As the final discussion concluded, everyone else filed out of Yellow Dog's tent. Yagami glanced toward Butterfly and said, "Submit the combat plan as quickly as possible. I'm eager to get this ambush over with."
Yellow Dog turned to Butterfly. "Butterfly, go and draft the operational plan immediately."
Once that plan reached the headquarters tent, Danzo would know every single detail. Yagami waited until Butterfly had turned back toward her desk before whispering to Yellow Dog.
"Brigade Commander, I have an unshakeable feeling that something will go wrong with this ambush. Previously, when our brigade carried out missions, we handled everything ourselves. This time, five brigades are executing it together. Our plan has to pass through headquarters. Too many eyes and ears make it inevitable that the plan will leak. If that happens, the ambush turns into a counter-ambush."
He paused, lowering his voice further. "More importantly, the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Danzo, is the Minister of ANBU. My awareness is far below his, but if I were the Minister and someone was about to become the Deputy Minister, I wouldn't be happy. And if I weren't happy, I might do something about it. Up until now, Lord Danzo has been very supportive—dispatching four other brigades to complete the ambush. The problem lies exactly in that 'very supportive' attitude. If he had created even a few obstacles, I wouldn't be this anxious."
Yellow Dog's expression shifted. Put that way by Fox, it did feel off. Fox was a Jonin who had grown up amidst the blood and storms of the ANBU; his intuition and concerns almost always heralded an inevitable reality.
Yagami continued, "Captain, according to the plan, I'm supposed to lead my men to the coast tomorrow. But I intend to leave early today. Please cover for me. Also, prepare a contingency plan. Set out tomorrow afternoon instead of following the schedule submitted to headquarters. Don't wait until the day after."
Yellow Dog nodded firmly. "I understand. Go. I'll keep a low-profile watch. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll gather the five brigades under the guise of a joint drill and set out immediately, ignoring the official schedule."
Yagami nodded and slipped out of the tent. Warning Yellow Dog was his third arrangement. In this ambush mission, Yellow Dog and Yagami were a community of shared interests. Yellow Dog wanted the promotion to Deputy Minister, and Yagami wanted to be a Brigade Commander; they could absolutely trust each other on this matter.
Yellow Dog watched Fox leave and then looked toward the headquarters. His promotion and the rejection of B as a Brigade Commander were both strong moves by the Hokage; it was hard to guarantee Danzo didn't have thoughts about it. However, he told himself Danzo wouldn't move against him—others might not know, but Danzo knew he was the eldest son of the Third Hokage. Still, he couldn't leave it to chance.
Yagami, Purple Cat, and Ram donned the masks of the Hippo Squad, disguising themselves as a small unit from that group, and left the camp. The Hippo Squad wasn't responsible for luring the enemy, so a single team leaving wouldn't attract unwanted attention.
Reaching the coast quickly, Yagami had Ram deploy parasitic insects along the shoreline while Purple Cat provided cover. By placing an insect at regular intervals, Ram could monitor a vast stretch of the coast alone. Once they left, Yagami first summoned the ninken Pakkun to get a list of Sakumo Hatake's followers and admirers, stating he would look out for them in battle. Then he summoned the Spear Heron to obtain the Stone Panda summoning contract Yuka Uzumaki had prepared for him.
Ram and Purple Cat returned to his side after setting the perimeter. "Captain," Ram said, "if any powerful Mist Ninja approach the coast, I'll know."
Yagami shook his head. "No. You're not monitoring for Mist Ninja from the sea. You're looking for... ANBU from the land."
"Monitoring our own?"
"Yes," Yagami said. "Go again. At a distance of three kilometers from the shore, set up a ring of parasitic insects."
In his previous life, this was the vicinity where he had killed Mist Ninja with the Water Pistol Jutsu, and it was roughly where the Mist had landed. If someone were intentionally leaking the plan, they would most likely appear here.
Search, wait. The hours ticked by. They searched from noon until dusk, then from dusk until midnight. The night wind was cold. Yagami's unease grew. Would suggesting two ambush points, hiding Special Jonin within the ranks, and warning Yellow Dog be enough to turn the tide? Or should he find a way to abort the mission? A total collapse wouldn't just stop his promotion; it would lead to the deaths of his subordinates.
At 2:00 AM, Ram suddenly spoke. "Captain! Two people are approaching through the palm grove! They're moving fast!"
"Follow them!"
After spotting two masked ANBU from a distance, Yagami said, "You two stay here. Guard the rear and make sure no one else gets close. I'll go 'chat' with them." He needed to distance Ram and Purple Cat for what came next.
In the grove, two Root ninja were rushing toward the shore to meet their contact. The trees blurred past, and the sound of waves grew louder. Suddenly, a thin line of water shot through the gap between them.
Water Severing Wave?
The technique wasn't meant to kill them; it was a greeting. As Yagami spat the water, he immediately formed the seal for Water Instantaneous Body. His figure blurred from dozens of meters away, sliding along the water line to appear directly behind the pair. This was his strongest dash: a high-speed water line followed by an instant close-in.
Yagami pressed his hands onto their shoulders, one on the left and one on the right. Cursed seals instantly crawled over their bodies.
Self-Curse Binding Seal!
The two were instantly paralyzed by the sealing jutsu. They didn't even have time to turn their heads. Confirming they were Root, Yagami drove two kunai into their hearts, killing them instantly. They were skilled, but they were no match for someone willing to risk exposing Water Instantaneous Body to get the drop on them.
Yagami carried the corpses back to Purple Cat and dropped them at her feet.
"Purple Cat, the brigade got intel that suspicious individuals were trying to contact the Mist to sell us out. Read their brains. See if these two are the spies."
Ram propped up a body, and Purple Cat pressed her hand to the back of its head. Neither questioned the Captain. A Mid-level Captain possessed intel that squad leaders didn't; they simply followed orders.
As Purple Cat delved into the memories, she saw the Water Severing Wave and Fox appearing like a ghost. He was too fast; the targets were controlled before they could react, so they never saw how far away he had been when he started the jutsu.
Suddenly, Purple Cat recoiled a step, her face pale. "Captain!" Her throat moved with difficulty. She glanced at Ram, then stepped closer to whisper in Yagami's ear.
"Captain... this man was going to deliver the combat plan to a Mist ninja named Fuguki Suikazan! But... his orders came from... Lord Danzo!"
***
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