes, keeping a fast pace to quickly distance themselves from Konoha—and any possible pursuers.
"As you said, my infiltration was going smoothly," Yugao began. "The problem started when a Suna ninja killed my 'boyfriend.' I don't know which idiot wasn't careful, but after that incident, the village started to suspect me."
"Why?" Ororomoi asked. "Given your situation back then, they shouldn't have had any reason, right?"
"It was my mistake," Yugao admitted reluctantly after a moment. "Another ANBU and I—actually, the one I later killed to cover for you—found Hayate dead on a rooftop. Given my situation, I should have reacted with shock before sadness and anger. But when I saw the body, for a moment I felt such relief at not having to pretend anymore that…" She paused. "The ANBU noticed, even though I was wearing my mask."
Everyone nodded. Reflexive reactions were the hardest to control.
"Of course, with my record, that reaction could have been attributed to mental shock, and I could've made a hundred excuses," she continued. "But especially in ANBU, there are paranoids who analyze every tiny detail, gesture, and expression."
"Even during and after Hayate's funeral, I had to act as though I was devastated by his death. But I also needed to 'pull myself together' in time to be on duty during the third exam, when Orochimaru was expected to make his move."
"Wait—you knew Orochimaru was going to do something?" Guren interrupted.
"The village obtained information about it weeks before the exam," Chad said, without revealing that he was the source. "Since we didn't know how reliable it was, we made a contingency plan to exploit the chaos. If something happened, we'd act accordingly. If nothing happened, everything would continue as normal." He added, "Naturally, as leader, I was the only one aware of it to avoid suspicion."
They didn't want to admit it, but they knew he was right.
"We're getting off topic, Yugao. What happened next?" Isaribi asked, curiosity scratching at her chest.
"Just call me Yugao," the kunoichi waved it off. "The point is, that ANBU reported his suspicions, and then—conveniently—he died while accompanying me, killed by a Suna ninja that same month. After that, the suspicions multiplied rapidly." She continued, "Fortunately, I had a bribed informant. I learned that once things calmed down and the foreigners left, they planned to 'invite' me to the Interrogation Department."
"So you decided to move first," Chad concluded.
"That's right," Yugao nodded with a relieved smile—perhaps from escaping successfully, or from finally returning to Kumo. "I left a clone behind to pretend I'm still there. But before leaving, I sealed my belongings and money—and even copied sensitive village information!"
As for why she copied rather than outright stole it, the reasons were obvious. Yugao didn't want anyone to know she had taken anything—or what information she would provide to Kumo.
"What kind of information?" Ororomoi couldn't resist asking.
"No comment."
Yugao wasn't about to share that with a genin. This was intelligence meant for the village's high command—and the Raikage himself. What would be done with it afterward wasn't her concern.
"So, have you thought about what you'll do now that you're finally back?" Chad asked.
"…Honestly, no," Yugao replied, uncertainty coloring her tone. "Konoha won't take long to put me in the Bingo Book, so going on missions could be unnecessarily risky. Maybe I'll take this chance to retire from service." Her gaze drifted beyond the passing scenery. "I've already lived an entire life of lies. Now… I'd like to live a life for myself."
"I think you've earned that," Chad slowed his pace to walk beside her. "If you want a civilian job, my izakaya will need more staff soon—I've expanded it quite a bit. I guarantee top-tier pay, and it'd be reassuring to have someone with ninja training around while I'm away."
Even with his policy of prioritizing people in bad situations, at most he had a couple of low-talent genin. But there were always people who thought themselves more untouchable than they really were.
If he could have a jonin in her prime who answered only to him?
He couldn't ask for anything better.
"Your izakaya?" Yugao tilted her head. "Right—you had several businesses in Kumo. But if I want discretion, exposing myself to visitors, customers, and tourists doesn't sound ideal."
"I was thinking more along the lines of managing the VIP floor—you could use the Transformation Technique. You could also work as a guard in my laboratory, or if you want less contact with people, my distillery could use better security."
Chad had plenty of places where Yugao would fit perfectly.
"I'll think about it after the village pays me for the mission. I'll need a few days to adjust to the change and get settled," Yugao didn't refuse—it was always better to work with someone familiar. "Give me a few days."
For spies like her—those who had contributed greatly and managed to escape before being caught—the village offered a range of rewards based on years of infiltration.
To start with, she would certainly receive a decent house and a lifelong base salary. Escaping unscathed wasn't common; most spies returned with injuries severe enough to force retirement.
Then, depending on the number and magnitude of her contributions, she would earn points exchangeable for rewards and privileges—higher stipends, specific positions, or access to normally restricted techniques. Some even underwent surgery to assume a new identity.
"By the way, you still owe me that favor for sending you the information on Itachi's mission," Yugao reminded Chad. "Don't think I forgot. Even if you give me a job, that won't settle it. I told you what I wanted—and I haven't changed my mind. One day, I'll collect."
"I didn't do it with that intention—and I haven't forgotten," Chad assured her, unable to stop his eyelid from twitching.
It was just that the favor Yugao wanted was a bit…