After escaping the oasis, Yoru had Shinmei lie flat on the sand.
He looked toward Sarutobi Senjin's position.
That man could not be allowed to live. Yoru's secret cooperation with Sakumo Hatake had to remain absolutely hidden.
"Stay down and don't move. My mission isn't finished."
Far away, Sarutobi Senjin lay prone behind a sand dune, carefully observing the oasis.
The last time he was promoted to Special Jōnin, he had used the lives of his teammates to complete the mission.
This time was the same, he planned to use his subordinates' deaths and the reactions of the Hidden Sand forces to write a perfect oasis reconnaissance report.
But then something unexpected happened:
An ANBU operative appeared near Shinmei's location and rescued him. Senjin assumed it was a passing Konoha ANBU unit.
He turned to check his other two subordinates.
Those two weren't so lucky, with no ANBU to save them, they each died at the hands of a Hidden Sand shinobi.
Good. These details were enough.
This oasis held roughly one hundred Hidden Sand ninja, including around ten Puppet Masters.
Sarutobi Senjin began to crawl backward cautiously, slipping down into a shallow pit behind the dune and suddenly kicked against someone's leg.
He froze.
Turning slowly, trembling,
A Fox-mask ANBU stood behind him.
"Self-Cursing Seal."
Senjin's body locked up instantly, not even his jaw could move.
A kunai was driven straight into the center of his skull.
The pit concealed everything. No one would ever know Yoru had been there.
Yoru returned to Shinmei, then carried him across the border toward the Land of Rivers.
They stopped beside a deep river gorge. The sound of rushing water filled the air.
With his back to Shinmei, Yoru asked:
"You realized it, didn't you? Your captain sent you to die."
"…Yes."
Shinmei stared at the ANBU's back.
"Sarutobi Senjin barely has Chūnin-level ability. The reason he became Special Jōnin is mostly because of his clan name.
He can't complete missions by skill, so he uses… cruel methods."
Yoru replied:
"Senjin has sacrificed teammates more than once to complete missions. Because he's a Sarutobi, no one investigates him. If he didn't have that name, he would've been executed long ago."
Shinmei lowered his eyes, grief surfacing.
How many classmates… how many comrades…
died without anyone knowing why?
After a long silence, Shinmei said:
"In the Land of Grass War, the Sarutobi clan, Shimura clan, and the Ino–Shika–Chō clans suddenly gained a huge number of Special Jōnin and Jōnin.
Over forty percent of new Special Jōnin come from those five clans.
Those of us who aren't from clans… we work harder, bleed more, and all we can do is watch them get promoted.
Those five clans are becoming arrogant. Some even sacrifice Konoha shinobi just to boost their mission record.
Thank you for saving me.
Without you… I'd already be dead."
Yoru's conclusion was clear:
Shinmei carried deep resentment toward the clans and the higher-ups.
He could be trusted, and he could be used.
To establish a "light and shadow" alliance with Sakumo Hatake, Yoru needed someone willing to take risks.
"I saved you for a reason," Yoru said. "I need you to deliver a message to Lord Sakumo."
Shinmei straightened. "What message?"
"Konoha's leadership has begun targeting Sakumo's circle. That includes you. Tell Lord Sakumo to be careful, and take this seriously."
"Circle?" Shinmei hesitated.
"We're not a circle… we're just a group of like-minded friends."
"It doesn't matter what you think," Yoru said.
"It matters what the higher-ups think. If they label you as an organized group, then you are one,
no matter how you deny it. I'm helping from the shadows because I believe in Lord Sakumo's ideal,
promotion by merit, not by clan recommendation.
Otherwise, clan shinobi will dominate the ranks of Special Jōnin and Jōnin. And if weak people like Senjin become team leaders, more and more shinobi will die meaninglessly.
Battlefield skill comes first. Rank without ability only kills subordinates."
Understanding dawned in Shinmei's eyes. The confusion in his heart finally eased.
This ANBU also despised Konoha's darkness, and supported Sakumo.
Yoru continued:
"Do not reveal me. Guard my identity. When the time is right, I will aid you again. Warn Lord Sakumo: the darkness of Konoha must be taken seriously.
To help you all… I am taking great risks.
Do not disappoint me."
Shinmei bowed deeply.
"I will guard your secret with my life, not because you saved me, but because your ideals match ours."
Yoru nodded.
Shinmei might be a Chūnin, but he had courage. Even when Senjin sent him to die, he accepted the role without hesitation, for Konoha's sake.
A man like that would not betray lightly.
"You're an experienced Chūnin," Yoru said.
"You know how to report this mission without raising suspicion."
Shinmei replied:
"I won't return to the village yet. I'll pretend I was gravely wounded and had to hide somewhere safe. Once Lord Sakumo establishes a headquarters on the front lines, I'll report directly to him."
Yoru vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
Shinmei exhaled shakily, found a hidden cave, and stabbed himself in the abdomen with a kunai,
in a way that looked fatal, but wasn't.
His heart ached.
Why was it so hard…
to make Konoha better?
Back at Konoha
At the ANBU Headquarters, Yoru found Captain Yellow Dog.
"Captain, the target, Shinmei, is only a Chūnin. He doesn't seem to know any core secrets of Sakumo's circle. He acted normally throughout the mission.
During reconnaissance of the Suna oasis outpost, he was badly injured and fled deep into the desert. I didn't continue the pursuit and returned."
Captain Yellow Dog nodded.
"Shinmei is one of the weaker followers of Sakumo. Not finding anything is expected. ANBU will continue monitoring the other members."
Yoru asked carefully:
"Do we need to plant an undercover operative inside that group?"
If they needed someone, Yoru was more than willing.
Undercover in ANBU, undercover in Sakumo's circle, a perfect closed loop.
Yellow Dog thought a moment.
"Not for now. Sakumo is busy forming his command unit. We won't get useful intel at the moment."
Yoru left and headed for the ANBU Records Room.
Inside were the files of every active Konoha shinobi. He checked the Special Jōnin promotions from the past year, and Shinmei was right.
The Sarutobi, Shimura, and Ino–Shika–Chō clans had been overwhelmingly dominant.
Not 40%, about 50% of new Special Jōnin were from the Land of Fire Daimyō-aligned clans.
Meanwhile:
The Senju were nearly gone.
The Uchiha were stuck doing Police Force missions.
The Hyūga were given mostly reconnaissance tasks.
All three clans were shrinking in Special Jōnin numbers. The Hyūga especially, few Hyūga were positioned near the upper leadership.
Of course. When the leadership did something questionable, they didn't want the Byakugan watching.
Now it made sense why, in the original timeline, the Hyūga clan was oppressed.
They had probably seen too many secrets.
The balance of clan power was shifting:
Senju, Uchiha, Hyūga, Aburame, Inuzuka - declining
Sarutobi, Shimura, Ino–Shika–Chō - rising
As for promotions of non-clan shinobi?
Almost none.
The clans took the cake, there was nothing left for civilians.
Civilian shinobi who became Special Jōnin were rare, either suicidal hard-workers, lucky opportunists, those who joined clans, or ANBU like Yoru, trading their life for a future.
Special Jōnin stats for the past year:
50% — Land of Fire Daimyō's five clans
30% — Konoha Elder clans
20% — Civilian shinobi
The trend was unmistakable:
The Land of Fire Daimyō-aligned clans were tightening their grip.