Shinju shook his head.
"The Edo Tensei… I saw Orochimaru use it once, during the chaos of the Chunin Exams."
"Since this jutsu requires two living sacrifices, I've never tried it myself…"
The implication was clear—given enough preparation time, using this forbidden technique wouldn't be difficult for him.
"If Tsunade-sama truly wishes to see those two again, we can use death row prisoners to try."
Shinju said seriously.
Jiraiya and Tsunade both fell silent.
Then Jiraiya leaned toward Tsunade and said,
"You can trust Shinju. This kid's talent for ninjutsu surpasses every shinobi I've ever met in my life… even the Fourth."
The fact that Shinju could learn Edo Tensei wasn't all that surprising to Jiraiya when he thought it through.
After all, this kid had mastered Sage Mode in just three days, and by his own intuition had grasped all sorts of strange and unique ninjutsu, fūinjutsu, and genjutsu…
Compared to all that, Edo Tensei hardly seemed like an obstacle.
Tsunade's gaze grew complicated, her eyes dim and unreadable.
She stood there, lost in thought for a long while.
At last, she suddenly began to sob softly.
Naruto crept closer to Shinju and whispered,
"What's with Granny Tsunade? Why's she crying when she can see the people she wants to see?"
Shinju shook his head.
"I don't know either… maybe it's something she's held onto for too long."
After a long silence, Tsunade lifted her face and smiled faintly.
"No… it's not necessary."
"The dead are gone. What matters now is cherishing the present."
"And besides, if those two could see the Konoha of today, I'm sure they'd be smiling too."
"Because this village has a future in people like you."
With that, Tsunade took off the jewel pendant from her neck, stepped forward, and gently placed it around Shinju's neck.
As Tsunade leaned in close, Shinju's nose was filled with the fragrance of her body.
When he opened his eyes, his vision was filled with the waves—surging, rolling—of her chest…
Truly, weapons of mass destruction!
For a moment Shinju's head spun, utterly dazzled!
At that moment, Tsunade whispered, "You are a genius, the hope of Konoha's future."
"No matter what happens, I want someone like you to carry on the Will of Fire."
After fastening the necklace around his neck, Tsunade stepped back a few paces, her expression filled with satisfaction.
"Not bad. That pendant actually suits you."
Shinju lowered his head and looked at the pendant now hanging from his neck.
It was a bluish-green gemstone, shaped into an irregular long shard—plain and unremarkable at first glance.
Inside, Shinju felt extremely awkward.
Because it made him look… kind of girly!
And a true man doesn't need accessories!
Just then, Jiraiya, standing nearby, smiled approvingly at the necklace on Shinju's neck and explained,
"Mm, that necklace once belonged to the First Hokage. It's a rare and priceless jewel. Don't underestimate it—this little piece is worth billions!"
Instantly, Shinju began to feel the pendant around his neck was… adorable!
(⌯︎¤̴̶̷̀ω¤̴̶̷́)✧︎
The more he looked at it, the better it seemed!
The more he looked, the more he liked it!
...
Konoha.
Ninja Hospital.
After suffering the trauma of Itachi Uchiha's Tsukuyomi, Kakashi's spirit had been deeply scarred, leaving him bedridden in the hospital for many days.
This day, Sasuke, after a pang of conscience, came to visit his teacher.
Upon entering, Sasuke set down the fruit basket he carried and asked,
"Kakashi-sensei… why are you in such bad shape?"
Though Kakashi usually put on an aloof, carefree front, Sasuke knew well—this guy was one of Konoha's elite jōnin, once even the captain of the ANBU.
At this time, Maito Guy, standing beside Kakashi, spoke up: "He was struck by a dōjutsu called 'Tsukuyomi.' The Sharingan of your Uchiha Itachi is truly terrifying."
The moment Guy opened his mouth, Kakashi wanted to cover it.
But Guy's words came far too quickly.
Kakashi let out a heavy sigh, his face helpless.
"Sasuke, don't act rashly."
He knew Itachi had singlehandedly slaughtered the Uchiha clan, leaving only Sasuke alive.
So Sasuke carried an unshakable resolve for vengeance against his elder brother.
"Where is he?"
Sasuke's face darkened, his eyes flaring into the blood-red Sharingan as he demanded furiously.
"Who knows… that was days ago already."
Kakashi replied.
Without another word, Sasuke stormed out.
He ran all the way to an open field outside Konoha, furiously hammering his fists into a massive tree. Even as his hands grew bloodied and torn, he didn't stop.
As though only pain could smother the inferno of vengeance burning in his heart.
Sasuke knew—the village had deliberately kept Itachi's visit hidden from him.
After all, with his current strength, he stood no chance against the genius Uchiha Itachi.
Hunger for power burned within him. His shoulder throbbed where Orochimaru had left the cursed seal.
"One day… I will kill you with my own hands, Itachi!"
He swore with unwavering resolve.
...
Another ward in the Ninja Hospital.
Lee struggled to rise from his bed.
After his battle with Gaara during the Chunin Exams, half of his limbs had been crippled.
Even with a ninja's strong physique, it was still nearly impossible for him to move around.
Just the simple act of getting out of bed took him five or six minutes!
Once on his feet, Lee leaned on a crutch, grimacing through the pain as he limped out the door.
He prided himself as a genius of hard work. Of course he had to keep training relentlessly!
He absolutely could not let his injuries disrupt his progress!
But the moment he stepped outside, Lee saw Guy-sensei approaching, and hurriedly retreated back into his room.
Because Guy-sensei had been acting strange ever since his injury.
The teacher who once always pushed him to train harder now urged him instead to rest more and walk less.
So Lee didn't want to be caught sneaking out of bed.
Soon enough, after visiting Kakashi, Guy pushed open Lee's door.
The moment he entered, he immediately noticed Lee hadn't had time to lie back down.
Guy grew angry. "Lee! Why don't you listen to your sensei!"
Unable to dodge the truth, Lee replied,
"Guy-sensei, I'm a shinobi! A shinobi can't just lie in bed all day! I have missions to do! I need the hot-blooded spirit of youth!"
At these words, Guy's eyes filled with tears.
Gripping Lee's shoulders with both hands, he said solemnly,
"Lee, training can wait until your body heals!"
"If you force yourself to move now, you'll only worsen your injuries!"
"Listen to me—rest properly in bed for now!"
"When Shinju and the others bring back that legendary 'Medical-nin,' and she heals you, then you'll be able to walk the path of youth and passion with me again!"
Guy's words rang with fiery conviction, spittle flying.
"Yes, Guy-sensei!"
Lee nodded firmly. He believed every word—because Guy-sensei was the person he admired and trusted most in the world!
After a few more words of encouragement, Guy left Lee's room, stepping onto the hospital balcony and gazing out into the distance.
When Lee was first injured, the medical-nin in charge had said he might never be a shinobi again.
Guy couldn't bear to let Lee face that cruel truth. So he had never told him.
Now, all his hopes rested on Tsunade.
That legendary medical-nin… he could only pray she would give Lee another chance to be a shinobi.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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