Naruto: The Anbu Path to Kage Chapter 67 67: Is There Darkness in the Village?

Cold sweat dripped from beneath the edge of the mask, falling onto Yellow Dog's chest.

The iron chestplate glinted sharply under the sunlight where the sweat hit.

It was the first ti Yako had seen Yellow Dog in such a disheveled state, drenched in cold sweat.

Captain Yellow Dog's grip on the scroll was so tight that veins bulged across his hand.

Yako thought, 'Did the plan by Senju Haku and Yuka finally work?'

He couldn't let Konoha's leadership grow too dominant. Otherwise, his own freedom of movent would shrink more and more.

The annihilation of the Uzushio Village had been tolerable—back then, he was just a small fry—but the Senju clan couldn't be allowed to vanish quietly. A certain degree of influence had to be preserved, to serve as a counterbalance to the top brass.

'If Senju Nawaki learns the truth, then the Senju clan is bound to act.'

After a mont of silence, Captain Yellow Dog spoke:"Earth-style users, stay behind! The rest, return to the village!"

Yako imdiately understood what the captain was planning.

A handful of elites would pose as Iwagakure shinobi and ruthlessly eliminate their own from Konoha.

The ANBU were a special assassination unit.

Part of the upper leadership's authority ca from the fact that the Hokage and advisors would actually kill their own.

What top official didn't have a few internal kills under their belt?

And it just so happened that Yako specialized in Earth Release, and the captain knew it—so he stayed.

Purple Cat and two others departed. She turned back reluctantly, clearly not used to heading back to the village alone.

A total of five shinobi followed Captain Yellow Dog back to the Land of Grass.

The mood within the squad was suffocating.

On the way, Rat, who was responsible for sensory formations, requested instructions—and got scolded for two straight minutes.

The veins on Captain Yellow Dog's neck popped out as he spoke harshly. The rest of the squad quickly lowered their heads.

Finally, he roared:

"The Hokage and Lord Danzo are personally heading to the frontline camp! Just to clean up this ss!

Can soone tell why Senju Haku had access to our intel? Why was he able to lead us around in circles?

Why—even though Senju Haku is dead—do Senju clan shinobi still seem to know sothing, still holding secret etings?

It's all failed! A complete failure!"

Yako's expression shifted. That was dangerous news—the Third Hokage and Danzo themselves were coming.

Either they were going to strangle the matter in its cradle, or confront the Senju clan directly at the front.

Blocking information between the frontlines and Konoha could temporarily stop the Senju clan from learning the truth.

Captain Yellow Dog continued:"Advisor Mitokado Homura, acting as overall commander, sensed sothing was wrong and imdiately dispatched Senju Nawaki. We must intercept him!"

Once at the front, all six changed into Iwagakure uniforms and forehead protectors.

Crimson undershirts, dull yellow flak jackets.

It was ANBU's classic tactic: disguise themselves as enemy shinobi to execute those within their own ranks.

They stopped so 20 kiloters northwest of Konoha's main camp. Captain Yellow Dog ordered them to halt.

He said:

"According to Advisor Homura's intel, Senju Nawaki's squad will pass through here on the way back to the main camp.

I'll personally set a trap here. Nawaki won't see it coming.

Three of you will draw his attention, leading him step-by-step into the trap, where we'll detonate explosive tags and kill him.

Your performance must be convincing. You must truly die by Nawaki's hand—no faking it.

Only then will Nawaki and Orochimaru's suspicions be put to rest. That way, Nawaki will charge in recklessly.

From now on, those who'll play the bait must begin psychologically conditioning themselves: you are enemy shinobi from Iwagakure."

Seeing their hesitation, Yellow Dog added:

"Orochimaru only teaches geniuses. His style is hands-off, only guiding from the background.

On missions, he always covers them at the end, never interfering with Nawaki's judgnt.

Nawaki constantly charges ahead—because he's being raised as a future Hokage and is always looking out for his teammates.

But not just Nawaki—all Senju shinobi at the front must die!

The Nine-Tails transfer seal is imminent. No one can be allowed to interfere—not even the young heir of the Senju!"

Then he asked, "So—who among you is willing to be bait for the Nine-Tails seal? Will you give yourself up for the sake of the village?"

Yako thought for a mont, then raised his hand first.

Dying at Senju Nawaki's hands was part of his plan.

The Third Hokage and Danzo were on-site. Mitokado Homura was secretly laying out the strategy. And Yellow Dog, one of the six elite ANBU captains, was setting the trap himself. Nawaki wasn't guaranteed to die—but it was close to a death sentence.

If Yako didn't extract his abilities now, there'd be no chance later.

"Very good, Fox. You didn't let or Black Ape down."

Yako lowered his head, hiding the dissatisfaction in his eyes.

Captain Black Ape was at least decent—he'd recomnded Yako as acting squad leader before his surgery, which gave him real advantages.

But when Captain Yellow Dog claid he valued him, it was just to throw him into a suicide mission?

Yako could still tell the difference between genuine ntorship and treating soone like a workhorse.

The three weakest ANBU were assigned as bait.

At the edge of the Land of Grass, Orochimaru said, "Let's go, Nawaki. This scouting mission is done."

As usual, he didn't spare a single glance for Nawaki's two teammates.

One was from the Sarutobi clan, the other from the Shimura. Their performance had been abysmal. All they did was hold the team back.

If not for Nawaki, they'd already be dead.

Orochimaru had no tolerance for fools—he hated incompetence.

Nawaki nodded silently and turned to leave.

Orochimaru asked, "What's wrong, Nawaki? Sothing on your mind?"

"No… no, it's nothing."

His heart clenched for a second, but he quickly composed himself.

Before leaving the camp, a fellow Senju had tried to speak with him.

But that clansman only managed to utter "Uzushio Village"… before collapsing from poisoning.

The dics rushed in and carried the man away.

With his sister Tsunade assigned elsewhere on a mission, Nawaki was worried—he didn't know if the clansman would survive.

But more importantly… why had he tried to say "Uzushio Village"?

Since leaving camp, Nawaki hadn't been able to stop thinking.

The Senju's unique water-style distress signal, the sudden deploynt of many clansn, and the final words he heard before departing—"Uzushio Village"—all made him feel like sothing terrible was happening.

It was like a massive web was slowly tightening around him.

He trusted Orochimaru-sensei—but not the rest of the village's shinobi.

Especially not his two teammates—one from the Sarutobi, the other from the Shimura clan.

Originally, he'd hoped to be tead with soone from the Kurama clan and a civilian shinobi. But the village had denied the request and forced these two onto him.

He understood what they were trying to do. These two were also considered prodigies in their own clans—the village wanted to build ties.

He was fine with working together, with mutual help and support.

But the village's heavy-handed arrangent still left him deeply uneasy.

Suddenly, Nawaki asked his teacher, "Orochimaru-sensei… do you think there's corruption in the village?"

The two teammates from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans tensed up.

They had no idea why he would ask that.