Kojii Chisa walked along the banks of the Yoshimizu River, trailed closely by the masked ANBU known as Fox.
She'd insisted there might be an assassination attempt, and ordered that Fox never stray more than three steps from her side.
Yako had taken a peculiar liking to the dam construction site.
The head builder, surprisingly, could use some basic D-rank ninjutsu. Digging foundations, stacking stone, packing earth—he incorporated minor chakra into all of it. Crude Earth Release techniques, half-formed but efficient. The work progressed with uncanny speed.
Every morning, Chisa and Fox ate at the same table.
She dined on refined delicacies. He tossed a single soldier pill through the slit of his mask.
Ever since learning Twin Vortex Water Severing Wave, Yako had modified his mask—carving a narrow slit across the mouth.
The fox mask, already sharp like an egret's beak, now looked colder, crueler. Predatory.
When they were in the main residence of the daimyō's estate, Chisa worked at her desk. Fox stood silent, leaning against the wall behind her.
She had once led him through Miqū's former courtyard.
He gave no reaction.
And the light in her eyes dimmed with each passing day.
'Was I mistaken…?'
On the night of the full moon, she made her final attempt.
Chisa stepped in front of Fox, raising a hand.
Yako tensed.
If she tried to remove his mask, he would have no choice but to stop her.
But instead, Chisa knocked twice on his mask, then pushed up her glasses with her other hand.
Yako froze.
He understood what she meant.
Two taps.
She wanted him to meet her at 2 a.m.?
The full moon hung like a silver plate above.
At 2 a.m., Kojii Chisa stood by her desk.
There were no candles. The power had been cut. She left the room dark.
The windows were open, and moonlight spilled in.
No attendants. She'd dismissed them all early in the evening.
Then—the softest sound behind her.
Footsteps.
"Is it you?" she whispered. "Only you would know what my glasses mean. You… you like that I always wear them, don't you?"
No reply.
"My sixth sense tells me… it must be you."
Yako's thoughts churned. 'What a cursed connection this is.'
Should he deepen this bond with Chisa?
He'd seen it with Idaha Haneda—how nobles and ANBU often shared complicated ties.
If he wanted to ascend the ladder of Konoha's true power, the backing of nobility was essential.
He aspired to walk Danzo's path—to master the hidden side of the village.
For that… he needed resources. Support. Influence.
That was reason enough.
He stepped forward and placed a scroll on the desk beside her.
It was a blueprint. A revised schematic of the dam. The old one had contained minor flaws.
Chisa's hand trembled as she picked it up. Her chin quivered.
'It's him.'
It had to be. His style. His touch. His work.
But he was ANBU. And she… she could never turn to look.
She heard movement and called out quickly:
"Wait—don't go! Just stay a little longer… please?"
Cautiously, she stepped backward… and leaned against him.
That comfort, that presence—only Miqū had ever made her feel that way.
Whether he was Miqū or Fox, she accepted it. She revered it.
The air between them turned humid. Electric. Dangerous.
A few minutes later, her pale, peach-soft form was bent over the desk, fully exposed.
Their breathing grew ragged. Intimate.
Even in the haze of that half-hour, Chisa never turned around. Never once looked back.
She respected the mask. Respected his identity.
When it ended, he was gone.
She collapsed into the chair, boneless.
"So rude… can't ANBU clean up after themselves?" she muttered. "The chair's soaked."
Lying limp against the desk, she smiled faintly.
'This dam... it's the most precious gift he could have given me. I won't ask for more.'
Every night at 2 a.m., she waited at the window.
Never once turning around.
Forever facing away from the one she loved.
Every night at 3 a.m., he would leave.
And every night, the chair was left damp.
One morning, as she quietly ate breakfast, Fox stood beside her.
"Lady Chisa. The Land of Earth has sent formal word. They've agreed to leave the dam untouched. Our unit's assignment is complete. Farewell."
She nodded blankly.
But inside, it felt like something had been carved out of her chest.
By the time she raised her head, he was gone.
Vanished.
The Fox Squad had already departed the capital, heading southwest at speed—rushing to rejoin Konoha's main battlefront.
During their month away, the front line had advanced all the way to the border of the Land of Rivers.
While resting en route, Purple Cat sat down beside Yako.
"Finally rid of that annoying daimyō's sister."
"Huh? You didn't like her? She wasn't so bad."
She shot him a glare. He gulped.
'She couldn't possibly have discovered my infiltration, right?'
The front base now sat at the edge of the River Country border. The terrain had hardened into rocky badlands.
No rivers. No plants. Just dry, cracked ground.
Yako returned to the ANBU tent.
Yellow Dog, the squad captain, spotted him and immediately rummaged through a stack of scrolls.
"You're back. Good."
He handed over a mission scroll.
"The daimyō of the Land of Earth has backed down. No more trouble with the dam. Now it's time you resume real ANBU work."
Yako scanned the scroll.
His brows twitched.
'"Tricky" is an understatement. This is borderline immoral.'
Yellow Dog explained:
"Behind the Wind Country's front line, there are several oases. Their lakes provide vital water for the Sand ninja.
"The average shinobi has too much of a conscience to do this. That's where we come in.
"In dire times, we do the dirty work. Fox—you're going to poison their water."
Yako narrowed his eyes. "Dire times?"
Yellow Dog nodded.
"After the death of the Third Mizukage, the village is being ruled by Elder Gensui.
"But a shadow village can't function long without a proper Kage.
"Kirigakure is fractured. The Hozuki clan is the largest faction. Then there's the Ice clan, the Kaguya, the Kokkuri, and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—plus the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails. All vying for power. Tensions are boiling over."
"To redirect the chaos, Gensui declared war on Konoha."
"We're now fighting on three fronts."
"To avoid a prolonged war in the Land of Rivers, the higher-ups want us to end this quickly. No matter the means."
War, when internal pressure becomes unbearable, is often the only remaining outlet.
Kirigakure's declaration had been perfectly timed.
The Land of Fire, seated at the heart of the continent, was surrounded on all sides. It had always been a battlefield.
But not even Konoha's deep reserves could sustain three wars forever.
Just like in the First Great Ninja War, the time would come when they would be forced to send in the Uchiha.
Yellow Dog continued:
"Gensui even announced that the next Mizukage would be chosen based on battlefield performance.
"Kirigakure's shinobi have already landed in Uzushio's former territory.
"After the fall of the Uzumaki Clan, that region became a vassal of the Land of Fire. It's one of our critical mission sources."
"That's why we must end the River Country campaign immediately."
Yako accepted the scroll.
And sighed quietly to himself.
Poisoning an oasis lake.
In the Land of Wind, that was a crime of the highest order.