Konoha's forty-second year began under a heavy, oppressive mood.
The number of missions coming from the Land of Grass had already decreased, and those from the Land of Rivers looked equally unstable.
The chill of uncertainty spread through every shinobi in Konoha.
Most of the village believed that the year ahead would be difficult.
Everything depended on whether Advisor Hatake Sakumo could reverse the decline after arriving in the Land of Grass.
During the New Year holiday, there was little to do. After some thought, Yako used Reverse Summoning and arrived at the hidden refuge of the Uzumaki clan in the Land of Rain.
Yuka stepped out of the barrier, holding an umbrella.
"This is the first time I've seen you using one," Yako said. "In the Land of Rain, a rain hood is much more convenient. Carrying an umbrella is a hassle."
Yuka took his hand and led him toward their hidden tree hollow.
Yako's "four rooms, two halls, one kitchen, three bathrooms technique" had transformed the hollow into something that resembled a warm little home.
Yuka removed his fox mask and whispered beside his ear,
"Fox… I'm pregnant."
Yako froze.
At last—Yuka was pregnant.
Among the women in his life, she had been the first he met, yet she was the last to conceive.
Koji Naito had been born at the end of Year 40.
Yoru and Yamanaka Sayaka were both born in Year 41.
Yuka's child would not be born until the latter half of Year 42.
"Good, good… Yuka," Yako said softly. "Then take good care of yourself from now on. If the Uzumaki clan runs into trouble, summon me immediately. I will come protect you all."
Yako's control over ANBU had grown stronger and stronger.
Within Konoha, he might not have absolute freedom—but he could move almost as he pleased.
Yuka nodded.
"For the next half year… maybe even a full year, I won't be able to cooperate with you the way I used to with Reverse Summoning."
"That's fine," Yako replied.
"Hatake Sakumo has become the Foreign Affairs Advisor. I can't stir up too much trouble right now. There won't be any major moves for a while."
He had already forced Sarutobi Hiruzen to give up one high-ranking advisor position.
For now, his main objective was to stabilize Hatake Sakumo's position and prevent Danzo or others from driving Sakumo to his death through other schemes.
Hatake Sakumo was excellent in many ways.
But he was also too rigid.
Despite his strength, he always gave the strange impression that he might die at any moment.
Holding Yuka in his arms, Yako created a reclining chair using Wood Release.
The two leaned against each other, listening to the gentle rain outside.
Not long afterward, Yako noticed that Yuka's body temperature had risen slightly and her cheeks were flushed.
"That's probably not a good idea," Yako said with experience. "The first few months aren't suitable."
"I know… but…"
Her shy expression, her soft embarrassment—it stirred a faint ache in Yako's heart.
After returning to Konoha, Yako remained inside the tavern's underground base.
He opened the right-hand scroll and attempted to contact Yakushi Nono.
Soon, text appeared on the scroll.
Yakushi Nono was currently in the capital of the Land of Grass.
Long-Arm Ape had refused to allow her to return to the village. Instead, she had been ordered to investigate Hatake Sakumo's activities and search for traces of the rogue ninja Sarutobi Kanosuke.
Yako thought wryly.
Could Yakushi Nono possibly find Sarutobi Kanosuke in the Land of Grass?
Sarutobi Kanosuke was inside the village.
Hatake Sakumo now carried the title of advisor—but the village leadership clearly did not trust him.
They had even dispatched their most elite spy to investigate him.
After the New Year, Yako believed he would finally be able to remain quietly in the village for a while.
Instead, on the fifth day of the new year, he was summoned to the Hokage's office.
Inside the office were Yellow Dog and Utatane Koharu.
Before anyone else spoke, Koharu addressed him.
"Fox, there is an urgent mission. You must depart for the Land of Wind immediately."
Yako was surprised.
Utatane Koharu rarely issued orders to ANBU directly.
This was the first time he had dealt with her personally.
Koharu continued,
"Yellow Dog reported that a spy embedded in the Land of Wind has sent intelligence.
"The disciple of the Third Kazekage—Sasori—has attached the Five Ninja Blades of Mitokado Homura to his puppets.
"Those weapons were originally passed down from the Second Hokage to Mitokado Homura.
"They originally came from the First Hokage's weapon vault.
"We cannot allow Homura's Five Ninja Blades to remain outside the village.
"Fox—enter the Land of Wind and retrieve them."
Yako accepted the mission scroll and examined the list of weapons.
The Senju Greatsword.
A chakra metal ninja blade.
A giant Fuma shuriken.
The Black Assassination Blade.
And a nine-section blade.
Most of them were possible.
But the nine-section blade?
Forget it.
That weapon had already been destroyed by Mitokado Homura's Mutual Multiplying Explosive Tags.
"Understood, Advisor Koharu," Yako replied calmly. "I will depart immediately and retrieve Advisor Homura's Five Ninja Blades."
After leaving the office, Yako caught up with Yellow Dog.
"Yellow Dog-sama, I lack a suitable weapon. Once the weapons are recovered, could I choose one?"
Yellow Dog replied,
"Focus on completing the mission first. This is an important assignment, and Advisor Koharu places great importance on it.
"As for the weapons… once they are recovered, I will petition the Hokage and Advisor Koharu to allow one to be assigned to you.
"But be careful.
"Do not use those weapons in front of the Senju clan."
"They can't take them back," he continued, "but it would create unnecessary trouble. The Senju clan might develop resentment."
"I understand," Yako said.
"Much of the First and Second Hokage's legacy was passed to the village rather than to the Senju clan.
"The village is the village.
"The Senju clan is the Senju clan."
Hearing Yellow Dog support him, Yako was very satisfied.
"Yellow Dog-sama, this mission may require infiltrating Sunagakure.
"I think it would be safer if I went alone. Even if I brought White Ram with me, I'm not sure he could escape."
Yellow Dog thought for a moment before replying.
"You know the rules.
"ANBU must operate in squads.
"One reason is mutual support. It increases the success rate of missions.
"The other reason is supervision.
"You are the deputy commander. You must uphold ANBU discipline, not break the rules.
"You may take a squad to the Land of Wind—but they will remain hidden at a distance and provide support."
Yako nodded.
He had never expected complete freedom.
The Hokage needed to know every ANBU operation.
No ANBU agent would be allowed to act completely alone.
He had merely been testing the village's limits.
Allowing a squad to remain far away as support already gave him considerable freedom.
Once he left their line of sight…
Who would know what he did?
After selecting the Leaf Monkey squad from ANBU, Yako departed the village.
He crossed the forests of the Land of Fire.
Leapt across the rivers of the Land of Rivers.
Soon he arrived at the capital of the Land of Rivers.
"Leaf Monkey," he said, "go find the Guardian Captain and gather intelligence about Sasori's activities in the capital."
"Yes, sir!"
After sending the squad away, Yako slipped quietly into the treasury palace.
Inside the grand hall of Chisa's residence, the one-year-old Koji Naito was running wildly across the floor.
The child's physique was incredibly strong.
The Uzumaki clan's bloodline was powerful.
Yako watched silently from the shadows for a while.
Only after Naito grew tired and was guided to bed by a servant did he appear behind Kojii Chisa with a Body Flicker.
Chisa was working through a stack of documents.
On her desk lay the seal of the Land of Rivers' daimyo.
She now exercised the authority of the daimyo.
Suddenly, two strong hands landed on her shoulders and began massaging them.
Chisa jumped in fright.
When she looked up and saw the fox mask, she relaxed.
Leaning back, she rested her head against Fox's abdomen and enjoyed the massage.
"Chisa," Yako asked, "how is the situation in the Land of Rivers now?"
"My brother, the daimyo, was poisoned," she replied quietly.
"Konoha sent medical ninja, but they say the toxin caused irreversible damage to his nervous system.
"And the crown prince was assassinated by a Sand puppet master.
"So now… I am managing the Land of Rivers."
"Irreversible damage?"
Yako believed that if Tsunade were summoned, there might be hope of curing the daimyo.
But why would he bring Tsunade?
His alliance with her was extremely secret.
Senju Yako could summon Tsunade.
But Fox, the ANBU deputy commander, could not.
Besides…
Chisa holding more power was good for both her and their son.
He would never tell her that Tsunade could possibly cure her brother.
What if Chisa herself did not want her brother to wake?
What if she simply could not bring herself to say it aloud?
Such a cruel choice…
He would make it himself.
Playing the villain was something he was already accustomed to.
"Three days ago," Chisa said, "Advisor Sakumo left the capital and went to the Land of Grass.
"When he was here, I felt safe.
"I've heard the name White Fang many times.
"But now that he's gone…
"It feels like danger is everywhere in the capital."
"It's fine," Yako replied.
"I'm heading to the Land of Wind.
"I'll teach those Sand ninja a lesson and make them behave. They won't dare stir trouble in the Land of Rivers again."
Chisa visibly relaxed.
"You see how large and round the moon is tonight…
"I wonder if there's anything even bigger and rounder than the moon…"
The full moon hung like a silver plate.
Later that night, Yako waited outside the capital for the Leaf Monkey squad.
He had hoped to encounter Yakushi Nono here.
Unfortunately, the right-hand scroll reported that she had already moved to the capital of the Land of Grass to continue investigating Hatake Sakumo.
Before long, the Leaf Monkey squad arrived.
"Sir, I met Guardian Captain Sarutobi Hiaki," the squad leader reported.
"He provided information about Sasori and gave me a scroll."
Yako accepted the scroll and glanced through it.
The intelligence was sparse and crude.
Yako himself had at least seen Sasori before.
What surprised him more was something else.
After Mitokado Etsu's death, the position of Guardian Captain for the Land of Rivers had fallen into the hands of the Sarutobi clan.
Now the Sarutobi clan controlled the Guardian Captain positions of the Land of Fire, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Hot Water.
Their appetite was truly ugly.
Yako looked toward the direction of the Land of Fire.
Hatake Sakumo had become the Foreign Affairs Advisor and was responsible for protecting the four vassal nations.
It would not be appropriate to strike again so soon.
But if the Guardian Ninja protecting the Land of Fire's daimyo died…
Then Sakumo's responsibility might not be so severe.
Once he finished retrieving Mitokado Homura's weapons…
He might pay a visit to the Land of Fire's Guardian Ninja.
At the same time, somewhere within the Land of Rain—
When Spiral Zetsu entered the tree hollow, he stared in shock.
Several wooden tubes had grown from the waist of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, connecting directly into Madara's back.
"Madara-sama… what is this?"
Uchiha Madara replied calmly,
"Konoha is developing too well. That will make it harder for Nagato to collect the Nine-Tails in the future.
"I will recover for a while.
"Then I will go to Konoha, kill the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, and release the beast.
"It will make sealing it later much easier."
Spiral Zetsu clapped excitedly.
"Madara-sama! Is the energy from the Demonic Statue flowing into your body like water?
"Does that count as eating?
"And if you don't eat normally… does that mean you never have to poop?"