Chapter 312: Naruto's Revival
Led by a group of Konoha Anbu.
Yugito Nii, Killer Bee, Gaara, and other jinchūriki stood up in confusion and walked out of the underground chamber, equally bewildered.
As soon as they left, they completely forgot what had happened underground, losing all memories of the past day.
This was due to Dan's genjutsu—Amatsu Mikaboshi.
Since awakening the Rinnegan, Dan's ocular power had grown immensely. With Amatsu Mikaboshi, he could erase the memories of not just a few jinchūriki but even the entire population of Konoha in one go.
Underground.
After absorbing the chakra of eight-tailed beasts, the Gedo Statue had opened and then closed a row of its eyes, leaving only one eye unopened.
Only the Nine-Tails remained, or even just half of it.
Once everyone had left, Dan silently reappeared above the statue.
He had established a connection with the Gedo Statue. No matter where he was, he could always sense its condition and teleport to it instantly.
This meant that no one could take the statue from Dan unless they killed him first.
"Lord Hokage."
At that moment, Kakashi appeared and respectfully reported to Dan, "Hiruzen Sarutobi is ready as well."
"Oh?"
Dan smiled at the news, "Good, let's go see."
In a dimly lit room.
Naruto Uzumaki's body lay quietly on the ground, his eyes covered with white bandages, his skin pale, his body stiff and cold.
"Naruto…"
Konan knelt beside Naruto's body, gently touching his cheek. The icy coldness of his skin mirrored the chill in her heart.
Could he really be brought back to life like this?
Suddenly.
Creak, the door opened, and two people entered.
It was Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uchiha Dan.
Konan's eyes immediately sharpened, staring intensely at Dan as if to remind him of his promise.
Dan, however, seemed indifferent. He walked over to a sofa, sat down, and crossed his legs casually.
"You…"
Konan started to speak, but Hiruzen Sarutobi quietly approached her.
"You must be the Angel of Akatsuki. Jiraiya told me about you, saying you're a kind woman. Please step aside and rest. Leave Naruto to me."
Hiruzen Sarutobi showed a kind smile as he knelt beside Naruto's body.
Konan glanced at the old man, frowning but saying nothing. She then slowly stepped aside.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile faded, and he placed his hands on Naruto's chest.
Sizzling sounds filled the air.
Chakra flowed from the old man into Naruto's body, looking like ordinary medical ninjutsu. But through the Tenseigan on his forehead, Dan could clearly see—
Hiruzen Sarutobi's chakra was intricately moving, drawing out his own life force and transferring it into Naruto.
As time passed.
Huh.
Konan was pleasantly surprised to see Naruto's complexion becoming rosier, and his cold, stiff body seemed to warm up like an animal awakening from hibernation.
Conversely, Hiruzen Sarutobi's condition worsened.
"Hah… hah…"
He panted heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead. His aged features twisted in pain.
His hands began to tremble, his body swayed, and he grew increasingly old, his hair turning completely white.
Mastering the Self-Reincarnation technique in such a short time, the "Professor of Ninjutsu" Hiruzen Sarutobi was truly impressive.
However, performing the technique took a toll. As someone already close to death, his life force and chakra were too weak.
Insufficient to reignite the flame of Naruto's life.
It seemed he would fail. Hiruzen Sarutobi felt despair, his vision blurring, struggling to keep going.
At this moment.
Dan, who had been watching from the sofa, finally made a move.
"Looks like you need me after all."
Dan muttered, walking over to Hiruzen Sarutobi, squatting down, and placing his hand over the old man's.
A massive surge of chakra flowed from Dan's palm.
"Sixth Hokage, you…" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up in surprise at Dan.
"Focus and finish this jutsu. I'll lend you my chakra. At least do one thing right before you die," Danzo said calmly.
"Th-thank you."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was taken aback for a moment but then regained his composure and concentrated fully on the Jutsu.
After a few more minutes.
"It's done. I did it..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said with joy, but as the words left his mouth, his eyes lost their light, and his head drooped, his body becoming as still as a statue.
He was dead.
"Kakashi."
Danzo called out, and when Kakashi entered, he instructed, "Take him away and bury him in the Konoha Cemetery."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Kakashi immediately ordered the ANBU to carefully lift Sarutobi Hiruzen's body onto a stretcher and quickly left the room.
This old man had been Konoha's Hokage for forty years despite everything. Letting him return to rest in Konoha was an act of mercy from the Sixth Hokage and a final respect from Kakashi and others.
"Naruto!"
Konan rushed to Naruto's side again, but he was still unconscious.
"Be patient. Wait a bit longer."
Danzo said calmly, his eyes already seeing signs of life within Naruto.
Sure enough.
About ten seconds later.
"Uh..."
Under Konan's astonished and joyous gaze, Naruto let out a faint groan, and his fingers twitched slightly.
"Naruto, are you okay?"
Konan called softly, barely believing the miracle.
"Konan... sensei, is that you?"
Naruto hesitated as he spoke. He had lost his eyes and couldn't see anything, only darkness before him.
But he remembered clearly that he had died from using the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu. Did Konan also...
At that thought.
With a swoosh, Naruto sat up straight, angrily shouting, "Danzo Uchiha lied to me! He promised to spare you. Damn it!"
Before he finished, Konan threw herself into Naruto's arms, holding him tightly.
"Naruto, you're not dead. You're alive, and so am I." Konan kept repeating, tears of joy streaming down her face.
"I... am really not dead?"
Naruto, coming to his senses, instinctively hugged Konan back, holding her tightly.
Interesting.
Danzo watched this scene with a curious expression.
He could see that Konan and Naruto's relationship seemed to be more than just teacher and student; there was potential for it to become much more intimate.
Naruto Uzumaki and Konan.
Heh, quite an unexpected pair.
Clap, clap.
The sound of applause echoed through the room, startling Konan and Naruto, and causing them to separate.
"It's a happy ending. With this, I've fulfilled my promise. Now, I'll leave the rest to you."
With those words, Danzo's figure flickered and disappeared from the room.
"Konan-sensei, what exactly happened? I remember..." As soon as Danzo left, Naruto eagerly asked Konan.
Konan remained silent for a moment before truthfully explaining:
"It was Danzo Uchiha who ordered Sarutobi Hiruzen to use a forbidden jutsu, sacrificing his life to revive you. However, Danzo also contributed a significant amount of chakra to ensure your resurrection."
Hearing this, Naruto's eyes widened in shock, stammering:
"B-but, why would he revive me?"
Konan sighed. This was a question she had pondered for days without understanding.
After all, with Danzo Uchiha's overwhelming power, he didn't need to negotiate with Konan. He could have simply taken the Gedo Statue and the Jinchuriki by force.
Perhaps.
Naruto's revival could only be seen as an act of mercy from Danzo.
Thus, Konan helplessly told Naruto:
"This time, we probably owe Danzo Uchiha a favor."
After chatting for a while.
"Naruto, where do you plan to go next?" Konan asked seriously.
"I... I can't see anything. Maybe I can't go anywhere," Naruto said sadly.
Losing the Rinnegan and becoming blind, he was experiencing the stark contrast of his situation.
From the heights of power to the depths of despair, even someone as strong-willed as Naruto needed time to accept this harsh reality.
Hearing Naruto's despondency, Konan's eyes hardened. She took Naruto's hands in hers and said softly:
"Then let me be your eyes. No matter where we go, we'll never be apart. Naruto, let's leave the shinobi world and stop being ninja."
She didn't want to lose Naruto again.
At this moment, Konan had fully let go.
The ideals of Akatsuki, as well as Nagato and Yahiko's dreams, had finally become part of Konan's past. The boy in front of her was her cherished future.
"Okay, Konan-sensei, I'll listen to you," Naruto said with a bright smile, revealing two rows of neat white teeth.
However, after a moment of hesitation, he thought—
Before leaving, he should visit Uchiha Dan and thank him in person.
Otherwise, it would be rude to leave without saying goodbye.
"You're right."
Konan nodded, not objecting, and said, "I'll help you get there."
So, Naruto stood up with Konan's support.
At that moment.
In the Hokage's office.
Dan lay sprawled on the sofa, staring absentmindedly at the patterns on the ceiling, half-listening to the woman in front of him.
Or rather, enduring her endless chatter.
As the head of the medical department, Tsunade had come to discuss major issues concerning Konoha's medical division with him, the Hokage.
Policy reforms, budget allocations, talent cultivation—Dan listened drowsily, even yawning out of boredom.
However.
He readily approved all of Tsunade's requests, not bothering to make things difficult for her, or rather—Dan was too lazy to care.
It was because of this attitude that Tsunade had been holding back her anger and not losing her temper at this overgrown baby.
She had never seen a Hokage like this.
Even her grandfather—the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, who loved drinking and gambling and knew nothing about politics, was more competent in handling Konoha's internal affairs than Dan.
"Aren't you all here for that?
With so many talented people in Konoha, should the Hokage have to handle everything personally? What's the point of having department heads, then?"
Dan always said that.
Looking at the clock on the wall, it was almost time to get off work, but the woman in front of him was still talking non-stop.
Swish.
Dan sat up straight from the sofa, impatiently asking Tsunade, "Are you done yet?"
Tsunade interrupted, was taken aback, then seethed with rage:
"Have you even been listening to me? I'm not even halfway through!"
Dan frowned and said seriously:
"Samui must have prepared a lot of delicious food. What if the food gets cold? How about we continue this conversation at the dinner table, or you can come to my study tonight?"
"…"
Tsunade was speechless, her face twitching, on the verge of losing it.
Just as she was about to snap and punch Dan in the face, the bell on the desk suddenly rang.
"What's going on? Is it time to get off work?" Dan asked.
After a brief silence, a voice from the intercom said, "Hokage-sama, Naruto Uzumaki and Konan are here. They want to see you."
Tsunade, suppressing her anger, asked coldly:
"Should I step out?"
"No need. This shouldn't take long. Why don't you have a seat and drink some water? At your age, you shouldn't get so angry all the time. It's bad for your skin."
Dan advised her kindly.
"Hmph." Tsunade snorted, ignoring him, and went to the water dispenser to pour a cup, leaning by the window and looking at the view outside.
Knock, knock.
A series of knocks came, and then a Konoha Anbu member opened the door, allowing Konan to help Naruto into the Hokage's office.
"Sixth Hokage, thank you for keeping your promise and for reviving me."
Naruto immediately expressed his sincere gratitude to Dan.
"It was nothing. I'm just kind-hearted like that."
Dan waved it off, boasting a bit, then looked at Naruto and Konan, asking casually, "Are you here to say goodbye? Where are you planning to go next?"
"Uh, to be honest, we haven't decided on a destination yet."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly.
Even though he and Konan had decided to leave the ninja world, finding a peaceful place without any ninja conflict in this vast world was not easy.
Hearing this, Tsunade frowned and poured cold water on their plans:
"If you leave Konoha now, it could be very dangerous. Many people are watching you."
(End of the chapter)