After meeting Squadron Leader Brown Bear, Yōkō was still assigned to the Blue Wolf Squad.
The squad changed into Kumo-nin equipment, preparing to openly seize the Uzumaki sealing scrolls.
This time, Yōkō felt more confident and less tense. He had an informant now.
Captain Blue Wolf was inhuman, frantically urging Yōkō to use shadow clones to enter the town and gather intelligence.
Yōkō's chakra amount had doubled, but he pretended to complain about not having enough chakra.
He also secretly ordered his shadow clones to lure the Uzumaki ninja to their direction as quickly as possible.
Memories from the shadow clones confirmed Uzumaki Yuka had already arrived in this town.
After two shadow clones, the Uzumaki ninja charged over.
Yōkō had more chakra remaining, allowing him to be more composed.
Seven Uzumaki ninja charged over.
Uzumaki Yuka spotted Fox immediately; after their intimacy, she was very familiar with his figure.
Fox must have been sent by the Anbu to infiltrate the Kumo-nin as a spy.
The battle between both sides instantly turned fierce.
Uzumaki Yuka proactively chose Fox as her opponent, and they fought further and further away.
Some clueless Uzumaki ninja insisted on coming to help Uzumaki Yuka.
Yōkō still took a kunai to the leg, but found an opportunity under Uzumaki Yuka's cover to escape using Earth Release: Fish in Earth Reflection Technique.
That male Uzumaki ninja came to Uzumaki Yuka's side and said regretfully, "This Kumo-nin actually knows an earth escape jutsu; he'll be hard to chase."
Uzumaki Yuka nodded, but worried inwardly about Fox. With a kunai in his leg, she wondered if it would affect his movement underground.
The beginner-level Earth Release: Fish in Earth Reflection Technique, combined with Yōkō's current chakra level, only allowed him to travel underground for over thirty meters.
After moving underground to a blind spot on the Uzumaki ninja's flank, he surfaced, didn't move recklessly, and lay patiently waiting in the bushes.
When the battle ended and the sounds of the Uzumaki clan ninja departing faded, Yōkō used the Fish in Earth Reflection Technique again and disappeared.
Once completely safe, he carefully dealt with the kunai in his thigh.
The clothes around the kunai were stained with blood – the clothes Uzumaki Yuka had just washed were dirty again.
He hid in a crevice between reefs, eating his last Military Ration Pills without venturing out.
—
The full moon was like a silver plate, the moonlight like white frost.
Only when the full moon's light reached into the reef crevice did Yōkō emerge.
Out of Military Ration Pills and starving unbearably, Yōkō sneaked into a fishing village and stole some food.
He wolfed down the salted fish and cold leftovers.
After eating his fill, Yōkō planned to wait fifteen days before seeking out the main Anbu force.
The closer it got to the next full moon, the safer he was.
During these fifteen days, he would diligently practice his ninjutsu and taijutsu to improve his strength as quickly as possible.
First was hand seal speed.
If his technique activation were faster, his thigh wouldn't have been hit by the flying kunai; he would have been underground sooner.
Both the Fish in Earth Reflection Technique and the Self-Cursing Body Binding Seal required three hand seals.
Uchiha Itachi could perform six hand seals per second. Yōkō needed one and a half seconds for three seals – that rate was too slow.
He needed to develop muscle memory quickly and increase his hand seal speed to three seals per second.
Practicing hand seals involved not just speed but also coordinating the mobilization of chakra within his body. Both needed to harmonize to use ninjutsu.
While practicing, Yōkō felt his hands were very stiff. Others had pianist hands; he had plaster hands.
After five days of practicing hand seals, even getting hand cramps, he finally made some progress. His hand seal speed increased significantly, reaching three seals per second.
Next was the tedious training for strength and speed.
With the system's help and diligent training, it was a two-way effort.
The nearby fishing villages suffered, losing many salted fish and leftovers.
When the new month arrived, and 15 days remained until the full moon, Yōkō began searching for Anbu markers.
Still at a certain spot by the sea, Yōkō found Squadron Leader Brown Bear.
Squadron Leader Brown Bear was guarding the coastline, preventing Uzumaki ninja from escaping over the sea back to the Land of Whirlpools.
The Konoha Anbu were determined to obtain the Uzumaki sealing techniques.
There were many Anbu captains like Squadron Leader Brown Bear. The Uzumaki ninja who entered the Land of Waves might all die here.
The squadron and battalion leaders guarded the coast, so Uzushiogakure wouldn't even know what was happening here.
Yōkō reported the situation encountered by the Blue Wolf Squad to Captain Brown Bear.
"Those Uzumaki ninja you mentioned, other Anbu have encountered them these past few days. Their strength is indeed considerable."
Captain Brown Bear looked at Fox's leg – the clothing was torn, surrounded by bloodstains, and the wound indeed looked about half a month old.
Squadron Leader Brown Bear thought for a moment and said:
"Fox, real name Yōkō.
Parents migrated into the village in Konoha Year 18, after the First Shinobi World War ended.
Born within the village in Konoha Year 23. Five years later, parents died during a rogue ninja rebellion.
Graduated from the Ninja Academy in Konoha Year 33. In Year 38, this year, passed the lowered-difficulty Chūnin Exams and was selected for the Anbu.
Clean background. Although strength is relatively weak, you've adapted to Anbu missions and even learned the Shadow Clone Technique from Antelope.
Follow me, Fox.
In a few days, I'll assign you one or two Anbu members as an Acting Squad Leader.
If you can complete a few missions, you will be formally appointed as a squad leader."
Yōkō quickly bowed his head: "Thank you, Squadron Leader!"
The promotion itself didn't matter; the key was that becoming a squad leader meant receiving orders and knowing more intelligence.
For five consecutive days, Yōkō followed Squadron Leader Brown Bear, responsible for leaving Anbu codes nearby.
During this time, two Uzumaki ninja tried to break through the blockade and leave the main island of the Land of Waves.
Squadron Leader Brown Bear easily dealt with the two Uzumaki ninja.
The strength gap was too large; Squadron Leader Brown Bear only used taijutsu, no ninjutsu.
Searching the bodies yielded no sealing scrolls.
Yōkō felt restless.
If he hadn't died by the 14th of this month, he might try to take on Squadron Leader Brown Bear; maybe he could get some good rewards.
He only dared think this while looking at the ground. If he thought it while staring at the Squadron Leader, he feared the Squadron Leader might stab him with a kunai.
"Squadron Leader, aren't you afraid Uzushiogakure will hold our Konoha accountable?"
"Of course not." Squadron Leader Brown Bear glanced at Fox:
"I know you're Konoha Anbu, but how would those Uzumaki ninja know who you are?
Even if they find some evidence, the village can simply say it's a frame-up by Kirigakure.
Konoha and Uzushiogakure are allies; why would we kill our own allies?
Also, don't ask things you shouldn't."
"Apologies, Squadron Leader, I overthought."
The Anbu did the village's dirty work. No one could leave the Anbu except through death or Danzo's permission.
Yōkō's ninja registration number was sealed; in the archives, he was a Konoha ninja who died on a mission.
Continuously other Anbu members with disbanded squads came to find the Squadron Leader.
Squadron Leader Brown Bear assigned one person to Yōkō, an Anbu wearing a pine bird mask.
The two formed a new squad, with Yōkō as the Acting Squad Leader.
After sending Pine Bird away, Captain Brown Bear assigned the squad's mission.
"Fox, the Land of Waves is currently a mixed bag – Kiri-nin, Kumo-nin, Uzumaki ninja, and us Anbu.
Your mission is to assassinate a certain noble town chief in the Land of Waves, a supporter of Uzushiogakure.
Be careful of that noble's samurai and guardian ninja."
Taking the mission scroll, Yōkō said, "Understood."
The mission scroll contained much intelligence on the noble town chief. Yōkō was finally no longer just a tool executing tasks; he started receiving intelligence and had some autonomy in decision-making.
(End of Chapter)