Yamanaka Ruri received her ANBU codename: White Crane.
"Purple Cat," Yako ordered, "you'll remain at HQ to train White Crane. She's still unfamiliar with ANBU procedures—sending her to the Land of Hot Water now would be too dangerous."
"Understood, Captain."
But White Crane protested, "Captain! Please let me go to the frontlines! I'm ready to fight for ANBU!"
Yako thought to himself, You may be ready to fight for ANBU, but I'm not ready to let you fight for me.
With the kind of mess I'm involved in, none of it can ever come to light.
His voice turned cold.
"White Crane. This is the last time I'll repeat myself.
You're an ANBU operative. No matter what orders I give you—there is only one response: obey.
I don't want to see you disobey me again. Or there will be serious consequences.
I have the authority to retire you from ANBU on the spot—or have you tried and stripped of your ninja status entirely."
White Crane lowered her head in silence.
After assembling, Fox's squad—along with four other teams, including White Ram's—departed for the Land of Hot Water.
Meanwhile, in Root's underground base, Agent C reported to Danzo.
"Lord Danzo, Hatake Sakumo has left the village with four battalions en route to the border.
Fox's ANBU team has also departed.
However, he left White Crane behind at HQ.
It could be that he trained her before and knows her combat level is weak—so he left her out.
But… it's also possible… that he suspects something."
In the gloom, half of Danzo's face emerged from the shadows.
"Judging by the behavior of the other ANBU spies, it doesn't seem Fox has discovered the Seal of Tongue Eradication. Otherwise, with his loyalty to Yellow Dog, he'd have reported it immediately.
More likely, he's just keeping the Yamanaka sisters together and avoiding unnecessary risk.
Forget her for now. What's the update on Orochimaru?"
"Advisor Mitokado Homura and Orochimaru have already arrived in the heart of Grass Country with the Lynx Unit."
After ten days of travel, they reached the daimyō's camp.
Homura focused on diplomatic recovery with the Grass daimyō, while Orochimaru began his investigation.
Several bodyguards stepped forward. Guardian Ninja Hyūga Shin handed Orochimaru a scroll containing their preliminary findings.
Orochimaru had already seen Root's internal reports—Shin's only added more details.
He entered the daimyō's tent.
Everything remained untouched. Even Shimura Kōhi's corpse lay where it fell, preserved with anti-decay agents.
Orochimaru walked to one side of the tent, observing a long slash in the fabric.
Hyūga Shin quickly pointed. "Lord Orochimaru, the assassin entered through this opening."
Orochimaru followed the direction of the tear—ending at the daimyō's chair.
A feint—pretending to assassinate the daimyō to draw Kōhi in…
Then swiftly eliminating him.
The attacker overwhelmed Kōhi in taijutsu and finished with a high-speed Fire Release at close range.
Shimura Kōhi had exceptional Body Flicker proficiency, yet hadn't dodged. That meant the Fire Release had been blindingly fast.
Orochimaru studied the battle site, eyes on the ground.
"The fight happened almost entirely midair. Only one visible set of takeoff footprints for each of them."
He murmured, "The enemy's Fire Release was powerful… and fast enough to complete in less than two seconds. That implies drastically reduced hand seals."
He suddenly remembered the Water Gun Jutsu he had exchanged from Fox.
He'd yet to master it himself—it was difficult and intricate.
Judging by the burn marks, the jutsu used here was Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet.
A signature of the Sarutobi clan.
During Konoha's founding, the Sarutobi patriarch—Sarutobi Sasuke—had shared parts of their clan techniques with the wider village.
Dragon Flame Bullet and Great Fireball Technique became two of the most widely used Fire Releases.
He couldn't rule out a Sarutobi as the perpetrator.
Normally a seven-seal technique… could the killer have simplified the chakra pathways?
No—had to be less than three. Perhaps two… even one.
With Fire Release at that level, they'd always act before their opponent in battle.
"Take the body away," Orochimaru instructed the ANBU. "There's little more to be learned from it."
He turned to Hyūga Shin.
"Did you see the attacker?"
Shin shook his head. "I was the first one knocked out. I saw nothing.
He operated within the smoke screen. It didn't seem to affect him. He likely has specialized sensory techniques.
Unlikely to be a dōjutsu, though.
But… southeast of the camp, three masked figures drew our attention.
I saw them—but their masks had special seals. I couldn't see through them. Not even with my Byakugan.
Samurai on the outskirts said they saw them too—each wearing a demon-faced mask."
Orochimaru's interest was piqued.
"Seals that block the Byakugan… enemies targeting Root and the Shimura clan…"
He began sketching a mental profile.
A ninja with elite technique. Allies skilled in fūinjutsu—strong enough to block Byakugan. That level of sealing mastery… and a vendetta against Root and the Shimura.
Orochimaru chuckled darkly.
Many hated Root and Danzo. But with this combination of traits—it wasn't hard to narrow down.
The attacker's allies were Uzumaki remnants.
And the attacker—though still unidentified—was clearly working closely with them.
If Yako knew what was going through Orochimaru's mind, he'd sigh: There really are no secrets in this world.
Every trace leaves a mark.
From the outcome alone, so much could be inferred.
Orochimaru didn't rush to a conclusion. He continued digging.
It was one thing to guess it was Uzumaki remnants—but quite another to find them.
They'd hidden for years. Not a whisper of their survival had reached any village.
Should a cluster appear, every major faction would pounce—Uzumaki were perfect experimental material for sealing techniques.
Inside another tent—
Orochimaru stepped out, casually wiping fresh blood from his hands.
Within lay several samurai who had seen the demon-faced ninja.
He turned to Hyūga Shin.
"They weren't lying. There were three attackers, all masked.
One wore a Kappa demon mask.
Kappa—twisted spirits born from the fall of river gods. Creatures of bottomless resentment."
Orochimaru pressed on.
One night, he entered the Grass daimyō's secret archive—and spotted a name:
Uzumaki.
"Hm? So the daimyō had secretly captured an Uzumaki survivor?
One with a special constitution? Able to restore injuries just by being bitten?"
Following the trail, Orochimaru led a team to Evergreen Divine Mountain.
"A ridiculous myth," he sneered. "The first daimyō of Grass claiming he was born from this mountain?"
The hill was completely ordinary.
Inside the cave laboratory, they found dead researchers—and the Uzumaki, Kan, missing.
Orochimaru scouted the area and quickly confirmed:
No tracks. The perpetrator could fly.
He turned to Lynx.
"Report this to Danzo. We've confirmed it.
The culprit behind these recent attacks is a group of Uzumaki remnants and a highly skilled Fire Release user.
Given that the Uzumaki weren't known for Fire Release, the attacker is likely a special ally of theirs."