Chapter 67: Is There Darkness In The Village?
Cold sweat trickled along the lower edge of the mask, constantly dripping onto Kiiroinu’s chest.
On the iron vest over his chest, the sweat droplets glistened blindingly under the sunshine.
This was the first time Yoru had seen Kiiroinu so disheveled, with cold sweat pouring down.
The hand with which Kiiroinu Captain gripped the scroll had veins bulging prominently.
Yoru thought to himself, had the coordination between Senju Kashi and Yuka Uzumaki finally taken effect?
Yoru could not let Konoha High Command monopolize power, or else his own range of activity would shrink more and more in the future.
The Uzumaki Clan Annihilation could be overlooked; at that time, he was just a small fry. But the Senju Clan absolutely could not be destroyed silently; a certain influence must be retained to check the high-ranking officials.
If Senju Nawaki learned the truth, the Senju Clan would surely make trouble.
After pondering for several seconds, Kiiroinu Captain said: “Ninja skilled in Earth Release, stay! Everyone else, return to the village!”
Yoru immediately understood what Kiiroinu Captain intended to do.
A small number of elites would disguise themselves as Stone Ninja and ruthlessly eliminate Konoha’s own people!
Anbu was an assassination special forces unit.
Part of the high-ranking officials’ deterrence came from the fact that the Hokage and advisors would really kill their own people.
Which high-ranking official did not have a few lives of their own people on their hands?
By sheer coincidence, Yoru was skilled in Earth Release, and this captain knew it, so he stayed as well.
Purple Cat and the other two team members departed; Purple Cat turned back reluctantly, still not quite used to heading back to the village alone.
In total, five people followed Kiiroinu Captain back to the Land of Grass.
The pressure in the squad was too low.
On the road, Rat requested permission from Kiiroinu Captain due to sensing the ninja layout, and was scolded by Kiiroinu Captain for two full minutes.
Veins bulged on Kiiroinu Captain’s neck, and his words were extremely harsh; the other team members hurriedly lowered their heads.
Kiiroinu Captain finally said:
“The Hokage and Lord Danzo are personally heading to the Front Line Camp! Just to clean up our mess!
Who the hell can tell me! Why Senju Kashi knew our information! Why he could lead us on such a long wild goose chase!
Why, when Senju Kashi is clearly dead, the Senju Clan’s ninja still learned something and keep having secret meetings.
It failed! Everything failed!”
Yoru heard some bad information: the Third Hokage and Danzo were both coming.
Either nip the disaster in the cradle, or confront the Senju Clan directly at the front line.
Blocking intelligence transmission between the front line and Konoha could temporarily prevent the Senju Clan from learning the truth.
Kiiroinu Captain said: “Advisor Mito Mon’en, as Commander-in-Chief, spotted bad signs and immediately dispatched Senju Nawaki outward; we must intercept Senju Nawaki!”
After arriving at the front line, all six changed into Stone Ninja clothing and headbands.
Dark red inner lining, yellowish-brown vests.
This was Anbu’s traditional skill: when dealing with ninja in the village, disguise as enemy village ninja and execute them.
Arriving at a position twenty-plus kilometers northwest of the Konoha camp, Kiiroinu ordered his subordinates to halt.
He said:
“According to Advisor Mito Mon’en’s intelligence, Senju Nawaki’s squad will pass through here to return to the camp.
I’ll personally set up a trap here, guaranteeing Senju Nawaki won’t detect it.
You three in a row go draw Senju Nawaki in, step by step luring him into the trap, then use exploding tags to blow Senju Nawaki to death.
The bait must act convincingly real, must really die at Senju Nawaki’s hands, without the slightest fakery.
Only then can we dispel Senju Nawaki and Orochimaru’s doubts, making Senju Nawaki rashly charge over.
From now on, the bait must constantly give themselves psychological hints that they are Stone Ninja.”
Seeing the hesitation among his several subordinates, Kiiroinu continued:
“Orochimaru only teaches geniuses; his teaching style is hands-off, guiding.
For Orochimaru Squad’s missions, Orochimaru always covers the endgame and won’t interfere with Senju Nawaki’s judgment.
Senju Nawaki talks about becoming Hokage all the time and pays special attention to protecting teammates, so he often charges at the forefront.
Not only must Senju Nawaki die, all Senju ninja at the front line must die!
The Nine-Tails transfer seal is imminent; no one can impact the Nine-Tails Seal, not even the Senju Clan’s young clan head!”
Kiiroinu finally said: “First, decide who will be the bait. Is there anyone among you willing to become bait for the village’s Nine-Tails Seal?”
Yoru thought for a moment and was the first to raise his hand.
Dying at Senju Nawaki’s hands was one of his plans.
With the Third Hokage and Danzo personally at the front line, Commander-in-Chief Advisor Mito Mon’en secretly laying out plans, and one of Anbu’s elite six captains, Kiiroinu, personally setting the trap, Senju Nawaki might not be guaranteed dead, but at least it was a nine-deaths-one-life situation.
If he didn’t extract his ability now, it would be too late.
“Very good, Fox, you haven’t let down me and Kurozaru Squad Leader’s expectations for you.”
Yoru lowered his head, avoiding letting his eyes reveal his dissatisfaction.
Kurozaru Squad Leader was still okay; before the surgery, he had recommended Yoru as Acting Squad Leader, which had given him many conveniences.
Did you, Kiiroinu Captain, saying you value me mean assigning me to even more suicidal missions?
Yoru could distinguish between genuine nurturing and using a workhorse.
The three weakest Anbu members became the bait.
At the Land of Grass border, Orochimaru said: “Let’s go, Nawaki. This reconnaissance mission is over.”
As before, Orochimaru didn’t spare a single glance at Nawaki’s two teammates.
In this mission, one from the Sarutobi Clan, one from the Shimura Clan, they performed terribly, doing nothing but drag them down.
If not for Nawaki’s outstanding performance, those two would have died long ago.
Orochimaru had a severe aversion to stupidity; he hated fools the most.
Nawaki nodded and turned silently.
Orochimaru asked Nawaki: “What’s wrong, Nawaki? Do you have something on your mind?”
“No… nothing.”
Nawaki panicked inwardly, but quickly acted as if everything was normal.
Before leaving the camp, a Senju Clan ninja had found him, wanting to tell him something.
But that clansman had only said the words ‘Uzumaki Clan’ before collapsing in a poison-induced coma.
Medical ninja had rushed in right after and taken that clansman away.
Older Sister Tsunade had been dispatched on a mission; Nawaki was very worried, not knowing if that clansman could recover.
At the same time, why had that clansman said ‘Uzumaki Clan’?
After leaving the camp, Nawaki had been pondering it.
The Senju Clan’s unique distress Water Style signal, clansmen suddenly being dispatched on missions one after another, and the last words ‘Uzumaki Clan’ he heard before leaving—all made Nawaki feel that something bad had definitely happened.
He felt like a large net was slowly tightening around him, closing in.
He trusted Teacher Orochimaru, but not the village’s other ninja.
Especially his two companions: one from the Sarutobi Clan, one from the Shimura Clan.
Originally, he had wanted to team up with the Kurama Clan and a civilian ninja, but it hadn’t worked out; the village had directly assigned him two unfamiliar teammates.
He understood the village’s intention: these two teammates were also young boy geniuses in their respective ninja clans, and the village wanted him to get along well with them.
He was also willing to cooperate with teammates and help each other.
But the village’s rigid arrangement still made him unhappy inside.
Nawaki suddenly asked his teacher: “Teacher Orochimaru, do you think there’s darkness in the village?”
The Sarutobi Clan and Shimura Clan teammates tensed up, not knowing why Nawaki asked that.
Had Nawaki discovered something?
