Yagami immediately checked his rewards.
[Arc of Moon Activated!]
The host has only one resurrection opportunity per month. Upon death, the host is revived at the previous full moon.
Choose your reward:
1. Wind Style: Vacuum Wave (Entry Level): A high-tier offensive jutsu where the user exhales sharp blades of pressurized air. A signature move of the Shimura clan.
2. Jonin-level Chakra Reserves (Stackable): Adds the chakra capacity of an average Jonin.
3. B-Rank Wind Style: Silent Body Flicker: A specialized movement technique that erases sound and reduces air resistance.
Yagami analyzed the options. Option 1 was powerful but slow—its charging time couldn't compete with his Water Gun Jutsu. Option 2 was lackluster; Shimura Kobira was just an ordinary Jonin, and his chakra pool was only a fraction of an Elite Jonin's.
He chose Option 3. Instantly, the intricacies of the secret technique flooded his mind.
The Silent Body Flicker was a masterclass in Wind Nature Transformation. It involved coating the body in a razor-thin membrane of wind chakra. This barrier served a dual purpose: it absorbed the vibrations caused by friction with the air (eliminating sound) and streamlined the user's silhouette to bypass wind resistance, significantly increasing speed.
Yagami attempted to manifest the barrier and quickly realized a practical limitation: the standard flak jacket, with its numerous pockets and uneven surfaces, disrupted the airflow.
He donned his ANBU hooded cloak. The smooth, continuous lines of the cloak allowed the wind chakra to adhere perfectly. 'To use this effectively, one must wear either a skin-tight suit or a hooded cloak,' he noted.
'Anything with complex surface geometry ruins the acoustic dampening.'
He slipped out of the underground training hall and tested the move. He blurred toward the ANBU headquarters, moving at least 20% faster than before—and in total, eerie silence.
...
Back at Root, Yagami compared his cloaks and found that the White Squad Leader uniform was made of the highest quality, most wind-resistant fabric. He memorized the texture; tomorrow, he'd commission a custom black version for his "White Ghost" persona.
In the days following his resurrection, Yagami focused entirely on mastering the Silent Body Flicker. He discovered it could even be applied to basic Taijutsu; with enough control, even his punches and kicks became silent.
The timeline looped forward. Once again, he stood outside the Land of Grass Daimyo's camp.
Uzumaki Yuka and the others drew the attention of the Hyuga Guardian in the southeast. This time, Yagami didn't bother with Earth Style. He used the Silent Body Flicker to ghost through the northwest blind spot.
He neutralized the Hyuga scout with a single blow. Inside the smoke screen, he intercepted Shimura Ryo. Before Ryo could even complete his leap, Yagami was already in his face. One Temporary Paralysis Genjutsu later, a kunai was driven home.
He moved like a wraith through the haze, taking out the two Special Jonin before entering the Daimyo's pavilion.
He threw the smoke bomb and lunged at the Daimyo. Shimura Kobira blew the smoke away and struck with his own Silent Body Flicker, aiming for Yagami's throat.
This time, Yagami was ready. He spun mid-air with fluid grace, his body spiraling past the blade. As he moved, his own kunai lashed out toward Kobira's neck.
Kobira's pupils dilated in shock. 'How does this assassin know my secret technique?' The Silent Body Flicker was a pride of the Shimura clan, praised even by Lord Danzo. To see it used against him by a stranger was a psychological blow.
Yagami's kunai missed the throat but carved a deep, brutal horizontal line across Kobira's chest. The resistance felt "meaty"—muscle, ribs, and sternum gave way under the force.
Kobira stumbled back, gravely wounded. He looked up just as the assassin finished a single hand seal.
Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!
From only a few meters away, a roaring dragon of flame erupted. Kobira, distracted by the shock of seeing his own technique and burdened by the need to protect the coughing Daimyo, couldn't react in time. He was swallowed by the inferno.
Mission accomplished. Yagami vanished into the earth.
...
The pavilion was half-charred. As the acrid smoke cleared, the Daimyo's personal retainers rushed in.
"Where is Jonin Kobira?"
"My Lord... Captain Kobira is dead. He's been burned to a crisp!"
The Daimyo stared at the charred remains. "Kobira is dead? Then why am I still alive?"
One of the retainers surveyed the carnage. "My Lord, this wasn't an assassination attempt on you. If I'm not mistaken, the target was specifically the Guardian Captain, Shimura Kobira."
"Someone dared to hunt a Jonin of the Shimura clan?"
The Daimyo knew the power dynamics of the Leaf. Danzo was the most feared man in the village, more influential than the other two advisors combined.
"The heavens have turned upside down," the Daimyo muttered. "It's always been Danzo threatening to assassinate this person or that. Now someone is hunting Danzo's men?"
The retainer nodded grimly. "The first lesson of a ninja is that you can be killed at any moment. Even if you belong to Danzo, death comes all the same. A perfect infiltration, two smoke bombs, and a squad of Leaf Guardians wiped out... Danzo is going to have a massive headache."
He paused. "My Lord, I suggest we leave this site untouched and let the Hidden Leaf investigators handle it."
"Yes, you're right. I heard they have techniques to pull memories from corpses."
The retainer looked at the blackened lump on the floor. "My Lord, even if Kobira's brain isn't well-done, it's at least medium-well. I doubt they'll extract much of anything."
The Daimyo suddenly caught the scent of charred meat. Realizing where the aroma was coming from, he keeled over and vomited.
"From... from today on, we only eat boiled mutton! No grilled meat! Don't even say the word 'roast' in my presence!"
...
In the distance, Yagami met with Yuka.
"It's done, Yuka. All four Shimura Guardians are dead."
Yuka's eyes shone with the cold satisfaction of vengeance. Danzo had helped orchestrate the fall of the Uzumaki; now he was feeling the sting of losing his own kin.
"Yuka, I have one more piece of news," Yagami added. "When the Uzumaki were migrating from the Land of Whirlpools, the Grass Daimyo captured a medical ninja named Uzumaki Kanon. I know where she's being held—a secret base under the Evergreen Sacred Mountain. Get in position, and then reverse-summon me. I'll help you pull her out."
With that, Yagami left via reverse-summoning back to the Leaf.
Yuka watched the spot where he disappeared, feeling a wave of loneliness. 'When will these days of hiding finally end?'