Nara Shikahisa, Hatake Sakumo, and Tsunade led two thousand leaf shinobi toward the Land of Rivers.
There was no ceremony.
No farewell.
The shinobi departed the Hidden Leaf in silence, following their captains in waves.
Captain Yellow Dog and his Anbu Division were to serve as the Hokage's eyes on the River frontlines—representing him in overseeing the war effort.
Deep in a cave, Shinmei hid for a long time until his wounds fully healed. When he finally emerged, he made his way to the newly established frontline encampment.
The massive base lay in the central region of the Land of Rivers, defending the fertile farmlands to the east.
Its walls and watchtowers were already complete, and now squads were busy erecting their tents.
Shinmei waited patiently until Hatake Sakumo finally stepped out from the command tent.
"Shinmei!" Sakumo's usually tense expression softened with visible relief. "I thought something had gone wrong with your mission. I'm glad you made it back."
Shinmei handed over a mission scroll.
"Sakumo-dono, I've obtained some covert information. I'd like to report it to you privately."
Sakumo glanced at the Nara clan aides behind him.
"Go and rest. I'll hear this report alone."
The Nara strategists gave Shinmei a brief, unreadable look before leaving.
Once they were in private, Shinmei lowered his voice.
"Sakumo-dono, my last mission was a death trap.
Our captain, Sarutobi Senjin, ordered the three of us to infiltrate a heavily guarded Sand shinobi oasis—each from a different direction.
It was suicide.
Still, we went for the sake of the mission.
I survived only because an Anbu operative appeared and saved me. He and I have never met, but he asked me to bring you a message."
Sakumo's expression turned icy.
"You said Captain Sarutobi ordered three chūnin to infiltrate a Sand stronghold alone?"
This kind of thing was exactly what Hatake Sakumo despised.
The air itself seemed to sharpen under his killing intent.
"As vice commander, I'll investigate that mission myself."
Shinmei shook his head.
"Sakumo-dono, what happened to me isn't important—Captain Sarutobi died in that mission anyway.
What matters is what the Anbu told me.
He said that Konoha's upper council believes you've formed a 'follower faction' around yourself.
The Anbu are already investigating us.
You and I both know we're not a faction, but to the higher-ups, any group that doesn't pledge absolute loyalty to the Hokage is a potential threat.
The Uchiha have already been crushed under that logic.
The Senju have fallen into decline for daring to disagree with the leadership.
Sakumo-dono, please—be careful."
Sakumo's gaze hardened.
"The Anbu are investigating a faction that doesn't even exist?
Why would an Anbu risk his life to warn me? That's not the Anbu way. They're sworn to obey the Hokage."
Just as Yagami Yako had predicted—Sakumo wouldn't blindly trust an anonymous benefactor.
Shinmei explained,
"The Anbu wore a fox mask and possessed tremendous strength.
He said he supports your ideals—that merit-based assessment should replace the current recommendation system.
Perhaps before he joined the Anbu, he once served under you.
After all, all of us who've worked with you still meet regularly—we share that bond."
Sakumo paused for a long moment, then said quietly,
"I understand. I'll stay alert for whatever the council is planning. You should all do the same."
...
Inside the Anbu's command tent, Yagami received his next mission.
Captain Yellow Dog said.
"The frontlines are stable for now. But in the capital of the Land of Rivers, there are two troublesome nobles who need to be… removed.
When Sand village declared war on us, some opportunists among the nobility decided to side with them.
These two have already pledged themselves to the Sand and intend to seize Leaf's holdings once the Sand Village wins.
Fox, your mission is to assassinate both nobles—they're key figures in the pro-Sand faction.
But remember: under our agreement with the Daimyō of the Land of Rivers, Leaf cannot officially harm nobility.
The killings must look like accidents—no witnesses, no trace of Leaf involvement."
Yagami skimmed the mission details.
Assassinating nobles was routine for the Anbu—there were always those foolish enough to think they could play both sides between great shinobi villages.
Captain added.
"They'll have Sand shinobi bodyguards. Be cautious.
And whatever you do, avoid large-scale destruction or civilian casualties.
If the Daimyō suspects our involvement, this could escalate."
Yagami nodded.
"Understood."
He returned to his subunit's area and called for White sheep, his Aburame lieutenant.
"Sheep, take your team—we're heading to the capital."
White sheep's kikaichū made him ideal for reconnaissance.
...
The capital of the Land of Rivers straddled both banks of the Yoshimizu River.
The river roared through a canyon tens of meters deep, crossed by several wooden bridges linking the two halves of the city.
On the cliffs above lay the living quarters, the merchant districts, the noble estates, and finally the Daimyō's own castle.
Disguised as merchants, Yagami and the White sheep Squad entered the city and rented rooms at an inn.
"White Sheep," Yagami instructed, "track the movements of the two nobles—Lord Saekō, the Left Imperial Guard, and Minister Nakamiya of the Inner Palace.
Gather their schedules, preferences, and most importantly, the details of their Sand shinobi guards."
"Don't contact the Leaf shinobi stationed in the castle—we can't risk them being implicated.
During the operation, minimize collateral damage. If we destroy too much of Kyoto, the Daimyō will use it against us."
White sheep nodded.
"Understood. I'll begin immediately."
When his squad departed, Yagami removed his mask and donned a simple face covering—just another traveler blending into the crowd. In a world where many wore masks, his disguise drew no suspicion.
Anbu funding was notoriously tight; they couldn't even afford to play the part of rich merchants.
Yagami simply wandered, browsing without buying.
Eventually, he crossed one of the main bridges.
Below, the river thundered, white foam crashing against the rocks.
There, pinned to the bridge post, was a public notice that caught his eye.
Due to the ongoing war between the Lands of Rain and Grass, the coal shipments from the Land of Earth have stopped.
Kyoto now faces a severe shortage of fuel for power generation.
The Treasury Bureau offers a reward of one million ryō to anyone who can resolve this crisis.
Yagami stared at the raging river beneath him.
An idea sparked.
A million ryō for nothing? Sounds like easy money.
And more importantly—it would give him an excuse to enter the Treasury Bureau and get close to the nobles he was meant to kill.
Following the directions, he arrived at the Bureau.
The Daizōin was essentially both the Ministry of Finance and the central bank of the Land of Rivers—a place of enormous influence.
"I can solve your energy shortage," Yagami told a clerk. "Take me to your Minister of Finance."
Seeing the sword at his back, the clerk assumed this was a powerful wandering shinobi and quickly led him inside.
Moments later, officials entered with a tall woman at their center.
She radiated confidence—about thirty years old, with her dark hair coiled high, revealing a graceful neck.
Her fitted white gown balanced propriety and allure perfectly.
What truly caught Yagami's eye, though, were her rimless glasses that framed an impeccably poised face.
"I am Koi Chisa, Minister of Finance for the Land of Rivers," she said evenly.
"My subordinates tell me you claim to have a solution to our power shortage?"
Yagami replied calmly,
"Not for coal. I can't solve your coal shortage."
Kojii's brow furrowed, puzzled.
"Then why are you here?"
"Even the largest merchant guild in the Land of Fire couldn't get coal out of the Land of Earth right now—not with this war.
But I can offer you something better: a way to replace coal entirely."
"Replace it?" Her tone shifted slightly. "With what?"
"Hydropower," Yagami said. "A method of using the flow of your own rivers to generate electricity.
With your country's terrain, you don't need coal at all."
"Hydropower…" she repeated softly. The unfamiliar word rolled off her tongue like a new spell.
Her eyes brightened with interest.
***
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