After two days of recuperation in the village, Yagami led the Deer squad out of the Hidden Leaf. During a break near a mountain spring, Flower Deer busily brought a canteen of crisp, cold water to Yagami with an uncharacteristic level of attentiveness.
Yagami took the canteen, a smirk playing under his mask. "What's this, Flower Deer? You looking for a promotion too?"
"Captain, who doesn't want to advance? Please, drink slowly. There's plenty more where that came from."
"Since when did you become such a smooth-talker?" Yagami teased. "Back when we were Chunin and Genin, every day was spent walking on eggshells. I see you've decided your strength is finally at the Jonin level, so now you've moved on to practicing your flattery. Are you getting soft because we haven't hit a real wall in a while? Relaxed, are we?"
Yagami took a sip and continued, "How about this: once we reach the Land of Rain, I'll send you to assassinate Hanzo. It'll help you rediscover that feeling of terror and get you back into the proper ANBU mindset. We wouldn't want you losing our fine tradition of ruthless caution, would we?"
"Don't!" Flower Deer blurted out. "I just want to be a Jonin like White Sheep; I don't want to commit suicide. Send me after Hanzo? The intel says he has the world's top Body Flicker technique. I wouldn't even be able to touch the hem of his cloak before my head hit the grass."
White Sheep's promotion to an ANBU Jonin squad leader had fundamentally changed his status. In divisions like Black Ant and Golden Eagle, having a Jonin squad leader was a mark of prestige.
They enjoyed their own offices, dedicated assistants, and were essentially treated as deputy division commanders. Not just Fallow Deer, but Hippo and Yak were green with envy, itching for their own step up the ladder.
Yagami looked at him seriously. "Jonin isn't just a title; it requires the strength to back it up. Giving it to you before you're ready would just be an invitation to get yourself killed." He thought of the "watered-down" Jonin of the Shimura and Sarutobi clans—people who were a danger to themselves and everyone around them.
The group resumed their journey. It would take eleven days to reach the border of the Land of Rain where Orochimaru was stationed. As they passed through the Land of Rivers, Yagami paused, looking toward the capital. He was standing upstream of the Yoshimizu River; following it down would lead straight to the heart of the nation.
He wondered how Koi Chisa was doing after the war and if she'd managed to build those hydroelectric plants they'd discussed.
"Captain? Something wrong?" Flower Deer asked, noticing his stare.
"Nothing. Let's keep moving. I want to reach the destination by tomorrow night."
...
As they entered the basin of the Land of Rain, the sun vanished. The sky was a charcoal smudge of uneven clouds, perpetually weeping a thin, grey drizzle. Following a series of hidden signals, the Flower Deer squad arrived at a dense patch of rainforest.
Orochimaru, Lynx, and K had detected their approach long ago.
"Fox... I should have guessed," Orochimaru said, his voice a sibilant rasp. "You've become the undisputed top combatant of the ANBU."
Beside him, the Lynx Division Commander didn't disagree. Fox was Yellow Dog's primary confidant and his most capable fighter. Among the four division commanders, Black Ant was a Nara who handled administrative bottlenecks for the Hokage.
Golden Eagle was a Hyuga in charge of vital defense. Lynx had originally been Danzo's man, and while he now focused on ANBU duties, he still prioritized Danzo's requests. That left Fox—not only a powerhouse but fiercely loyal to Yellow Dog.
Yagami landed nearby, scanning the trio. "Lord Orochimaru, I have orders from the Lord Hokage to take over the investigation into the Uzumaki remnants. He says you are to return to the village for a more pressing matter."
Orochimaru nodded. "I'm too conspicuous here; Hanzo loses sleep knowing I'm within his borders. Though, if he knew your true capabilities, he'd likely stay awake for you too. The investigation is yours to command. I have no objections."
Orochimaru didn't waste time. He gathered his subordinates and departed. Those men were followers he had picked up during his time as a deputy war commander. While Sakumo had little to offer his subordinates beyond praise, Orochimaru could offer much more. He had a core of fiercely loyal followers, including four Jonin.
Watching Orochimaru's back disappear, Yagami mused on the man's research into Hashirama's cells. Yagami had his own designs on those cells. He already possessed mid-to-high tier Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines; if he could secure Wood Style, he might finally leap over the threshold of Kage-level power.
Yagami turned to Lynx and K. "What is the current status of the investigation? What's our next move?"
K gestured for Yagami to follow him to a wooden shed. Inside, four Root recruits were busy interrogating prisoners. These four were full Root members with established codenames. Yagami glanced at the bloody scene and said, "K, can't you just pull the intel from the bodies? This manual interrogation is a bit slow, isn't it?"
The prisoners were in a pitiful state, surrounded by severed limbs. Yagami's suggestion to "just kill them" was his own twisted version of mercy.
"I'd love to use a secret technique," K replied, "but these three were scared witless by Lord Orochimaru's genjutsu. Their minds are scrambled. Traditional torture and leading questions are actually more effective than a direct brain-read right now."
"And what have you found?"
"There's a small town two kilometers south of here. These prisoners are from there," K explained. "The Uzumaki remnants were seen entering the town to buy food. People saw red-haired individuals. These prisoners are the owners and staff of various food shops. I suspect the main group was hiding just outside the town, but the trail went cold after that. They haven't been seen since."
This was the northeast of the Land of Rain. The actual hiding spot of the Uzumaki was deep in the rainforest in the southwest—a vast distance away.
"The Land of Vegetables is to the west," Yagami noted. "Can we rule out them fleeing in that direction?"
"We can," K said. "Commander Lynx just returned from there. No trace of red-haired refugees."
Yagami thought for a moment. "Then we'll use that town as the center. We'll split into squads and search the surrounding area for fresh leads. The five Root members will be one squad, Commander Lynx brought two squads, and I have one. We can't just sit here waiting for three traumatized bakers to remember something useful."
"Agreed," K said, adding, "The Hidden Rain has spotted us. What's the protocol if we encounter their ninja?"
"Retreat," Yagami said firmly. "There's no need for a confrontation." He had no desire to tangle with Hanzo again; he had already died once at the man's hands in a past timeline.
The four squads dispersed. Deprived of their tormentors but left without medical aid, the three bakers slowly bled out in the shed.
For a week, Yagami led his squad on aimless searches. The torrential rain washed away almost all potential clues. Once Fallow Deer and the others were out of sight, Yagami summoned White Heron. He used the summon to contact Yuka.
Yuka had been keeping an eye on Uzumaki Nagato and knew his general vicinity. Following Yagami's previous warnings, she hadn't made direct contact.
Having secured Nagato's approximate location, Yagami smiled under his mask. 'Root, Lynx Division... you want to find the Uzumaki? Fine. I'll take you straight to Nagato.'
How could Nagato *not* be considered an "Uzumaki remnant"?
Now, it would just come down to their luck. He wanted to see if they could actually manage to abduct the boy under the dual, watchful shadows of Uchiha Madara and Jiraiya.