With the battle over, Yako immediately went to find Captain Yellow Dog.
Captain Yellow Dog and Kato Dan were both covered in dirt, standing beside the corpse of an elite Iwa Jonin.
Yako couldn't help but be impressed. As expected of one of ANBU's six Division Captains, Yellow Dog's strength was overwhelming.
When Fox arrived, Captain Yellow Dog moved away from Kato Dan and spoke to him in private:
"Fox, the village's reinforcements will be here soon. You and Purple Cat, along with the rest of the unit, remove your masks and pose as regular shinobi. Spread word of Lord Danzō's heroic deeds.
ANBU Commander Danzō spent half a year laying this trap—using Uzumaki Mito's age as bait, and the arrival of the Uzumaki Princess in Konoha as a lure—to draw in Iwagakure.
This battle has resulted in the deaths of six Iwa elite Jonin, over thirty Jonin, and more than three hundred Chunin.
Lord Danzō, Konoha's Dark Shinobi, is the hero of the Grass Country War!"
Yako froze for a second. Internally, he muttered: Shameless, absolutely shameless.
"Understood, Captain. I'll go make the arrangements." He hesitated, then added, "Captain, Black Ape and White Ram were both wounded. I'm not sure if they managed to stay hidden. After we finish spreading the word for Danzō-sama, can I go rescue them?"
"Complete the propaganda mission first. After that, I'll assign you a Hyūga to help."
"Got it."
Yako and Purple Cat relayed the captain's orders, removed their masks, strapped on standard forehead protectors, and posed as average ninja.
Half an hour later, as expected, waves of shinobi began arriving from the village.
Clan heads, renowned Jonin—many familiar faces.
Yako and Yamanaka Ri blended into the crowd, spreading rumors.
"Did you hear? Six Iwa elite Jonin dead! All taken out by Danzō-sama!"
"Danzō-sama planned this for half a year. Tonight was the perfect net-closing strike—over 300 Chunin down. That's more than any Chunin Exams ever produce!"
"Ōnoki still thinks he can be Tsuchikage? What a joke. Got played like a fool by Danzō-sama, walked straight into the Land of Fire, and got his face slammed into the dirt."
"Truly, the Shadow of the Shinobi World—no one compares to Danzō-sama."
"Instead of waiting for other powers to stir up chaos after Mito-sama's death, why not draw them in now and deliver a lesson?"
After spreading the rumors, Yako asked Purple Cat for a canteen and drank heavily.
It was nauseating—how could they boast about Danzō this much?
Yako suddenly thought of Kyo'i.
Perhaps her identity as a spy had already been exposed, and ANBU had kept her alive just to feed false information to Iwa.
If she was exposed, wouldn't he become suspect too?
No—he had to rescue Captain Black Ape. He needed him to vouch for his innocence.
Yako stood at the edge of the valley, watching as Hiruzen Sarutobi, Senju Linmu, and the other high-ranking shinobi departed to the cheers of the reinforcements.
As the crowd dissipated, a Hyūga arrived for him.
It was time to go search for Captain Black Ape.
They searched for most of the night. The Hyūga eventually located two figures crammed inside a hollow in a large tree.
Yako jumped up, rapped a rhythmic knock on the trunk to let those inside know he was an ally.
A coded response came from within. Yako descended, brushed aside the camouflaging shrubs around the hollow.
"Captain Black Ape! Are you alright?"
Upon hearing Fox's voice, Black Ape's pale face finally regained a trace of color.
"Good… good. Fox, did we win?"
"We won. A landslide victory."
Yako immediately checked their conditions.
Black Ape's leg was shattered—bone fragments had torn through muscle and blood vessels, bending outward, grotesquely swollen.
If not treated quickly, amputation was inevitable.
He had already lost his left arm. If he lost his right leg, it would mean retirement on the spot.
White Ram was in bad shape too—stabbed through the abdomen, internal organs visible.
Only a ninja's unique physiology had kept him alive. A normal person would've died instantly.
Black Ape had performed basic emergency treatment, keeping White Ram alive by a thread.
"Let's go! We're heading back to Konoha Hospital! Princess Tsunade is in the village right now—you're going to be okay!"
Black Ape was deeply moved.
Among all his subordinates, Fox had been with him the longest—always reliable, always completing missions.
Fox had saved his life twice now—once in the Capital of the Land of Waves, and again here.
A true bringer of fortune.
After getting them to the hospital, Yako watched several medical-nin enter the ward.
Leading them was Tsunade.
She examined the unconscious White Ram first, then quickly concluded: "Intestinal rupture, risk of infection. Human intestines are long—we'll excise the damaged portion."
The medics recorded her instructions and wheeled White Ram into the operating room.
Then she examined Black Ape—a much longer inspection.
"Hmm… very tricky. Amputation won't endanger his life. He'd be discharged quickly.
But if he wants to retain combat capability, we'll need a major operation.
The shattered bone damaged blood vessels, muscles, nerves… success rate is low, recovery will be long.
If he's unlucky, amputation will still be necessary."
She looked toward the ANBU standing at the wall, recognizing the fox mask.
"You? I was about to ask the family to choose a treatment plan."
Black Ape interrupted: "Princess Tsunade, I choose surgery. I must stand again. I will return to combat."
Tsunade closed her notebook. "Wheel him in. Surgery now."
Soon the ward was empty.
Ten minutes later, Captain Yellow Dog arrived.
"Where's Black Ape?"
"In surgery."
"That means there's still a chance he'll recover?"
"That's what Princess Tsunade said."
Yellow Dog went straight to the OR.
A while later, he returned.
"Black Ape's squad is down to four members. Since he's in surgery, he's recommended you as acting squad captain.
Depending on his recovery, you may become the official squad captain.
There's a lot going on in ANBU. Get Black Ape Squad operational again ASAP.
Return to HQ—get familiar with all of Black Ape Squad's missions."
His assistant waited outside and led Yako back to ANBU HQ, where the authority of Acting Captain was officially transferred to him.
Promoted.
Yako first went to the records room and reviewed all files on Black Ape Squad.
He already knew: Black Ape was from the Akimichi clan, Purple Cat from the Yamanaka.
He looked up his own file—it listed prior missions with Brown Bear and Black Ape Squads.
Then something caught his eye—Brown Bear's record said he'd spent years in the Land of Grass, interrogating many Iwa-nin.
A flash of inspiration—Yako could claim he'd obtained Earth-Style: Earth Substitution from Brown Bear.
That captain had died long ago in the Land of Whirlpools. No one could verify.
ANBU shinobi who conceal or suddenly acquire new abilities are investigated for links to enemy villages.
He edited his own file to include: "Received an Earth Release scroll from Captain Brown Bear. Spent several months mastering Earth-Style: Earth Substitution."
Why did Brown Bear treat Fox so well? Just look at Black Ape—he treated Fox even better.
Promotion feels amazing. He now had greater autonomy.
If he became an ANBU Division Captain—he could do whatever he wanted.
If he became Commander of ANBU—he'd be a true power in the ninja world.
If Danzō could be the Shadow of the Shinobi, why couldn't Yako?