"Stop! Put my teacher down!"
The three Sand genin chased for dozens of kilometers before finally stopping, gasping for breath.
All three bent over, hands on their knees, staring upward.
For genin to chase a jōnin this far already showed impressive willpower.
Yako glanced at the direction. He had given them enough hints. Now he needed to continue north with Tade's corpse — toward the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth.
He tossed three kunai backward. The genin panicked, rolling desperately to avoid them.
Sweat soaked their clothes, sand sticking to their bodies, leaving them disheveled and exhausted.
"You three are weak," Yako said calmly, "but your courage is admirable.
I respect that courage. I'll reward you with a chance to live. Go back to Sunagakure."
Carrying Tade's corpse, Yako vanished with Nara Meika using Body Flicker Technique.
Only after they disappeared did the genin truly feel fear.
They had been fools — chasing a killer so far. If he had wanted, he could have killed them anytime.
Once they were far away, Yako unsealed bandages, wrapped the corpse tightly, and sprayed preservation chemicals to prevent decay.
"Let's go," Nara Meika said. "We'll turn in the body at the underground exchange in the Land of Earth and collect the bounty."
Arriving beneath the Yoshigane Mountains, they saw a vast oasis.
"That's the mountain oasis of Wind Country," Meika explained. "Water was diverted from the Land of Rain through underground caverns, creating this massive green zone.
I heard Ebizō nearly died from anger over it.
His subordinates discovered the caverns first, but after losing the war, the Wind Country daimyō secured permission through negotiations with the daimyō of Fire Country, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Rain.
The credit went to the daimyō — not Ebizō."
The oasis spread outward like a fan from the mountain base, extending more than ten kilometers — unusually large for the desert nation, and still expanding.
Climbing the steep Yoshigane Mountains, the temperature dropped sharply, and the dry desert air faded.
After crossing the ridge, they entered the Land of Rain.
Yako returned to Teigu Town.
On the dam overlooking the town, three squads of samurai were stationed.
Samurai from the Land of Rain, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Wind guarded officials to ensure fair water distribution.
"Let's rest here tonight," Yako said. "I'm a bit tired."
"You're stronger — I'll follow your lead," Meika replied.
Yako thought to himself that intelligent Nara clan members still admired strength.
They checked into a newly built inn in Teigu Town.
Seeing a masked man and woman enter together, the innkeeper recognized wandering shinobi and wisely gave them two of the best rooms.
That night, Nara Meika knocked on Yako's door.
"I have a plan. I'd like to consult you — as an ANBU squad captain."
Noticing water droplets in her hair, Yako realized she had just bathed. 'Probably more than just consultation,' he thought.
After entering, she sat on the bed.
"Unless something unexpected happens, every village will place enemy targets into the underground exchange.
Using the exchange adds another layer of concealment, but the handling fee is too high — it's basically giving money away.
Village funds are tight. We can't keep doing that.
Fox, do you think it's possible that if Kumogakure posts a bounty on a Mist jōnin, Konoha could intercept and kill the target first — claiming Kumogakure's bounty?"
"Absolutely," Yako said immediately.
"But it requires a powerful intelligence network.
If Kumogakure spends tens of millions placing a bounty, they'll send their own operatives immediately.
We'd need to exploit timing differences — reach the target before they do.
Our current intelligence system isn't efficient enough. Without improvement, we'd waste resources chasing empty leads."
Meika nodded, understanding that intelligence was the key.
If implemented, her proposal could bring tremendous merit — and benefit the Nara clan.
"Fox, any suggestions regarding the intelligence system?"
Yako shook his head.
"I've always been an executor — carrying out missions assigned by the Hokage or Yellow Dog.
Before this mission, I never had contact with intelligence operations. I know nothing about spies or intelligence networks.
You should consult someone else."
The ANBU spy network now belonged to Long-Arm Ape. Yako needed to observe Yellow Dog's true confidant carefully and find the right moment to act.
There were always degrees of closeness.
Yako had held nothing back for Yellow Dog… and this was the result.
"What about interception missions?" Meika continued.
"Speed is everything," Yako replied. "Send fast shinobi — reach the destination quickly.
If the village is willing, form a rapid-response unit.
Members should be speed-type shinobi capable of traveling at least five hundred kilometers per day."
Ordinary shinobi traveled roughly three to four hundred kilometers daily, conserving stamina for potential ambushes.
Meika nodded repeatedly, committing every detail to memory.
"Fox, would you be willing to lead such a unit?"
"I'm too well-rounded," Yako said lightly. "Speed, offense, defense — all strong.
I don't mind either way. If the Hokage or Yellow Dog orders it, I'll serve as ANBU squad captain or rapid-response commander.
You could recommend Black Ant as a sub-unit leader — he's from your Nara clan."
Meika frowned slightly.
"Do you really think I'm the type to favor my clan for personal gain?"
"My apologies," Yako said calmly. "I misjudged you. Given everything you know, you understand there are few good people in Root or even ANBU.
So I tend to assume the worst."
"ANBU behavior can at least be predicted," she said. "But Root truly has few good people.
Speaking of which, after Root suffered heavy losses at the Valley of the End, rebuilding has been difficult.
Of twenty trainees, three recently died during training."
Yako's gaze darkened.
Danzo personally trained Root recruits — brutally — just to produce usable subordinates faster.
As he pondered, his vision suddenly darkened as Meika stepped closer.
"There are… a few more things I want to discuss, Fox…"
As they talked, the distance between them gradually vanished.
Clothes fell away one by one.
Twenty minutes later—
"Relax," Meika said softly. "Let me control you with shadow manipulation…"
"Huh? Why?"
"You're a busy ANBU shinobi. You probably don't have much experience with women — you don't understand them at all."
Yako thought, 'Was I really that bad?'
He relaxed his body, allowing her shadow to take control.
A few seconds later, realization struck him.
'I get it! So it's this angle… this rhythm…'
Wait — wasn't he basically being used like a tool?
The Nara clan… certainly had some interesting ways of doing things.
As expected — smart people could be selfish too.