The moment Yagami stepped into Yellow Dog's office, he called out, "Commander Yellow Dog, I've finally returned to the village!"
Yellow Dog looked up, his expression brightening at the sight of the Fox.
"Fox, without you, many of our high-difficulty missions simply couldn't get off the ground. I'm glad you're back; now I won't have to personally field every thorny assignment that comes across my desk."
'You're celebrating too early,' Yagami thought. 'I'm headed to the Land of Rain almost immediately.'
Yellow Dog inquired about the front lines in the Land of Steam, and Yagami provided a detailed briefing.
Yellow Dog pulled out a scroll. "Your report mentions that Hatake Sakumo granted ninjutsu rewards to over 120 Chunin and Genin?"
"Yes, Commander. That scroll contains the detailed records of all 120 names."
Yellow Dog looked troubled. "If Sakumo had rewarded twenty people, we could manage follow-up surveillance. But 120? With the current manpower of the ANBU, tracking them all is a logistical impossibility."
As a commander on several fronts, Sakumo held immense authority. While in the field, he had the legal right to bypass the central archives and grant ninjutsu directly. Sakumo was famously generous—or rather, remarkably fair.
As long as a shinobi met the mission requirements, he didn't care about their background or clan name; he granted the techniques they earned.
"Our best bet is to focus on monitoring Sakumo and his immediate circle," Yagami suggested. "Trying to watch every single ninja who owes him a favor is unrealistic."
Yellow Dog nodded repeatedly, agreeing with Yagami's assessment. He picked up another scroll. "There is a mission here, a rather difficult one—"
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Butterfly walked in. "Sir, a mission scroll has just arrived from the Hokage building."
Yellow Dog opened the scroll and saw it was a specific assignment for the Fox.
"I was going to give you a task, but it seems the Lord Hokage has other plans. You are to head to the Land of Rain to replace Orochimaru. That mission is of much higher priority."
Since the Third Hokage had sent the scroll so quickly, Yagami didn't even have to explain himself to Yellow Dog.
"Commander, I truly want to focus on ANBU duties, but it seems there are always other tasks interfering," Yagami said with a sigh.
"The village's needs come first," Yellow Dog replied. "Whether it's the Land of Steam or the Land of Rain, these are the village's most critical concerns."
"Commander, on the way back, Consultant Mitokado Homura asked me to recommend someone from the ANBU for promotion to Jonin. I recommended White Sheep," Yagami noted. "I suggest that once White Sheep is promoted, he stays here at the base. The White Sheep, Hippo, and Yak squads should remain behind. I will take only the Flower Deer squad with me to the Land of Rain."
"Is the Flower Deer squad enough?"
"It's enough," Yagami said. "The Lynx Division and Root ninja are already in the Rain. I won't need a large force."
"Very well," Yellow Dog said. "The Lord Hokage mentioned you should rest for two days before departing. Before you leave, complete the formal recommendation for White Sheep."
"Understood."
Yagami returned to his division's wing and entered his private office.
Purple Cat was at the cabinet organizing scrolls when she heard the door open behind her.
"White Crane! I told you, unless the Commander gives permission, you are not to enter this office!"
She turned around, but it wasn't White Crane. Seeing the Fox, she practically sprinted toward him.
"Fox! You're finally back!"
Yagami caught her as she threw herself into his arms, patting her back gently.
"The good news is I'm back. The bad news is I leave for the Land of Rain in two days."
"You're leaving again so soon?"
"Yes," Yagami said. "For a normal ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, peace means safe C-rank and D-rank missions. They can stay within the Land of Fire and avoid the danger of B-ranks. But for the ANBU, there is no difference between peace and war."
"How long will you be gone this time?"
"I don't know. A month if things go fast, two if they don't. Two months from now, it'll be the New Year, won't it?" Yagami said. "Purple Cat, write up White Sheep's Jonin recommendation first and give it to Butterfly. Then, come back here quickly and disarm. I've been thinking about your 'unarmored' look every day I was gone."
Purple Cat had already felt a surge of heat when he first hugged her, but at his teasing, her face turned bright red. She quickly turned to the desk to begin writing the report.
Yagami locked the door and moved behind her.
"No, Captain... I can't write straight if you do that."
She had intended to disarm herself, but her Captain was too impatient to wait, peeling away her flak jacket and mesh armor piece by piece.
The recommendation went unfinished for a while as Purple Cat was carried into the adjacent rest area. Against her pale skin, her light blonde hair made her look like fine jade.
Half an hour later, a flushed and breathless Purple Cat emerged from the rest area, picking up her clothes as she went. She sat back at the desk to finish White Sheep's report.
When they finally stepped out of the office, they saw White Crane sitting on a chair near the door. She stood up immediately.
"Commander Fox! I am White Crane, the newest member of the division! I have completed my extended training—please assign me to a squad!"
Yagami looked her over. "Purple Cat, go deliver that scroll. I'll speak with White Crane."
"Yes, Captain."
White Crane followed the Commander into the office. She sniffed the air. 'Why does it smell so familiar?' It was the distinct herbal scent of her sister's mesh armor. Her sister liked to add specific herbs when washing her clothes to prevent skin irritation during long missions.
Yagami stepped close to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. 'Danzo has spies in every division,' Yagami mused. 'The Black Ant division near the Hokage is the worst, with three of them. I'll have to find a way to feed White Crane false intel for Danzo later.'
"White Crane, you will join the Hippo squad. Hippo is an Akimichi; that should suit you well."
"Understood! Thank you, Commander!"
"Go find White Sheep and tell him to see me."
When White Sheep arrived, Yagami put him through a brief, intense training session. He remembered his own Jonin promotion—the three extreme questions, like how he would assassinate Homura's daughter if ordered. Then, the combat trial where he had to fight multiple Jonin without damaging a single flower in the garden.
White Sheep was bewildered. He didn't understand why his Captain was suddenly putting him through a "special training" filled with twisted psychological questions and heavy-handed sparring.
When they finished, Yagami was satisfied with the results.
"White Sheep, you did well in the Land of Steam. I've recommended you for Jonin. Your exam will likely be tomorrow. I'm not worried about the combat portion; you have the strength.
I'm worried about the interview. You are an ANBU Jonin. If they hit you with a tricky question, your answer must be extreme, cold, and utterly professional. It must reflect the identity of a shadow of the Hidden Leaf. Do you understand?"