On the 20th, inside the ANBU changing room.
After finishing their routine patrol of Konoha Village, everyone stood before their lockers, taking off their ANBU armor.
Yorimitsu's breathing was quieter than usual, terrified of being called by the captain.
Can you imagine how horrifying it is to be called out by your captain?
It's like when you've been slacking off at work all week, and your manager suddenly calls on you to present your proposal.
Or when you've just come home from a massage parlor, and your wife calls you out to "submit your report."
Unfortunately, the captain still called his codename.
"Fox, you'll be watching the Tsukutsuru Tavern tonight."
Damn it. Still me.
Yorimitsu sighed, putting his ANBU armor back on.
This armor wasn't the cloth type worn by regular shinobi—it was a gray iron vest, just like what Kakashi wore during his ANBU days.
But iron or not, it offered him no sense of security.
When night fell, Yorimitsu hid among the trees at the corner of the street, keeping watch on the tavern from a distance.
For a moment, his eyes twitched slightly beneath the mask.
Even though he was already being careful, even though he was alert, he still couldn't tell how the captain managed to appear behind him in an instant.
He asked for money again, this time thick-skinned enough to demand three stacks.
Might as well—he bleeds for ANBU; ANBU shouldn't shortchange him.
When he entered the Tsukutsuru Tavern, Yorimitsu went straight for the corner.
"Give me your most expensive sake!"
The same beautiful tavern hostess from last time carried the bottle over, smiling seductively as she leaned toward him.
Her collar was that low.
Yorimitsu couldn't help but stare.
So big, so perfect… yet why didn't they even jiggle? Such a waste of beauty.
Just like last time, she pressed against his side as they walked toward the back room.
The hostess shut the door behind them.
"Ninja-sama, do you prefer Yin Release or Yang Release?"
"I know this one. Oh, I know it well. Sometimes I like Yang Release, sometimes I like Yin Release. When I'm tired, it's Yin—you get on top. When I'm good to go, it's Yang—I'll be on top!"
"Hehehe, Ninja-sama, you really do understand~"
Yorimitsu joked with his mouth, but in his heart, every sense was on high alert.
Something moved!
Something was moving!
Something crawled up from beneath the ground in the corner of the room.
The floor showed no sign of change—but Yorimitsu, who also knew Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique, could feel it.
At the same time, the hostess also moved.
She pressed even closer, her lips as soft and alluring as before.
"I can't wait any longer! Forget the foreplay, let's start with Yang Release!"
Yorimitsu suddenly threw her to the ground, lunging toward the shadowy corner.
He drew the kunai hidden at his lower back and stabbed fiercely between her legs.
The hostess, thinking the Konoha ninja was just being too eager, suddenly caught sight of the kunai's metal ring over his shoulder.
Oh no!
There was a chill between her legs.
As she fell back, about to counterattack, she heard a muffled groan beneath her back.
Even worse!
The kunai hadn't been aimed at her—but at the one under the floor!
Beneath her body, the hidden spy convulsed.
Yorimitsu's strike had pierced right through the hostess's legs, stabbing the intruder directly in the heart.
Her mind spun into chaos.
Iwagakure had sacrificed many comrades to secure her cover identity. Her partner, who had trained her and shared countless missions with her, was now dead beneath her.
They had never met face to face before—only communicated through coded signals to protect their identities.
Now that her partner was exposed, she could not afford to be revealed as well.
If her identity was exposed, she would die. If she were discovered, she would die.
Her only chance to survive was to pretend she knew nothing—to fake unconsciousness. If she passed out, Konoha might believe she was innocent.
That was her only hope.
"Ahhh!"
Her head struck the ground hard.
Yorimitsu immediately noticed her body go limp—she had fainted.
Feeling blood beneath his hand, he realized the stab had indeed hit someone below. Time to call the captain.
He left the room, jumped to the rooftop, and sent a hand signal to the captain before returning to the backyard room.
Moments later, the door opened, and the captain entered.
He shut it cautiously and surveyed the scene. "There's blood under the floor… someone's down there! Fox, was that you?"
"Captain, my chakra nature is Earth. I sensed someone underground and struck the spot with my kunai."
The captain nodded approvingly. "Good. Very good."
He formed a hand seal and slammed his palm into the floor, revealing a blood-covered man buried in dirt.
The captain examined the body.
"Skilled in Earth Release. From that square face, he's likely from the Land of Earth—probably an Iwa spy.
Excellent work, Fox. You've just completed a B-rank mission.
A newly promoted Chūnin managing to complete a B-rank assignment—that's impressive luck. Hatake Sakumo once said, luck is also a kind of strength."
So, his captain had actually met Sakumo Hatake before.
Seems like Kakashi's famous quote—"Luck is also a kind of strength"—was something he learned from his father.
Yorimitsu muttered, "Captain, my strength isn't that bad, is it?"
"If it weren't for the thousand shinobi who died in the Land of Hot Water, and the fact that the Chūnin Exams went easy during wartime, it'd take you at least three more years to get promoted."
Yorimitsu saw no point in arguing further, so he gestured toward the unconscious hostess.
"Don't worry," said the captain. "She's out cold. Couldn't have heard a word. We'll take this man first. Once we extract information from his brain, we might find a lead."
The captain hefted the spy's corpse and left the building.
Yorimitsu restored the damaged floor, then placed the hostess back onto the bed.
He glanced at her one last time, feeling a bit regretful. She wasn't soft, but she was big—what a shame.
After retrieving his gear from the woods, Yorimitsu returned to the ANBU base.
He and the captain delivered the body to the Intelligence Division, where a member of the Yamanaka clan took it away.
"Captain," Yorimitsu said, "can I take a few days off? Patrols, surveillance, and this mission have really drained me."
The captain initially wanted to refuse, but considering Yorimitsu's mediocre strength—and the fact that he had at least completed a spy mission—he said,
"Fine. You get three days off. Be ready for recall at any time. The village needs all hands right now, so don't be late after three days."
"Yes, thank you, Captain."
Yorimitsu needed to survive until the next full moon on the 15th—his next chance at resurrection.
Twenty-five days to go. Every day counts.