Chapter 291: White Crane
Fox didn’t die, so there’s no need to report to Root anymore.
But White Crane still followed Fox Captain’s instructions, having Ninja Hawk send back intelligence praising Fox’s Earth Release Ninjutsu to Root.
Yak came to Yoru’s side and gestured at his kunai, meaning whether to kill White Crane here.
Yoru shook his head and said, “White Crane is one of our Konoha compatriots after all. Leave this matter to me to handle. I’ll resolve this hidden danger when I return to the village.”
Purple Cat had just gotten pregnant not long ago; Yoru couldn’t bring himself to execute the child’s close aunt.
How nostalgic for his past self who had nothing.
If it were him from over a year ago, White Crane would have been killed by him long ago.
He needed to quickly make a trip to the Uzumaki Hideout to see if Yuka had cracked Danzo’s Tongue-Cutting Flower Seal.
Yoru headed toward the Land of Rain nobles’ large ship, signaling Yak to follow, and together they body flickered onto the large ship.
The nobles of the three countries saw the Konoha Anbu and panicked, exchanging glances with each other.
They kept glancing at Koizumi Chisa—wasn’t it agreed to negotiate and resolve the issue in a noble manner? Why did you secretly hire Konoha Anbu?
It was even the famed Copper Fox among Konoha Anbu.
Yoru said, “Everyone, no need to be nervous. We’ve received intelligence that Stone Ninja are plotting to sabotage the Di Gu Town diversion canal.
Konoha Anbu killed the Stone Ninja Jonin Shigeto. We hope this little interlude hasn’t affected you. Please continue.”
Yoru waved his hand and body flickered away with Yak Squad.
Koizumi Chisa felt emptiness in her heart.
Yoru led Yak Squad away, heading quickly toward the border.
Near the Land of Rain border, Yoru said:
“I actually didn’t encounter Uchiha Madara this time in the Land of Rain, leaving me feeling empty and uncomfortable inside.
Yak, your squad has two missions next.
The first is to reinforce me at the Land of Rain border. I’m preparing to go deep into the Land of Rain to gather intelligence on Uchiha Madara.
Your squad doesn’t need to go. If I encounter Uchiha Madara, I won’t be killed in a short time, but protecting you all would be quite difficult.”
Yak thought to himself, feeling empty for not seeing Uchiha Madara?
Lynx Squad had two squad leaders die in front of Uchiha Madara last time; Yak didn’t think he was much stronger than those two squad leaders.
Yak hurriedly said, “I understand, Captain. In front of Uchiha Madara, we’d only hold you back.”
Yoru continued, “The second mission is to quickly obtain intelligence from the corpse of Stone Ninja Jonin Shigeto.
It’s been a long time since we’ve heard news of Uchiha Madara; I always feel like he’s plotting some major conspiracy.”
White Crane felt unusually panicked inside.
Her squad had discovered her connection to Root, yet she hadn’t died; now she could only obey the captain’s orders.
This involved Uchiha Madara, yet she couldn’t follow.
Yoru didn’t avoid White Crane and said to Yak, “Yak, if you can find Uchiha Madara, write it into your squad’s mission report.”
Yak was delighted inside; Fox Captain was giving him credit.
“I understand! Captain, I’ll reinforce you at the border!”
After Yak Squad left, Yoru disappeared into the ground.
As squad leader, he had the power to decide his own mission content; the village knew of his brief disappearance and wouldn’t say anything.
The reason he sent Yak Squad away was because Yuka had White Ci use contract chakra to notify Yoru.
When he appeared again, he was already outside the Uzumaki Hideout.
In the rainforest, a bit of cooking smoke rose; the Uzumaki Clan Members were well hidden.
Yuka came out holding a scroll.
She excitedly said, “Fox, I’ve finally cracked Shimura Danzo’s Tongue-Cutting Flower Seal!”
It had been months since Yuka obtained Kai’s corpse, and she’d only just cracked it.
The Tongue-Cutting Flower Seal was a very powerful technique with endless harm.
“Good, very timely, very useful. Danzo’s trump card is useless now.”
In the secret treehouse, after sweating profusely, Yoru stroked Yuka’s abdomen.
The greater the pressure on a person, the harder it is to get pregnant.
The other women had movements one after another, but only Yuka hadn’t caught this wave of baby boom.
On the way back, Yoru had been mentally rehearsing a plan to strike Danzo again.
Root had become much more honest, rarely carrying out missions leaving the Land of Fire, but Root had become worse, using the Tongue-Cutting Flower Seal for more secretive intelligence gathering and accumulating strength.
After meeting Yak at the Land of Rain border, Yoru whispered something to Yak.
Yak’s eyes lit up; the captain had really found intelligence on Uchiha Madara!
Yoru said to Yak, “Yak, after returning to the village, write a report immediately.
I investigated in the Land of Rain and learned that Uchiha Madara also has a secret base in the Land of Fire.
The base’s location is near the Valley of the End to the west of Konoha Village.”
Yak recalled some legends:
“Captain, Uchiha Madara faked his death, but back then after Uchiha Madara was killed by the First Hokage, he was buried in the Valley of the End.
Could there be some major secret in the Valley of the End?”
Yoru shook his head and said, “I don’t know. Write up the mission report quickly. I’ll go discuss with Lord Kiiroinu and organize an investigation targeting the Valley of the End as soon as possible.”
“Got it, Captain.”
Yak was full of enthusiasm.
Uchiha Madara was the top S-rank target in the Assassination Manual; any intelligence on Uchiha Madara was extremely important.
He thought this trip to the Land of Rain to assassinate Stone Ninja Jonin Shigeto was an A-rank mission; he hadn’t expected a surprise that might turn it into an S-rank mission.
Back at the Konoha Anbu Base, Yak immediately drafted the mission report.
In the neighboring squad locker room, White Crane stood at the door crack, looking toward Squad Leader Yak’s office on the side.
A few seconds later, White Crane headed to her older sister Purple Cat’s office.
When passing Fox Captain’s office door, White Crane couldn’t help quickening her pace.
Entering the assistant office next to the squad leader’s office, White Crane’s tone instantly became lively, showing no sign of her worries:
“Purple Cat, is there anything you need my help with? Let’s head home early today!”
“You’ve made a little progress, knowing to call me Purple Cat here, not older sister.” Purple Cat said:
“But not much progress. We’re Anbu Ninja; can we decide when to go home ourselves?”
Chatting with Purple Cat, White Crane’s gaze occasionally drifted to the bell on the side wall.
If Fox Captain called Purple Cat over, he’d use a mechanism to shake the bell.
Not long after, the bell rang.
Purple Cat got up and went to the neighboring office.
After a while, Purple Cat returned.
“Purple Cat, any new missions?”
“Oh, deliver a scroll to Butterfly.”
White Crane said, “Purple Cat, let me deliver it for you. Take good care of your body and avoid upsetting the pregnancy. You pack up; after I deliver the scroll, we’ll head home together.”
Purple Cat’s gaze shifted slightly, but she said, “Good, deliver it to Butterfly quickly.”
White Crane took the scroll and saw the Yak pattern on it.
This was exactly the scroll Yak had just written.
White Crane left with the scroll and suddenly pushed open a door.
The dim corridor was empty; no Fox Captain, no Yak Captain.
White Crane thought to herself, her luck was truly good. She glanced at the scroll’s contents, and her eyes instantly brightened.
Such valuable intelligence?
She hurriedly headed toward Vice Minister Lord Kiiroinu’s office area; next to Vice Minister Lord Kiiroinu’s office was assistant Butterfly’s office.
Inside the Root Base.
B raced quickly through the base and swiftly arrived before Danzo.
Danzo was standing in the Cross Bridge ceiling, lost in thought about something.
B didn’t care about disturbing Danzo and directly said:
“Lord Danzo! Fox has returned from the Land of Rain. He learned that Uchiha Madara has a base in the Land of Fire, located at the Valley of the End where Uchiha Madara clashed with the First Hokage!
Anbu is about to organize a wave of investigation forces! Heading to the Valley of the End!”
Danzo was startled inside, then realized that for someone as proud as Uchiha Madara, being defeated by the First Hokage must be a hurdle he couldn’t get over.
Undoubtedly, the Valley of the End was extremely important to Uchiha Madara.
Danzo said, “Immediately! Take people to the Valley of the End! Beat Anbu there and find Uchiha Madara’s secret base!”
“Yes! Lord!”
