Yoru was in the middle of a complete overhaul of his combat system.
Now that he possessed Jonin-level chakra reserves, he could finally operate as a full ninjutsu-type shinobi.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A wall of water rose up, blocking three Sand ninja.
With rainwater everywhere, Water Release cost almost no chakra.
"Earth Style: Falling Earth Spears!"
Forced back by the Water Wall, the three Sand ninja leapt away, but before they even landed, several earth spears burst upward, piercing their lower backs.
Two more Sand ninja rushed in from both sides, seizing the gaps between jutsu.
Poison-laced kunai, coated in a dark violet venom, shot toward Yoru.
"Earth Style: Earth Substitute!"
The venomous kunai only struck a lump of soft mud.
Hidden underground, Yoru used Earth Style: Underground Projection Fish Technique, resurfacing from a different angle.
One attack, one defense, one substitution, one subterranean movement, Yoru rotated through all four ninjutsu styles, endlessly cutting down Sand shinobi.
With their captain supporting them, the rest of Fox Squad fought twice as fiercely.
Parasitic insects, kunai, explosive tags, every form of attack hammered into the Sand forces.
The battlefield quickly shifted. Because of Fox Squad's overwhelming advantage, the Sand battalion began to crumble.
Macher felt one side of his vision empty, an entire Sand battalion had collapsed.
He turned, and saw the ANBU captain he had failed to kill earlier.
This was the infuriating thing about Konoha: a massive village always producing terrifying geniuses.
With his strength, Macher should've been able to kill three Konoha squad captains with a single Wind Release. But this Fox Captain was absurdly strong, he had even killed a Sand battalion commander.
Captain Yellow Dog shouted:
"Beautiful work, Fox! Go support Yak Squad!"
Although Yellow Dog couldn't defeat Macher, Macher couldn't overwhelm him quickly either.
Yoru looked toward the Jikō Mountains, where thunderous rumbles echoed.
"Flower Deer Squad, stay here and hold off the remaining Sand forces!
Purple Cat and White Ram, move with me!"
Leaving one squad to handle the scattered Sand forces, Yoru led the others downhill toward the mountain.
At the mountain's base, Yak Squad fought the Sand defenders while simultaneously destroying the cavern entrance.
Yak stood firmly along the cliff wall, unleashing jutsu again and again.
"Earth Style: Rupturing Earth Palm!"
Each cast sent massive slabs of rock crashing down into the cavern mouth.
If they could collapse the upper mountain, hundreds of meters of falling stone would surely bury the entire tunnel system.
Two other squad captains joined in, using Earth Release to break the mountainside.
Yoru couldn't use Rupturing Earth Palm, so he rushed the Sand defenders instead.
Not long after, he saw another Sand battalion breaking through Hippo Squad's line and charging toward the cavern entrance.
He called over Flower Deer and whispered instructions.
Flower Deer nodded and vanished with Body Flicker.
Yoru had to intercept the incoming battalion.
After several minutes of combat, he shouted to Purple Cat:
"Fire the signal flare!"
A red flare shot into the night sky, illuminating the towering rock face.
Moments later, more signal flares lit up in the distant darkness.
Yoru yelled:
"Hold on! Reinforcements are on their way!"
Macher and the remaining Sand commander also saw the signals.
Countless nearby Konoha shinobi were responding, and closing in.
Macher immediately gave the retreat order.
After blasting Yellow Dog back with a massive Wind Slash, he fled with the remaining Sand forces, scaling the cliff and heading toward the mountain summit.
The mission had failed.
Macher thought:
Konoha can only destroy the cavern closest to the Land of Rain. Once we're free again, more Earth-Style users can reopen the entire cavern system.
At the mountaintop, the rain had weakened.
Halfway across the Jikō Mountains, the rain stopped completely.
On the southern side, the dry, hot winds irritated Macher.
Dropping down the mountainside, he saw Sand ninjas waiting.
At their head was Elder Old Crab, one of Sunagakure's senior advisors.
Macher quickly reported:
"Advisor sir, the ambush failed. The Rain Village didn't detect us, but Konoha ANBU suddenly appeared out of nowhere."
Disappointment crossed Old Crab's face.
This cavern system had been the Land of Wind's hope, the chance to bring precious freshwater into the desert.
He had believed they were on the verge of creating an oasis north of the country.
Old Crab said:
"Young shinobi of the Sand, do not be discouraged. The war between Konoha, Rain, and Stone is far from over. Once I return, I will urge the Kazekage to declare war on Konoha.
With our puppet techniques and Wind Release, we can crush them while they're weakened.
Even with twenty thousand ninja, Konoha cannot fight on every front. Once Konoha falls, no one will stop us from bringing water into the Land of Wind."
Northern side of the Jikō Mountains
Captain Yellow Dog and Yoru stood watching Yak Squad destroy the cavern.
Hippo Squad's captain had just been killed, slain by the Sand battalion commander.
That commander had been powerful.
Yet Yellow Dog remained unmoved by the collapse of an entire squad.
He turned to Yoru:
"Fox, excellent work. You not only defeated a Sand battalion commander head-on, but also used a signal flare to fake incoming reinforcements and scare Macher away. Since you were the one who first discovered their movements, I'll credit you with first merit in the mission report."
Yoru had defeated the battalion commander using his forbidden sealing technique, the Self-Cursing Seal, which could never be exposed.
He needed more official power, more legitimate abilities to cover for his secret ones.
So he asked:
"Captain Yellow Dog, what are the requirements for an ANBU to be promoted to Special Jonin?
Does my strength and mission record qualify me?"
"Of course they do," Yellow Dog said, pleased. He preferred capable subordinates who survived, not ones who died every few missions and forced him to rebuild squads.
During his last meeting with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen had told him to cultivate reliable elites, potential successors for the future ANBU Commander.
Yellow Dog said:
"When we return, I'll take you to see the Hokage. Special Jonin appointments are personally assessed by him. With your record, the Hokage won't hold back."
"Thank you for your support, Captain. And for the Hokage's trust."
Yellow Dog was very satisfied.
After four hours of work, Yak Squad finally collapsed the mountainside, filling the cavern with rock.
Yellow Dog said:
"Let's go. We need to reach the Hidden Rain and secretly contact Hanzō's agents. By sabotaging the Sand's plan, we've shown sincerity. Now we'll see whether Hanzō is willing to negotiate a truce with Konoha."
By the time they returned to Teigu Town, it was already before dawn.
In the distance, Yoru saw Blue struggling to untie the captured old river patrol man.
She didn't know what had happened, she cried in panic as she pulled at the rope knots, unable to free him.
A kunai suddenly struck the ground near her foot.
Startled, she grabbed the sharp weapon and cut the rope.
For the first time, Yoru felt that his mysterious system actually had some value.
Some people's fates had changed, because of the Arc of the Full Moon.
After spending over a year doing dark deeds since arriving in this world, helping someone, even incidentally, still felt strangely uncomfortable.
Young people were always a bit impulsive, after all.