Yoka commanded the Split Hound to follow Yoru.
Once they'd run far enough — beyond the range of the Byakugan — Yoru created a Shadow Clone and began fighting it alongside the Split Hound, deliberately making a racket.
The Splitting Dog played along, mostly howling and feinting, never actually destroying Yoru's clone.
Meanwhile, Yoru and Uzumaki Yoka hid nearby.
"Yoka, what happened?" Yoru asked.
Yoka replied anxiously, "Fox, three Konoha shinobi kidnapped Nagato and his family!"
"Kidnapped? Why would they—" Yoru froze mid-sentence.
"Wait, who did you say? Nagato? As in Uzumaki Nagato?"
"Yes, Uzumaki Nagato — the little boy among us."
Yoru's mind went blank for a moment.
According to the original timeline, by this point Nagato should already be awakening the Rinnegan.
Even before meeting Jiraiya — that is, before the end of the Amegakure–Konoha conflict — Nagato already possessed those eyes.
Uchiha Madara had transplanted his own Rinnegan into Nagato, to be used later for his resurrection.
Nagato, born with the strong physique of the Uzumaki clan and carrying the blood of the Sage of Six Paths, barely managed to endure the strain of the Rinnegan.
To Madara, Nagato was an irreplaceable vessel.
Those three Konoha shinobi must have fallen under Madara's genjutsu — forced to abduct Nagato and his parents.
Could Madara himself be nearby?
The more Yoru thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
And the other three teams were still chasing after the Konoha shinobi.
"Yoka," Yoru said quickly, "head back. You're too weak to take part in what's coming next. This is far more complicated than it looks.
Leave it to me. At the very least, I'll make sure Nagato stays alive."
He couldn't promise the same for Nagato's parents… but with Madara watching from the shadows, Nagato's life shouldn't be in danger.
Yoka immediately understood — Fox knew more than he was letting on.
"Alright, Fox. I'll go."
Yoru stepped forward, gave Yoka a brief hug, and patted her thin back before turning away.
My three squads are still out there… Madara, please, at least leave me something. Don't wipe them all out.
When Yoru finally found his unit, all three squads were gathered at the base of a slope.
He exhaled in relief — they were still alive.
Purple Cat rushed over. "Captain! Did you chase off that summoning beast?"
"Yeah," Yoru nodded. "What about the three Konoha shinobi? Still under genjutsu?"
White Ram answered, "Yes, Captain. They're still under it. No matter what we yell, they ignore us. If we get close to try dispelling it, they suddenly speed up — we can't catch them."
Yoru gave his order:
"Keep your distance from the three. Something's off. Stay alert — they could attack at any moment."
The ANBU nodded grimly.
They'd lost too many comrades lately — killed by their own under genjutsu. Everyone was on edge.
The three Konoha ninja stood halfway up the slope, carrying their captives near a massive boulder.
Then, suddenly —
BOOM!
The boulder exploded, revealing a cave behind it.
From the darkness, a figure stepped out.
Unkempt, graying hair. Loose, wrinkled skin on the hand holding a scythe. Deep lines carved into his face.
But those eyes—
Those Rinnegan eyes—
Everyone froze in place.
Genjutsu: Binding!
A paralysis illusion — no one could move.
Yoru's body locked up completely. No matter how hard he strained, he couldn't move an inch.
Within seconds, sweat drenched his entire body.
Uchiha Madara!
Though aged and hunched, far from his prime, he had just immobilized an entire ANBU platoon with a low-effort genjutsu.
It's over. Level 5 newbie meets level 99 boss.
Madara slowly raised one hand and formed a seal beneath his chin.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
A sea of fire engulfed the entire hillside, swallowing the platoon whole.
Just reached the full moon night… and already dead?
[Death detected. "Arc of the Full Moon" system activating…]
Yoru's vision went black — then he gasped awake.
His eyelids burned; his whole field of view shimmered red, as if he were still trapped in those flames.
He'd revived — back to just tens of minutes before his death.
He hadn't even survived this full moon night before being killed instantly by Madara's sudden appearance.
This was, without question, the fastest death since he'd crossed into this world.
The strong ruled here — and fairness didn't exist.
He'd just been carrying out a simple reconnaissance mission, walking through the rain after visiting one of his lovers, when suddenly a top-tier powerhouse appeared and squashed him like an insect.
[Arc of the Full Moon Activated!]
[The host may revive once per lunar cycle, returning to life on the previous full moon night.]
[Reward: One random draw.]
[1. Fire Nature Chakra]
[2. Genjutsu: Binding]
[3. Uchiha Kekkei Genkai(Upper-Mid Tier)]
Fire Nature Chakra? What's that even doing here? Completely useless.
What a waste of a slot.
He sighed. Maybe next time he should pick the junk options early, just to clear them out.
The second reward, Binding, could help patch his genjutsu weakness — but without a Sharingan, its effect would be severely weakened.
That left the third option — Uchiha Kekkei Genkai, upper-mid tier.
Madara's genetic potential was undoubtedly top-class. Yoru's current body couldn't handle that level, so it was toned down to upper-mid level.
There was really no decision to make. He selected the third option immediately.
Pain exploded in the back of his head, his veins bulging like they were about to burst.
The nerves in his brain and eyes strengthened rapidly — his whole skull throbbed with pressure.
He'd gained the bloodline limit. Eventually, after the right stimulus, his eyes would awaken.
Unconsciously, he'd now gathered all three of Konoha's great bloodlines — Senju, Uzumaki, and Uchiha.
He quickly checked his status panel.
[Host Status]
[Chakra Capacity: 3.8× Special Jōnin Level]
[Chakra Attributes: Earth, Water, Yang, Yin]
[Bloodlines: Senju of the Forest (Upper-Mid), Uzumaki Bloodline (Upper-Mid),
Uchiha Bloodline (Upper-Mid)]
Three major changes had occurred.
After gaining the Uzumaki bloodline, his chakra had risen to 2.5× Special Jōnin level.
Over the next month, it naturally climbed to 2.8×.
Now, after gaining the Uchiha bloodline, it had jumped again — to 3.8×.
The Uchiha bloodline strengthened his spiritual energy, and since chakra is born from both physical and spiritual energy, his overall reserves increased dramatically.
With all three major bloodlines fused, his chakra would now grow steadily on its own — no longer limited by an ordinary body.
He also gained Yin Chakra, essential for genjutsu and mind-based ninjutsu.
And of course, he now carried the Uchiha bloodline — though his eyes hadn't yet awakened.
Maybe if he provoked a few Uchiha, he could trigger the Sharingan, even if it started at a single tomoe.