Yagami summoned the Great heron, Shirasagi. The long-beaked bird took to the sky, orienting itself before locating its kin. With Shirasagi leading the way, Yagami followed swiftly from the ground.
The Uzumaki clan's hideout was not far from the Stone Panda's bamboo grove. Half an hour later, Yagami arrived at its outskirts. Hidden within a dense forest lived the remnants of the Uzumaki clan. They were entirely self-sufficient, avoiding all contact with the outside world to prevent being targeted by other forces.
The Leaf's ANBU was terrifying, but other hidden villages were equally dangerous. A living Uzumaki was a priceless experimental specimen; no village could resist such a prize.
When a Great heron returned alone, Yuka Uzumaki felt a flicker of confusion—when had this bird even left? Seeing it gesture for her to follow, she trailed after it. Upon leaving the hideout and seeing the tall, familiar figure standing in the distance, Yuka's heart skipped a beat. She sprinted forward, throwing herself into Yagami's arms.
"Fox! You came!"
"Yes, I'm here."
Because of his identity, the "Fox" could not reveal himself to many people. To protect him, most of the Uzumaki survivors were kept in the dark about his existence. If they were captured and intel about him was extracted from their corpses, Yagami would be in mortal danger.
Yuka pulled back slightly. "Come with me. I prepared a place long ago, waiting for you."
She led Yagami through the pouring rain to a massive tree where a hollow was hidden behind thick shrubs. Inside, the space was impeccably clean, featuring a wooden bed raised to keep out the dampness. Yagami had intended to discuss serious matters first, progressing step-by-step, but sometimes a woman's urgency outstrips a man's.
That entire afternoon, Yagami applied everything he had ever learned to Yuka. The localized hardening of the Copper Armor, the Hydrification Healing technique to soothe fatigue...
Yuka's strength had grown rapidly, allowing her to match Yagami's pace. Yagami was persistent and relentless, while Yuka refused to yield easily. In the end, Yagami narrowly won out, admiring the absolute mess he had made of her.
Satisfied, Yuka leaned against Yagami's chest, tracing idle circles with her finger. Yagami thought to himself that they were lucky; if Shiroji back in the Leaf had sensed danger and reverse-summoned him mid-act, it would have been incredibly frustrating.
"Yuka, the two Guardians we rescued—how is their recovery?"
"They were controlled for a long time, so they're quite weak. They are recovering gradually. I expect they'll regain their Jonin-level strength in about three months." Yuka looked up with concern. "Did saving them cause you any trouble?"
Yagami had moved against Danzo and Root in the shadows. Exposure would mean disaster.
"I'm the Acting Captain of an ANBU brigade now," Yagami replied. "If Root looks for the culprit, I might even be the one assigned to track myself down."
"Fox, you were promoted to Captain?" Yuka's admiration was boundless. From a deep-cover mole to a high-ranking ANBU Captain? As expected of the Senju clan, their placement in the ANBU was incredibly successful.
"The ANBU is undergoing reform. I'll be called a Squad Leader soon. There will only be four squads left."
"Your 'undercover' work is too successful," Yuka teased. "If you keep going, are you going to become the ANBU Commander?"
Yagami chuckled. "If I do become Commander, I'll find a way to arrange a secret meeting between you and Princess Kushina."
Yuka's eyes lit up instantly; this was what she desired most. But she quickly said, "Fox, you must be careful. Don't take unnecessary risks. We've grown used to this life. Infiltrating the ANBU must be extremely dangerous; I don't want you to lose yourself for our sake. The Leaf's higher-ups are very powerful and difficult to deal with."
Yagami stroked her smooth shoulder. "The truth of the Uzumaki massacre is something I can only expose once I'm at the top. Until then, I'll gather strength and collect evidence in the shadows. Just like finding that Root lab, I'll save as many of your people as I can."
He suddenly thought that once he returned to the village, he should visit Nonō Yakushi's orphanage to see if he could contact her. She surely held Root's deepest secrets.
"Yuka, is there any danger around your hideout? Do you need my help?"
Yuka shook her head. "Not for now. Hanzo and the Hidden Rain suffered massive losses in the war; they don't have time for these remote areas. The Stone is furious with Hanzo for yielding to the Leaf, so there's constant friction at the border. Hanzo is overwhelmed, so we're safe. Outside the hideout, many summoning beast clans help us with early warnings and combat."
Powerful sealing arts had granted the Uzumaki many unique summoning contracts. Unfortunately, they were just one Tailed Beast away from having a transformation-level combatant. Kushina's Nine-Tails didn't count—that was the Leaf's private property, strictly off-limits.
"Yuka, keep a Stone Panda with you at all times so you can reverse-summon me whenever needed. As a Squad Leader, I'll have much more autonomy and freedom of movement."
"Okay, I'll have Shiro-yu stay with me."
Unlike Yagami's approach of treating the Stone Pandas as partners, the Uzumaki tended to issue direct commands. They had too many summoned beasts to treat every single one as a friend. The Contract Seal provided a very strong binding force over them.
"Yuka, I've been practicing the Self-Curse Binding Seal and found a few tricks. I can cast it with just one hand sign now. Move your fingers with mine, I'll show you the chakra flow."
Yuka was stunned. Yagami truly was an elite spy; he had actually improved a secret sealing art. She had initially identified him as a Senju mole because of this very technique.
Following his guidance, Yuka's fingers tracked the chakra. She quickly memorized his method. She tried it herself but failed on the first attempt. Yagami extended his fingers, tracing them over Yuka's body to guide her internal energy.
After a few tries, she had the path down, though she lacked practice. Yagami's fingers continued to wander, moving lower and lower.
"Ah? Is there chakra flow there too? What kind of jutsu are you guiding?" A moment later, Yuka's face flushed red.
After a second round of persistence leading to collapse, Yagami dressed and signaled Shiroji through a hand sign. Shiroji, hidden in the woods above the Hokage Rock, activated the reverse-summoning, pulling Yagami back to the village.
Yagami said to the panda, "I'll organize some Earth Style jutsu for you in a few days to see if your clan can learn them."
"Thank you."
Once Shiroji vanished, Yagami looked at the scroll in his hand. It was a collection of sealing art notes Yuka had given him—her own research. He planned to study them thoroughly to bolster his knowledge.
He took a few steps and realized his lower abdomen and back were aching. His stamina was still too low; Yuka had practically drained him dry.
What excuse could he use to stall Qiaoyi tonight? Or should he head to the Akimichi medicinal shop for some of those blue pills and fight her to the finish? To fail on the second day back... that was unacceptable. How could a man say he "can't"?
No sooner said than done. Yagami turned toward the Akimichi shop.
Is this the burden of peace? No wonder so many people love it.
***
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