Yamanaka Ryuu received a White Crane mask.
"Purple Cat, you will stay at the Anbu headquarters for this operation and train White Crane. She is not yet familiar with Anbu affairs; rushing to the Land of Hot Water might put her in danger."
"Understood, Squad Leader."
White Crane, standing to the side, however, said: "Squad Leader! Please let me go to the front lines! I can fight for the Anbu!"
Yōkō thought to himself, You can fight for the Anbu, but I dare not let you fight for me.
Which of my affairs can see the light of day?
Yōkō said coldly: "White Crane, this is the last time I will emphasize this!
You are an Anbu ninja. No matter what order I give you, you have only one choice, and that is to execute it.
I do not wish to see you contradict me a second time. Otherwise, the consequences will be severe.
I have the authority to have you retire from the Anbu immediately, even send you for trial, lose your ninja registration, and you won't even be able to be a ninja anymore."
Hearing Squad Leader Fox's reprimand, White Crane lowered her head.
After the Fox Squad assembled, the White Ram team and three other squads set off, heading towards the Land of Hot Water.
In the Root base, Hei reported to Danzo.
"Lord Danzo, Hatake Sakumo has left the village with four battalions, heading for the Land of Hot Water border.
The Anbu's Fox Squad has also left.
However, Fox did not take White Crane, leaving her at the Anbu base.
It's possible that Fox taught White Crane and knows her combat level is poor, so he left her at the base.
Or perhaps... Fox discovered something."
In the darkness, half of Danzo's face appeared in the light:
"Judging from the normal operation of other Anbu spies, Fox probably hasn't discovered the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal I placed. Otherwise, given Fox's loyalty to Yellow Dog, he would have definitely reported it.
It's more likely he's letting the Yamanaka sisters reunite and keeping her out of danger for now.
Let's not talk about White Crane for now. What about Orochimaru? What's the situation on his end?"
Hei said: "Advisor Mitokado Homura and Orochimaru have already taken the Lynx Squad to the Land of Grass. They should have just reached the heartland of the Land of Grass by now."
Mitokado Homura and Orochimaru, after more than ten days of travel, entered the Land of Grass Daimyō's camp.
Mitokado Homura went to liaise with the Land of Grass Daimyō to reassure him, while Orochimaru began the investigation.
Several Guardian Ninja hurried forward. Guardian Ninja Hyūga Shin presented a scroll containing their preliminary investigation report.
Orochimaru had already seen Root's report; Hyūga Shin's report was just more detailed.
Orochimaru entered the Daimyō's tent.
The tent was kept in its original state; even Shimura Kōhi's corpse was still in place, sprinkled with preservatives, untouched.
Orochimaru first went to one side of the tent and saw the slash that had torn the tent open.
Hyūga Shin quickly said: "Lord Orochimaru, the assailant charged into the tent from here."
Orochimaru followed the direction of the tear and looked towards the Daimyō's chair.
Using the assassination of the Daimyō as bait to lure Shimura Kōhi close?
Then quickly killed Shimura Kōhi.
Suppressed Shimura Kōhi in taijutsu, finally finishing him with a point-blank, extremely fast Fire Release.
Shimura Kōhi's Body Flicker skill was very high, yet he didn't dodge, proving the assailant's Fire Release was very fast.
Orochimaru went to the site of the fight and looked down at the footprints on the ground.
"The fight between the assailant and Shimura Kōhi almost entirely occurred within the one or two seconds they were in the air. On the ground, we can only see the footprints from one leap by each of them," Orochimaru said:
"The enemy's Fire Release is very strong. In such a short time, they must have simplified the hand seals."
Orochimaru suddenly remembered the Water Gun secret technique he obtained from Fox.
That secret technique was very difficult to learn; Orochimaru hadn't mastered it yet.
Judging from the burn marks, the assailant used Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique.
The Dragon Fire Technique is a signature technique of the Sarutobi clan.
When Konoha was founded, the Sarutobi clan leader, Sarutobi Sasuke, responding to the First Hokage's call, taught some of the clan's techniques to other ninjas in the village.
The Dragon Fire Technique and the Great Fireball Technique are the two most widely spread Fire Release techniques in Konoha.
The suspicion of Sarutobi clan ninjas cannot be ruled out.
A seven-hand-seal technique... perhaps the assailant found a more efficient chakra pathway, simplifying it to at most three seals... no, it must be fewer than three seals, maybe two or even one seal.
With that level of Fire Release proficiency, one is always a step ahead in ninja combat.
Orochimaru said to the Anbu: "Collect the body. The intelligence on the corpse is limited."
He asked Hyūga Shin: "Did you see the assailant?"
Hyūga Shin shook his head: "I was the first one knocked out; I didn't see anything.
The assailant operated within smoke bombs the entire time. He seemed unaffected by the smoke, possessing a special sensing technique.
It's highly unlikely he possesses a dōjutsu.
However, Lord Orochimaru, three decoys appeared in the southeast of the camp to draw attention.
I saw three people, but they wore masks with special seals on them. I couldn't see through the masks, couldn't see the faces behind them.
The samurai at the edge of the camp said they saw three people from a distance, wearing demon masks."
Orochimaru instantly became interested: "A sealing technique that can block the Byakugan? An enemy targeting the Shimura clan and Root..."
He roughly sketched a profile of the enemy.
Extremely high ninjutsu talent, accomplices skilled in sealing techniques, sealing strong enough to counter the Byakugan, top-tier sealing talent, and harboring hatred for Root and the Shimura clan...
Orochimaru suddenly smiled. Many people hated Root and the Shimura clan, but with so many conditions combined, it wasn't hard to guess.
The assailant's accomplices are Uzumaki remnants. The assailant's own identity is unknown but deeply involved with the Uzumaki remnants.
If Yōkō knew Orochimaru's train of thought, he would sigh that walls have ears.
Wherever one goes, traces are left.
Just by deducing from the aftermath, so much intelligence could be obtained.
Orochimaru didn't jump to conclusions hastily and continued the investigation.
Identifying them as Uzumaki remnants was simple, but finding the Uzumaki remnants was difficult.
The Uzumaki remnants had been hiding for so long, with no rumors in the ninja world.
If many Uzumaki remnants appeared somewhere, all villages would be excited; they are excellent experimental subjects for sealing techniques.
Inside a certain tent.
Orochimaru slowly walked out, wiping the blood from his hands.
Inside the tent were several samurai who had seen the demon-masked ninjas.
Orochimaru said to Hyūga Shin, who was guarding nearby:
"The samurai weren't lying; there were indeed three people wearing demon masks.
One was quite distinctive, wearing a Kappa Demon mask.
Kappa Demon, a monster formed after a water god's fall, a creature with immense resentment in its heart."
Orochimaru continued the investigation.
One night, Orochimaru saw the word 'Uzumaki' in the Land of Grass Daimyō's secret archives.
"Hmm? The Land of Grass Daimyō secretly captured an Uzumaki remnant? Her constitution is extremely special; a single bite can heal all injuries?"
Following this clue, Orochimaru took his people to the foot of the Evergreen Sacred Mountain.
"A sensationalist and ridiculous myth, claiming the first Land of Grass Daimyō was formed from the Evergreen Sacred Mountain, heh."
This low mountain had no special features.
Entering the laboratory inside the mountain, Orochimaru saw the killed laboratory personnel and the missing Uzumaki Kaon.
Orochimaru searched the vicinity and immediately judged that the assailant possessed flight capability, as there were no traces on the ground.
Orochimaru said to Lynx, who had come with him:
"It's confirmed. Report back to Danzo. The perpetrators behind the recent series of incidents are Uzumaki remnants and a Fire Release expert.
Given that the Uzumaki clan isn't particularly skilled in Fire Release, that Fire Release expert is likely a special ally of the Uzumaki remnants."
***
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(End of Chapter)