Naruto : I Got "Return by Death" Kind Of Cheat

The ANBU had been waiting inside the barrier for over ten days for this opportunity.

They struck when all forces within Uzushiogakure were at their weakest—when both sides were battered and bloodied.

Under his mask, Yako frowned.

That old bastard Danzō hadn't joined the vanguard—he stayed all the way in the rear.

No wonder the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, refused to let Danzō succeed him. His "Will of Fire" is pathetic. He's never the one to sacrifice, only the one to send others ahead to die, then swoop in to reap the spoils.

At the front was Captain Yellow Dog, and that put Yako near the very tip of the spear.

This night was endless. The Uzumaki finally saw the shinobi of Konoha.

From their perspective, it looked like the Leaf shinobi had just come charging down the mountain ridge.

Inside the shrine, the old and young wept red-eyed—finally, Konoha's reinforcements had arrived!

But as they watched longer… they realized something was wrong.

Where are the others?

Why is it just a handful? Wasn't Konoha supposed to send thousands, clash with the Kiri-Kumo alliance in an all-out battle?

Yako followed Yellow Dog into the ruins of Uzushiogakure. Corpses were strewn everywhere.

Some had drowned inside Water Prisons, some were hacked apart by Kumo blades, others were blasted by Kiri Water Releases.

As Yako passed a crumbled wall, he spotted a flattened corpse.

Pressed like a paper doll—crushed flat by high-pressure Water Release.

The civilian's skull was a squashed oval, chest caved to the spine, ribs jutting sideways through torn skin.

That was powerful Water Style—dense and violent. Probably a technique similar to the Water Dragon Jutsu.

Many houses had charred rooftops, while the ground remained soaked and muddy—residue from rampant Water Release attacks.

Fire and water, used simultaneously—chaos incarnate.

As they crossed the central river, Yako glanced toward the spot where the Third Mizukage had fallen.

His body was still there, guarded by three squads of Kiri shinobi.

The Uzumaki clan leader's body, however, had been nailed to the prow of a ship by Kiri shinobi—a display of utter humiliation.

Fall behind, and you'll be punished. Grow weak, and you'll be defiled.

Some Konoha squads tried pushing toward the Mizukage's corpse—hoping to defeat the Kiri guards and claim the body.

The Mizukage might still hold secrets of his overwhelming jutsu.

Even the Uzumaki clan head's corpse held immense value—perhaps containing clues to their sealing arts.

Everywhere Yako looked, blood turned to pools, flesh melted to pulp. Horrors beyond horror.

He pressed forward with Black Ape's squad, heading toward the north bank.

There, the ground was littered with Uzumaki corpses.

These were proper shinobi—red-haired like Kushina, backs bearing the Uzumaki clan emblem.

So many dead… The Uzumaki were a great clan of the Land of Whirlpools, numbering in the thousands.

Konoha's ANBU had now reached the north bank.

Kiri hadn't even reacted—still maddened by their thirst for vengeance, butchering Uzumaki indiscriminately.

The Kumo shinobi noticed the shift and quickly redirected to defend their rear, wary of the incoming Leaf force.

Captain Yellow Dog instantly formed hand seals—a massive Fire Release.

A massive fireball engulfed over a dozen buildings.

That kind of Fire Style... Is he from the Sarutobi clan? Yako wondered.

Kumo shinobi leapt frantically to avoid the flames.

On both flanks, two other ANBU squads emerged to engage the Kumo—diverting attention from Yellow Dog's central charge.

Yellow Dog's squad surged forward, charging straight through the opening his fireball had carved.

Yako scanned left and right. They were moving too fast—deep into enemy lines.

Soon, Yellow Dog's squad had broken through the gap between Kumo and Kiri forces.

Kiri shinobi, mad with rage, continued slaughtering Uzumaki—still seeking revenge for the fallen Mizukage.

This let Yellow Dog approach the Four Violet Flames Formation with haste.

"Fox! Cover the rear!"

At Black Ape's command, Yako had to slow down—falling behind the formation.

Kumo shinobi closed in from behind.

But Yako, with solid kenjutsu fundamentals, could read their strikes and respond.

He took down two Kumo shinobi in quick succession.

That display caught the attention of a squad captain from Kumo.

Didn't expect a Konoha shinobi to have such clean sword work.

The Kumo squad captain lunged forward, bringing his blade down with lethal force.

Yako raised his sword to block.

But instead of the expected clang—there was none.

The Kumo shinobi twisted his shoulder, elbow, wrist mid-swing, transforming the overhead strike into a horizontal slash.

Yako's gut tensed.

His iron vest split open—his abdomen sliced, flesh and muscle torn.

Blood gushed from his belly.

That sword technique—terrifying.

The Kumo captain's style was bizarre—this wasn't beginner swordplay. He wielded some powerful, advanced form.

The captain came again—another slash.

Yako raised his blade to parry.

Once more, the Kumo's joints and muscles shifted unnaturally, redirecting the attack into a downward thrust.

Yako's thigh was pierced—blood sprayed a meter long.

After three exchanges, Yako was horrified to realize—

He couldn't even touch the enemy's blade.

The final strike—pierced through his throat.

Yako died atop the roof, eyes to the sky.

His waist caught on the ridge beam, arms splayed, staring into an inverted world.

A shattered Uzushiogakure, flickering violet flames, streets strewn with corpses young and old…

And I'm one of them now.

Danzō strolled casually through the ruins, not even glancing at the ANBU who'd just died nearby—mask of a fox.

Darkness.

Then, a shift.

Moonlight glimmered in his eyes.

Yako's gaze sharpened—consciousness restored.

He was back—on the mountain overlooking Uzushiogakure, hidden within the invisibility barrier.

In his past life, after ten days of lurking, he died within seconds during the final charge—cut down by that Kumo squad captain.

[Arc of the Waning Moon activated!]

Host receives one resurrection per month—revives at the night of the previous full moon.

Reward: One lottery draw:

Lightning Release Chakra

Chūnin-level chakra reserves (stackable)

Cloud-Style Kenjutsu (Basic)

Lightning nature? Useless for now.

The other two were tempting.

Chūnin-level chakra would improve stamina, let him last in battle.

But Cloud-Style Kenjutsu…

Yako remembered it vaguely—used by Omoi in the original series. A deceptive, feint-based sword technique.

In his last life, the Kumo captain killed him without Yako ever even grazing his blade. Every slash landed cleanly.

After much thought, Yako chose Cloud-Style Kenjutsu.

Instantly, he understood the form.

Lying prone, spying on Uzushiogakure through his binoculars, he felt the change ripple through his joints and muscles.

Cloud-Style—exactly as he'd expected. A specialized blade art focused on deception and redirection.

Strikes were altered mid-flow—hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists twisting to break the enemy's rhythm, bypass guards, and strike weak points.

At its peak, the user's arm flowed like a drifting cloud—hence the name.

Now armed with this style, Yako at least wouldn't die so quickly on the battlefield.

His joints flexed—smooth, fluid.

Cloud-Style was now his.