Just the thought of lying low for a whole month gave Yako a headache.
A sharp bark tore through the rainy night.
The Split-Hound was coming.
Yako feigned urgency and called out to White Ram, "What's going on?!"
White Ram quickly responded:
"Three Konoha shinobi are running this way with three prisoners on their shoulders—one of them a child.
Behind them is a large summoning beast—it's the Split-Hound, once the guardian of Uzushio Village."
Ti was running out.
Uchiha Madara was just a few kiloters behind them, hidden inside the mountain.
If he ran into Madara again, there were a hundred ways he could die.
"Move! Whoever it is from Konoha, we can't just leave them to die!"
Yako wanted to save Uzumaki Nagato but had no desire to et Madara face-to-face. The best course of action was to intercept Nagato before he got any closer.
He moved fast. Putting distance between himself and Madara gave him a small asure of relief.
As soon as he spotted the three Konoha shinobi, he didn't waste a second.
"Those three may be under genjutsu! Look at their eyes—they're wrong!
Hold off our people, I'll take care of the Split-Hound!"
White Ram had been just about to report the strange chakra flow within the Konoha shinobi, but the captain had already figured it out.
'He really is sharp. No wonder he's survived more than half a year as an ANBU unit commander.'
Yako surged forward, leaping high over the Konoha shinobi, landing between them and the Split-Hound.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
A towering wall of water shot upward, blocking the beast's advance.
Atop the Split-Hound's head, Uzumaki Yuka's eyes widened—she recognized the familiar face of the "Fox"!
She quickly ordered the beast to retreat, pretending to be intimidated.
From the look of it, Fox had beco a unit commander for not just one but three squads.
Yuka hadn't expected him to be so successful in his espionage mission. When she first t him, he was the lowest-ranked grunt in ANBU.
Now, over half a year later, he was one of their core operatives—a position that granted access to far more intel.
She'd heard sothing big had happened in Konoha—Lady Mito had passed away. Yuka wanted to ask about the Nine-Tails' seal, about Princess Kushina…
But now wasn't the ti to reminisce—or gather information.
The three squads rushed at the Konoha shinobi, working to break the genjutsu.
These shinobi weren't pushovers—one jonin, two tokubetsu jonin.
After several exchanges, Purple Cat quickly noticed sothing critical."They're protecting the prisoners!"
The three Konoha shinobi valued their captives more than their own lives.
Yako and the Split-Hound appeared to be locked in a fierce battle—Water Style jutsus erupted into the sky, Earthen Longspears burst from the ground like bramble thickets—but most attacks intentionally missed.
Using the water jutsu to obscure himself, Yako discreetly gestured to Yuka: Go!
Yuka trusted Fox completely. Without hesitation, she ordered the Split-Hound to retreat.
Once the beast was gone, Yako returned to the battlefield.
He appeared beside White Ram."Can you tell what kind of genjutsu it is?"
White Ram shook his head."I can't identify it. Most genjutsu have defined effects—paralysis, hypnosis.
But this one... it feels like ocular jutsu—a powerful ntal suggestion implanted directly into their minds.
Judging by how desperately they're protecting the prisoners, I'd say the command is: Deliver the captives."
They couldn't afford to waste ti. Madara was too close.
Yako's gaze locked on Uzumaki Nagato. If he could seize Nagato and flee far enough, he might just survive.
If he could get Nagato out of here... then Madara's Rinnegan would rot in his skull, and the final chapter of the shinobi world would be rewritten early.
Yako launched himself toward Nagato.He shouted to the Leaf Monkey Squad nearby, "Distract them for ! I'll handle the rest!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Nagato was unconscious. Yako noticed the two thick ropes binding him under the arms and around the waist—Konoha's jonin had him completely secured.
"Captain!"
Purple Cat's shout rang out—shocked and frantic.
As Yako passed by the Leaf Monkey, the latter suddenly lunged forward and drove a blade toward Yako's back.
The sound of slicing air reached his ears.
Yako instinctively twisted sideways.
That half-step saved his life.
He looked down, stunned—The blade had pierced clean through his left shoulder.
Adrenaline surged. He couldn't feel pain—just a scalding heat blooming through the wound.
He imdiately ford hand seals and cast the only jutsu that could hit behind him:"Earth Style: Earthen Longspears!"
Two earthen spikes shot out, impaling Leaf Monkey.
At the sa ti, Purple Cat used the Mind Body Switch Technique—She discovered two souls inside Leaf Monkey's mind!
Far away, in a hidden mountain cave, Kato Dan suddenly jolted awake.
A nearby escort ninja asked, "Well? Did you find the Rain shinobi?"
Dan shook his head, lying through his teeth."No. Just so defectors unhappy with Hanzō. No trace of the target."
Only he and the Hanaki clan head knew about the ANBU operation. He couldn't tell the escorts.
One of them comnted,"Hanzō's a tyrant. They say no one's allowed within ten ters of him—his leaking toxins could kill a man.
No allies. Weak control. He rules by fear alone. No wonder there are so many rogue factions."
Dan leaned back, lost in thought. It was a pity the Leaf Monkey hadn't held any clues.
Leaf Monkey had been present on the night of the Nine-Tails Transfer Seal, but he knew nothing. All his orders ca from Unit Commander Fox.
In the Fox Squad, Fox wasn't weak—and the two sub-captains, Purple Cat and White Ram, hailed from the Yamanaka and Hyuga clans respectively. Both possessed powerful spiritual energy.
While Dan's soul had drifted between bodies, he'd sensed it—Fox's soul was abnormally strong. Nearly twice the strength of an average soul.
Hanaki said there was a spy from the Uzumaki clan inside ANBU. Until they could confirm Fox wasn't that spy—they couldn't risk killing him.
Back on the battlefield, cold sweat dripped down Yako's forehead."Smoke bomb!"
Everything had gone to hell. Leaf Monkey's sudden betrayal had left him injured.
Concealed by the smoke, Yako leapt and fled.
There were still enemies lurking in the shadows.Nagato would have to wait.
The three Konoha shinobi didn't pursue—they remained focused on their objective: deliver Uzumaki Nagato.
Once he escaped the fight, Yako barked,"West! Head west! Find shelter—I need to rest and recover!"
Madara's mountain was to the east. They had to put as much distance as possible between them.
His body carried the bloodlines of both the Senju and Uzumaki clans—tough and resilient. As long as he could rest, the Senju's natural regenerative abilities would handle the rest.
Eventually, they found a cave. Purple Cat tended to his wound and bandaged his shoulder.
This was the closest Yako had ever co to death.Had he not dodged at the last second…Leaf Monkey's blade would've pierced his heart.
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