Yorimitsu fought while retreating until he was forced to the shoreline.
In Captain Antelope's eyes, he was merely someone with the strength of a low-ranking genin—hardly reliable. The fact that he survived after Zicat's death had already exceeded all expectations.
At the edge of the sea, Yorimitsu clashed with a Cloud ninja they'd brought along. The two exchanged blows, testing each other's taijutsu.
Yorimitsu's gaze occasionally flicked toward the exploded hut, taking in the entire battlefield.
From inside the wreckage, a squad of Cloud ninja had rushed out. One of them, injured by the explosion, sat against the stairs gasping for air.
Kakunyu's head was filthy beyond description—no wonder he was furious; he had indeed been "flown on."
A ninja had to be versatile; theory was as important as technique. Poor Kakunyu—he paid for not understanding building layouts.
Captain Antelope and Kakunyu each engaged a Cloud ninja.
In the distance, the fishermen of the village, startled by the blast, came running with harpoons in hand.
Ordinary fishermen were no match for shinobi. They dared not charge in; they just hovered anxiously, blocking the way to protect their homes and boats.
Just then, two figures suddenly leapt out from behind the fishermen!
—Not good, Cloud ninjas had been hiding among the villagers.
The ambush from another Cloud squad instantly turned the situation dire.
Yorimitsu had stayed far enough away, so the new enemies went straight for Captain Antelope and Kakunyu.
Two-on-one, both were in danger. If they died, he'd be next.
Yorimitsu stopped hiding. Pretending to stumble, he turned his back to the Cloud ninja, feigning an opening.
The enemy raised his blade high, aiming for Yorimitsu's head—unaware that Yorimitsu was secretly weaving hand signs beneath him.
The Cloud ninja suddenly froze—snared by the Curse Seal of Binding.
In the dark, the curse marks crawled up his joints, locking his body in place.
His blade halted just thirty centimeters above Yorimitsu's skull.
Counterattack—swift and silent.
Yorimitsu's kunai plunged into the enemy's soft abdomen, twisting deep before the man collapsed.
Then he rushed toward Captain Antelope and Kakunyu—
Too late.
Before he could reach them, two blades fell from above, cleaving Captain Antelope's head clean off.
Even Kakunyu froze in shock, nearly taking a slash himself.
—The captain's dead?
The next moment, both the captain's body and head burst into smoke.
A shadow clone!
So Captain Antelope had been testing them all along.
In fact, even Yorimitsu and Kakunyu's infiltration had been part of his test.
The real Captain Antelope leapt from the coconut forest behind them, throwing exploding-tag kunai toward the fishermen.
A full ninja squad had three to four members—only two Cloud ninjas had appeared so far. There had to be more hiding among the villagers.
Without hesitation, Captain Antelope didn't bother distinguishing who was a villager and who was a ninja—he just bombed them all.
Either kill both the Cloud ninjas and the villagers together, or the survivors would be exposed as enemies.
The tags exploded among the villagers. Seven or eight were blown apart on the spot—those not dead were maimed.
Each tag was as powerful as a mid-level Fire Release—devastating.
Yorimitsu tore his eyes away from the carnage. The two Cloud ninjas who had destroyed the captain's clone now charged at him.
Two versus one?
Using their momentum, Yorimitsu rolled backward, pretending to falter.
Seeing the fox-masked ninja so weak, one Cloud ninja pursued him while the other went to assist against the captain.
Yorimitsu breathed out in relief.
That's better—why waste effort on a disposable pawn like him? The captain was the real threat.
The two fought from the sand into the sea. To prevent the Cloud ninja from using Lightning Release in the water, Yorimitsu formed hand seals underwater and cast the Curse Seal of Binding, momentarily immobilizing him.
After finishing the kill, Yorimitsu clutched the corpse's wrists, spinning and thrashing underwater, pretending they were still locked in fierce combat.
A violent two-man dance—between a living ninja and a dead one.
Only when the fighting above ceased did Yorimitsu finally crawl ashore.
That night, he had slain two Cloud ninjas—exceeding his quota.
Captain Antelope stood amid several enemy corpses, his abdomen pierced clean through—a grievous wound.
As for Kakunyu… he was already dead.
That realization filled Yorimitsu with dread.
Without Kakunyu, would the captain now keep a closer eye on him?
Would his secretly learned techniques be exposed?
If he suddenly displayed jutsu he wasn't taught, the ANBU would brand him a spy and dispose of him. Jutsu were Konoha's second most valuable resource—right after missions themselves.
"Captain! We need to go! The villagers are surrounding us!"
Yorimitsu rushed over, confirming the captain's wound—it was real.
The villagers, seeing one ninja clutching his bleeding stomach and another drenched and disheveled, worked up their courage. They raised their harpoons and charged, seeking vengeance for the dead.
Yorimitsu hoisted the captain's arm over his shoulder and leapt away.
A few quick jumps, and they disappeared into the depths of the coastal forest.
"Fox," the captain said faintly, "you chose wrong. You should've killed every armed villager instead of fleeing."
Yorimitsu replied, "Captain, I was afraid some might still be Cloud ninjas."
Between two coconut trees stood a cluster of broad-leaved plants. Their thick canopy cast deep shadows below.
Supporting the captain, Yorimitsu jumped toward the darkness.
Before they even landed, he suddenly drew his kunai and plunged it hard into the captain's side!
Behind the mask, Yorimitsu's eyes gleamed coldly.
He couldn't keep hiding forever. Every time he used the Curse Seal of Binding, he had to do it in secret.
Sooner or later, the captain would find out that he'd learned jutsu through… unapproved means.
The ANBU despised unpredictability—they had to control everything.
If Uzumaki Yuuka could mistake him for a Senju spy just for knowing a sealing technique, why wouldn't the captain do the same?
A kunai in hand—kill the captain, defect from Konoha!
If not now, then when?
So what if you're an elite chūnin? You're gravely wounded—one kunai is all it takes.
The captain grunted in pain.
"Hm?"
Warm, sticky blood coated Yorimitsu's fingers—but less than he expected.
The captain's ribs were… hard.
And his kunai was… dull.
Captain Antelope was ruthless. He instantly countered—his right arm, which had been draped over Yorimitsu's shoulder, snapped back, locking around Yorimitsu's neck.
He raised his left hand and, with his right, formed seals.
Fire Release: Flame Bullet!
A searing fireball erupted from the captain's mouth.
Yorimitsu felt heat scorch past his ear.
At such close range, the blast consumed the fox's head—and the captain's own right arm.
Before dying of his wounds, the captain had traded his arm for Yorimitsu's life.
Yorimitsu didn't even have time to weave seals.
His kunai was trapped between the captain's ribs, wedged immovably.
So cunning… Yorimitsu had only known the man for his shadow clones—never guessed he had Fire Release too.
Hiding even that from his own squad!
At that speed of sealing, it was definitely his trump card.
Flames engulfed Yorimitsu's head.
He felt feverish—burning at over a thousand degrees.
And then… he died, miserably.