"Sir, is the Five-Tails that strong? Why did we have to run? If we had defeated the Five-Tails, wouldn't we have become famous across the shinobi world?"
Hearing Leaf Monkey's words, Yōkō said, "Leaf Monkey, don't be ridiculous. That's the Five-Tails, a top-tier combatant from Iwagakure.
I ran because I couldn't defeat it. Is there any other reason?
Let the Iwa-nin deal with the headache. We'll continue searching for Uchiha Madara's traces."
The Five-Tails was a standard Kage-level combatant. Yōkō needed to keep it around for future chakra extraction.
Saving Hatake Sakumo from his trouble was enough for now. With this, no one would go to the Evergreen Sacred Mountain to interfere with Hatake Sakumo.
Hatake Sakumo probably hadn't even reached the Land of Grass capital by now, right?
After searching for Uchiha Madara for a while with no success, Yōkō decided to take the Leaf Monkey Squad back to Konoha.
Yōkō went to the Hokage Building, first heading to the basement to enter Battalion Commander Yellow Dog's office.
Yellow Dog saw the travel-worn Fox and asked, "Fox, how did it go? Did you find any traces of the rogue ninja Uchiha Madara?"
Yōkō said, "Lord Yellow Dog, we found some clues, but this place is too small to display them. Why don't we go to a more spacious place and study those clues together?"
Yellow Dog said, "I'll go inform the Hokage-sama. The mission to investigate Uchiha Madara is very important. The Hokage-sama said he wants to oversee it personally."
Yōkō said, "Then I'll go to the Anbu base to prepare first."
At the Anbu base in the Forest of Death, inside the training hall.
The Third Hokage, Danzo, and Yellow Dog had all arrived.
As soon as they entered the training hall, they saw three paper-thin objects.
A large tree, collapsed into a thin sheet.
One could vaguely make out the green leaves and the brownish-yellow trunk.
Danzo walked over to a white stain and looked down carefully.
It was the pulped remains of a white bird that had collapsed.
Feathers, flesh, fat, entrails, and bones formed a splotch of multicolored white.
Yōkō explained: "Hokage-sama, Tobi was practicing the dōjutsu 'Yono Shima' in the forests of the Land of Rain.
This technique can cause everything within a certain area to collapse. This collapse is irresistible; the force is too great.
Judging by the size of these three sheets, Tobi is becoming increasingly proficient in using his Mangekyō dōjutsu."
The Third Hokage looked at the last sheet, over thirty meters in diameter, and felt deeply troubled.
Even if he encountered this dōjutsu, if caught by it, it would mean certain death.
Yōkō continued: "The Leaf Monkey Squad and I pursued them all the way to the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass, where we encountered the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, the Steam Ninja, Han.
I don't know why Tobi entered the Land of Earth.
I fought with Han, and the Tailed Beast inside him went on a rampage. The Five-Tails completely broke through the seal.
Unable to match the Five-Tails, the Leaf Monkey Squad and I fled the battlefield."
The Third Hokage's eyes lit up. "Fox, you fought a Tailed Beast and could hold your own?"
Yōkō shook his head: "No, Hokage-sama. The Tailed Beast's chakra reserve is too vast.
Although Wood Release counters Tailed Beasts and can absorb their chakra, the gap between us is too large. I could last at most three to five minutes."
The Third Hokage, however, said: "It's fine. After all, it's a Tailed Beast, and you're only 20 years old. In a few years, as your strength grows, you might be able to replicate the First Hokage's control over Tailed Beasts."
Danzo, standing nearby, frowned.
He had transplanted Hashirama's cells, but his Wood Release prowess wasn't strong.
The technique he used most proficiently was the defensive 'Cutting Sprigs', using a large tree to block enemy attacks.
He didn't know where exactly the difference between him and Fox lay.
Could Orochimaru have tampered with something?
Danzo directly issued an order: "Fox, leave these three sheets for Orochimaru to study.
You will continue to the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth to investigate the rogue ninja Uchiha Madara.
The moment you get accurate information on Uchiha Madara or Tobi, notify me immediately."
Sending him away again?
Yōkō looked at Yellow Dog.
Yellow Dog very much wanted Fox to perform other Anbu tasks; the Anbu had many and varied missions.
Yellow Dog looked at the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe, thinking to himself that Danzo was determined to get the Mangekyō.
The Third said: "Fox, you will continue the mission to investigate the rogue ninja Uchiha Madara.
If Uchiha Madara and Ōnoki are in collusion, the village will be in danger."
Yōkō nodded, having to accept this order.
That scoundrel Danzo, relying on his status as an elder, used missions to make him do the hard work.
He needed his own people among the higher-ups. The advisors were all Sarutobi Hiruzen's people. Without legitimate authority, he could only obey the orders of the elders.
Yōkō thought of Mitokado Homura, who was on diplomatic missions in various countries... Leaving the village had its advantages, at least it offered opportunities to act.
These higher-ups were pushing him too far.
Just then, a Root member suddenly entered the hall and approached Danzo.
The Root ninja whispered something into his ear. Danzo's expression didn't change at all, making it impossible to judge what had happened.
Danzo exchanged a look with the Third Hokage, and the two left the Anbu base together, with Yellow Dog quickly following.
After all three had left, Yōkō returned to his office.
His figure vanished, leaving via the Ephemeral Technique.
In the dimly lit corridors of the Anbu base, a single flickering candle was placed every ten meters or so.
Only Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo, and Yellow Dog were in the corridor.
Danzo said: "Hiruzen, Hatake Sakumo completed the mission. The ritual at the Evergreen Sacred Mountain was very successful, without any interference.
My spy made Iwagakure believe there was an opportunity, but unexpectedly, the Five-Tails encountered Fox along the way.
Fox fought the Five-Tails, causing it to go on a rampage."
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned: "The plan against Hatake Sakumo failed?"
"Not a complete failure," Danzo said.
"There's still a chance to remedy.
Hatake Sakumo luckily completed the ritual mission, but Shimura Kōko found a way for the Land of Grass Daimyō to entrust Hatake Sakumo with a new mission.
The rampaging Five-Tails appeared on the Land of Grass border. The Daimyō ordered Hatake Sakumo to drive it away.
Using the rampaging Five-Tails makes it easier to engineer Hatake Sakumo's failure.
We should thank Fox. Hatake Sakumo isn't skilled at fighting large enemies. It will be even harder for Hatake Sakumo to complete the mission. We can continue to set him up."
None of them noticed a face hidden in the shadow of a pillar.
Yōkō returned to his office, frowning in thought.
Unexpectedly, Hatake Sakumo's ordeal wasn't over yet.
It took about 3 days for a message hawk to fly from the Land of Grass to Konoha.
That meant, 3 days ago, Hatake Sakumo had already led his team to the Land of Grass border.
But he couldn't make it in time now.
Yuka had long since returned to the Land of Rain; he had no leverage in the Land of Grass.
The key now was Shinma, the Shinma controlled by Danzo.
Land of Grass.
Hatake Sakumo had just completed an extremely simple mission.
He brought Yamashiro-dera, Minato, Shinma, and the others to the Evergreen Sacred Mountain. They encountered no unexpected events and successfully protected the Daimyō's eldest son during the ritual.
He returned to the Land of Grass capital and was even warmly received by the Daimyō.
The Daimyō directly entrusted Hatake Sakumo with a new S-rank mission: to drive away the terrifying Tailed Beast on the border.
Iwagakure's Five-Tails had gone berserk on the border and invaded the Land of Grass.
If Konoha's White Fang could drive away the Five-Tails, the Land of Grass Daimyō would wholeheartedly follow the Land of Fire and hire Konoha shinobi.
Hatake Sakumo accepted this mission.
Shinma followed Hatake Sakumo towards the Land of Grass border, breathing a sigh of relief.
For him, having done nothing on the Evergreen Sacred Mountain, he thought he had failed Danzo's task.
Unexpectedly, heaven hadn't abandoned him; there was still another chance...
Yōkō left Konoha with the Antelope Squad.
He didn't even have time to return to the Izakaya to see Kyōi and the child.
Both the Third Hokage and Yellow Dog had instructed Yōkō that if he encountered Tobi, he must keep track of him, not lose him, and notify Danzo to deal with Tobi as soon as possible.
Yōkō also very much wanted to find Tobi.
If Danzo went to seize Tobi's Mangekyō, Yōkō could conveniently take care of Danzo.
Unfortunately, he hadn't found a single clue so far.
Even Nagato and the other two had disappeared.
Unlike in the original story, Nagato's Rinnegan was exposed in Konoha's intelligence. Uchiha Madara had hidden Nagato somewhere unknown.
After leaving Konoha, Yōkō sent the Antelope Squad away on a separate task.
Using the Byakugan to scout the surroundings, finding the forest empty, Yōkō summoned the ninja dog Pakkun.
Pakkun saw it was Fox and said, "So it's you. I haven't seen you in a long time."
Yōkō didn't beat around the bush and said directly: "Pakkun, tell Lord Sakumo he must kill Shinma."
"Kill Shinma?" Pakkun asked doubtfully.
"We haven't seen each other for so long, had no contact, and the first thing you say upon meeting is to kill Shinma?"
Yōkō said: "If Shinma doesn't die, Lord Sakumo will die. You only need to know that Shinma is Danzo's man.
I don't have time to discuss this with you.
Kill Shinma before Lord Sakumo encounters the Five-Tails."
Pakkun was a pug, his face already full of wrinkles. Frowning now added vertical folds to the horizontal ones.
Yōkō said: "Don't disappoint me. Kill Shinma."
"The Shinna-Shinma brothers have been with Sakumo for a long time. We share a deep bond," Pakkun said.
"I can't give you an answer on this matter. I'll go tell Sakumo immediately and let him decide."
To be honest, Pakkun didn't trust Fox, this Anbu agent, very much. Fox was too trusted by the higher-ups.
Fox was an Anbu Vice-Commander; one could say half the Anbu was in his hands.
Who knew if Fox was a mole planted by the higher-ups near Sakumo?
What did Fox mean by 'don't disappoint me'? Disappoint him how?
If they didn't kill Shinma, would Fox be disappointed in Sakumo?
Pakkun released the summoning, then used the contract chakra to contact Sakumo.
Sakumo was on his way to the Land of Grass border. Sensing the contract chakra, he summoned Pakkun.
Pakkun glanced around, seeing the six people behind Sakumo looking at him.
Minato's team of three, Yamashiro-dera, Hayama, and Shinma.
When Pakkun made eye contact with Shinma, he didn't show any abnormality.
"Sakumo, I have something to tell you."
Pakkun ran into the distance.
Hatake Sakumo told the others to wait.
Once they were further away, Pakkun said: "Sakumo, Fox, the Anbu who had relatively close contact with us on the Land of Rivers battlefield, just contacted me."
"Does he have important intelligence?"
On the Land of Rivers battlefield, Fox had helped Hatake Sakumo a lot. Later, during the conflict on the Land of Hot Springs border, they fought the Kumo-nin together.
Pakkun said: "Fox wants you to kill Shinma!"
***
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(End of Chapter)