[Arc of the Full Moon activated!
The host has one resurrection chance per month. Upon death, you will resurrect on the previous night of the full moon.
Reward: One lucky draw chance:
1. Fire-nature chakra;
2. Chunin-Level Chakra Capacity (stackable);
3. Taijutsu Body Flicker Technique (Beginner).]
The fire-nature chakra felt like a filler prize. It was practically useless to him, so he skipped it immediately.
However, the second and third options left Yako torn.
Choosing the Chunin-Level Chakra Capacity would instantly solve his chakra shortage. With that, he could stay submerged using the Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish Technique for much longer and move significantly faster.
Yet, the final option was just as tempting.The Taijutsu Body Flicker Technique was the same high-speed movement skill Captain Brown Bear had used.
Weighing his options, Yako chose the Taijutsu Body Flicker Technique (Beginner). He would have to figure out his chakra capacity problem later.
He needed to secure the ability first; he could worry about optimizing it later.
In an instant, Yako learned the Taijutsu Body Flicker Technique.
By concentrating chakra in his calves and ankles to stimulate the cells, he could trigger an instantaneous eruption of muscular and chakra power. Pushing off the ground with that force allowed for blindingly fast movement.
The key to the technique lay in maintaining chakra within the pathways of his feet and calves, precisely stimulating specific muscles.
Bending down to heave the Cloud Ninja squad leader over his shoulder, Yako resumed his journey.
This time, he practiced the Taijutsu Body Flicker Technique as he ran.
The Cloud Ninja slung across his shoulder was baffled. How had this Konoha ninja suddenly gotten so fast?
When Yako returned from a successful mission, Captain Brown Bear looked genuinely shocked.
"Captain," Yako reported, "I spotted a few Uzumaki ninjas on my way back. They're carrying a sealing scroll. I request permission to intercept and retrieve it."
He had to leave right away. Once the Anbu tortured the truth about the alliance between the Cloud and Mist Ninjas out of the captive tonight, Yako wouldn't be able to slip away.
"Very well," Captain Brown Bear agreed. "Go secure that sealing scroll."
After leaving the beach where his squadron was stationed, Yako relied on the Body Flicker Technique to cover ground rapidly.
The sensation of using the Body Flicker Technique was exhilarating.
He planted his foot on the earth, and the chakra in his sole exploded, launching his body several meters into the air.
The wind whistled past his ears, rushing away behind him.
After scouring several lakes, Yako finally spotted a juvenile Spear Egret.
The egret moved incredibly fast, its beak long and needle-sharp.
Following the young bird to the edge of another lake, Yako spotted a massive Spear Egret.
The enormous bird was circling over the water. It immediately noticed Yako.
Its gaze sharpened. With a sudden, vicious dive, it plummeted straight toward him.
Its beak, over a meter long, gleamed with a metallic bronze sheen like a deadly javelin.
"Stop! Stand down!"
Uzumaki Yuka's voice rang out.
The diving Spear Egret aborted its attack, pulling up into the sky.
Yuka stood in the distance, hands planted firmly on her hips. A touch of pride colored her pretty face. "Well, Fox? What do you think of my new Summoned Beast?"
Yako stared warily at the Spear Egret's beak, his heart still thumping. The creature's speed surpassed a thrown kunai, and it possessed its own battle instincts, perfectly capable of dodging and maneuvering on its own.
"You tamed this Summoned Beast already?"
He felt a sharp pang of envy.
"I didn't just get this one. I contracted an entire flock of Spear Egrets," she said.
Yuka waved her hand. Five regular-sized Spear Egrets burst from the woods behind her.
They flew with blistering speed, every beak as sharp as a kunai.
Between the sheer offensive power of the massive egret and the harassing tactics of the smaller ones, this flock of Summoned Beasts provided a massive boost to Yuka's combat prowess.
Yako withdrew his envious gaze and got down to business.
"Yuka, I intercepted some intel within the Anbu.
"Princess Kushina went to seal the wild Three-Tails but ran into trouble. She's being pursued by Cloud and Mist Ninjas. The sealing attempt failed.
"The Konoha Anbu are moving to the coast to reinforce her, but their two brigades won't be enough to ensure her survival."
Yuka turned pale with shock. "Princess Kushina went to seal the Three-Tails? I had no idea. The village must have kept it absolutely quiet to prevent spies from leaking the intel. In that case, I need to..."
"You just contracted these Spear Egrets," Yako interrupted. "Use your new flying Summoned Beasts to rally reinforcements as quickly as possible. We cannot afford to lose Princess Kushina."
With that, Yako vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
Yuka realized that Fox had grown significantly stronger. How had he managed it? Was he simply growing from the fires of combat?
His Body Flicker Technique left only a trailing shadow as he disappeared, radiating a far more imposing presence.
An hour later, a special signal flare shot into the sky in the distance.
It was the crimson flare of the Konoha Anbu—the highest-level emergency assembly order.
Captain Yellow Dog had clearly extracted the intelligence from the captive Cloud Ninja squad leader.
Yako swiftly returned to the brigade's encampment.
Yako found Captain Brown Bear and reported, "Captain, I only made it halfway before I saw the flare, so I hurried back."
"It's fine," Captain Brown Bear dismissed. "Compared to a simple Uzumaki sealing scroll, the Cloud Ninja you captured provided far more vital intelligence."
Yako was secretly anxious. He had no idea if Uzumaki Yuka could gather enough reinforcements in time.
The Land of Waves was a long distance from both Konohagakure and Uzushiogakure. They might not arrive before it was too late.
He followed the brigade to the coast, where they finally rendezvoused with Uzumaki Kushina and her escorts.
When the ensuing clash with the Mist Ninjas erupted, Yako's newly acquired Body Flicker Technique made it much easier for him to dodge and weave through the chaotic battlefield.
Only after the Uzumaki princess's group had fled a safe distance did Yako finally receive the order to retreat.
But the combined strength of the Mist and Cloud Ninjas was overwhelming. The Mist Ninjas doggedly pursued the retreating Anbu, while the Cloud Ninjas maneuvered to flank them.
The pressure mounted relentlessly until Captain Yellow Dog was forced to order the Black Bull Squadron to stay behind and cover their escape.
They bought less than half a minute before the entire Black Bull Squadron was wiped out.
Desperate, Captain Yellow Dog ordered Yako's unit—the Brown Bear Squadron—to hold the rear next.
Captain Brown Bear didn't hesitate. He turned back, utterly calm in the face of his own imminent death, and just as calm about condemning his subordinates to the same fate.
But his subordinates hardly shared that quiet acceptance.
They were walking straight into a death trap.
Yako frantically scanned his surroundings, pooling every drop of available chakra into his feet.
Exploiting the sheer width of the battlefield, he locked onto a pocket where the Mist Ninjas were spread thin.
He flickered to that spot, buying himself at least three precious seconds of survival.
It would take the nearest Mist Ninja three seconds to close the distance. On this battlefield, every single second of life counted.
Thanks to the Taijutsu Body Flicker Technique, Yako managed to stall for the longest amount of time out of anyone in his squad.
Captain Brown Bear, who had drawn the brunt of the enemy forces, ended up resembling a hedgehog, his body riddled with steel senbon.
Dozens of needles had pierced his throat, heart, and other vital organs.
In his final moments, a rare pang of conscience urged Captain Brown Bear to check on his subordinates.
He turned his head and saw that Fox was still breathing.
A moment later, the eyes visible through his Anbu mask filled with profound pity.
Yako's blood ran cold.
Why was the captain looking at him with pity?
Pure instinct took over, and Yako threw himself violently forward!
He was just in time. Biwa Juzo had materialized right behind him, the massive Executioner's Blade already scything straight toward Yako's waist!
A man's waist was no place to take a mortal blow!
A split second before the blade could end him, an exhilarating clatter of chains echoed through the air!
It was the unmistakable sound of the Uzumaki clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains!
Two golden chains slammed into the earth on either side of Yako, forming a rigid barricade that caught the Executioner's Blade mid-swing.
Yako rolled across the dirt and looked up to see his savior.
It was a ninja wearing the crest of the Land of Waves' guardian ninjas!
Behind him stood a small army of Uzumaki operatives. Every single Uzumaki ninja who had been on assignment in the Land of Waves had arrived.
Uzumaki Yuka's slender silhouette stepped through the dense mist.
She had brought reinforcements!