By the time Yako returned to the beach where the battle had taken place, Suikazan was already gone.
Yakushi Nono had been knocked away by Samehada and had crashed into a rock—one that had since been carried far by the tide.
Yako carefully examined the rock, searching for clues.
A strip of cloth.
He found a scrap snagged in the crack of the rock.
Yako used a kunai to lift the cloth, then sealed it away in his ninja tool pouch to avoid contaminating it with his own scent.
He immediately went to find White Ram.
Outside a forest, Yako followed ANBU-coded signs until he found White Ram, hidden away.
"White Ram, this is a piece of clothing from a Mist spy. Use your kikaichū to track them!"
"Understood!"
Though not as sensitive as the Inuzuka clan's hounds, kikaichū could still identify scents well enough for most missions.
After chewing the cloth to memorize the scent, the kikaichū dispersed.
It didn't take long before White Ram picked up a lead.
They chased the trail for hours, finally reaching a desolate cliff face by the following afternoon.
At first glance, there were only bird nests scattered along the rocks.
Yako had a bad feeling.
One swarm of kikaichū killed a seabird and dragged it down.
White Ram removed a tied strip from the bird's leg and said grimly, "Captain… we've been tricked."
Yako's heart sank.
'As expected of the Wandering Miko. She planted fake clues before fleeing—wasting an entire day of our time.'
"Let's go. We're heading back."
But on the way, Yako grew uneasy.
Even though B was dead, Yakushi Nono still knew the truth. If she passed intel back to Root, his involvement could be exposed.
White Ram noticed Yako had stopped and waited quietly.
Yako suddenly said, "We're going back to camp—now!"
He had remembered Jenli—a girl raised in the Konoha orphanage.
She might hold a clue about Nono.
Yako returned to camp and tracked Jenli's movements. He discovered she and her genin team had departed on a patrol mission near the coast.
Without pause, he set off after them.
Jenli was patrolling with her three genin.
She'd noticed the camp's atmosphere had relaxed dramatically when they left. Rumors were circulating: that Konoha's ANBU had scored a decisive victory over the Mist… that it might end the war… and that even Lord Orochimaru might be heading to the Uzushio front.
Hope was spreading.
One of her genin, a hulking 2-meter-tall boy, shuffled beside Jenli, who was barely 1.5 meters tall.
"Captain, can we head back early? I swear if I eat one more soldier pill, I'm gonna puke. I'd kill for even a bowl of broth."
His stomach growled audibly.
"No way!" Jenli scolded. "Take another soldier pill now. Don't go into a fight against Mist ninja on an empty stomach!"
Despite the size difference, the big guy had no choice but to obey.
Looking pitiful, he reluctantly swallowed the pill.
'If only the war really would end soon…' Jenli thought.
Their team pressed forward and came upon a fishing village.
It was strange—most coastal settlements had long been abandoned, yet here, they saw two houses with smoke rising from the chimneys.
"Someone's cooking!" the tall genin said, before quickly glancing at Jenli for approval.
"Don't think about food!" Jenli snapped. "This is odd. We'll investigate. Could be villagers who returned… or a Mist trap."
The team stealthily approached, hiding behind bushes and overturned boats.
"Fish soup… that smell—"
Before he could finish, the tall genin's eyes glazed over and he collapsed.
"It's poisoned!" Jenli shouted. "The fish soup smell is laced with toxins!"
She channeled medical chakra into her hands to detoxify herself.
Poisoning an open area using scent required expert skill.
'We're up against a Mist jōnin,' Jenli realized.
Her three teammates all fell.
From three houses emerged three identical figures.
'Shadow clones!'
Two popped instantly, leaving only one real body.
The setup was deliberate—too few smoke signals would be suspicious, so they used clones to fake more activity.
"Jenli. It's me. Don't be afraid."
Jenli squinted. It was a middle-aged woman she didn't recognize—but that voice…
"I used a disguise technique," the woman added. "It's me, Jenli."
"…Director?"
The woman nodded. "Yes. The orphanage was poor. You were malnourished growing up… that's why you never grew tall. That's the thing I regret most."
Tears welled in Jenli's eyes. She believed it now.
This was the orphanage matron: Yakushi Nono.
Nono took out a scroll. "This is the money I've saved this year, and some jutsu. Take it back to the orphanage."
"Aren't you coming with us? You always return at the end of the year, don't you?"
Nono's eyes dimmed.
"I can't this time."
If she didn't keep working for Danzō, he would take over the orphanage—using the children as Root recruits or test subjects.
Especially after this failed mission… Danzō wouldn't let her off.
That orphanage was her only remaining attachment to the world.
"Director… we're shinobi now. We can earn money. Please come home. We miss you."
Jenli threw herself into her embrace like a child.
Nono stroked her head. Just like old times.
Even grown up, Jenli still fit perfectly in her arms.
"Jenli… you've grown. Take care of your brothers and sisters for me. I have a mission. I can't return yet."
Jenli looked up at the unfamiliar face—but that voice, that warmth… it was still the director she remembered.
Just then, Nono shoved her aside—hard.
A figure shot up from the ground, placing itself between them.
Jenli acted on instinct and stabbed with her kunai.
It struck the figure's back—but snapped like it hit iron.
That technique…
A sealing mark—Binding Curse Seal of Retribution—locked Nono in place.
Yako stared at her coldly.
"As expected of the WanderingMiko… not only did you leave misleading trails, but even transformed into someone else. If not for Jenli… I wouldn't have recognized you even if you stood right in front of me."
His fist shimmered red-bronze—Copperlight.
He raised it high.
Jenli screamed:
"NO! Captain Fox!!"