"Sir, is the Five-Tails really that strong? Why are we running? If we defeated it, wouldn't we become famous across the ninja world?"
Hearing Leaf Monkey say that, Yako replied calmly,
"Leaf Monkey, don't get carried away. That's the Five-Tails—one of the Hidden Stone Village's top combat forces.
I'm running because I can't beat it. What other reason could there be?
Let the Iwa shinobi deal with the headache. We'll continue searching for traces of Uchiha Madara."
The Five-Tails was a standard Kage-level combat force.
Yako needed to keep the Five-Tails alive for the future, so he could harvest its chakra later.
For now, solving Hatake Sakumo's problem was enough.
With the Five-Tails rampaging, no one would head to Evergreen Divine Mountain to interfere with Sakumo.
At this point, Sakumo probably hadn't reached the capital of the Land of Grass yet.
After searching for Uchiha Madara for a while without finding anything, Yako made the decision to bring the Leaf Monkey squad back to Konoha.
Yako arrived at the Hokage Building, then headed straight to the basement and entered Yellow Dog's office.
Yellow Dog looked at the dusty fox-masked ANBU and asked,
"Fox, how did it go? Did you find any trace of the rogue ninja Uchiha Madara?"
Yako replied,
"Lord Yellow Dog, we found some clues. But this room is too small to demonstrate them properly. How about we move somewhere larger and analyze them together?"
Yellow Dog nodded.
"I'll go invite the Hokage. The investigation of Uchiha Madara is extremely important. The Hokage said he wants to oversee it personally."
"I'll go prepare at the ANBU base first."
ANBU Base – Forest of Death
Inside the training hall, the Third Hokage, Danzo, and Yellow Dog had all arrived.
As soon as they entered the hall, they saw three thin sheets lying on the floor.
They looked like paper.
But they were actually the remains of a collapsed tree.
Green fragments marked the leaves.
Brownish-yellow fragments marked the trunk.
Danzo walked to a strange white stain nearby and crouched to inspect it.
It was the flattened remains of a white bird.
Feathers, flesh, fat, organs, and bones had all been crushed into a grotesque, colorful smear.
Yako explained,
"Hokage-sama, Spiral Zetsu was practicing his Mangekyō technique in the forests of the Land of Rain.
The technique is called Island of Miasmic Collapse.
Anything inside the targeted area collapses completely. It cannot be resisted—the force is overwhelming.
Judging from the size of these flattened areas, Spiral Zetsu's mastery of the Mangekyō technique is improving rapidly."
The Third Hokage looked at the last flattened patch.
It was over thirty meters wide.
His expression darkened.
Even he would certainly die if caught by such a technique.
Yako continued,
"My Leaf Monkey squad and I pursued him all the way to the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass. There we encountered the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Steam Ninja Han.
I don't know why Spiral Zetsu entered the Land of Earth.
I fought Han. During the battle, the Tailed Beast inside him went berserk.
The Five-Tails completely broke free of its seal.
Unable to defeat it, my squad and I withdrew."
The Third Hokage's eyes brightened slightly.
"Fox, if you fought a Tailed Beast… could you win?"
Yako shook his head.
"No, Hokage-sama. A Tailed Beast has far too much chakra.
Wood Release can restrain them by draining their chakra, but the difference between us is enormous.
At best, I could hold one off for three to five minutes."
The Third Hokage exhaled slowly.
"That is already remarkable. After all, it is a Tailed Beast—and you are only twenty years old.
In a few years, once your power grows further, you may even reproduce the First Hokage's level of control over the Tailed Beasts."
Beside him, Danzo frowned.
He had implanted Hashirama's cells into his own body.
But his Wood Release remained weak.
The technique he used most often was a defensive one—
Violent Spear Tree, which simply created a massive tree to block attacks.
He could not understand why the gap between himself and Fox was so large.
Did Orochimaru tamper with something?
Danzo issued an order immediately.
"Fox. Leave these three samples for Orochimaru to study.
Then continue your investigation in the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth.
If you discover any accurate information about Uchiha Madara—or Spiral Zetsu—report it to me immediately."
They're sending me out again?
Yako glanced at Yellow Dog.
Yellow Dog actually wanted Fox to remain in ANBU.
There were many complicated missions that needed someone capable like him.
But he looked at the Third Hokage instead.
The Third Hokage took a slow drag from his pipe.
Danzo really wants that Mangekyō…
"Fox, continue your investigation of the rogue ninja Uchiha Madara.
If Madara joins forces with Ōnoki, the village could be in grave danger."
Yako nodded.
He had no choice but to accept the order.
That damned old dog Danzo…
Using his position to force others into exhausting work.
Without allies among the leadership, Yako had no authority to resist.
The advisers were all loyal to Hiruzen.
He had no righteous banner to raise.
He could only obey.
Yako suddenly remembered Homura Mitokado, who was currently serving as a diplomatic envoy abroad.
Maybe leaving the village isn't such a bad thing… at least it creates opportunities.
These elders are going too far.
Just then, a Root ninja suddenly entered the hall and approached Danzo.
He whispered something in Danzo's ear.
Danzo's expression didn't change at all.
It was impossible to tell what had happened.
Danzo gave the Third Hokage a look.
The two of them left the ANBU base together.
Yellow Dog quickly followed.
Once all three had gone, Yako returned to his office.
His body disappeared as he used a technique to leave.
In the dim ANBU corridor, candles flickered every ten meters.
Only three figures remained.
Hiruzen.
Danzo.
Yellow Dog.
Danzo spoke first.
"Hiruzen. Hatake Sakumo completed the mission.
The ritual at Evergreen Divine Mountain succeeded without any interference.
My spies misled the Hidden Stone Village into thinking they had an opportunity to strike.
But unexpectedly, the Five-Tails encountered Fox on the way.
Fox fought the Five-Tails, and the battle caused it to go berserk."
Hiruzen frowned.
"So the plan against Sakumo failed?"
"Not completely."
Danzo's voice was calm.
"There is still a chance to fix it.
Sakumo successfully completed the ritual—but Shimura Kōhi managed to persuade the Daimyō of the Land of Grass to assign him a new mission.
The Five-Tails has appeared near the border of the Land of Grass.
The Daimyō asked Sakumo to drive it away.
Using a rampaging Tailed Beast makes it much easier to create Sakumo's failure.
We should thank Fox for that.
Sakumo is not good at fighting large enemies.
This mission will be even harder for him.
We can continue setting him up."
None of them noticed—
A face hidden within the shadows of a pillar.
Back in his office, Yako frowned as he thought.
So Sakumo's disaster isn't over yet…
A ninja hawk flying from the Land of Grass to Konoha would take about three days.
That meant Sakumo had already departed for the border three days ago.
There was no way Yako could catch up now.
Yuka had already returned to the Land of Rain.
He had no influence left in the Land of Grass.
Now the key was Shinma.
The Shinma controlled by Danzo.
Land of Grass
Hatake Sakumo had just completed a simple mission.
He had escorted Yamashiro Temple, Minato, Shinma, and others to Evergreen Divine Mountain.
There had been no incidents.
The Daimyō's eldest son completed the ritual safely.
Afterward, Sakumo returned to the capital of the Land of Grass and received a warm reception.
The Daimyō immediately assigned him a new S-rank mission.
Drive away the terrifying Tailed Beast near the border.
The Five-Tails from the Hidden Stone Village had gone berserk and invaded the Land of Grass.
If Konoha's White Fang could drive it away—
The Daimyō promised full loyalty to the Land of Fire and would hire Konoha ninja regularly.
Sakumo accepted the mission.
As Shinma followed Sakumo toward the border, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
At Evergreen Divine Mountain he had accomplished nothing.
He had thought Danzo's mission would fail.
But fate had given him another chance.
Yako left Konoha with the Antelope Squad.
He didn't even have time to return to his tavern to see Kyoi and the child.
Both the Third Hokage and Yellow Dog had warned him—
If he encountered Spiral Zetsu, he must track him and immediately notify Danzo.
Yako also wanted to find Spiral Zetsu.
Once Danzo seized Spiral Zetsu's Mangekyō—
Yako could conveniently eliminate Danzo.
Unfortunately, there were still no leads.
Even Nagato and the other two had vanished.
Unlike the original timeline, Nagato's Rinnegan had already appeared in Konoha's intelligence reports.
Uchiha Madara had likely hidden him somewhere.
After leaving Konoha, Yako sent the Antelope squad away.
He activated the Byakugan to scan the forest.
No one was around.
Yako then summoned a ninja dog.
Pakkun.
Pakkun looked at the fox mask and snorted.
"So it's you. I haven't seen you in ages."
Yako didn't waste time.
"Pakkun. Tell Sakumo-sama something for me.
He must kill Shinma."
Pakkun blinked.
"Kill Shinma?
We haven't seen each other in ages, and the first thing you say is to kill Shinma?"
Yako replied coldly.
"If Shinma lives, Sakumo will die.
That's all you need to know.
Shinma works for Danzo.
I don't have time to argue.
Before Sakumo encounters the Five-Tails—
Kill Shinma."
Pakkun was a pug with many wrinkles on his face.
Now his brow furrowed even deeper.
"Don't disappoint me.
Kill Shinma."
Pakkun shook his head.
"The Shinma brothers have followed Sakumo for many years. We share deep bonds.
I can't give you an answer.
I'll tell Sakumo and let him decide."
To be honest, Pakkun didn't trust Fox very much.
Fox was too trusted among the higher-ups.
He was the vice commander of ANBU.
Half of ANBU was effectively under his control.
Who knew if Fox was actually a spy planted by the leadership near Sakumo?
And that last sentence—
Don't disappoint me.
Disappointed in what?
If Shinma wasn't killed—
Would Fox be disappointed in Sakumo?
Pakkun dismissed the summoning.
Using the contract chakra, he contacted Sakumo.
Sakumo was already heading toward the border of the Land of Grass.
Sensing the chakra signal, he summoned Pakkun.
Pakkun looked around.
Six shinobi stood behind Sakumo.
Minato's team.
Yamashiro Temple.
Shiranui Hayate.
And Shinma.
When Pakkun's eyes met Shinma's—
He showed no reaction at all.
"Sakumo, I need to speak with you."
Pakkun trotted away.
Sakumo told the others to wait.
When they were far enough away, Pakkun spoke.
"Sakumo.
The ANBU Fox we worked closely with during the Land of Rivers campaign just contacted me."
"What information does he have?"
On the Land of Rivers battlefield, Fox had helped Sakumo many times.
Later they fought together again on the border of the Land of Hot Water.
Pakkun hesitated.
Then said quietly—
"Fox told you to kill Shinma."