Chapter 33: Face As Black As Iron
Yoru followed Kiiroinu Captain to a spot twenty meters away from the high-ranking officials.
Kiiroinu’s appearance meant the Anbu had important intelligence to report to Minister Danzo.
Yoru glanced at the high-ranking officials, observing their expressions.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi wore armor and sat on a stone smoking.
On one side of him were Senju Clan Head Senju Rinki and Elite Jonin Kato Dan, and on the other side were Mito Mon’en and Danzo Shimura.
It looked like Third Hokage was acting as a referee between both sides, mediating their conflict.
Senju Rinki’s expression was ashen, but his face was full of arrogance, refusing to yield an inch.
On the other side, Mito Mon’en had argued himself tired and took a sip of water.
As for Danzo, he remained silent as ever.
When these high-ranking officials gathered, it was usually Mito Mon’en who spoke for the others, expressing their attitude.
The Senju Clan seemed to have major disagreements with the high-ranking officials, perhaps over the placement of Kushina Uzumaki, or perhaps over the ownership of the Scroll of Seals from Hidden Whirlpool Village.
Both the Senju Clan and the village wanted to control the legacy of the Uzumaki Clan.
Danzo Shimura walked over upon seeing Kiiroinu.
Kiiroinu hurriedly reported:
“Lord Danzo, Kurozaru Squad has obtained important intelligence.
The Whirlpool Elder finally selected 8 Uzumaki Clan Members and sent them toward the Land of Waves using Yatagarasu.
Moreover, before dying, the Whirlpool Elder took out a Sealed Scroll.
Kurozaru is doing his utmost to follow Yatagarasu.”
Danzo’s gaze sharpened upon hearing this.
If the Scroll of Seals from Hidden Whirlpool Village couldn’t be obtained, the Sealing Jutsu from the Whirlpool Elder could serve as a temporary substitute.
Danzo ordered:
“Kiiroinu, your battalion has lost many subordinates. First, organize the survivors into a squad and go search for Kurozaru immediately.
You and Hippopotamus, from the two thousand Leaf Ninja who came this time, select and train a new Anbu Battalion, get them combat-ready as soon as possible.
After assembling two complete battalions, you and Hippopotamus go search for the Uzumaki Remnants and bring them or the scroll back to Konoha Village.”
Yoru thought to himself, that word “or” was used well.
Danzo’s meaning was, bring back those Uzumaki Remnants if possible, and dissect them thoroughly once back.
If they couldn’t be brought back, that was fine too—just make sure to retrieve the Whirlpool Elder’s scroll.
Kiiroinu nodded repeatedly and left with Yoru.
Danzo turned his head and first glanced at Senju Rinki.
The Senju Clan had deep roots and a vast presence; many village policies couldn’t be implemented without considering the Senju Clan’s mood.
For example, with this Nine-Tails Jinchuriki replacement, the Senju Clan actually wanted complete control over the new Jinchuriki.
How could the village’s safety be entrusted to the Senju Clan?
Kiiroinu brought Yoru back to the battalion.
“Our battalion, after this grueling mission, has fewer than 20 people left.
Yak, I now appoint you Squad Leader. Reorganize a full squad and head to the Land of Waves to search. Fox has the code temporarily set by Kurozaru.
Your squad’s mission is to find the Uzumaki Remnants and the legacy scroll, and pin them down.
Be careful—the Uzumaki Clan’s secret jutsu legacy is hard to deal with, and they have large summoning beasts. Kiiroinu Captain and I will follow with two battalions to carry out the capture.”
Yoru followed Yak Squad Leader and left.
After waiting a long time with no gear for disguising as Cloud Ninja arriving, it seemed no need to disguise anymore.
When the Uzumaki Clan hadn’t been annihilated, killing Whirlpool Ninja required caution and disguising as Cloud Ninja.
Now that the Uzumaki Clan was annihilated, they could be killed outright. With Anbu keeping secrets, no one would know.
—
The full moon was like a silver plate, moonlight like white frost.
By the time they reached the seaside, Yoru had arrived on the full moon night.
What came next would be easier, with one resurrection opportunity available.
Yoru gave Yak Squad Leader an extra glance—what good thing would he give himself after this resurrection?
After entering the Land of Waves, the Anbu Ninja carefully searched for marks left by Kurozaru and inquired everywhere if anyone had seen a three-legged giant bird.
After several days, they hadn’t found the Uzumaki Remnants but did get some new news.
After Third Mizukage’s death, with no Fourth Mizukage selected, Hidden Mist Village Elder Yuan Shi became the new leader, temporarily managing Hidden Mist Village.
Near the end of the month, the Anbu finally found the code left by Kurozaru.
The code pointed toward the direction of Kyoto in the Land of Waves.
Yak Squad Leader gathered the squad leaders to assign missions. He said:
“Hidden Whirlpool Village has been destroyed, so the mission quotas for the Land of Whirlpools and Land of Waves have opened up.
The Land of Whirlpools Daimyo and Land of Waves Daimyo have always been vassals of the Land of Fire Daimyo.
We’re operating in Kyoto, so we can’t cause too much killing, or it will hurt negotiations for the upcoming mission quotas.
In Land of Waves Kyoto, there are still quite a few Uzumaki Remnants—for example, among the Land of Whirlpools Daimyo’s guardian ninja, there are Whirlpool Ninja.”
The Anbu Ninja all disguised as ordinary merchants, carrying only kunai, and entered Land of Waves Kyoto.
The Land of Waves was situated between three great nations: northwest was the Land of Lightning, west was the Land of Fire, east was the Land of Water. The situation here was complex, akin to the Land of Rain, another Fourth War battlefield.
Yoru moved through the streets, searching every trash can, every tree trunk.
The kunai behind him had to be carefully concealed.
Kunai were a symbol of ninja identity; if seen by civilians, their identity would be exposed.
Ninja were relatively comfortable inside ninja villages; outside, they were viewed with hostility by all civilians.
The ninja world had many records of ninja massacring cities and annihilating countries; to civilians, ninja were like floods and fierce beasts.
Ninja killed too many, too quickly, leading to civilians’ hostility and non-violent non-cooperation.
After searching for several days, Yoru finally found Kurozaru Squad Leader.
“Squad Leader, you…”
Kurozaru Squad was hiding in a cramped warehouse; his left arm had been severed at the shoulder.
Seeing it was Fox, Kurozaru’s tense muscles relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
“Not only did we see the Whirlpool Elder take out a scroll at the end, the Mist Ninja saw it too. I chased the Uzumaki Remnants here, and so did the Mist Ninja.
Yagura is dead, and I lost an arm.
Juzo Biwa is too strong; I was no match for him at all.”
Yoru was secretly alarmed, not expecting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to have come to Land of Waves Kyoto as well.
“Captain, where are the Uzumaki Remnants?”
“Unknown—they hid with the help of guardian ninja, and I can’t find them.”
A trace of joy rose in Yoru’s heart; Yuka Uzumaki was probably still alive.
“Captain, I’ll take you to Yak Captain. The first batch of support for us is Yak Squad; two battalions will come after.”
Kurozaru and Yoru found Yak Squad Leader.
After the two squad leaders discussed, they decided to have Anbu operate in pairs to quickly search for the Uzumaki Remnants in Kyoto.
They had to find those Uzumaki female ninja before the Mist Ninja did.
Kurozaru and Yoru acted together.
Captain Kurozaru was truly cautious, always walking on Yoru’s left side.
With his left arm severed, his right hand was always guarding against Yoru.
Did Yoru really look so much like a traitor? Or was Kurozaru himself extremely cautious, always on guard against him?
Kyoto was vast.
After several days, Yoru saw a small bird land by a small lake in a park in Kyoto.
Egret—it was an Egret.
