Yamanaka Ryu received her White Crane mask.
"Purple Cat, you will remain at the ANBU headquarters for this operation," Yagami commanded. "Train White Crane; she is unfamiliar with our protocols. Sending her to the Land of Steam prematurely would be reckless."
"Understood, Captain," Purple Cat replied.
However, White Crane spoke up, "Captain! Please let me go to the front! I can fight for the ANBU!"
Yagami thought to himself: 'You can fight for the ANBU, but I certainly can't let you fight for me. None of my personal business can stand the light of day.'
"White Crane," Yagami said, his voice dropping to a cold, sharp edge. "This is the last time I will emphasize this! You are an ANBU ninja. Regardless of what order I give, you have only one choice: execution. I do not wish to hear you contradict me a second time. If you do, the consequences will be severe. I have the authority to discharge you immediately, send you to trial, and strip you of your ninja registration. You won't even be a shinobi anymore."
Stunned by the harshness of the rebuke, White Crane lowered her head.
Once the Fox Division assembled, the four squads—including White Sheep—departed for the Land of Steam.
...
Back in the Root base, C reported to Danzo.
"Lord Danzo, Hatake Sakumo has left the village with four battalions for the Steam border. The Fox Division has also departed. However, Fox left White Crane behind at the base. It's possible he knows her combat skills are lacking from his time as an instructor. Or... it's possible he's discovered something."
In the shadows, half of Danzo's face was illuminated by a dim lamp. "Given that our other ANBU plants are functioning normally, Fox likely hasn't discovered the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. Otherwise, with his loyalty to Yellow Dog, he would have reported it. It's more likely he's just letting the Yamanaka sisters reunite. Put White Crane aside for now. What about Orochimaru?"
"Advisor Homura and Orochimaru have arrived in the heart of the Land of Grass with the Lynx Division," C replied.
...
After ten days of travel, Orochimaru entered the Grass Daimyo's camp. While Homura went to soothe the Daimyo's nerves, Orochimaru began his forensic sweep.
Hyuga Shin stepped forward, handing over a scroll containing their preliminary findings. Orochimaru had already read the Root report; Shin's version was merely a more detailed account of the same failure.
Orochimaru entered the Daimyo's pavilion. The scene had been preserved—even Shimura Kobira's charred corpse remained in place, covered in preservative salts. Orochimaru first examined the slash in the tent wall.
"The assailant burst through here, Lord Orochimaru," Shin explained.
Orochimaru traced the line of sight from the tear to the Daimyo's chair. 'Using the assassination of the Daimyo as bait to draw Kobira into close quarters?' He then examined the kill zone.
Kobira had been physically overwhelmed in Taijutsu, finished off by a high-speed Fire Style at point-blank range. Kobira's Body Flicker was elite; the fact that he couldn't dodge meant the fire was exceptionally fast.
"The struggle lasted only a second or two in mid-air," Orochimaru noted, looking at the singular pair of footprints where they had leaped. "The fire was strong. To launch it that quickly, they must have simplified the seals."
Orochimaru thought of the Water Gun Jutsu he had traded from Fox. It was a difficult technique he still hadn't mastered. Based on the scorch patterns, the culprit used Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.
This was a signature jutsu of the Sarutobi clan. When the village was founded, Sarutobi Sasuke had shared many clan techniques with the village. Fire Dragon Flame Bullet and Great Fireball were now common throughout the Leaf. One couldn't rule out a Sarutobi ninja.
'A jutsu that normally requires seven seals... perhaps the culprit found a more efficient chakra pathway, simplifying it to three... no, likely two or even one seal.' Such a level of mastery would keep an assassin one step ahead in any fight.
"Take the body," Orochimaru told the ANBU. "The intelligence on the corpse is spent." He turned to Shin. "Did you see the assailant?"
Shin shook his head. "I was knocked out first. The culprit moved exclusively within smoke screens. He seems unaffected by the haze, likely possessing a specialized sensory technique. It's unlikely he has a Dojutsu... However, Lord Orochimaru, there were three decoys at the southeast of the camp. They wore masks with unique seals that blocked my Byakugan. The samurai say they wore ghost-faced masks."
Orochimaru's interest piqued. "A sealing jutsu capable of blocking the Byakugan? An enemy targeting the Shimura and Root specifically..."
He began to sketch a profile: high-level ninjutsu talent, allies proficient in sealing arts strong enough to counter the Hyuga, and a deep-seated grudge against Root.
Orochimaru smiled. Many people hated Root, but the combination of these specific traits narrowed the field significantly. 'The accomplices are Uzumaki remnants. The killer's identity is unknown, but they are deeply entwined with the Whirlpool survivors.'
If Yagami knew Orochimaru's thoughts, he would have marveled at how accurately the Sannin could piece together the truth from such sparse crumbs.
...
A few nights later, Orochimaru found a lead in the Grass Daimyo's secret archives: the mention of an Uzumaki prisoner.
'The Grass Daimyo captured an Uzumaki? A unique constitution where a single bite can heal all wounds?'
Orochimaru followed the trail to the base of the Evergreen Sacred Mountain. "What a ridiculous myth," he scoffed at the legend of the mountain's origins. Inside the laboratory, he found the dead staff and realized Uzumaki Kanon was gone.
Searching the area, he determined the rescuers possessed flight capabilities; there were no tracks leading away on the ground.
Orochimaru turned to the Lynx operative standing nearby. "It's confirmed. Report to Danzo: the culprit behind this series of attacks is a group of Uzumaki remnants and a Fire Style master. Since the Uzumaki aren't known for Fire Style, the master is likely a high-level ally."
***
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