The night sky slowly began to pale.
Yagami stood by the second-floor window of the Tavern, watching the full moon fade as the morning light crept across the horizon.
If he died this month, he'd probably revive here again.
After leaving the Hidden Leaf Hospital, he hadn't returned to the Anbu headquarters. Instead, he'd taken up residence in the tavern.
Earn a little, spend a little. If he didn't spend it, the Captain would just take it anyway.
Turning around, Yagami glanced at the bed.
Qiaoyi was still fast asleep. Her leg, exposed from beneath the blanket, was smooth and firm.
They'd spent half the night "communicating," yet he still hadn't found any evidence that she was a spy.
Maybe his investigation hadn't been deep enough.
Maybe he hadn't been… thorough enough.
Or maybe he'd simply overthought it — perhaps Qiaoyi wasn't a spy at all.
Even if she was, she'd be the kind that relied on brains, not strength — not much of a threat.
Without saying goodbye, Yagami pulled his pants back on and slipped out through the window. The streets were still quiet at dawn as he made his way toward the Forest of Death.
His Anbu division had been dispatched to the Land of Waves. Another division was sent to the Land of Whirlpools.
Team Antelope had reached a fishing village in the Land of Waves, where they met a small group of Whirlpool ninja. Their mission was to escort them back to Hidden Eddy Village.
Yagami trailed behind, observing the three Whirlpool shinobi.
The original story hadn't described Hidden Eddy Village much — it was wiped out long before the main events ever began.
There were three of them: one woman and two men, all with red hair.
The woman at the front had the most striking shade of crimson.
He wondered if the depth of their hair color represented the strength of their Uzumaki bloodline.
Each of them was injured.
Judging by the wounds, they'd been cut by ninja swords.
The Hidden Cloud Village's academy taught kenjutsu techniques, so their shinobi were particularly fond of using blades.
Once they crossed from the Land of Waves into the Land of Fire, the three Whirlpool ninja finally seemed to relax.
The Land of Whirlpools lay on a peninsula to the southeast of the Land of Fire. Taking the route through Fire Country was the safest way.
Trying to delay the journey, Yagami pointed to the blood seeping from the woman's thigh.
"I've got some medicine. Should we treat that before moving on?"
Captain Antelope opened his mouth to scold him for meddling, but the woman — Uzumaki Yuka — spoke first.
"Good idea. If I don't treat this, it might leave a lasting injury."
Since the Whirlpool Village had been allies with the Senju Clan, the captain didn't object.
Yagami handed her his medical pouch.
Without hesitation, Uzumaki Yuka lifted the slit of her skirt, revealing her wounded thigh.
She undid the rough bandage and scraped off the old, darkened salve with a kunai.
When the blade brushed her exposed flesh, pain flashed across her face and she bit down hard on her lip.
Her right hand was also injured, making it difficult to work with her left.
"I'll do it," Yagami said, crouching beside her.
"Thank you."
Watching an Anbu agent tend to her wound, Yuka said softly, "You're different from the others. Most wouldn't bother to offer."
Yagami didn't answer.
He was only doing this to buy time — even if it meant getting scolded later.
It had taken seven days to reach the Land of Waves, and one more to cross into the Land of Fire. The forests here were relatively safe; they wouldn't encounter Cloud ninja this deep in.
The longer they stayed in Fire Country, the better.
If he could die the day before the next full moon, that would be perfect. Everything before death was predictable — like having the advantage of foresight in a story.
As they rested, Uzumaki Yuka began chatting idly.
"Lady Tsunade — my cousin — once wrote to us, saying every team should have a medical ninja.
"Unfortunately, Hidden Eddy Village couldn't make that happen. All our medical ninjutsu came from the Senju Clan. If they couldn't master it, neither could we."
Yagami didn't lift his head, but behind his mask, his gaze shifted slightly — assessing her strength.
His eyes briefly drifted to her chest.
Even beneath the tight uniform, it was full and rounded — he could only imagine what kind of magnificent sight it would be unbound.
No wonder she was Tsunade's cousin… the resemblance was undeniable.
Once the bandaging was done, Yagami stood silently and stepped back.
Yuka looked a little disappointed — Anbu agents really were a cold bunch.
They resumed their journey. After three days of travel, they entered the narrow peninsula of the Land of Whirlpools.
The golden waves of wheat along the road rippled in the wind. For a fleeting moment, Yagami felt at peace.
If every mission could be this easy — walking, resting, admiring the scenery — how nice would that be...
BOOM!
A paper bomb exploded from the roadside!
The blast targeted the three red-haired Whirlpool ninja in the middle of the group.
From the wheat fields around them, two squads of Cloud shinobi leapt out.
The cold gleam of their blades sent a chill down Yagami's spine.
Yuka was thrown into a nearby field, leaving a crater in the soil.
Still midair, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Two Cloud ninja charged toward her — only to suddenly freeze mid-step.
From their ankles upward, sealing marks crawled up their bodies like serpents. They turned rigid, unable to move at all.
Yagami's eyes widened — he recognized it instantly. The Self-Sealing Curse Mark! One of Danzo's forbidden sealing techniques from the original story.
"Finish the mission!" Captain Antelope shouted.
He rushed forward to intercept the Cloud captain.
Purple Cat sprinted to the nearest injured Whirlpool ninja. After a quick glance, she decided he couldn't be saved — her blade flashed, ending his life.
Their top priority was ensuring the Cloud didn't obtain any sealing technique secrets. Escorting the Whirlpool shinobi was secondary.
During the Second Great Ninja War, every village had suffered heavy losses and was desperate for sealing arts — especially to prepare their Jinchūriki for battle.
They couldn't afford to let any sealing knowledge fall into enemy hands.
Yagami dashed toward Uzumaki Yuka.
She lay half-buried in the wheat stalks, her chest crushed inward — a mortal wound.
Without a medical ninja, such injuries were hopeless.
Her vision, obscured by the tall wheat, hadn't caught Purple Cat's earlier actions. When she saw Yagami approach, gratitude filled her fading eyes.
She thought he'd come to save her.
Two Cloud shinobi remained immobilized by her sealing technique — just a little longer, and they could have been finished off.
But Yagami didn't go for the Cloud ninja.
He raised his kunai — and in a single clean motion, drove it into Yuka's skull.
That way, the Cloud wouldn't get any sealing secrets.
The light vanished from her pupils instantly.
"Leaf… so the Leaf coveted it too…"
Her final words died on her lips.
Ninjas were tools of their missions.
And Anbu… were tools among tools.
Her injuries were too severe. Using two sealing techniques in her condition had been nothing more than a dying burst of strength — there was no saving her anyway.
With Captain Antelope nearby, Yagami's only duty was to perfectly complete the mission — ensure the sealing arts didn't fall into enemy hands.
The moment Yuka died, he turned and, using the remnants of her sealing technique, stabbed the Cloud ninja on his left.
The one on the right broke free, lunging with his sword.
Yagami dove forward, rolling aside just in time.
As he rolled, he tried to form the hand seals for Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage, but suddenly, his legs went numb.
Damn it — the Cloud ninja had set up a Lightning Release trap on the ground.
Lightning Release countered Earth Release. His only defensive ninjutsu was useless.
After a brief struggle, Yagami was cut down by the enemy blade.
As darkness closed in, he caught a glimpse of Captain Antelope fleeing alone. Purple Cat and Horned Ox were both dead among the wheat.
Damn it…
So it was true. To protect the secrets of the sealing arts… killing the Whirlpool shinobi was an acceptable cost.
He'd thought they were expendable.
Turns out… so was he.
[Arc of the Moonlight, activating!]
[The host is granted one resurrection per month. Upon death, revival occurs on the night of the previous full moon.]
[Reward: One lottery draw!]