Chapter 158.1 : Resurrection!!

"Kid, I don't know what message Orochimaru asked you to bring, but no matter what you say, I won't go back to the village with you."

Tsunade crossed her arms, her tone impatient as she watched Jiraiya leave the house with Anko, Shizune, and Shisui.

She felt no joy in this reunion—only memories she wanted to escape from. Jiraiya and the others had brought back things she didn't want to remember.

"Orochimaru-sensei said he has a way to bring Nawaki and Dan back to life."

Looking at Tsunade's increasingly impatient expression, Kagetsu stated it directly.

Tsunade's face froze.

For a moment, she seemed completely immobilized, as if she had been bound by a sealing jutsu.

"Kid!"

Shaken by the news, Tsunade's aura surged. Her gaze toward Kagetsu turned dangerous.

"What's going on?"

Sensing Tsunade's sudden burst of chakra, the door was flung open. Jiraiya rushed in, his face filled with concern as he saw the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Get out!"

Tsunade roared, swinging her fist threateningly.

Seeing her raised fist, Jiraiya instinctively shrank back and quickly dragged Shizune and the others out of the room—this time, much farther away.

"Edo Tensei?"

Tsunade's sharp gaze locked onto Kagetsu, as if ready to punch him if he gave the wrong answer.

Though she rarely involved herself in the affairs of the Senju Clan or her granduncle's various experiments, she had come across Edo Tensei before.

Before leaving the village, she had skimmed over the technique's details while sorting through Tobirama's notes and passing them on to Kagetsu and Orochimaru.

She knew that this technique was recorded in the Scroll of Seals.

"Of course not."

Kagetsu quickly shook his head. Even though he could dodge if Tsunade threw a punch, who would willingly stand on a pile of rubble for no reason?

"You better not be! That kind of jutsu, which desecrates the dead by bringing them back, is something I will never allow!" Tsunade replied firmly.

If she had truly wanted to, she would have found a way to learn this forbidden jutsu back when she first learned of its existence.

Even though mastering it might be extremely difficult!

Kagetsu raised his hand slightly. "Orochimaru-sensei also didn't think you would choose that kind of resurrection. So, would you like to hear about a true resurrection technique—one that brings the dead back from the Pure Land to the Shinobi World?"

Hearing this, Tsunade didn't respond immediately. She hesitated, her expression struggling as if waging an internal battle.

Kagetsu didn't press further. After speaking, he simply stood quietly to the side, waiting for Tsunade to make her decision.

"Are you certain? A true resurrection?"

When Tsunade finally spoke again, it was as if she had gone through an intense mental struggle. She looked weary, her voice slightly hoarse, as she confirmed with him.

"Yes, a true resurrection in every sense of the word."

Under Tsunade's doubtful and wary gaze, Kagetsu firmly nodded, his conviction unwavering.

"Does such a thing as coming back from the dead truly exist in this world?"

Even after hearing the answer she had hoped for, Tsunade didn't show excitement. Instead, she seemed lost, torn between hope and fear.

She was afraid this was just one of Orochimaru's schemes. Given what she knew about him, if necessary, he was absolutely capable of setting up something like this.

"Of course. You've heard of the Sage of Six Paths, haven't you?"

Seeing the struggle in Tsunade's eyes, Kagetsu decided to push a little further.

"Of course, he is known as the ancestor of ninjas and chakra. A figure from legend."

Tsunade didn't understand why Kagetsu suddenly brought up the Sage of Six Paths, but stories about him had long been widespread in the ninja world.

"Then, you should also know about the Rinnegan?"

"One of the Three Great Dojutsu! The legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths!"

"It possesses the power to reverse life and death, bringing people back to life!" Kagetsu stated directly.

"It only exists in legends." Tsunade shook her head.

"In reality, I have seen the Rinnegan."

At this point, Kagetsu knew he had to dispel Tsunade's hesitation. It was clear that she wanted to see her lover and younger brother again, but because she cared so much, she was caught in a dilemma, uncertain and wavering.

"You've seen the Rinnegan?" 

In an instant, Tsunade grabbed Kagetsu's shoulders with such force that she could have crushed iron like clay.

"Not only me, but even Jiraiya knew about it! Do you remember the three children you met when you left the Land of Rain during the Second Shinobi World War?"

Kagetsu activated his Quiet Blood Mode to its fullest and asked in return.

"You mean the little girl who could use Paper Release?"

Realizing her outburst, Tsunade let go of Kagetsu's shoulders and took a step back, trying hard to recall.

That memory felt distant. Over the years, she had spent much of her time gambling and drinking, making many memories blurry.

Even with Kagetsu's reminder, she could only remember three vague faces and a fragmented memory. The only thing that stood out was a girl who could use Paper Release.

"I remember now. Jiraiya even stayed behind to teach them for three years."

Following the trail of her memories, Tsunade recalled more. The once blurry recollection suddenly became a little clearer.

"Nagato, Konan, Yahiko! These are the three disciples that Jiraiya-sensei trained in the Land of Rain. Among them, Nagato is the one who possesses the Rinnegan. If you don't believe me, you can ask Jiraiya-sensei yourself. I'm sure, given how well you know him, you'll be able to tell whether he's lying or not."

Kagetsu directly revealed Nagato's existence.

Tsunade listened to Kagetsu's words and, in that moment, found herself mostly convinced. 

Even if Kagetsu and Jiraiya had conspired together, she could still tell whether Jiraiya was lying. 

After all, they had fought side by side for years, and their understanding of each other's habits and thoughts was almost instinctual.

"You want Nagato to use the Rinnegan to revive Dan and Nawaki?" Tsunade thought she had figured out Orochimaru's plan, but she frowned and asked, "What's the price for such a jutsu? If there's no cost, wouldn't he be able to revive all the past generations of shinobi? The entire ninja world would be in chaos!"

"This is a dojutsu that can only be used once in a lifetime, and the cost is the user's life." Kagetsu didn't bother explaining the connections between Nagato, the Uzumaki Clan, and the Rinnegan. He simply answered her question truthfully.

The light in Tsunade's eyes dimmed. Her expression showed struggle, but in the end, she shook her head. "I have no connection to this Nagato, but with a price like that... Nawaki would definitely feel guilty..."

****

Support me on my ko-fi account and read upto 15 early chapters,

https://ko-fi.com/pirateking24/tiers