Yoru carefully searched along the coastline.
The last time Captain Antelope had met Captain Brown Bear, it was by the sea.
Sure enough, effort pays off—Yoru found a shell half-buried in the sand, with three coded markings carved into it.
According to the cipher scroll, one marking represented the date—next month on the 11th. Another indicated the northeast direction. The last one signified a distance of three kilometers.
In the ninja world, the calendar was lunar, marked by full and waning moons. The 11th meant only four days remained until the full moon.
Yoru didn't dare act recklessly and hid beneath the shrubs of a coconut grove.
When the 11th arrived, he crawled out of hiding and ran toward the location indicated by the markings.
Upon reaching the destination, he still didn't reveal himself outright. Instead, he formed the Seal of Ram and performed the Shadow Clone Technique.
The clone stepped out from behind the reef and walked along the beach.
Suddenly, two figures leapt out. The shadow clone froze instantly.
"Who are you?"
One wore a Blue Wolf mask, the other a White Stoat mask. Neither realized the fox-masked figure before them was only a clone.
The clone said: "Fox, last surviving member of Antelope Squad, requesting reassignment from the Captain."
After confirming his identity, the two looked toward a coconut tree.
From behind the tree walked a man in a Brown Bear mask—Captain Brown Bear himself.
He stepped forward a few paces and looked toward the reef where Yoru was hiding.
Yoru thought: As expected of the Captain—so strong, he instantly recognized the clone.
He stepped out from behind the reef and dispelled the shadow clone.
The clone burst into white smoke, startling Blue Wolf and White Stoat.
It wasn't the smoke that frightened them, but the realization that if Fox had been an enemy, they would've been at a disadvantage.
Yoru approached Brown Bear:
"Captain, Antelope and Buffalo sacrificed themselves. I'm the only one left from my squad. I followed Captain Antelope's cipher scroll to get here."
Brown Bear scanned Yoru from head to toe. "Your shadow clone carries some of Antelope's finesse. Solid fundamentals. A pity—even someone as cautious as Antelope still died."
Yoru stayed silent. The less said, the fewer mistakes.
Antelope was indeed cautious, but not cautious enough.
Brown Bear said: "Antelope Squad is dissolved. From now on, you'll join Blue Wolf's squad and follow his command."
Yoru felt deep disappointment.
He had gone to great lengths to kill Captain Antelope, all to become squad leader and gain access to more information.
And now? Still just a squad member, this time under an unfamiliar captain.
He'd have to adapt all over again.
The Anbu's standards for squad leaders were strict—loyalty, strength, judgment. None could be lacking.
Yoru glanced at Blue Wolf and White Stoat.
Should he just kill them too?
If they died, surely he could be squad leader then.
Even a short chopstick can hold the flag, as long as there are fewer chopsticks around.
Though he thought this, Yoru instead said: "Captain Blue Wolf, pleased to meet you. I'm Fox. I learned a little of the Shadow Clone Technique under Captain Antelope."
To legitimize his use of the technique, he had to admit he'd learned it from Antelope.
Blue Wolf nodded. "Good. My squad lost two members. You'll fill the gap."
After bidding farewell to Captain Brown Bear, Blue Wolf led his squad away.
Midway, they reached a supply point, where they removed their Konoha Anbu gear and donned Cloud ninja vests and swords.
These Cloud ninja uniforms were still stained with blood—spoils from Blue Wolf's earlier battles.
Following behind Blue Wolf, Yoru felt dejected, even rueful.
He truly felt Antelope had died in vain.
Alive, Antelope was squad captain and Yoru a mere member. Dead, Antelope left Yoru still a mere member. What was the point?
Like Antelope, Blue Wolf didn't explain the mission—only pushed the squad to hurry onward.
When they reached a small town, Blue Wolf ordered two teammates to halt.
"Fox, use shadow clones to infiltrate the town. See how many Uzumaki ninja are hiding there."
Behind his mask, Yoru frowned.
They were using him like a workhorse. Because he knew the Shadow Clone Technique, they could send him again and again.
Hunting Uzumaki ninja—likely the same mission as Antelope Squad's: seizing the Adamantine Sealing Chains scroll.
Forming the Seal of Ram, Yoru created a shadow clone, then cast a Transformation Technique on it, turning it into an ordinary villager carrying a sack, who walked toward the town.
After a while, Yoru stiffened.
The clone had been destroyed, its memories flooding back.
"What happened?"
Asked by the captain, Yoru answered: "The clone circled half the town and sat to rest. Suddenly, a kunai struck from behind, killing it."
"A kunai, not a sword?"
A sword would suggest Cloud ninja.
"It was a kunai, not a sword."
Blue Wolf said: "Continue using shadow clones to scout the town."
Over and over, Yoru sent in clones, and each was destroyed.
Panting, body aching, he collapsed to the ground.
Chakra was a fusion of physical and spiritual energy. Overdrawing chakra caused lactic acid buildup in the cells, leaving him sore as if he had run five kilometers.
Blue Wolf looked down on the exhausted Fox with disgust. "Keep going. Don't slack. We need more intel. After all these attempts, you haven't even seen the enemy's face."
Yoru had no choice but to raise his hand again, draw chakra, and cast another clone.
Each time, the technique consumed half his chakra, plus the Transformation Technique on top of it. His already limited reserves were quickly depleting.
And Blue Wolf never let him rest. Who but a nuclear-powered mule could keep working nonstop?
Another clone formed and walked toward the town.
Then—the sound of rustling in the forest behind them!
Six figures emerged from the woods—six Uzumaki ninja!
After spotting suspicious clones repeatedly, they had tracked down the Anbu squad's hiding spot.
Battle erupted instantly.
But the three Konoha Anbu were no match for the Uzumaki ninja.
Yoru wanted to shout that he was Konoha Anbu, not Cloud ninja. But wearing Cloud gear, who would believe him?
Blue Wolf fought hard with his long sword, desperate for intel—whether the Uzumaki carried sealing scrolls.
But a summoned spider, hidden in the shadows, bit him.
The poison quickly took effect, and Blue Wolf stumbled.
Konoha and Uzumaki were allies. Even as he lay dying, Blue Wolf refused to reveal his true identity.
Within seconds, all three Leaf Anbu were killed by the Uzumaki.
A kunai pierced Yoru's lower back.
The sensation was familiar—the same way his earlier clones had died.
The Uzumaki behind him twisted the kunai, turning his intestines into a whirlpool.
—
Darkness. A shift of vision.
Gasping, Yoru revived.
He crouched once more on the reef.
In the distance, Captain Brown Bear and Captain Antelope stood by the beach, arranging something.
It was back to the night of the full moon—before Captain Antelope had died.
Yoru crouched on the reef, carefully calculating.
[Moon Arc activated!
The host has one chance to revive each month, returning to the full moon night before death.
Reward: one lottery draw:
Sealing Technique: Object Sealing Method (Beginner);
Chūnin-level chakra reserves (stackable);
Kunai Thrust (Mastery).]