All the subordinates waited outside the cave. Yoru lay beside the campfire, silently feeling the changes in his body.
His platelets were working actively; the bleeding had stopped quickly.
The wound tingled and itched — new tissue was slowly growing.
Thanks to the combined vitality of the Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines, Yoru's body had an incredible tolerance for damage.
Three days later, his condition had stabilized and was improving. He began meeting with each member of the Anbu unit one by one.
First were the three remaining members of Captain Leaf Monkey's squad.
All three gave the same report — their captain had acted perfectly normal before. None of them knew when or how he'd fallen under control.
After learning nothing useful, Yoru appointed Flower Deer as the new squad leader.
The mask of "Leaf Monkey" had become too ominous — whoever wore it seemed to die, and it had almost cost Yoru his life too.
A shame about Leaf Monkey… killed by his own hand.
Maybe a new leader would change their luck.
Next, Yoru met with White Ram.
White Ram said that he had kept his Byakugan active the entire time, but hadn't detected anything unusual. There had been no hidden enemies within three kilometers.
The enemy's methods were so refined that even the Byakugan couldn't see through them.
Finally came Purple Cat.
Purple Cat said:
"Captain, at the last moment, I tried to use the Mind Body Switch Technique on Leaf Monkey, to stop him from attacking you.
But my jutsu failed!
There were two souls inside Leaf Monkey's body! I've never seen anything like it!"
Yoru's eyes narrowed — understanding dawning instantly.
He had once suspected that Leaf Monkey had been caught in Uchiha Madara's genjutsu, since three Konoha shinobi had fallen under illusion right in front of him.
But now it was clear — this wasn't illusion at all.
The Anbu's recent infighting, and Leaf Monkey's attack on him, weren't the result of genjutsu — it was a forbidden soul technique.
And finally, he had proof.
As far as Yoru knew, only Kato Dan possessed such an ability.
Kato Dan — the once-promising vassal of the Senju clan — it seemed he really had turned against the village.
Thinking about it more, Yoru couldn't even fully blame Kato Dan or the Senju for their extremism… the village itself had become far more ruthless and uncompromising long before they had.
Five days later, Yoru finally stepped out of the cave.
The wound on his shoulder had completely healed — his combat ability was fully restored.
His enemies were far too dangerous — whether it was Uchiha Madara or Kato Dan, he couldn't afford to move without being at full strength.
Outside, the rain continued to fall relentlessly.
Yoru said,
"We're heading back to the main frontline camp — but we'll take a detour. We'll pass through the Land of Fire first, then circle back.
What we encountered here is far too complex for a single Anbu platoon to resolve.
Our mission was only reconnaissance — there's no need to force a result. This isn't retreating, it's reporting."
About twenty kilometers away, inside another cave, Kato Dan spoke to his two guards:
"Today I'll use the forbidden jutsu again — to search for information on Hanzō. Please, protect me while I'm under."
The two guards took their posts at the cave entrance while Kato Dan leaned against the wall.
He knew that in the Fox Anbu Squad, there was a Hyūga operative — one who had also participated in the Nine-Tails Transfer and Sealing.
That Hyūga must have seen valuable information.
If Kato Dan could extract intelligence from that Hyūga, he might uncover the truth behind the Senju Clan's downfall.
He formed the seals and activated the Spirit Transformation Technique.
His soul left his body, passing through the rocky ceiling and into the open air above.
Around him, all living souls glimmered like candle flames in the darkness.
The Fox Squad, led by White Ram, was moving south — looping through the Land of Rain toward the Land of Fire.
After Leaf Monkey's sudden attack last time, everyone now kept distance between each other, giving themselves room to react if anyone turned hostile.
Yoru took the rear position, eyes scanning each of his subordinates ahead.
The march was silent — until Antelope suddenly reached into his ninja pouch.
"Antelope! Don't move! Take your hand out!" Yoru shouted.
But the next instant, five explosive tags were already in Antelope's hand.
"Scatter!"
The tags flew in five directions — explosions erupted one after another.
Amid the thunderous blasts, Yoru saw Purple Cat hurled against a nearby tree, while Black Ox fell from the air, coughing up blood.
Purple Cat's team was in shambles.
Yoru rushed forward, catching the falling Black Ox.
The man's chest was charred, the skin blackened and blistered with burned flesh.
Just as Yoru was about to set him down, Black Ox suddenly swung a kunai — stabbing toward Yoru's ribs.
From above, Antelope cried out in horror:
"It wasn't me! I was just… suddenly taken over!"
Kato Dan's spirit had already moved — from Antelope into Black Ox's body!
The kunai pierced only a lump of mud.
Kato Dan's spirit froze. A substitution?
Black Ox missed and stabbed downward again — into the soil where Yoru had vanished.
But Yoru didn't counterattack immediately.
Seeing no result, Black Ox turned toward the staggering Purple Cat.
Purple Cat was barely standing after the blast, dazed and weak.
Black Ox charged her, his movements completely different — his fighting style no longer his own.
The kunai halted just three centimeters from the center of Purple Cat's mask.
Yoru emerged from underground, stabbing his own kunai into Black Ox's arm.
He didn't want to kill him.
But Black Ox dropped the weapon, then grabbed it with his other hand and lunged again at Purple Cat.
Yoru kicked him away.
Already gravely injured, Black Ox hit the muddy ground hard, writhing in pain.
Antelope dropped down from the tree.
"I'm sorry, Captain! I swear I didn't know I was being controlled!"
His voice trembled with guilt — but his sword was already flashing straight toward Yoru's throat.
Yoru felt his scalp tingle. It wasn't that Antelope or Black Ox were especially strong — it was the realization that anyone nearby could suddenly become an enemy.
Danger was everywhere.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
A torrent of water surged up, blasting Antelope away.
He slammed into a thick branch, dizzy and disoriented, then fell heavily to the ground.
Struggling to lift his head, he murmured, "Captain… I didn't mean to…"
Yoru turned toward Purple Cat — the only one who could sense whether someone's soul had been taken over.
Purple Cat slowly raised her head.
"Captain, I'll use my secret technique right now…"
She began to form hand seals.
Yoru thought, Even if Kato Dan took control of her, there's no way he'd know the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques, right?
The next instant, a hidden senbon needle shot from Purple Cat's wrist — aimed straight at Yoru.
Snap!
Yoru caught her wrist, lifted her off the ground, and drove a punch into her stomach, knocking her out cold.
As the rain poured down, Yoru looked at her limp body, heat and frustration boiling inside him.
So this is the pressure Kato Dan brings to his enemies?
When no one around you can be trusted… when teamwork becomes meaningless…
It was no wonder Tsunade — that golden child of destiny — had supported him when he said he wanted to become Hokage.
Against someone like Kato Dan, an ordinary squad of shinobi had no chance.
Even Purple Cat couldn't be relied on — so how could Yoru face an elite jōnin who had mastered forbidden soul techniques?