A masked ANBU wearing a fox mask hid within the trees at a street corner, quietly observing a tavern in the distance.
Just my luck…
Reincarnated as an ANBU chūnin — a civilian-born ninja named Yagami .
According to intel, that tavern might be harboring a spy from Hidden Stone Village.
As midnight passed, the ANBU squad captain suddenly appeared behind Yagami in a silent flicker.
"Fox," the captain said, addressing him by his mask's codename. "It's past midnight. Fewer customers now. Take off your mask and vest, disguise yourself as a civilian, and go in to gather intel."
Yagami removed his mask, slipped off his ANBU vest, and unstrapped his ninja pouch — leaving only a single kunai hidden on his body.
If he managed to obtain intel, that would be best.
If he died inside… even better.
His death alone would confirm the presence of a spy inside the tavern.
Yagami stretched out his hand toward the captain.
The captain frowned. "Hm? What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't have money for drinks," Yagami said flatly. "You'll reimburse that, right? If I'm trying to lure out a spy, I need to order the most expensive sake. That's how I'll draw attention, isn't it?"
The captain reluctantly opened his pouch, pulled out a wallet, and handed over a wad of cash.
Yagami tucked the money away… then extended his hand again.
The captain sighed and handed him another bundle. "Don't push it. This isn't even a suicide mission."
Not a suicide mission? So there's still a chance I'll die? Great.
With heavy steps, Yagami entered the tavern. A wave of liquor, perfume, and sweat hit him all at once.
Following the faint scent of perfume while avoiding the stronger odor of alcohol, he walked to a table in the corner.
"Bring me your finest sake!" he called out.
The tavern owner—a beautiful, voluptuous woman—immediately perked up when she heard someone order the most expensive drink.
Carrying the sake with a seductive smile, she walked over to Yagami .
When she bent down to place the cup on the table, her kimono shifted slightly, revealing a teasing glimpse of cleavage.
Full, but not flabby, Yagami noted warily. There's muscle beneath that softness… signs of training. Dangerous.
Every instinct in him screamed caution.
Her voice was sweet and soft like honey.
"Honored ninja, have you returned victorious from the frontlines? I could recommend a few… entertainments to help ease your fatigue."
Yagami downed the entire bottle of sake in one go.
The sake in this world wasn't very strong—more like watered-down Erguotou back on Earth. Pretending to be tipsy, he let the "alcohol" rise to his head.
"Entertainments, huh? Do you even know what I've been through on the frontlines? What kind of fun could possibly make me forget that?"
"Private room!" the woman said eagerly. "We have private rooms upstairs!"
"Private rooms?" Yagami smirked. "This tavern looks old. Are the wooden floors soundproof? If things start shaking upstairs, won't everyone down here be eating dust?"
"Hehehe." The woman giggled behind her hand. "Then how about the backyard? We have private rooms there too. No one will mind a little shaking."
"The backyard, huh? Perfect. I like that better. The upstairs service seems too ordinary anyway. It wouldn't satisfy me."
The woman took his hand and placed it on her slender waist, pressing her chest lightly against his ribs as she led him toward the back.
Lifting the curtain, they entered the rear courtyard where the light dimmed instantly.
She pressed even closer.
Soft and warm… damn, that feels nice.
If only I weren't in the ANBU. With the money I make, I'd come here every time I finish a mission.
Once they stepped into a small side room, the woman closed the door firmly behind them.
"Honored ninja," she said softly, "do you prefer Yin Release… or Yang Release?"
Yagami blinked. "The academy never taught us that. What's the difference?"
She smiled slyly. "Here, Yin or Yang depends on who's on top. You understand?"
"…Who's on top? Yeah, I get it."
In addition to the five elemental releases, some secret clans mastered Yin Release and Yang Release—spiritual and physical transformations of chakra.
And above those, at the peak, existed the legendary Six Paths-level Yin–Yang Release.
The woman's "Yin and Yang Release," however, clearly wasn't that kind of ninjutsu.
Drool nearly slipped from Yagami 's mouth, but deep in his eyes, caution remained.
Still, caution was useless.
With his low strength, no amount of vigilance could save him from what came next.
A kunai pierced into Yagami 's lower back!
In the darkness, an enemy used an incomprehensible technique to slip behind him and strike.
He tried to shout, but the woman's lips pressed against his, sealing his mouth.
Dead.
Just like that, the transmigrator died… though, admittedly, in a rather pleasant way.
As her soft red lips covered his, the world faded into darkness.
Yagami 's pupils dilated.
Then, in the next instant—he woke up again.
A voice echoed in his mind.
[Arc of the Moon activated!]
Between two full moons, the host has one chance to revive. Upon death, revival will occur on the night of the previous full moon.
[Reward: One lottery draw]
1 — Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique (Beginner)
2 — Chūnin-level Chakra Capacity (Stackable)
3 — Kunai Thrust (Mastery)
Note: If killed twice by the same person, the host will die permanently!
He had returned to five days earlier—under the light of the full moon, on the fifteenth night.
Inside the ANBU's semi-underground base, Yagami looked up at the full moon through the narrow window.
Arc of the Moon—his golden finger.
Once a month, he could revive once, returning to the night of the last full moon.
And each death granted him one lottery draw, with rewards linked to how he died.
Facing the three options, Yagami thought carefully.
Kunai Thrust (Mastery) — the one who killed him had clearly been skilled with a kunai, able to make their thrusts faster and deadlier through refined technique.
Useful, but not what he needed most.
The Chūnin-level Chakra Capacity (Stackable) was tempting, but not his top priority.
He selected Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique (Beginner).
After all, his chakra nature was Earth.
That jutsu was perfect for infiltration, escape, assassination, and theft—an excellent match for an ANBU.
Once you enter the ANBU, you either act or die fast.
He couldn't afford to betray them—the ANBU wasn't merciful, and the whole ninja world would hunt him down.
In an instant, Yagami learned the technique.
He formed three hand seals, pressed his palm against the wall, and watched as his hand slowly sank into it.
The wall rippled like the surface of water under the flow of chakra.
When he pulled his hand out, the wall returned to normal.
He could now move swiftly through earth and stone without leaving any trace.
Not bad, not bad. Finally learned an actual jutsu.
[Host Status]
Chakra Capacity: Chūnin-level
Chakra Nature: Earth
Ninjutsu: Basic Three Techniques, Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique
Taijutsu: Basic Taijutsu (Chūnin-level), Basic Kunai Throwing (Chūnin-level)
Others: None
Now that's a real cannon fodder loadout… darker than soot.
Taijutsu didn't rely much on chakra, and since his chakra reserves were low, Yagami had honed his fundamentals instead—making him a physical-combat type chūnin.
The ANBU primarily handled assassination missions, where the killer's identity must never be revealed.
The Hokage didn't want anyone knowing who ordered the kill.
So secret ninjutsu and clan techniques were avoided.
Instead, solid taijutsu and weapon skills mattered most.
Even Nara clan members in ANBU relied more on taijutsu and kunai.
At this point, Root had yet to be established.
Danzo, as Hiruzen Sarutobi's most trusted confidant, temporarily managed the ANBU in his stead.
A month earlier, Danzo had led ANBU forces into the Land of Steam, where they clashed with the Third Raikage.
The battle was devastating—most of the ANBU perished, and Danzo barely escaped back to Hidden Leaf alone.
To replenish losses, the ANBU had urgently recruited new members—allowing Yagami 's predecessor to join.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
The squad captain stepped in.
"Fox, you're coming with me. We're tailing a tavern tonight."
The captain had no idea this was the second time Yagami had heard that exact line.
Yagami silently gathered his tools.
He had already used his one revival for the month.
He couldn't die again—if he did, not even the system could save him.