After being reborn, Yako followed the sequence of events from his previous life. He first visited Captain Black Ape, then reported to Commander Yellow Dog that Black Ape would need over a month to recover combat readiness.
After finishing training with his new squad members, Yako headed to Tsurugetsu Tavern that evening.
Inside, he saw the one-legged Senju Ka and his friend Yakuchi chatting at the bar.
Watching them, Yako reflected on his current situation.
As a member of ANBU, he didn't want to forever be Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzō's attack dog.
To maintain autonomy, he needed to ensure that neither Hiruzen nor Danzō gained absolute control.
The Senju Clan being wiped out, the Uchiha Clan eradicated, the Hyūga Clan trampled—Hyūga Hiashi was nearly handed to Kumogakure—the power Hiruzen wielded in Konoha was absolute. If things kept going this way, Yako would soon have no choice in anything.
Right now, the only one capable of checking Hiruzen's power was Uzumaki Mito.
Yako realized he needed to use her influence to preserve a diversity of voices within the village—to prevent Hiruzen from becoming the sole authority.
The Senju Clan was the key. If not preserving the clan outright, then at least helping preserve a seed, as he had with Uzumaki Yuuka. The more Senju that survived, the more headaches for the village leadership.
The more chaotic Konoha became, the more room he would have to operate.
Yako moved to the bar, flirted with Qiao Yi, and listened in as Senju Ka and Yakuchi spoke about Ka's son.
The next day, Yakuchi arranged to meet with Ka's son, Senju Haku.
When Haku heard Yakuchi mention his Uzumaki mother, his expression changed drastically. He leaned close to his teacher's ear and whispered something.
Yakuchi was shocked and urged his student not to act rashly—he would investigate first.
After leaving the tavern, Yakuchi was filled with anxiety.
Senju Haku had encountered a woman in the Land of Grass—a kunoichi from the Uzumaki Clan, who possessed the White Heron summoning beast.
She had revealed the true reason behind the Uzumaki Clan's annihilation: it wasn't just Kirigakure and Kumogakure that wanted them dead—Konoha had also abandoned them.
It was horrifying.
Yakuchi had heard whispers among the higher-ups. Clan Leader Senju Rinkoku often acted like a co-ruler of Konoha, criticizing other leaders' actions.
Out of respect for his lineage, few challenged him openly.
But it was obvious—Hiruzen, the advisors, and others were sick of hearing about "the Will of the First and Second Hokage."
So what if Rinkoku inherited that will? Did the rest of the leadership not inherit anything of value?
Yakuchi was deeply confused. Had the internal tensions grown so sharp that even long-time allies like Uzushiogakure could be discarded?
The Uzumaki were the Senju's in-laws. How could such betrayal be acceptable?
Yakuchi glanced northeast, toward the Forest of Death. He only knew the ANBU base was hidden there—but had no clue where to begin looking.
That night, he paced the village restlessly, mentally discarding plan after plan.
Spying on ANBU—if caught—meant being branded a traitor.
As he passed a small park, a white bird darted from a tree to the opposite woods.
He froze. That bird... it looked like a heron.
There were no such waterbirds in Konoha.
A slip of paper fluttered down from the sky—he caught it.
The note read: "Senju Haku is in danger tonight."
Yakuchi snapped to attention.
That bird was a white heron.
His student had just spoken of an Uzumaki kunoichi in the Land of Grass who used a white heron summon.
Was there a hidden force inside Konoha investigating the Uzumaki massacre?
He turned back immediately, rushing toward the tavern where he'd last seen his student.
It was already 2 AM. The tavern had just closed.
The lovely proprietress was shutting the windows, occasionally glancing flirtatiously at the handsome young man leaning on the back door frame.
Yakuchi didn't have time to wonder about their relationship. He bolted straight for the Senju compound.
Yako watched his silhouette disappear, uncertain if Senju Haku could still be saved.
He wrapped his arm around Qiao Yi's waist and led her into the back courtyard.
Now that he'd revived, he had to be extremely cautious. Only one death per month. He couldn't let his guard down until the next full moon.
The next morning, Yako returned to ANBU.
He judged Leaf Monkey unfit for ANBU duty and requested the Foundation reassign someone of squad leader caliber.
While waiting at Root, another squad leader nearby was ranting:
"Can Root really meet Lord Danzō's expectations? Your recruits are trash. Couldn't even handle a basic cleanup mission—let someone escape?!"
Without the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, Danzō's grip over ANBU and Root was far weaker than in the original timeline.
But he still desperately needed the Uzumaki Clan's sealing scrolls.
A thought struck Yako—could last night's "cleanup mission" have targeted Senju Haku?
He didn't receive a new team leader assignment and returned to his squad, continuing training with the rookies.
In the deep reaches of the Forest of Death, the training grounds buzzed.
Two rookies from Kitsune Squad, three from White Ram, and three from Leaf Monkey—a total of eight.
Purple Cat held a blunted training ninjatō, smearing it with red paint before handing it to Yako.
After receiving the Senju bloodline, Yako itched for battle. He felt overflowing with strength.
To the eight rookies, he said:
"Konoha's ANBU gets worse with every generation. At this rate, how can the village survive? All eight of you, come at me. Don't disappoint me, you shiny new pieces of trash."
Chūnin were already considered elite—passing the harsh exams gave them pride. How could they tolerate this insult from their acting squad captain?
They drew weapons and attacked from multiple directions.
Yako felt like his body had limitless energy.
Endurance was a kind of talent, too.
Only with boundless stamina and a resilient body could one sustain prolonged combat.
With Reflex Overload broken through twice, Yako's reaction time was lightning-fast. He dodged two strikes and kicked one rookie flying.
"Idiots! You think eight people can cram around me? Why didn't three of you hang back for ranged harassment? You call this tactics?"
A blade smacked a rookie's arm, disarming his kunai.
Finally, a few retreated and began throwing kunai.
Two were decent. One was laughably weak.
Yako snatched that kunai out of the air and threw it back.
"Don't underestimate basic kunai techniques! Your fundamentals are garbage. Do you think kunai throwing isn't flashy enough to matter?"
The kunai smashed into the rookie's throat. Though dulled, it hurt like hell. He doubled over instinctively.
Yako shook his head again and again.
Konoha had grown weaker with each war. Even ANBU recruits had declined—who knew how bad the rest of the village was?
Purple Cat, meanwhile, grew more and more astonished. When had Kitsune gotten this strong?
ANBU combat relied heavily on taijutsu and explosive tags. Kitsune's movements were fluid, with no awkwardness—like his body had undergone a second maturation.
She blushed, remembering the previous night in the changing room, and quickly lowered her head to record the rookies' performance.
Just as the training session heated up, Commander Yellow Dog's assistant used a body flicker to appear.
"There are two traitors in the village—both Tokubetsu Jōnin level! One of them is from the Senju Clan. Commander Yellow Dog orders your squad to send a unit to assist the pursuit!"
"I understand. I'll lead a team immediately."
Yako's heart sank.
Because he'd warned Yakuchi, the butterfly's wings had flapped—this timeline had diverged.
Senju Haku and Yakuchi were now classified as rogue ninja.