Chapter 241: One's Own Life Reincarnation Technique
About thirty kilometers north-northwest of Konoha lay a pine forest. Deep beneath that forest, hidden in the earth, was an artificially excavated underground space.
This was one of the secret bases Uchiha Madara had established before his death.
It was also the rendezvous point agreed upon between the reanimated Madara and Uchiha Tatsuhata. Before the operation began, they'd arranged that regardless of success or failure, once they escaped, they would meet here.
The reanimated Madara, wrapped in White Zetsu, emerged from the wall.
He immediately spotted Tatsuhata sitting in a stone chair.
"Tatsuhata, did you retrieve the Rinnegan?"
A trace of satisfaction appeared in Madara's crimson eyes.
Tatsuhata wasn't sitting idly or sleeping. In his hands, he held a small glass jar filled with nutrient solution. Two pale purple Rinnegan eyes floated and bobbed within.
"Without the Yellow Flash and the White Demon to interfere, retrieving what rightfully belongs to us was naturally effortless."
Tatsuhata spoke with casual understatement.
But it was indeed the truth.
The replica Tobirama had transported him directly back to this base earlier, but he hadn't just sat waiting for the reanimated Madara's return. He'd controlled the replica Tobirama and returned to Iwagakure, which no longer had Ritsu's protection.
Iwagakure remained in complete chaos.
Orochimaru had been driven back by Ritsu, and Ritsu had been evacuated by the severely wounded Fourth Hokage. This left Iwagakure's ninja unable to settle down, maintaining their tense state of combat readiness.
But they couldn't defend against the Mayfly Technique and transformation jutsu.
Tatsuhata had easily determined that Kitsuchi carried the Rinnegan on his person. Using a transformation technique, he'd replaced a Rock ninja Kitsuchi deeply trusted, effortlessly approaching him.
Then came the lightning-fast attack.
Kitsuchi died on the spot. Tatsuhata even took the corpse with him. Though Yashamaru, Mangetsu Hoshigaki, and Yatsuki Hikari attempted to intervene, they all failed.
Onoki remained in the village's southwest district and hadn't even made it back to the village center in time.
If Tatsuhata hadn't been rushing back to inspect the Rinnegan, Iwagakure would have endured a bloodbath with casualties multiplied several times over.
Thus, Tatsuhata had left the Fourth Hokage gravely wounded and dying, then casually reclaimed the Rinnegan.
Last night's operation could be called a complete victory!
The only flaw was being pressed hard by that monster Ritsu.
"Madara, take a look. These were your eyes to begin with. Check them for any problems. See if Konoha left any traps inside."
Tatsuhata tossed the glass jar over.
He'd already examined it thoroughly inside and out with his Sharingan and found nothing wrong. But to be safe, he wanted this old fox Madara to check once more.
Oh, and he'd already replaced the glass jar. The previous one had contained Flying Thunder God technique formula markings. He'd smashed it and buried it in the wilderness outside Iwagakure.
His previous losses hadn't been entirely without gain. His mindset and mental fortitude had been thoroughly tempered.
The reanimated Madara caught the jar and examined it up and down before nodding. "No problems. They've been well maintained."
Looking at the eyes he'd extracted before his death, he felt relieved.
Simultaneously, Black Zetsu, who'd returned with him, also felt a weight lift from his heart.
The Rinnegan was an indispensable element of the Moon's Eye Plan.
From the moment they'd lost control of the Rinnegan, Black Zetsu had suffered constant torment, fearing something might happen to them and the hard-won hope would shatter. Who knew how long he'd have to wait for another 'Uchiha Madara' to appear?
"However, preserving them in nutrient solution isn't a long-term solution. It's best to find a vessel to nourish them. Otherwise, problems will develop over time."
The reanimated Madara looked at Tatsuhata and spoke gravely. "Tatsuhata, you can explain your plans regarding a vessel for the Rinnegan now."
He stared unblinkingly at Tatsuhata.
Possessing the Rinnegan alone wasn't enough. They needed a suitable vessel to wield the Rinnegan's power and advance the Moon's Eye Plan.
Hearing this question, Tatsuhata frowned. "That will take time."
"Elaborate."
"When I copied the chakra of Sunagakure's advisor elder Chiyo, I obtained an incomplete forbidden technique called One's Own Life Reincarnation."
"Forbidden Art: One's Own Life Reincarnation?"
The reanimated Madara raised an eyebrow. "What does this technique do?"
"Resurrect the dead."
"What?"
Madara was shocked.
Black Zetsu, standing nearby like a transparent presence, was equally startled.
This wasn't an overreaction. The answer genuinely possessed heart-shaking power.
"Tatsuhata, are you certain this technique has such capabilities? As far as I know, only the Rinnegan's Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique can resurrect the dead."
This was precisely why the reanimated Madara needed to find a suitable vessel for the Rinnegan. He needed someone to use the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to resurrect him so he could personally realize the Moon's Eye Plan.
Yet now Tatsuhata was telling him that a puppet master from Sunagakure had developed a forbidden technique comparable to the Rinnegan's Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique...
"It's true."
Tatsuhata nodded without hesitation, showing no signs of joking. Fortunately, he immediately continued, "But this technique can only resurrect those who died recently, whose bodies remain largely intact. And it requires the caster's life as the price!"
"I see."
The disappointment in Madara's eyes flashed and vanished.
He didn't care what price the caster had to pay, since using the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique also required sacrificing one's life.
But this Forbidden Art: One's Own Life Reincarnation could only resurrect the recently deceased. That held no meaning for him.
The reanimated Madara's disappointment was obvious to Tatsuhata, but he didn't take it to heart. He simply said, "I think we might be able to try resurrecting Nagato."
"Resurrect Nagato?"
The reanimated Madara froze, his brow furrowing. "Will that work? Nagato's been dead for several months now, hasn't he? His body is in Konoha's hands. Are you certain this technique can resurrect Nagato?"
Dawn arrived.
Morning light fell across every corner of Konoha village, but an invisible pall still hung over the village. The air itself felt heavy and oppressive, almost suffocating.
Thanks to Minato's effective countermeasures, Konoha village itself had suffered little damage. The battlefield lay in the forest outside the village. Only ANBU had sustained terrible losses, all ANBU guarding the delivery room had perished, and subsequent battles against Tatsuhata and the reanimated Madara had claimed another batch.
More than half of Konoha's ANBU roster now stood empty.
Of course, reality was cruel. Few people cared about their sacrifice. Everyone's attention focused on Konoha Hospital, constantly monitoring the Fourth Hokage's condition as he underwent emergency treatment, though the vast majority had no clearance for detailed intelligence.
The hallway outside the emergency room swarmed with people.
Until Hiruko arrived.
Seeing the crowded corridor and all these vaguely familiar faces whose names he couldn't quite recall, his expression immediately darkened.
"Does everyone have so much free time?"
Hiruko's face was cold, his voice even colder.
Though winter hadn't yet arrived, that single sentence felt like the bitter wind of deep winter cutting into many people's bones. In an instant, most of the figures in the hallway dispersed, leaving only a handful still standing guard outside the room.
No one dared provoke the Hokage Advisor.
Especially with Lord Hokage gravely wounded and dying. If Lord Hokage truly succumbed to his injuries... according to village regulations, the Hokage Advisor could temporarily assume Hokage authority. With sufficient support, he could even directly inherit the Hokage position.
Therefore, facing the furious Hiruko, those without sufficient standing immediately scattered like birds and beasts.
"Elder Torikaze, what's Lord Hokage's condition?"
Hiruko walked over to Akimichi Torikaze's side. The other advisor elder, Inuzuka Jaw, also stood nearby. Jaw's eyes were filled with anxiety and unease, staring urgently at Torikaze seated on the bench, hoping desperately to hear some good news that would let him breathe easier.
However.
"Not optimistic."
Akimichi Torikaze shook his head heavily. "The medical ninja have already rotated through three shifts, but there's still no good news."
Hiruko's heart sank.
He'd been stationed at the Hokage Building alongside Jaw, busy maintaining order throughout the village. Only now had he managed to free himself and rush over, expecting to hear something encouraging. Instead, reality delivered another merciless, heavy blow.
His brow furrowed deeply as he stared at the emergency room's closed door. "I heard Kushina also entered the emergency room."
"That's correct."
Akimichi Torikaze nodded gravely. "About forty minutes ago, Kushina ignored all advice and entered the emergency room."
"Forty minutes?"
Hiruko's expression grew even darker.
He understood the Uzumaki clan's capabilities. He knew they possessed not only tremendous vitality and outstanding self-healing abilities but could also heal others by sharing their life force.
And most importantly, the healing process was fast.
In other words, if Uzumaki Kushina had successfully saved the Fourth Hokage, she should have emerged long ago. The longer time dragged on, the lower the chances of successful treatment became.
Inuzuka Jaw's face turned pale, his despair so thick it seemed ready to overflow.
"Hiruko, are there any problems in the village?"
Akimichi Torikaze made small talk.
Deep fatigue appeared on Hiruko's face. He sighed heavily and said, "Everything's stable. But we ultimately couldn't keep the Fourth's critical injuries secret. I wouldn't say people are in a complete panic, but the village atmosphere is definitely unstable."
The Kage was the village's leader, the pillar supporting all villagers' hearts.
For most genin and ordinary villagers who weren't even ninja, the Hokage represented the village's strongest protector. As long as the Hokage remained in the village, no matter what disasters struck, they had someone to rely on.
But precisely because of this, when the Hokage fell, the people's hearts lost their anchor, and chaos naturally followed.
Akimichi Torikaze sighed in understanding. He'd personally witnessed how terrible things had been after the First and Second Hokage died. The current situation matched those times.
After the First Hokage's death, Konoha had faced immediate invasion from all four great ninja villages.
After the Second Hokage's death, Konoha had likewise been surrounded by wolves.
Now, whether the four great ninja villages would seize this opportunity remained uncertain, but the missing-nin Uchiha Tatsuhataâ€"the very culprit responsible for keeping the Fourth Hokage in the emergency roomâ€"still roamed free.
In other words, last night's crisis could recur at any moment.
Just thinking about that terrifying possibility made Torikaze's mood exceptionally heavy. The enormous pressure made it almost impossible to breathe. And their every move was being watched by subordinates. Information transmitted downward layer by layer, until even the lowest-ranking villagers could sense danger from the patrol ninja's serious attitudes.
"Hiruko, with Lord Hokage in this condition and the village crisis unresolved, do you have any strategies?"
Akimichi Torikaze considered for a moment, then simply posed the question directly.
He wasn't young anymore, and unlike Sarutobi Hiruzen or Shimura Danzo, those types whose lust for power kept them working tirelessly, this fat old man truly didn't want to think too hard anymore.
He stood guard outside the emergency room not because he cared more about the Fourth Hokage's safety. A larger part of the reason was that he simply lacked the energy to help Hiruko handle complicated affairs, so he'd simply come to Konoha Hospital to stand watch.
But he wasn't completely without a sense of responsibility.
After all, he was still an advisor elder. And even setting aside the village, he had to consider his clan's future. The clan and village had long been intimately connected.
So he stared fixedly at Hiruko.
Hiruko's face twitched, revealing a bitter smile. "Elder Torikaze, what strategies could I possibly have? Lord Hokage lies in the emergency room. I'm completely at a loss. I can only barely handle village affairs following previous patterns."
He wasn't being evasive.
These were his genuine feelings.
Temporarily wielding Hokage authority might seem like a dream come true for an ambitious person like Shimura Danzo, perhaps even an opportunity to become the actual Hokage.
But Hiruko truly had no such aspirations. He held no particular desire for the Hokage seat, finding the work exceptionally difficult and exhausting. If temporary service was this grinding, wouldn't becoming permanent turn him into a beast of burden?
As they spoke, the emergency room door opened.