Konoha Anbu, Arc of the Crescent Moon

Konoha.

An Anbu wearing a fox mask hid in the woods at the street corner, tailing an Izakaya in the distance.

What rotten luck, transmigrating into an Anbu Chunin, a commoner ninja named Yagami.

According to intelligence, there might be Stone Ninja spies inside that Izakaya.

As the night entered its second half, the Anbu Squad Leader body-flickered into existence behind Yagami.

"Fox, there are fewer people in the Izakaya during the late night. Remove your mask and tactical vest, disguise yourself as a civilian, and go inside to scout for information."

The captain addressed him by the codename corresponding to the mask Yagami had chosen.

Yagami removed his mask, took off his Anbu vest, unbuckled his ninja tool pouch, and hid only a single kunai on his person.

If he managed to uncover intelligence, that would be for the best.

If he died inside, that would be even better.

His death would serve as the intelligence; there would undoubtedly be spies in the Izakaya.

Yagami reached out a hand toward the squad leader.

The captain asked in confusion, "Hm? What is the meaning of this?"

"I don't have money to buy drinks; you have to reimburse the tab, right? To extract information, I have to order the most expensive sake, don't I? To attract the spies' attention?"

The captain reluctantly took his wallet out of his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a stack of bills.

After Yagami tucked them away, he reached out his hand again.

The captain took out another stack of bills: "Don't push your luck, this isn't a guaranteed suicide mission."

Not a guaranteed suicide mission? That meant there was a possibility of death?

Yagami walked into the Izakaya with heavy steps, greeted by a mixture of strong liquor, perfume, and the stench of sweat.

Sniffing through the perfume and dodging the scent of booze, Yagami walked to a table in the corner.

"Bring me your most expensive sake!"

The owner of this Izakaya was a beautiful, voluptuous young woman, and the moment she heard someone order the most expensive drink, her spirits lifted instantly.

The female owner brought the wine over, her eyes filled with charm as she arrived at Yagami's side.

Bending over to reveal a glimpse of her cleavage, she placed the wine cup on the table in front of Yagami.

Voluptuous, yet firm; beneath the soft, supple flesh, there were hints of muscle—the telltale signs of training.

Yagami was on edge, viewing everything as a potential threat.

The female owner's voice was sweet and sultry:

"Ninja-sama, have you returned victorious from the front lines? Let me recommend some ways to pass the time and help you wash away the fatigue of your mission."

Yagami downed an entire bottle of sake in one gulp.

The sake in this world wasn't very strong, like Erguotou diluted with tap water, so Yagami feigned the effects of the alcohol hitting his head:

"Ways to pass the time? Do you know what I've been through on the front lines? What kind of entertainment could possibly help me relax?"

"A private room!" the female owner said excitedly. "There are private rooms on the second floor!"

"A private room? This Izakaya is a bit old; are the wooden floors shockproof? If we're shaking things up upstairs, will the people on the first floor be covered in dust?"

"Hehehe." The female owner covered her mouth and laughed. "Ninja-sama, then shall we go directly to the backyard? There are private rooms in the back, too; no need to worry about the shaking there."

"The backyard is good, I like the backyard. The options on the second floor are a bit too ordinary; how could they possibly satisfy me?"

The female owner took the initiative to place Yagami's hand on her slender waist, pressing her chest against his ribs as she led him toward the back.

Lifting the curtain and entering the backyard, the light around them dimmed instantly.

The female owner pressed even closer.

The sensation of being squeezed by her plumpness was truly wonderful.

If only he weren't an Anbu, he would spend all the money he earned from missions enjoying himself in this Izakaya.

After entering a side room in the backyard, the female owner slammed the door shut.

"Ninja-sama, do you prefer Yin Release or Yang Release?"

"The Ninja Academy doesn't teach anything; what's the deal with this Yin Release and Yang Release?"

"The Yin Release and Yang Release here depend on who is on top. Do you understand?"

"Who is on top? I understand."

Beyond the five elemental releases, certain secret clans also mastered Yin Release and Yang Release; above the ordinary versions, there were even Six Paths Level Yin-Yang Release techniques.

The female owner's Yin-Yang Release was clearly not the ordinary kind.

Yagami almost drooled, yet deep in his eyes, he remained exceptionally vigilant.

However, vigilance was useless.

With his meager strength, he wouldn't be able to detect anything, no matter how vigilant he was.

The kunai pierced Yagami's lower back!

In the darkness, the enemy had used a method beyond Yagami's comprehension to slip behind him and launch a sneak attack.

He tried to cry out, but his mouth was blocked by the female boss's lips.

Dead; the transmigrator had died just like that... though the death was quite fragrant, and amidst the softness of her red lips, the world plunged into darkness.

Yagami's pupils dilated.

In a fleeting instant, Yagami woke up once more.

The system had arrived.

[Arc of the Crescent Moon activated!

Between two full moons, the host has only one chance to resurrect; upon death, you will be revived on the night of the previous full moon.

Reward: One lottery draw:

1-B-rank Earth Release: Earth-Corpse Transmigration (Entry);

2-Chunin-level Chakra (Stackable);

3-Kunai Stab (Mastery).

Warning: If killed by the same person twice, the host will die permanently!]

He had returned to the night of the full moon five days ago, the night of the 15th.

Inside the semi-underground room of the Anbu, Yagami looked at the full moon outside the high side window.

Arc of the Crescent Moon, his Golden Finger.

A resurrection chance once a month, allowing him to return to the previous full moon.

There was also a lottery draw, with contents related to the manner of his death.

Facing the three options, Yagami pondered carefully.

Kunai Stab (Mastery)—the person who stabbed him was skilled with a kunai, mastering certain techniques that made the thrust faster and more powerful.

This ability was somewhat useful, but not critical.

The stackable Chunin-level Chakra was also not what he lacked most urgently right now.

Yagami chose Earth Release: Earth-Corpse Transmigration (Entry).

It just so happened that he possessed Earth Release Chakra.

This jutsu sounded like a perfect match for infiltration, escape, murder, and looting.

Once you enter the Anbu, you are in deep; if you don't act or play it safe, you die fast.

He wasn't cut out to be a Rogue Ninja either; the Anbu were not to be trifled with, and they would hunt him across the entire ninja world.

In an instant, Yagami learned Earth Release: Earth-Corpse Transmigration.

After forming three hand seals, Yagami pressed his hand against the wall, and his hand slowly vanished, sinking into the stone.

The wall rippled like the surface of water under the influence of his chakra.

When he pulled his hand back, the wall returned to its original state.

He could move rapidly through the earth without leaving a single trace on the surface.

Not bad, not bad; he had finally learned a ninjutsu.

[Host Status:

Chakra Level: Chunin.

Chakra Affinity: Earth.

Ninjutsu: Basic Three Transformations, Earth Release: Earth-Corpse Transmigration.

Taijutsu: Basic Taijutsu (Chunin-level), Basic Kunai Throwing Technique (Chunin-level).

Other: None]

This was truly cannon fodder, the kind that was charred black.

Taijutsu did not have high requirements for chakra volume; his chakra was limited, making him a taijutsu-type Chunin who had painstakingly trained his fundamentals.

The Anbu primarily executed assassination missions, and one could not expose the assassin's intelligence during such tasks.

Sarutobi Hiruzen did not want others to know who he intended to kill.

Secret techniques and flashy ninjutsu were unsuitable; instead, basic taijutsu and kunai were more critical. Even if a ninja from the Nara Clan joined the Anbu, they would primarily rely on taijutsu and kunai.

At this time, Root had not yet been established, and Danzo, as Sarutobi Hiruzen's absolute confidant, managed the Anbu on his behalf.

A month ago, Danzo had commanded the Anbu to engage the Third Raikage in the Land of Hot Water, resulting in heavy casualties; more than half of the Anbu had perished at the hands of the Third Raikage, and Danzo had returned to Konoha alone.

The Anbu had urgently expanded their recruitment, allowing the original owner of this body to enter the Anbu.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.

The Squad Leader walked in.

"Fox, come with me. We're tailing an Izakaya."

The captain did not know that this was the second time Yagami had heard him say the exact same words.

He packed his ninja tools in silence.

He had already used up his death count for the month; he absolutely could not die again, or even the system wouldn't be able to save him.

New book~ requesting recommendations, collections, and follow-up reads~ I don't even know why they deleted so much of my work without even notifying me, sigh.