Yōkō received a temporary identity: a Genin named Fujikita, sent by the village to the frontline in the Land of Rivers.
He would use this new identity to pose as an ordinary Konoha shinobi, observe the raid mission on Saba Port, and gather the most accurate frontline intelligence for the Hokage.
Fujikita was an unremarkable Genin who had been unable to pass the Chūnin exams for several years after graduating from the Ninja Academy.
While arranging his cover, Yōkō saw that Nara Nara had become a squad leader and was recruiting members.
In Arata's final mission, only Nara Nara had survived.
When choosing a squad, Yōkō selected Nara Nara's squad.
Nara Nara didn't seek teammates from the Ino–Shika–Chō trio clans, but instead accepted three civilian teammates.
Nara Nara's squad assembled. He held a backpack and said to his three squad members:
"This backpack contains the newly manufactured, strategically important equipment from the Nara clan: the glider.
The glider allows shinobi to gain flight capability, another significant contribution by the Nara clan to the village.
I am responsible for operating one glider. Who among you is willing to learn how to use the glider?"
Yōkō was taken aback. The glider was clearly something he had dedicated to the village. How had it become an important contribution by the Nara clan in the blink of an eye?
Nara Nara said the Nara clan manufactured it, not that they invented it – playing word games.
To conceal his Anbu identity, Yōkō did not step forward.
The kunoichi Tsuchikuri stepped forward: "I am willing to learn the glider!"
Tsuchikuri was very petite, with a cute, childlike face.
Nara Nara didn't ask the others, saying:
"You have five days to master the use of the glider. After five days, we will carry out the raid mission on Saba Port.
As long as we destroy Saba Port, Sunagakure will face a shortage of steel in the near future, and the Land of Wind's foreign trade will also suffer a heavy blow."
Ordinary Konoha squads would explain the mission content and emphasize its importance.
Unlike the Anbu, where the squad leader would only tell you the time, location, and target, and nothing else.
For these five days, Yōkō and the other squad member sparred boredly.
Nara, meanwhile, trained Tsuchikuri in operating the glider.
Five nights later, Nara Nara's squad gathered outside the main camp.
Outside the camp were about 1000 shinobi; the frontline camp had committed half its forces.
600 shinobi, under the command of Vice-Commander Hatake Sakumo, were engaging the Suna-nin head-on to buy time.
400 shinobi, led by Commander-in-Chief Nara Rokaku, would use gliders to raid the distant Saba Port.
This was a major operation.
As for Tsunade, she was responsible for guarding the main camp; she had been stationed at the frontline medical station the entire time.
The hot winds of the Land of Wind blew incessantly as glider after glider took off.
Nara Nara's squad balanced their weight. Tsuchikuri carried Fujikita, and Nara Nara carried the other slender member as they took off.
Tsuchikuri carefully tied the ropes around Fujikita, then maneuvered the glider into the air.
Yōkō could feel Tsuchikuri's tension behind him; her muscles were taut.
"Tsuchikuri, I watched your training. You don't need to exert your whole body, right? You only need to control the steering lines."
Tsuchikuri knew this, but she just couldn't help it. Her legs, her waist – they kept exerting force pointlessly.
"I wasn't this nervous flying alone, but carrying you is different. If we fall, we'll both die."
Yōkō glanced down at the ground over two hundred meters below, thinking, I have Absolute Defence, I might not die.
Only after flying above the cloud layer, where the ground was no longer visible, did Tsuchikuri become more proficient and relax slightly.
The two hundred gliders, above the clouds, resembled a dense flock of wild geese.
Cold wind whistled past their ears; the gliders were fast.
"Tsuchikuri, I heard you're already a Chūnin."
"Yes, I just passed the Chūnin exams. Promotions are easier during wartime. One of my classmates is already a Special Jōnin," Tsuchikuri said.
"Fujikita, you need to work hard too. I've heard some shinobi build up strength over time, becoming stronger and stronger as they gain experience.
Not all shinobi peak at age 20; some are at their strongest around age 30."
Yōkō said: "30? I'd be almost dead by then."
Many mediocre shinobi could achieve decent strength through long accumulation. Unfortunately, more people didn't get the chance to accumulate, dying early in some mission.
They flew for a long time, and the wind around them grew stronger.
Tsuchikuri said: "We're almost there! The wind direction changed! This is a sea breeze!"
Flying past the last cloud layer, the brightly lit Saba Port appeared in the distance.
The gliders ahead descended one by one, beginning their dive.
"Be careful! Squad Leader Nara said the Suna-nin will counterattack even during the dive phase!" Tsuchikuri said:
"Sorry, I'm a Chūnin and you're a Genin, yet I'm having you shield me."
Yōkō thought to himself that Tsuchikuri was quite kind, feeling guilty for having him in front.
Chaos suddenly erupted within Saba Port.
Suna-nin shouted, jumping onto roofs and watchtowers, throwing kunai and explosive tags into the air.
Tsuchikuri dodged the attacks as much as possible, but some attacks still headed straight for Fujikita.
Yōkō used his kunai to knock away the Suna-nin's kunai, saying: "Tsuchikuri, don't be nervous. The Suna-nin's kunai fly upwards; by this altitude, they've lost their force."
"That's true. I'm just not used to fighting with the glider. The Nara clan's invention is truly amazing."
Yōkō felt displeased inwardly. The Nara clan really knows how to take credit.
Nara's squad's mission was to blow up a specific pier at the dock.
Tsuchikuri's landing was unstable; Yōkō and Tsuchikuri both tumbled on the ground, looking disheveled.
A Suna-nin saw them in this sorry state, jumped over, and lunged at the two with a kunai.
Clang!
After the clear ring, the Suna-nin looked down in horror.
His kunai had failed to pierce the Konoha shinobi's heart!
Yōkō reversed his grip on his kunai and slit the Suna-nin's throat.
He patted his chest and said, "Lucky I have an iron chest plate under my flak jacket, or that Suna-nin would have succeeded in his sneak attack."
Tsuchikuri didn't suspect anything, merely thinking Fujikita was well-prepared, and quickly untied the ropes for both of them.
"Into the water! Dive under the pier!"
Nara Nara shouted, ordering his squad members to jump into the sea.
The other two squads in the squadron were responsible for pinning down the Suna-nin on the pier, while Nara Nara's squad jumped into the seawater to place explosive tags underneath the bridge.
After swimming for over ten seconds in the icy seawater, Yōkō suddenly sensed a dark shadow moving extremely fast.
"There's a puppet! A fish-shaped puppet!"
The dark seawater under the bridge was the fish-shaped puppet's home turf.
Yōkō suddenly noticed the other squad member rushing recklessly towards the fish-shaped puppet.
This was too rash.
Wait!
Yōkō realised that the squad members' movements were somewhat strange. He wasn't moving proactively; he seemed stiff. Why was that?
He was being controlled by the Shadow Imitation Technique!
He collided with the fish-shaped puppet. His body was pierced by the puppet's blades, but he also grabbed hold of the puppet.
Yōkō sharply turned his head and saw Nara Nara, with only the top half of his head above the water.
Nara was using the seawater to conceal the movements of his Shadow Imitation Technique.
Was he using the shadow secret technique to use his subordinate as a human puppet?
***
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(End of Chapter)