This time around, Captain Brown Bear once again ordered Yako to capture a Cloud-nin squad leader alive.
In his previous life, Yako had used explosive tags to ambush the Cloud-nin. He remembered the exact spot where the squad leader landed after leaping—and planted a second explosive tag trap there.
Having plot knowledge was convenient.
This time, the Cloud-nin squad leader triggered the second explosive tag trap. Coughing blood, he propped himself up with his ninja blade, barely managing to stand.
Yako and the Cloud-nin engaged in one-on-one combat.
Instead of a kunai, Yako drew a short sword.
He hadn't used blades much before, but now, holding one felt like an extension of his own arm—completely natural.
Clang!
Blade clashed against blade, a crisp metallic sound ringing out.
The Cloud-nin squad leader was startled—not because this ANBU was especially strong, but because every move this ANBU made mirrored his own. Even their speed was identical.
They exchanged three consecutive strikes, each evenly matched.
The Cloud-nin squad leader felt like every move he made was being read.
Yako was inwardly thrilled—he had erased the gap in swordsmanship. They were now on even footing.
Blades had more power than kunai—much better suited to dealing with someone like a Cloud-nin, who had both speed and strength.
As the battle dragged on and techniques shifted rapidly, the Cloud-nin squad leader grew weaker and weaker. The injuries from the explosive tag worsened.
He felt like he was fighting a member of the Uchiha Clan.
Every swing was read and parried.
Yako's swordplay had completely replicated the Cloud-nin's. It was a reward from the system, tied to his previous death.
Two minutes later, the Cloud-nin squad leader could no longer hold out. Yako slashed his wrist.
The ninja blade clattered to the ground.
Yako promptly severed the tendons in the man's hands and legs, then broke both his arms. Hoisting the squad leader over his shoulder, he headed for the beach to find his captain.
The journey was full of trouble.
At first, the squad leader was unruly, flailing on Yako's shoulder like a shrimp. Yako had no choice but to stab a kunai into the man's lower back.
Later, when the Cloud-nin began coughing up blood and tried to bite his tongue, Yako had to stuff something into his mouth.
On the road, Yako glanced up at the moon.
The full moon hung like a silver disc. The moonlight gleamed like white frost.
Another shot at resurrection.
It took quite a bit of effort, but Yako finally hauled the Cloud-nin squad leader to the beach.
Captain Brown Bear saw "Fox" carrying someone back and nodded in approval once more.
An ANBU who completed missions without fail—that's the best kind of ANBU.
Fox's performance far exceeded expectations. Capturing someone alive sealed his position as a trusted subordinate.
"Spotted Cat, interrogate the Cloud-nin squad leader with Fox. Find out what they're doing in the Land of Waves."
"Yes, Captain."
Spotted Cat was a squad leader from another team.
Yako followed along, curious to see Spotted Cat's interrogation techniques.
After a few minutes of observation, he turned away slightly.
Compared to his own crude tendon-cutting methods, Spotted Cat was far more professional.
The Cloud-nin convulsed repeatedly, muffled groans escaping despite the gag in his mouth.
His bloodshot eyes bulged with agony, as if stricken with conjunctivitis.
Yako casually changed the subject. "Captain Spotted Cat, you've got three squadmates. Lend me one, yeah?"
"Captain Fox, I value my comrades—just slightly less than I value the mission."
"Everyone values them. Lend me one, and I'll value them for you."
The two bantered back and forth, but Spotted Cat refused to relent.
Yako was still a one-man squad—no support to scout or draw fire.
The interrogation continued from noon into the night, then deep into the early hours of the morning.
By the latter half of the night, Spotted Cat, panting heavily, approached Captain Brown Bear to report the results.
"What?" Captain Brown Bear's voice was filled with shock. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Go find the Division Commander immediately. Report what we've learned."
The surrounding Cloud-nin squads had all been decoys.
The real objective of the Cloud-nin was to conduct a high-level summit with Kirigakure on the other side of the Land of Waves.
Kumogakure and Kirigakure had formed an alliance!
In the middle of a ninja war, any two villages forming an alliance would put Konoha in a tight spot.
Captain Brown Bear couldn't afford to wait for another squad—he set out immediately to find the Division Commander.
The Division Commander wore a Yellow Dog mask. After hearing Brown Bear's report, he signaled the communication ninja to contact ANBU HQ at once.
Yako was too far to see how they made contact.
Red signal flares shot up into the sky—ANBU's highest-level summon.
All ANBU who saw the signal were to regroup immediately.
Two undermanned ANBU divisions, depleted from prior casualties, quickly mobilized toward the northeast corner of the Land of Waves.
The atmosphere was grim.
Abandoning a mission meant something even worse had come up.
"Hurry! We must make it in time!"
Captain Brown Bear turned to his three squad leaders and said:
"Uzushio Village failed to seal the Three-Tails. The sealing attempt was sabotaged by Kirigakure.
Using that as a pretext, Kirigakure has declared war on Uzushio.
Based on the intel we gathered, Kumogakure may join the war too.
Princess Kushina of the Uzumaki Clan is currently being hunted by Mist-nin.
We must protect Princess Kushina. She cannot fall into enemy hands."
With the Nine-Tails jinchūriki about to be replaced, Konoha needed a new host.
Shimura Danzo had personally traveled to Uzushio—and returned empty-handed.
In pursuit of sealing techniques, ANBU were secretly fighting for control of the Uzumaki clan's sealing scrolls in the Land of Waves.
They had received strict orders: protect the Uzumaki Princess at all costs.
She had the strongest natural sealing talent. She was a born jinchūriki—the one chosen by Konoha to be the Second Nine-Tails Host.
On a beach on the eastern coast of the Land of Waves, Konoha's ANBU finally spotted Uzumaki ninja.
Over thirty Uzumaki surrounded a young girl in the center.
The Uzumaki Princess had bright red hair—like the color of a tomato—and appeared to be around seven or eight years old.
At that moment, she was staring in fear at the body of a cousin who had just died before her eyes.
Facing off against the Uzumaki were two groups.
One group: over a hundred Mist-nin, freshly landed.
The other: a flanking force of Cloud-nin circling in from the side.
Division Commander Yellow Dog gave the order: "At all costs—protect the Uzumaki Princess!"
The Yellow Dog unit rushed to stop the Mist-nin. The other division went to intercept the Cloud-nin.
ANBU operatives surged forward.
Yako realized—he was the only squad leader without backup.
He was both the captain and the squad himself. Of course he lagged behind; the rocky terrain slowing him made perfect sense, right?
At the very front, the two division commanders were clearly jōnin-level at minimum.
Their Fire Release techniques blanketed half the beach.
"Fire Style! It's Konoha's ANBU!"
The Uzumaki shouted with joy.
It was their allies—Konoha and Uzushio were bound by alliance.
The Mist-nin stood at the water's edge, a perfect setup for Water Release.
Water dragons clashed with fireballs, kicking up clouds of steam.
Yellow Dog shouted: "Uzumaki Shinobis! Get Princess Kushina out of here, now!"