"Black Ape, show them how you use the Ten Seal."
Black Ape stepped forward, formed three quick hand seals, and released the Ten Seal.
A surge of chakra erupted from his hand in an instant.
The others—Blossom Deer, Field Duck, Leaf Monkey—watched in astonishment.
Black Ape hadn't extracted any chakra—it had burst out directly from the seal.
Without pause, he formed seals again and launched five consecutive Earth Release: Earth Longspear techniques!
No delay. Not a second wasted.
It was as if he feared the chakra would disperse too quickly if not used.
After firing off five jutsu in a row, Black Ape didn't even break a sweat.
Yako nodded. "This is the Ten Seal I've developed. It will immediately enhance your combat effectiveness."
Blossom Deer frowned in thought. "Captain, if we all master this technique—being able to unseal and release five jutsu instantly—couldn't we just open with that and suppress the enemy from the start?"
White Ram added, "Or use it as a hidden ace when we're completely drained… a sudden burst at the end."
"Exactly," Yako said.
"It's like being gifted a full load of extra chakra during battle. Whether for an opening salvo or a finishing strike, it's a powerful option. From now on, you all carry a trump card."
White Ram hesitated. "Captain… what about the Hippo and Yak squads?"
Yako replied calmly, "Favor must be earned. I'm not testing you because you've already proven yourselves. But they'll need to pass trials."
"If they don't show the proper merit, if their performance doesn't impress me… I won't grant them this seal."
"You are not to speak of this technique to anyone. I trust you—that's why I've shared it freely. Don't betray that trust."
"This seal is strong enough to be a decisive weapon. Keep it hidden. Let no one prepare counters against it."
White Ram nodded repeatedly. They had all once belonged to Fox Squad.
The Hippo and Yak squads were remnants from Yellow Dog's former battalion.
To this day, Deputy Commander Yellow Dog would sometimes bypass Yako and assign tasks directly to Hippo or Yak squads.
But White Ram's team—Black Ape, Ironstag, Brown Bear—and Blossom Deer's squad—Leaf Monkey, Field Duck, Antelope—these eight were Yako's core.
He had fought beside them.
Taught them ninjutsu.
Stacked their mission records.
Most importantly—he'd helped them grow stronger.
The Ten Seal, being a high-grade combat seal, would only deepen their loyalty.
It wasn't as powerful as Tsunade's Yin Seal, but Yako planned to continue refining it, evolving it into something that could even help his subordinates punch above their weight class.
Eight tokubetsu jōnin, each carrying a jonin-level burst technique?
Out in the field, that kind of force demanded respect.
A lone shinobi could be crushed easily—through soft threats or hard violence, there were always ways.
But a squad? A loyal, powerful squad? That made enemies hesitate.
As Yako's influence grew, these eight would form the backbone of his faction.
He went around the clearing, personally engraving the Ten Seal onto each subordinate's hand.
They gazed at the markings with quiet awe.
Following this captain… really was the right choice.
"The Ten Seal is stable," Yako said. "Normally it won't fail. But if it ever becomes unstable, come find me. I'll reinforce it myself."
Yako refused to use the Seal of Tongue Eradication to control his men. From everything he'd seen, these eight weren't the type to betray him.
Even so, the Ten Seal served as a subtle form of control.
Once reliant on it, only Yako could maintain it.
"As you grow stronger, you'll eventually hit your limit. When that happens, the Ten Seal has another use: an extreme stimulation regimen. It might help you break through."
The squad blinked, stunned.
They hadn't expected the seal to boost them beyond their limits.
This technique… was unbelievably versatile.
"Now I'll teach you how to inject chakra into the seal, and how to release it."
Yako removed his fingerless glove, revealing the Ten Seal on his own hand.
Most shinobi wore gloves like these—needed when handling steel wire, kunai, or sharp-edged gear. They also conveniently concealed any seal marks.
Soon, the entire squad had learned how to use it. With regular training, they'd be combat-ready in just a few days.
——
The full moon shone bright.
A new lunar cycle had begun.
While patrolling near the border, Yako encountered Nonō Yakushi again in a secluded valley.
This time, she had taken on the form of a slightly plump housewife—voluptuous and unassuming.
She came bearing fresh intel.
"Root has taken in four new recruits," she began. "They were given the masks and codenames of F, G, X, and R."
"With their numbers replenished, Root has resumed contact with its intelligence networks across the nations."
"K is one of the remaining Root elders. He's currently partnered with X, operating along the border of the Land of Earth. They're meeting with one of Iwagakure's top spies."
Yako asked, "You're currently stationed in the Land of Lightning. Who's the Root agent assigned to handle contact with you?"
Nonō paused for a beat.
"I can't say," she replied. "If anything happens to him, Danzo might trace it back to me. I'm not taking that risk."
Yako didn't press her.
"Then give me K's exact location."
Nonō gave the name of a small town in the Land of Earth. Then added, "Information takes time to transmit. I can't guarantee accuracy."
"K might have already completed his meeting and left. He could be en route back as we speak."
Yako hesitated.
He resisted the impulse.
Not the right time to move against K.
"If the info's not solid, then keep digging."
Right now, Orochimaru, the Lynx Division, and Root were all hunting the last of the Uzumaki survivors.
He couldn't afford to let Yuka take a risk right now.
"Nonō, do you know how the Cloud camps operate?" Yako asked.
Both Konoha and the Hidden Cloud had been moving their base camps regularly.
During the Great Ninja War, armies were massive—two to three thousand per side. The distance between the frontline and the main camp was deep, and ambushes were rare.
But now? With only two or three hundred on each side? A single slip could be fatal. If a camp was exposed, a surprise raid could be devastating.
Nonō said, "I'm currently posing as a frontline Cloud-nin. They're very cautious. I've been here over a month and only entered the main camp twice."
"Most of the time, our squads find nearby caves or hideouts to rest in."
"I have a rough idea where the camp might be. But intel is never perfect. Even if I saw it with my own eyes, I couldn't promise it's correct."
"You'll have to interpret the intelligence yourself."
She sounded anxious.
Last time, her inaccurate report about the Iron Country had drawn Yako's ire—Root sent four men, not the two she'd predicted.
She still felt wronged. No spy could guarantee perfect intel.
"This time, I'll triple-check before I send anything," she promised.
Then asked, "When are you moving on K?"
Yako narrowed his eyes.
'In such a hurry to use me as your blade, are you?'