Upon meeting the Brown Bear Squad Leader, Night Light was still assigned to the Azure Wolf Squad.
The squad changed into Cloud Ninja gear, preparing to openly seize the Vortex sealing scroll.
This time, Night Light felt confident and was no longer as nervous. He now had an inside man.
The Azure Wolf Squad Leader was relentless, constantly urging Night Light to use Shadow Clone to infiltrate the town and gather intelligence.
Night Light's Chakra reserves had doubled, so he feigned a complaint about not having enough Chakra.
He also secretly ordered his Shadow Clone to quickly lure the Vortex Ninja in this direction.
The memory transmitted by the Shadow Clone revealed that Vortex Yuka had already arrived in this town.
After two Shadow Clones, the Vortex Ninja rushed over.
Night Light had more Chakra remaining, making him even more composed.
Seven Vortex Ninja charged forward.
Vortex Yuka immediately spotted the fox; after their intimate time together, she was very familiar with his physique.
The fox had been dispatched by Anbu to infiltrate the Cloud Ninja as a Spy.
The battle between the two sides instantly escalated to a fever pitch.
Vortex Yuka proactively chose the fox, and they fought further and further away.
Some Vortex Ninja, oblivious to the situation, insisted on helping Vortex Yuka.
Night Light still took a Kunai to the leg, but under Vortex Yuka's cover, he found an opportunity to escape using Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish Technique.
The male Vortex Ninja came up beside Vortex Yuka and said regretfully, "This Cloud Ninja actually mastered an Earth Release Ninjutsu for escape; it's hard to chase him."
Vortex Yuka nodded, but her heart was filled with worry for the fox. With a Kunai stuck in his leg, she wondered if it would affect his ability to move covertly underground.
The entry-level Earth Release: Earthshock Fish Technique, combined with Night Light's current Chakra reserves, only allowed him to move covertly for a little over thirty meters.
After moving covertly underground to the blind spot on the Vortex Ninja's flank, he surfaced, not daring to move rashly, and patiently waited, lying in the bushes.
When the battle ended, sounds of jumping echoed in the distance. Only after the Uzumaki Clan Ninja had left did Night Light use Earthshock Fish Technique again, disappearing from sight.
Once completely safe, he carefully dealt with the Kunai in his thigh.
The clothes around the Kunai were stained with blood; Vortex Yuka's freshly washed clothes were dirty again.
He hid in a crevice between rocks, eating all his remaining soldier pills without moving around recklessly.
-----------------
The full moon was like a silver platter, and the moonlight resembled white frost.
Only when the full moon shone into the rock crevice did Night Light emerge.
With only soldier pills, he was starving, so Night Light snuck into a fishing Village and stole some food.
He devoured the salted fish and cold leftovers ravenously.
After eating his fill, Night Light planned to wait fifteen days before searching for the main Anbu force.
The closer it was to the next full moon, the safer he would be.
During these fifteen days, he intended to diligently practice his Ninjutsu and Taijutsu to rapidly increase his strength.
First was the hand seal speed.
If his casting speed had been faster, his thigh wouldn't have been hit by the flying Kunai, and he would have already submerged underground.
Both Earthshock Fish Technique and Self-Inflicted Curse Sealing require three hand seals.
Uchiha Itachi can perform six hand seals per second, while Night Light takes one and a half seconds for three hand seals; this rate is too slow.
He should quickly develop muscle memory to increase his hand seal speed to three hand seals per second.
Hand seal practice not only involves practicing hand seal speed but also coordinating with the mobilization of Chakra within the body; only with both in harmony can Ninjutsu be used.
While practicing, Night Light felt his hands were very stiff. Others had piano hands; he had plaster hands.
He spent five days practicing hand seals, his hands cramping, but finally made some progress. His hand seal speed improved significantly, reaching three hand seals per second.
Next was the monotonous training of strength and speed.
With the system's help and diligent cultivation, it was a two-way effort.
The nearby fishing Villages suffered, losing many salted fish and leftovers.
As the new month arrived, and with 15 days left until the full moon, Night Light began searching for the Anbu mark.
Still at a certain spot by the sea, Night Light found the Brown Bear Squad Leader.
The Brown Bear Squad Leader was guarding the coastline to prevent Vortex Ninja from escaping back to Vortex Country by sea.
The Vortex Sealing Jutsu was something the Konoha ANBU were determined to acquire.
There were many Anbu Captain like the Brown Bear Squad Leader, and the Vortex Ninja who entered the Wave Country might all die here.
With the Squad Leader and Captain guarding the coast, Uzushiogakure didn't even know what was happening here.
Night Light reported the situation encountered by the Azure Wolf Squad to the Brown Bear Squad Leader.
"Those Vortex Ninja you mentioned, other Anbu have also encountered them in recent days; their strength is indeed very formidable."
The Brown Bear Squad Leader looked at the fox's leg; his clothes were torn, and there were bloodstains all around. Judging by the wound, it was indeed from half a month ago.
The Brown Bear Squad Leader thought for a moment and said:
"Fox, real name Night Light.
His parents moved to the Village in Konoha Year 18, after the First Ninja World War ended.
He was born in the Village in Konoha Year 23. Five years later, his parents died in a rogue Ninja rebellion.
He graduated from the Ninja School in Konoha Year 33. In Konoha Year 38, which is this year, he passed the Chunin Exams, which had a reduced difficulty, and was selected by Anbu.
His background is clean. Although his strength is relatively weak, he has adapted to Anbu missions and has even learned Shadow Clone Technique from Antelope.
Stay with me, Fox.
In a few days, I will assign you one or two Anbu Ninja to serve as an acting Squad Leader.
If you can complete a few missions, you will be officially appointed as a Squad Leader."
Night Light quickly bowed his head: "Thank you, Squad Leader!"
Promotion was secondary; the key was that becoming a Squad Leader would allow him to receive orders and gain more intelligence.
For five consecutive days, Night Light followed the Brown Bear Squad Leader, responsible for leaving Anbu codes in the vicinity.
During this time, two Vortex Ninja attempted to break through the blockade and leave the main island of the Wave Country.
The Brown Bear Squad Leader easily dealt with the two Vortex Ninja.
The strength disparity was too great; the Brown Bear Squad Leader only used Taijutsu, not Ninjutsu.
After searching the bodies, no sealing scroll was found.
Night Light's heart stirred.
If he was still alive on the 14th of this month, he would go after the Brown Bear Squad Leader; who knows what good rewards he might get.
He only dared to think this while looking at the ground. If he stared at the Squad Leader while thinking it, he feared the Squad Leader would kill him with a Kunai.
"Squad Leader, aren't we afraid Uzushiogakure will hold Konoha accountable?"
"Of course not," the Brown Bear Squad Leader glanced at the fox:
"I know you are Konoha ANBU, but how would these Vortex Ninja know who you are?
Even if they find some evidence, the Village can simply say it was a frame-up by Hidden Mist Village.
Konoha Village and Uzushiogakure are allies; why would they kill their own allies?
Also, don't ask what you shouldn't ask."
"My apologies, Squad Leader, I overthought it."
Anbu are responsible for the dirty and arduous work for the Village; no one can leave Anbu except through death or Danzo's permission.
Night Light's Ninja registration number was sealed; in the archives, he was a Konoha Ninja who had died on a certain mission.
Other Anbu from disbanded units gradually came to find the Squad Leader.
The Brown Bear Squad Leader assigned one person to Night Light, an Anbu wearing a Song Niao mask.
The two formed a new squad, with Night Light serving as the acting Squad Leader.
After sending Song Niao away, the Brown Bear Squad Leader assigned the squad's mission.
"Fox, the Wave Country is currently a mixed bag, with Kirigakure, Cloud Ninja, Vortex Ninja, and us Anbu.
You are to assassinate a nobleman mayor of the Wave Country, who is a supporter of Uzushiogakure.
Be careful of that nobleman's samurai and guardian Ninja."
Taking the mission scroll, Night Light said, "Understood, I've got it."
The mission scroll contained a lot of intelligence on the nobleman mayor. Night Light was finally no longer just a tool for executing missions; he began receiving intelligence and had some autonomy in decision-making.