After the ANBU downsizing, there were many more rooms available in the underground base.
Yōkō now had a separate office and a separate rest area.
He sat in the office, looking at the information in his hand. It was the intelligence collected by the "Purple Cat" team regarding the movements of the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin in the Land of Earth.
The Purple Cat team was one of the four teams under his direct command. The team leader was a veteran Jōnin from the Aburame clan, codenamed "White Sheep". The other three members were codenamed "Flower Deer", "Hippo", and "Yak".
The Purple Cat team was mainly responsible for monitoring the movements of the Iwa-nin in the Land of Earth.
The other three teams were the "Yellow Dog" team, responsible for monitoring the movements of the Kumo-nin; the "Hippo" team, responsible for monitoring the movements of the Kiri-nin; and the "Yak" team, responsible for monitoring the movements of the Suna-nin.
The four teams were all veteran Jōnin, and their strength was considered top-notch even within Root.
Yōkō had just taken over these four teams, and he didn't know them well yet, so he didn't dare to be careless and carefully reviewed the intelligence they sent back.
The intelligence from the Purple Cat team showed that the Iwa-nin had recently mobilized a large number of ninjas and were heading towards the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning.
The Kumo-nin had also mobilized a large number of ninjas and were heading towards the border between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth.
The two sides seemed to be preparing for a large-scale conflict.
Yōkō frowned. If the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin really started a war, it would definitely affect Konoha.
He thought for a moment, then picked up a pen and wrote a report, planning to submit it to Danzo.
Just as he finished writing the report, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Yōkō said without looking up.
The door was pushed open, and a Root ninja walked in. It was Aburame Ryoma.
"Lord Yōkō, Lord Danzo wants you to go to his office." Aburame Ryoma said respectfully.
Yōkō nodded, "I understand."
He put away the report, stood up, and followed Aburame Ryoma out of the office.
The two of them walked through the corridors of the underground base and soon arrived outside Danzo's office.
Aburame Ryoma knocked on the door, and after hearing a response from inside, he pushed the door open and entered.
"Lord Danzo, Lord Yōkō is here." Aburame Ryoma said respectfully.
Danzo was sitting behind his desk, reading a document. Hearing this, he raised his head and glanced at Yōkō, then waved his hand at Aburame Ryoma, "You may leave."
Aburame Ryoma bowed and left, closing the door behind him.
Danzo put down the document in his hand and looked at Yōkō, "How are you adapting to your new position?"
"Everything is fine, thank you for your concern, Lord Danzo." Yōkō said respectfully.
Danzo nodded, "The four teams under your command are all elite teams of Root. I hope you can lead them well."
"I will do my best." Yōkō said.
Danzo picked up a document from the table and handed it to Yōkō, "Take a look at this."
Yōkō took the document and quickly scanned it. It was intelligence about the movements of the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin.
"This is the intelligence collected by the Purple Cat team. I have already seen it." Yōkō said.
Danzo nodded, "What do you think?"
Yōkō thought for a moment and said, "The Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin are likely to go to war."
Danzo nodded, "Not only are they likely to go to war, but the scale of this war will not be small."
Yōkō's expression was serious, "If the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin go to war, it will definitely affect Konoha."
Danzo said, "Yes, so we must be prepared."
He looked at Yōkō, "I plan to send you to the Land of Earth to monitor the movements of the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin."
Yōkō was slightly startled, then nodded, "Understood."
Danzo said, "This mission is very dangerous. You must be careful."
"I understand." Yōkō said.
Danzo took out a scroll from the drawer and handed it to Yōkō, "This is the detailed information about this mission. Take it and study it carefully."
Yōkō took the scroll, "Is there anything else, Lord Danzo?"
Danzo waved his hand, "You may go."
Yōkō bowed, turned, and left the office.
After Yōkō left, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows in the corner of the office.
It was Orochimaru.
Orochimaru looked in the direction Yōkō left, a strange smile on his face, "Danzo, you really value this kid."
Danzo said calmly, "He is a good seedling."
Orochimaru licked his lips, "Indeed, he is a very good seedling."
He looked at Danzo, "Are you not afraid that he will betray you?"
Danzo said, "He won't."
Orochimaru smiled, "You seem very confident."
Danzo did not answer, but changed the subject, "How is the research on Hashirama Cells going?"
Orochimaru said, "It's going very well. I believe I will soon achieve a breakthrough."
Danzo nodded, "That's good."
...
Yōkō returned to his office, opened the scroll, and carefully read the contents.
The mission this time was to go to the Land of Earth to monitor the movements of the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin and collect intelligence on the war between the two sides.
The mission period was three months.
Yōkō thought for a moment, then decided to bring the Purple Cat team with him.
He immediately summoned the Purple Cat team.
Soon, the four members of the Purple Cat team arrived at Yōkō's office.
The team leader, Aburame Ryoma, codenamed "White Sheep", was a tall, thin man wearing sunglasses.
The other three members were codenamed "Flower Deer", a young female ninja; "Hippo", a burly male ninja; and "Yak", a strong male ninja.
Yōkō looked at the four of them and said, "We have a mission."
The four of them immediately straightened up, waiting for Yōkō's orders.
Yōkō said, "The mission is to go to the Land of Earth to monitor the movements of the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin."
The four of them showed no expression, obviously already aware of this mission.
Yōkō continued, "We will set off immediately. Prepare quickly and meet at the entrance of the base in fifteen minutes."
"Yes!" The four of them responded in unison, then turned and left the office.
Fifteen minutes later, Yōkō and the four members of the Purple Cat team gathered at the entrance of the base.
Yōkō looked at the four of them and said, "Let's go."
The five of them left the base and headed towards the Land of Earth.
...
A few days later, Yōkō and his team arrived in the Land of Earth.
The Land of Earth was mostly mountainous, with a harsh environment and a dry climate.
Yōkō and his team found a hidden spot and set up a temporary base.
Yōkō assigned tasks to the four members of the Purple Cat team, sending them to different areas to monitor the movements of the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin.
He himself stayed at the temporary base, responsible for coordinating and summarizing intelligence.
A few days later, the Purple Cat team began to send back intelligence.
The Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin had already engaged in several small-scale conflicts at the border, and both sides were suffering casualties.
The scale of the conflict was gradually expanding.
Yōkō summarized the intelligence and sent it back to Konoha through a special channel.
This day, Yōkō was in the temporary base summarizing intelligence when suddenly, a sharp whistle came from outside.
Yōkō's expression changed. This was the warning signal of the Purple Cat team.
He immediately rushed out of the temporary base.
Outside the base, he saw Aburame Ryoma supporting the heavily injured "Flower Deer" rushing over.
"What happened?" Yōkō asked quickly.
Aburame Ryoma said anxiously, "We were discovered by the Iwa-nin. Flower Deer was injured to cover my retreat."
Yōkō's expression was serious. "How many Iwa-nin are there?"
Aburame Ryoma said, "About twenty people, led by a Jōnin."
Yōkō frowned. Twenty Iwa-nin, plus a Jōnin, was not a small force.
He immediately said, "Take Flower Deer and leave quickly. I'll cover your retreat."
Aburame Ryoma was startled, "Lord Yōkō, you..."
Yōkō waved his hand, "No need to say more, go quickly!"
Aburame Ryoma gritted his teeth, "Yes!"
He supported Flower Deer and quickly left.
Yōkō took a deep breath, then turned and looked into the distance.
A group of Iwa-nin was quickly approaching.
Yōkō's eyes turned cold, and he formed a hand seal.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A thick earthen wall rose from the ground, blocking the path of the Iwa-nin.
The Iwa-nin were startled by the sudden earthen wall and stopped.
The leading Iwa-nin Jōnin shouted coldly, "Who is it? How dare you block our way!"
Yōkō did not answer, his hands quickly forming seals.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Rising Spears!"
Dozens of sharp earth spears shot out from the ground, stabbing towards the Iwa-nin.
The Iwa-nin were caught off guard, and several were immediately pierced by the earth spears, dying on the spot.
The Iwa-nin Jōnin was furious, "Seeking death!"
He drew his ninja sword and charged towards Yōkō.
Yōkō's expression was calm, his hands still forming seals.
"Earth Release: Ant Hell Technique!"
The ground beneath the Iwa-nin Jōnin suddenly softened, turning into a swamp, and his body began to sink.
The Iwa-nin Jōnin was shocked and quickly formed hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A small earthen wall rose beneath his feet, supporting his body and preventing him from sinking.
But at this moment, Yōkō had already appeared behind him.
"Chidori!"
A ball of lightning gathered in Yōkō's hand, piercing through the Iwa-nin Jōnin's chest.
The Iwa-nin Jōnin looked down in disbelief at the bloody hole in his chest, then fell to the ground, dead.
The remaining Iwa-nin were terrified when they saw their leader killed and turned to flee.
Yōkō did not pursue them. He knew that the Iwa-nin would soon send more people, so he had to leave quickly.
He turned and quickly left the scene.
...
A few days later, Yōkō and the Purple Cat team returned to Konoha.
Yōkō reported the mission to Danzo.
Danzo listened to Yōkō's report, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"Well done." Danzo said, "This mission, you have performed very well."
Yōkō said respectfully, "Thank you for the compliment, Lord Danzo."
Danzo said, "The war between Iwa and Kumo has begun. Next, we have a lot of work to do."
Yōkō nodded, "I understand."
Danzo looked at Yōkō, "Among the younger generation, I have the highest hopes for you."
Yōkō was slightly startled, then bowed, "I will not disappoint your expectations, Lord Danzo."
Danzo waved his hand, "You may go."
Yōkō bowed and turned to leave.
After Yōkō left, Danzo fell into thought.
The war between Iwa and Kumo was an opportunity for Konoha.
He had to make good use of this opportunity.
...
In the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was looking at the intelligence report in his hand, his expression grave.
The intelligence showed that the war between Iwa and Kumo had begun.
This war would undoubtedly affect Konoha.
He had to make preparations early.
He thought for a moment, then said to the ANBU member beside him, "Summon the two advisors and the Jonin Commander."
"Yes!" The ANBU member responded and left.
Soon, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Jonin Commander Nara Shikaku arrived at the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi handed the intelligence to the three of them, "Take a look."
The three of them quickly read the intelligence, their expressions turning serious.
"The war between Iwa and Kumo has finally begun." Mitokado Homura said.
Utatane Koharu said, "This war will definitely affect Konoha. We must be prepared."
Nara Shikaku said, "Yes, we must strengthen the border defenses and be ready to respond to possible attacks at any time."
Sarutobi nodded, "I plan to send more troops to the border."
The three of them had no objection.
Sarutobi said, "Shikaku, you will be responsible for deploying the troops."
Nara Shikaku nodded, "Understood."
...
In the Root base.
Danzo also received the intelligence.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
The war between Iwa and Kumo was an opportunity for him.
He could use this war to weaken the power of the Third Hokage and strengthen his own influence.
He thought for a moment, then said to the Root member beside him, "Summon Yōkō."
"Yes!" The Root member responded and left.
Soon, Yōkō arrived at Danzo's office.
"Lord Danzo, you called for me?" Yōkō said respectfully.
Danzo said, "The war between Iwa and Kumo has begun. I have a new mission for you."
Yōkō said, "Please give your orders, Lord Danzo."
Danzo said, "I want you to go to the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning to monitor the progress of the war and collect intelligence on both sides."
Yōkō nodded, "Understood."
Danzo said, "This mission is very dangerous. You must be careful."
"I understand," Yōkō said.
Danzo took out a scroll from the drawer and handed it to Yōkō, "This is the detailed information about this mission. Take it and study it carefully."
Yōkō took the scroll, "Is there anything else, Lord Danzo?"
Danzo waved his hand, "You may go."
Yōkō bowed, turned, and left the office.
After Yōkō left, Danzo's eyes flickered.
He had high hopes for Yōkō.
He believed that Yōkō would complete this mission perfectly.
...
Yōkō returned to his office, opened the scroll, and carefully read the contents.
The mission this time was to go to the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning to monitor the progress of the war and collect intelligence on both sides.
The mission period was one month.
Yōkō thought for a moment, then decided to bring the Purple Cat team with him again.
He immediately summoned the Purple Cat team.
Soon, the four members of the Purple Cat team arrived at Yōkō's office.
Yōkō looked at the four of them and said, "We have a new mission."
The four of them immediately straightened up, waiting for Yōkō's orders.
Yōkō said, "The mission is to go to the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning to monitor the progress of the war and collect intelligence on both sides."
The four of them showed no expression, obviously already used to such missions.
Yōkō continued, "We will set off immediately. Prepare quickly and meet at the entrance of the base in fifteen minutes."
"Yes!" The four of them responded in unison, then turned and left the office.
Fifteen minutes later, Yōkō and the four members of the Purple Cat team gathered at the entrance of the base.
Yōkō looked at the four of them and said, "Let's go."
The five of them left the base and headed towards the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning.
...
A few days later, Yōkō and his team arrived at the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning.
The war between Iwa and Kumo was already in full swing.
The two sides had engaged in several large-scale battles, with heavy casualties on both sides.
Yōkō and his team found a hidden spot and set up a temporary base.
Yōkō assigned tasks to the four members of the Purple Cat team, sending them to different areas to monitor the progress of the war and collect intelligence.
He himself stayed at the temporary base, responsible for coordinating and summarizing intelligence.
A few days later, the Purple Cat team began to send back intelligence.
The war between Iwa and Kumo was very fierce, with both sides suffering heavy losses.
Yōkō summarized the intelligence and sent it back to Konoha through a special channel.
This day, Yōkō was in the temporary base summarizing intelligence when suddenly, a sharp whistle came from outside.
Yōkō's expression changed. This was the warning signal of the Purple Cat team again.
He immediately rushed out of the temporary base.
Outside the base, he saw Aburame Ryoma supporting the heavily injured "Hippo", rushing over.
"What happened?" Yōkō asked quickly.
Aburame Ryoma said anxiously, "We were discovered by the Kumo-nin. Hippo was injured to cover my retreat."
Yōkō's expression was serious, "How many Kumo-nin are there?"
Aburame Ryoma said, "About thirty people, led by two Jōnin."
Yōkō frowned. Thirty Kumo-nin, plus two Jōnin, was a very powerful force.
He immediately said, "Take Hippo and leave quickly. I'll cover your retreat."
Aburame Ryoma was startled, "Lord Yōkō, you..."
Yōkō waved his hand, "No need to say more, go quickly!"
Aburame Ryoma gritted his teeth, "Yes!"
He supported Hippo and quickly left.
Yōkō took a deep breath, then turned and looked into the distance.
A group of Kumo-nin was quickly approaching.
Yōkō's eyes turned cold, and he formed a hand seal.
"Lightning Release: Earth Running!"
Bolts of lightning spread along the ground, attacking the Kumo-nin.
The Kumo-nin were startled by the sudden lightning and quickly dodged.
The two Kumo-nin Jōnin shouted coldly, "Who is it? How dare you attack us!"
Yōkō did not answer, his hands quickly forming seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
Several compressed air bullets shot towards the Kumo-nin.
The Kumo-nin were caught off guard, and several were hit by the air bullets, dying on the spot.
The two Kumo-nin Jōnin were furious and charged towards Yōkō.
Yōkō's expression was calm, his hands still forming seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
A huge air sphere shot towards the two Kumo-nin Jōnin.
The two Kumo-nin Jōnin were shocked and quickly formed hand seals.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Tracking Technique!"
Two lightning beasts formed and charged towards the air sphere.
Boom!
The air sphere and the lightning beasts collided, creating a huge explosion.
The explosion stirred up a cloud of dust, blocking everyone's view.
Yōkō took this opportunity to quickly form hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Several shadow clones appeared and charged towards the Kumo-nin.
The Kumo-nin were suddenly attacked by the shadow clones and fell into chaos.
Yōkō himself took this opportunity to quickly leave the scene.
...
A few days later, Yōkō and the Purple Cat team returned to Konoha.
Yōkō reported the mission to Danzo.
Danzo listened to Yōkō's report, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes again.
"Well done." Danzo said, "This mission, you have performed very well."
Yōkō said respectfully, "Thank you for the compliment, Lord Danzo."
Danzo said, "The war between Iwa and Kumo is still going on. Next, we have a lot of work to do."
Yōkō nodded, "I understand."
Danzo looked at Yōkō, "Among the younger generation, I have the highest hopes for you."
Yōkō bowed, "I will not disappoint your expectations, Lord Danzo."
Danzo waved his hand, "You may go."
Yōkō bowed and turned to leave.
After Yōkō left, Danzo fell into thought.
Yōkō's performance was indeed outstanding.
He believed that Yōkō would become his right-hand man.
...
In the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was also listening to the report from the ANBU Commander.
The ANBU Commander reported the progress of the war between Iwa and Kumo and the intelligence collected by Yōkō.
Sarutobi nodded, "Yōkō has done very well this time."
The ANBU Commander said, "Yes, the intelligence he collected is very detailed and has been very helpful for us to understand the progress of the war."
Sarutobi said, "Reward him."
The ANBU Commander said, "Understood."
...
In the Root base.
Yōkō returned to his office and began to summarize the mission.
This mission, although dangerous, was successfully completed.
He believed that Danzo would be very satisfied with his performance.
He thought for a moment, then took out a scroll and began to write a mission report.
While he was writing, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Yōkō said without looking up.
The door was pushed open, and a Root ninja walked in. It was Otsu.
"Lord Yōkō, Lord Danzo wants you to go to his office." Otsu said respectf
***
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