Naruto: I Can Upgrade My Techniques Infinitely
Chapter 134: The Dark and Honest Side

Chapter 134: The Dark and Honest Side

"...So why was Kitsune trapped in the Land of Earth, again?" Kakashi asked, frowning. "Didn’t she retire from ANBU? And isn’t she jōnin level? Missions like espionage aren’t typically assigned to shinobi of that rank. Too dangerous. Not worth the risk."

Missions like that were best handled by genin or chūnin—disposable assets no one cried over when they didn’t come back.

"Kitsune joined a trade caravan. Lots of civilians in it. They headed into the Land of Earth for business. Why she ended up stuck inside, I’ve got no idea," Kazuki said with a shrug as he finished sorting his ninja tools.

Back when they’d escaped the Land of Earth, Kazuki had noticed a trace connected to Kitsune—but he hadn’t expected her to actually get caught.

Kitsune was a jōnin, and a competent one. Unless several enemy jōnin cornered her, or Ōnoki himself got involved, she should’ve been able to escape without too much trouble. At the time, Kazuki hadn’t intervened. He was responsible for escorting Kabuto Yakushi out of the country.

And yet, somehow, she still ended up in trouble.

Kazuki suspected it had something to do with the people in her caravan.

"...Seriously?" Kakashi couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. Sure, he believed in protecting his comrades and treating civilians well, but when it came down to survival, he knew where a shinobi had to draw the line. Unless that civilian was family, most ninja wouldn’t hesitate when forced to choose.

"Yeah." Kazuki narrowed his eyes, thoughts turning.

He found Yamanaka Mai’s decision idiotic. But sometimes, fools like her were the most useful. Once they reached her, depending on what she’d been through, she might become a perfect piece in Kazuki’s long-term plan.

After double-checking their gear, Kazuki and Kakashi made their way to the outskirts of the village to rendezvous with Captain Yamanaka and Shisui.

Captain Yamanaka—codename Tanuki—was silent the entire time. Not a word during the trip. Kazuki could understand why. Kitsune was from the Yamanaka Clan too, and it was likely they were related somehow.

Shisui, on the other hand, was visibly fired up. This was a dangerous mission, sure—but it was also a high-profile one. A mission like this could get him noticed by Konoha’s upper command. And from there, he might finally find an opportunity to ease tensions between the Uchiha and the village.

"This mission’s high-risk," Tanuki said as they ran. "If anything seems off, you’re authorized to abort immediately."

Kazuki stared at the man in the fox-shaped mask. "Tanuki" seemed a misnomer—he looked more like a fox than anything. But given that "Kitsune" was already taken, Kazuki figured it made sense. No need for confusion.

"Captain Tanuki, what about Kitsune’s safety?" Kazuki asked, watching the silent blur sprinting ahead of them.

Abandoning the mission was one thing—but what if Kitsune was still alive?

"She can be left behind. If the opportunity arises, eliminate her," Tanuki said, voice flat and cold.

Kazuki nodded. Kakashi remained silent.

It was cruel.

But sometimes, cruelty was necessary.

In the world of Naruto, there had been three Great Ninja Wars. But Masashi Kishimoto, perhaps because of the series’ target audience, had always glossed over the uglier realities of those conflicts.

Kazuki, having lived in this world for years now, knew the truth.

If a kunoichi were captured by an enemy village, it wasn’t rare for hundreds of... unsavory doujinshi to suddenly become horrifyingly plausible. If she carried a special bloodline, she might be turned into a breeding tool. Ninja-born children had a higher chance of becoming shinobi themselves.

Sometimes a shinobi parent would produce a civilian child—but that was rare. Most offspring inherited some potential.

So if a female ninja was at risk of capture, the standing order was simple: commit suicide immediately. The alternative was a fate worse than death.

Even in Konoha, dark places existed. Kazuki had seen the classified briefings. Female prisoners or spies returned to the village without exchange value often had their chakra sealed, their suicide options stripped away, and were confined to "special facilities" where they were used to "relieve" male shinobi.

For free.

A "benefit" of ANBU service.

In Konoha, it was treated like infrastructure. In enemy villages, it was painted as a war crime. But the truth was—everyone played dirty.

If Yamanaka Mai hadn’t yet fallen into Iwagakure’s hands, there was still a chance. But if she had, then this mission was already a failure.

Shisui’s expression was grim, but he didn’t argue. Orders were orders.

The group continued running in heavy silence. Kazuki silently hoped Mai hadn’t been captured yet—not just for her sake, but because she was integral to his plan. If she was lost, he’d have to start over, identify a new candidate, and rebuild trust from scratch. Too much work.

Finding a talented idiot like Yamanaka Mai wasn’t easy.

To cross into the Land of Earth, they once again bypassed the major borders through a minor nation. But this time, there was no pretense. No disguises. They moved fast, because time was everything. A few hours’ delay could doom the entire mission.

They slipped through an unguarded sector and sped toward their target.

Tanuki’s trajectory was sharp, direct—clearly following a trail. Kazuki guessed Mai must’ve left some clues about her location. Clever. How she pulled it off, he didn’t know.

Soon, they arrived at a small town within the Land of Earth. Tanuki led them into the outskirts and quickly disguised their team before entering.

"This way," he said, leading them into an old building.

Inside lay a man with vacant eyes, drooling from the mouth, lying limp on a mat. He looked... brain-dead.

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