Chapter 85: Anbu Getting Killed One After Another
“What? The Hippopotamus Squad Leader is dead?”
One week after the Nine-Tails transfer seal, a piece of news spread in the Anbu Base.
The Hippopotamus Squad Leader of the Kiiroinu Battalion died on a mission somewhere in the Land of Fire.
The Hippopotamus Squad Leader was very strong, just one step away from Jonin.
On the night of the Nine-Tails transfer seal, the Hippopotamus was also one of the Squad Leaders who followed the Kiiroinu to under the Nine-Tails.
Many Anbu Ninjas died, but the key is that from the Hippopotamus’s corpse, it could be seen that he was assassinated from behind by a subordinate.
Anbu has spies, which is somewhat shocking.
In the next few days, Anbu deaths occurred frequently, all killed by subordinates or Captains. In the base in the Death Forest, there was an atmosphere of tension and fear.
In a forest somewhere in the Land of Fire.
Fox Squad members appeared one after another using Body Flicker.
Three squads formed a circle, some standing on the ground, some on stones, some on tree trunks.
In the center of the squads on the ground were two corpses.
Two Anbu corpses.
The atmosphere was extremely heavy.
This was the second Anbu internal killing incident investigated by Fox Squad recently.
After carefully examining the corpses, Purple Cat came to report to Yoru:
“Captain, the deceased are two team members from the Yak Squad of our Kiiroinu Battalion.
One assassinated the other from behind, and the ninja sword pierced the other’s lung.
After that, both sides briefly fought, and both died.”
Yoru asked: “Are the two new recruits recently sent by Root?”
If Root’s screening was not strict and spies were mixed into Anbu, it was possible that the spies suddenly attacked for intelligence.
Purple Cat said: “The one assassinated is a new recruit, but the one who attacked from behind cannot be considered a new recruit; he had been serving in Anbu for over six months.”
“Six months, that rules out the suspicion of spies.”
Aries slightly raised an eyebrow nearby. Six months could rule out spy suspicion? The Fox Squad Leader had been serving in Anbu for about a year.
Yoru looked at Purple Cat and said:
“After the Nine-Tails transfer seal, our squad alone has investigated two Anbu internal killing incidents.
I don’t know about other squads, but probably more.
This is not accidental. Besides the possibility of spies, the Nara Clan’s shadow control secret jutsu, the Yamanaka Clan’s Mind Body Switch Technique, and some forbidden jutsu can all make people kill each other.
Can the suspicion of the Nara Clan or Yamanaka Clan be ruled out?”
Purple Cat said:
“Both sides’ final blows were kunai stabbing the eyes, straight into the brain. The brain was destroyed, so no intelligence could be extracted from the corpses’ brains.
However, shadow control jutsu can be ruled out.
Anyone hit by shadow control jutsu will unconsciously exert force under their feet to try to break free from control, so the soil under their feet will be messed up in the struggle, leaving deep footprints.
As for the Mind Body Switch Technique… I cannot rule it out.”
Yoru also had no way. This investigation mission ended without results again.
Last time, three Anbu Ninjas acted to assassinate a noble of the Land of Fire, but died in the noble’s garden. Not only did the mission fail, but it almost caused a diplomatic incident.
This time, two Anbu went to the Grass Country front line to deliver intelligence, and died halfway.
The key is that both deaths were mutual killings, extremely rare for Anbu.
“Take the corpses back to the village and see if the Torture Department can get some intelligence.”
After returning to Anbu, just as Yoru delivered the corpses to the Torture Department, the assistant of the Kiiroinu Captain said that the Captain wanted to see him.
Entering the Captain’s office, Yoru saw more than a dozen scrolls messily thrown on the table.
Kiiroinu said:
“The Nine-Tails transfer seal caused significant casualties in Anbu, and recently more than ten Anbu internal killing incidents have occurred. All six Anbu battalions have deaths.
How was your investigation result today?”
Yoru answered:
“Sorry, same as last time, nothing was found.
The corpses’ brains were all destroyed, unable to determine if it was real mutual killing or mutual killing under the control of genjutsu, secret jutsu, or forbidden jutsu.
No traces of enemies hiding or lurking were found within several hundred meters around.”
Kiiroinu pushed his mask, indicating he was also very anxious at the moment. He said:
“Anbu all died after leaving the village, so the enemies are likely outside the village.
Investigations near the village have yielded no results. Fox, take your squad to the Land of Rain to investigate an Anbu death incident.
Your squad has Yamanaka Clan and Hyuga Clan members, with relatively comprehensive abilities.
In the Land of Rain, one is to investigate the Anbu squad’s death, and two is to monitor the battle situation in the Land of Rain for Lord Danzo.
Lord Danzo has decided to enter the Land of Rain in the next half month or month.
The most intense battle now is with the Hidden Rain Village.
The Demon of the Underworld Hanzo has a formidable reputation. Perhaps Anbu’s deaths are his sabotage behind enemy lines.”
Yoru nodded and asked again: “What about the mission to monitor the increasingly intense conflict between the Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan?”
Kiiroinu said: “I will assign it to other squads in the village.”
The Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan have constant friction, and bloodshed and injuries have occurred.
The greatly weakened Senju Clan, instead, has been aggressively provoking the Uchiha Clan.
The Uchiha Clan cannot explain the Sharingan on the night of the Nine-Tails transfer seal and has been enduring it despite being speechless.
Yoru took his squad and left Konoha Village that day, heading to the Land of Rain.
Along the way, Yoru was very cautious, guarding against the surroundings and every Anbu member behind him, especially the few new recruits.
Who exactly is killing Anbu?
A name emerged in Yoru’s mind.
Could it be him?
Kato Dan?
It wouldn’t be strange for Kato Dan to participate, but directly executing Anbu is somewhat strange.
Could the Senju Clan have abandoned naivety and started using any means against Anbu?
Arriving in the Land of Rain, Yoru led the squad to report first at the front line headquarters.
Commander-in-Chief Mito Mon’en has no authority to command Anbu, but needs to know all frontline forces including Anbu to avoid misjudgment.
In the Anbu tent, Yoru saw many Jonin.
Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kato Dan, and others.
It seemed a small Jonin meeting had just ended here.
Yoru glanced at Tsunade. The tragedy of the Nine-Tails transfer seal had already reached the front line.
Tsunade looked tired and sorrowful; most of her clan died in the Nine-Tails seal, and her mood was extremely bad.
Yoru glanced at Orochimaru again. Danzo’s Sharingan was probably transplanted by Orochimaru.
He had once handled corpses after Orochimaru’s experiments; a Shimura Clan boy’s eyeballs were removed.
He didn’t know if the Shimura Clan people later became test subjects because of Danzo.
As for Jiraiya, no need to look; he only cared about sticking to Tsunade, nothing could be seen.
None of these three noticed Yoru this Anbu member, but Yoru clearly felt Kato Dan looked at him one more time.
Slightly turning his head to look at Kato Dan’s departing back, Yoru was pensive.
Mito Mon’en said: “Fox, the Anbu squad with strange death, the corpse is still in the corpse storage tent in the medical area. You can go investigate.”
“Yes, Lord Mito Mon’en.”
After arriving at the medical tent area, Yoru saw Tsunade again.
Tsunade was wearing the First Hokage’s Necklace retrieved from Nawaki around her neck, busy in the medical area.
The Hidden Rain Village raised salamanders with strong toxins, and the medical area had many poisoned Ninjas.
Fortunately Tsunade was here; otherwise, these poisoned Ninjas would slowly die.
When Yoru took Purple Cat and Aries towards the corpse tent, he saw Kato Dan coming to find Tsunade again.
Behind Kato Dan were two Ninjas, guards equipped for Kato Dan by the Senju Clan.
As he passed by Kato Dan, Yoru carefully observed every detail of Kato Dan.
His body muscles were very relaxed, with no subtle exertion as if seeing an enemy.
Yoru was somewhat puzzled in his heart. Could he have been wrong?
There was also a possibility that this Fox Squad Leader was not worth Kato Dan’s tension.
