Mache looked over Yagami's ANBU attire and asked,
"So, a Leaf ANBU leaves Hanzo alone just to wander around the Kichikō Mountains—why?"
Hanging by one hand from the kunai lodged in the rock wall, Yagami flexed his arm, swung himself upward in a smooth arc, and stood balanced atop the blade.
He said coldly,
"You've not only sent an entire town and over a dozen villages' worth of people into the underground rivers of the Kichikō caverns—you're also sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Why should it matter which village's ANBU I'm from?"
Yagami had never felt a sense of belonging in this world. He didn't pity its people, nor did he see himself as particularly good.
But what Mache had done—
It went too far, even for him.
With Mache's power, there had to be a way to achieve his goal without slaughtering innocents.
Yet he hadn't even tried.
All he cared about was completing his objective, the lives of the Land of Rain's people meant nothing to him.
Mache actually laughed.
"So this is what Leaf shinobi are like now? No fear of death at all?"
Over twenty Sand-nin dropped down behind Mache, facing the masked ANBU clinging to the cliff.
Yagami tested the wound Mache's Wind Style had carved into his side—painful, but not crippling.
"I don't fear dying anymore," he said calmly. "So tell me—what are you going to do about it?"
A flicker crossed Mache's eyes—surprise.
This man… he wasn't a Leaf ANBU.
He was from the Hidden Rain.
But why wasn't he wearing the Rain's standard gas mask?
The reason became clear in the next moment—
Yagami formed a single seal.
Water Style: Water Instant Step.
A blur—and Yagami vanished.
It was pouring rain, water everywhere—perfect conditions for Water Style movement.
He reappeared behind the Sand-nin.
If he wasn't planning to live through this anyway, then he might as well go all in.
He hurled every explosive tag he had.
Screams erupted as a storm of fire and smoke tore through the ranks.
Out of twenty Sand-nin, more than fifteen were blasted off their feet before Mache even turned.
So fast—
Only one seal, and it was nearly instantaneous.
Could he be one of Hanzo's disciples?
The smoke and dust were beaten down by the rain.
Through it burst the Fox-masked ANBU, charging straight at the Sand-nin.
Yagami gripped his ninjatō and sprinted low across the mud, slashing viciously toward Mache's legs.
A sudden whirlwind rose around Mache, blades of wind spinning through it—
Shredding Yagami where he stood.
Boom!
White smoke—
A shadow clone.
Yagami crouched a short distance away, eyes narrowed, watching the vortex fade.
Wind barrier for defense.
Wind Slash for offense.
A tight, flawless system.
Mache truly was an elite jōnin of the Hidden Sand.
Yagami pressed his fingers to his mask and drew a deep breath.
Time to go all out.
He had to force Mache to show his full strength—to gather every scrap of intel he could, for the next time he faced him.
His eyes turned crimson.
A single tomoe spun in each iris.
Don't underestimate a one-tomoe Sharingan.
Mache froze for a heartbeat.
What—?
Hanzo… trained a Uchiha?
And taught him that elite Water Step technique?
Had the Hidden Rain and the Hidden Leaf formed some secret alliance?
Or was Hanzo using the Uchiha clan to strike at the Leaf from within?
The implications tangled through his mind like a storm.
Conspiracy.
A vast conspiracy.
Yagami formed another seal—
and vanished again.
He reappeared behind Mache.
Mache instinctively released another Wind Style whirlwind.
But Yagami's Sharingan caught it—saw every motion, every pressure shift.
He twisted midair into an almost impossible posture: shoulder down, waist up, legs bent back—
slipping cleanly between the spinning wind blades.
His sword thrust forward, aimed straight for Mache's skull.
Mache ducked at the last instant.
Then came Yagami's relentless assault—
the ninjatō slashing and chopping through the rain, strike after strike.
But the longer it went on, the more his unease grew.
Mache hadn't even moved his feet.
Yet he dodged every single blow—by the smallest margin each time.
Was the gap between them truly this wide?
Suddenly, Mache's hand shot out—closing around Yagami's throat.
Yagami's eyes widened.
So that was it.
Just before Mache grabbed him, he had felt a heavy pressure in the air.
That meant—Mache was wrapped in a layer of compressed air, a dense barrier amplifying every hint of movement around him.
No wonder not a single raindrop touched him.
The moment Yagami's sword neared within twenty centimeters, Mache had already sensed the air's displacement—and reacted in time.
What kind of jutsu was this?
A Wind Style armor?
Mache tightened his grip.
The bones in Yagami's neck cracked.
"No matter if you're Hanzo's disciple or an Uchiha prodigy," Mache said flatly,
"you die tonight."
[System detected host death. Arc of the Moon activating…]
...
The world shifted.
When Yagami opened his eyes again, he was back beneath the full moon, in his room at the Teigoku Town inn.
In his arms, Purple Cat slept soundly—her flushed cheeks and pale neck still marked faint traces of the night before.
Outside, the rain fell quietly.
His strength was still far from that of an elite jōnin.
Even throwing every trump card he had, it hadn't been enough.
Death in this world was as constant as breathing.
Such was the cruelty of the shinobi world—
Without a clan's protection or a village's favor, even geniuses rarely lived long enough to be known.
Minato Namikaze had Jiraiya's teaching.
Kakashi had Minato's guidance.
And still, both Obito and Rin from their team died in the war.
Most "geniuses" died nameless.
Only those who survived became heroes.
...
[Arc of the Moon initialized.]
The host has one revival opportunity per lunar cycle. Upon death, resurrection occurs at the night of the previous full moon.
Reward: one draw available.
1. Wind-nature chakra
2. Special jōnin-level chakra capacity
3. Bandage-style taijutsu (basic)
Wind-nature chakra didn't suit his current fighting style—it would be of little use now.
Learning Wind Style techniques might help someday, but not in the middle of a war.
He also discarded the third choice.
The "bandage-style taijutsu" must have been one of Mache's secret techniques.
Yagami selected the second option—Special Jōnin-level Chakra Capacity.
Last time he'd drawn, his chakra reserves had reached 3.8 times the special jōnin level.
Since then, his unique constitution had continued developing on its own—his reserves had naturally grown to 4.5 times that amount.
After the new increase, his chakra now equaled 1.1 times the average jōnin.
At last, he had reached true jōnin standards.
Once this mission was complete, he would request a special jōnin certification from Captain Yellow Dog.
Chūnin benefits were too limited.
As a special jōnin, he would have greater authority in the ANBU—and access to deeper intelligence.
Yagami rose, dressed quietly, and gave Purple Cat's small, shapely hip a playful shake.
"Mmh?" she murmured sleepily, stretching like a cat. "You want to… again? Then let me wash up first…"
Yagami chuckled, patting her cheek.
"While you were asleep, I sent out a shadow clone to guard you. I went out myself—and got intel. Hurry, we need to find Captain Yellow Dog."
"You're still thinking about it? Are you a Purple Cat or a greedy one?"
He smirked.
"There are only tired bulls—never broken fields. You keep this up and I'll be the one who needs rest."
Purple Cat blinked, suddenly wide awake.
He went out to recon?
How had she not noticed at all?
Had she really slept that deeply?
***
Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666