In the ANBU base, inside Fox Squad's changing room, only Yagami remained.
The surroundings were empty and silent. He almost wished there were a Purple Cat nearby.
Yagami created a shadow clone, then opened his Sharingan beneath the mask.
He changed poses again and again, almost as if he were modeling for a photo.
The shadow clone occasionally shifted hand signs, signaling when the Sharingan could be seen and when the mask blocked it from view.
After testing, he found that if an enemy stood outside a thirty-degree angle from his line of sight, they wouldn't notice his Sharingan.
He had to be extremely cautious with the Sharingan—unless he was fighting for his life. Once it was exposed, things would become troublesome.
The Uzumaki clan, the Senju clan, and now even the Uchiha clan all had spies within the ANBU—and all three spies were the same person.
Right now, his Sharingan was a single-tomoe eye, enhancing primarily perception and, therefore, taijutsu.
He wondered if, when it evolved into two or three tomoe, it would gain copying or genjutsu abilities.
A few mornings later, Yagami lingered lazily in Qiaoyi's bed.
Since his return, the tavern had been closing early and opening late—Qiaoyi had grown a bit distracted by pleasure.
Yagami teased her, saying that even if she no longer worked as a kunoichi, she still needed to train. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to keep up with him in bed. Every time it ended with two rounds for her to match his one—no woman could endure that forever.
Speaking of matching opponents, Yagami thought of Uzumaki Yuka. In that regard, Yuka's performance had been the best.
After parting from Qiaoyi with a kiss, Yagami left.
He bought several bundles of white flowers and made his way to the Memorial Stone.
Behind the stone, many new graves had appeared.
Standing among the graves, Yagami looked around. Such a small space—after this war, there would likely be no room left.
Even the forest in the distance would probably have to be cleared.
Following the squad roster, Yagami found the graves of White Ram, Monkey, and the others, placing the white flowers before them.
White Ram had betrayed him by reporting to Captain Yellow Dog—but he was already dead. The account was settled.
Monkey… how many Monkeys had died now? He couldn't remember clearly—perhaps the fourth?
The turnover rate for that mask was too high.
ANBU shinobi died silently and without notice.
They were outsiders within the village—either the marginal members of great clans or the isolated few among the commoners.
If Yagami were to die, probably only Purple Cat would bring flowers.
That was assuming she lived long enough to become a squad captain herself and, upon checking her predecessor's records, discovered his real name.
As Yagami turned away, he noticed two women dressed in black standing at the front of the graveyard.
Senju Hanaki and Princess Tsunade.
Around Tsunade's neck hung the First Hokage's necklace.
Before them stood the grave of Kato Dan.
The tombstone bore his photograph and his name.
As Yagami passed them, he couldn't help but glance at Tsunade.
A fierce woman, weeping—so pitiful that it stirred compassion.
Tsunade's early life was one of constant rises and endless falls.
Born with a golden spoon, the pampered granddaughter of the First Hokage.
The Second Hokage had placed high hopes on her, even assigning Hiruzen Sarutobi as her teacher.
But after the Second Hokage's death, Tsunade's fate plummeted.
The Senju clan, upholding the will of both Hokage, had led the charge in two great ninja wars—always advancing first and retreating last. Their casualties mounted, and the clan weakened.
Her younger brother, Nawaki, was blown apart—nearly breaking her completely.
Such a strong-willed woman had knelt beside his corpse and cried for days.
On the night of the Nine-Tails Transfer and Seal incident, Tsunade had been fighting on the frontlines and couldn't return in time.
Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya—her team—were among Sarutobi's key forces in that campaign.
That same night, Tsunade's grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, her father, Senju Rinki, and her mother all perished at the hands of the Nine-Tails.
Then came the death of Kato Dan.
Tsunade buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling with sobs.
Senju Hanaki glanced at the young man passing by, silently hoping he would leave quickly.
But he was also here to pay respects. She couldn't rush him.
Yagami cast one last glance at Kato Dan's grave, then turned and left the Memorial Stone grounds.
After Tsunade had cried herself out and her emotions settled, Hanaki finally spoke.
"Tsunade, I've been keeping things from you. In my original plan, you were meant to be the bridge between our clan and the village leadership.
Even in the worst-case scenario, as long as you were there, the upper ranks of the village would never completely sever ties with the clan.
Many of the clan's darkest secrets—I shared only with Dan.
But now that he's gone, the Senju clan stands at its most dangerous moment. There are things I can no longer hide from you."
Green medical chakra bloomed in Tsunade's hands as she healed her swollen, bloodshot eyes. Her expression hardened again.
"Aunt, tell me everything. I have my suspicions."
Senju Hanaki connected the annihilation of the Uzumaki clan and the Nine-Tails' transfer and sealing, speculating that a faction within the village leadership had been deliberately targeting the Senju.
Tsunade listened quietly, then turned with Hanaki to gaze up at the Hokage Rock.
The faces of the First and Second Hokage stared steadfastly over the village.
"It's infuriating," Tsunade murmured. "They could strike down their own comrades within the village, while we Senju still can't bring ourselves to cross that line."
After a pause, she said,
"Aunt, slowly recall the clan's shinobi from the frontlines. Retrain them in medical ninjutsu.
Until we uncover the truth, we can't risk anything more.
The Hidden Leaf has changed. A village like this… isn't worth bleeding for.
But we can't abandon our love for it. The village was built from the Senju's lifeblood.
We'll channel our clan's strength into healing instead. Continue to serve the village through medicine.
I'll find a way to uncover the truth. Don't worry—I won't take reckless risks. I understand how serious things are.
I won't die. I'll carry their will and keep moving forward."
If events followed the original timeline, Tsunade would have already developed hemophobia and lost all hope in the Hidden Leaf.
Before Hiruzen Sarutobi's death, she would never have set foot in the village again.
But now, the Senju still had a spark of hope. No matter how much she hurt, Tsunade would pull herself together—for her clan, and continue the fight.
...
The full moon hung like a silver disc, its light as pale as frost.
Yagami finally welcomed its arrival, feeling his entire body relax.
What a nightmare—this lunar cycle had brought Uchiha Madara, Kato Dan, and Danzō, all at once. Truly exhausting.
In the ANBU base, Yellow Dog came to find him.
"Fox, there's a new mission.
We'll be accompanying Lord Danzō to the Hidden Rain Village.
He was supposed to hold an important negotiation with Hanzo last month, but the appearance of Uchiha Madara delayed it for a month.
From the intelligence we've gathered, Hanzo and the Rain Village don't have strong resolve for continued war.
Orochimaru and his units have been active in the Land of Rain, but the Rain ninja haven't organized any large-scale counterattacks.
Lord Danzō has studied Hanzo carefully—he believes Hanzo can be persuaded through benefits.
Hanzo declared war on the Hidden Leaf because Ōnoki promised him substantial rewards.
The Hidden Leaf plans to cede a portion of the mission commissions in the Land of Rivers.
In a few days, we'll head to the Land of Rain to make contact with Hanzo and gauge his stance."
Yagami nodded. Another trip to the frontlines.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was becoming more of a politician, relying on compromise to achieve goals.
In the world of shinobi, weakness was the original sin.
Without the overwhelming power of the First and Second Hokage, Sarutobi and the current leadership had resorted to endless compromises—trading away the Hidden Leaf's interests for temporary stability, maintaining a false image of glory.
Several days later, Yagami followed Danzō to the Hidden Grass Village's forward camp—and at last, reunited with his squad.
***
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