Chapter 228: Be Careful Of What
The people in the Hokage’s Office continued discussing the deaths of Shimura Tan and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said: “Tsunade, Sakumo Hatake, and the Uchiha Clan’s self-proofs have ended one after another. I had Shikaku carefully check, and no loopholes were found.
Perhaps spies in the village learned of the disturbance in the Jonin Meeting.
People from the enemy village assassinated Shimura Tan and Hiruzen Sarutobi, creating turmoil to force internal chaos in Konoha.
Danzo, put the reconnaissance on Sakumo Hatake on hold for now.
If Sakumo Hatake wants to investigate the Cloud Village’s perfect Jinchuriki, let him go.
Have the Fox follow him and record key intelligence.”
Danzo, however, said: “Just the Fox isn’t enough. Root will also send one person.”
Yoru thought to himself, Sakumo Hatake really has a hard time doing anything; everyone wants to stick their oar in.
They wouldn’t be thinking of letting Sakumo Hatake die at Ryuuha’s hands, would they?
Although he didn’t know Ryuuha’s strength, weren’t the high-ranking officials overthinking it?
He had to be careful of Root’s people to avoid them creating any accidents.
Danzo said to Yoru: “Fox, pay attention to gathering intelligence on Sakumo Hatake. See if he’s secretly contacting any person or faction.
Just watching Sakumo Hatake’s overt subordinates isn’t enough. Maybe Sakumo Hatake has secretly cultivated a force dedicated to doing his dirty work.”
Yoru’s heart tightened.
He immediately realized this was Danzo’s habitual thinking, measuring the gentleman’s intentions with a petty man’s heart.
If Danzo had really discovered something, Yoru couldn’t be sitting here so safely listening to these high-ranking officials’ arrangements.
However, Danzo had coincidentally guessed right.
Danzo was indeed an expert at internal strife; his senses were truly sharp.
Yoru decided to be twice as careful from now on and not show any flaws. He said:
“Please rest assured, Lord Danzo. I absolutely won’t miss any detail. If Sakumo Hatake contacts anyone, I will definitely know.”
Yoru thought to himself, what a coincidence. As long as I don’t secretly contact Sakumo Hatake, Sakumo Hatake won’t secretly contact anyone.
This side mission was too simple.
Hiruzen Sarutobi then said: “Ryuuha’s development of Tailed Beasts is very mature, mature enough that the Cloud Village allows Ryuuha to carry out missions in the Land of Lightning.
The Two-Tails Jinchuriki openly left the Hidden Cloud Village, stopping at places like Kyoto and ports.
The Cloud Village is very confident in the seal on their Jinchuriki.
Danzo, activate your spies in the Cloud Village.
The next time Ryuuha leaves the Cloud Village on a mission, have Sakumo Hatake and the Fox act.”
Yoru left the Hokage’s Office and returned to Anbu.
As soon as Purple Cat entered the office, she sniffed the smoke smell on Yoru and said:
“Fox, from the secondhand smoke smell on each squad leader, I can tell who was summoned by the Hokage. Doesn’t that mean important intelligence like who was summoned by the Hokage is easily exposed?”
Yoru raised his hand, smelled his arm, and indeed there was a burnt smoky smell. He said:
“Purple Cat, you’re the careful one. Write a report, and I’ll give it to Minister Kiiroinu. Have each squad leader spray perfume when leaving the Hokage’s Office to avoid being discovered by those with ulterior motives that the Hokage summoned that squad.”
Yoru thought this was a joke-like suggestion, but unexpectedly Purple Cat seriously wrote it, Kiiroinu seriously read it, and it was seriously implemented.
Anbu’s three squad leaders rarely gathered in Yoru’s office.
“To prevent others from seeing who was summoned by the Hokage, each squad leader has to spray perfume every day?”
“So you’re the one who suggested we spray perfume every day from now on?”
“Is the perfume made by Anbu itself, or bought in the village?”
Yoru scratched his head and said: “Sorry, everyone. I didn’t know it would have such a serious impact. How about we standardize the perfume scent?
Purple Cat recommended a tea-scented men’s perfume. Trust me, this perfume isn’t effeminate.”
Kiiroinu had an excessive reaction. Why was he implementing this so seriously?
At that moment, Butterfly entered Yoru’s office:
“I suggest using air freshener, not perfume. Lord Kiiroinu agreed.
So, squad leaders, please go back and relay to each small team leader that any Anbu leaving the Hokage’s Office must use air freshener to cleanse the smoke smell.”
Yoru breathed a sigh of relief and put away the perfume Purple Cat had given him.
Several days later, Yoru arrived at the Hokage Building.
In the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo, Orochimaru were all there.
Recently, Orochimaru had frequently stayed in the Hokage’s Office, distributing missions together with the Third Hokage.
Anyone with eyes could see that the Third Hokage was grooming Orochimaru for the next Hokage position.
Mission distribution authority was a more core power than ninja promotion recommendations.
Then, Sakumo Hatake entered the office with four people.
Yamashiro Aoba, Gekko Shizuma, Shinma, Shirakumo Hayama.
These four were Sakumo Hatake’s core subordinates: two Jonin, two Special Jonin. Only then did they dare to investigate a Jinchuriki.
Sakumo Hatake glanced at Orochimaru’s position. Orochimaru stood to the side of the Third Hokage, able to see the scrolls on the Third Hokage’s table by lowering his head.
A formidable rival… but Sakumo Hatake was undaunted.
He was determined to become Hokage and thoroughly change the village.
Danzo said: “My spy reported that the Cloud Village’s Two-Tails Jinchuriki Ryuuha has left the Hidden Cloud Village and is heading to Cloud House Port in the Land of Lightning on a mission.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued:
“Sakumo, you can take your subordinates to Cloud House Port on the mission.
I’ll send the Fox and Ding to assist you. They are responsible for recording intelligence on Ryuuha; you can fight freely.”
Shinma glanced at the Fox and Ding, thinking to himself, doesn’t the Hokage trust Lord so little that he’s sending two Anbu to tail us?
Yoru also felt uncomfortable.
What made him uncomfortable was that if only Ding died on this mission, Danzo would definitely know something was wrong with the others.
Either Sakumo Hatake had a problem, or the Fox had a problem.
But looking at Ding made his hands itch.
Ding ranked so high in Root; Danzo would surely be heartbroken if he died, right?
Should he assassinate Ding, or protect him to avoid suspicion from Danzo?
Or… when killing Ding, also kill Shinma or Shirakumo Hayama. That way, Danzo wouldn’t say anything, right?
Seeing the Fox’s gaze fall on him, Shinma remembered Hayama saying the Fox was extremely extreme and cruel. His heart tightened, and he immediately lowered his head.
Damn it, he had hopes of becoming a Jonin, yet he was scared like this by a single glance from Anbu?
That glance from the Fox just now seemed to regard him as dying prey.
Just one glance, and it was this terrifying?
Yoru rejected the thought in his mind. How could he kill one of Sakumo Hatake’s subordinates just to kill Ding?
He’d been too extreme lately. After returning, he should properly vent his extreme emotions with Purple Cat or Qiao Yi.
He was a living person, not a killing machine.
Sakumo Hatake said: “Hokage, please rest assured. I will definitely obtain intelligence on the perfect Jinchuriki.”
Sakumo Hatake took the mission scroll and village exit permit and quickly left.
Time was tight. From Konoha Village to Cloud House Port in the northeast of the Land of Lightning, the journey alone took about 17 days.
Crossing half the Land of Fire, the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Moon, and most of the Land of Lightning, it was a long way.
After leaving Konoha Village for a few minutes, Shinma noticed the Anbu ninjas were no longer behind him. He caught up to Sakumo Hatake at the front.
“Where did those two Anbu go? Weren’t they supposed to monitor us?”
Yamashiro Aoba looked back and said:
“Anbu ninjas will follow us from the shadows and appear when needed. Shinma, just pretend they don’t exist and don’t mention them usually.
Also, it’s one Anbu and one Root, not two Anbu.”
Shinma wasn’t a Jonin and knew little about the village. To him, Anbu and Root were similar.
In the woods behind.
Yoru and Ding leaped side by side on tree trunks.
Yoru asked: “Simple self-introduction for better coordination during the mission. I’m the Fox, skilled in Earth Release and Water Style. You?”
Ding said: “No need for introduction. I know your Anbu file. I’ll coordinate with you during the mission.”
Yoru was stunned.
As a squad leader, he knew nothing about Root ninjas, but a Root ninja could access his Anbu file?
No need to tell me your abilities; you’ll coordinate with me? Wasn’t that saying he would formulate tactics based on his abilities?
One-third mad, seven parts cold, it gave Yoru a physiological discomfort.
Yoru thought to himself, you wouldn’t really think that being Danzo’s person means you won’t die, would you?
Yi, who was stronger than you, Aburame Clan’s genius Aburame Ryoma, died without a sound underwater. How much stronger could you be?
Yoru didn’t speak to Ding again the whole way; the two headed north.
Ding fell behind Yoru.
This feeling that he was even more sinister than himself made Yoru very uncomfortable.
Leaving the Land of Fire was the hilly area of the Land of Hot Water. Leaving the Land of Hot Water was the high mountain areas of the Land of Moon and Land of Lightning.
Within the Land of Lightning, the group didn’t enter any small towns, advancing quickly through uninhabited mountain areas.
Ninjas couldn’t use all their chakra for travel; they had to maintain enough for a sudden battle, so daily travel distance wasn’t much.
They finally arrived at Cloud House Port.
Cloud House Port was the largest port city on the northeast coastline of the Land of Lightning. Iron ore, copper ore, and such produced in the Land of Lightning were loaded onto ships here and sold to various countries.
A dozen large ships floated on the distant sea surface, waiting to enter port for loading and unloading.
After arriving outside the port, Gekko Shizuma, who had Transparent Release, entered the port to gather intelligence, while the others hid far from the port.
Yoru watched Gekko Shizuma with a telescope and saw him use Transparent Release behind a courtyard wall to disappear, no longer visible.
Not long after, Ding put down the telescope and turned to leave.
Yoru followed.
Ding said: “I need to gather intelligence for Lord Danzo. What are you doing?”
“I’m gathering intelligence on Danzo Advisor for the Hokage. Any problem?” Yoru said: “If you’re uncomfortable, I can follow you secretly; the effect is about the same.”
Yoru could totally follow secretly, but Ding had made him uncomfortable the whole way, so now he wanted to gross Ding out too.
Ding’s eyes flickered.
He seemed unable to stop the Fox from following him secretly; the Fox’s strength was too great.
He could only ignore him.
Ding climbed a mountain outside Cloud House Port, searching for codes on various stones.
He was looking for Root’s special codes.
Unsure what codes Ding found, soon he arrived under a cliff, looking into the distance.
Not long after, a woman jumped over from afar.
The instant he saw that woman, Yoru guessed she might be Yakushi Nonou, whom he’d seen by the sea in the Land of Whirlpools.
Truly amazing.
Yakushi Nonou had completely changed her face: features, skin color, entirely another person. Even shoulder width, hip width, etc., had changed.
Yakushi Nonou saw the Fox squatting on a stone from afar, and her mind shook.
In the Land of Whirlpools, she had briefly cooperated with the Fox.
The Fox had discovered part of her secrets, even knowing her relationship with Zhen Li, and tracked her down through Zhen Li.
Her connection to the orphanage had also been exposed.
She had told the Fox the location of Root’s secret laboratory, and in the end, that laboratory was sabotaged, with all the precious Uzumaki Clan test subjects inside destroyed.
Not only that, Root’s Yi—aside from Orochimaru, the top expert Aburame Ryoma, Danzo Advisor’s right-hand man—had also died in those days.
Later, she investigated intelligence on the Fox and learned he was the absolute confidant of the Third Hokage and Vice Minister Kiiroinu, having done plenty of dirty and black work for them.
More crucially, the orphanage had received a donation and a letter.
The letter hid intentions of wanting to cooperate with her between the lines.
Zhen Li said the donor was a young man wearing a mask, Anbu’s Fox.
Yakushi Nonou couldn’t judge why the Fox wanted to cooperate with her.
Was it the Fox cooperating with her, or Kiiroinu?
What did they want to cooperate on? Could it be to obtain some intelligence? Like intelligence on Danzo Advisor?
Encountering the Fox again in the Land of Lightning now made Yakushi Nonou’s heart panic for an instant, but she quickly adjusted her mindset, acting as if nothing had happened.
She came to Ding’s side and said: “Ryuuha is not in Cloud House Port. She’s on a guard mission, escorting a merchant ship to the Land of Waves.
I got the ship’s schedule. That ship will return to Cloud House Port in 10 days.”
Ding nodded and said: “Witch, report any further intelligence to me anytime.”
Yakushi Nonou turned to look at the Fox and asked: “Is that a new Root recruit? Why haven’t I seen him before?”
Ding said: “You wander through various enemy villages; the only one you don’t understand is Konoha. That person is Anbu’s squad leader, the Fox, not a Root member.”
Ding suddenly lowered his voice: “Be careful of him. He’s Kiiroinu’s man.”
At that moment, the Yoru on the stone turned into a puff of white smoke.
Ding and Yakushi Nonou were both stunned; the one squatting on the stone was a shadow clone.
At that moment, the ground beside them rippled like water waves.
Yoru’s figure slowly rose from the ground.
Yakushi Nonou thought to herself, such exquisite Earth Style: Fish in Water Reflection Jutsu?
Only then did Ding understand that when the Fox said he would follow secretly earlier, he wasn’t joking; he really had that strength.
The Fox’s voice rang out.
“Be careful of me for what? Anbu and Root are family; why be careful of me?”
Ding’s eyes panicked. Only now did he realize the Fox was even stronger than he imagined, able to hide silently in the ground beneath him.
Yoru looked at Yakushi Nonou and said: “I’ve heard of you for a long time, Walking Witch.”
Combining two chapters means no update at 2 PM; chapter three will be in the evening.
