After completing the executions of the Nara shinobi, Yako received the same follow-up mission as in his past life—rescuing Nara Meika.
He took White Ram Squad and set out. Though he appeared to be wandering aimlessly, he was heading straight for the lumber mill he had found in his previous life.
Outside the mill, several timber merchants were lined up, waiting to load supplies.
Nara Meika, posing as one such merchant, sat inside a covered wagon. Behind her, ten camels waited in a convoy.
Her brows were tightly furrowed, mind weighed down by two fears—whether the Nara Clan's scandal would be exposed… and whether she would survive.
Originally, she had been investigating the Sand's replication of paragliders, only to be discovered, pursued deep into the Land of Wind, and forced to flee while her teammates were killed.
Now, she had uncovered irregular market activity involving Golden Ironwood, and for Konoha's sake, she had been drawn into a new investigation.
As her thoughts wandered, the world beside her suddenly darkened—
Someone was blocking the curtain of her wagon.
With a sharp intake of breath, Meika drew her kunai and thrust at the intruder—
Clang!
A crisp metallic ring.
She blinked in shock—the blade had shattered at the tip, and pain throbbed in her palm.
The man beside her had caught the kunai… with his throat.
A moment later, he snatched the broken tip out of the air between his fingers.
His skin—reddish bronze, like dull metal.
This body… this defense…
"Could it be—Copper Fox?" Meika thought.
He was the rising star of ANBU, the one making waves with his strength.
"Relax. I'm a friend," Yako said calmly.
Meika let out a long breath.
So strong. And he had found her so quickly.
Thanks to his advantage of foreknowledge, Yako was three days earlier than in his past life—much more efficient.
After hearing a brief overview of her intel, Yako began spinning a story:
"Golden Ironwood's price is driven by the needs of the Sand's puppet masters. If someone's buying it in large quantities, it may signal a major operation. We don't have time to linger here. Come with me."
Meika stepped down from the wagon, leaving the convoy behind. Her carefully arranged merchant identity and camels—all wasted.
Yako led White Ram Squad and Meika toward the route from Sunagakure to Sabaku Port.
Before long, they saw it.
A massive column of puppet masters, marching with their creations through the sand—moving like a caravan of the dead.
Yako lowered his binoculars.
"Konoha holds the upper hand on the Land of Rivers border," he explained.
"Commander Nara Shikakaku's defenses are airtight.
If the Sand plan to make a move, they'll have to take a risk.
We just destroyed Sabaku Port. Naturally, our attention there has weakened.
If the Sand want to counterattack, that's the direction they'll use."
Meika stared at him, stunned.
So composed. So clear.
Stronger than her—and smarter.
Yako turned to her, hoping she'd recognize his judgment and agree to return.
The Land of Wind was too dangerous.
But what he saw when he met her gaze—
—were bright, admiring eyes.
He froze.
Then understood.
'The smarter the woman, the more they admired strength.'
In this life, he'd found her three days earlier. Brought her hope. Safety.
And now, he had anticipated the Sand's movements even before they struck.
As a top Nara kunoichi, Meika had never been so impressed by a man. In her clan, she regarded nearly all men—except perhaps the elders—with cool scrutiny.
Not one had ever earned her full respect.
Now she understood.
The truly exceptional men had long since been taken by the village.
If it hadn't been for this mission, she'd never have known someone like him existed.
Powerful. Strategic. Reliable.
Worthy of admiration.
"Let's go," Yako said. "We need to return to base and report this. The sooner we prepare, the better."
In his previous life, Sand sensors had caught up to them.
This time, with Meika persuaded, Yako escaped swiftly.
That night, three paragliders lifted off, flying above the clouds toward the Land of Rivers.
Midway, they encountered enemy paragliders.
Meika's heart clenched. She noticed something—
The Sand's gliders were getting more refined.
She scanned the clouds below, searching for shadows. If she found one, she could support with her shadow techniques.
But her concern was unnecessary.
Yako raised his hand and launched a jutsu:
A high-pressure jet of water shot downward, slicing clean through a glider, through the shinobi riding it, and through the cloud layer below.
The scene was dazzling.
Meika's eyes widened.
'She'd thought Copper Fox was all defense—who knew he had such powerful offensive ninjutsu?'
The way the cloud split was visually overwhelming.
'So this is what ANBU is like now?'
She recalled that a high-ranking Nara jōnin also served as an ANBU squad captain.
No wonder the clan sent their second-strongest into ANBU.
This place is full of monsters. Their intelligence is invaluable.
With the enemy gliders cleared, the group continued toward the Land of Rivers.
But Meika calculated quickly—they wouldn't make it before dawn.
Before first light, they landed in the desert.
As the team packed up their gliders, Yako spoke:
"Meika-senpai, you went far too deep into the Land of Wind. We can't make it back in one night.
We'll rest in a nearby oasis town. After nightfall, we fly again."
"Apologies," she said. "I was running at first… but once I discovered the Golden Ironwood anomaly, I decided to investigate. That's why I went deeper."
They found a small inn. The group entered in staggered pairs.
Meika and Yako were the last to enter. She glanced at the door to his room—memorizing the number.
That afternoon, she knocked.
"Copper Fox… I still have some questions about the Sand's puppet logistics. Could I trouble you for a moment?"
She brought a map.
The two quickly marked possible infiltration routes.
Departing from Sabaku Port, moving upriver… The most likely path was Yoshimizu River, allowing the Sand to strike Konoha's rear lines.
As they worked, her respect deepened.
He wasn't just strong—he had strategic vision.
They say strong men don't lack for women.
Yako met Meika's gaze—and saw the clear look of admiration.
But he kept his distance.
If a foolish girl flirts, fine. You let it slide.
But a clever woman? That's dangerous.
He wanted nothing complicated with someone like Meika.
She killed him once already.
That night, they departed again.
Over the next few hours, they finally crossed the battlefield zone.
Upon reaching the main camp, Yako brought Meika to the ANBU tent.
"Captain," he said. "Mission complete. Nara Meika has been rescued successfully."
Yellow Dog looked over his shoulder.
Not only was Meika safe…
Copper Fox's entire squad had returned without a single casualty.