"Why did you stop running? Is this all you've got?"
"Keep running. I'll give you another two kilometers. Run to your heart's content, savor the thrill of being chased."
Yōkō crossed his arms over his chest and asked:
"Raikage's Assistant, Dodai. Over 500 Kumo-nin invaded the Land of Hot Water. Ryūjin is dead, Omoi is dead too. How does failure feel?"
"How does it feel?" Dodai formed a hand seal, ready to use a jutsu at any moment. He said:
"A ninja must die someday. What could I possibly feel?"
"What I feel now is the same as what Sarutobi Shinnosuke felt before he died!"
"If you want to know how I feel, why not ask Sarutobi Shinnosuke!"
"Pity, though. He died so miserably. The three of us from Kumo, plus three from Iwa, six powerful individuals joined forces, blasted Sarutobi Shinnosuke until not even bone fragments remained."
"What a shame. You couldn't even extract his final thoughts from his brain."
"I want to ask you, aren't you full of regret?"
Yōkō lowered the arms crossed over his chest.
Seeing Konoha's Fox lower his hands, all the Kumo-nin looked terrified, taking half a step back in unison.
"Heh, so facing death really can unlock potential."
"Dodai, you actually managed to anger me with your trash talk before dying."
"I admit you have a silver tongue. Your trash talk is in a league of its own in Kumogakure!"
"Next, I hope your bones are as hard as your trash talk!"
Yōkō said: "Originally, I intended to spare your lives. We always need to leave a survivor to convey Konoha's attitude to the Raikage."
"But you dared to mock the hero of our Konoha Village, to mock Lord Sarutobi Shinnosuke."
"Everyone in the entire shinobi world knows I was promoted by Lord Shinnosuke."
"If Lord Shinnosuke hadn't been so concerned about Konoha, sending me to track a rogue ninja at the critical moment, how could you six have possibly killed him?"
"I've changed my mind now."
"Screw rationality!"
"You dare mock Lord Shinnosuke? You all have to die!"
Mokumen Kōtō's eyes were filled with sorrow.
Lord Fox was truly loyal to Lord Shinnosuke, so righteous and full of feeling.
Lord Fox was Lord Shinnosuke's most loyal subordinate; how could their bond not be deep?
Yōkō clapped his hands together.
"Wood Release: Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja!"
The heavens tore and the earth split!
A five-hundred-meter tall wooden human erupted from the ground.
Mokumen Kōtō and the other 50-plus Konoha ninja, rising with the wooden human, quickly found themselves hundreds of meters in the air.
Standing on the shoulders of the Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja, they even found the shoulders very spacious.
Hills and small mountains turned into mere mounds from the high altitude.
Was this the perspective of the strong?
Mokumen Kōtō looked with a pained expression at Lord Fox standing atop the Vidyārāja's head.
Lord Fox's heart must be filled with grief over Lord Shinnosuke's death.
Otherwise, he wouldn't use such a terrifying and powerful secret technique against a mere twenty-plus Kumo-nin.
It was a bit like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.
Yōkō's roar echoed through the night sky.
"Perish! Top Transformation: Buddha! Vidyārāja's Thousand Hands!"
Hundreds of wooden hands slammed down towards the ground.
Each wooden fist was dozens of meters wide. The attack of hundreds of wooden hands wasn't something even Dodai could withstand; even the Third Raikage would be beaten half to death if he were here.
It was so high up that Mokumen Kōtō couldn't even hear the screams from the ground.
The subsequent wooden hands smashed the ones in front, the attacks wave after wave, each stronger and more ferocious than the last.
After a long time, the dust settled, and the ground fell silent.
A few wooden hands lowered Mokumen Kōtō and the others back to the ground.
The Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja disappeared with a 'poof' of white smoke.
There was no trace of the Kumo-nin left on the ground.
Mokumen Kōtō searched carefully, found a piece of shattered Lava Release rubber, brought it back, and said, "Lord Fox, vengeance is served. Please control your grief."
Yōkō didn't answer, looking up at the night sky at a 45-degree angle, immersed in remembrance of Shinnosuke.
Yellow Dog... You're really dead. I miss you a little.
When I first entered the Anbu, you were my Battalion Commander.
After all these years, how could there be no feeling at all?
But thinking that he would soon become the Anbu Minister, the pain of missing him eased considerably.
"Let's go. Back to the capital of the Land of Hot Water. The pursuit is over."
A few days later, in the capital of the Land of Hot Water.
Inside a luxurious bathhouse, Yōkō was enjoying a mandarin duck bath (yuān yāng yù - literally 'mandarin duck bath', implies a couple's bath) with Yakushi Nonō.
Yakushi Nonō lathered herself with soap and massaged Yōkō's back with her slick body.
Yōkō narrowed his eyes comfortably and said:
"Nonō, with Sarutobi Shinnosuke's sacrifice, I'm confident I can become the Anbu Minister."
"Sarutobi Enosuke is dead; the spy network has lost its leader."
"During this time, I need you to make a few trips, re-establish contact with the spy handlers in the major nations."
"Before others in the village react, we need to seize control of the spy network beforehand."
"Once I become the Anbu Minister, you will be my assistant, responsible for the Anbu's spy network, just like Gibbon."
"From then on, when you leave the village, when you stay in the village, it will be entirely your decision. You only need to relay intelligence promptly."
"The orphanage will also be under the Anbu's protection. No one will dare to target the orphanage anymore."
Yakushi Nonō felt excited inside. She wrapped her arms around Fox's solid chest from behind, holding him tightly.
Yōkō, feeling the two slicks, warm mounds against his back, pulled Nonō in front of him.
A few minutes Later, ripples began to form in the hot spring water.
Half an hour later, the ripples gradually subsided.
Yakushi Nonō tidied herself up and left reluctantly to take control of the spy network.
She was very familiar with the spy network; it wouldn't be too difficult.
In the latter half of the night, Nara Kyoichi hurried to the bathhouse carrying a scroll.
Hippo stopped Nara Kyoichi at the door.
"Jōnin Kyoichi, Lord Fox is not wearing his mask right now; it's inconvenient for him to see anyone. Please wait outside. I will inform Lord Fox!"
Nara Kyoichi thought to himself, this Squad Leader Hippo, who was clearly Shinnosuke's direct subordinate before, was really quick to adapt, now acting like Fox's loyal dog.
Before, in the Anbu, Fox was Shinnosuke's number one loyal dog, and Hippo was number two.
Now that Shinnosuke was gone, a new alpha had emerged in the pack.
Nara Kyoichi resented it. Why could Hippo become Lord Fox's trusted aide, but he couldn't?
As an important Jōnin of the Nara clan, Nara Kyoichi knew many secrets of the Ino–Shika–Chō Trio Clans.
Yamanaka Ruri of the Yamanaka clan was Fox's Vice-Ministerial Assistant and held significant power within the Anbu.
While Fox remained in the Land of Hot Water, Purple Cat, aka Yamanaka Ruri, was responsible for the Anbu's daily operations back in Konoha.
Now Hippo had also pledged himself to Fox's service.
Only the Nara clan's relationship with Fox wasn't that close.
From what he knew, Nara Umeka had carried out several missions with Fox, but no close bond had developed.
They had been too fervent in their loyalty to the Third Hokage before; it was hard to switch sides now.
Before long, Fox emerged from the bath, and they all sat together in the lounge.
Nara Kyoichi watched Lord Fox lounging lazily on the recliner, thinking, 'Is this the composure of the strong?'
If anyone else were stationed in the Land of Hot Water, they would be very tense; this was the front line of conflict with the Kumo-nin.
The Daimyō of the Land of Hot Water had just been assassinated without a trace, and who knew if the powerful perpetrator was still around.
But Lord Fox could come to the bathhouse to enjoy himself from time to time.
As long as Lord Fox stayed in the Land of Hot Water, the Kumo-nin wouldn't dare act recklessly.
This was deterrence.
Someone who could pummel a Tailed Beast to death was, of course, strong.
Nara Kyoichi said, "Lord Fox, a reply has come from the village."
***
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(End of Chapter)