The Earth Spike Lance was weakening—there was a chance to go for it.
Using the Water Formation Wall as cover, Yako formed a Shadow Clone hand seal.
The Iwa Jonin was now aware that the Fox-masked ANBU could use Earth Hiding: Mole's Spines, making further earth infiltration harder to pull off. So Yako decided to go for a coordinated assault with his clone.
As the water wall fell, two Yakos charged out—one leaping high with his blade raised, the other circling wide, slashing horizontally at the Jonin's side.
The Iwa Jonin glanced between the two—judging that the reckless high-flyer was just a clone feint, and the one coming low across the ground was the real body.
That was logical. The Fox ANBU had shown he could use the powerful Earth Style: Earth Substitution—a technique requiring ground contact.
No way he'd give up such a high-margin-for-error defense.
The Jonin kept his eyes fixed on the Fox ANBU's feet, waiting to catch any trace of that substitution.
More Earth Spike Lances erupted.
But this time, their speed was clearly slower.
The Jonin was badly wounded—his spleen ruptured, his chakra waning. He was running on fumes.
Yako, nimble and fast, dodged the spikes and closed in on his side.
Blade swept horizontally!
The Iwa Jonin had seen Cloud-Flow Sword Style in action before—he'd fought Kumogakure shinobi and recognized the signature bait-and-switch.
He guarded against a sudden angle change, raising his armored arm slightly higher to protect his throat.
But Yako didn't change trajectory.
The blade came straight for his waist.
The Jonin thought, This ANBU's clever... always mixing truths with feints. Hard to read.
He adjusted his guard.
The blade struck the iron bracer—clang!—sparks burst.
No.
The Jonin suddenly realized—something was off.
The impact was too weak.
A taijutsu-based ANBU shouldn't hit like this.
Could it be that the Fox ANBU had abandoned his powerful Earth Substitution, and was the one who jumped from above?
Too late.
The overhead blade cleaved down through his other arm's guard and into his brow.
Dead.
Two ANBU squads, five lives traded for one Iwa Jonin.
No—six, counting Yako's previous death.
Did Yako's life not count?
Battle over, Yako panted hard and leapt back, wary of any last-ditch jutsu.
Only after the Jonin collapsed with a dull thud did Yako exhale.
He turned immediately:
"Shirou! Don't bother searching for Captain Kurozaru yet—use your Byakugan! Scan for the enemy main force. A large unit must be nearby if they breached the border!"
Shirou, bleeding from the abdomen, activated his Byakugan and scanned.
His expression turned to horror.
"Fox! It's the Third Tsuchikage—Ōnoki! He has over 300 Iwa-nin behind him! At least 6 Elite Jonin, and one with chakra nearly equal to the Tsuchikage himself! Two kilometers out—ten o'clock direction!"
Yako froze.
Damn it.
The false leak about Uzumaki Mito's funeral—it had drawn the Third Tsuchikage himself.
Yako rushed to find Captain Kurozaru.
He found him collapsed—Yamonkey's entire squad wiped out.
Kurozaru lay on the ground, one leg crushed by an earth-style technique, twisted at a hideous angle.
No time to splint it—Yako hoisted him up.
Bone fragments pierced deep, and Kurozaru shivered in pain.
Even so, he smiled grimly.
He'd thought Fox and Shirou's teams were dead for sure—now here was Fox, alive and hauling him to safety.
This recruit he'd invested in... had saved him again.
"Captain! Shirou saw the Third Tsuchikage himself!"
Kurozaru's face turned grave.
Ōnoki? Shit.
He shifted his weight off Yako's shoulder and stood one-legged.
"Fox! You and Purple Cat are uninjured. Forget everything else—head straight to Lord Danzō and report this immediately!"
Yako looked at the wounded Kurozaru and Shirou, then nodded.
Compared to this intel, their lives meant little.
Tonight's battle was tied to the Nine-Tails' sealing transfer—the village's foundation.
After placing Kurozaru and Shirou together, Yako and Purple Cat sprinted toward Mount Ushika.
Let them live. Kurozaru had treated Yako well—he was content staying a background figure under him.
If Kurozaru survived, Yako could claim he'd learned Earth Substitution under his guidance.
With a new captain, that excuse wouldn't fly.
They ran more than 20 kilometers and finally reached Mount Ushika.
A deep ravine lay beneath; ANBU guarded the mouth.
"Urgent Intel!"
Hearing that, the guards let them pass without delay as Yako and Purple Cat flew down the gorge.
Far ahead, Danzō noticed the two ANBU leaping between trees at top speed—clearly in a panic.
He slowly stood from a stump.
This urgency meant something grave—no time to lose.
Yako spotted Yellow Dog squad captain and gave a quick glance.
Yellow Dog waved him through—skip the report, go straight to Danzō.
"Lord Danzō! We've detected over 300 Iwa-nin led by the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki! Two kilometers away, ten o'clock, fifteen minutes ago!"
Danzō's normally rigid expression twisted with shock.
Ōnoki?
Flight, Dust Release Kekkei Tōta, a cunning, tenacious nightmare.
Yako watched him carefully—wondering if Danzō regretted leaking Mito's death to enemy spies.
He'd played with fire for power... was Yako going to burn with him?
Danzō vanished in a flicker, heading to the rear of the valley.
Moments later, the Third Hokage, Senju Rinkoku, Tsunade, Kato Dan, and others arrived at the front.
Sarutobi Hiruzen spotted Yako and waved him over.
"Fox, tell us what happened."
The Third Hokage remembered the name.
Fox had appeared in several ANBU reports—high mission completion rate, steadily growing strength, becoming a core member.
Both Captain Yellow Dog and Captain Kurozaru held him in high regard.
Yako relayed the story quickly—mostly from Shirou's Byakugan observations.
"Hokage-sama, five Iwa battalions, 300 shinobi, led by Ōnoki himself. Shirou reported at least six Elite Jonin in front, one with chakra nearly on par with the Tsuchikage.
Even their rear guard is fast—they must have just rested and are ready to engage at full strength."
Sarutobi nodded.
"Well done."
Yellow Dog led Fox and Purple Cat back, while the high command began formulating battle plans.
Yako looked up at the moon.
A waning crescent.
He'd already died once this full moon cycle. With a real war approaching... what now?