The question had been weighing on Souta Kazuki's mind for a long time. The system had granted him the ability to summon the undead of Konoha, but what exactly did that entail? How did the system define the "undead of Konoha"?
Did it only apply to those who were officially registered as Konoha shinobi during their lifetime, and upon their death, became bound to the village's history? Or did it extend to all who were buried within Konoha's land, regardless of their origins?
Souta had asked the system this before, but as always, the answer was frustratingly vague.
[Host must explore and discover the answer independently.]
That meant he had to test it himself.
If the latter was true—if all those buried in Konoha counted—then he might just have the chance to summon Uchiha Izuna this time. Or perhaps even legendary warriors from the Warring States Era, long before Konoha was officially founded.
With 1.4 billion ryo at his disposal, Souta was determined to find out.
"Uncle Minato, Uncle Fugaku, you two should cancel your psychic contracts and return to the psychic space first. I'll be summoning a new soul soon."
Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha exchanged glances before nodding. With two soft puffs of smoke, they disappeared, returning to the psychic space.
Inside that mysterious realm, their sudden return did not go unnoticed. Hashirama, Tobirama, Madara, and Mito immediately turned their attention toward them.
Madara in particular felt his excitement building. His piercing gaze locked onto Minato.
"Did he say summoning?"
Minato smiled. "Yeah. It looks like he's planning to test the system's limits."
Madara's hands clenched into fists. There were few truly strong souls left in Konoha's history. If the rules allowed it, then this time—this time—his little brother, Uchiha Izuna, might return!
The Power of 1.4 Billion Ryo
Back in his room, Souta placed his hand on the massive bundle of ryo he had prepared.
"System! I want to recharge!"
[One billion four hundred and thirteen million ryo detected! Would you like to recharge the full amount?]
Souta hesitated for a brief moment before shaking his head. "No. Recharge only 1.4 billion. I'll keep the rest for emergency use."
If this worked, he might be able to summon every powerful shinobi from Konoha's past. But what if there weren't enough worthy undead left? If he blindly spent everything, he might end up with excess summoning chances and no more valuable spirits to call forth.
[Recharge successful! Congratulations, host, your wealth value is now 1.4 billion ryo.]
"Open the data panel."
A translucent blue screen appeared before him.
[Psychic System]
Host: Souta Kazuki
Wealth Value: 1,400,000,000 ryo
White Psychic: 0
Green Psychic: 0
Blue Psychic: 0
Purple Psychic: 0
Golden Psychic: 0
Souta exhaled. "Alright. Let's do this carefully."
Unlike before, he wouldn't immediately exchange all his wealth points for golden psychic attempts. He would summon them one at a time—ensuring that every ryo was well spent.
With that in mind, he closed his eyes, channeling his chakra as his consciousness entered the psychic space.
Inside the psychic space, Souta Kazuki stood with a calculating gaze, surrounded by the legendary figures of Konoha. The golden light of the summoning array still flickered faintly on the ground, its brilliance illuminating the expectant faces around him.
Unlike last time, when he had converted all his ryo into golden psychic chances, Souta had decided to be more cautious. He couldn't be certain how many more powerful warriors were left among the undead of Konoha, and wasting resources recklessly was not an option.
"I'll summon them one by one," he murmured to himself. This way, if the quality of the summoned undead dropped, he wouldn't waste his remaining wealth points.
His decision made, he called out, "System, exchange 100 million ryo for one golden psychic!"
[Congratulations to the host for consuming 100 million ryo and obtaining one golden summoning chance!]
"System, use the golden psychic now!"
The moment he activated the summoning, a massive golden magic circle formed beneath his feet. The intricate seals within the array pulsed with an eerie glow, casting long shadows across the psychic space. The air around them grew thick with anticipation, and even the strongest among them—Madara, Hashirama, and Tobirama—felt a strange energy radiating from the technique.
A swirling ball of soul fire emerged from the magic circle, floating eerily as it began to take shape. The white flames coalesced into a human form, and as the golden light faded, the figure of a man stood before them.
His hair was a stark white, even whiter than Tobirama's, and his sharp yet composed features carried an air of quiet strength. He wore a standard Konoha shinobi vest, his eyes brimming with sharpness and wisdom. Strapped to his back was a well-maintained tantō—the legendary White Fang Blade.
Souta immediately recognized him.
"Hatake Sakumo... Konoha's White Fang."
The name itself carried weight. A man who once rivaled the Three Legendary Sannin. A warrior whose mere presence on the battlefield made enemy nations tremble. Yet, his life had been cut short, not by battle, but by the scorn of the very village he had devoted his life to protecting.
Sakumo's eyes opened slowly, his sharp gaze scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. For a brief moment, his expression was unreadable, but then his gaze landed on the people standing before him.
His eyes widened slightly.
"No way..."
The first thing he saw was Hokage Rock—or rather, the faces that should have remained in stone but were now standing before him in the flesh.
"First Hokage... Second Hokage..." His voice was barely above a whisper. "And... Uchiha Madara?"
His eyes then landed on a familiar blonde figure.
The recognition was instant. "Minato?" Sakumo's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why do you look... older?"
Minato stepped forward, his features softening. "Sakumo-senpai, it's a long story. But first, I should tell you this—I became the Fourth Hokage."
Sakumo's eyes widened, the weight of Minato's words sinking in. "Hokage?" His gaze briefly flickered towards the others—the legendary First and Second Hokage, the infamous Uchiha Madara, and even Uzumaki Mito.
"What in the world is going on?" Sakumo whispered to himself, his hand unconsciously resting on the handle of his tantō.
Seeing his confusion, Minato quickly explained the situation—the resurrection, the psychic space, and the current state of the world. He spoke about how Kakashi had grown into an elite jōnin, a man respected throughout the village.
Sakumo listened in silence, his mind processing the revelations. His son... had grown up without him.
There was a flicker of regret in his eyes, but then he took a deep breath, pushing down his emotions. "Heh... that boy. It seems he turned out well after all."
Minato smiled. "He inherited your strength, your skills, and your will, Sakumo-senpai. He has become one of Konoha's finest."
Sakumo chuckled softly, his voice laced with pride. "That's good to hear..."
Just then, Souta stepped forward, his eyes filled with admiration. "Uncle Sakumo, I've heard stories of your exploits for as long as I can remember. The White Fang of Konoha—your name alone once struck fear into the hearts of enemies across the ninja world. A single swing of your tantō could turn the tide of battle. Even the Sannin paled in comparison to your prowess."
Sakumo raised an eyebrow at the younger shinobi. "And you are?"
"Souta Kazuki," he said, his tone respectful but firm. "I'm the one who brought you back."
For a moment, Sakumo regarded him, his piercing gaze studying the younger ninja. "You... you don't look like a clan heir, yet your chakra feels powerful. Who are you really?"
Souta smirked. "Let's just say... I'm someone rewriting fate itself."
Madara, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, his deep voice carrying a note of interest. "Hmph. Another arrogant young one. We shall see if you have the strength to match your words, boy."