Orochimaru's sudden inquiry into Yagami's opinion on the Blue B investigation was a level of regard that took Yagami by surprise.
Yagami immediately adjusted his stance and replied, "Lord Orochimaru, you are the direct disciple of the Third Hokage. Commander Yellow Dog once told me that while the ANBU currently belongs to Lord Hiruzen, it will eventually belong to you. In this mission, I will resolutely execute your orders!"
Regardless of whether Yellow Dog actually harbored ambitions for the Fourth Hokage seat, at this moment, he was leagues behind Orochimaru in terms of standing. Yellow Dog was a figure among the high-ranking officials, but to the general populace, he was a ghost.
If he wanted the hat, he would likely follow Danzo's path: transition from ANBU leadership to a village consultant role to build public prestige and then compete for the position.
By offering this "little high hat," Yagami figured Orochimaru might drop a few good words about him to Yellow Dog later.
Orochimaru chuckled dryly, seemingly pleased by Fox's sensibility. He then spoke, "Fox, during this mission, your responsibility will be to stall the Third Raikage."
Yagami froze.
Who?
Me?
Huh?
'Is this how the Sannin treat their subordinates? When there is trouble, send the underling; if the underling hesitates, force them?'
Yagami nodded with visible difficulty. "Understood, Lord Orochimaru."
He agreed for now, but in his mind, he was already planning to keep Orochimaru—or failing that, C—between him and the Raikage. If he didn't use C as a meat shield, he would feel like he wasn't fitting in with the team's dynamic.
C, feeling a strange gaze on him, felt a chill. 'Why is Fox looking at me like that? Does he expect me to speak up for him? Impossible. Orochimaru is Root's "Shin"; I can't refuse his decisions.' However, C was inwardly baffled: 'Does Orochimaru actually believe Fox can hold off the Third Raikage?'
...
Unlike the previous journey with Hatake Sakumo, who moderated his pace for Special Jonin like Baiyun Hayama, Orochimaru had no such "bad habits." He sprinted at his own optimal rhythm.
Yagami noticed Orochimaru's running style—swinging his arms rather than trailing them behind—was far more ergonomically sound. Yagami could keep up, though it was slightly taxing.
C, however, was miserable. His face was flushed, his legs trembled, and Yagami genuinely feared the man might develop rhabdomyolysis from the sheer physical strain.
The journey took only thirteen days to reach the depths of the Land of Lightning. The peaks of the Hidden Cloud Village lay just thirty kilometers ahead. Any further, and they would risk certain detection.
"C, find your Root spies and retrieve the intel," Orochimaru ordered.
C complied, his legs like jelly as he forced himself to scout toward the summit. Orochimaru and Yagami remained hidden in a valley. Being alone with Orochimaru was inherently high-pressure.
Yagami was also inwardly anxious; he hadn't received any notification of chakra being used by his contract partners, meaning he didn't know if Yuka's team in the Land of Iron was successful. Even if they signaled him, could he slip away from Orochimaru to deal with Root's F and G?
...
The full moon sat in the sky like a silver plate.
Yagami waited through another full moon night. Half the month had been spent traveling—another month of his life wasted on ANBU business. Two days after the full moon, C finally returned.
"What intel did Yakushi Nono provide?" Orochimaru asked.
Yagami was startled. Orochimaru knew that the spy C was meeting was Yakushi Nono. She was Root's ace; in the most critical missions, she was the only one trusted.
"Lord Orochimaru! It is not intel on the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. The killers who assassinated D and E have appeared!"
Yagami's mind raced. 'We are here for Blue B, how did we jump to the assassins?: Furthermore, the "assassin" had been traveling right next to C for the last two weeks. He wondered if C's neck felt cold.
C continued hurriedly, "F and the others set a trap and found three ninjas wearing demon masks! Lord Orochimaru, according to the standing orders, you should proceed there to execute the killers!"
Yagami's pupils constricted. Three ninjas in demon masks? That was Yuka, Kaicho, and Gencho.
"Oh?" Orochimaru's interest was piqued. "Someone dares to strike at Root repeatedly? Intriguing. Where are they?"
"A message from a ninja hawk says the three killers are formidable. F and three other Root members have chased them from the Land of Iron into the bay between Iron and Lightning!"
Yagami calculated. Hawks were faster than ninjas, but even so, the trip from the bay to their location took time. Yuka's team must have been in danger for at least two days already.
"Lead the way," Orochimaru said. "Let's meet those brave enough to hunt Root."
Yagami interjected quickly, "Lord Orochimaru! Our mission is to investigate Blue B. Will changing objectives mid-way compromise our primary task?"
"Fox, do not be shackled by mission parameters," Orochimaru replied smoothly. "There are things in this world far more important than a mission. For instance, these three killers. I'm curious if they even know who Danzo is. It's been a long time since I've seen such courage; I must see them for myself."
Yagami felt a deep unease. Orochimaru was the supreme commander; he couldn't be argued with. The three of them sped toward the bay.
...
The gap between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Iron was a narrow strait. For ninjas, it was a simple matter of walking across the water. This time, Yagami moved with such speed he was occasionally a step ahead of Orochimaru. Orochimaru merely assumed Fox was anxious about the Jinchuriki mission and increased his own pace.
The rocky terrain of the Land of Lightning was difficult to navigate. C, lacking the strength of an elite Jonin, was pushed to his limit, his face purple and sweat pouring off him.
As the air grew humid, Yagami saw the tell-tale signs of recent rain. They were nearing the coast. He knew Yuka had several summoning beasts from the Uzumaki heritage, but she couldn't use them. Utilizing the Yatagarasu, the Great White Heron, or the Giant Owl would practically announce to the world that the killers were Uzumaki survivors.
Rounding a mountain peak, Yagami finally saw them: Yuka in her Kappa mask and Kaicho in his Resentful Demon mask. Gencho was nowhere to be seen.
Chasing them were four Root ninjas. Three were on the ground: F, G, and H. One was in the air: I, riding a bird created by the Super Beast Imitating Drawing.
Yagami scanned the battlefield, calculating how to save Yuka while Orochimaru watched.
I was clearly an expert in the ink techniques later used by Sai. His ink bird was incredibly fast.
F was surrounded by a cloud of insects—the Aburame and Yamanaka clans were the primary sources of Danzo's "recruits."
The other two, G and H, were pure pursuers, their abilities yet unseen.
Yuka was indeed refraining from using her summons, likely fearing that revealing her Uzumaki identity would bring Danzo's full wrath upon the survivors. Without them, the two were at a disadvantage against four Root elites.
C immediately charged forward to join his comrades. Orochimaru and Yagami stayed back. Orochimaru wanted to observe the "interesting" situation first. Yagami, meanwhile, was frantically gathering the final pieces of intelligence he needed to act.