The jōnin council convened once again.
At the last council, following Orochimaru's unexpected intervention, the meeting had ended inconclusively, and the important jōnin promotion discussions had been left unresolved.
Nara Shikakaku now reported on the progress of several key matters.
When it came to assigning instructors from the jōnin corps to lead academy graduates, Hatake Sakumo—rarely one to speak—volunteered. He stated that he planned to serve as a jonin-sensei starting next year and had already reached out to a student he had his eye on. He was actively responding to the village's call, getting involved early to extend the training period.
From his seat, Yako glanced toward the podium. Seeing no sign of objection from Hiruzen Sarutobi or the other elders, he quietly sighed in relief.
The upper echelon of Konoha knew that Namikaze Minato was a talented civilian student, but they didn't fully grasp just how exceptional he was. After all, every graduating year had a few so-called "geniuses," but not all of them went on to become elite jōnin.
That the White Fang would choose to take a civilian boy as a student didn't warrant dramatic opposition from the leadership. They couldn't protest everything Sakumo did—he was, after all, one of the top few strongest shinobi in the village.
Another key item was the nomination of jōnin to serve as guards to the daimyo.
The Fire Daimyō had sent word to Konoha, stating the village could send eight guardians—four of whom had to be jōnin-ranked.
Among the Twelve Guardian Ninja, four would be selected by the Daimyō himself. It was clear the daimyo had learned not to put all his eggs in one basket—he'd begun cultivating his own warriors, including samurai, monks from the Temple of Fire, and wandering shinobi.
Of the eight to be dispatched, the jōnin seats were monopolized by Sarutobi clan members, with only one exception—a Hyuga clan special jōnin.
Dominating the guardian ninja positions meant dominating access to the most sensitive S-rank missions commissioned by the Fire Daimyō.
The final topic, and the core focus of this council session, was the finalized promotion exam list for special jōnin seeking to become full jōnin.
The numbers hadn't changed much:
5 from the Sarutobi clan
4 from the Ino–Shika–Chō trio
2 from the Shimura clan
1 each from the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Senju clans
8 from the civilian pool
The only difference this time: Tsunade's candidate, Senju Miraki, was added to the list, along with two new nominees from Orochimaru.
Tsunade, Sakumo, and Uchiha Kagen did not voice further objections. The village leadership had already approached each of them privately and shut them down one by one.
Sakumo's two candidates, Shinma and Hakumo Sōma, had been excluded again—completely denied.
Watching Sakumo remain silent, Yako sighed inwardly. 'Sakumo, you're still too soft.'
It was time for the "New Shinobi of Darkness" to take action.
He committed the names of the special jōnin from the Five Noble Clans to memory.
'Your greed is unbearable. The New Shinobi of Darkness will make you cough up something.'
Nara Shikakaku then declared:
"Starting now, promotion exams will begin in batches and are expected to conclude next month."
That night, Yako headed to a dense forest above the Hokage Rock. After carefully scanning the area with a Doton detection barrier, he summoned White Glaze and White Porcelain—the two stone pandas.
The pandas, knowing what was coming, sighed. It was time for another reverse summoning.
Yako appeared in the hidden base of the Uzumaki survivors in the Land of Rain.
Yuka immediately noticed the chill emanating from Yako—a cold killing intent clung to him.
"Yuka, I believe the time has come. It's time to begin our revenge."
"You mean…" Yuka's voice trembled.
"Konoha's internal situation has shifted," Yako said. "The Sarutobi, Shimura, and other clans have seized too much of the post-war gains. The resentment is growing. We'll begin small—kill a few of their jōnin, test the waters."
Yuka's trembling hand was grasped by Yako.
"Don't be afraid. Follow my lead. Step by step."
After giving Yuka a long list of instructions, Yako returned to his office in the ANBU base, silently repeating the names of his targets in his heart.
The jōnin exams would begin with the eight civilian candidates.
These early candidates had a disadvantage. Whether it was Nara Shikakaku or the ten Jonin, they'd be fresh and sharp at the start.
Those tested later had the edge—after a month of nonstop exams, the panel would be exhausted.
Not everyone would pass. Those with obvious shortcomings would be weeded out.
The eleven candidates from the Five Noble Clans would be tested next month.
That gave Yako one month to prepare.
If he were going to assassinate a candidate from those clans, everything had to be perfect. One slip, and he'd fall into the abyss—everything he'd fought for as an ANBU squad captain, his life with Kyoi, the affection of Purple Cat, all of it would vanish in a flash if he were branded a missing-nin.
First, he had to address his biggest weakness: scouting.
His current recon capabilities were severely lacking. He had considered picking up some detection jutsu, but none of them were satisfying enough.
What he needed was top-tier scouting ability.
He looked to the wall to his left.
Just beyond several walls sat the office of the Golden Eagle Squad Captain—a Hyuga clan jōnin known for his power and sharp Byakugan.
This month's extraction target… would be him.
Not only would he gain the elite detection power of the Byakugan, but he'd also extract intelligence about the Golden Eagle squad—very useful for future power plays within ANBU.
With the Byakugan, Yako could do anything without fear of surveillance. He could detect enemies earlier, evade tailing, and scout targets from afar.
Purple Cat entered the room.
Yako immediately shifted his aura—she shouldn't feel the killing intent. "Purple Cat, is the Golden Eagle captain at ANBU today?"
"Yeah, I just saw his assistant running scrolls."
"Great. I need a private meeting with him. Let's go."
He knocked and entered the Golden Eagle's office. Turning to the assistant, he said, "I have a classified mission to discuss with the squad captain. Please give us some privacy."
Golden Eagle immediately gestured for the assistant to leave.
"Have a seat, Fox."
Yako and Golden Eagle sat across from each other.
Golden Eagle's gaze was curious. What could Fox possibly want?
Yako began, "Captain Golden Eagle, what do you think about only one Hyuga clan member making it into the promotion exams this time?"
Under his mask, Golden Eagle's expression tensed.
Was ANBU investigating the Hyuga?
The Hyuga had served dutifully in every war—always in the vanguard, often dying first as scouts.
And in peacetime, they formed the backbone of village security and the daimyō's personal guard.
Every daimyō had at least one Hyuga with them.
All these exhausting missions had worn the Hyuga thin. And yet, the clan's inner tensions remained buried under the oppressive weight of the Main House.
The Branch House did all the work, while the Main House took all the political credit.
But of course, none of this could be voiced to ANBU.
Golden Eagle was of the Branch House—he couldn't betray the clan.
So he replied, "Captain Fox, I have no complaints.
The Hyuga serve the village unquestioningly. Our strength lies in scouting. In direct combat, our Gentle Fist isn't suited for commanding large units.
We understand our role well. We're already grateful to have even one jōnin candidate."
Yako nodded. That was the expected answer. The Hyuga would never openly oppose the Hokage's policies.
He leaned in again. "Captain Golden Eagle, I've heard rumors that some Hyuga who glimpsed classified information from the village leadership were quietly executed. What's your take on that?"