After bringing the bodies of the Cloud platoon back to the assassinated noble's estate and comforting the grieving matriarch, Yagami led his division back to the main camp.
Inside Hatake Sakumo's tent, Yagami was greeted by a sprawling map of the border between the Land of Hidden Steam and the Land of Moon. Red circles marked confirmed Cloud sightings; blue circles indicated skirmish sites where the Leaf had intercepted them.
Yagami signaled White Sheep to mark their most recent victory. Once the subordinate finished, Yagami approached Sakumo. While their most critical communications happened privately via the ninken Pakkun, on the surface, they maintained a standard professional distance.
"Captain Fox," Sakumo said, his eyes tired. "The Cloud's current tactics are difficult to counter. They aren't seeking to kill Leaf ninja; they are systematically assassinating the nobility of the Land of Steam. I cannot scatter my forces to protect every noble manor. Along this two-hundred-kilometer border, a Cloud squad can strike and vanish before we even receive the report."
Sakumo leaned over the map, his voice firm. "I want to locate the main Cloud camp as quickly as possible and organize an elite raid. One decisive strike to end this conflict entirely."
Yagami paused, momentarily stunned. 'The conflict just started a few days ago, and you're already looking for the exit?'
'We fought tooth and nail to snatch this command away from Orochimaru. The seat isn't even warm yet, and you want to vacate it? Have you never heard of "maintaining the threat to sustain one's power"?'
In the history of grand chancellors and powerful ministers, it always began with a persistent external enemy to justify their influence. If the Cloud appeared too weak, Yagami was almost tempted to put on a Cloud forehead protector himself and deal a few blows to the Leaf just to keep the "emergency" alive.
'Sakumo, you're a good man,' Yagami thought, 'but you need to hold this command for at least three months. Otherwise, you'll never cultivate the prestige or the loyal followers necessary to secure your position in the village.'
Despite the whirlwind of calculations in his mind, Yagami's voice remained steady. "I will prioritize intelligence on their camp. Once the location is confirmed, I will report it immediately."
Sakumo nodded gratefully. To him, Fox was a paragon of ANBU reliability. "We've interrogated prisoners before, but their camp is mobile. It's roughly fifty kilometers north of the Moon border, but by the time we arrive, they've either relocated or set an ambush. Without a predictable location, a raid is a gamble."
'It's better that way,' Yagami thought. 'If you tried to raid their HQ today, I'd be forced to leak the intel to the Cloud myself just to stop you from winning too early.'
A Leaf squad entered the tent, looking eager. Yagami stepped aside to let them report.
"Lord Sakumo," the squad leader said excitedly, "we've completed three missions. At the pre-war briefing, you mentioned that three B-rank missions would earn the squad a ninjutsu reward."
"Indeed," Sakumo replied, a small smile touching his lips. "I am implementing a merit-based ninjutsu system for this conflict. If the Genin among you don't know your chakra natures yet, see the strategists for litmus paper. Jonin Yamashiro Tera is in charge of the rewards; he will provide guidance on which jutsu best suits your growth."
Nearby, Yamashiro Tera waited patiently as a Genin tested his paper. In the Hidden Leaf, the survival state of lower-ranking ninja was often dismal; some had Chunin-level Taijutsu but, like the Naruto of the original timeline, wouldn't learn their elemental affinity until their teens.
As the squad left, clutching their new scrolls and thanking Sakumo profusely, Yagami spoke up. "Lord Sakumo, if we do raid, we should focus on depleting the Cloud's active forces. Ending the conflict 'shortly' may be unrealistic."
Yagami turned to leave.
"Fox..."
Yagami stopped and looked back. Sakumo hesitated, looking as if he wanted to say something more, but then he shook his head. "Never mind. I thought of something, but it slipped my mind."
"I know the feeling," Yagami replied smoothly. "Right on the tip of the tongue."
...
Shortly after Fox left, Gekko Sou entered the tent and moved to Sakumo's side.
"Sakumo, our luck is holding," Sou whispered. "The sacrifice of those four Shimura ninja is tragic, but Advisor Danzo is so bogged down in that mess that no one is here to sabotage us. I've been watching the perimeter; we only have the Fox Division here. No other Root or 'loyalist' ANBU are breathing down our necks. It feels good to have a free hand."
Sakumo nodded. At the Jonin assembly earlier that year, he had clashed heavily with the village elders over promotion quotas. Now that Danzo was preoccupied with a mysterious "Uzumaki-Fire Style" vendetta, the pressure on Sakumo had vanished. His merit-based jutsu system was thriving, winning him the hearts of the rank-and-file ninja.
"Sakumo," Sou continued, "the front is chaotic, but a rushed raid on the Cloud camp is risky. Furthermore, ending this too soon prevents us from absorbing more allies into our circle..."
"No," Sakumo interrupted. "If we can end it, we should. Our personal gains are secondary. The Great War only ended half a year ago; Leaf ninja shouldn't be mired in another swamp. This conflict started because I investigated the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Ryuu-jin; therefore, I must be the one to end it. If I can save even one Leaf ninja life by ending it early, I will."
Sou wanted to argue, but he realized that the very reason he trusted Sakumo was the man's genuine care for his comrades.
...
In his own tent, Yagami felt a familiar tug of chakra. He summoned Pakkun.
The ninken reiterated Sakumo's will: Sakumo would not prolong the war for the sake of building a power base.
"I understand," Yagami told the dog.
'In one ear and out the other,' he thought as Pakkun vanished. 'I hear you, Sakumo, but I don't agree.'
Back in the village, the political situation was still a powder keg. If Sakumo ended the war too early and returned now, he'd just become a target for the elders again. It was better for him to remain here, the "Hero of the Border," until Danzo was further weakened.
Besides, raiding a Cloud camp wasn't that simple. If Sakumo failed and suffered a defeat, the blow would be catastrophic. The elders could survive a dozen failures, but Sakumo only had to fail once for them to tear him apart.
***
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