Bronze Fox was a master of Earth Style, Water Style, and Sealing Jutsu, with a minor proficiency in Wind Style—this was common knowledge among the village high command.
If he used Earth or Water Style to assassinate a Special Jonin of the Five Rising Noble Clans, suspicion would almost certainly fall on him.
His advantage lay in the increasingly comprehensive set of abilities granted by the system. He could create a new identity—a smalt account.
This new identity would completely forgo Earth Style, Water Style, and Sealing Jutsu. Once he rounded out his Lightning Style, he would focus primarily on Fire, Wind, Lightning, and Taijutsu.
This way, no one could link the actions back to him. He could even throw in occasional ocular powers or genjutsu to sow confusion and turn up the heat on the noble clans.
'You've taken all the benefits while leaving others to eat dirt? That won't do.'
As the days passed, Yagami meticulously gathered intelligence on the noble clans. One day, he went to the dense forest atop the Hokage Rock, activated his Byakugan, and set up an Earth Tremor Barrier. After confirming he was alone, he summoned Hakuji and Hakuyu. He contacted Yuka Uzumaki and revealed his plan.
"Yuka, I've obtained intelligence. A Special Jonin of the Shimura clan is currently on a mission in the Land of Grass. Next month, he will return to Village for the Jonin examination. I want you to take a few Uzumaki elites to the Land of Grass and track him. Once you find him, do not engage. Reverse summon me at night and let me handle the execution. It will prevent any of you from being exposed."
Yuka spoke urgently, "Revenge against Danzo Shimura? How can we stand by? Fox, just give us the location and we'll do it!"
Yagami shook his head. "No, listen to me. You are too vulnerable. If you are exposed, the Uzumaki survivors we've worked so hard to hide will face total annihilation. I'm different; I have ways to mask my identity. I know the Leaf's ninja best—there is an intelligence advantage when a comrade strikes from the dark. Just find him and call me. I'll handle the rest."
Back in the village, Yagami began a period of bitter training. Since his arrival, he had mostly relied on system rewards rather than grueling training. But with the stakes this high, he became incredibly disciplined.
During the day, while hidden in tree canopies for surveillance missions, he simultaneously trained his arm and grip strength. At night, after his shift, he practiced taijutsu in Leaf's most remote training grounds. With the Byakugan, he could precisely monitor the flow of chakra within his own body, making his physical training far more efficient.
He also covertly expanded the cellar of the Tavern, transforming it into a hidden underground training hall. He waited for moments when no one was monitoring the tavern to secretly move soil to distant locations and used Earth Style to reinforce the basement walls. He planned to ask Yuka for specific barrier techniques to ensure his private hall remained undetected.
This second identity would focus on Fire Style and Taijutsu. Fire was his fourth affinity; training it to a combat-ready level was like a right-handed person learning to write with their left. For Sakumo, and for the Uzumaki, Yagami was exhausting himself.
The cellar of Tsuruzuki Tavern grew larger. As an establishment that served alcohol, having a massive underground cellar wasn't suspicious. Behind the back wall of the cellar lay a hidden door, leading to Yagami's private sixty-square-meter training room. It wasn't huge, but it was enough for taijutsu and ninjutsu practice.
Late one night, Yagami felt the pulse of the contract chakra. With the Byakugan, using Reverse Summoning to leave the village was even safer now, as he could ensure no one was watching.
When he appeared beside Yuka, he noted the lack of rain. He was in the Land of Grass. Two Uzumaki ninja stood beside her.
"Fox, do you remember them?" Yuka asked. "They are the former Daimyo guardians you rescued from the Root lab in the Land of Whirlpools: Gencho Uzumaki and Kaicho Uzumaki."
The brothers had long wanted to meet the Anbu spy who saved them. Living undercover in Hidden Leaf was extremely dangerous, so Yagami rarely showed himself. Seeing the Fox-masked ANBU, they were visibly moved.
"Thank you for pulling us out of that place," Kaicho said. "Every day in that bloody lab was a nightmare."
"It's what I should have done," Yagami replied. "After all, our blood is connected."
'Well, my blood is a mid-journey upgrade, but I still feel a bit guilty compared to the originals,' he thought.
The brothers trusted Fox implicitly, having heard from Yuka about his high-wire acts of assistance since the fall of their nation.
"Be cautious," Yagami warned. "Do not let the desire for revenge make you reckless. Our enemies are the Leaf high command. This is a long road. Also, Yuka, I need to know: does the Uzumaki clan have any barriers that can block perception? I've built a small underground base in the village and I don't want it discovered."
Yuka first updated him on the target: the Shimura Special Jonin was currently in the capital of the Land of Grass and would be leaving at dawn. Then, she formed a series of hand signs and summoned a Scroll of Seals—a collection of the clan's heritage.
After flipping through the index, she said, "For an underground base, there is a sealing barrier called Ivy-Earth Sealing Realm. It was co-developed by the Uzumaki elders and the Senju clan. It uses ivy vines to disguise underground spaces as natural root systems, blocking both physical scouting and sensory detection."
After learning the barrier, Yagami departed. He spent two days in his underground room, arranging vines along the walls and painting the cursed seals, successfully completing the Ivy-Earth Sealing Realm.
Ten days later, at approximately 4:00 AM, Yagami's eyes snapped open. He felt the contract chakra from the stone pandas. He slipped away from Soba-i and used Earth Style to dive into his training hall.
After summoning Hakuji, the panda spoke: "Lady Yuka says she has found the target!"
Yagami nodded, sent Hakuyu back to Yuka's side first, and then initiated the Reverse Summoning. He appeared on the outskirts of the Land of Grass's capital. Seeing Yuka and the others flattened against the tall pasture grass, Yagami joined them.
In the distance, hundreds of tents formed a massive encampment.
"Fox," Yuka whispered excitedly. "The Shimura Special Jonin is returning to the village today. The Daimyo's head guardian in this country is a Shimura. The target is a rising star of the clan, sent here to help control the capital. As you predicted, he's leaving tomorrow morning for his Jonin exam."