Staying inside the barrier with Danzo made Yako extremely uneasy.
As one of the key villains of Konoha, being anywhere near him spelled danger.
The entire ANBU carried the sharp imprint of Danzo's personal style.
Ruthless, indifferent to casualties, and utterly obsessed with loyalty and the Will of Fire.
Teams and squads kept leaving the barrier one after another, carrying out who-knows-what missions.
Yako was lucky—after a few days, Captain Black Ape's unit got deployed.
At this crucial moment of surveillance on Uzushio Village, the Red Badger Unit arrived at the harbor at the mouth of the Naka River.
Finally, Yako didn't have to be around Danzo anymore.
When assigning missions, Captain Black Ape said that over the next few days, they had to keep a tight watch on all ships coming from the Land of Waves and the Land of Water—especially any ships with Konoha shinobi aboard.
The squad scattered and hid among cargo piles on the dock, carefully observing the Konoha ninja.
One Konoha team disembarked, visibly relaxed and cheerful to be back in the Land of Fire.
Missions in foreign nations always carried higher risks. Coming home felt like safety, like truly returning.
That kind of Konoha squad was totally normal—not on the Red Badger Unit's radar.
After three days of squatting, they finally spotted an unusual squad disembarking.
Two Konoha shinobi jumped onto the pier in a panic.
They barreled past several dockworkers, knocking them over as they bolted in the direction of Konoha.
Captain Black Ape moved instantly, and Yako's group followed close behind.
Outside the port, in the forest along the Naka River, the two Konoha ninja were sprinting at full speed.
Up ahead, another Konoha shinobi blocked their path.
Yako had already removed his mask and replaced it with a Konoha forehead protector, disguising himself as a regular Konoha shinobi. His shoulder was wrapped in bandages, stained faintly with blood, as he shouted:
"Hey! I'm a Konoha ninja too! Can you help me change my dressing? I hurt my shoulder and arm and can't handle it myself."
One of the older Konoha ninja said:
"Sorry! We've got critical intel to bring back to the village!
We saw several ships at sea—full of Kumo and Kiri ninja! They're heading straight toward the Land of Whirlpools!
Uzushio Village is our ally—they might be..."
"Agh!"
Several shinobi burst out from the Naka River, their gleaming blades scattering droplets of water as they cut down the two Konoha ninja in an instant.
Yako clicked his tongue silently. As expected of ANBU—the shadow of Konoha. For the sake of secrecy, they'd kill their own.
There was no way a massive joint operation between Kiri and Kumo could go unnoticed. Some Konoha shinobi were bound to spot it.
ANBU wouldn't allow that intel to reach the village. They wouldn't even bother imprisoning the witnesses—too risky in case someone investigated later.
After purging three such squads that might leak information, Captain Black Ape was finally satisfied. "Let's move! Head back to the Land of Whirlpools! We report to Lord Danzo!"
Yako did some mental math. Judging by the location of the Kiri and Kumo fleets and the distance between Konoha and Uzushio, even if the message got through today, it was too late for reinforcements.
By the time the Senju clan could send support, Uzushio Village would already be annihilated.
When the Red Badger Unit reached Uzushio, it was already past midnight.
In the distance, the sky above the village was ablaze with fire.
Yako was about to charge forward when he suddenly halted.
By treaty, Konoha and Uzushio were sworn allies, obligated to defend each other.
But this couldn't be viewed through the lens of reason anymore.
"Where do you think you're going?! Stop!"
One of the ANBU, acting on instinct, began rushing toward Uzushio, only to be barked back by Captain Black Ape.
The captain led the squad instead to a hidden mountaintop barrier they had previously used.
Inside, the same crowd of ANBU packed the area tightly.
On the summit, Danzo remained seated calmly atop a stone, coldly observing Uzushio from afar.
From this vantage point, the entire village was visible.
One side was veiled in heavy mist; the other flickered with lightning like a swarm of fireflies.
Fires burned everywhere inside the village—someone was torching it from the perimeter inward, deliberately and in order.
The slain Konoha shinobi had been telling the truth: large numbers of Kiri and Kumo forces were invading Uzushio.
Yako silently tried to piece the situation together.
At this moment, Konoha—under the rule of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi—was facing its greatest crisis since the war began: the transfer of the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
The Second Shinobi War was still underway. Compared to the battles in the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Rivers, or the Land of Rain, this transfer was far more vital.
Losing a regional conflict only meant forfeiting some minor contracts—it could be recovered later.
But if anything went wrong with the Nine-Tails, the entire village could be leveled.
In the original story, the Nine-Tails went berserk, causing countless deaths in Konoha—including the Fourth Hokage and scores of villagers.
That disaster marked the beginning of canon events.
Uzumaki Mito was already old, her body deteriorating, chakra weakening, and her seal becoming unstable.
To ensure stability, Konoha planned to choose another Uzumaki prodigy like Mito to become the next Jinchuriki.
However, the Uzumaki Clan had ideas of their own.
After two Great Ninja Wars, Konoha had grown weaker and more worn down—not like in the First Hokage's era when it stood dominant above all others.
Relying on a treaty with Konoha for safety had become increasingly dangerous.
To ensure their clan's survival and legacy, the Uzumaki decided to seal a Tailed Beast themselves using their unrivaled sealing arts.
That way, they would have a trump card to deter the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
So, they rejected Danzo's demand and refused to send the Uzumaki Princess to Konoha.
That was the beginning of the crack in their alliance.
Uzushio dispatched a sealing squad to help Princess Kushina seal the wild Three-Tails.
It was true the Three-Tails had no current Jinchuriki—but it traditionally belonged to Kirigakure. It just happened to be unclaimed at the time.
This was all the fault of the idealistic First Hokage, who distributed the Tailed Beasts to every village—but gave none to Uzushio.
Kirigakure, learning that Uzushio planned to seal the Three-Tails, sent several members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to disrupt the mission.
Kirigakure wasn't made of dough. Not only did they stop the operation, but they also retaliated in fury against Uzushio.
Then Kumogakure joined the fray.
The Third Raikage was a powerhouse. On the battlefield of the Land of Hot Water, Konoha was already at a disadvantage—no wonder there were so many Kumo-nin here.
The sheer number of Kiri and Kumo ninja swarming Uzushio made it clear—they were preparing for a full-scale war.
If they won, they'd obtain the sealing techniques they desperately needed to control Tailed Beasts.
Just like the Nine-Tails was Konoha's foundation, the Tailed Beasts of other villages were their lifeblood too.
But sadly, Konoha would never send reinforcements.
All Konoha wanted... was Kushina Uzumaki.
They would never allow their most talented Uzumaki princess to become the Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails.
Kushina was already chosen as the next Nine-Tails host. That couldn't be compromised.
For the Nine-Tails, Konoha was willing to sacrifice everything.
There were no Senju left in Konoha's leadership. No one truly cared about treaties anymore. No one cared about the Uzumaki Clan.
Through his binoculars, Yako gazed at Uzushio—and saw only disaster.