Chapter 145: Title ‘bronze Fox’
Sand Ninja Front Line Camp.
Rasa entered the Headquarters Tent and met Commander-in-Chief Ebizo.
Ebizo looked grim: “After Suna Harbor was raided, the losses were heavy, right?”
Rasa nodded and said:
“About 7 battalions of Leaf Ninja, under Commander Nara Shikaku’s command, used flying ninja tools to raid Suna Harbor.
I rushed over and fought the clan heads of Konoha’s Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, only managing to cripple one arm of the Akimichi Clan Head.
At the critical moment of pursuit, a Konoha Anbu Ninja blocked the chase.”
“One Anbu Ninja?” Ebizo said: “Did Konoha send an Anbu Captain?”
Rasa shook his head and said:
“Not Captain Kiiroinu. He wore a fox mask and mastered a powerful defense ninjutsu.
His skin turned red copper color; kunai and ninja swords couldn’t break his defense, and Wind Release had no effect.
It’s fundamentally different from Earth Release: Earth Spear and other ninjutsu. His ability is instantaneous release, no hand seals needed, making it hard to catch an opening.
I tried to capture him with Magnet Release: Gold Dust, but he also had a powerful Water Style Ninjutsu.
On the sea surface, it was unfavorable for me; I couldn’t pursue deeply.
Ordinary Sand Ninja facing him would absolutely find no suitable countermeasure.
I believe Headquarters should issue an order targeting him to avoid needless casualties among our Sand Ninja.
I designate that Anbu wearing the fox mask, with immunity to physical attacks and skin turning to red copper color, as… Copper Fox.”
“Copper Fox…” Ebizo turned to the staff ninja beside him and said:
“Do as Jonin Rasa suggests. Remind all Sand Ninja that upon encountering Konoha Anbu Copper Fox, do not launch futile attacks; ninja tools and Wind Release have no effect on him.”
“Yes, Commander Lord.”
While Yoru and Zhen Li were hiding in the cave on the seaside cliff, a message related to Yoru quickly spread on both sides of the Land of Rivers border.
Konoha Anbu Copper Fox possesses the ability to be immune to physical attacks. Sand Ninja encountering Copper Fox should avoid futile attacks and focus on binding and capture.
This message soon reached the Konoha Front Line Camp as well.
Inside the Headquarters Tent.
Nara Shikaku summoned Kiiroinu Captain and handed him a scroll.
Kiiroinu looked at the scroll; he had long known the intelligence inside it.
Kiiroinu said: “Anbu Squad Leader Fox secretly joined the raid battalion for a special mission; that was the task I assigned him.
Sorry, Commander Lord, I cannot reveal the mission details.”
Nara Shikaku nodded and said:
“I understand; Anbu has Anbu’s duties.
After encountering Kazekage’s disciple Rasa, I originally assigned one battalion to cover the retreat, but that battalion’s cover was extremely successful.
It was all thanks to Copper Fox’s participation; even Hidden Sand Village specially designated Copper Fox as a special enemy and publicized it to all Sand Ninja.
Tell me about Copper Fox’s strength so I can make an accurate judgment.”
Kiiroinu Captain said:
“This is the first time I’ve heard that Copper Fox has an absolute defense secret jutsu.
The village’s Scroll of Seals doesn’t have this secret jutsu either. From the intelligence description, it seems stronger than Hidden Stone Village’s Earth Release: Earth Spear.
Fox has strong ninjutsu talent, with powerful Earth Release and Water Style. Perhaps this is a secret jutsu Copper Fox developed himself.”
For ninja, developing their own secret jutsu at a certain strength level is very common.
Kiiroinu added:
“The raid mission ended a few days ago. From the Sand Ninja’s reaction, Fox probably escaped.
I haven’t received any intelligence from Fox yet; I don’t know if he encountered any problems on the escape route.”
Sakumo Hatake thought to himself nearby that Fox was still alive and well, and had even sent back intelligence via Pakkun.
He glanced at Nara Shikaku, then at the other Nara Ninja in the Headquarters Tent.
Some scum in the Nara Clan actually used Shadow Secret Jutsu in battle to turn teammates into shadow puppets.
This was something Sakumo Hatake absolutely could not tolerate.
He had already arranged a secret investigation targeting the Nara Clan and must root out those scum and execute them.
In one corner of the tent, Akimichi Yamashiro looked at his empty left arm, feeling some regret. If he had also mastered the absolute defense secret jutsu, would he not have had to lose the arm?
His father Akimichi Torifu was originally a high-level advisor on the same level as Danzo and others, but his father had been seriously injured on the battlefield early on and had to retire.
As the strongest hammer and shield among the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, the Akimichi Clan’s casualty rate was too high.
If they didn’t charge fiercely, the Nara and Yamanaka would have no chance to use their secret jutsu.
Nara Shikaku finally gave his evaluation:
“We should also help promote the Copper Fox name to boost the morale of frontline Leaf Ninja.
This Anbu Ninja stepped forward without hesitation in the cover mission; he deserves praise.”
In the cave on the seaside cliff, Yoru was waiting for the Sand Ninja to withdraw.
After Suna Harbor was struck, several Sand Ninja battalions reestablished sentries and defense traps around the area.
Yoru occasionally went out for reconnaissance, recording all this intelligence; it would be another merit upon return.
Yoru also got a set of clothes from a nearby village by trading a large fish he caught, and traded for needle and thread, letting Zhen Li mend the glider damaged by a kunai.
While Zhen Li mended the glider, Yoru chatted idly with her: “Zhen Li, how many years since you graduated from the Ninja Academy?”
Zhen Li said: “I’m 15 this year; it’s been 4 years since I graduated from the Ninja Academy.”
“15 years old?”
Seeing Fox sizing up her height, Zhen Li said: “I grew up in an orphanage in Konoha since childhood. The director said that for a time when I was little, the orphanage was very poor and everyone was underfed, so I was malnourished and grew short, only 5 meters.”
Yoru asked: “Doesn’t the orphanage get village subsidies?”
“No, the orphanage was started and barely maintained by the kind-hearted director alone. I now send half my mission remuneration back to the orphanage, hoping the kids there can eat better now.”
Yoru felt Zhen Li was both pitiable and strong.
“I’ll teach you ninjutsu. Your strength is a bit weak. If you don’t get stronger, how will you earn mission remuneration? Then all the kids from your orphanage will be malnourished, and that won’t do.”
Zhen Li’s chakra nature was perfectly Earth. Yoru taught her Earth Style: Fish in Water Reflection Jutsu and Earth Release: Earth Spear.
These two ninjutsu—one for escape, one for attack—were enough for Zhen Li to handle chunin missions.
Zhen Li had good ninjutsu talent and quickly learned these two ninjutsu.
These two ninjutsu were Yoru’s core ninjutsu; he had plenty of insights. After Zhen Li learned his ninjutsu, her Earth Release strength would also improve.
After gathering enough intelligence on Suna Harbor’s new defenses, Yoru prepared to return to camp.
He picked a night; Zhen Li controlled the glider, with Yoru in front of her, securing himself with rope.
The two took to the air, flying toward the Land of Rivers border.
Near the camp, Zhen Li maneuvered the glider to land early.
As soon as he landed, Anbu Ninja appeared.
“Copper Fox Captain! Kiiroinu Captain says to see him immediately upon your return.”
Copper Fox?
Why call me Copper Fox?
I’ve been lurking in the book reviews for so long—Konoha Copper Stick, Konoha Steel Bean, Iron Bean, Konoha Steel Beast—no good-sounding title came up. The only one that caught my eye was Copper Dio, but it can’t be used. Better to use the Copper Fox I came up with myself.
