The letter stated that Danzo had personally visited the orphanage today, demanding that Yakushi Nono resume her role as a deep-cover intelligence operative for Root.
Nono had been forced to depart immediately, leaving her no time to say a proper goodbye to Yagami. If Danzo decided to exercise his "mercy," it might be the end of the 41st year of the Leaf before she set foot in the village again.
Yagami's gaze lowered.
The blow to Root hadn't been heavy enough. He thought that after their losses, they would have learned a lesson; instead, it seemed Root had only become weaker, not better.
The following morning, Yagami entered Yellow Dog's office.
"Commander, how is Root obtaining so much intelligence? Even if the ANBU can utilize it, we have no way to verify its authenticity," Yagami said. "I'm prepared to carry out the assassinations listed in the manual, but the thought of relying on data provided by an outside party makes me uneasy. What if the intel is a trap?"
Yellow Dog understood Fox's concern. "The intelligence and spy networks are a complex, legacy issue. When Lord Third first took office, he allowed Danzo to take over the Second Hokage's intelligence apparatus. For over a decade, Danzo has been secretly hand-picking spies to infiltrate other villages, nations, and organizations.
Because of the extreme secrecy, no one else can simply step in. Even if the Hokage replaced the ANBU Commander, spies who have been undercover for five or ten years wouldn't trust a new face."
Aside from Yakushi Nono, Danzo held several other ace spies. This network was one of the pillars of his power, making him practically irreplaceable.
"To this day, I don't know how Danzo communicates with his informants," Yellow Dog admitted. "Fox, if you're interested, you can try to investigate—but you must not compromise the spies. They are precious assets to the Leaf, heroes who have made immense sacrifices. I admire them; surviving undercover for a decade without exposure is a hardship beyond words. Even if they only report back on local market prices, it's a huge help to the village."
"I understand."
...
The Yamanaka Compound
Yamanaka Rika sat in the courtyard, sewing clothes for a small child. A gentle smile frequently graced her pale face.
Yagami leaned against a wooden pillar in the distance, watching her from afar. He had intended to stay a loner, hiding forever in the darkness. However, it was impossible to remain truly solitary.
A massive web was slowly forming around him, composed of people who were becoming increasingly familiar. These people defined who he was now; he was no longer a stranger from another world.
He had Qiaoyi, his partners, his loyal subordinates like White Sheep and Flower Deer. Now that he had these bonds, he had to be even more careful—even more cautious.
Yagami vanished using the Mayfly Technique. In the courtyard, Rika suddenly looked up but saw nothing. She felt a strange sensation, as if someone had just glanced at her with warmth.
...
Yagami and the Flower Deer squad arrived at the village gate. He flicked a kunai, pinning an exit permit to the wood, and sped past. A guard went to retrieve the knife. The gate was riddled with pits from countless such departures.
"Who were those guys? They were so fast I didn't even see them. These 'emergency mission' ninja are a pain; they're going to wreck this gate eventually."
"That was an ANBU Division Commander leading them! Didn't you see the cloak? It wasn't the low-key black; it was the conspicuous white one."
"A Division Commander... well, I guess they don't care about being spotted."
...
Yagami and his team moved rapidly toward the north. Root had provided intelligence that Takami, a Cloud Jonin specializing in Lightning Style, had left the Hidden Cloud to perform a mission in the Land of Moon. Takami was an A-rank target in the manual, a powerful shinobi who had been a Jonin for over five years.
Samurai were escorting a group of civilians toward the mountains. A high-ranking noble, Kansan Shin, had discovered coal in his territory and had forcibly conscripted local peasants to mine it. Ragged civilians were tied together in groups of twenty, shuffling toward the deep mountains.
A young boy named Sora, treading barefoot on the sharp stones, whispered to his companion behind him, "We escaped once, we can escape again!"
Half a month ago, a mining disaster had killed fifty people. The miners, refusing to work in deathtrap tunnels with nothing but hand chisels, had revolted. Over a hundred died in the uprising, but two hundred managed to flee into the forest.
They had made it as far as the coast. Across the bay lay the Land of Iron; if they could reach that neutral territory, they would be safe. The Moon nobles couldn't pursue them there.
However, the appearance of the Cloud ninja had shattered that dream. Takami had accepted the noble's commission, intercepted the rebels at the shore, killed their leader, and rounded up the survivors.
Takami stood on a hillside, frowning at the long line of bound miners on the mountain path. "Why are they moving so slowly?"
"Captain, they're starving," a squad member replied. "They betrayed Lord Kansan; the noble wants them to go hungry for a few days to teach them a lesson."
Takami felt a sense of annoyance. Every time he left the Hidden Cloud, he felt as though a vague danger followed him. The feeling was stronger this time.
Anywhere outside the Cloud was too dangerous. This area was too close to the Land of Steam; they could run into vicious Leaf ninja at any moment.
Many back in the village criticized the Third Raikage's policies as too weak. The Leaf had made two moves against their Jinchuriki, and the Raikage had only engaged in a two-month border skirmish before ending the conflict with nothing to show for it. If they could just take the Land of Steam, Takami thought, his missions would be much safer.
He wasn't one of those foolish warmongers; he understood that even as a Jonin, he could die at any time.
"Go to the back of the line," Takami ordered. "Kill the sick and injured miners. If the noble won't give them food, we can't let them waste our time."
The Cloud ninja nodded and moved to the rear. He drew his blade and cut down three miners with leg injuries. "Move it, damn it! Don't delay our mission!"
The miners behind them, terrified, began to shove and push forward. Panic spread through the group. Despite their empty stomachs and blistered feet, they accelerated, driven by the fear of the ninja's blade.
Yagami lowered his binoculars.
The ninja world was a strange place. Ninja with supernatural powers lived in the shadows. The Daimyo and nobles with secular power lived in constant fear of assassination. And the civilians? They endured the exploitation of the nobles and the random cruelty of passing ninja.
Everyone was living a miserable existence. 'Who exactly is enjoying this?'
These miners were merely livestock to Lord Kansan. Only the wealthy nobles could afford to hire ninja, and against such power, the civilians were utterly defenseless.