After two days of rest, Yako set out from Konoha with the Blossom Deer Squad.
By a quiet spring, they paused to rest. Blossom Deer cheerfully offered Yako a flask of cold spring water.
Yako accepted it with a smile.
"Oh? Blossom Deer… you trying to make progress?"
"Captain, who doesn't want to improve? Drink slowly, there's more where that came from."
"You're getting slick with your words," Yako said, raising a brow.
"Back when we were still lower-ranked shinobi, we lived each day cautiously. But now you think you've got jōnin potential, you're already playing flattery games?
Sounds like it's been too long since you met a real threat. Getting too comfortable?"
He narrowed his eyes playfully.
"When we get to the Land of Rain, you can try assassinating Hanzō. That should give you the thrill you're missing. Might even remind you how ANBU is supposed to act—ruthless, precise."
"Please don't!" Blossom Deer paled.
"I just want to get promoted like White Ram, not die. You've read the intel—Hanzō's got one of the fastest Shunshin techniques in the world. I couldn't even grab his sleeve."
White Ram's promotion to ANBU Jōnin Squad Leader had caused quite a stir.
Black Ant, Golden Eagle, all had jōnin squad leaders. With this status came privileges—private offices, assigned aides, near-vice commander authority.
Naturally, Blossom Deer, Hippo, and Yak were all envious.
Yako said,
"Jōnin isn't just a title. It's power. Without strength to back it up, promoting you would only get you killed."
He remembered the weaklings promoted from the Shimura and Sarutobi clans—useless "jōnin" that had done more harm than good.
After finishing the water, they resumed their journey.
It would take eleven days to reach Orochimaru's forward camp on the Rain Country border.
As they passed through the Land of Rivers, Yako stopped and looked west, toward the capital city of the Land of Rivers.
They were upstream from the Yoshimizu River, and he knew that following it down would lead to the capital.
I wonder how Chisa Kojii is doing… Did she manage to build more hydroelectric stations after the war?
Blossom Deer noticed his daze.
"Captain, something wrong?"
"Nothing. Let's move. If we keep pace, we'll reach our destination by tomorrow night."
—
Entering the basin of the Land of Rain, the sun disappeared behind thick, uneven clouds. Drizzles came and went with no warning.
Blossom Deer followed the signal codes and arrived at a forest clearing.
Already waiting were Orochimaru, Lynx, and K.
Orochimaru noticed them first.
"Fox, of course. I should've guessed."
"Fox is practically ANBU's top combatant now," he added.
Lynx didn't object.
Among the four ANBU squad leaders, Black Ant was a Nara who served as Hokage's tactical assistant.
Golden Eagle was a Hyūga in charge of defense.
Lynx had once served under Danzo, and although now under general ANBU jurisdiction, he still took Danzo's calls when needed.
Only Fox—Yako—was both powerful and loyal to Yellow Dog.
Yako landed and swept his gaze across the three.
"Lord Orochimaru. I come by Hokage's order to relieve you and continue the investigation into the Uzumaki remnants.
He said you had more urgent matters back in the village."
Orochimaru nodded.
"I'm far too conspicuous here. Hanzō can't sleep knowing I'm in Rain. If he knows anything about you, Fox, you won't let him sleep either.
Take over. I don't mind."
Without further delay, Orochimaru and his subordinates left.
Yako watched them go, knowing full well Orochimaru's return meant resuming Hashirama cell experiments. Yako had his own interest in that.
He possessed mid-to-high grade bloodlines from both the The Senju and the Uzumaki clan. If he could get Wood Release, he might cross into true Kage-level power.
Turning to Lynx and K, Yako asked,
"What's the current state of the investigation?"
K gestured for him to follow.
They arrived at a wooden hut. Inside, four Root operatives were torturing prisoners for intel.
These four were full-fledged Root agents, each bearing code names.
Yako frowned.
"Nothing we can extract from the corpses? Torture takes too long."
The prisoners were in miserable condition—severed limbs littered the floor.
And I'm the "gentle" one for suggesting we just kill them.
K said,
"I wanted to use jutsu too, but three of them were broken by Orochimaru's genjutsu. Brains are scrambled. Traditional interrogation actually works better than mental dives in this case."
Yako nodded.
"And? What have you learned?"
K replied,
"Two kilometers south, there's a town. These men are shopkeepers and workers from that town. Locals reported red-haired individuals buying food there. I suspect the Uzumaki main group was camped outside the town then.
But after that, nothing. No more sightings. Trail's cold."
This was the northeast of the Land of Rain. The Uzumaki's supposed hideout was in the southwest. Quite far apart.
Yako asked,
"Further west is the Land of Bears. Can we rule out that the remnants fled there?"
"We can," K said. "Lynx just returned from a sweep—no sign of red-haired Uzumaki."
"Alright." Yako folded his arms.
"Let's fan out. Treat that town as the center, and each squad searches one zone.
Root's five agents are one squad. Lynx brought two squads. I have one.
We won't wait for three half-broken bakers to cough up answers."
"Understood," K said. Then added,
"Rain-nin have noticed our presence. If we encounter them?"
"Avoid. There's no need to clash with Rain."
I've died once already to Hanzō. I'm not eager to repeat that.
The squads split.
Back in the hut, with no one to maintain them, the three tortured bakers finally died.
—
For a full week, Yako kept the teams combing the region, chasing shadows in the pouring rain.
Still nothing.
Once Blossom Deer Squad departed on a sweep, Yako summoned White Porcelain.
He used it to contact Yuka, his Uzumaki ally.
She had once tracked Nagato Uzumaki, and though she stopped after Yako's warning, she still knew his general location.
Upon receiving the coordinates, Yako's eyes gleamed.
Root. Lynx. You want Uzumaki remnants?
Then let me introduce you to Nagato Uzumaki.
He counts as a remnant, doesn't he?
Now let's see if you're capable of taking him.
Let's see if you can capture him from beneath the eyes of Uchiha Madara and Jiraiya.