The long-beaked heron!
It was a young long-beaked heron, not much different from an ordinary one. It had almost no combat ability but had come to help Yuka scout for information.
The Hidden Leaf knew the Uzumaki Clan too well. They possessed intelligence on nearly every surviving Uzumaki.
The moment the heron appeared, Captain Black Ape immediately said without needing Yagami's reminder, "It's Uzumaki Yuka! She's nearby!"
He didn't rush forward. Instead, he carefully crawled toward the heron, staying low to the ground.
The heron didn't notice him at all.
Just as Black Ape and Yagami were about to capture it, the bird suddenly took flight, vanishing into the trees beyond.
They immediately stood and gave chase.
The park's forest was wide, veiled in faint mist that made it difficult to see far.
As they ran, Yagami heard two heron cries echoing from ahead.
Why were there two of them?
"Damn it! Run!"
Black Ape shouted, abandoning all pretense of stealth as he leaped backward.
Another long-beaked heron had brought the Mist-nin straight to them!
Uzumaki Yuka had learned to divert disaster eastward—using one enemy to deal with another.
Eight Mist-nin surrounded Black Ape and Yagami.
Battle erupted in an instant!
Black Ape's fists swelled as they cut through the air.
He was from the Akimichi Clan.
His car-sized punch smashed into the Mist-nin ahead, sending the man flying with bone-cracking force that made Yagami's scalp tingle.
Black Ape stepped forward, but suddenly realized his feet wouldn't move.
Sticky liquid had spread across the ground, gluing his legs in place.
Yagami froze as well, not daring to advance—he couldn't identify that strange Water Release.
Black Ape was too heavy; no matter how hard he tried to jump, he couldn't break free.
Yagami threw out a steel wire, wrapping it around his captain's waist, but he couldn't pull him out either.
Kunai rained from every direction.
Yagami was forced to draw his own kunai and block. His taijutsu had improved greatly, and the clash of steel rang through the mist as he deflected the barrage.
Black Ape wasn't so lucky. Unable to move, he could only enlarge his right hand and use it as a shield, blocking kunai with flesh and blood.
When his hand shrank back, the kunai fell away, leaving his palm covered in blood.
"Fox! Go! Take the intel to Captain Hippo! I'll hold them off!"
Black Ape didn't plan to retreat.
Yagami turned and ran without looking back.
Even if the captain hadn't ordered it, he would have left. The situation was hopeless.
After only a few steps, another Mist-nin squad appeared ahead.
He braced himself when a loud sound came from behind.
A jet of water shot through the trees, piercing trunks in its path before spearing toward Yagami's lower back.
He heard it coming and twisted his waist, diving aside.
The moment he hit the ground, something felt wrong—
his hands and right leg were caught in more sticky water.
He couldn't move.
Yagami quickly formed hand seals, attempting to sink into the ground with Hiding like a Mole Earth Technique.
But the adhesive slowed his descent to a crawl.
His chakra reserves were too low.
Thud! Thud!
Two kunai struck—one in his temple, the other in his throat.
...
His vision went black.
Then the full moon shone once again before his eyes.
Yagami's gaze sharpened—he was back under the previous full moon.
He stood on the shore of the Land of Fire, just as he was about to cross into the Land of Waves with Captain Hippo.
The Land of Waves was too dangerous. The Mist-nin, just like the Leaf, were desperate to obtain the Uzumaki elder's sealing scroll.
[Arc of the Moonlit Rebirth Activated!]
The host may revive once per month, returning to life under the previous full moon.
Reward: One lottery draw.
1. Water-natured chakra
2. Chūnin-level chakra reserves (stackable)
3. Kunai Throwing – Mastery
Water-nature chakra wasn't useful for now—easy choice to skip.
Kunai Throwing at the mastery level was tempting, though. With precision kills from thirty meters away, he could avoid close combat and increase his survival chances.
But Chūnin-level chakra reserves… that had its own appeal.
With greater chakra, he could brute-force his way out of sticky Water Release traps and dive underground faster.
After some thought, Yagami chose the Chūnin-level chakra reserves.
Combined with the twofold boost he'd gained before, his chakra shortage finally began to ease.
He exhaled deeply. Extracting chakra now felt smoother—his body thrummed with power.
Crossing the sea toward the Land of Waves this time was much easier.
His feet glided atop the waves, chakra flowing evenly beneath him, unshaken by wind or tide.
Last year, the Chūnin Exam standards had been lowered, and two hundred new Chūnin had been promoted.
Now, for the first time, Yagami finally felt like one of them.
Just as before, he spent days searching through the Land of Waves and eventually entered its capital, Kyoto.
There, he once again found Captain Black Ape—missing an arm, his combat strength greatly reduced.
Later, they found another long-beaked heron by the lakeside.
It lured the two of them into the forested park.
Inside the woods, Yagami whispered, "Captain, do you think this could be a trap?"
Captain Black Ape nodded immediately.
"It's possible. Don't rush after it. Let's mark the range first, then contact Captain Hippo to send scouts."
They slowed their pace.
Yagami leapt onto a treetop, watching from afar to see where the heron would fly.
Black Ape rested beneath the tree, thinking to himself that Fox—his codename for Yagami—was an excellent subordinate: cautious, capable, and reliable. Even after losing an arm, Yagami was considerate enough to let him rest.
Balance had become difficult for him. Standing on branches wasn't easy anymore.
Fox's chakra control seemed steady, his feet fixed lightly atop the swaying treetop—a solid foundation.
Yagami dropped down and said, "Captain, I saw another heron fly over. There are two in the forest. Should I use a Shadow Clone to investigate?"
"Good idea," Black Ape agreed, impressed by his prudence.
The clone disappeared into the woods.
A few minutes later, Yagami suddenly looked up.
"Captain! My clone saw Mist-nin! They're in this forest too! Run!"
Black Ape and Yagami immediately fled toward the edge of the park.
They burst from the trees, reaching the lakeside, where Kyoto civilians still strolled and played.
"Captain," Yagami said, "I'll stay here and watch. Please go inform Captain Hippo."
"Alright. Be careful."
Black Ape was liking Fox more and more. Once his unit was rebuilt, he planned to promote him.
After the captain disappeared from sight, Yagami pulled out a small scroll.
If the long-beaked heron was here, then Yuka must be hiding somewhere nearby.
He hoped she would find him.
A few minutes later, the bushes behind him rustled softly.
"Yuka… is that you?"