Darkness fell over Yako's vision—then it shifted.
He had returned to the night of the previous full moon.
He was back in the Land of Rivers, lying atop the familiar bedding in Chisa's private chambers.
She was already fast asleep from exhaustion.
Yako reached over, gently retrieved her glasses and placed them on her face—
taking a quiet moment to admire her mature, graceful features.
Sensing his presence, Chisa stirred, her voice low and teasing.
"Come on… wherever you wake up next… tonight, you're mine."
Yako pulled back the curtains, letting the moonlight spill onto her ivory body.
Half an hour later, Chisa had once again drifted into deep slumber.
Only then did Yako open his system menu.
[Moonlit Arc Activated]
Host may resurrect once per full moon cycle, returning to the night of the last full moon upon death.
Reward granted:
1 – Hiramekarei Blade Style
2 – Jōnin-level Chakra Capacity (stackable)
3 – Secret Technique: Water Gun Jutsu
The first reward was the specialized kenjutsu used in conjunction with the twin-blade Hiramekarei.
Yako dismissed it.
He'd never planned on permanently wielding one of the Seven Ninja Swords—aside from Samehada, they weren't worth the long-term hassle.
Besides, holding onto one would only paint a target on his back from Mist. Not worth it.
The second reward didn't appeal to him either.
Thanks to his unique body constitution, his chakra reserves had already naturally grown to nearly 3.9 times the average jōnin—
he was practically at elite-jōnin level already.
The third option, though, caught his eye.
Secret Technique: Water Gun Jutsu.
A seal-less, instant-cast ninjutsu.
'Speed wins fights.'
In shinobi combat, reaction time decided everything.
Instant-cast ninjutsu outclassed single-seal techniques, and single-seal ninjutsu vastly outperformed those with three or more.
As for that Water Release with 44 hand seals?
Garbage. He'd rather throw a rock.
He picked the third reward.
In a flash, the knowledge flowed into him—
Yako mastered the Water Release: Water Gun Jutsu.
He held up a finger.
A small stream of water appeared at the fingertip, and where the chakra condensed—
a massive internal pressure built up.
With a sharp pop, the water droplet launched forward like a bullet.
The core of the technique lay in the hardness of the droplet.
The jutsu condensed a dense amount of chakra into a single bead, transforming it into a high-speed iron-like projectile.
A true water iron cannon.
—
By dawn, Chisa stirred again.
"Fox… I probably won't see you for a while, right?"
"I'll try to take missions in the Land of Rivers," he whispered.
Chisa watched silently as he vanished with Body Flicker.
Her heart felt strangely hollow.
—
Yako found Captain Yellow Dog again and was once more recommended for jōnin promotion.
The process went smoothly.
But the real prize was again...
His own ANBU office.
From now on, he could admire Purple Cat's flushed cheeks and pale neck in private—
no more sneaking around the changing room.
But this time, with foreknowledge of the mission to come, Yako prepared early.
He had to find a way to deal with Hōzuki Lingetsu.
Last time they fought, it had been a narrow match—too close for comfort.
This time, he'd probe deeper, with a plan.
—
Before leaving, he headed to the ANBU equipment depot.
All ANBU gear—tools, vests, and disguises—was distributed from here.
Seeing the newly promoted Jōnin Fox arrive, the staff member stood quickly.
"Fox-sama, is there anything you need?"
"I'm looking for a scroll," Yako replied. "One sealed with a Lightning Release technique. A preloaded scroll."
The clerk scratched his head.
"Fox-sama, back when the Uzumaki clan still existed, Uzushio would send us regular batches of sealed technique scrolls.
But ever since their fall, we haven't had access to high-level sealing techniques.
With the number of missions ANBU takes on, all our stockpiled scrolls were used up long ago."
"I can give you the name of a scroll shop—maybe they still have one."
Yako nodded. "In that case, give me a piece of obsidian too."
Obsidian—ideal for crafting primitive weapons like stone blades.
A good alternative to metal kunai when insulation or stealth was needed.
—
Dressed in civilian clothes, Yako followed the directions to a scroll shop near the Senju district.
The signboard bore the crests of both the Senju and Uzumaki clans.
A shop with both crests—
clearly backed by the Uzumaki.
Seeing that crest gave Yako pause.
A clan once ranked among the greatest in the world… now reduced to near extinction.
Only Kushina and a few survivors like Uzumaki Yuuka remained.
Could they ever rebuild?
Inside the shop, glass counters displayed dozens of scrolls, and the wall behind was lined with many more.
Behind the counter stood a young girl with striking hair—half white, half red.
"Hello," Yako asked. "Do you have any pre-sealed Lightning Release scrolls?"
The girl shook her head.
"Sorry. A scroll like that would need a powerful sealing technique. We don't have one in stock."
Just as Yako sighed in disappointment, a small red-haired girl came through the door.
"Shō-nee, I'm back from school! I can help run the shop now!"
Uzumaki Kushina.
She wasn't alone in this timeline.
Senju had not vanished.
She had family, support.
Spotting Yako, she bounced over. "Need help finding a scroll? I'll take care of it!"
Before Shō could respond, Yako said quickly, "I'm looking for a scroll sealed with Lightning Release—one that can unleash the jutsu on command."
Kushina brightened. "Oh! You're looking for a scroll sealed with the Lightning Seal Formula! We don't have one ready, but I can make you one!"
Shō raised an eyebrow. "Kushina, you've already learned the Lightning Seal?"
"I finished the Fire Seal not long ago! Lightning should be easy too!"
Yako raised an eyebrow. "You'll be the one sealing it? You haven't even graduated the Academy. Won't the jutsu be too weak?"
Kushina crossed her arms.
"Don't underestimate me! Tsunade-senpai calls me a sealing genius!
I'll borrow a Lightning user from the clan to cast the jutsu—then I'll seal it in."
Yako smiled. "I believe you, Sealing Genius. What's the price? And when can I pick it up?"
"Price?" Kushina blinked. "Shō-nee, how much do we charge?"
Shō replied, "Not expensive. Twenty thousand ryō for a custom sealing scroll."
Not cheap.
Yako had over five million in funds—but spending 20k still stung.
As he stepped outside, he subtly scanned the area.
Three ANBU squads—an entire full team.
All monitoring the area around Kushina.
Even inside Konoha, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki had three-shift protection.
—
The next day, the scroll was ready.
Kushina handed it over proudly.
"This one's equivalent to a Special Jōnin casting the jutsu!"
'More than enough to catch Hōzuki Lingetsu off guard,' Yako thought.
And soon, he departed for the front lines—once more—alongside Captain Yellow Dog.