Yako arrived at the north bank of the Yoshimizu River, where, following the coded signal, he found Captain Yellow Dog.
"Captain, I captured a Suna shinobi in Teigu Town. I managed to extract some intel from him."
Captain Yellow Dog's eyes lit up. "Fox, you're as reliable as ever."
Purple Cat stood off to the side, her face filled with frustration.It should have been her task to draw out information. But because the captain was too capable, and she herself slept far too deeply, everything had ended up being handled by him.Then the thought struck her—it was precisely because the captain was so capable that she could sleep so soundly.
Yako reported:
"Captain, the Suna shinobi are being led by the tokubetsu jōnin Mache.He discovered several limestone caverns in the Yoshigane Mountains and had them connected, tunneling straight through the range.Their plan is to blow open the northern levee of Teigu Town, diverting the Yoshimizu River into the caverns. The water will eventually emerge from the southern side of the mountains, creating an artificial oasis in the desert beyond.They're planning to act tomorrow morning."
At Captain Fox's gesture, Purple Cat unrolled a waterproof map for Yellow Dog.
Yellow Dog traced the map with his eyes and spoke gravely:
"The Yoshimizu River is not only the great river of the Land of Rain, it's also vital to western regions of the Land of Rivers—it even flows through its capital.If Sunagakure severs the river here, the Land of Rivers' capital will suffer greatly.Whether it's to weaken the Land of Wind or to protect the Land of Rivers, our ally and Fire Country vassal, we cannot stand by.
If the Land of Wind grows prosperous, Sunagakure's coffers swell. That is not to Konoha's advantage.And the Land of Rivers is one of our primary sources of mission revenue.
Even without Hanzo's directive, this plan of Sunagakure's must be crushed.
Fox, summon the Hippo Squad and the Yak Squad. Tomorrow we break Sunagakure's scheme!"
That night, with three squads gathered, Captain Yellow Dog's unit crossed the river under cover of darkness.The sensors soon picked up enemy movement.
"There's a Suna squad near the levee huts!"
Yako's gaze flicked toward the old riverside shack where the patrol uncle lived.He had been captured and silenced—no warning had been given.
Yako and the Yak Squad captain struck fast, killing the four Suna shinobi silently.Their squad leader's corpse was dragged before Yellow Dog, and Purple Cat extracted fresh intel.
Beyond Yako's report, they learned that Mache commanded two full divisions of earth-style shinobi.
"Two divisions…" Yellow Dog muttered."Manageable. Fire Release has the edge over Wind Release. I'll keep Mache occupied.
Fox Squad, Hippo Squad—you'll each pin down one of their divisions.Yak Squad has the most Earth Release specialists. They'll collapse and bury the caverns to block the water flow.
Once the caverns cave in, each squad will cover the retreat in turn. Orderly fallback."
Yako's heart sank. Captain Yellow Dog really doesn't care about casualties, does he?One squad against an entire division—that meant heavy losses for his unit again.And that last line, 'cover the retreat in turn, orderly fallback'… it tickled his throat with the taste of death.Rear-guard duty—no task was deadlier. Calling it 'nine deaths out of ten' would have been optimistic.
Yellow Dog's forces pressed on, bypassing the silent town of Teigu.
Yako looked back at the town. This time, you won't die so horribly. You don't deserve such a death.
Soon the unit found Suna shinobi digging channels with Earth Release.Two divisions stood guard on either side.
Yako surged forward, pouring nearly all of his chakra into a massive set of hand signs before slamming both palms into the ground.
"Earth Style: Rising Spears!"
Before him, across a swath more than fifty meters long and five meters wide, a forest of earthen spears exploded upward like monstrous thorns.Nearly ten Suna shinobi were impaled before they could react.
From the flank, Mache caught sight of the Fox ANBU and roared, sending slicing winds his way.But Yako moved as if he had foreseen the attack. He flipped in midair—head down, waist bent, legs kicking back—slipping perfectly between three wind blades.
If not for intel he had gained in his previous life, those blades would have shredded him.
Yellow Dog's eyes widened at the scale of Fox's technique. This power… even among jōnin, he would stand tall.Fox's growth was staggering.
"Mache! Your opponent is me!"
A massive fireball lit the rain-soaked night, hurtling toward Mache.Purple Cat's squad closed ranks around Yako, giving him cover to recover chakra.White Ram Squad and Blossom Deer Squad held back the charging Suna.
Once his chakra steadied, Yako unleashed another Rising Spears, felling another seven or eight shinobi.Two jutsu alone had cut down nearly twenty from the sixty-strong division.
Drawing his blade, Yako rushed the enemy captain.White Ram was already being driven back, bloodied, his defense collapsing under the captain's assault.
"White Ram! I'll take it from here!"
Relieved, White Ram retreated. In mere seconds of combat, he had already suffered two wounds.
"Earth Style: Flying Shards!"
The Suna captain slammed his hands into the ground, shattering it. Boulders tore free and shot forward like cannonballs.Yako weaved between them, cleaving the ones he couldn't evade with his blade.
The captain's eyes narrowed. He had thought Fox ANBU to be a ninjutsu specialist, but his taijutsu was formidable as well.He intensified his assault, hurling stone after stone until the battlefield was littered with rubble.
Yako glanced at the terrain and the chaos across the larger battle. If I can find the right opening, I can finish this quickly…
Dodging another barrage, he lunged in close, hands flashing through seals.
"Earth Style: Rising Spears!"
The captain leapt skyward——but this time the spears burst in a ring, encircling him and Yako together.When he landed, he realized too late that the rubble had been forced up by the spears, trapping them both within a closed arena.
No one could see inside—not even Captain Yellow Dog, locked in a deadly dance of fire and wind against Mache.
Yako formed a final seal. His voice rang cold:
"Self-Binding Curse Mark!"
This sealing technique was his true specialty.
Ever since awakening the bloodline of the Uzumaki, Yako's sealing arts had grown fearsome.This was the only jutsu he had mastered to the level of true proficiency.
From the ground, sealing marks surged upward—wrapping around the captain's legs, waist, shoulders, even his head.His jaw snapped shut. Terror filled his eyes; he couldn't form even a single hand seal.
The annihilation of the Uzumaki clan… in the end, perhaps Konoha was the one who reaped the greatest harvest. How else could an ANBU squad captain wield such refined fūinjutsu?
Steel flashed under the rain. Yako's blade split the captain's brow, cleaving deep enough that his brain spilled forth.No trace of the sealing technique could remain—his brain had to be destroyed.
Leaping free of the rubble-ring, Yako's first glance went to Yellow Dog.The captain was still locked with Mache, unable to gain the upper hand despite fire's advantage over wind. Mache's mastery of his element was exceptional.
Seeing that Yellow Dog had not noticed anything amiss, Yako breathed easier.Without Hyūga among them, as long as sight was blocked, his secret remained safe.
I need to finish quickly and reinforce the squads. I won't let my unit suffer heavy losses—not for Teigu Town.
He vaulted down from the barricade and tore into the fray like a tiger among sheep.Ordinary Suna shinobi were nothing before him.