Danzo waited for the fox's answer.
Yako's heart was pounding. One wrong word, and Danzo would silence him here and now.
He steadied his thoughts, then spoke:
"Lord Danzo! We must make a great show of spreading the news that Uchiha Madara is still alive.
Once word spreads, the village will be forced to gather a massive force to hunt him down.
Madara alive… that's Konoha's worst nightmare.
Kato Dan's location wasn't far from Madara. He had Senju escorts at his side—so it's safe to assume the Senju clan already know roughly where Dan was last seen.
If we throw Dan's corpse into the trees born from Madara's Wood Release, and make it look like Madara killed him… isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"
Danzo's eyelids lifted, faintly intrigued. "And how, exactly, is that two birds?"
Yako sensed his plan had caught Danzo's interest. He quickly pressed on:
"First, it explains Dan's death.
If Kato Dan is dead, Tsunade will stop at nothing to investigate. But if his death is pinned on Madara, then even Tsunade will have no recourse. After all, her own grandfather fell into premature death after clashing with Madara at the Valley of the End.
Second, it shifts the calamity.
The Senju will inevitably turn their wrath on the Uchiha.
When the Senju and Uchiha descend into infighting, neither side will have the time or clarity to pursue the truth."
Yako was certain—Danzo had no fear of Tsunade's investigation. What he was interested in was the prospect of Senju–Uchiha bloodshed.
Back when Senju Rinju led the clan, Danzo had already dismissed them as unworthy. Now, with only Senju Hanaki and a dwindling crowd of old men, women, and children left, Danzo hadn't struck further only out of optics—out of concern for how the other Konoha clans might react.
And as expected, when Danzo heard the word infighting, his expression lit with dangerous enthusiasm.
No one in the village understood infighting better than Danzo.
Danzo was the king of Konoha's internecine battles.
B, standing nearby, asked sharply, "What if Madara refuses to acknowledge killing Dan?"
Yako explained, "From what I've heard of Madara's legend, he's killed too many to keep count. A man like him won't remember someone two generations younger than him."
Danzo nodded. That much, at least, was true.
Seeing the atmosphere shift in his favor, Yako revealed his final gambit:
"Lord Danzo! I'm willing to risk it now—let me set the scene at the Wood Release battlefield, to make it appear as though Kato Dan fell to Uchiha Madara!
The timing must match. His true time of death and the staged one cannot be too far apart, or suspicions will arise."
He needed to escape Danzo. The man was too dangerous to remain near. If Yako could only break free, he'd have space to maneuver.
Danzo frowned slightly, lowering his gaze to Dan's corpse. At last, he said:
"Good. Fox, your mind is sharp. You're a born Anbu."
Born Anbu… To Yako, it sounded more like an insult.
Danzo continued, "B, go with the fox. Make sure he completes the plan. I'll wait here."
As Yako had predicted, Danzo would never risk himself. Not tonight. Not after the scare he'd had.
Sending B was nothing but distrust—an insurance policy in case Yako tried anything.
Yako hefted the bodies of Kato Dan and his two escorts, collecting Dan's severed hand, and headed off.
B followed a hundred meters back, eyes locked on him.
As they drew close to Madara's hidden cave again, even B felt the chill of fear.
Yako had no choice but to gamble.
He was betting Madara, once discovered, would already be gone.
In the original story, once Madara had taken Hashirama's power, he'd lost all interest in the ninja world, consumed only by the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Now that Danzo had stumbled upon him, Madara might very well relocate, sinking back into shadow.
His true goal was resurrection, and only then the Eye of the Moon. Without Hashirama, the world held no flavor for him.
But if Madara was still there… Yako's eyes flicked. He would have to awaken his Sharingan and ask Madara directly—'When you were young, did you leave any heirs behind? Father... I'm your lost son.'
The rain pounded down. The distant treeline blurred into mist.
Soon, Yako reached the battlefield left by Wood Release.
Huge trunks twisted and tangled, forming a suffocating forest.
He raised his eyes to the dark cavern looming above.
Weaving seals, he created a Shadow Clone.
The clone leapt across the thick branches born of Madara's jutsu, bounding toward the cave mouth.
At the entrance, a cold wind blew outward from the blackness.
Yako's Sharingan itched, ready to flare open as he watched the clone vanish inside.
Far behind, B's gaze never left the cave.
He had left parasitic insects on the fox. If Yako tried anything, he'd snuff him out instantly.
Seconds stretched. Then—twenty or so later—the Shadow Clone reappeared.
Yako's tense body eased. He lowered the corpses, then flickered to the cave entrance.
The clone burst apart, memories flooding into him. Still, Yako was not reassured. He stepped inside himself.
The cavern and its depths had been hollowed out. The space rose vast and high, yet empty—save for a lone chair.
A place fit to house the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
But Madara was gone. Nagato and his family, gone as well.
Yako exhaled relief. Madara had, as expected, melted into shadow once more.
Returning to the Wood Release battlefield, he found the bodies of three Konoha shinobi, as well as a dead Root operative of the Yamanaka clan.
All were crushed beyond recognition by the great trees.
Carefully, Yako arranged Kato Dan and his Senju escorts' corpses the same way.
He raised a trunk, slid the bodies in, then crushed their skulls to ensure no intelligence could be gleaned.
Only the lower half of Dan's face was left visible through the branches—just enough to prove his identity.
From afar, B's tension loosened. Watching the fox work, he thought: Danzo-sama was right. This one was born for Anbu. Merciless, meticulous.
Once finished, Yako approached him.
"I request to join the investigation squad. When they arrive, I can guide their attention to Dan's body and details, ensuring no mistakes are found."
But B shook his head. "Tell me the details. I can guide them."
Yako froze. If I hand over the details, won't you kill me once you've extracted all you need?
"Fine. Let's go over it by Dan's corpse."
By the body, Yako deliberately complicated matters: "See here—the head… here, the chest…"
He gave a thorough description, then added:
"I also considered rain damage. By the time the investigators arrive, at least ten days will have passed. Rain could leave four or five possible states on the arm…
So I request to remain here a few days, to observe the effects. That way we avoid wild beasts or Rain-nin disturbing the scene."
B frowned. The fox had accounted for too many contingencies, complicating things further.
At last, he decided to consult Danzo directly—whether to kill the fox or not was not his call.
"You'll come back to Danzo-sama with me. He'll decide if guarding the scene is necessary."
Yako followed him back. Danzo still stood in the rain, one eye gleaming pale white, the other clouded like a corpse's.
B reported in a low voice.
After considering, Danzo said:
"The fox is useful. His foresight is thorough. Let him guide the investigators.
From Uzushio Village to now, he has completed every major Anbu mission this year without failure.
He showed no hesitation crushing the Senju corpses—no thought of defecting or betraying us.
As he suggests, you and he will guard this site. Ensure no Rain-nin passersby disturb it.
I'll return to the village and bring the investigators quickly.
The Third Hokage himself will come. Madara's survival threatens the village more than even the Second Great Ninja War."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
As Danzo left alone, Yako finally allowed himself a long, trembling breath.
He'd managed to bluff his way through.