As the fox-masked shinobi stepped into the tent, Yellow Dog greeted him with clear delight in his voice.
"Copper Fox, you're back."
"Copper Fox? I thought I was just 'Fox.' Are you changing my mask or something?"
Laughter echoed faintly beneath Yellow Dog's mask.
"Haha, Fox, the Suna frontline command has issued a special directive. They've warned their shinobi to be extremely cautious if they encounter a Konoha ANBU wearing a fox mask.
They didn't use your code name 'Fox.' In the directive, they called you Copper Fox—the ANBU shinobi wielding a secret technique of absolute defense. Tell me when did you learn such a technique?"
Yako replied, "Captain, I've been diving deeper into ninjutsu lately. I ended up creating a secret technique on my own... didn't expect it to leave such a deep impression on the Suna forces."
Yellow Dog nodded.
"Many shinobi eventually develop their own jutsu. Custom techniques often become a ninja's ultimate trump card—the most compatible and powerful move in their arsenal.
Your secret technique is something the shinobi world has never recorded before. Even the ANBU archives are seeing it for the first time.
Well done, Fox."
Yako's strength had continued to climb. Many of the system-granted powers he possessed could be plausibly explained away as innovations or imitations.
ANBU monitored its members' strength, tracking their jutsu and backgrounds to flag any potential ties to enemy villages or rogue factions.
But the stronger Yako became, the looser those restrictions grew.
Rules exist for the weak—because they're made by the strong.
Yellow Dog continued:
"Fox, congratulations on completing your fourth S-rank mission.
During the Sabaku Port raid, your performance was exceptional.
First, you donated a paraglider—an aerial ninja tool that made the entire ambush possible from a technical standpoint.
Second, you held the rear. Practically alone, you delayed an entire Suna battalion.
And finally, the Suna command issued a warning about you, specifically noting your exceptional physical defense.
The command staff considered all contributions and named you the second most valuable contributor to the mission."
Yako raised a brow. "Second? Then who's first?"
"Why, none other than Lord Nara Shikakaku himself—the one who planned the assault and led the vanguard unit in person."
Yako cursed himself inwardly. 'Why am I surprised? Of course the top credit goes to the commander. That's just how it works.'
Yellow Dog added,
"However, Akimichi Yamashiro, the clan head, was gravely wounded during the mission. Lost an arm. Lord Shikakaku voluntarily yielded the top merit to him."
"Also, a warning."
"Your absolute defense technique is now your signature. During assassination missions—like silencing Fire Daimyō nobles—you absolutely must not use it.
Even if you're at risk of dying, do not expose your ability. If the Daimyō learns the attacker used such a unique technique, it would point directly back to the Hokage."
"…Understood."
The Daimyō was the nominal ruler of the Land of Fire, and officially, Konoha bowed to that authority.
Unofficially, the ANBU bowed to no such thing.
Still, Yako could tell—now that he had earned a name, even if the name wasn't particularly flattering—Captain Yellow Dog's tone toward him had shifted.
In the shinobi world, strength spoke louder than anything else.
Back in the squad tent area, three squad leaders immediately gathered around him—Purple Cat, White Ram, and Blossom Deer.
Purple Cat practically bounced on her toes.
"Captain! Why are the Suna shinobi calling you Copper Fox?"
Yako smiled.
"From now on, during combat, don't worry about protecting me. I've developed a secret technique that makes me immune to physical attacks."
He formed the sign for the Clone technique.
"Blossom Deer, hand my clone three kunai."
Once armed, the shadow clone leapt backward and hurled the three kunai at full force toward Yako's neck.
The weapons blurred through the air, fast and merciless.
Just before impact, the skin on Yako's neck shifted—dulling into a deep, burnished copper hue.
Clink! Clink! Clink!
Three sharp impacts rang out as the kunai bounced off harmlessly.
Blossom Deer bent down and picked up one of them. Her eyes widened—it had chipped. The tip was completely broken off.
This level of defense… in close combat, wasn't it practically unbeatable?
No wonder the Suna shinobi had started calling him Copper Fox.
Yako addressed his three squad leaders:
"We've successfully disrupted Suna's naval supply line. Without iron ore, they'll have to rely on existing weapon stockpiles.
They'll likely retaliate soon. Use the lull between missions for training."
After assigning drills to the squads, Yako began fine-tuning his own taijutsu.
The Absolute Defense: Bronze Light did more than just block attacks—it turned his fists into weapons.
Any enemy who tried to block one of his punches with a forearm might as well be using a dead branch to stop a katana.
If his strike carried enough force, he could shatter bones in a single blow.
His knife-hand chops were equally devastating. One swing could down a lesser shinobi.
Outside the main camp, Yako found a rocky field scattered with massive boulders.
He began training in earnest—every strike of fist and foot sending stone shrapnel into the air.
After a week of focused effort, he'd mapped out the movements and finalized an effective taijutsu style.
He named it: Shattered Bone Copperlight.
A style designed with one goal—break your opponent's bones.
But technique alone wasn't enough. Yako also needed to understand his jutsu resistances.
He recruited squad members with various chakra natures for controlled tests.
Wind Release
Of all chakra types, wind posed the least threat. Wind blades, gusts, or compressed pressure attacks—none could scratch him.
Earth Release
Piercing techniques were useless. Blunt-force attacks, however, could be dangerous—the force could still rattle his insides.
He'd need to find ways to reinforce his internal organs and skeletal frame.
Fire Release
The flames couldn't burn his skin, but the heat was miserable. Best to dodge fire altogether. It couldn't kill, but it could still torment.
Water Release
Most water techniques were about force. The danger was being caught in a water trap and immobilized.
Lightning Release
He didn't test this.
No way he'd reveal his weakness to anyone—not even comrades.
After all, just like Kakashi's Lightning Cutter pierced Kakuzu's Earth Spear, lightning could destabilize Copper and reduce its effectiveness.
If he ever faced a Lightning Release shinobi, he'd need to be twice as cautious.
Among the sparring partners were two faces Yako didn't recognize.
He realized that during his absence, the squads had continued operating nonstop—and inevitably suffered casualties.
Some members had been replaced.
Purple Cat wasn't just a squad leader; she also acted as Yako's de facto assistant, handling task assignments, logging reports, and collecting mission debriefs.
In ANBU, having even a single week for uninterrupted training was a luxury.
After seven days, Yako received a new assignment.
Captain Yellow Dog summoned him.
"Fox, Suna has recovered the bodies and equipment from the rearguard unit at Sabaku Port. Among them—they found a paraglider.
Our intel shinobi confirm—they're trying to reverse engineer it.
Nara Meika, the jonin in charge of Equipment Development, went to investigate. Now the frontline team has received her distress signal.
She's important. Your job is to extract her."
"…Understood," Yako nodded, then added with a knowing tone:
"Captain, is this really just a rescue? Or do you want me to eliminate her along the way?"
"Maybe take her somewhere quiet and... tidy things up?"
Yellow Dog choked on his own breath.
"Don't be clever. No assassination. This is an actual rescue. Absolutely necessary. Meika is vital to the Nara Clan. That's why we're sending elite ANBU."
Yako let out a mental sigh of disappointment. Tch. So it's not a cleanup job. Looks like the ANBU are just being used as glorified errand boys for the clans.
"Fox, go report to Supreme Commander Nara Shikakaku. He'll brief you on the mission specifics."