One day, Yako spotted an important piece of intelligence while reviewing reports with Butterfly.
Yamashigeto—the Iwa jonin skilled in Earth Release: Flying Gravel—had left the Hidden Stone Village and was heading to the Land of Rain for a mission.
'My collection of ninjutsu… don't rush off. I'm coming.'
Yako had Yak Squad assemble while he made a detour to Root.
Entering Orochimaru's laboratory, he saw new subjects inside nutrient tanks.
Two children—about one year old.
Suspended in liquid, bubbles escaping their noses.
Yako glanced at the identification tags, and his pupils contracted.
Tenzō…
One subject bore the codename Tenzō—the future Yamato.
He truly was Kazamatsuri Yuzu's son. Root had erased his name and assigned him a new designation.
Orochimaru appeared behind Yako without warning.
"These new materials are excellent. Their vitality far surpasses those malformed external subjects. With these specimens, I will uncover the secret of Wood Release's overwhelming life force."
He continued, "Once I accumulate fifty test subjects, I will begin a new comparative experiment."
"The life force of Wood Release?" Yako said. "Sounds tempting. I'm proficient in Earth and Water Release myself. Lord Orochimaru… do I qualify as an 'unordinary' experimental material?"
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, serpentine eyes locking onto the strongest operative of ANBU.
"You certainly qualify. I'm just afraid Yellow Dog wouldn't part with you."
Yako smiled faintly. "Just joking, Lord Orochimaru. A hunter's instinct when seeing prey, nothing more. I won't disturb your work—I have a mission in the Land of Rain."
"The Land of Rain? Aren't you afraid of encountering Uchiha Madara?"
"If fear of Madara meant avoiding Rain missions, would anyone ever go?" Yako replied. "You have the privilege to act as you wish, Lord Orochimaru. I don't. My missions are relentless—one after another."
"And worse, I've only completed a dozen or so S-rank missions. Still far behind your record."
"S-rank missions are nothing," Orochimaru said. "I'm over ten years older than you. By my age, your count will naturally grow."
"By your age?" Yako smirked. "You sound like an old man—like you're already fifty or sixty."
Orochimaru fell silent.
After a long pause, he spoke slowly.
"Without immortality, even a newborn is already walking toward death."
"Whether you or I… we will die one day. Isn't that so?"
There was deep yearning in his voice.
Yako had no answer.
Right now, he was more concerned with building a Five Elements Great Barrage for his alternate identity White Ghost and planning his path toward Wood Release. He didn't have time for philosophical debates about life and death.
As for Orochimaru's plan to gather fifty subjects—it might have worked in the original timeline, when the Senju were gone and no one protected women like Kazamatsuri Yuzu.
But now, the Senju still had leadership. Orochimaru's ambitions would not be easily realized.
After leaving Root, Yako headed straight for Konoha's gates.
Yak Squad was already waiting.
White Crane, recently transferred into the Fox Division, had been assigned to Yak Squad.
Yako glanced at White Crane before saying, "Let's move. We're heading to the Land of Rain."
On the way, he briefed them.
"Our destination is the usual place—Teigu Town beneath the Yoshigane Mountains."
"The Wind Daimyō obtained permission from the Fire, River, and Rain Daimyō to open a channel at Teigu Town, diverting water from the Yoshimizu River through underground caverns across the Yoshigane Mountains."
"Iwagakure doesn't want the Land of Wind to grow stronger, so they've sent Yamashigeto to sabotage the canal."
"Our objective is to eliminate the A-rank target listed in the assassination manual—Yamashigeto."
Yak Squad's leader said, "Ever since the assassination manual appeared, it feels like we've become tools executing quotas. Different squads are competing with each other."
"B-rank targets are manageable—usually up to Tokubetsu jōnin level. But A-rank targets… they're jonin from other villages or infamous rogue ninja."
"Our squad is doing alright—you led us to eliminate one A-rank target last month. But I heard Golden Eagle Squad is under heavy pressure—they haven't secured an A-rank kill yet."
"Jonin are difficult to kill," Yako said simply.
He had eliminated the Cloud jonin Takami quickly only because he had died to him once to gather combat data and because his Mayfly Technique was overwhelmingly powerful.
Facing an unfamiliar jonin now? Even he would proceed cautiously.
Passing through the Land of Rivers, Yako paused beside a hydroelectric facility.
It lay over a hundred kilometers from the capital, near a city belonging to a great noble.
The dam was massive, generating enough electricity to power multiple cities.
Emblems of both the Land of Fire and Land of Rivers were engraved on its surface.
A monument declared it joint property of both daimyo.
Destroying it would be equivalent to attacking two ruling powers.
Kojii Chisa, as Minister of Finance, had done well. Hydroelectric power was spreading.
Rumor had it that an even larger facility was being built along the Naka River in the Land of Fire.
Upon entering the Land of Rain, Yako felt Yak Squad tense.
Not only did this land host Hanzo the Salamander—but now Uchiha Madara as well.
Encountering either could mean instant death.
"Yak, relax," Yako said lightly. "I've already run into Madara twice here. It's not like every trip will end the same way."
He laughed.
Yak swallowed nervously.
"You don't laugh much lately. Something wrong?"
Yak remembered the heavy casualties—five Root operatives and seven members of Lynx Division lost.
He couldn't laugh.
Ten days later, Yako arrived at Teigu Town.
It had changed dramatically.
A breach had been cut into the old dam, sending river water pouring outward.
The original valley town lay submerged.
It had originally been built low to force residents to maintain the dam. Now, the Rain Daimyō had sold water rights to the Land of Wind.
A new town had been constructed on higher ground. Fresh wooden buildings gleamed; residents had relocated.
Yako ordered Yak Squad to gather intelligence on Yamashigeto while he entered the town himself.
Inside, he quickly found Lan.
The first time he had visited Teigu Town, she had guided him and Purple Cat through nearly every shop.
The Sand shinobi had treated residents like expendable tools, destroying villages for water diversion.
The Wind Daimyō had been more considerate—relocation before flooding.
Lan now worked at a bakery, lifting a large waterproof pack, preparing to deliver bread to guards stationed at the dam.
With officials and samurai from the Rain and Wind lands stationed here, the town appeared orderly and thriving.
Not long after, a Yak Squad member appeared behind Yako.
"Captain! There's a conflict at the dam!"