Yōkō returned to the previous full moon.
He had just left Battalion Commander Yellow Dog's tent, having received the Anbu Observer mission and was about to join the Saba Port raid mission under the identity of Fujikita.
[Mochizuki's Arc activated!
The host has only one resurrection opportunity per month, reviving on the night of the previous full moon after death.
Reward: One lottery draw opportunity:
1- Secret Technique: Shadow Trap Technique;
2- Jonin-level Chakra Reserve (Stackable);
3- Secret Technique: Shadow Imitation Technique (Beginner Level).]
The first option, Shadow Trap Technique, was likely the trap Nara Umeka hid under her skirt.
The smarter the woman, the more dangerous she truly was.
This technique was rather useless, and Yōkō didn't wear skirts.
The second option, Jonin-level Chakra Reserve.
Last month, his chakra reserve was 2.6 times the Jonin level. After a month of natural growth, it was now 2.9 times the Jonin level.
With his physique bonus, his chakra reserve was slowly increasing.
He chose the third option, Secret Technique: Shadow Imitation Technique (Beginner Level).
Oh no. Now he had another method for doing bad deeds, another way to frame a shinobi clan.
What was he to do?
How was someone as pure, innocent, and kind-hearted as a little white flower like himself becoming more and more of a scoundrel?
Yōkō instantly mastered the Shadow Imitation Technique.
So this technique was actually a Yin Release secret technique.
A secret technique that infused Yin Release chakra into the shadow at one's feet, granting the shadow special abilities.
This technique's function somewhat overlapped with the Self-Cursing Body Binding Seal. Unless he was framing the Nara clan, it was better not to use it.
However, the application method of Yin Release chakra could be used for reference.
As in the previous timeline, Yōkō was assigned to Nara Kaya's squad.
His teammate was the petite but lively Kurumi.
"Hello, I'm Kurumi. I just passed the Chūnin Exams and became a Chūnin."
"Hello, I'm Fujikita, dreaming of becoming a Chūnin by passing the Chūnin Exams."
"Haha, you'll have to work hard then."
Nara Kaya still shamelessly claimed the glider was another major contribution of the Nara clan to the village.
Kurumi learned to use the glider, while Yōkō continued to secretly research his Bone-Crushing Copper Light taijutsu.
Soon, the raid mission began.
Nara Kaya's squad received the mission to dive and destroy the pier.
Yōkō maintained a position not too far but not too close to Nara Kaya, making it difficult for Nara Kaya to use the Shadow Imitation Technique on him.
The first time Nara Kaya tried to control Kurumi, Yōkō swiftly acted, using the newly mastered Shadow Imitation Technique to instantly control Nara Kaya.
Nara Kaya was utterly terrified. Why was there another Nara shinobi nearby, and why was he controlling him?
Had the Clan Head discovered the Shadow Puppetry technique he developed? So he sent someone to...
Yōkō discreetly executed Nara Kaya underwater.
This way, he also saved the other teammate.
Kurumi, as a Chūnin, automatically became the squad leader.
Yōkō didn't alter the overall flow of the battle. He created a shadow clone to follow Kurumi, preventing anything from happening to her, while his main body hid under the collapsing pier, taking out a scroll to record the battlefield situation.
He meticulously recorded Rasa's abilities and the performances of the three Ino–Shika–Chō clan heads on the scroll as they fiercely battled.
Finally, when Nara Rokaku and the other Ino–Shika–Chō clan heads were defeated, Nara Rokaku designated Yōkō's battalion for rearguard duty.
The Battalion Commander led two squadrons to block Rasa, while Yōkō led one squadron to protect the taking-off glider forces.
Yōkō jumped out of the seawater, threw the observation record scroll to Squadron Leader Hippo, and put on his fox mask.
Facing the approaching Suna-nin, Kurumi grew increasingly frightened but persistently held her kunai in front of her.
"Fujikita, don't be afraid. As your acting squad leader, I won't let you die in front of me."
As in the previous timeline, awe-inspiring courage was born within Kurumi's petite frame.
"Chūnin Kurumi, stand behind me.
I am Konoha Anbu Special Jonin Fox. Now I am your acting squad leader.
What was it you just said?
Don't be afraid. As your acting squad leader, I won't let you die in front of me."
This time, Yōkō didn't start with Earth-Style Rising Spears; instead deliberately trained his Bone-Crushing Copper Light taijutsu.
The first Suna-nin, charging forward, suddenly took a punch to the chest.
His chest abruptly caved in, as if hit by a high-speed, solid iron ball.
His ribs broke and pierced his back.
The second Suna-nin, seeing his comrade's gruesome state, thrust his kunai at Yōkō.
Yōkō caught the kunai with one hand.
The Suna-nin, horrified, discovered his kunai seemed unsharpened; no blood seeped from between the Konoha Anbu's fingers.
Yōkō's other hand straightened, transforming into a knife-hand strike aimed at the Suna-nin's throat.
The Suna-nin's oesophagus and windpipe instantly collapsed, his cervical spine broken.
A puppet abruptly appeared.
Yōkō's fist easily shattered the puppet's shell and bent its internal steel frame.
The puppet's limbs detached from its body, flying towards Yōkō with sharp blades, but only cut his clothes, easily blocked by the red-copper skin.
Punch after punch, Yōkō was surrounded by Suna-nin, seemingly taking repeated hits but actually remaining completely unharmed.
Both Suna-nin and puppets were like withered branches and dead leaves before Yōkō.
Through repeated actual combat, Yōkō's Bone-Crushing Copper Light taijutsu became increasingly proficient.
After gathering the Suna-nin together, enduring kunai and puppet blades, Yōkō then formed hand seals.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Rising Spears!
A dense forest of thorny pillars burst from the ground, impaling over twenty nearby Suna-nin.
Someone who looked like a captain shouted from a distance: "Be careful! He's not just a taijutsu user; his ninjutsu is strong too!"
Yōkō glanced at the captain and body-flickered towards him.
One punch landed, sinking into the captain's chest.
"I hate captains who hide in the back the most. How dare you not fight me head-on, damn it!"
The Konoha Battalion Commander briefly delayed Rasa, while Yōkō wreaked havoc in the rear, blocking Suna-nin attempting to pursue the taking-off gliders.
In the previous timeline, after Yōkō had crippled half a battalion, Rasa arrived nearby.
This time, Yōkō acted faster, his taijutsu more skilled and efficient; he crippled an entire battalion before Rasa came forward.
Apart from Yōkō and Kurumi, whom Yōkō deliberately protected, the other Konoha shinobi all died fighting on the docks.
To avoid exposing his Water Body Flicker secret, Yōkō knocked out Kurumi, carried her on his shoulder, and stood on the sea surface.
Looking at the numerous Suna-nin corpses fallen on the dock, Yōkō felt satisfied.
After blocking Rasa's Gold Dust wave with a Water Formation Wall, Yōkō submerged into the seawater and disappeared using Water Body Flicker deep underwater.
Finding the seaside cliff cave he had hidden in during the previous timeline, he summoned Pakkun and told him the names of the five Nara shinobi.
These names came from Nara Umeka.
In the previous timeline, Nara Umeka already had a death wish; she used the true intelligence about the five-person Nara group to lure Yōkō closer.
With the list obtained, Hatake Sakumo would naturally investigate the heinous acts of using teammates as human puppets.
As in the previous timeline, Yōkō seriously taught Kurumi two Earth Release techniques, Fish in Earth Reflection Technique and Earth-Style Rising Spears, to help improve her strength.
When he returned to the main camp, he heard his own title 'Copper Fox' and also received a task that surprised him.
He had given Hatake Sakumo a list of five Nara shinobi, and the worldline had changed.
Battalion Commander Yellow Dog said:
"Fox, here is a list. Follow this list and eliminate the people on it."
Yōkō saw four Nara shinobi names in the scroll. He had given Pakkun a list of five names; Nara Kaya was dead, leaving four remaining.
Yōkō asked: "The Nara clan... Battalion Commander, are these four nominally executed but secretly released? The Nara clan is not simple."
"Fox, don't complicate Anbu missions. This time, it's a real execution." Yellow Dog said:
"Deputy Commander Hatake Sakumo discovered some mission anomalies; these Nara shinobi were all the sole survivors of their squads.
After investigation, it was found that these individuals all had heinous records of harming their teammates.
Commander-in-Chief Nara Rokaku is deeply remorseful and heartbroken. He ordered the Anbu to treat them as rogue ninja and execute them."
His actions after rebirth had altered the plot, leading to new developments.
He didn't know how the confrontation between Nara Rokaku and Hatake Sakumo unfolded.
After this scandal, the limited camaraderie between Nara Rokaku and Hatake Sakumo was probably exhausted.
Having already died once in this full moon cycle, he needed to be extra careful in the upcoming missions, even if it was just assassinating a few Chūnin or Special Jonin.
***
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(Chapter End)