"Report to the deputy commander?"
Yoru asked, "Do ANBU operatives still need to submit mission reports to other high-ranking officers?"
His reaction wasn't unreasonable. ANBU belonged only to the Hokage, and since the Hokage was always overloaded with work, most missions were handled directly by the ANBU Commander.
ANBU answered only to the Hokage and the Commander.
Yellow Dog replied:
"The frontline command has the right to access all intel. Lord Hokage sent us here for one goal, to win the war.
"But don't mention anything about the Shimura-clan chūnin. Just say they're ordinary prisoners of war".
"When I first joined ANBU as a regular operative, Captain Sakumo was already our squad leader. I can't really refuse a reasonable request from someone like him."
Kakashi's father, Sakumo Hatake, was the youngest and strongest ANBU Captain during the Second Hokage's era.
"I understand," Yoru said.
"Captain, my squad took heavy losses for this mission. To impersonate captives, my subordinates actually injured themselves. Some broke their own legs. Some slashed their faces so badly you could play shōgi on the scars.
"I want to request some jutsu as rewards for them. Would that be possible?"
Yellow Dog replied, "You may. Four B-rank jutsu. You distribute them."
Yoru felt it was too few but didn't dare ask for more.
In Konoha, recommendation-based ranks and recommendation-based jutsu access were the two major tools the village leadership used to control its shinobi. They would never relax their grip.
Tighter control over jutsu distribution especially targeted civilian-born ninja. Clan ninja were rarely affected since they had their own inherited jutsu and secret techniques.
Yoru mentally reviewed his Earth Release and Water Release techniques, checking which ones were safe to reveal.
Earth Style: Falling Earth Spears
Water Style: Water Wall
These two could be offered publicly as rewards.
Add the four B-rank jutsu, choose some Fire, Wind, and Lightning Release techniques, and he could barely assemble a decent reward batch.
Yoru left the ANBU tent and walked toward the command tent.
After a brief message was sent through the medical unit, Sakumo Hatake issued an official order summoning Yoru for a report.
Sakumo believed doing it openly would keep suspicions down. Nara Shikakuro, often visited Yellow Dog to consult, so the meeting wouldn't look strange.
Inside Sakumo's tent, Yoru found him alone.
Sakumo said, "Fox, don't worry. I used the mission report as a pretext. No one is around. No one is listening."
Yoru relaxed. Sakumo had been ANBU himself, he understood the importance of secrecy.
Sakumo asked:
"I overheard you say at the medical tent that you support an examination-based promotion system. What's your view on it?"
Before this, Shinmei had told Sakumo that an ANBU operative had saved him and passed along a warning: the higher-ups were already watching the people around Sakumo, wary of his supporters.
That ANBU operative also wore a fox mask.
Yoru said:
"Lord Sakumo, implementing an exam-based rank system for ninja is extremely difficult. Genin need their team leader's recommendation to take the chūnin exams. Chūnin need jōnin recommendations to become special jōnin. Special jōnin need high-level approval to become full jōnin.
"One link after another, this is the framework Konoha's leadership uses to control the village. Even clan heads must bow their heads if they want more jōnin positions for their families.
"Lord Sakumo, you're moving too fast. There are countless ways the higher-ups can sabotage an exam system. Nara Shikakuro is lenient only because he relies on your combat ability. If the real village leadership steps in… they won't be so gentle."
Sakumo felt a chill. This ANBU operative had summarized all his difficulties in a few sentences.
He wanted to reform the ranking system, but obstacles were everywhere. The moment he brought up the idea, he hit walls, whether in front of the Third Hokage or in front of the frontline command.
"Fox… then what do you think I should do?"
Yoru answered:
"Lord Sakumo, the ninja rank exam system has too much resistance. But, a ninjutsu examination system will face far less opposition."
"For Konoha, jutsu distribution is a major way to control civilian ninja… But it's not nearly as important as rank. Jutsu can be extracted from enemy prisoners. Learned from allied ninja. Taught by squad leaders."
"And the Uchiha clan can copy thousands of jutsu with the Sharingan. Lord Sakumo, you can start by lowering the threshold for learning jutsu. Let more civilian ninja learn more techniques. Help them grow stronger."
"With your strength and influence, you can push through a ninjutsu examination system. And once the exam system becomes widespread, more and more people will begin to ask, why can't other things also use exams instead of recommendations?"
"It's a seed. It will grow slowly, but one day… it will sprout."
Sakumo's eyes lit up.
Yes, he could start with jutsu access. Grant B-rank and A-rank jutsu after completing certain missions. That would already be progress.
Though the village would never include S-rank forbidden jutsu.
Yoru added:
"Yellow Dog-Captain said you summoned me under the pretext of the prisoner exchange mission. I wrote the mission report on this scroll."
"Lord Sakumo, you know how ANBU works. I hope you can keep our real conversation confidential."
Yoru trusted Sakumo's integrity. The man had a strong moral code, unlike certain human-shaped beasts in the village.
"Very well, Fox. No one will hear a word of what we truly discussed."
Yoru said, "Lord Sakumo, please also avoid summoning me too often under mission-report excuses. ANBU will grow suspicious."
"I understand. Unless necessary, I won't call for you."
Yoru left the command tent.
In the original timeline, Sakumo Hatake committed suicide after his convictions collapsed. He was a man with principles and ideals.
Yoru's honest analysis should help Sakumo see him as an ally.
If Sakumo pushed for the ninjutsu exam system, many civilian ninja desperate for jutsu would gather around him, and slowly form a new faction.
Power flows not just top-down, but bottom-up. With enough followers, even the high council must yield.
The Senju clan controlled the medical corps. If Sakumo unified the civilian ninja, Konoha's ruling grip would weaken further.
Sakumo-san, you'd better work hard…
If you don't, how am I supposed to give you your power-up arc?
After Fox left, Sakumo's thoughts raced.
From the medical tent earlier, he had already noticed the captives were:
one Shimura-clan ninja, one Nara-clan ninja, and one unlucky civilian ninja.
The strategists in the command unit were all from the five elite clans favored by the Hokage's lineage.
Anyone outside these clans would never know about the disagreements between him and the Nara commander.
Sakumo suspected the rescue mission was mainly to bring back the two clan ninja.
During the Second Hokage's time, ANBU was nothing like this. Back then, ANBU would never deploy a special mission just to rescue Senju-clan members. To avoid favoritism, the Second Hokage even insisted Senju be rescued last.
But now, ANBU, claiming to answer only to the Hokage, had become a tool of one man, not the village's sharpest, most hidden kunai.
Sakumo believed ANBU operatives were still people. Perhaps some within ANBU were also dissatisfied with the current state.
He prepared to draft a ninjutsu examination proposal. This time, even if Nara Shikakuro opposed it, Sakumo would push forward, firmly.