Yagami stood atop the Hokage Rock.
Through the telescope, the Senju compound appeared calm and peaceful.
He carefully memorized the layout of the buildings inside the Senju clan's territory.
The massive compound was divided into three main sections — left, center, and right.
The central path consisted of seven courtyards.
The first four courtyards were public spaces of the Senju Clan — ancestral halls, meeting halls, archives, and other administrative areas.
These places were sometimes open to outsiders, so Yagami easily obtained information about them.
As for the last three courtyards, he didn't know which one belonged to the clan leader, Senju Rinki, or to Uzumaki Mito.
On the 14th, he had no idea where Rinki would be.
If Rinki was outside, there might be a chance to ambush him.
But if he stayed within the compound, Yagami had to first find out exactly which house he lived in.
The left and right wings of the Senju compound also had seven courtyards each, with denser buildings and fewer main halls.
On both the east and west sides of the seven courtyards, there were long rows of single-story houses — each more than two hundred meters in length.
Within this vast complex lived over a thousand members of the Senju Clan.
Beyond the seven courtyards lay an enormous training ground, roughly a third the size of the main estate.
Yagami sighed inwardly.
Would I really have to break through the entire Senju Clan?
But soon, he noticed something new — three-man patrol teams moving within the compound.
In the narrow alleys between courtyards, numerous patrolling shinobi could be seen.
What's more, some would vanish beneath certain pavilions — those must be the hidden sentry posts of the Senju Clan.
He still had more than twenty days left for investigation.
There was no doubt he would find a chance to strike.
After climbing down from the Hokage Rock, Yagami was startled when he saw a group exiting the Hokage Building.
It was Senju Rinki and his guards.
Then he quickly calmed himself. There was no need to be afraid — he hadn't even started his assassination attempt yet.
Why should he be nervous?
After all, Yagami was now a respected and loyal core member of the ANBU.
He cast a glance at Rinki — six guards surrounded him.
Each one had a firm expression and a sharp gaze, clearly elite members of the Senju Clan.
Later, at Tavern, Yagami ordered three bottles of sake and drank in silence.
Qiaoyi noticed Yagami's gloomy mood. Beneath the table, she began teasing him with her foot, trying to cheer him up.
"Stop it, Qiaoyi. Tonight, okay? There are too many customers here."
Qiaoyi shot him a glare and left, swaying her large, round, and perky hips as she walked away.
A middle-aged man leaning on a cane entered the tavern.
His face was broad and square, his neck thick with muscle — but one of his legs was crippled. He must have been a powerful shinobi in his youth.
What caught Yagami's attention most was the clan emblem on his clothing — the Forest Senju crest.
Yagami recognized him. He was a regular customer — a retired shinobi named Senju Kaba.
Kaba entered and spotted his friend at the counter — Dachi, who waved him over.
Yagami tilted his head back and downed two bottles of sake, then walked over.
"Qiaoyi! Don't be mad, I was wrong, okay?"
At the counter, Kaba and Dachi saw the young couple's playful banter and laughed.
Kaba said, "Kid, take my advice — cherish that woman. You'll live a happy life with her."
Dachi smirked. "Happy? Can that compare to marrying a Senju woman?"
Kaba chuckled. "Still hung up about not marrying my sister, huh?"
"Of course! If she hadn't died fourteen years ago, I definitely would have!"
A wave of melancholy crossed Kaba's face. His elder sister had perished early in the First Shinobi War.
Dachi continued, "Too bad your younger sister also died twelve years ago. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been a bad choice either. I'm not picky."
"You bastard!"
Kaba kicked out with his crippled leg — the short stump still strong enough to knock Dachi off his stool.
Dachi wasn't angry. He got up laughing.
"Still that strong, huh? Good thing you lost your leg, or I'd be no match for you!"
The two middle-aged men bickered noisily.
Fearing that Kaba might actually try to prove his strength, Dachi quickly changed the subject.
"Why'd you call me here anyway? Let's get to the point. I don't have time to chat with a retired shinobi."
Kaba's expression suddenly turned serious.
"You're my son's superior — my boy, Senju Haku. You're his jōnin instructor. I need your help finding out what's going on with him."
"Haku just came back from a mission in the Land of Grass last night and locked himself in his room.
No matter what I ask, he won't answer. Something's off about him."
Dachi frowned. "I know your son well. He's got a strong will. No way he'd shut himself away after just one mission."
Kaba sighed. "His record is excellent — he's completed several A-rank missions.
I even requested the clan to promote him to Special Jōnin and was hoping he could join the clan leader's guard.
But his mental state worries me… I fear he might be suffering from psychological trauma."
"Impossible," Dachi said firmly.
"I led Haku on his first mission outside the village — he killed two Sand shinobi then.
He's never once lost his composure over bloodshed. He's an excellent ninja.
At nineteen, he's already at Special Jōnin level. He'll be a full Jōnin before twenty-five.
He's not the type to break under pressure. Only the weak are consumed by fear."
"Still, go talk to him," Kaba insisted. "Enough arguing."
"Fine, fine. I'll talk to him. I'll invite him here tomorrow.
But tonight, you're paying, you rich Senju bastard! I'm drinking until I drop!"
While joking with Qiaoyi, Yagami carefully listened to every word the two men said.
What interested him most was that crippled Senju Kaba wanted his son to become one of the clan leader's guards.
The next day, Yagami arrived early at the tavern.
Soon after, Dachi came in and sat at the counter, drinking.
Late into the night, a tall young man entered.
His face was rough with stubble, eyes sunken with exhaustion, dark circles heavy beneath them.
"Haku, come here," Dachi called.
Senju Haku raised his eyes, spotted his teacher, and sluggishly walked over.
Dachi spoke words of encouragement, but Haku only stared blankly at the sake glass before him.
"Haku, you need to stay strong. Your mother was from the Uzumaki Clan — she gave her life for the Leaf.
For her sake, for your father's, don't give in. If something's bothering you, tell me. I'll help."
Suddenly, Haku lifted his head. His eyes were twisted with rage, confusion, and fear.
He leaned closer to his teacher, whispering something in his ear.
Yagami saw Dachi's pupils contract sharply, his face filled with disbelief.
"No… impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
After a moment of shock, the teacher asked, "Have you told your father?"
"No. I didn't dare."
"Good. Don't. This isn't something you can handle. I'll confirm it myself, then tell him.
For now, go home. Don't lose control. Don't act strange."
"Understood."
The two men left.
Yagami silently reviewed every detail he'd observed.
Haku's reaction had changed only after hearing his teacher mention that his mother had come from Eddy Village to marry into the Leaf.
No matter how carefully Danzo had covered his tracks, secrets like these never stayed buried forever.
Yagami suspected that Haku had encountered remnants of the Uzumaki Clan during his mission in the Land of Grass.
He began pondering how to use this information — perhaps this could be the key to getting close to Senju Rinki.
***
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