Yoru went through the mission records of Captain Black Ape's squad.
Ongoing assignments included surveillance on the Uzumaki Princess, investigation into Hidden Stone Village's spy network, and several other operations he hadn't been part of.
Then he saw a familiar name, Shokyo.
As he suspected, Shokyo's identity had been under Anbu suspicion. But since she posed minimal threat and was useful to the trap against Hidden Stone, the Anbu had decided not to "clean up" the suspected spy for now.
Her investigation file contained another familiar name, his own.
According to the records, the Leaf Monkey Squad had been tasked with watching Shokyo. They noted that Fox had been seen in her bar several times and deemed his behavior "suspicious."
But Captain Black Ape had added a note below:
"Fox previously expressed doubts about Shokyo's identity during missions. He may be continuing his investigation in secret."
Later, that same report documented how Fox, alongside Captain Black Ape, had tracked down a Cloud spy inside Shokyo's bar, which then led to rescuing the kidnapped Uzumaki Princess.
The final line of the scroll read:
"Conclusion: Fox poses no threat. If he were truly a spy, there'd be far more valuable targets than the Uzumaki Princess."
So that was it, a string of coincidences had ended up saving his life.
Yoru sighed quietly, closing the file. The Anbu's paranoia truly ran deep.
He summoned Purple Cat and ordered her to request additional members from Root to replenish both Fox's and Black Ape's teams.
Once that was arranged, Yoru left Anbu headquarters and made his way toward Crane Moon Tavern, Shokyo's place.
Tonight, a wooden sign hung at the door: "Closed."
Yoru frowned. That foolish, big-breasted woman… closing shop now of all times? She's basically screaming she has something to hide.
If not for pure luck, Black Ape Squad temporarily disabled, Leaf Monkey Squad wiped out , she'd already be in an Anbu interrogation room tonight.
He rapped sharply on the door.
"Open up!"
A woman's voice came from inside.
"Sorry! We're closed tonight!"
"It's me."
There was a clatter of moving chairs and tables. Then the door opened.
Shokyo stood there, her clothes wrinkled, her eyes full of panic and despair. She looked like a frightened kitten.
"Closed, huh? Good," Yoru said as he brushed past her. "Then tonight, you'll be serving only me."
Shokyo shut the door quickly and hurried after him, her voice trembling.
"What mission were you on these past few days? Why didn't you come see me?"
She'd been anxious. After all, Hidden Stone Village had suffered a devastating defeat at Mount Ushika, six elite jōnin dead, hundreds more lost. The entire Leaf was celebrating.
But for her, a spy from that very village, it meant her mission, and perhaps her life, were over.
So this is it… I'm going to die.
Neither Konoha nor Hidden Stone Village would tolerate her now.
"Were you part of the Mount Ushi operation against Hidden Stone Village?" she asked hesitantly.
Yoru turned, looking down at her.
For an instant, she panicked , then forced herself to meet his gaze head-on, stubbornly defiant.
Yoru sighed inwardly. Too bad… she's already accepted death.
"Of course not," he said lightly. "That kind of mission's way above my pay grade. But it's satisfying, isn't it? Six elite jōnin, thirty others, and over three hundred chūnin wiped out. A beautiful victory for Konoha."
At his words, Shokyo's body trembled violently.
Her lips quivered. She was on the verge of breaking down.
"Bring me a bottle of sake," Yoru said quietly. "No matter what happens tomorrow, we should at least enjoy tonight, don't you think?"
"…No matter what happens tomorrow?" she echoed faintly.
Then she forced a shaky smile.
"Yes… whatever happens tomorrow, can wait until tomorrow."
She lunged forward, knocking Yoru onto the sofa.
On the sofa, on the table, against the bar, each time Yoru tried to take control, Shokyo resisted with desperate, almost feral strength, forcing him beneath her again.
She was venting everything, fear, grief, self-hatred , in one last storm of passion.
Yoru stopped resisting. Eventually, he simply let himself feel it.
Her body was lithe and firm, like a sculpture carved from living stone, no softness, no excess.
Maybe it's the Hidden Stone training, he thought idly. Their so-called "Rock Body Conditioning"… it certainly shows.
When it was over, Yoru quietly reached for a table knife. His fingers tightened around the handle, his heart heavy.
To eliminate any risk to himself, he should kill her right now.
Shokyo lay draped across his chest, unaware of his thoughts.
"If only…" she murmured softly. "If only I could just stay with you like this… how nice that would be."
Yoru's hand loosened. He set the knife down gently and wrapped his arms around her bare back, pressing her close against his chest.
At some point, he drifted into sleep.
When he awoke, she was gone.
Shokyo had cleaned him up, dressed him, and left quietly through the back door of the tavern.
Everything that tied her to Konoha… ended there.
Moments later, Yoru's eyes snapped open.
Shokyo, meanwhile, had made her way to a secluded park in Konoha's southern district, though calling it a park was generous; it was mostly overgrown trees and shadowed greenery.
The dense foliage hid her completely from the outside.
She searched each tree's base for Hidden Stone Village's secret coded marks.
After nearly an hour, she found one, and waited beneath that tree.
A rustle came from the distant bushes.
"Meiyi… is that you?"
A young woman crawled out, her sister.
"Big Sister," Meiyi said softly, tears in her eyes, "your mission's finally over. Come home with me."
But Shokyo didn't smile.
Her intel had led to Hidden Stone's catastrophic defeat. Lady Mito Uzumaki hadn't been weakened at all, she'd fought fiercely.
Even if she returned to the village, the punishment awaiting her in Hidden Stone's interrogation chambers would be far worse than death.
Still, for her sister's future, she had no choice.
"…Alright," she said quietly. "Let's go home."
Meiyi threw her arms around her.
Under the moonlight, in Konoha's shadowed grove, the two Hidden Stone Village sisters embraced , clinging to the only comfort they had left.
Until.
"gh!"
A kunai plunged into Shokyo's stomach.
Her eyes widened in shock, confusion, and despair.
"Sister!" Meiyi cried, her face twisted in anguish. "You betrayed the village! There's a kill order out for you! All spies in Konoha are now traitors!"
"Meiyi…" Shokyo gasped, choking back tears. "I was going to return! I just needed to clear my name in interrogation, then you'd be safe, "
But Meiyi's expression hardened.
No. The only way to erase the suspicion surrounding her was to kill her traitor sister herself , to bring back Shokyo's head.
She kicked the kunai deeper into Shokyo's gut, then drew another and thrust it toward her sister's throat.
Shokyo suddenly smiled.
So… everything I gave… all these years… only ever moved me.
Her sister , like every shinobi molded by Hidden Stone Village, had become someone who lived only for the village and herself.
Ninja… so this is what it means to be a ninja…
The kunai drove toward her throat,
Clack!
A large hand caught Meiyi's wrist mid-strike.
Her eyes went wide with horror. The blade had pierced barely half a centimeter before stopping.
At once, sealing marks flared across her body, freezing her limbs in place.
Yoru stepped out of the darkness, his hand still gripping her wrist, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.
So long since I've used the Self-Cursing Binding Seal… and still as efficient as ever.
He lifted Meiyi's chin with one hand, studying her.
"Well, well," he murmured. "A Hidden Stone spy who happened to look exactly like a Konoha woman named Shokyo, using that coincidence to infiltrate and manipulate…"
He smiled coldly.
"Almost believable. But still, "
His eyes hardened.
"you can die now, Hidden Stone spy."