In the wars between shinobi villages, most ninja would rather detonate an explosive tag and die than allow themselves to be captured.
Because capture meant torture.
Every village had its own interrogation division, and the shinobi there would show prisoners the true meaning of sadism.
The ANBU operated in darkness—missions soaked in shadow—but the Interrogation Division was darkness itself.
Konoha, at least, had the Yamanaka Clan's interrogation specialists, who could directly read minds—brutal, yes, but almost gentle by comparison.
Other villages lacked such finesse. Their "interrogation" involved no technique—just torture.
They would drain the last drop of blood and willpower from a prisoner—either drag out their secrets, or drag out their brains.
Faced with that, death was preferable.
The four captured Suna shinobi had already been handed over to Orochimaru.
As for a prisoner exchange? Out of the question.
But ANBU had ordered the Fox Squad to rescue one particular captured Shimura clan chūnin.
A near-impossible task.
Yako went to the front-line Interrogation Division first, gathering all available intel on the four Suna captives—their heights, builds, hair color, everything.
No one in the division knew where the prisoners had gone, only that they'd been taken away by ANBU.
Yako reviewed the plan in his head multiple times. He figured the odds of success were good enough.
So, he summoned all three squads of the unit.
"Konoha and Sunagakure have been at war for over half a month. Now, for the first time, a prisoner exchange is being held.
"The Suna captives have been sent by ANBU to the Land of Earth. We have no real prisoners to offer in return.
"Blossom Deer," he turned to the squad leader, "pick four team members with the right build. No Transformation Technique. Use makeup and disguise. They're to look like prisoners brutalized by our Interrogation Division—barely recognizable.
"If you rely on the Transformation Technique, the Suna shinobi might notice. Too risky.
"Purple Cat, you'll lead a squad disguised as an ordinary Konoha escort team.
"Both sides will send escort squads to show good faith and prevent escalation.
"White Ram, you'll take the rest and come with me. We'll pose as Amegakure shinobi and ambush the prisoner exchange. Our target is the Shimura chūnin.
"Konoha still has a reputation to maintain.
"If we can't provide real captives and end up killing the Suna team during the exchange? That's not something Konoha can be seen doing.
"But if Amegakure were to interfere, incite conflict, disrupt the exchange… hoping for a more brutal war between two rivals? That's believable.
"Every village runs covert ops under false flags. This is nothing new."
The three squad leaders nodded and left to prepare.
Blossom Deer's role was crucial—he had to pick four members to impersonate half-dead captives.
And they couldn't rely on transformation techniques.
Before departure, Blossom Deer shaved his head clean.
Fifteen crisscrossing cuts were carved across his scalp.
Some were still bleeding. Others had been half-treated by medical-nin, forming swollen pink scars.
Yako asked, "Does it hurt?"
"Not really. Leaf Monkey broke his own arm. It's still twisted backwards at the joint. That hurts more."
Yako winced inside.
The average shinobi didn't have natural talent—but they were serious. And they were desperate.
Yako said, "After this mission, I'll request a new jutsu for each of you."
"Thank you, Captain!"
Purple Cat led her team, dressed as standard Konoha shinobi. Forehead protectors in place, each shouldering a "captive" as they made their way south to the agreed location.
Near a river in the northern Land of Rivers.
Across the canyon, Purple Cat spotted the Suna team.
Five Suna shinobi. Each with a captive from Konoha beneath their feet.
The condition of those prisoners was just as wretched—bloody, mangled, and pathetic.
Their wounds were swollen, bruised black and blue, poison clearly still in their systems.
Suna interrogators had a known fondness for poison—especially neurotoxins.
When Purple Cat's group reached the other side, they lowered their own "captives."
The Suna squad leader called out, "Konoha. Time for the exchange."
But Purple Cat replied:
"Hold on. The captive under your foot is leaking pus. His wounds are surrounded by necrotic bruising.
"You trying to pull a fast one? Hoping these prisoners die from poison before we get them back?"
The Suna squad leader sneered. "We're Suna. Poison is our specialty. Of course we coat our tools with it during interrogation. What, you want me to antidote them for you?"
"Absolutely," Purple Cat pressed. "They must be alive when we return."
"No chance," the Suna leader snapped.
"You take them back poisoned? That's your problem. If I neutralize the toxins now, you'll study their blood and reverse-engineer an antidote to our poison.
"Don't be stupid. Run faster. Or pray your medics are good enough.
"I'm here to exchange—not to babysit."
To stall for time, Purple Cat pulled out a syringe.
"In that case, you'd better hope you run fast."
She injected her own "Suna prisoner" on the spot.
"You—!"
The Suna shinobi tensed. They took the bait.
Their attention now fixed on Purple Cat's group—not the prisoners' authenticity.
Leaf Monkey took the injection. His face flushed a deep violet.
Now no one could tell if he was truly Suna or not.
And it bought Yako all the time he needed.
From the rushing river in the gorge, four shadows burst forth!
Each wore an Amegakure-style gas mask.
They hurled poison bombs immediately.
Thick purple mist rolled out—salamander poison—rapidly blanketing both sides of the canyon.
These weren't real Ame tools. They were crafted by Konoha's ANBU using toxins extracted from captured salamanders.
In the cover of the haze, Yako zeroed in on the Shimura shinobi described in their intel.
Within the toxic fog, Yako quietly formed a hand seal.
Self-Binding Curse Mark.
Chains of the jutsu snapped into place, locking the Suna squad leader in place.
A short blade stabbed clean through the back of his skull, piercing the forehead.
No one would know a sealing technique had been used.
Another Suna shinobi lunged, only for Yako to kick him hard—sending him flying through the fog.
It looked brutal, but didn't break any bones.
The Suna ninja crashed out of the poisonous haze and saw Konoha shinobi locked in battle with supposed Amegakure attackers.
He scrambled to his feet and ran—fleeing the chaos.
Yako had let him go on purpose.
Let the story spread—Ame ambushed the exchange.
Konoha wanted everything—retrieve the captive, cover up the human experimentation, and avoid the shame of breaking a peace ritual.
It made things very complicated for executioners like Yako.
When the dust settled, four Suna corpses lay on the ground.
Two of them had resisted bitterly—even killing the Konoha captives beneath them just before they died.
That couldn't be helped.
Three captives were rescued—including the Shimura chūnin.
That was more than enough. Mission success.
Yako called out, "Move! Get the Shimura ninja to the frontline medical unit before the poison spreads!"
Shedding his Ame disguise, Yako slipped on his old Anbu mask and sprinted toward the forward camp.
Three prisoners, plus Leaf Monkey—whose leg was shattered and twisted—were all carried on backs.
Yako glanced at Leaf Monkey, slung across Captain Black Ape's shoulders.
"Leaf Monkey… you really went all in."
He had. All for the mission.
He hadn't held back—not even against himself.