All subordinates stood guard outside the cave while Yako lay silently beside the fire, feeling the changes in his body.
His platelets were highly active; the wound quickly stopped bleeding.
The injury itched and tingled as granulation tissue slowly grew.
The Senju and Uzumaki constitutions gave Yako a greater margin for error.
Three days later, his wound stabilized and improved. Yako met individually with ANBU members.
First, the remaining three of the Yamashiro squad.
Their stories matched: the Yamashiro captain had been normal before; they didn't know when he was controlled.
With no useful intel, Yako appointed Hanaka as the new squad leader.
The Yamashiro mask was too unlucky—whoever wore it died, almost killing Yako himself. Sad to kill Yamashiro by his own hand.
Changing the leader might turn their luck around.
Next, Yako met Byakko.
Byakko said he had his Byakugan active but found no anomalies. Within a three-kilometer radius, no one was hiding.
The enemy's method was so subtle that even Byakugan couldn't detect it.
Lastly, Murasaki reported:
"Captain, I tried the Mind Transfer Secret Technique on Yamashiro to stop him attacking you.
It failed!
Yamashiro's body holds two souls! I've never seen this before!"
Yako's eyes shifted, realization dawning.
He had suspected Yamashiro was also under Madara's genjutsu—the three Konoha ninja were under genjutsu before him.
But the recent ANBU killings and Yamashiro's attack on him were not illusions—they were soul-based secret techniques.
At last, evidence.
Only Kato Dan, the promising Senju subordinate, was known to possess such power.
It seemed Kato Dan was truly moving against the village.
Reflecting deeper, the village's extremism had forced the Senju and Kato Dan to extremes.
Five days later, Yako finally emerged from the cave.
His shoulder wound had fully healed, no longer affecting his combat ability.
The enemy was too dangerous—either Madara or Kato Dan. He needed full recovery before moving.
Outside, the rain drizzled steadily, never ceasing.
Yako said, "Back to the frontline camp, but take a detour through the Land of Fire first.
The situation here is too complicated for our squad to handle.
We're only here to investigate; not accomplishing a goal doesn't mean abandoning the mission."
About twenty kilometers away in a mountain cave, Kato Dan told his two guards:
"Today I will use the forbidden technique again to probe Hanzō's info. Please guard me."
The two guards stood at the cave entrance while Kato Dan leaned against the wall.
Fox's ANBU squad included a Hyuga ninja.
That Hyuga had also participated in the Nine-Tails sealing; he must have seen much intel.
If they could get info from Hyuga ANBU, maybe the truth behind the Senju's heavy blow would come to light.
Kato Dan formed seals and used the forbidden Soul Separation Technique.
His soul flew through the mountain above the cave, appearing midair.
All souls nearby flickered like candle flames in the dark.
Under Byakko's command, Fox's squad circled south, planning to enter the Land of Fire from Rain Country's south.
Due to Yamashiro's surprise attack last time, all ANBU kept some distance, giving reaction time.
Yako stayed at the rear, watching every subordinate ahead.
In the quiet, Rei suddenly reached into his ninja tool pouch.
Yako shouted, "Rei! Don't move! Take your hand out!"
But the next second, five explosive tags were already in Rei's hand.
"Dodge!"
The tags flew in five directions, exploding instantly.
Amid the blasts, Yako saw Murasaki thrown against a nearby log, Kuroushi falling midair, blood spewing from his mouth.
Murasaki's squad suffered heavy casualties.
Yako rushed forward, catching the nearest Kuroushi.
Kuroushi's chest was blackened and blistered from the blast.
As Yako prepared to set him down, Kuroushi suddenly lifted a kunai, stabbing at Yako's side ribs.
From the log, Rei panicked, "It wasn't me! Someone took control of me!"
Kato Dan's soul had shifted from Rei to Kuroushi!
Kuroushi's kunai struck only a clump of humanoid mud.
Kato Dan's spirit faltered—an earth substitute?
The kunai missed again, then stabbed at the ground beneath.
Unfortunately, Yako didn't immediately counterattack Kuroushi.
Failing to retaliate, Kuroushi charged the nearest Murasaki.
Murasaki, still dazed, tried to stand.
Kuroushi's movements were different—no longer his usual self.
The kunai stopped three centimeters from Murasaki's mask forehead.
Yako rose from below, stabbing the kunai into Kuroushi's arm.
He didn't want to kill Kuroushi.
But Kuroushi's hand loosened, dropping the kunai, then grabbed it with the other hand, continuing to strike Murasaki.
Yako kicked Kuroushi away.
Already heavily wounded, Kuroushi writhed in the mud.
Rei fell from the tree: "Sorry, Captain! I don't know what controlled me!"
Regret colored Rei's tone, but his kunai stabbed toward Yako's throat.
Yako's scalp tingled—not due to their strength, but because everyone around could be an enemy, danger everywhere.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A water wall surged out, blasting Rei away.
He crashed onto a large fallen tree overhead, dazed, then tumbled heavily to the ground.
He painfully looked up, whispering, "Captain, I really didn't mean to."
Yako glanced at Murasaki—only she could discern if souls were controlled.
Murasaki slowly looked up, "Captain, I'm going to use a secret technique..."
She began forming seals.
Yako thought, even if Kato Dan controlled Murasaki, surely he couldn't wield Yamanaka clan techniques?
The next moment, a Senbon hidden on Murasaki's wrist suddenly jabbed at Yako.
Slap!
Yako grabbed her wrist, lifted her, and punched her abdomen, stopping her resistance.
In the pouring rain, watching Murasaki collapse, Yako felt heat surge through him, restless inside.
This was the oppressive feeling Kato Dan brought.
No one around was trustworthy; the squads' coordinated tactics were a joke.
No wonder Kato Dan wanted to become Hokage—someone as talented as Tsunade supported him strongly.
Ordinary ninja squads faced Kato Dan only to be slaughtered one-sidedly.
If even Murasaki was unreliable, how could Yako face an elite Jonin who mastered forbidden techniques?
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NEW FANFIC TRANSLATED :
Naruto : I Can Evolve My Gene Infinitely
Naruto : My AI System is Really That Powerful
Give it a try !