After uninstalling Quark from his phone, he let out a faint sigh, took a drag from his cigarette, and muttered:
"Sigh… looks like I'll never quit this in this lifetime!"
Suddenly, his face went pale, and he slowly collapsed.
At the moment of death, he couldn't help but recall the countless reminders from his elders: Take care of your health!
"Ding!"
"Host's first death triggered successfully. Infinite Resurrection System loaded."
...
Year 48 of Konoha.
Sunagakure invaded the Land of Rivers, attempting to seize the fertile lands beyond the desert.
The Land of Rivers sought aid from Konoha, and Konoha agreed to dispatch troops, thus launching the Western Front Campaign to resist Sunagakure and aid the Land of Rivers.
Both villages crossed great distances to gather here, igniting a massive armed conflict.
It was springtime. Warm sunlight bathed the land, and sea breezes from afar swept gently across the green fields of the Land of Rivers, carrying with them the lazy fragrance of wildflowers.
In a clearing within the forest, a group of ninja clad in green flak jackets had set up a cooking fire.
The rich aroma of wild boar soup, a gift from nature, drifted into the air, making many ninjas gulp subconsciously.
In one corner, two genin in plain clothing quietly filled bowls with soup.
A boy with slightly wavy hair carried a steaming bowl of meat soup and walked toward another boy, his upper body swathed in bandages.
"Kairen, get up. Have some soup—you'll need the strength to heal your injuries."
The bandaged boy had short, jet-black hair. He was around ten years old. His face was pale and weary, yet one could still faintly see his delicate features.
Kairen slowly sat up, and under his companion's concerned gaze, he secretly sighed.
Brother, your buddy here literally just died.
"Kairen, here, take it!"
With trembling hands, Kairen accepted the bowl. He inhaled deeply, the savory fragrance stirring the hunger in his stomach. Slowly, he raised the bowl toward his lips…
Suddenly—
"Enemy attack!!"
With a sharp whistle, a kunai bound with an explosive tag slammed into the ground between Kairen and his companion.
Kairen froze, staring blankly at the sparking kunai, still holding the soup to his lips.
I just got here, damn it—
"Boom!!"
The massive blast tore flesh apart with ease.
At the moment of death, fragments of memory flashed in his mind.
Kairen slowly began to recall the memories of this body's past.
His name was Moku Kairen.
Everyone called him simply Kairen, as it was easier to say.
He was the son of an ordinary civilian, utterly unremarkable.
He was in the same class as Obito, always ranking at the bottom, forming a "bottom-three trio" with Obito and Might Guy, taking turns at last place.
Logically speaking, someone of his "talent" shouldn't even have been allowed to graduate, let alone be sent to the frontlines.
But fate had it otherwise. Like Kakashi, Kairen was also a member of Konoha's "Fathers Who Bring Misfortune" alliance.
His father, once drunk, foolishly criticized the Third Hokage for holding power too long and giving civilians no chance to rise.
Soon after, he was "luckily" dispatched to the Mist battlefield—the deadliest front of all. The only thing he left behind for Kairen was a death notice.
The war came too suddenly. Konoha had barely repelled Kumogakure when Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure all pressed in together.
With touching "warmth," the village sent newly graduated Kairen straight to the frontlines—as cannon fodder.
Memories finished. Resurrection began.
From amidst the smoke, a cloud of white mist surged out. The organs Kairen had lost in the explosion reformed, and a bandaged Kairen slowly crawled onto the grass.
The Infinite Resurrection System—as its name implied—was a system that refused to let its host die. Moreover, each death granted bonus experience points.
"Ding!"
"You were blown up by chunin Hirano's explosive tag. Experience +30!"
So… dying gave experience? What a shameless system!
But I like it!
Kairen allowed a faint smile to curve on his lips as his eyes shifted to the system interface reflected in his iris.
His current experience total was 31 points.
Huh? Where did the extra point come from? This puzzled Kairen.
The system thoughtfully explained: "That was for the host's first death."
"I died so gloriously, and that's all the experience I get?"
"…"
Kairen checked his genin template.
[Genin: Moku Kairen]
[Ninja Eight Attributes]: Nin 1, Tai 1, Gen 1, Int 3, Str 1, Spd 1, Sta 1, Seal 1.
(T/N: I think you understand this, but I will provide the information anyway: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Intelligence, Strength, Speed, Stamina)
[Chakra Four Attributes]:
Chakra Level: Genin.
Chakra Nature: Fire, Yin.
Chakra Control: 10% proficiency.
Chakra Nature Transformation: 2% proficiency.
[Ninja Basic Skills]: Theory 2, Stealth 1, Tracking 1, Assassination 1, Traps 1, Poisoning 1.
[Ninjutsu]: Clone Technique (30% proficiency).
[Taijutsu]: Monkey Steals the Peach (90% proficiency).
(T/N:"Monkey Steals the Peach" is a controversial, real-world martial arts technique for grabbing and crushing male testicles)
[Genjutsu]: None.
[Evaluation]: ⊙_⊙
Without question, the weakest of the weak. Bronze among bronzes. The so-called "Stubborn Bronze."
Kairen opened the main quest interface. Only one quest was displayed:
［Die on the belly of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. No time limit. No restrictions on method.］
Kairen: (●ↀωↀ●)✧
"System, tell me… when it comes to that final death, should I make it like my first time, or more like my second?"
"…"
The system ignored him. Kairen switched to another interface—the experience exchange catalog. He scrolled greedily.
［Rinnegan］
［Tenseigan］
［All-Killing Ash Bones］
［Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan］
…
［Wood Release］
［Sharingan］
Without a doubt, this was the bloodline limit exchange section.
Comparing his measly points with the prices, Kairen realized he couldn't afford anything.
Even the most basic, unawakened Byakugan required 1,800 points.
He'd have to be blown up by explosive tags 180 times, exhaust himself 1,800 times, just to afford a Byakugan.
He kept scrolling—the catalog covered nearly everything in the shinobi world: ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, fūinjutsu…
There were even ninja tools—like the Sage of Six Paths' treasured spear, or Might Guy's nunchaku…
And random trinkets—Sasuke's rogue forehead protector, Naruto's cup noodles, Tsunade's undergarments…
Kairen's throat bobbed, but he scrolled further.
［Orochimaru's Human Trafficker Attribute Bonus］
［Pain's Deva Path Rice Sack of Suffering Bonus］
There were even mental attribute bonuses. The Infinite Resurrection System truly encompassed everything in the shinobi world.
At the very end, Kairen found a card catalog.
There were all kinds of cards: Ninjutsu Fusion Card, Ninjutsu Development Card, Bloodline Fusion Card…
After scrolling through, Kairen asked, "System, is there some sort of newbie package?"
"Ding!"
"There is none. But you do get three lucky draws per month! And one is available now!"
"A lottery?! I love it!"
Rubbing his hands eagerly, Kairen watched as the system interface shifted to display a massive roulette wheel, filled with countless prizes.
"Alright, spin it!"
The wheel spun, pointer flashing past Rasengan, Chidori, Sharingan…
Finally, it landed. Kairen looked closely.
［Sasuke's Momentary Arrogance Bonus］
A spiritual attribute. Useless.
It fused into him instantly. When Kairen opened his eyes again, he felt a faint arrogance in his heart. Even his tone had grown lofty.
"Continue! As long as I feel like it, I'll surely draw the Rinnegan!"
The wheel spun again.
［D-rank Ninjutsu: Body Flicker Technique］
"Hmph. A mere D-rank ninjutsu—I, Moku Kairen, can master it at a glance."
The last draw stopped at: ［Forbidden Jutsu: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique］.
Kairen thrust his hand forward. "Yes! This is the technique that will place me atop the world!"
Shadow clones could accumulate experience and speed up training. But this method only suited Naruto—simple-minded, vast chakra, and protagonist plot armor.
So why was this jutsu perfect for Kairen?
Because the drawback of shadow clone training was the fatigue feedback—when clones dispelled, the mental and physical exhaustion could overwhelm a person, even kill them.
But for Kairen, it didn't matter. He couldn't die. Even if his brain fried into a vegetable, a slit to the throat and two seconds later, he'd be fine.
Which meant, with Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, he could grow at extreme speed until he stood above all.
After absorbing his three rewards, Kairen found his chakra control had risen to 40%—intermediate.
All ninjutsu required chakra control. Mastering these new jutsu fed back into improving his control.
He closed the system interface.
At that moment, he lay among corpses, surrounded by scattered entrails, guts, and the stench of feces.
His two companions lay with eyes wide open in death, while their jōnin instructor had been blown into minced flesh…
This was war!
Suppressing nausea, Kairen activated his "Sasuke Spiritual Trait," adopting a trace of Sasuke's arrogance.
"Hesitation and cowardice will only keep me mediocre! I am the undying shinobi—death to me is but fleeting pain!"
With a roar, Kairen snatched up a kunai and sprang to his feet.
"Eh? There's still one left alive!"
A tan shadow flickered past—countless wind blades cut him down. Kairen's body shattered apart.
Sure enough, just as Sasuke had risen above the world, he was immediately cut down.
"Ding!"
"You were killed by chunin Tanigawa's Wind Release. Experience +50!"
The Sunagakure ninja Tanigawa frowned as white smoke erupted from Kairen's mangled remains, cloaking the corpse like a dispersing shadow clone.
"What kind of jutsu is this?"
Revived, Kairen lay still on the ground, suppressing his breath as he analyzed the experience gain.
Different deaths yielded different amounts of experience—the stronger the killer, the greater the reward.
The smoke soon cleared. Tanigawa listened intently for breathing.
That strange Konoha genin unnerved him.
Kairen's stealth was poor. He was discovered quickly.
"Pathetic!"
With a cruel sneer, Tanigawa flicked three shuriken with his fingers.
"Whoosh, whoosh!" The blades pierced through Kairen's body. Agonizing pain flooded him again, and he died instantly.
"Ding!"
"You were killed by chunin Tanigawa's shuriken. Experience +30!"
Even among ninja kills, there was a hierarchy. A steel weapon wound couldn't compare to a ninjutsu kill.
White smoke billowed again. This time, the moment he revived, Kairen grabbed a broken sword from the ground and charged recklessly.
Hiding was useless. He could only fight head-on.
Tanigawa frowned. "Strange. My shuriken pierced his heart—why is this brat still alive? And that smoke…?"
Kairen swung his blade. Tanigawa easily parried with a kunai, flicking the weapon aside.
Then, with a swift kick to Kairen's chest, he sent him flying ten meters, crashing into a tree, bones nearly shattering.
"Damn it! Just a chunin, yet he makes me this pathetic. How can I ever stand atop the world like this?!"
Gritting his teeth, Kairen raised both hands into the seals for Shadow Clone Technique.
All his stamina and focus converted into chakra, refined instantly.
His chakra surged to the point that faint blue steam rose off his body.
Tanigawa narrowed his eyes.
"He's refining that much chakra? Does this brat have a death wish?"
Chakra was life itself. To deplete it was to invite death.