"So… Adviser Shinnosuke was killed?"
A look of horror appeared in Yako's eyes.
Then, just as quickly, they turned vicious.
I'm supposed to be Shinnosuke's number one loyal hound.
This is a delicate performance challenge…
How do I act just enough—but not too much?
Slowly, Yako tilted his head upward at a perfect forty-five-degree angle.
At that moment, it was as if cold, freezing rain were striking the surface of his mask.
Three parts sorrow.
Three parts remembrance.
Three parts resentment toward heaven's cruelty.
And the remaining ninety-one parts—
Pure acting.
Nara Kyoichi couldn't see Fox's face, but from every movement of his body, he could feel the grief pouring off him.
After a long silence, Yako let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Where's Hippo? Where is he?!"
The retreating force looked miserable beyond words.
Including the Land of Hot Water's guardian-nin, all Konoha shinobi stationed there, the five hundred reinforcements brought by Sarutobi Hiyu, and the Konoha teams originally carrying out missions in the country—
All of them had fled back into the Land of Fire.
Hippowas anxiously bringing up the rear at the back of the retreating group, wary of a possible pursuit by the savage Cloud ninja.
The moment he heard that Fox had returned, he hurried over.
Yako had Nara Kyoichi step away first.
He wanted to hear Hippo's report before anything else.
As the anxious man stammered through the details, Yako gradually pieced together the full situation.
Sarutobi Hiyu had led five hundred Konoha ninja to reinforce the Land of Hot Water front.
Hidden among them had been Orochimaru as a contingency plan.
Konoha's preparations had not been lacking.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke had been a Kage-level shinobi.
Sarutobi Hiyu was an elite jōnin who had mastered the forbidden technique Five Release Grand Barrage.
And Orochimaru was one of the Sannin.
And yet—
For all their outward image as muscle-brained maniacs, the Cloud had once again remembered to use their heads when it mattered most.
This time, the Cloud and the Stone had actually formed an alliance.
Together, they had struck at Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
The two villages had sent six top-tier experts and crushed him with overwhelming force.
Even with Orochimaru intervening…
Even with Sarutobi Hakuha assisting…
They still hadn't been able to prevent Shinnosuke's death.
Yako muttered the names under his breath:
"Raikage Adviser Gomoi…
Two-Tails Jinchūriki…
Raikage aide Totai…
Tsuchikage's son Kitsuchi…
Five-Tails Jinchūriki Han…
Explosion Release clan head Pokkle…"
As Fox muttered the names of the murderers, cold sweat dripped beneath Hippo's mask.
He had a growing feeling—
That he himself might have helped cause Shinnosuke's death.
He had spread the rumors with all his strength.
In Uzushio's capital.
At Toga Harbor in the Land of Fire.
In the capital of the Land of Hot Water.
Even in the towns near the front lines.
Every rumor had glorified Adviser Shinnosuke's strength.
In those stories, Shinnosuke was the next Hokage.
The future of the Sarutobi clan.
A top-tier Kage-level powerhouse of Konoha in the making.
The only difference between him and the Third Hokage was Enma the Monkey King.
The moment Enma was passed down to Shinnosuke, he would become the next "Professor."
That kind of propaganda…
May have caused the enemy villages to make a catastrophic misjudgment.
Because in reality…
There had been a bit of a gap.
Cloud and Stone had prepared themselves with the determination needed to kill the next Third Hokage.
But Shinnosuke wasn't that.
The six of them had combined their attacks and ripped apart Lord Shinnosuke's Five Release Grand Barrage.
Even Lord Orochimaru's defensive ninjutsu hadn't been enough to save him.
And once Lord Shinnosuke died—
Everything collapsed.
More than three hundred frontline shinobi had perished.
Only a little over a hundred had made it back alive.
Several core members of the Sarutobi clan had all died at the hands of the Cloud.
The guardian-nin had been forced to abandon the Land of Hot Water's daimyō and flee.
Konoha had completely lost its mission share in the Land of Hot Water.
Whether measured in casualties or lost contracts—
It had been a disastrous defeat.
Hippo and Nara Kyoichi desperately wanted someone to take charge.
But Lord Orochimaru had disappeared early, abandoning what remained of the force.
Now Hippo stared nervously at Fox, waiting to see what he would do.
In the distance, Nara Kyoichi watched Fox and Hippo with concern.
He had already sent a ninja hawk back to Konoha with the news of the Land of Hot Water disaster.
The already battered Konoha had been dealt yet another devastating blow.
Their troops had been ambushed.
That hurt Konoha's substance.
Their guardian-nin had abandoned the Land of Hot Water's daimyō.
That hurt Konoha's face.
And the consequences would be terrible.
The Land of Fire and its client states would trust Konoha even less.
The other villages would keep pushing and probing, testing Konoha's limits.
And just as everyone waited for Fox to make a decision—
Someone climbed up from a stretcher.
It was Guardian-Nin Captain Sarutobi Yamatori.
His leg was injured, and he staggered toward Fox.
When he reached him, he shouted hysterically:
"Counterattack! We have to counterattack!
We can't give up the capital of the Land of Hot Water!
Fox! You're the ANBU Vice Commander!
Go assassinate the Cloud commander Gomoi!
What the hell are you standing here wasting time for?!
If we move fast enough, the capital hasn't been lost for long—there's still a chance to salvage this!
Fox!
Shinnosuke's death is your fault!
More than anyone, it's your fault!
Where the hell were you?!
Why did you disappear?!
Why weren't you there to protect Shinnosuke?!"
Yako blinked.
Did this guy get electrotherapy'd stupid by the Cloud or something?
Sure, technically I do bear some responsibility for Shinnosuke's death…
But do I look like I'm about to admit that?
Even the Sage of Six Paths had the courtesy to negotiate with me.
And you? You're just some Sarutobi guardian-nin captain who's gotten too used to playing little emperor in the Land of Hot Water.
Know your weight.
He glanced at Hippo.
Hippo immediately understood.
He had his own share of responsibility in Shinnosuke's death, so in this moment, he was even more eager than Yako.
He stepped forward, grabbed Yamatori by the shoulder, and said soothingly:
"Captain Yamatori, your injuries are too severe. Please go rest first. Lord Fox will handle the rest."
Yamatori opened his mouth to say he was fine—
That his injuries weren't serious—
But Hippo smoothly turned him so his back was facing Nara Kyoichi and the others.
Then he raised a hand and shoved a pill into Yamatori's mouth.
Within moments, the man suffocated into unconsciousness and slumped over.
Hippo then gestured, and a pair of ANBU quickly came to carry him away.
Lowering his voice, he said:
"Lord Fox, I already reported back to the village that your departure happened because Adviser Shinnosuke personally insisted that you go assassinate the Fire Temple's abbot.
This Sarutobi Yamatori was still back in the capital of the Land of Hot Water at the time.
He doesn't know a thing."
Yako nodded.
He didn't dwell on the little interruption.
The Sarutobi clan had already suffered too many casualties.
Killing Yamatori right now would look just a little too targeted.
Hippo asked carefully:
"Lord Fox… should we fall back and fortify the Land of Fire border to prevent a Cloud assault…
Or…"
Yako turned and looked north.
"Fall back to defend the Land of Fire?
Of course not."
He turned his head and fixed Hippo with a disappointed stare.
"Hippo…
Lord Shinnosuke treated both you and me well, didn't he?
He promoted me to ANBU Vice Commander.
He promoted you to ANBU Squad Leader.
And now that he's been murdered—
You're seriously thinking about retreating to defend the Land of Fire?"
Yako's voice dropped, full of theatrical heartbreak.
"You feel like a stranger to me.
You make me feel sorrow on Lord Shinnosuke's behalf.
Sorrow.
Such terrible sorrow."
Hippo lowered his head in shame.
After years in ANBU, he had thought his heart was as hard as iron.
But right now, his shame had reached its peak.
Even the ears exposed beneath his mask had gone bright red.
"I'm sorry, Lord Fox! I'm useless!
Then… Lord, what do we do?"
Yako pointed north.
"We go back.
We must avenge Lord Shinnosuke."
His voice sharpened like a drawn blade.
"What's there to fear?
Raikage Adviser Gmoi?
Two-Tails Jinchūriki?
Raikage aide?
They all have to die.
Anyone who dared kill Lord Shinnosuke—
Anyone who killed my most respected Captain Yellow Dog—
Anyone who killed my most respected Commander Yellow Dog—
Anyone who killed my most respected Adviser Shinnosuke—
They all…
Have to die."
Hippo was instantly fired up, his head snapping back up.
"Lord Fox is right! They all have to die!
According to our intelligence, the Stone ninja were satisfied after killing Lord Shinnosuke and have already withdrawn from the Land of Hot Water.
That means the only enemies left behind us are the Cloud!
If we turn back now, we can definitely inflict a devastating blow on them!"