Yako returned to Yuka's side and said, "Yuka, the ANBU Vice Commander — Lynx of the Shimura clan — is dead.
Next, hide in the Uzushio Village hideout. Don't come out for now. A major war is about to erupt in the Land of Rain. I still have a mission. I need to go meet Uchiha Madara."
Yuka thought Fox was planning to snatch Nagato Uzumaki back and immediately said, "Fox, don't take risks. Didn't you say Uchiha Madara is cultivating Nagato? You shouldn't risk yourself either."
"It's fine. I'm just going to say hello to him. I know my limits."
Both Yako and Yuka were reverse-summoned at the same time. Yuka returned to the depths of the rainforest in the southwestern Land of Rain, while Yako appeared again in the northeastern region, continuing his act of searching for Uchiha Madara.
Land of Grass.
Sarutobi Hiaki found Lynx's forehead protector.
It had melted, the metal warped and twisted. Dark scorch marks stained its surface — likely the remnants of blood charred by the explosion.
A Hyūga scout from the reconnaissance team reported, "Jonin Hiaki, Lord Lynx tried to leap away with everything he had in the final moment before the explosion.
However, the blast radius was too large and the force too overwhelming. Lord Lynx fell victim to it. This melted forehead protector is all he left behind."
The Konoha symbol engraved on the metal was distorted and chaotic — just like Sarutobi Hiaki's current state of mind.
"Lynx had only just become ANBU Vice Commander," Hiaki said quietly. "He had only just begun to be addressed with respect… and yet he fell during his first mission.
…Send this news back to the village immediately by ninja hawk.
ANBU Vice Commander Lynx, the Wildcat squad leader, two ANBU teams, and Sarutobi Seidō… all have fallen."
A grim report.
Even someone of Lynx's stature — the ANBU Vice Commander — had been killed by a rogue ninja.
Hiaki turned toward his younger brother, Sarutobi Hiyu, only to find him still lost in thought.
Hiyu had lived recklessly for years, relying on his status as Sarutobi Sasuke's most favored youngest son. He had toyed with far too many female ninja, and now this illegitimate child of his had caused enormous trouble for the village. Perhaps this was karmic retribution.
A Hyūga ninja asked, "Jonin Hiaki, should we continue pursuing Sarutobi Kanosuke?"
"We continue," Hiaki said firmly. "Unless the village orders us back, we keep investigating."
If Danzo learned that Lynx had died here — and they returned without completing the mission — there would be bloodshed.
Lynx was too important to Danzo. With the Shimura clan losing more and more elite members, this was an especially heavy blow.
Cannon fodder is easy to replace. Jonin are not, Hiaki thought bitterly.
Sarutobi Kanosuke… what did the clan or the village ever do to wrong you? Just say it. Give us a chance to make it right.
If only he would speak.
Hiaki judged that once the investigation team in the Land of Rain either achieved a breakthrough or suffered catastrophic losses while pursuing Uchiha Madara, the village would recall them.
Three days later, a ninja hawk delivered the news to Konoha.
Inside the Hokage's office, the village's leadership had gathered.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat smoking, his mood darker than the smoke curling toward the ceiling.
If Lynx had died merely as an ANBU squad leader in the Land of Grass, it would not have weighed this heavily on him.
But Lynx had been the ANBU Vice Commander — not some nameless operative.
Even together with Hiaki and an elite intelligence team, they had been no match for Sarutobi Kanosuke?
And then there was Sarutobi Hiyu. Just thinking about him made Hiruzen's temper flare.
Unable to control himself, creating an illegitimate child and abandoning responsibility — and now this disaster.
Seeing that no one else spoke, Nara Shikakaku finally said, "My lords, I believe the one calling himself Sarutobi Kanosuke has already reached Kage-level strength. Should we dispatch a Kage-level shinobi to hunt him down?"
A single Five Elements Great Barrage possessed power comparable to a miniature Tailed Beast Ball. One technique capable of destroying a hundred-meter-wide area.
That alone was enough proof.
One benchmark for a Kage-level shinobi was the ability to stand against a Tailed Beast. Sarutobi Kanosuke's Five Elements Great Barrage clearly met that threshold.
Within the village, the available Kage-level shinobi were limited.
The Third Hokage was irrelevant. The Third Hokage himself could not go. Advisor Danzo and Advisor Mitokado Homura would not risk themselves.
That left only Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Hatake Sakumo.
Orochimaru arrived late, initially assuming Fox had made a shocking debut with Wood Release. When he saw the circulated intelligence scroll and realized the chaos was caused by Sarutobi Kanosuke instead, his interest faded.
Shikakaku noticed immediately — Orochimaru clearly had no interest in pursuing Kanosuke.
Tsunade… even less likely.
Did that mean sending Hatake Sakumo?
At least Sakumo would not refuse.
Danzo's eye twitched several times before he nearly ground out through clenched teeth, "Sarutobi Hiruzen, did you read the scroll? Sarutobi Kanosuke declared that every member of the Sarutobi clan gets one free pass from him.
And you can still sit there calmly? Why aren't you going to the Land of Grass to clean up your clan's rogue ninja yourself?"
Hiruzen remained silent, smoke curling around him.
He could not go.
If he left for the Land of Grass, Ōnoki would certainly make a move. During the First Great Ninja War, Hiruzen had defeated him — and Ōnoki had never forgotten that humiliation.
As Hokage, leader of the greatest shinobi village, he could not afford reckless risks. Unlike barefoot fighters, he had too much to lose.
Remaining undefeated was power in itself. One failure would shatter that legend.
"Sarutobi Kanosuke has become a grave threat," Hiruzen finally said. "He must be eliminated.
Ninjutsu specialists fear speed-type shinobi the most. Against high-speed opponents, their techniques lose accuracy, and they risk being engaged at close range.
Perhaps we should send Hatake Sakumo's team to the Land of Grass."
Mitokado Homura nodded repeatedly. Sakumo was currently training genin — sending him with three genin to the Land of Grass could be a suitable choice.
"We must end the chaos in the Land of Grass quickly," Homura said. "The Land of Grass daimyo is already dissatisfied with us. If this continues, we risk losing mission allocations.
Their guardian shinobi jonin have been wiped out two or three times already. This is not only a severe blow to the Shimura clan but also a major blow to Konoha's reputation."
But Hiruzen shook his head.
"Sarutobi Kanosuke serves Uchiha Madara. The true priority is the mission in the Land of Rain — investigating Madara.
Even if we send Hatake Sakumo now, Kanosuke may already have returned to Madara's side.
Let us wait until the Land of Rain mission concludes. Uchiha Madara is the true mastermind."
Orochimaru nodded repeatedly.
Sensei's judgment is sharp, he thought. Kanosuke may already be back in the Land of Rain.
Land of Rain… Fox, you'd better perform well. Prove the worth of my experiments.
Danzo turned sharply toward Yellow Dog.
"Yellow Dog, the Root intelligence network was handed over to your ANBU. Can you determine Sarutobi Kanosuke's location now? Where is your intelligence? Are we just supposed to sit here guessing?"
Yellow Dog felt bitterness rise in his throat.
He wanted accurate intelligence more than anyone — but he had none.
Long-Arm Ape still hadn't sorted out the spy network, and the intelligence system once under Lynx's control was completely inaccessible to him.
Mitokado Homura added sternly, "Yellow Dog, the spy network operated smoothly before. You must pay close attention. If the intelligence network collapses, Konoha becomes blind."
"I understand. I will prioritize restoring it."
Hiruzen then shifted the discussion.
"The position of ANBU Vice Commander cannot remain vacant.
The ANBU Commander stays within the village, but the Vice Commander must leave and carry out the most dangerous missions.
The new Vice Commander cannot fall as easily as Lynx did.
The situation grows more difficult by the day. The death of the Vice Commander is not only the loss of an elite — it is a severe blow to Konoha's authority.
Who do you believe is suitable for the role of ANBU Vice Commander?"