The Scorch Release fireball radiated intense heat, warping the air and light around it.
Scorch Release was a kekkei genkai formed from the fusion of Wind Release and Fire Release chakra.
It had been the right choice not to teach Pakura Earth Release—her chakra affinities were clearly Wind and Fire.
Eyes sparkling, Pakura watched the fireball dance above her palm. Realizing she could control it at will, she slowly guided the orb downward until it hovered just above the surface of the lake.
Steam burst upward in great clouds, caught by the funnel-shaped tarp above.
"This is amazing! I can distill water so much faster now!"
Yako suddenly asked,
"Pakura… have you ever thought about settling down with me in the Land of Rain?"
Maybe… she could start out under Yuka's wing…
Pakura's eyes flickered briefly. She looked to the three young girls clumsily preparing dinner at the lakeside, then shook her head.
"No, Mr. Miqū. I'm from the Land of Wind. I want to use my power… to give them a better life."
Yako's heart tangled with mixed emotions.
First came surprise. He hadn't expected her to harbor such a strong sense of purpose.
Then came a touch of disappointment. She had refused him so quickly.
She had claimed she didn't want to go to Sunagakure because her life had been upended—but maybe she hadn't been running at all. Maybe she'd come to the frontlines because she was curious.
Curious about what being a ninja really meant.
Deep down, she had already accepted her identity as a shinobi.
Lastly… came understanding. Everyone has their own path. He couldn't force his will onto her.
In the original timeline, Pakura was killed near the end of the Third Great Ninja War. That was still years away.
Together, they studied the Scorch Release fireball. Yako taught her different hand seals, each one altering how she could control it.
With the right seals, chakra flowed faster. The fireball flew faster.
Suddenly, beyond the oasis, a flare shot up.
Yako's eyes narrowed—it was a signal from Leaf Monkey.
He turned to Pakura and pulled her into a tight embrace.
A chill ran through her.
"Mr. Miqū… what's wrong?"
Across the crescent-shaped lake, two figures blinked into view with the Body Flicker Technique—followed by a full squad of Suna-nin.
Pakura recognized the man on the right. He was the jōnin who had discovered her talent and tried to bring her to Sunagakure.
Yako, on the other hand, was staring at the man to the left.
Rasa. The man who would one day become the Fourth Kazekage.
Yako whispered near Pakura's ear:
"Watch out for Rasa. That man… will bring you misfortune."
Seeing a stranger so close to a valuable kekkei genkai user, Rasa raised his hand.
From the desert ground, a tsunami of gold dust surged forward, roaring straight toward Yako.
Yako flickered back—but the golden wave gave chase.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
After forming the hand seals, a high-pressure stream of water shot out, slicing through the golden surge and barreling toward Rasa.
But before it could reach him, a thick wall of gold dust rose up like a fortress.
The water jet slammed into it—and stopped.
The dense weight of the gold completely absorbed the Water Severing Wave's momentum.
Yako gritted his teeth.
'No wonder he was the Third Kazekage's star pupil… my strongest technique didn't even scratch him.'
Rasa's gold dust was deadly—not just for offense, but for capture and crushing restraint. That, above all, was what Yako feared.
If he were killed, he could respawn on the next full moon.
But if he was captured? Imprisoned?
He was helpless.
The system never said suicide counted as a reset.
No way was he going to gamble on that.
Yako backed off, dodging each wave of golden death. Rasa pressed forward, adjusting his attacks as he analyzed Yako's Water Release power.
Each successive wave grew heavier, denser.
Pakura saw Yako being pushed back and ran toward him to help.
But the Suna jōnin blocked her path.
"Miss Pakura. Lord Rasa himself has come to escort you. Please return with us to Sunagakure.
The village will assign you the finest instructors to help you master your bloodline limit.
That man… he's just a wandering rogue. The fact that he dared make contact with a Suna kekkei genkai wielder is deeply suspicious.
His mastery of Water Release is too refined. No rogue from the Land of Wind should be capable of such chakra control.
Just look—this jutsu consumes barely any water. Even in this arid climate, its power is hardly reduced…"
"Move!" she shouted.
Pakura attempted to summon her Scorch Release fireball—but the jōnin seized her wrist.
When she still struggled, he raised a stiff hand and struck her neck with a precise chop, knocking her unconscious.
Pakura had only been refining chakra for a week. She couldn't match a seasoned jōnin.
But she was too valuable to harm. Sunagakure wanted her alive—and would train her well.
Meanwhile, Yako was still being hunted by the gold tsunami, now far outside the oasis.
Two dark shapes descended from the sky—Blossom Deer and Field Duck, gliding down with their paragliders to scoop up Yako and Leaf Monkey.
Rasa tried to pursue them, but the farther the gold traveled, the weaker and looser its particles became. Another Water Severing Wave sliced through it.
He didn't give chase. His mission was complete—bring back the Scorch Release user.
Yako glanced back at the fallen Pakura.
'Who says a playboy can't feel pain… even a flirt has a heart.'
The ninja world is wide. May we meet again, somewhere down the road.
By the time Yako returned to the border of the Land of Rivers, the full moon was just three days away.
His last full moon resurrection point had been in Kyoto, the capital. Every night at 2 a.m., he'd stood guard behind Kojii Chisa.
It was already the 12th.
'Three days to go… Maybe this time, I shouldn't wait to die. Maybe I should plan it—use it to gain something.'
Far in the distance, the Konoha main camp came into view.
Yako's eyes lit up.
'Now who should I target… Tsunade, for a physique boost? Sakumo Hatake, to get his swordsmanship? Or Nara Shikakaku?'
'…No. Definitely not Shikakaku.'
'Let's just see who I run into first. Whoever has the worst luck—heh.'
It was already midnight when Yako entered the camp and reported to Captain Yellow Dog.
Before he could even speak, the captain greeted him with a grin.
"Fox! The Suna base moved south, and we seized the moment to strike their command center. It was a complete victory!"
Yellow Dog was beaming.
"They wouldn't have moved if their water supply hadn't dried up. According to our scouts, you're the one who made that happen.
You destroyed their largest water source."
"Come on, follow me. Lord Shikakaku wants to debrief you in person."
Yako's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. The final oasis he'd sabotaged—guarded by three or four entire squads of Suna-nin—turned out to be the command center's critical water source.
Led into the command tent, Yako saw Nara Shikakaku, the overall commander, and his deputy—Hatake Sakumo.
Tsunade was likely in the medical ward, as she rarely got involved in direct command.
One glance at Sakumo, and Yako's heart stirred.
'It's you.'
Sakumo was currently presenting a reward to another ninja.
"Hayakumo Asa. Promoted to chūnin in Year 34. Successfully completed two A-rank missions. Under our new battlefield merit system, you are eligible for a jutsu reward.
Here is the jutsu list. Choose one."
Yako watched the young chūnin flip through the catalog.
'Hayakumo Asa… I think he showed up in the original series. Specialized in Wind Release, if I recall.'
"I'd like to learn Wind Release: Vacuum Blade, sir!"
Sakumo nodded.
"A good choice.
At its highest level, it can evolve into a hybrid taijutsu-kenjutsu form—a complete offensive-defensive system."
"I'll have the scroll sent to you."
The reverence in Asa's eyes was unmistakable.
This battlefield jutsu merit system had been championed by Sakumo and trialed in the Land of Rivers.
Many shinobi had received rare jutsu through it.
Many admired him.
Yako mused:
'Sakumo's on the right path… no doubt.'
As Asa left the tent with one last grateful glance, Yellow Dog turned to Shikakaku.
"Lord Shikakaku, this is Fox—the ANBU captain who carried out the poisoning mission. He performed exceptionally, destroying three major oasis supplies."
Yako twitched.
'Wait… wasn't the point of ANBU that we handle the dirty work nobody else wants?
Yellow Dog—why'd you just blow my cover?!'
'I was even wearing a Kirigakure mask! What about operational security!?'
Noticing Yako's tense expression, Shikakaku said:
"Don't worry, Fox. Everyone here understands what it means to be ANBU.
In war, victory comes before everything. Methods don't matter."
Yako thought bitterly,
'It's not your judgment I'm worried about… it's Sakumo's…'
But the White Fang gave no reaction.
That calmed him a little.
Shikakaku continued:
"Fox, your mission was a turning point. Without water, the Suna command center had to relocate.
We caught them in transition, and in a single raid, we eliminated over 400 Suna-nin—including many medics.
Their command structure has been crippled. We've gained the upper hand.
Captain Yellow Dog will file for an S-rank reward on your behalf.
It'll be processed through ANBU channels and won't appear in public mission records.
Now, walk us through how you did it."
Another S-rank under my belt…
Yako's mission log was beginning to look impressive.
It had been less than six months since his promotion to Tokubetsu Jōnin, and he already had two S-rank achievements.
The first was the death of Kato Dan, quietly awarded within ANBU.
Now this poisoning op was the second.
"Mission report…" Yako began, while glancing at Sakumo.
This month's resurrection draw… it's you.
White Fang. Famous across the ninja world. You better drop something good.
But this wasn't the time or place.
Too many people.
He couldn't risk getting killed by a random guard while trying to ambush Sakumo.
He needed a clean, one-on-one opportunity.
After organizing his thoughts, Yako began summarizing the mission—skimming over the poisoning itself and placing emphasis elsewhere.
"Commander, Deputy Commander, the reason I succeeded… was due to an invention of mine. I'd like to offer it to the village—to help us win this war."
"Invention?" both Shikakaku and Sakumo raised their eyebrows.
Yako explained:
"I once saw a tent get blown skyward by desert wind… and the idea struck me.
What if we built a flying tent—used the wind to attack from above?
It's hard to explain in words. Would the two of you, and Captain Yellow Dog, mind coming to an open area to see it in action?
I promise—it works."
Yellow Dog chimed in:
"Commander, Deputy Commander, Fox doesn't boast. His invention will give us a real edge!"
Shikakaku and Sakumo exchanged a glance—then nodded.
They followed Yako out of camp to a clear patch of desert.
Yako gave a discreet signal—Blossom Deer and Field Duck came forward.
They unfolded two paragliders, catching the desert wind.
The fabric wings billowed outward.
The two of them adjusted the angles with visible strain, trying not to be lifted into the sky.
Yako stepped up to explain.
"This is my invention—the paraglider.
The top section is the wing, formed by an upper and lower surface. The curves differ, allowing airflow to create lift.
Below are the control lines and harness system. With training, a shinobi can steer it and manage direction."
Shikakaku and Sakumo stood beside the operators, intrigued.
Shikakaku couldn't stop praising it. In his head, he was already drafting ambush strategies.
Flight was a rare advantage in the shinobi world.
Using these, Konoha could bypass enemy defenses and strike deep behind the lines.
"Fox, how high can these go?" he asked.
Yako replied:
"Ideally, they're operated by two shinobi. One to fly, one to attack or defend in midair.
With a Wind Release user boosting them, we can easily reach over a thousand meters.
In fact, during my last mission, I launched from over a kilometer high—diving straight down to deliver the poison."
"Diving?" Shikakaku's eyes lit up again.
Another tactic unlocked.
He looked at Fox anew—clearly a talented, tactical ANBU. Perhaps even a future unit captain.
Yako asked,
"Would the two of you be interested in a test flight tonight? Experience it for yourselves?"
Shikakaku smiled,
"I'll pass. My clan's secret arts rely on shadows—have to stay grounded. But Sakumo… why not give it a try?"
Sakumo nodded.
"If we're going to lead aerial raids, I should understand the equipment firsthand. I'll try it tonight."
Yako's eyes gleamed.
Finally.
A one-on-one flight with the White Fang.
Hatake Sakumo—your power is mine.