One day, Yagami spotted a critical piece of intelligence at Butterfly's desk.
Yamashige, the Stone Jonin specializing in Earth Style: Flying Stones, had left the Hidden Stone Village for a mission in the Land of Rain.
'My next collection piece is on the move,' Yagami thought. 'Wait for me; I'm coming.'
He had Yak ordered the squad to assemble while he paid a visit to Root. Entering Orochimaru's lab, he noticed new specimens in the nutrient tanks. They were two infants, barely a year old, floating in the green fluid with bubbles drifting from their noses.
Yagami's pupils constricted as he read the labels.
Tenzo.
One of them was codenamed Tenzo—the future Yamato. He was indeed Yuu Kazamatsuri's son; Root had erased his identity and assigned him a new designation.
Orochimaru appeared behind Yagami, his voice a low hiss. "The new materials are exceptional. Their vitality is far superior to those crooked specimens from the outer villages. With these, I will certainly unlock the secret of Wood Style's immense life force. Once I have fifty subjects, I'll begin the new control trials."
"Immense life force?" Yagami mused. "That sounds tempting. I'm also proficient in Earth and Water, Lord Orochimaru. Do you think I'm qualified to be a 'non-ordinary' research subject?"
Orochimaru tilted his head, his golden snake pupils locking onto the ANBU's top expert. "You are more than qualified. I'm only afraid Yellow Dog wouldn't be able to part with you."
"Just a joke, Lord Orochimaru," Yagami replied smoothly. "A moment of professional curiosity. I won't disturb your work further; I have a mission in the Land of Rain."
"The Land of Rain? Aren't you afraid of encountering Uchiha Madara?"
"Should I stop taking missions just because he might be there?" Yagami asked. "You have the status to do as you please, Lord Orochimaru, but I don't. My schedule is packed. What's more annoying is that I've only completed a dozen S-rank missions—I'm nowhere near your record."
"S-rank missions are nothing," Orochimaru said dismissively. "I'm over a decade older than you. When you reach my age, your count will naturally be much higher."
"When I reach your age?" Yagami noted. "You sound so ancient, Lord Orochimaru, as if you're already sixty."
Orochimaru fell silent. After a long pause, he spoke slowly. "Without immortality, even a newborn infant is simply marching toward death. Whether it is you or I, we all have an expiration date, don't we?"
There was a profound longing in Orochimaru's tone. Yagami didn't answer. He was too busy planning his "White Ghost" debut and plotting for Wood Style to ponder the grand philosophy of life and death.
As for Orochimaru's plan for fifty subjects—it was possible in the original timeline because the Senju were gone and no one cared for women like Yuu Kazamatsuri. But now, the Senju still had a voice; Orochimaru's dream wouldn't be so easy to realize.
...
Yagami reached the village gate, where the Yak squad was waiting. White Crane, newly assigned to the Fox division, had been placed under Yak's command.
Yagami glanced at White Crane before giving the order. "Let's move. To the Land of Rain."
On the road, Yagami explained the details. "Our destination is a familiar one: Teigu Town at the foot of the Yoshioka Mountains. The Wind Daimyo secured permission from the Fire, River, and Rain Daimyos to cut a channel in the Yoshimizu River, diverting water through the mountain caverns.
The Hidden Stone doesn't want to see the Land of Wind grow stronger, so they've sent Yamashige to sabotage the aqueduct. Our goal: eliminate the A-rank target."
"Captain," Yak said, "since the introduction of the manual, I feel like we've become pure tools. The divisions are all competing now. B-rank targets are manageable, but A-ranks... they're all elite Jonin or famous rogues.
Our division is doing okay since you took one out last month, but I heard the Golden Eagle division is under massive pressure. They haven't bagged an A-rank yet."
"Jonin are hard to kill," Yagami said simply. He had only killed Takami because he used a "death" to gather intel and his Mayfly Technique was a literal cheat code. Against a fresh Jonin, even he had to be extremely cautious.
...
Crossing the Land of Rivers, Yagami paused at a hydroelectric station. It was a hundred kilometers from the capital, near a noble's city. The dam was massive, bearing the crests of both Fire and River.
A monument nearby declared it the property of the Daimyos; attacking it was an act of war.
'Koi Chisa is doing well as the Minister of Finance,' Yagami thought. 'The infrastructure is spreading.'
Entering the Land of Rain, he felt the tension in the Yak squad. With Hanzo the Salamander and Uchiha Madara lurking, death could come at any moment.
"Don't be nervous, Yak," Yagami joked. "I've run into Madara twice now. What are the odds it happens a third time? That would just be bad luck."
Yak swallowed hard, looking even more terrified. "Why aren't you laughing? Don't you like jokes anymore?"
Yak thought of the horrific casualties Root and the Lynx division had suffered recently. He really couldn't find the humor.
...
Ten days later, they arrived at Teigu Town. It had changed completely. The old town in the valley had been flooded to facilitate the water diversion. A new town had been built on higher ground with fresh wooden houses.
Yagami sent the squad to gather intel on Yamashige while he entered the town. He quickly found target, the girl who had guided him and Purple Cat during his first visit. Back then, the Sand ninja had treated the locals like dirt, but the Wind Daimyo had been more refined, handling relocation before the flooding.
The young girl was now a bakery assistant, hoisting a large waterproof bag of bread for the guards at the embankment. The town looked orderly and prosperous under the joint administration of the Rain and Wind officials.
Suddenly, a squad member appeared behind Yagami. "Commander! A conflict has broken out at the dam!"