Darkness claimed his vision.
Yako returned to the night of the last full moon.
He was back in the cramped office of the orphanage, with Yakushi Nonō softly gasping in his arms.
"Shrinking-hip technique… damn useful," he thought smugly. "True body disguise starts with the hips. Gotta train that more."
Thirty minutes later, as Nonō lay panting beside him, Yako focused on the monthly draw from the Moonlit Arc system.
[Moonlit Arc activated! The host has one revival per full moon cycle. Upon death, revival occurs on the night of the previous full moon.
Reward: One random draw.
1 - Secret Technique: Spore Technique
2 - Elite Jōnin-level Chakra Capacity (stackable)
3 - Secret Technique: Mayfly Technique]
Option one—Spore Technique: undetectable before activation, turns into white growth that drains chakra from the host and transfers it to others. Good for support, but...
"My chakra's fine for now," Yako mused. "Pass."
Option two: more chakra. "Nah."
His eyes fell on option three—and lit up.
Mayfly Technique: Top-tier infiltration jutsu. The user merges their body with earth and plant matter, becoming undetectable, even to high-level sensors.
Allows travel via underground root and organic networks, severing all chakra and physical signatures during movement.
"Now this," Yako whispered, "this is the kind of jutsu for an ANBU. No more noisy brute-forcing—it's time I got sneaky."
But he wouldn't test it in front of Nonō. No matter how tight the bond—or the hips—some cards needed to be kept hidden. Even from pillowside partners. Even from New Favorite #6.
After leaving the orphanage normally, he slipped into a forest.
Shadow Clone deployed.
Pressing his hand against a tree trunk, Yako activated the Mayfly Technique.
His body dissolved into the bark, silently vanishing.
Inside, he replaced the tree's fibers, indistinguishable from the trunk itself.
Outside, the clone activated Byakugan.
Nothing.
Perfect.
"I'm invisible… even to the Hyūga."
He moved through the ground, sensing every root, insect egg, microbe, and decayed leaf—an intricate web of organic matter. His movement: over 100 meters per second. Silent. Swift.
Better than most body flickers—and underground.
Slipping through the support beams of a wooden house, he emerged on the second-floor balcony.
Inside, a couple was arguing over 20,000 ryō.
They didn't even notice the shadow on their balcony.
Yako gazed toward the distant Hokage Tower.
"Should I go big? Like Naruto did with the Scroll of Seals?"
A beat.
"…Nah. Already died once this month. No need to push it."
Next month, though—that scroll was his.
If Orochimaru wanted it, he sure as hell did too.
But not today. He'd wait. Bide his time.
Just like before, the timeline proceeded unchanged.
He arrived at the Rain border, replaced Orochimaru, and—thanks to Yuka's scouting—located Nagato.
Two Root, three ANBU—wiped out by Madara's first move.
Facing him again, Yako released the Ten Seal's chakra and cast a massive field of Earth Spear Thorns, halting the Wood Dragon Technique once more.
He shouted:
"K! Take Uzumaki Nagato and retreat! I'll hold them off!"
K was touched.
"Fox… you'd do this for me?" he thought, then rushed forward with two Root agents.
Spores bloomed from Nagato.
Undetectable to the naked eye, they drifted silently, landing on every ANBU and Root agent nearby.
Chakra drained. Bodies collapsed.
Ahead—Madara stood atop the dragon, looking down with contempt.
Behind—White Zetsu moved swiftly, draining every last drop.
The oppressive force of Madara's presence was crushing.
Yako made his decision.
"Mission failed!" he roared. "Fall back!"
Team Blossom Deer didn't hesitate—they vanished.
Jiraiya, seeing the white figure guarding Nagato, finally believed it.
Nagato… was Madara's.
With Madara intervening, Nagato should be safe—for now.
Jiraiya turned and ran.
K, gritting his teeth, gave the order:
"Abandon the target! Retreat!"
With the Uzumaki left behind, White Zetsu ignored the survivors. L escaped—barely.
His chakra drained, his steps weak.
A dozen meters out—they heard it.
Whoosh—
The dragon lunged again, barreling toward Fox.
Facing it directly, with Madara atop, Yako made one hand seal.
Water Release: Water Severing Wave!
Madara raised a brow, then smirked, then scowled.
"Senju Tobirama's technique…"
The wave sliced through Wood Release constructs, then dug into the dragon's neck.
Everyone watched—
It stopped.
One-third through, the water's power faded. The wound sealed instantly. The dragon surged forward—
And slammed into Yako.
A copper glow surrounded him as the full force of the dragon's head buried him into the ground, dragging him back dozens of meters.
Wood shrapnel, mud, debris—everywhere.
His silhouette vanished.
Blossom Deer paled.
There was nothing they could do. Turning back would only weigh him down.
Jiraiya looked at the crater—like a small impact basin. His anger at Fox dissolved into admiration.
"This one… even if he gave the order, he stayed behind. A cruel man—but a shinobi with resolve."
Madara tilted the dragon's head, frowning.
In the crater—
A copper-hued figure still stood.
"You're not dead?"
A full-power Wood Dragon strike—and he survived?
"Like a stone buried in dirt… annoyingly tough."
Yako looked down. The Bronze Light Chakra had been depleted. Multiple ribs were broken.
Wood Release's chakra-draining nature was terrifying.
He glanced at the retreating K.
"You better not run far," he muttered. "I did this for you."
Hands forming seals—
Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!
Yako vanished into the ground.
Seconds later, Madara's eyes sharpened.
"Hiding Like a Mole… that fast?"