Chapter 272: You Want To Improve Too?
After resting for two days, Yoru led the Flower Deer Squad out of Konoha.
They found a spring to rest by, and Hanashika diligently brought Yoru a bottle of clear, cool spring water.
Yoru took the water bottle and smiled, saying, “What’s this, Hanashika, do you want to improve too?”
“Captain, who doesn’t want to improve? Captain, drink slowly, there’s more after you finish.”
“How did you suddenly get so slick?” Yoru said.
“When we were genin, we lived every day cautiously.
I see you’re thinking you’ve got jonin strength, Hanashika, and starting to scheme about flattery.
Is it because it’s been too long without a strong enemy, too relaxed?
When we get to the Land of Rain, you go assassinate Hanzo.
Let you relive the heart-pounding fear, find the Anbu ninja state again.
So you don’t lose the Anbu tradition of caution and ruthlessness.”
“No way!” Hanashika said. “I just want to become a jonin like Aries, not die.
Send me to assassinate Hanzo? Anbu intel says Hanzo has top ninja world Body Flicker Technique, I couldn’t even touch his clothes.”
Aries became an Anbu jonin squad leader, a vastly different status.
Kuroari Squad and Golden Eagle Squad both had jonin squad leaders.
Jonin squad leaders not only enjoy jonin benefits, like a private office, a dedicated assistant, and can be seen as squad deputy leaders.
Not just Hanashika, Hippopotamus and Yak were envious too when they saw, really wanting to become jonin.
Yoru said to Hanashika, “Jonin is not just a status, you need enough strength too. Otherwise making you jonin would harm you.”
Yoru thought of those useless jonin from the Shimura Clan and Sarutobi Clan, purely harming others and themselves.
After drinking the water, the group continued on their way.
From Konoha Village to the Land of Rain border where Orochimaru was, it took 11 days.
Passing the Land of Rivers, Yoru stopped and looked toward Kyoto, Land of Rivers.
His position was upstream on the Jishui River; following the Jishui River down led to Kyoto, Land of Rivers.
He wondered how Koizumi Chisa was doing post-war, if she’d built more hydroelectric power stations.
Hanashika saw Fox Captain a bit dazed and asked, “Captain, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, let’s keep going, strive to reach the destination by tomorrow night.”
Entering the Land of Rain basin, they could no longer see the sun.
The sky was thick, uneven dark clouds, ready to drizzle anytime.
Flower Deer Squad found the code; they had arrived at some place in the rainforest.
Orochimaru, Lynx, and Kinoe had long discovered the approaching Anbu group.
“It’s Fox, I should have guessed.” Orochimaru said, “Fox has apparently become the Anbu’s Top Expert.”
The Lynx Squad Leader nearby didn’t object either.
Fox was Yellow Dog’s top confidant, and the strongest squad leader under Yellow Dog.
Among the four squad leaders, Kuroari was a Nara Ninja, mainly sorting problems for the Hokage.
Golden Eagle was a Hyuga Ninja, responsible for important defense work.
Lynx was previously Danzo’s man; now mainly doing Anbu missions, but if Danzo had something, he’d prioritize Lynx.
Only Fox left, not only strong in combat, but loyal to Yellow Dog.
Yoru landed nearby, glanced at the three, and said,
“Lord Orochimaru, by the Hokage’s order, I’m taking over from you to continue investigating Uzumaki Remnants.
The Hokage says you can return to the village for more important matters.”
Orochimaru nodded. “Me staying in the Land of Rain is too conspicuous; Hanzo wouldn’t sleep. If he knows you, he probably won’t sleep because of your appearance either.
The investigation of Uzumaki Remnants, you command it. I have no objections.”
Orochimaru didn’t delay, taking his subordinates and leaving.
Orochimaru’s two subordinates were ones he took in during his time as war deputy commander.
Sakumo Hatake couldn’t give subordinates much, but Orochimaru could give a lot. Around Orochimaru was a group of loyal subordinates, including four jonin.
Yoru watched Orochimaru’s back disappear, thinking Orochimaru was researching Hashirama Cells, and he himself had ideas about Hashirama Cells.
He had intermediate-advanced Senju of the Forest and Uzumaki Clan bloodline limit; if he could get Wood Style, he might leap over the Kage Level Ninja threshold.
Yoru looked at Lynx and Kinoe, asking, “How far has the investigation progressed? What do I need to do next?”
Kinoe signaled Fox to follow him.
Kinoe came to a wooden shed, where four Root New Recruits were interrogating for intel.
These four were all official Root members with codenames.
Yoru glanced and said, “Kinoe, can’t you get intel from corpses? Isn’t interrogation too slow?”
These prisoners were miserable, limbs scattered on the ground.
Yoru suggested killing them; how wasn’t that a kind Yama?
Kinoe said, “I want to use secret jutsu too, but these three were scared silly by Lord Orochimaru’s genjutsu, their brains damaged. Traditional interrogation and guiding is more useful than directly reading from the brain.”
So that’s how it was.
Yoru asked, “How’s the intel gathering going?”
“Two kilometers south of here there’s a small town; these prisoners are from that town. Uzumaki Remnants once appeared in that town.” Kinoe said,
“Someone saw some red-haired people enter the town to buy food. These prisoners are bosses and employees from various food shops in the town.
I estimate the main Uzumaki Remnants force was hiding outside the town at the time.
The trail ends here; Uzumaki Remnants haven’t appeared again.”
This was northeast of the Land of Rain; the rainforest deep where the Uzumaki Clan hid was southwest of the Land of Rain, far apart.
Yoru said, “West of the Land of Rain is the Land of Bears; can we rule out Uzumaki Remnants fleeing to the Land of Bears?”
“We can rule it out.” Kinoe said, “Lynx Captain just returned from the Land of Bears; no traces of red-haired Uzumaki Remnants there.”
Yoru thought and said, “Then first take the nearby small town as the center, in squads, search surroundings for other clues.
Root’s 5 as one squad, Lynx Captain brought two squads, I brought one squad.
Search separately; don’t wait for interrogating three bakery bosses scared idiot by genjutsu.”
“Good!” Kinoe added, “Hidden Rain Village discovered us; what if we encounter Rain Ninja?”
“If we encounter Rain Ninja, flee; no need to conflict with Rain Ninja.”
Yoru didn’t want to clash with Hanzo; he’d already died once in Hanzo’s hands.
After discussing, the four squads split up.
Without interrogation torment, the three bakery bosses slowly died in the wooden shed.
For a continuous week, Yoru had the squad aimlessly searching nearby for clues.
Heavy rain pouring, almost no clues.
While Flower Deer Squad was away, Yoru summoned Bai Ci.
He used Bai Ci to contact Yuka.
Yuka had once paid attention to Nagato Uzumaki, knew his general location.
Later, following Fox’s advice, she didn’t continue contacting Nagato.
Getting Nagato’s general position, Yoru thought, Root, Lynx Squad, don’t you want to find the Uzumaki Clan?
This’ll take you to see Nagato Uzumaki.
How isn’t Nagato Uzumaki an Uzumaki Remnant?
Next, it depends on your abilities.
See if you can take Nagato away under Uchiha Madara and Jiraiya’s double watch.
