T closed his scroll and, before the swarm of Kumo-nin could encircle the area, leapt into the battlefield between Hatake Sakumo and the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Ryuuren.
He formed a single hand seal—and unleashed Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
To be granted a codename within Root, T's wind-style techniques had to be excellent. And indeed, the forceful gust pushed Ryuuren back a step, though she quickly stabilized, her limbs clinging tightly to the water's surface.
"T!" Sakumo shouted. "We don't need your help!"
He was this close to yelling 'Stop getting in the way!'
But T pressed on, provoking the Two-Tails.
This time, after weaving five hand signs, he took a deep breath and fired off a long, slicing wind blade—
Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!
A top-tier wind technique passed down in the Shimura Clan. Its destructive power ranked among the best in all Wind Release.
Much like the Water Severing Wave, the elongated wind blade slashed toward Ryuuren.
But her Tailed Beast Cloak was incredibly durable. The Vacuum Wave couldn't break through. Not a scratch.
Then, taking advantage of Sakumo's pressure, T kept attacking—forming signs and launching technique after technique: Vacuum Spheres, Giant Vacuum Bullets…
Watching, Yako finally understood what T was doing.
He jotted it down:
"T joined the battlefield to test the effectiveness of Wind Release against the Tailed Beast Cloak. Great Breakthrough, Vacuum Wave, and Vacuum Spheres all failed to breach the cloak."
"Only Vacuum Serial Waves (five or six consecutive Vacuum Waves) briefly broke through, exposing a small patch of Ryuuren's skin—yet even that didn't cause any lasting injury."
Yako was surprised. T's mastery of Wind Release was far more advanced than expected—practically a full inheritor of Danzo's wind-style arsenal.
Danzo really was shameless… He was clearly preparing for the day he might face a perfect Jinchūriki, and now he was using T to simulate the scenario.
Yako couldn't help but wonder—should I draw a Wind Release from this guy?
He glanced at Ryuuren's condition and continued his notes:
"Ryuuren appears angered—Tailed Beast Bombs launching one after another."
"Now that her personal guards are dead, she's showing no restraint."
"Positioning herself to dominate the port, she uses Tailed Beast Bombs to force Sakumo's team further out to sea."
What followed burned into the memory of every hidden Kiri-nin trailing the battle:
The strongest offensive technique in Kumo's arsenal—Tailed Beast Bombs—were being cut down, one by one… by a sword.
Hatake Sakumo had found his rhythm. With each slash, his confidence and morale soared.
It was his first time facing off against Tailed Beast Bombs, but—they were nothing special.
Explosions lit up the sea, mushroom clouds of water vapor erupting in their wake.
Yako looked down at himself, stunned.
Wait—why am I still here?
He'd been left behind.
He couldn't leave.
Key information still had to be recorded—the Jinchūriki's post-battle mental state, whether additional ninja were needed to suppress residual chakra, and more.
Sakumo and the others were already retreating in a steady, organized fashion.
Even T, the one who had completely disrupted Sakumo's rhythm, had been allowed to tag along.
Danzo had sent a Shimura clan member just to evaluate Wind Release performance against a perfect Jinchūriki—success or failure of the mission be damned.
Danzo really did think long-term.
Yako turned his gaze back to the Kumo-nin on the sea.
They were all frozen in place—stunned that someone could slice apart Tailed Beast Bombs like that.
Even the shockwaves from the explosions couldn't touch Sakumo.
As the battle drew to a close, Kumo shinobi surrounded Ryuuren in a wide semicircle… but none dared approach.
The legend of the Jinchūriki's rage still loomed large.
All four of her personal guards had died early. The rest were unfamiliar with her—too afraid to step in.
Then—
With Sakumo's team already far out at sea, Ryuuren slowly raised her front limbs and stood upright.
The Tailed Beast chakra began receding from her body, smooth and unforced.
The two reddish tails faded to translucent, then vanished altogether.
Yako quickly scribbled:
"After an intense battle involving over ten Tailed Beast Bombs, Ryuuren was able to retract her Tailed Beast chakra on her own."
"In the First Great Ninja War, villages needed to suppress their Jinchūriki after battle to prevent rampages. This is not the case with Ryuuren."
"Her control is impeccable—completely rational from beginning to end."
"Judging by the Kumo-nin's confidence in her, Ryuuren is no longer viewed with mere fear and loathing. There is trust."
After thinking for a moment, Yako added:
"Sakumo's White Fang short blade possesses power on par with Tailed Beast Bombs—capable of cutting through bombs the size of a fist or even a human head."
With the mission complete, Yako closed the scroll.
Back in Konoha, he'd make sure to promote Sakumo's feat of cleaving Tailed Beast Bombs, stoking his fame even further.
—
Far off, Sakumo and his team dashed across the ocean's surface.
Three Kumo reconnaissance squads followed at a distance—close enough to track, but not engage.
If they couldn't shake those scouts, the main Kumo forces would eventually catch up.
Konoha had infiltrated the Land of Lightning to confront a Jinchūriki.
That wasn't just a slap in the face—it was a direct attack on the foundation of Kumogakure.
They would never let this slide.
Yamashiroji spoke up. "I'll handle it."
T scoffed inwardly. So Yamashiroji's the one being left behind? Guess Sakumo isn't as loyal to his comrades as the stories claim.
Yamashiroji formed hand seals—an enormous surge of water rose from the ocean, engulfing the group.
When the waves subsided—they were gone.
T found himself wrapped in an underwater current, carried far beneath the waves.
He took mental notes: New intel. Yamashiroji can lead multiple people underwater in stealth.
They surfaced far away and disappeared into the coastal mountain ranges.
Along the way, Sakumo had Moonlight Kento leave coded messages—hoping Fox could follow.
They moved fast, hugging the coastline, never stopping, avoiding Kumo's main forces.
—
Several days later, a figure appeared via Shunshin beside the group.
Everyone tensed.
Seeing that it was Fox, they all exhaled.
Yako glanced over at T.
This rotten guy. Next time Root causes problems, you're going in first.
The team resumed their formation—Sakumo's five up front, Fox and T trailing behind.
—
During a break, T asked, "Let me see your scroll. What happened after I left the shore?"
Yako blinked. "The Shimura clan really doesn't teach manners, huh? You think everything you see belongs to you?"
T's hand slowly dropped—but his chakra began to surge.
"Lord Danzo is the ANBU Commander. Root is his direct authority. What gives you the right to refuse me?"
Yako nearly lashed out—
But killing T now would implicate both Sakumo and himself.
T couldn't die yet—not during this mission.
But next time… When Nonō gives me his location—he dies.
"I refuse."
T raised his hands to form seals… but then slowly lowered them.
He muttered:
"Fox, this mission exposed serious coordination issues between ANBU and Root. ANBU will issue new guidelines. You lot should understand that Root is a higher authority than the four ANBU squads."
"Next time, we'll see if you're just as tough."