For two days, no one came to find Captain Brown Bear—not even Uzumaki ninja appeared on the coast.
Out of boredom, Yoru used the time to ask questions that had long troubled him. As long as they didn't touch on Konoha's secrets, the captain was willing to answer.
"Captain, isn't the Uzumaki clan supposed to excel in sealing techniques? Why don't they just seal their supplies into scrolls and carry them?"
Brown Bear thought for a moment. Remembering how poor the academy's teaching was, he realized Fox knew almost nothing.
"You mean the Sealed Storage Seal, the technique to lock items into a scroll.
But it requires chakra to be injected into the sealed items.
Once the chakra inside dissipates, the seal breaks and the stored goods are ruined.
That means sealing supplies demands constant maintenance by specialized ninja.
If it isn't absolutely necessary, nobody would waste the effort to keep those seals active.
The Uzumaki ninja we encounter live on the brink of death every day. They don't have the energy to maintain storage seals, so they just stack their supplies in warehouses."
Yoru nodded repeatedly. So that's why.
The storage seal needed constant chakra input—sealers had to maintain it continuously.
That even explained the battle at Kannabi Bridge.
Minato's team destroyed the bridge, cutting Hidden Stone Village's supply lines. Without transport, they had no choice but to retreat.
If sealing had no cost, they'd simply scroll everything up—there'd be no supply line at all.
Time passed, and soon another month arrived.
Yoru stared at Captain Brown Bear's back, restless.
Maybe this month I'll just die to him. At least he's an elite jōnin—he should drop something good.
Other squads occasionally came to report to the captain.
But their numbers had also thinned.
Out of four squads, Yoru had taken over Antelope's position, Blue Wolf's squad had been annihilated, and the two remaining squads were down to two and three members each.
The three-man squad refused to give him even a single teammate—one less person meant less combat strength.
Ungrateful bastards, Yoru thought. I even got them soldier pills, and they can't say thanks.
"Fox! I've got a mission for you."
After listening to the two surviving squad leaders, Brown Bear turned to Yoru.
"Capture one alive—a Cloud squad captain. I want him for interrogation.
Mist-nin nearby are normal; Hidden Mist Village has always coveted Land of Wave's mission shares.
But too many Cloud-nin here? They must be plotting something."
"Capture alive? And a Cloud squad captain?" Yoru swallowed hard. "Understood."
The good news: his last mission had earned the captain's trust.
The bad news: his last mission had earned the captain's full trust.
After leaving the coast, bitterness rose in his mouth.
Capturing alive was harder than killing.
Especially ninja—madmen who fought to the death. How could you capture one?
He touched the short sword strapped to his back. Cloud ninja were famed for their kenjutsu. He, on the other hand, had no sword skills—he used his blade like an oversized kunai.
After gathering intel from the other squad leaders, Yoru set out alone.
He scouted the route Cloud-nin would take to a town, laid explosive tag traps, and hid.
Like Konoha shinobi, Cloud ninja came from afar. When their soldier pills ran out, they too had to resupply in towns or fishing villages.
So camping by a town was a good bet.
He lay still in the brush, patient.
Soldier pills were small, meant little eating or excreting. As long as one endured the hollow ache of hunger, it was possible to remain motionless for days.
Finally, just before dawn, three shadows rushed toward the town.
An instant later—
Boom!
His trap detonated, hurling them in three directions.
Yoru leapt, throwing kunai toward each target.
Two hits—those enemies must have been injured or killed.
But one dodged, charging at him head-on.
On his forehead protector—Cloud.
Lucky. This was indeed a Cloud squad. Judging from his strength, this had to be the captain.
Yoru flipped his kunai into a reverse grip, moving in close. He was ready to use Sealing Technique: Self-Curse Restraint Mark at the right opening.
But the Cloud captain's kenjutsu was sharp. A side-step erased Yoru's target lock, and with the same step he swept his blade horizontally—almost slicing Yoru's flank open.
Kunai clashed against sword, the duel dragging on.
Yoru felt suffocated—he couldn't pin the man down.
Suddenly, the Cloud captain crouched low, slipping under his kunai.
By the time Yoru tried to dodge, it was too late.
The sword punched through his abdomen.
At first numb, then burning, then searing pain.
The captain started to pull his blade free—
But saw an explosive tag stuck there.
Boom!
The blast engulfed them both.
As he died, the Cloud captain's last thought was: Is this guy insane? Who the hell uses an explosive tag for mutual destruction? Did some old grudge back home follow me here? Just because I slept with his wife?
—
Darkness. His vision shifted.
Yoru reappeared—at the last full moon, before he had met Brown Bear.
[Full Moon Arc activated!
The host has one resurrection each month, reviving on the night of the previous full moon.
Reward: One lottery draw
1-Lightning-natured chakra
2-Muscle Healing Technique
3-Kenjutsu (Beginner)]
Lightning chakra? Not that useful.
Muscle Healing? So the Cloud captain even knew a medical ninjutsu. Tempting, but no—better to kill fast than heal slow.
That left kenjutsu.
To evade enemy swords, he had to surpass them in swordsmanship.
He had always been at a disadvantage because he didn't understand the angles, speed, and force of a blade.
Without hesitation, Yoru chose the third option—Kenjutsu (Beginner).
It came with two parts:
Basic techniques—slash, chop, thrust, flick, sweep, block, lift, hook, draw, parry.
Basic footwork—to pair with each strike, finding the most efficient way to generate power.
Not just knowledge—muscle memory filled him, allowing his body to flow naturally into the forms.
Drawing his sword, Yoru drilled the motions again and again, until every cut came smoothly.
With kenjutsu in hand, facing Cloud ninja no longer meant helplessness.
No wonder their captain's sword was so deadly—the right form made every strike faster, sharper, more precise.
And as for where he learned it? Easy to explain.
Through battle with Cloud ninja, he had mimicked and gradually grasped swordplay.
Strong learning ability—who could question that?