Walking out of the command tent, whether it was Koharu Utatane, Yellow Dog, or Yagami, everyone felt a collective sense of relief.
The massive victory of Yellow Dog's ambush combined with the collective pressure from the high-level elders had forced Danzo to swallow his pride and accept the terms. After a brief discussion with Koharu, Yellow Dog gathered his brigade.
"From this moment on, Fox will serve as the Acting Captain of this brigade," Yellow Dog announced. "Fox, your final mission on the Land of Whirlpools front is to oversee the receipt of the Hidden Mist's reparations and return the Twin Swords: Hiramekarei to them."
"Understood, Lord Yellow Dog."
Yellow Dog had officially ascended into the ranks of Konoha's high-level leadership. In the village, heads of departments like the Jonin Standby Station, ANBU, Internal Affairs, and the Police Force, along with wartime commanders, constituted the upper echelon. Figures like Sakumo Hatake, while powerful wartime commanders, often found their practical authority lacking during times of peace. Yagami wondered if Sakumo had plans to head a specific department himself.
Currently the Acting Captain, Yagami would officially become a Squad Leader once the ANBU reforms were implemented back at the village. After Yellow Dog departed, Yagami called the two remaining Mid-level Captains, Hippo and Yak, into his tent.
Though they belonged to the same brigade, Yagami hadn't shared many missions with these two and wasn't particularly close to them.
"Hippo, Yak, what I'm about to tell you must not leave this room," Yagami said gravely.
The two leaned in, listening intently. Even Purple Cat, standing to the side, looked on with curiosity, wondering what secret Fox was about to unveil.
"Right now, ANBU consists of six brigades plus Root, totaling over 360 ninja," Yagami began. "Consultant Homura Mitokado has stated that such a scale is too bloated. There is no need to maintain such a massive force during peacetime. Post-war pensions, reconstruction of border outposts—these require immense funding. The high-level decision is to streamline ANBU. The reformed force will not exceed 80 people. In other words, only one out of every four current ANBU members will remain."
Hippo and Yak exchanged uneasy glances. They had survived the most grueling year of the war in ANBU; it would be a bitter pill to swallow if they were "streamlined" just as peace arrived. Many ANBU carried the expectations of their clans, serving the Hokage as a gesture of loyalty. Being cut would make it difficult to face their families.
The scale of the cut was staggering: from 360 down to 80. By revealing this early, Yagami was signaling to the two that he considered them part of his inner circle.
Once they had processed the news, Yagami continued, "In peacetime, our brigade will be reduced to a single squad with four teams beneath it. The specific roster for the cuts will be decided by the Vice Commander, Lord Yellow Dog. However, as the Captain—and the future Squad Leader—I have the right to recommend names. Hippo, Yak, I want a list from you within two days. Recommend four people from each of your respective units to stay in ANBU."
Hippo and Yak nodded repeatedly. Hippo was a ninja from the Akimichi clan, while Yak was a civilian ninja skilled in Earth Style. Both were capable and experienced; out of respect for Yellow Dog's history with them, Yagami intended to keep them as Team Leaders.
After they left, Purple Cat asked, "Captain, can only four people from our unit stay as well?"
"No," Yagami said. "Our unit will retain two teams, led by Ram and Deer. Purple Cat, do you want to stay in ANBU, or would you rather retire to the regular forces as a standard ninja? If you stay, I'll keep you as my assistant, responsible for task registration and report writing for the squad. If you want to return to your clan as a regular ninja, I'll apply for a substantial amount of mission rewards for you."
Purple Cat asked nervously, "What about you, Captain? How do you want me to choose?"
Yagami reached out, wrapping an arm around her slender waist. "Naturally, I want you by my side. As an assistant, you won't be sent on dangerous missions. As a Squad Leader, I will try my best to be fair to everyone else, but you are special. I am willing to use my privilege for you."
Favoritism, after all, was the truest form of affection. Whether for personal feelings or her clan's arrangements, Purple Cat wanted to stay.
"Fine! Then I'll continue being your assistant!"
"The war is almost over, Purple Cat," Yagami whispered. "Tonight, we disarm."
"Disarm? What do you mean?"
"I mean taking off that combat flak jacket."
He swept her up into his arms, carried her behind the side curtain, and set her down on the mats. "Come on. I want to see you disarm yourself."
Half an hour later, Yagami stepped out of the tent refreshed, while Purple Cat was too exhausted to even put her gear back on. Fox was simply too strong; she found herself wishing she were a Taijutsu specialist.
...
Three days later, the Fox Brigade arrived at Port Ryūjin. The docks had been cleared for the exclusive use of the Leaf and the Mist.
A massive ship approached from the sea, with Fuguki Suikazan standing prominently at the bow. He stared at the Leaf ANBU gathered on the shore, his gaze lingering on the copper-masked Fox in the center. He was mentally calculating his odds if he and the Fox were to fight to the death. According to intelligence, Copper Fox not only possessed an absolute defense technique but was also highly proficient in Water Style. After running the numbers, Fuguki realized he likely couldn't kill him.
Stepping onto the dock, Fuguki spoke: "We are here to fulfill the ceasefire agreement. Twenty-one Leaf prisoners are being handed over. 240 million Ryo for the Leaf. 200 million Ryo for the Land of Whirlpools. Let's count it, Fox. I don't want to waste time here."
Yagami waved a hand, signaling Purple Cat and her team to begin a meticulous tally. The twenty-one Leaf prisoners were in relatively good condition. In return, Purple Cat led out fifteen Mist prisoners. Fuguki didn't even bother checking them; he cast a look of disdain at the captives and signaled his subordinates to herd them onto the ship.
The reparations came in cases, each containing 5 million Ryo. Purple Cat's team opened every single one, verifying the contents.
Yagami picked up a stack of bills, looking at the portrait of the Land of Water's Daimyo. Currency in the Shinobi world was issued by the five great nations, and miraculously, there was no exchange rate between them. Every year, the Ministers of Finance from the five nations met to agree on the total amount of currency to be issued. These meetings were battlefields of words where no one yielded an inch.
The powerful Land of Lightning and Land of Fire issued more currency, while the weaker Land of Water and Land of Wind issued less. Under the pressure of the hidden villages, the Daimyos maintained a cooperative alliance that seemed loose but was actually mutually protective. Each country printed its own bills based on the agreed quotas; the denominations were the same, with the only difference being the portrait of the respective Daimyo. Under the weight of the ninja world, the sovereigns avoided meaningless economic friction. If there was a conflict, they let the ninja fight it out and accepted whatever result came of it.
Once the hand-over was complete, Yagami unslung the Twin Swords: Hiramekarei from his back. He was about to unwrap the sealing bandages when Fuguki stopped him.
"Don't touch them! Just give me the swords exactly as they are, sealed!"
"So afraid the Hozuki clan will use a summoning jutsu to snatch them back?" Yagami teased. "In a single war, you've managed to take both Samehada and Hiramekarei from the Hozuki. Even as an outsider, I think you're being a bit excessive."
"That's none of your concern," Fuguki retorted. "It's certainly no more excessive than your village wiping out the Uzumaki and Senju clans."
"Slander," Yagami replied coolly. "You really do just say whatever comes to mind."
***
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