Yako stood atop the Hokage Rock.
Through the telescope, the Senju compound appeared peaceful and orderly.
Yako carefully memorized the layout of the Senju estate.
This sprawling compound was divided into left, central, and right wings.
The central path contained a seven-section courtyard.
The front four courtyards housed the Senju clan's public buildings: ancestral hall, meeting halls, archives, and other administrative areas.
These locations were occasionally open to outsiders, so it was easy for Yako to gather intel on their layout.
In the rear three courtyards, it was unclear which residence belonged to Clan Head Senju Rinju and which to Uzumaki Mito.
On the 14th, who knows where Senju Rinju would be. If he was outside, then Yako could try to ambush him. If he was inside the compound, he needed to first figure out which house was his.
The left and right wings of the compound were also structured as seven-section courtyards, but the buildings were more densely packed, and grand halls were fewer.
On both the eastern and western sides of these seven-section courtyards stood rows of buildings each over 200 meters long.
Thousands of Senju clan members lived within this massive compound.
Beyond the courtyards lay vast training grounds, about one-third the size of the main compound.
Yako let out a silent sigh. 'Am I really going to break through the entire Senju clan?'
Soon, he discovered something new. Patrol squads of three operated within the Senju estate.
In the alleys between courtyards, many patrol shinobi could be seen.
Moreover, some of these shinobi would vanish beneath specific pavilions—secret sentry posts hidden across the compound.
There were still more than twenty days left to investigate. Surely an opportunity would present itself.
Coming down from the Hokage Rock, Yako was startled to see a group of people walking out of the Hokage building.
It was Senju Rinju and his guards.
Then again, Yako quickly composed himself. He hadn't even tried to assassinate Senju Rinju yet—what was there to be afraid of?
Yako was now a full-fledged, loyal member of the ANBU.
He glanced over at Senju Rinju. Six guards flanked him, each with a steely expression—clearly the Senju clan's elite.
Back at Tsurugetsu Tavern, Yako ordered three bottles of sake and drank alone in silence.
Kyoi noticed Yako seemed upset and began teasing him under the table, trying to lift his mood.
"Not now, Kyoi. Later tonight, okay? The place is full of customers."
Kyoi rolled her eyes at him and swayed away, her hips round and perky, bouncing as she left.
A middle-aged man on crutches entered the tavern.
He had a square face and thick neck muscles. Though he had lost a leg, it was clear he must've been a formidable ninja in his youth.
What really caught Yako's eye, however, was the clan emblem on his clothes—the Forest-style Senju crest.
Yako recognized him. A regular at the tavern, the retired shinobi Senju Kaba.
Senju Kaba spotted his friend Yachi at the bar waving at him, and hobbled over with his crutch.
Yako downed two bottles of sake in quick succession and headed to the counter as well.
"Kyoi! Don't be mad, okay? I was wrong."
Seeing the little couple bicker and flirt, Senju Kaba and Yachi both chuckled.
Senju Kaba said, "Kid, take it from me—hold on tight to this girl. You've got a bright future ahead."
Yachi added, "What could be better than marrying a Senju woman, huh?"
Senju Kaba retorted, "Still whining about not marrying my sister back in the day?"
"Yeah. If only she hadn't died fourteen years ago. I would've married her for sure."
A look of deep longing crossed Kaba's face. His sister had died young, during the First Great Ninja War.
Yachi continued, "Shame your younger sister also died twelve years ago. But hey, she wasn't bad either. You know me—I'm not picky."
"You bastard!"
Kaba swung his severed leg stump and kicked Yachi off his high stool.
Yachi wasn't offended. He got up laughing. "You've still got strength, huh? Good thing your leg's gone or I'd be in real trouble."
The two middle-aged men bickered loudly.
Fearing Kaba might try to prove his strength again, Yachi quickly changed the topic. "So why did you call me here anyway? I don't have time to shoot the breeze with an old has-been like you."
Kaba's face suddenly turned serious.
"You're my son Senju Haku's squad leader and teacher. I want you to check on him for me.
Haku just returned from a mission in the Land of Grass. Since last night, he's locked himself in his room and hasn't come out.
No matter what I ask, he won't speak. I can tell something's wrong."
Yachi said, "I know your son well. He's got a strong will. There's no way he'd shut himself in over one mission."
Kaba sighed.
"His record is impressive. He's completed several A-rank missions already. I even requested the clan to promote him to Tokubetsu Jōnin and wanted him to become a personal guard to the clan head.
But now, his mental state is off. I'm worried he's developing a psychological disorder."
"Impossible," Yachi said firmly.
"I took Haku on his first mission outside the village. He killed two Sand shinobi on that one.
He's never shown any emotional issues from killing. He's a solid shinobi.
At nineteen, he's already at Tokubetsu Jōnin level. He'll definitely make Jōnin before he's twenty-five.
He's not the type to crack. Only weaklings get broken by fear."
"Just talk to him," Kaba snapped.
"Alright, alright. I'll talk to him. I'll invite him here tomorrow. But tonight, you're treating. As a rich Senju, you owe me drinks. I'm going all out."
While flirting with Kyoi, Yako listened carefully to the entire conversation.
What intrigued him most was that this one-legged Senju Kaba wanted his son to become the clan head's personal guard.
The next day, Yako waited at the tavern early.
Yachi soon arrived and took a seat at the bar, sipping his drink.
By late night, a tall young man entered.
His face was covered in unkempt stubble, and his eyelids drooped from heavy insomnia. The dark circles under his eyes were striking.
"Haku, come here!"
Senju Haku looked up and saw his teacher, Yachi, then slowly walked over.
Yachi tried to encourage him, but Haku just stared silently at the sake cup before him.
"Haku, pull yourself together. Your mother came from the Uzushio Village and died for Konoha.
Don't fall apart for your father's sake either. Whatever you're thinking, tell me—I'll help."
Suddenly, Haku looked up, eyes twisted with anguish, before shifting to confusion.
He tilted his head and whispered something in Yachi's ear.
Yako saw Yachi's pupils constrict sharply, a look of utter disbelief on his face.
"No! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" After the initial shock, the teacher asked, "Did you tell your father?"
"No… I didn't dare."
"Good. Don't. This isn't something you can handle. I'll find out the truth and let your father know.
Go home. Don't fall apart. Don't act strange."
"Alright. I understand."
The two left together.
Yako reviewed every detail in his memory.
Senju Haku only changed his demeanor after hearing that his mother had married into Konoha from Uzushio Village.
'The truth will come out eventually. No matter how secretive Danzo is, he's bound to slip up.'
Yako suspected that Haku might have encountered survivors of the Uzumaki clan in the Land of Grass.
He kept thinking about how to use this intel… to create a chance to get close to Senju Rinju.