Inside a damp cave in the Land of Rain, Kato Dan's face was deathly pale.
Ever since he mastered the forbidden Spirit Transformation Technique, he had never once failed.
His direct combat ability couldn't match someone like Jiraiya, yet on the battlefield, his presence alone was more terrifying than three Jiraiyas combined.
And yet, he had suffered a setback against an ANBU wearing a fox mask.
When he tried to seize control of that unit captain he discovered that the man had already been overtaken by the Yamanaka clan's secret art.
He had never encountered such a clash before—two souls colliding within the same vessel—and he lost.
The lesson was carved deep: he would have to be far more cautious when dealing with the Yamanaka clan in the future.
Physical wounds could be healed with medicine. But injuries of the soul… only time could mend those.
Dan turned to the two Senju bodyguards at his side."Give me another half hour. Then I'll use Spirit Transformation to scout the route back. If there's no danger, we'll return to the main camp."
Dan was an elite jōnin of the Senju, one of their key figures."Dan," one of the guards said, "don't push yourself too hard. Don't leave behind hidden injuries."
Dan nodded, signaling he knew his limits.
He lay back in the cave, listening to the steady drizzle at the mouth of the cavern.
Clan Head Senju Hanaki had tasked him with uncovering the truth behind the Nine Tails' transfer of seals. Dan had interrogated many ANBU, but their structure was too rigid: foot soldiers knew nothing beyond their captain's orders, and even captains rarely grasped the full command chain.
Everyone he investigated, he silenced—killed—lest word of his probing reach higher ears.
But after the escape of the Fox Unit, his anxiety grew. What if they reported back to Anbu headquarters?
He had gained nothing from the unit captains he had captured. No leads, no real answers.
Would he have to set his sights on an ANBU division commander?
Dan frowned, weighing the possibilities.
Yellow Dog, the veteran ANBU commander, right hand of the Hokage himself. He had once saved Dan's life at the Battle of Mount Ushiga. A master of taijutsu and ninjutsu alike, with unbreakable resolve.
Or Black Ant, the Nara clan's commander—ANBU's strategist, second only in authority to the Hokage and Danzo.
Which one could he strike at?
Who truly knew why, on the night of the Nine Tails' transfer, a Susanoo clad in armor had suddenly appeared?
The rainfall outside thickened, heavy sheets pounding against the earth.
Dan scoffed at the miserable weather. Why did the people of this land choose to starve in endless storms rather than move elsewhere?
"Parasitic Insects!"
One of his Senju guards suddenly shouted. Bugs had crawled into the cave, hidden by the downpour.
The three men rushed to the entrance. Two ANBU closed in—one with a beetle-painted mask, the other with the fox mask.
The fox mask?!
Dan froze. Wasn't that the same captain he had fought before?
Had he already been exposed?
"ANBU are here to kill me! Stop them!" Dan barked.
The Senju guards hesitated only a heartbeat before moving to shield him.
One lunged forward to block the intruders. The other stayed at Dan's side, ready to repel a sneak attack.
"Water Release: Severing Wave!"
A high-pressure stream of water spewed from the Senju's mouth, slicing through the air in a deadly arc.
Both ANBU were cut cleanly in half, the wave shearing even the trees behind them.
The technique was devastating—yet the Senju's expression darkened.
"No… not good!"
The beetle-masked ANBU burst apart into a swarm of writhing insects—a Substitution with Insects.
The fox-masked ANBU dissolved into mud—a perfect Earth Substitution Technique.
So precise, so refined. Truly ANBU elites.
"Careful!"
The sound of explosive tags igniting rang out inside the cave.
One guard shoved Dan aside and took the blast head-on, shielding him from the flames.
From beneath the earth, Yako emerged, cursing under his breath. Even in a perfect ambush, these Senju guards were strong enough to foil him.
When the smoke cleared, the Senju had already dragged Dan and fled north, the other Anbu, codenamed B, in pursuit.
Yako sprinted after them. Danzo was lurking nearby—if Yako slacked off now, he'd pay dearly for it.
After several minutes, one Senju guard halted. Their pace couldn't keep ahead of pursuit."Go! Don't worry about me!"
He leapt skyward to intercept B, only to be intercepted midair by the fox-masked ANBU.
So fast! A flawless Body Flicker Technique.
Steel rang out as Yako's blade clashed with the guard's kunai.
B kept on chasing. Yako tangled the guard in close combat.
The Senju fought fiercely, but unease crept in. This fox ANBU was like his mirror image—same Earth and Water Release mastery, same brute strength. Even with an edge, he couldn't break through.
And the ANBU fought defensively, raising Water Release: Water Formation Wall to block rather than strike, as though simply stalling for time.
The realization hit him like a thunderclap.'They're dragging this out… because there are more enemies hidden in the shadows!'
Meanwhile, the beetle-masked ANBU battled the other Senju guard in brutal exchanges, sacrificing defense for a chance to push closer to Dan.
Dan himself had already seated himself cross-legged, preparing to unleash the forbidden Spirit Transformation.
"No!" the guard roared.
If Dan cast the jutsu, his body would be defenseless.
And then—someone appeared at his back.
Danzo. Kunai in hand, blade edged with a razor-thin Vacuum Blade of Wind Release chakra.
The rain itself split before the strike.
Danzo's eyes locked on Dan's neck. One slash, and the problem would be solved.
But just before the blade touched flesh—barely three centimeters from his ear—Dan's spirit slipped free.
So fast. So precise. Truly the man praised as unmatched in this forbidden art.
Danzo's face shifted, his entire aura changing.
Dan spoke first."Lord Danzo. So it's you. Since you've found me, there's no point in pretending anymore. I've been investigating… On the night of the Nine Tails' transfer, whose Sharingan manifested that Armored Susanoo, leading to Lady Mito's premature death?"
Danzo's eyelids twitched, his body trembling.
"Then tell me this—why did you suddenly start wearing an eyepatch?"
His left hand lifted the cloth. Beneath it, a new Mangekyō Sharingan glowed crimson in the storm.
"It really was you!"
Danzo's right hand jerked upward, and the Vacuum Blade plunged—straight into his own throat.
The blade, sharp enough to carve through stone and armor, sliced his flesh like paper.
Blood erupted in a crimson spray, drowning even the roar of the rain.
His body toppled face-first into the puddles, lifeless.
Danzo had died—again?
Twice in one night?
Even Yako, with his resurrection system, wouldn't dare die so many times so recklessly.
Blood spread in ripples through the water.
"Lord Danzo!" B shouted, his voice raw.
But Yako didn't rejoice. He stared at the fallen body with grim intensity.
Could it be…