Yōkō summoned the Spear Egret. The Spear Egret identified its bearings in the air slightly and located its clan.
The Spear Egret led the way ahead, and Yōkō quickly followed behind.
The Uzumaki clan's hideout wasn't far from the Stone Panda clan's bamboo forest. Half an hour later, Yōkō reached the outskirts of the Uzumaki hideout.
In a patch of forest resided the remnants of the Uzumaki clan.
They were self-sufficient, had no contact with the outside world, and avoided attracting the attention of other forces.
Konoha's Anbu was terrifying, but other shinobi villages were equally fearsome.
Living Uzumaki clansmen were precious experimental materials; no shinobi village could resist them.
When a Spear Egret returned, Uzumaki Yuka was a bit puzzled, wondering when this particular egret had flown out.
The Spear Egret seemed to want to lead her somewhere, so Uzumaki Yuka followed it.
Leaving the hideout and seeing the tall figure standing in the distance, Uzumaki Yuka's heart trembled. She ran over excitedly and threw herself into Yōkō's arms.
"Fox! You're here!"
"Yes, I'm here."
Fox's identity was special, and it wasn't convenient for him to show his face in front of too many people. To protect Fox, many Uzumaki clansmen didn't know of his existence.
If they were captured and information about Fox was extracted from their corpses, Fox would be in mortal danger.
Uzumaki Yuka said, "Come with me. I prepared a place for us long ago, I've been waiting for you."
Uzumaki Yuka led Yōkō through the heavy rain to a large tree. Behind some bushes was a tree hollow.
Entering the tree hollow, Yōkō found it was cleaned very neatly, with a wooden bed inside, insulated from the dampness.
Yōkō still wanted to discuss serious matters with Yuka, taking things step by step. However, sometimes women were more impatient than men.
That entire afternoon, Yōkō used everything he had ever learned on Yuka. Copper Light's localized hardening, Hydrification Healing Technique to relieve fatigue...
Uzumaki Yuka's strength had grown rapidly and she could still match Yōkō blow for blow.
Yōkō persevered and persisted relentlessly. Yuka didn't give in easily, but in the end, Yōkō was slightly superior and was the first to witness Yuka's complete disarray.
Satisfied, Yuka lay on Yōkō's chest, drawing circles on it with her finger.
Yōkō thought to himself that he and Yuka were lucky. If Hakuji back in Konoha sensed danger and used the Reverse Summoning on him, causing him to leave things unfinished, that would have been truly unbearable.
"Yuka, how is the recovery of the two Guardian Ninja we rescued going?"
"They were controlled for a long time and their constitutions are weak. They are recovering gradually. I think in another three months, both of them should regain their jōnin-level strength." Uzumaki Yuka asked worriedly:
"Will rescuing them affect you?"
If it were discovered that Fox secretly acted against Danzō and Root, there would be big trouble.
Yōkō said, "I'm now the Acting Anbu Battalion Commander. If Root finds the culprit, I might even have to join the hunt for the perpetrator."
"Fox, you've been promoted to Battalion Commander in Konoha's Anbu?"
Yuka's admiration knew no bounds.
Fox went from being an ordinary Anbu mole to now being promoted to Battalion Commander within the Anbu?
Truly worthy of the Senju clan, their arrangements within the Anbu were so successful.
"Konoha's Anbu is reforming. It will be called Division Captain later; the Anbu will only have four divisions."
"Your undercover work is too successful. If you keep going, will you become the Anbu Head?"
Yōkō smiled and said, "If I become the Anbu Head, I'll use some underhanded methods to arrange a meeting between you and Princess Kushina."
Uzumaki Yuka's eyes suddenly lit up. This was what she longed for most. She immediately said:
"Fox, you must be extremely careful yourself. Don't take risks.
We have grown accustomed to our current life.
Being undercover in the Anbu must be very, very dangerous. I don't want you to endanger yourself for our sake.
Konoha's higher-ups are very capable; they are difficult to deal with."
Yōkō stroked Yuka's smooth shoulder and said:
"Only after I become the Anbu Head will I have the ability to expose the truth about the Uzumaki clan.
Before that moment arrives, I will accumulate strength and secretly investigate to gather evidence.
Just like finding the Root experimental base in the Land of Whirlpools, I will try to save as many Uzumaki clanspeople as possible."
Yōkō suddenly thought that after returning to the village, he should visit Yakushi Nonō's orphanage to see if he could make contact with her.
She must possess secret intelligence on Root.
"Yuka, are there any dangers around your hideout? Do you need my help?"
Yuka shook her head and said, "Not for now.
Amegakure suffered huge losses in the war and has no time to manage these extremely remote areas.
Iwagakure is very dissatisfied with Hanzo's compromise towards Konoha. There's constant friction on the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth.
Hanzo has his hands full; we are safe.
Outside our hideout, there are many summoning beast clans. These summoning beasts can help us with early warnings and fighting."
Their powerful sealing techniques had brought the Uzumaki clan many summoning beasts with unique abilities.
It was a pity; they were only missing a Tailed Beast to possess Kage-level combat power.
Uzumaki Kushina's Nine-Tails didn't count; that was Konoha's exclusive property, not to be touched.
Yōkō said, "Yuka, you should keep a Stone Panda by your side regularly, to make it convenient to Reverse Summon me here.
I'm about to become an Anbu Division Captain. My movements won't be as passive as before; I'll have greater autonomy."
"Alright, then I'll have Hakuyū come over."
Yōkō tried to solve problems for the Stone Panda clan and became their companion.
The Uzumaki clan mostly directly commanded their summoning beasts. They had too many summoning beasts; it was impossible to treat every one as a friend.
The Contract Seal had a very strong binding force on summoning beasts.
Yōkō said, "Yuka, I've been practicing the Self-Cursing Body Binding Seal frequently and have grasped some tricks. I can use the Self-Cursing Body Binding Seal with just one hand seal.
Follow my fingers, and I'll show you the chakra flow path."
Uzumaki Yuka was very surprised. Fox was truly an elite spy of the Senju clan, having actually improved the Self-Cursing Body Binding Seal.
It was based on this sealing secret technique that she initially deduced Fox was a Senju spy planted in the Anbu.
Following Yōkō's guidance, Yuka's fingers traced the chakra flow and quickly memorized Yōkō's chakra circulation method.
She tried it herself but failed the first time.
Yōkō reached out his fingers, moving them over Yuka's body, guiding the flow of her chakra.
After two or three times, Yuka memorized the chakra flow path; what she lacked now was practice.
Yōkō's fingers continued to wander, moving lower and lower.
"Ah? Does chakra flow there too? What technique are you guiding?" A moment later, Yuka blushed.
After the second session, from persistent effort to inability to persist, Yōkō dressed, formed the hand seal for the Summoning Technique, and signaled Hakuji.
Hakuji, hiding in the dense woods above the Hokage Rock in Konoha, used the Reverse Summoning Technique to bring Yōkō back to Konoha.
Yōkō said to Hakuji, "Let me organize things. In a couple of days, I'll give you a few Earth Release jutsu to see if you can learn them."
"Okay, thank you."
After Hakuji disappeared, Yōkō looked down at the scroll in his hand.
This scroll contained sealing technique notes given to him by Uzumaki Yuka.
Uzumaki Yuka had gifted Yōkō her research on sealing techniques.
Yōkō planned to go back and study it carefully to increase his knowledge of sealing techniques.
He took a few steps and felt some soreness in his lower abdomen and lower back.
My strength is still too weak; I was actually drained dry by Yuka.
What excuse should I use to put off Kyōi tonight?
Or should I go to the Akimichi clan's secret medicine shop to get some of that Blue Secret Medicine and go all out with Kyōi tonight?
It wouldn't do to be 'incapable' the second day after returning.
A real man can't admit he's incapable!
No time like the present. Yōkō headed for the Akimichi clan's secret medicine shop.
Is this the trouble of peace? No wonder so many people like peace.
***
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(Chapter End)