Koishi Chisa walked along the bank of the Yoshimizu River, followed by the Fox Anbu.
She claimed she might be assassinated and demanded the Fox Anbu protect her at all times, never straying more than three steps away.
Yōkō quite liked coming to the construction site.
The lead craftsman actually used some simple D-Rank jutsu. Digging foundation pits, building walls, filling soil – all utilized a bit of chakra, similar to half-finished Earth Release jutsu, making the construction speed very fast.
Every morning, Koishi Chisa ate at the same table as Fox.
She ate exquisite dishes, while the Fox Anbu merely tossed a Military Ration Pill through the slit in his mask.
Ever since learning the Water Cutting Wave, Yōkō had adjusted his mask, adding a long, thin slit at the mouth.
The fox mask was already somewhat sinister; with the added slit, it looked even colder, even somewhat fierce and cruel.
When they were in the Ministry of the Treasury, Koishi Chisa worked at her desk, while the Fox Anbu leaned against the wall in the corner behind her.
She had once taken the Fox Anbu into the courtyard where Kōji had lived, but Fox remained unmoved.
The light in Koishi Chisa's eyes grew dimmer. Had she been mistaken?
Finally, on the night of the full moon, she prepared for one last attempt.
She came before the Fox Anbu and raised her hand.
Yōkō was taken aback. If Koishi Chisa directly tried to remove his mask, he would have no choice but to act.
However, Koishi Chisa merely tapped his mask twice, while pushing her own glasses up with her other hand.
Yōkō was stunned. He understood Koishi Chisa's meaning.
This world had ninja temples like the Fire Temple, and also some Buddhist scriptures.
There was a Buddhist scripture called the Platform Sutra, which recorded how the Fifth Patriarch, the eminent monk Hongren, used taps on the head to tell the Sixth Patriarch what time to come see him in the middle of the night.
This story was later written into Journey to the West, where Sun Wukong, visiting Patriarch Bodhi, also used head taps as a hint.
Chisa tapped his mask twice. Was she telling him to come see her at 2 AM?
--
The full moon was like a silver plate; tonight was the night of the full moon.
At 2 AM, Koishi Chisa stood by her desk. With the power cut, there were no lights, and she hadn't lit any candles either.
Opening the window, she looked at the bright moon in the sky.
The room was empty; she had sent her maid away early.
Footsteps suddenly sounded behind her.
"Is it you? Only you know what me pushing my glasses means. You like me wearing glasses all the time, don't you?"
The person behind her did not answer.
"My sixth sense tells me it must be you."
Yōkō thought to himself, What a troublesome entanglement.
Should he deepen his connection with Chisa?
Judging from Itada Hatada, the relationship between the Anbu and the nobility was deep.
If Yōkō wanted to reach the upper echelons, gaining the support of the nobility was essential.
He was determined to become part of Konoha's dark side. He had to be like Danzo, using special means to obtain financial support.
Good, that's a decent reason.
Yōkō placed a drawing beside Koishi Chisa.
This drawing was a revision for a specific part of the dam; there had been a minor issue with the previous one.
Koishi Chisa grabbed the drawing and looked at it, her chin trembling with excitement.
It really was him!
This was a new drawing he had made!
But he was a Konoha Anbu, and she couldn't turn around to look.
Hearing footsteps, Chisa quickly called out:
"Wait! Don't go! Stay with me a little longer, please?"
She carefully moved backward, slowly leaning against Fox.
This sense of security, only Kōji could give it to her. Whether he was Kōji or Fox, he was someone she acknowledged and even admired.
An ambiguous, heated atmosphere fermented between them.
A few minutes later, pert buttocks, pale as white peaches, were fully exposed before the desk.
Their breathing grew increasingly rapid.
During the half-hour of rippling spring scenery, Koishi Chisa never looked back, respecting Fox's Anbu identity.
When the person behind her disappeared, Koishi Chisa collapsed limply into the chair.
"How annoying. Couldn't the Anbu clean up a bit? The chair is all wet."
Lying softly on the desk, Koishi Chisa thought, The hydroelectric plant is his most precious gift to me. I can't ask for more.
Every night at 2 AM, Koishi Chisa would wait by the window, waiting for Fox.
She would not turn around, forever facing away from her lover.
Every night at 3 AM, her lover would leave, leaving behind a damp chair.
Until one morning, Fox bid farewell to Chisa while she was eating breakfast.
"Miss Chisa, the Land of Earth has sent back the state document, pledging not to destroy the hydroelectric plant. Our squadron's guard mission is over. Goodbye."
Koishi Chisa nodded mechanically, but felt a large part of her heart was missing.
When she looked up again, the Fox Anbu had already disappeared.
The Fox Squadron left the capital, hurrying southwest to catch up with the Konoha frontline camp.
In the month they were away, the frontline camp had advanced and had reached the border of the Land of Rivers.
During a rest break on the road, Purple Cat came to Yōkō's side.
"Finally, we've left that annoying Daimyō's sister behind."
"Ah? Why do you dislike her? She was alright."
Purple Cat shot Yōkō a glare and quickly got up and left.
Yōkō thought to himself, My infiltration skills... Purple Cat shouldn't have noticed, right?
The frontline camp was set up at the border of the Land of Rivers; the ground beneath their feet was hard Gobi desert.
There were no rivers here; it was extremely dry, with little vegetation.
Entering the camp, Yōkō noticed the number of ninja in the camp had decreased somewhat.
Konoha had paid a price for pushing the frontlines forward.
It was also possible that Sunagakure had intentionally retreated, luring Konoha into their desert stronghold.
Yōkō found the Anbu tents.
Battalion Commander Yellow Dog, seeing Fox enter, immediately rummaged through a pile of scrolls and found a mission scroll.
"Fox, you're finally back." Yellow Dog said:
"The Land of Earth's Daimyō has conceded, will no longer target the hydroelectric plant, and you should quickly take on other Anbu missions."
"There's a mission here, quite tricky, for you to lead and complete."
Yōkō glanced at the scroll's contents. Tricky? This is somewhat unethical.
Battalion Commander Yellow Dog said:
"In the rear of the Land of Wind's battle lines, there are several oases. The lake water in these oases is a water source for Sand ninja supplies."
"Ordinary ninja have too strong a moral sense; it's inconvenient for them to poison the water. The things they won't do, we will."
"In these critical times, Fox, you lead the team to poison and destroy the Sand ninja's water sources."
Yōkō asked: "Critical times?"
Yellow Dog explained:
"After the death of the Third Mizukage, Kirigakure is governed by Elder Genji."
"The position of Mizukage cannot remain vacant forever."
"Kirigakure is riddled with internal factions – the largest, the Hōzuki Clan, the second largest Ice Release Clan, the Kaguya Clan, the unknown Clan, elite Jōnin among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, etc. – their conflicts are sharp, and the internal strife is severe."
"Genji declared war on Konoha to divert the intense internal conflicts."
"Konoha is forced to fight on three fronts. The command has decided to end the war by any means necessary, to prevent the Land of Rivers war from turning into a protracted conflict."
When internal pressure is too great, war often becomes the only final option.
Kirigakure's declaration of war came at a perfectly opportune time.
The Land of Fire occupied the best, most fertile central land in the ninja world, naturally placing it in a position vulnerable to war on all sides.
If Konoha opened war on three fronts, even Konoha's resources might not withstand it.
Probably, like in the First Great Ninja War, during the final stages, Konoha would have no choice but to send the Uchiha clan to the battlefield.
Yellow Dog continued:
"Genji also stated that performance in the war will determine the succession of the Fourth Mizukage position."
"The Mist ninja have already landed in the Land of Whirlpools."
"After the annihilation of the Uzumaki Clan, the Land of Whirlpools became a vassal of the Land of Fire and is also an important source of missions for us, Konoha."
"Therefore, the higher-ups believe the Land of Rivers war should be ended as soon as possible."
Yōkō took the scroll, sighing inwardly. Poisoning oasis lake water... this is a top-tier crime in the Land of Wind.
***
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(End of Chapter)