"First question: Lord Hokage orders you to kill the daughter of Advisor Mitokado Homura. How will you complete the mission?"
No hesitation allowed. This meant he had to voice his most authentic thought immediately. Among the Jonin behind Nara Shikaku, there was undoubtedly an interrogation specialist from the Torture Force capable of detecting lies.
Yagami replied instantly:
"The mission must be executed without the slightest delay. However, I believe the key lies in the *method* of the kill. As the daughter of Advisor Homura, she was raised under his direct tutelage; it is highly improbable she would betray the Hidden Leaf. To suspect her is to suspect him. If the Hokage is forced to order her death, the likely cause is a scandal that threatens the Advisor's reputation."
"Incest, thrill-killing, flaunting wealth within the Hokage building—any such scandal, if exposed, could end the Advisor's political life. Therefore, her death must be discreet. No one can know, not even Advisor Homura himself. I would track the Advisor's movements and assassinate her while he is away from the village and unable to intervene. Killing his daughter is, in fact, protecting him. More importantly, the disposal of the body must be absolute. No trace can remain for the Advisor to find upon his return. Since I do not use Fire Style, I would favor using a large wild beast, preferably one that consumes bone..."
"Stop!" Shikaku hurriedly cut him off. He felt the answer was venturing into the realm of the absurd. He glanced back at Yellow Dog. Was the current atmosphere in the Anbu getting a bit... too extreme?
Yellow Dog, however, couldn't help but nod. 'Correct. When assassinating someone close to a high-ranking official, the most vital part is indeed the disposal of the body—leaving no openings.'
Among the ten Jonin, someone recalled their own assessment. When asked this, they had talked about pleading with the Hokage or tipping off the Advisor. Compared to this "Fox," they realized they placed too much weight on "comradeship." There was no standard answer to these questions; they were designed to judge a ninja's decision-making leanings. Anbu Fox: Cold, decisive, and meticulous about covering tracks.
Shikaku asked the second question:
"You are on an escort mission in the Land of Steam. A Leaf ninja finds you and begs you to save his squad. If you save them, your escort target dies. If you continue the escort, the squad dies. What do you choose?"
Yagami thought, 'A variation of the trolley problem.'
"If saving the squad means the escort target dies, it implies that even if I use a Shadow Clone, my halved chakra would result in failure. Therefore, I choose to continue the escort mission. Furthermore, I would detain the ninja who asked for help. Using my rank as Captain, I would order him to assist me in the escort. If he returns to his squad, they will all be wiped out anyway. By staying with me, he increases my mission success rate and preserves his own life. This is the path to maximizing gains."
The Jonin exchanged looks. This was the first time someone had suggested detaining the person asking for help. It seemed a bit excessive—how could you kidnap another squad's messenger just for your own mission?
Shikaku looked at Yellow Dog again. Yellow Dog thought, 'Why didn't I think of that back in my day?' His answer had been to send a summoning animal to help. Now he realized Fox was right; losing a summon might lead to the escort mission's failure.
Shikaku asked the third question:
"Suppose you are sent to the distant Land of Bears as an undercover agent for thirty years. During this time, you must never reveal your identity or contact any Leaf ninja. It must be as if you no longer exist. What would you do?"
Yagami replied without a pause:
"An undercover mission of thirty years proves the village has a goal measured in decades. The Land of Bears is a vassal of the Land of Earth. I would establish a long-term plan. Given my abilities, within thirty years, I would control everything in that nation. The Daimyo would be my puppet, the Queen Mother would be my lover, and the nobles would be my slaves. My goal would be singular: to become the 'Retired Emperor' behind the scenes. When the thirty-year mark hits and the Leaf gives the order, I would mobilize the entire strength of the Land of Bears to defect from the Land of Earth and launch an invasion to help the Leaf win the war."
The Jonin nodded repeatedly. They were growing accustomed to Copper Fox's logic and found it was indeed the optimal solution. The only sticking point was becoming the lover of the Queen Mother—did he not consider her age? But on second thought, if the Daimyo was a puppet, he might be under ten years old, making the Queen Mother quite acceptable.
Shikaku shook his head while writing his notes. It wasn't that the answers didn't meet the Leaf's requirements; it was that they met the *Anbu's* requirements too well. Ninja from the Anbu were always a bit... warped.
'Fox, you are a bit too extreme.' The final comment Shikaku wrote was a suggestion that Fox remain in the Anbu indefinitely; he was no longer fit to be a regular ninja.
"Alright, the interview is over. Next is the combat assessment."
Yellow Dog was satisfied. As for combat, he wasn't worried at all.
Shikaku said, "The combat assessment will take place here. Three Jonin will test your skills. If you are defeated quickly or if you damage anything in this room, you fail."
Yagami quickly asked, "What if one of the Jonin deliberately breaks the floor or a window?"
Shikaku replied, "Not all Jonin are Anbu. Not all Jonin are unscrupulous. Jonin have their pride."
Yagami paused. 'Was he just throwing shade at me? Does he think I have no pride?'
Three Jonin charged with kunai from three directions. Yagami used his hand like a blade, striking a kunai. With a crisp *clang*, the kunai snapped. He wanted to punch the man in the chest, but fearing the impact would send him flying through the furniture, he instead reached out to seize the Jonin's throat.
However, the Jonin was fast, dodging the iron-hook grip. Another charged from behind. Yagami spun, his copper-red hand snapping that kunai as well before lunging for the throat. This time, he caught it.
In the next instant, a flash lit up Fox's mask.
Lightning Clone?
The Jonin behind him had anticipated the move and prepared a Lightning Clone. This person's Lightning Style was exceptionally high-level, reminiscent of Kakashi's future prowess. Yagami's other hand blurred through signs for an Earth Clone. Lightning erupted, striking Yagami, but it only hit a puddle of mud.
Yagami reappeared in a corner of the room, standing behind the Lightning specialist. He had almost been forced to reveal his Copper Light; he had to be careful.
The three Jonin and Yagami clashed in Taijutsu. The Lightning user retreated, preparing to use [Lightning Style: Ground Flicker] while the others masked his signs. Seeing the signs, Yagami grew tense—not out of fear for the jutsu, but because the jutsu would destroy the floor.
Yagami leaped, sticking to the ceiling. The Lightning Jonin stopped his signs, looking up. The other two flickered to the ceiling simultaneously, kunai stabbing toward him. They were still probing for a weakness in his "absolute defense."
The battle moved from the ceiling to the floor, then to the windows. A potted flower was knocked from a sill; Yagami kicked one opponent away, leaned back, and caught the pot just inches from the ground. As soon as he set it down, the others lunged again. They fought for five minutes, sticking to Taijutsu and small-scale ninjutsu.
"Stop!" Shikaku called out. "Without using your trump cards, none of you can overcome the other. Fox, you have passed. Once I finish the evaluation report, you may go upstairs to see Lord Hokage."
***
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