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Chapter 54 - So This Is What It Means to Be a Shinobi

Yako retrieved the mission records for Black Ape Squad once more.

Ongoing assignments included monitoring the Uzumaki Princess, investigating Iwagakure's spy network, and several others Yako hadn't been involved in yet.

He quickly spotted a familiar name—Kyo'i.

As expected, ANBU had grown suspicious of her identity. However, due to the scale of the trap laid for this operation, low-threat suspected spies like Kyo'i had been left untouched—for now.

In the investigation files on Kyo'i, his own name appeared.

The Leaf Monkey Squad had once monitored her and spotted Yako entering her tavern. They flagged him as suspicious.

Black Ape, however, had added his own note below: Fox had previously voiced suspicions about Kyo'i and might be continuing a covert investigation.

Later, Yako had taken Black Ape into Kyo'i's tavern, uncovered a Cloud-nin spy, and tracked them to recover the kidnapped Uzumaki Princess.

The investigation scroll concluded with Captain Black Ape's verdict: Fox was clean—there was no need for doubt. After all, if Fox were a spy, wouldn't the Uzumaki Princess be the most valuable target?

So that's how it was… through a chain of unintended events, ANBU had ended up doing more than they realized.

Yako summoned Purple Cat and sent her to the Foundation to request reinforcements—fresh recruits for both his and Black Ape's squads.

After Purple Cat left for Root HQ to pick personnel, Yako departed from the ANBU base and walked toward Kyo'i's Tsurugetsu Izakaya.

Today, a "Closed" sign hung on the tavern's door.

Yako muttered inwardly—This big-breasted, brainless idiot… closing now? Might as well announce to ANBU she's a problem.

She was lucky Black Ape's squad had lost operational capacity temporarily, and the Leaf Monkey Squad had been wiped out. Otherwise, she'd already be tied up in an interrogation room tonight.

"Open the door!"

A woman's voice called back from inside.

"Sorry! We're closed tonight!"

"It's me."

Furniture shifted audibly inside. Then the door creaked open.

Kyo'i stood there, clothing wrinkled and disheveled, eyes full of terror and despair, like a frightened kitten.

"Good. Closed for the night means I get the place to myself," Yako said, walking in uninvited.

Kyo'i closed the door and followed, cautiously asking, "What kind of mission have you been on the past few days? Why haven't you come see me?"

In her heart, she was already despairing. With Iwagakure's forces decimated at Mount Gyūga and Konoha now celebrating, her role as a spy was likely over.

She was done for.

Neither Konoha nor Iwagakure had a place for her anymore.

"You were on the mission to strike Iwa at Mount Gyūga, weren't you?"

Yako turned to her, looking down into her eyes.

She flinched at first, then stubbornly raised her chin to meet his gaze.

Yako could tell—she was already prepared to die.

"Of course not. With my level of ability, you think I'd be on a mission like that? Six elite Jonin dead, over thirty Jonin, more than three hundred Chunin from Iwa wiped out. Glorious, really."

He finished speaking and saw her chest trembling uncontrollably.

Her lips quivered. She was on the verge of breaking down.

Yako said, "Get me a bottle of sake. Whatever happens tomorrow, tonight we live a little, right?"

"Whatever happens tomorrow?" she swallowed hard and finally replied, "Yeah… whatever happens tomorrow is tomorrow's problem."

She lunged at him, knocking him onto the sofa.

On the sofa, on the table, behind the counter—each time Yako tried to take control, she fought back wildly and pinned him down.

Kyo'i moved like someone possessed, venting all her dread and pressure.

Yako couldn't resist—eventually, he gave in and let himself enjoy it.

Her waist was firm, with not an ounce of excess, like a sculpture carved from stone.

Yako suddenly remembered that one of the lottery options he'd drawn before was "Physique: Giant Rock Body." Perhaps Iwa's training methods created bodies like hers—unyielding, solid, and honed.

She had the kind of legs that would one day birth the legend of the Leg Kage—straight, powerful, perfect symmetry.

After the passion cooled, Yako quietly reached for a kitchen knife, gripping it in hesitation.

To eliminate all danger and suspicion, he should kill her. Now. Without mercy.

Kyo'i lay on his chest, unaware of the storm brewing inside him.

She murmured, "If… if only… I could just stay with you forever… how nice would that be?"

Yako silently placed the knife back down and wrapped his arms around her smooth back, pressing her close against his chest.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally fell asleep.

Kyo'i slipped from his embrace, cleaned his body with care, dressed, and stood one last time to look at him lying at the counter.

She looked away, buried her attachment deep, and quietly slipped out the back door of the izakaya.

Everything between her and the Hidden Leaf was now over.

Inside, Yako suddenly opened his eyes.

Kyo'i had left and made her way to a park in the southern district of the village.

It was more like a large, overgrown field than a park—massive trees with thick foliage. At night, once you entered, no one outside could see a thing.

She scoured the roots of each tree, searching for coded Iwa messages.

After nearly an hour, she found one and waited beneath the indicated tree.

Soon, someone crawled out of the distant bushes.

"Mei'i, is that you?"

It was Kyo'i's younger sister, slowly emerging from the underbrush.

"Big sis, your mission's finally over. Come home with me."

But Kyo'i didn't look the least bit happy.

The intel she passed on had led to Iwagakure's crushing defeat. Uzumaki Mito hadn't weakened at all—her power had remained terrifying.

Kyo'i knew her village. Even if she returned, she'd only face the hell of interrogation by Iwa's ANBU.

But for the sake of her sister's future in the village, she had to go back.

"Okay, Mei'i… let's go home."

Mei'i lunged forward and hugged her tightly.

In Konoha's forested park, two sisters of Iwagakure held onto each other, drawing strength from the bond between them…

"Ugh…"

A kunai plunged into Kyo'i's abdomen!

She looked at Mei'i, horrified, eyes filled with confusion and despair.

"Big sister! You shouldn't have betrayed the village! They issued a kill-on-sight order! Every Konoha spy has already betrayed Iwagakure!"

Kyo'i wept. "Mei'i, I was going to go back with you. If I survive interrogation, your future would be safe too…"

But Mei'i hardened her heart. Only by killing her traitor sister and bringing back her head herself could she erase the village's suspicion.

She stepped back, stomped the kunai deeper into Kyo'i's abdomen, and pulled out another to strike her throat—

Kyo'i suddenly smiled.

So all these years of sacrifice… had moved no one but herself.

Her sister, under Iwa's influence, had already become a shinobi who thought only of her village—and herself.

A shinobi… so this is what it means to be a shinobi.

The kunai drove toward her throat.

Smack!

A large hand caught Mei'i's wrist.

She froze—terrified.

The kunai had only pierced half a centimeter into Kyo'i's throat.

And now, seals began glowing across Mei'i's body, locking every joint in place.

Yako was quite satisfied. Still just as efficient. Even after so long, the Curse Mark of Binding works perfectly.

He lifted her chin, examining her face.

"Excellent. An Iwa spy realizes she looks just like a Konoha citizen named Kyo'i and uses that to perform espionage.

Plausible enough.

You may die now, Iwa spy."

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