Just like the last time he chose the Senju Bloodline, Yagami felt every cell in his body begin to tremble.
He slowly sat down, leaning against the tree behind him.
Seeing Yagami's arm shaking, Purple Cat moved closer and asked softly, "Captain, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing. Just a cramp. Don't make a fuss—it'll pass soon."
Purple Cat tilted her head in confusion.
With the captain's strength, how could he possibly get a cramp?
She didn't press further and instead positioned herself in front of Yagami, standing guard.
Yagami, meanwhile, could feel a wave of delight rise within him.
Last time, the ordinary Senju Bloodline had granted him greater chakra reserves and a sturdier body.
But now, this mid-high purity Senju Bloodline not only boosted his chakra and physique—it had also awakened a new ability.
Regeneration (Slow).
Many members of the Senju clan were proficient in medical ninjutsu. Hashirama Senju and Tsunade, in particular, were famous for integrating regeneration directly into battle—turning every fight into an opponent's nightmare.
To defeat Tsunade at her peak, one had to completely drain her chakra. Otherwise, she simply wouldn't die.
As for Hashirama, he treated Tsunade's famed Creation Rebirth technique as an ordinary state of being.
Now that his Senju Bloodline had evolved, Yagami had gained a measure of that same self-healing power.
When injured, he could stop bleeding rapidly, dull his sense of pain, and maintain combat effectiveness.
His body's cells could slowly repair themselves over time, allowing him to recover without the help of a medical ninja.
His chakra volume had also increased—now at 1.7 times that of a special jōnin.
...
[Host Status]
Chakra Volume: 1.7× Special Jōnin Level
Chakra Attributes: Earth, Water, Yang
Bloodline: Senju Bloodline (Mid-High)
Ninjutsu: Water Release: Water Formation Wall, Earth Release: Earth Substitution, etc.
Taijutsu: Body Flicker Technique, Cloud Flow Sword Style, etc.
Sealing Techniques: Curse Seal of Self-Binding, etc.
Special Abilities: Reflexive Reaction (Second Breakthrough), Natural Chakra Growth, Regeneration (Slow)
...
Exhaling deeply, Yagami felt the strengthening of his physique finally come to an end.
He swallowed three Soldier Pills in quick succession, then stood up and clenched his fists.
His body brimmed with raw power.
With his improved constitution, the pills digested faster. Warmth spread through his abdomen, melting away the chill of sweat soaking his body.
He turned his gaze toward the direction of Captain Yellow Dog's squad.
A troublesome question loomed in his mind—if he encountered Nawaki again, how was he supposed to survive?
According to Yellow Dog's orders, Yagami was supposed to die during the decoy mission, luring Nawaki into the trap.
The entire plan had been orchestrated by Mitokado Homura, the front-line commander.
The ambush itself was prepared by the Anbu captain, with both the Third Hokage and Danzō setting up backup measures.
Yagami wanted to save Nawaki if possible—but more importantly, he wanted to save his own neck.
Following the events of his previous life, he knew exactly how it would unfold.
He would secretly guide Senju Haku, who still dreamed of meeting Nawaki—a foolish hope.
Working with the remnants of the Uzumaki clan, Haku would leave coded signals, drawing out Senju ninja from the front lines.
The problem was, the Uzumaki remnants had already placed the sealing scrolls along the outer perimeter of the camp before the operation even began.
Believing the mission complete, Yellow Dog led his team back toward the village.
But this time, Yagami had made his own arrangements.
As they left the Land of Grass, a spear-beaked heron suddenly flew past them, cutting through the air at high speed before disappearing behind a distant hillside—heading straight toward the Land of Rain.
Yagami halted for a moment and immediately reported,
"Captain Yellow Dog! That's the Uzumaki remnants' summoning beast—Spear heron!
I'd recognize it anywhere. Back in the Land of Waves, Captain Black Ape and I chased one just like it."
Yellow Dog's eyes narrowed. "The village is stretched thin with missions right now... but we can't ignore the Uzumaki remnants.
Fox, take your squad and gather intel on them.
Be careful—they've learned the Senju Sensory Technique. Catching them won't be easy."
Yagami nodded. "Understood. I'll be careful."
Reborn into this life, he only needed a small adjustment to steer himself away from danger.
The plan went perfectly. He had successfully slipped out of Yellow Dog's control.
By the time the Anbu captain received urgent orders from headquarters and rushed back to lay the trap for Nawaki, it would be too late to bring Yagami along.
When Yellow Dog mentioned "a critical time," Yagami realized what it meant—Uzumaki Mito's health was failing, and the Nine-Tails transfer could happen at any moment.
During the battle, Mito hadn't been as unscathed as she appeared.
To prevent the other nations from taking advantage of her weakness, she had pretended to be fine, holding up her image as the unshakable Jinchūriki.
Now, with Mito's condition worsening, Yellow Dog—one of the village's key Anbu—was anxious to return to the Hidden Leaf.
Once the rest of the squad departed, Yagami led his small team to "track" the Spear heron.
Of course, "tracking" was just an act. Yagami merely pointed a direction while the others followed.
The Spear heron was his own summoning beast—it only needed to appear occasionally to fool the rookies.
When he had first signed the summoning contract, Yagami had already arranged a secret meeting with Uzumaki Yuka.
The Fox Squad traveled onward, eventually crossing into the Land of Rain.
Nestled in a basin, the Land of Rain was perpetually shrouded in thick clouds and heavy rainfall.
The sun rarely pierced through, and the sound of dripping water filled the air.
It was the source of the Nankawa River in the Land of Fire and the birthplace of over a dozen rivers flowing through the Land of Rivers.
Not long after entering the country, a sharp cry echoed through the sky.
A three-legged Yatagarasu dove down from the clouds.
Its massive beak swooped toward the Fox Squad like a black storm.
One strike was enough to scatter the four squad members.
None of them had ever faced such a powerful summoning beast before.
Their kunai and shuriken couldn't even scratch the Yatagarasu's iron-feathered wings.
To make things worse, the bird laid explosive eggs mid-flight—each blast stronger than a normal explosive tag—forcing the squad into full retreat.
"That's a large-scale summoning beast bound by the Uzumaki clan's sealing contracts!" Yagami shouted. "We can't lose this lead!"
After several exchanges, Yagami threw a wire-bound shuriken that wrapped tightly around the Yatagarasu's leg.
With a powerful flap, the Yatagarasu lifted him into the sky.
"Captain! Captain!"
Purple Cat cried out, watching helplessly as the Fox Captain was dragged upward—his figure vanishing into the clouds beyond the mountains.
Hearing her voice fade below, Yagami sighed inwardly.
Sorry, can't bring you this time.
It had been a while since he last saw Uzumaki Yuka—and he did miss her.
But more importantly, he needed new information from her.
Bringing Purple Cat along would be... complicated.
Strictly speaking, Qiaoyi was his lover, Yuka was the mistress, and Purple Cat... well, she was the second mistress.
There was an order to these things—he had to respect seniority.
The Yatagarasu landed beside a tranquil lake and vanished into a puff of white smoke.
Moments later, a large Spear Heron swooped down, and the graceful figure of Uzumaki Yuka leapt from its back.
She looked just as stunning as before—slim, curvaceous, and full of life.
"Fox! It's been too long!"
***
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