The instant he saw that cluster of blue light, Natsuhiko recognized it without hesitation—it was unmistakably the soul of Minato Namikaze.
Relief washed over him at once. If Minato's soul was truly there, then it meant the method for undoing the Reaper Death Seal hadn't deceived him after all.
Still, something didn't sit right. His shadow clone hadn't dispelled itself yet, nor had it summoned him to deal with whatever loose ends remained. That alone was enough to leave him faintly uneasy.
As for whether he should let Tsutani Hiro go… Natsuhiko still hadn't reached a firm conclusion. It wasn't that he lacked a sense of honor—rather, to him, "honor" was a flexible thing, something that could be raised or lowered at will.
Much like his moral boundaries.
Those, too, had always been… adaptable.
If keeping that man alive offered fewer benefits than eliminating him, then breaking his promise would mean nothing. He would simply do what needed to be done.
There was no right or wrong when it came to interests. The protagonist Frank Underwood in House of Cards went from being a party whip to the leader of the free world, step by step, proving that his approach was correct.
Even if Natsuhiko hadn't reached that level of ruthlessness yet, he could still get there in certain aspects.
"…Forget it. No point overthinking. Saving Minato comes first."
Shaking his head lightly, he pushed those thoughts aside. His hands moved swiftly through a series of seals, and in an instant, chakra surged outward. Countless trees erupted from the ground around him, twisting and weaving together until they formed a solid enclosure, sealing the area completely.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall."
This time, he didn't dare rely on senjutsu. His reserves of sage chakra hadn't fully recovered, and recklessness here would only backfire. Besides, this barrier served another purpose—to keep others out.
Even though he had already used Water Release and Wood Release to hold Hiruzen Sarutobi at bay, there was no telling if someone else might approach from another direction. Caution was necessary.
Only after securing the perimeter did Natsuhiko step forward, placing his hand over Minato's chest, directly above his heart. Slowly, he reached inward, connecting with the faint trace of Yang Release power he could barely control within his own body.
In the original story, Naruto Uzumaki had effortlessly revived Might Guy and even prolonged the life of Obito Uchiha. That miracle had only been possible through the power of Yang Release.
But Naruto back then had been operating on an entirely different level—practically cheating, having directly inherited the power of the Sage of Six Paths and reaching its peak in one leap.
Natsuhiko, on the other hand, was still at the very beginning. At his current level, even attempting something like the so-called Yang Release Chakra Mode was beyond him.
That state—the one where Naruto shone with golden light, truth-seeking orbs floating behind him—was no ordinary transformation. It required not only Yang Release, but also the chakra of the Nine-Tails and the other tailed beasts.
It was, in essence, a Six Paths-level form. Calling it the Six Paths Chakra Mode wouldn't be an exaggeration.
To reach that point… I'd need the power of the tailed beasts, all kinds of chakra, and above all, mastery over Yang Release. I've still got a long way to go.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Natsuhiko focused himself. A faint golden chakra flickered into existence in his palm.
It seeped into Minato's body, slowly, carefully—like kindling being placed against dying embers—attempting to reignite the fading spark of life within him.
This wasn't something that could be rushed.
Unlike when he had saved Sara, he couldn't simply pour vast amounts of life force into Minato's body. Back then, Sara had still been alive.
But now…
In more ways than one, Minato Namikaze was already dead.
As that stream of golden power continued to flow into him, Natsuhiko could clearly feel his own strength beginning to wane.
Fortunately, the weakness remained within tolerable limits—and more importantly, it was purely physical exhaustion, not a depletion of chakra. That made sense. When Yang Release wasn't combined with chakra, its effects manifested primarily through the body itself.
Closing his eyes slightly, he focused on sensing Minato Namikaze's condition. And once again, he couldn't help but acknowledge just how terrifying the power of Yang Release truly was.
Even though Minato had no breath, no heartbeat—by all appearances, a corpse—the faint "spark" within his body, which had been on the verge of going out, was steadily growing under Natsuhiko's guidance.
Only when that fragile flame stabilized—no longer something that could be extinguished at the slightest disturbance—did Natsuhiko finally withdraw his hand.
"…Looks like until my Yang Release reaches a level where it can actually be used in combat, I shouldn't be using it so casually."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, breathing a little heavier than before. This method of using Yang Release was far from comfortable.
After all, he was still at the beginner stage. Being able to control it to this extent was already thanks to the system's assistance—this was his limit for now.
He had no idea what it would be like once he reached the intermediate stage… but the thought of it stirred a quiet sense of anticipation within him.
Still… does Yang Release grow through those "seeds," or only through bloodline development?
Right now, my bloodline development is already at an intermediate level, but the Yang Release I've obtained is only at the beginner stage…
Does that mean there are even higher tiers beyond what I've seen so far?
His thoughts moved quickly, but his hands were even faster. As chakra began to stir within him once more, he shifted his control, converting the nature of the power he was using.
In the next instant, the golden glow in his palm faded into a soft green light.
This green radiance pulsed with vitality. It was life force—something he had already drawn in advance from nearby trees—and it would serve as the key to saving Minato.
"Though… it seems I took a bit too much this time. After all, there's nothing wrong on Kushina's side."
As he poured that life force into Minato's body, Natsuhiko spared a glance toward Kushina Uzumaki.
From what he could sense, her vitality had already returned to normal. The extraction of the tailed beast had indeed caused immense damage, but the constitution of the Uzumaki clan was no joke.
There were deeper, hidden issues he couldn't perceive—but when it came to life force, his unique sensory ability left little room for doubt.
At least from his perspective, Kushina was no longer in serious danger. Even if some problems remained, they were things that could be resolved through proper recovery.
And just as he had no intention of worrying about her lingering issues, he also had no intention of fully restoring Minato to perfect health.
He carefully regulated the flow of life force, ensuring that Minato would survive—while deliberately preventing his body from fully recovering.
After all, a Minato Namikaze who needed prolonged rest, one with no energy left to handle the affairs of leadership…
That was the version of Minato Natsuhiko considered ideal.
As chakra continued to flow, Natsuhiko stopped the moment he sensed it was enough, immediately cutting off the infusion of life force.
He closed his eyes again, carefully observing Minato's current state—
—and suddenly, his brow furrowed.
By all accounts, Minato had already "come back to life." The flame within his heart burned brightly now, and the vitality in his body had reached a stable and respectable level.
So why…
…was there still no breath?
Why hadn't his heart begun to beat?
This was something Natsuhiko had never encountered before, something he simply couldn't make sense of.
A faint unease crept into his thoughts.
"…Did it fail?"
Natsuhiko's thoughts raced. Failure was not something he was willing to accept—nor something he could afford to bear.
By every measure of his perception, Minato Namikaze had already come back to life. And yet… why hadn't his breathing returned? Why was there still no heartbeat?
As the question circled in his mind, a sudden flash of realization struck him. Without hesitation, he clenched his fist and slammed it hard against Minato's chest.
Thump!
Minato's body jolted slightly. Natsuhiko's sharp senses immediately picked up on it—there was movement, faint but unmistakable, in his heart.
He didn't stop.
Again and again, his fist drove down, each strike firm and precise. With every blow, the response grew stronger, clearer—until at some point, Minato's entire body suddenly trembled.
And then—
Without any need for further intervention, without even the need for artificial breath—his eyes snapped open.
...
Minato felt… lost. Completely disoriented.
He had no idea what was happening.
His chest throbbed with pain, as if his ribs had been shattered, and at the same time, a strange, unfamiliar memory lingered in his mind.
In that memory, he and the Nine-Tails within him had been dragged into the belly of the Shinigami. There, it felt as though they were destined to remain locked in endless conflict, bound together in mutual hatred for all eternity.
He didn't understand why he felt this way—nor where that certainty came from.
All he knew was that he had soon been pulled into a world of absolute darkness, a place where everything else faded away, leaving only himself and the Nine-Tails behind.
He could feel the beast, its soul nearly fused with his own, roaring in fury—an anger so intense it felt as though it would tear him apart at any moment.
And he had been ready.
Ready to fight.
Ready to attack relentlessly, to struggle against the Nine-Tails with everything he had, to battle it to the death without pause.
But before that fight could even begin, the world around him suddenly shattered. The darkness cracked apart as an overwhelming light descended, engulfing him entirely.
For a moment, Minato lost himself in that brilliance.
Then, in the very next instant, he felt something—someone—pull him free from that collapsing world. His thoughts cleared, his awareness sharpening as he was dragged out of the darkness.
He didn't know what had happened.
All he knew was that he hadn't been the only one pulled out. Even the Nine-Tails within him had been dragged along.
He felt as though he was soaring through the sky, carried by an unseen force, until gradually… it was as if he had found his way home.
He entered a place that felt deeply familiar—so familiar that it stirred something in his soul—yet he couldn't place where it was.
His thoughts grew clearer. Memories began to return.
He remembered using the Reaper Death Seal to seal away the Nine-Tails.
He remembered knowing, without doubt, that it was a technique that demanded the user's life in exchange. Once it was used, death was inevitable.
And yet… he had never regretted it.
For the sake of Kushina Uzumaki.
For the sake of Konoha.
He had been willing to give everything.
"…Then what state am I in now?"
He couldn't answer his own question.
He felt full of vitality—yet he couldn't wake.
It was as if he were dead… and yet not entirely. His thoughts drifted in a hazy limbo, capable of thinking, yet unable to grasp the truth of his situation.
That contradiction, that suffocating uncertainty, was unbearable.
Worse still, his entire body felt wrong.
An overwhelming pressure crushed down on him, a suffocating sensation that made it feel as though he were truly on the verge of death.
He couldn't explain it. It was agony that came from both mind and body—a torment that made existence itself feel unbearable.
What is happening to me? What… am I becoming?
The suffocation intensified.
Even though he could feel vitality returning, he still couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. He hovered on the very edge of death, trapped in a state he couldn't escape.
And then—
Suddenly, everything became lighter.
His body—or perhaps his consciousness—seemed to rise, as if he were drifting upward, freed from some unseen restraint.
This feeling…
Am I… on my way to the Pure Land?
It was as if Minato Namikaze suddenly realized something.
The sensation was strange—indescribable, beyond anything he could put into words. It felt as though, by instinct alone, he already knew where he was headed. That certainty was both uncanny and wondrous, leaving him adrift in a quiet confusion.
I've left the Shinigami's stomach… but how was the Reaper Death Seal broken?
With that lingering question, he continued to rise, drifting ever upward as though he were being drawn toward his true destination.
Drowsiness crept over him, growing heavier with each passing moment. His thoughts slowed, his desire to understand fading away. All he wanted now… was to rest. To sleep.
The feeling deepened, irresistible.
At last, he let his eyes close.
Perhaps… this isn't so bad after all. If I reach the Pure Land, maybe I'll see Kushina again someday… Better than remaining trapped in the Shinigami's stomach forever…
But just as that thought settled—
His entire being suddenly jolted violently.
"—Pain!"
A sharp, searing agony exploded in his chest. The lightness he had felt moments ago began to vanish, replaced by a crushing weight.
What… is happening?
The drowsiness shattered instantly. Confusion flooded back as he tried to grasp his surroundings, but the relentless pain in his chest made it impossible to focus. His body felt heavier and heavier, as though he were being dragged down by an unseen force.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Amid those pounding impacts, he felt himself plummeting. How long he fell, he couldn't tell—but when another surge of intense pain tore through his chest, it felt as though he had slammed violently into the ground.
The pain was so overwhelming he nearly roared.
And yet—
Something changed.
He could feel it.
His blood… was flowing again.
And faintly, ever so faintly, he could hear it—
The steady beating of his heart.
It was as if he had been holding his breath for an eternity. The suffocating pressure returned, wrapping around him once more, urging him to break free.
He struggled.
He fought to open his eyes.
He fought to breathe.
"—Hah!"
At last, through the pain and the relentless pounding, his eyes snapped open.
Air rushed into his lungs—through his nose, through his mouth—and for the first time, he felt just how sweet it was. For the first time, he understood how precious it was to be alive.
But the moment didn't last.
Exhaustion quickly overtook him, and his eyes slowly closed once more.
He was too tired. Far too tired.
He needed rest—real rest.
...
Time passed. How much, he couldn't say.
Gradually, his consciousness began to return.
The pain in his chest was still there—sharp and undeniable—and beyond that, he could tell his body was in poor condition.
Even though vitality had returned, the weakness clung to him stubbornly. It was a kind of frailty he had never experienced before, and instinctively, he knew recovery would take a long time.
Beep… beep… beep…
A faint sound reached his ears.
It sounded like some kind of instrument.
And then—
"…Minato… Minato…"
A woman's voice.
Soft. Familiar.
It brought an immediate sense of peace to his heart. He knew that voice. It belonged to someone irreplaceable—someone precious beyond words.
The mother of his child.
Wait… Kushina… Naruto!
In that instant, everything clicked.
Forcing his heavy body to respond, he struggled with all his strength to open his eyes again.
Though he was exhausted, though he was weak beyond measure, the desire to see them burned fiercely within him.
Slowly, painfully, he overcame that final barrier.
His eyes opened.
What greeted him…
…was a stark white ceiling.
And the sharp, sterile scent of disinfectant filled his nose.
"Am I in the hospital?"
Minato Namikaze's thoughts moved quickly, and in an instant, he understood where he was.
"Minato! Minato! You're awake!"
A weak yet overwhelmingly joyful voice rang out beside him.
He didn't even need to turn his head to know who it was.
Slowly, he shifted his gaze—and there she was.
Kushina Uzumaki.
Her red hair framed a pale face, and her aura was unsteady, clearly showing she hadn't fully recovered either. Yet the tears welling in her eyes, combined with the sheer joy written across her expression, gave her a breathtaking beauty that was impossible to ignore.
Minato managed a faint smile. It was obvious to him that, like him, she was still recuperating in this ward.
But then—his gaze shifted slightly.
Between their two beds sat a cradle.
And inside it, a sleeping infant.
In that instant, the smile on his face bloomed completely.
"…Naruto."
He lifted his hand, wanting to reach out and touch the child—but the weakness in his body held him back. No matter how hard he tried, he simply didn't have the strength.
"Minato… you're finally awake!"
Kushina could no longer hold back her tears. Her voice trembled as she cried openly.
"Why are you so foolish? Why did you do something so dangerous? Don't you know that without you, this world means nothing to me!"
"…I'm sorry, Kushina…"
His voice was filled with guilt, but as the words left his lips, he found himself unable to continue.
Because deep down, he already knew the truth.
Even if time were turned back—if he were placed in that same situation again—
He would make the exact same choice.
He loved this village. He loved his family. These were things he had sworn to protect with his life.
For their sake, he would give up everything—his life, his future, all of it—without hesitation. Even if it meant death.
He had no regrets.
And he never would.
"…Kushina," he suddenly spoke again, as if recalling something important. His expression shifted slightly. "The Reaper Death Seal… is there a way to undo it?"
"The Reaper Death Seal…"
Kushina's expression turned serious as well. She could tell he might be trying to change the subject—but at the same time, the question itself troubled her deeply.
Under normal circumstances, anyone who used that technique was doomed to die.
Their soul would be taken by the Shinigami—so how could they possibly survive?
And yet, Minato was alive.
It didn't make sense.
Before, she hadn't thought too deeply about it. But now… she had no choice but to face the question.
The technique Minato used had been given to him by her. It was something she had inherited from her clan's predecessor, Mito Uzumaki.
But when she learned it, there had only been instructions for performing the seal—there had never been any method to undo it.
"I… don't think I know either." Kushina shook her head, confusion evident in her eyes. "But your situation clearly proves the seal worked. So… could there be something about it I never understood?"
Minato frowned slightly before asking the next question that had been on his mind.
"Then do you know… who saved us?"
"That, I do know." Kushina nodded faintly. She had regained consciousness earlier than he had, after all. "I heard from the nurses—it was an ANBU who rescued us."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"And I also heard… that ANBU belonged to the Senju clan. Apparently, he even fought alongside you. Minato… do you know who it might be?"
A Senju… in the ANBU?
The moment he heard those words, Minato's pupils shrank slightly.
A realization formed almost instantly in his mind.
If there were anyone capable of accomplishing something like this—
Then there was probably only one person it could be.
Knock. Knock.
Just then, a soft sound echoed through the room.
The door to their ward opened—
And an ANBU operative stepped inside.
The ANBU operative showed no surprise at all upon seeing Minato Namikaze awake. He bowed slightly, then spoke in a swift, respectful tone.
"Hokage-sama, the doctors are on their way to examine you. Also, the Third Hokage has already arrived."
"I understand. Thank you for your hard work."
"There's one more thing," the ANBU added. "Division Commander Nightingale has arrived. Would you like to see him?"
"Nightingale… let him come in," Minato replied after a brief pause. "The examination can wait. And once he's inside, have everyone else withdraw. I need to speak with him alone."
...
Natsuhiko walked calmly down the hospital corridor toward Minato's ward, his steps unhurried. This time, he wasn't wearing his mask—after all, this meeting wasn't an official one.
Thinking back to everything that had happened the previous night, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
It had been, by all accounts, a resounding success.
There had been a few unexpected developments—like Tsutani Hiro being killed by the very method meant to undo the Reaper Death Seal—but those were minor details in the grand scheme of things.
Professional rivalry, perhaps?
Regardless, everything else had gone exactly as he intended. How could he not feel satisfied?
Though…
As he continued walking, another thought surfaced, and his smile deepened slightly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't seem too pleased with me.
The memory of their encounter the night before replayed vividly in his mind.
After all, once he had quite literally punched Minato back to life—despite the man collapsing unconscious again afterward—his own examination had confirmed it beyond doubt: the Fourth Hokage had survived.
In hindsight, Natsuhiko realized he had overlooked something crucial.
Even though he had reignited Minato's life force and replenished his vitality, Minato had already been clinically dead. Simply restoring that "spark" wasn't enough—revival required more direct intervention.
Like restarting the heart.
Fortunately, he had reacted quickly. Otherwise, Minato might have ended up as the most unfortunate Hokage in history—revived, only to die again moments later.
Once he was certain Minato was truly alive, Natsuhiko had withdrawn all of his Wood Release techniques. The protective Wood Locking Wall, the Wood Dragon, even the vast forest he had summoned—everything was dismissed.
With those barriers gone, it didn't take long for Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other Konoha shinobi to arrive.
The scene had been unforgettable.
Minato and Kushina Uzumaki lay unconscious on the ground, while in Natsuhiko's arms, the infant Naruto cried loudly.
Hiruzen had fallen silent at the sight.
The other shinobi, however, erupted into cheers.
The crisis was over.
The terrifying Nine-Tails had been sealed.
And when it was confirmed that both the Fourth Hokage and his wife were still alive, the cheers only grew louder.
Amid that celebration, Hiruzen had stepped closer to Natsuhiko and spoken in a low, restrained voice.
"Well done, Natsuhiko. You did… very well."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. It was only my duty."
Natsuhiko had bowed slightly, having already removed his ANBU mask. The smile on his face was gentle—warm, even friendly—just as it always was.
But in Hiruzen's eyes, that expression only deepened his wariness.
Taking off the mask of the ANBU didn't mean Natsuhiko had revealed his true face.
On the contrary—
It felt like he had merely put on another one.
A mask he wore at all times.
A mask so convincing… it was unsettling.
"What is it that you want?" Hiruzen had asked after a long pause, his voice even lower now, heavy with caution.
"What I want…" Natsuhiko had replied with a faint smile. He tilted his head slightly, glancing at the celebrating shinobi before speaking again.
"You've always known the answer to that, Hokage-sama."
His gaze lingered on the jubilant crowd for a moment before he continued softly:
"Isn't everything as it should be now? Naturally, I want it to become even better. That's what I'm working toward—just like everything else I desire."
"You're too impatient," Hiruzen had said, his expression turning complicated. "In the future… won't all of this belong to your generation anyway?"
"Perhaps," Natsuhiko replied with a faint smile as he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. But that smile gradually turned cold.
"But I'm preparing for my future. Opportunities are given to those who are ready—and if I fail to seize one when it comes, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."
With that, he said no more. There was no need.
His words had already made everything clear.
In a manner that was both restrained and unmistakably forceful, he had laid his position bare before Hiruzen. Beneath the surface, his distrust was no longer hidden—it was declared.
He knew this was dangerous. After all, Hiruzen still held immense power.
But so what?
Everything Natsuhiko had accomplished that night had already elevated his reputation. More importantly, the strength he displayed—especially his use of Wood Release—had been witnessed by nearly every shinobi in Konoha capable of fighting.
With that alone, Hiruzen wouldn't dare act recklessly against him. And even if he did… Natsuhiko wasn't afraid.
There were far more people in Konoha willing to support and follow the Senju than most would admit. Some were civilians. Others came from smaller clans.
As for the major clans—yes, they might fear the resurgence of the Senju and the threat it posed to their own interests.
But Natsuhiko understood those so-called great clans all too well.
The problems within the Hyūga clan? Give it a few years, and they'd come to resent Hiruzen on their own—no interference required.
As for the Uchiha… he had already made his move. Even if what he did tonight might bring complications later, it didn't matter.
Fifty years ago, the Senju and Uchiha had joined hands to build Konoha.
So why couldn't they do so again, fifty years later?
Even if this "alliance" had been subtly manipulated by him from the shadows, the initiative would remain firmly in his grasp.
And compared to a future where their clan would crumble without change… anyone with sense would know which choice to make.
Besides…
By forcing this confrontation with Hiruzen, I've already put him on edge.
And if I can secure the position of ANBU commander, that pressure will only intensify.
Minato may need time to recover, but he is still the Fourth Hokage in name. And my actions tonight have already made my stance clear.
That leaves Hiruzen with only one option—he'll have to do everything he can to consolidate support.
And "everything," in this case, could very well mean anything.
There was a reason Natsuhiko had never moved against Danzo.
After all… someone had to "help" Hiruzen.
Otherwise, how could the seeds of division truly take root among the shinobi?
Natsuhiko's existence alone would accelerate that process.
...
Walking slowly down the corridor, he could hear faint sobs echoing from below. Taking a deep breath, he let the sound settle in his chest.
The damage caused by the Nine-Tails had been immense.
The hospital was overflowing—busier than it had ever been, perhaps even more so than during wartime.
But Natsuhiko didn't dwell on it.
In matters of gain and loss, there was no absolute right or wrong. And in his view, the Nine-Tails' attack wasn't entirely without value.
Having faced such a direct and devastating threat once, the village would only grow more vigilant. The shinobi would become more resolute in protecting it, ensuring that such a disaster would never happen again.
Still…
Let's hope something like this never happens again.
With that thought lingering in his mind, Natsuhiko came to a stop before Minato Namikaze's hospital room.
He looked at the tightly closed door, then calmly adjusted his expression.
A moment later—
He reached out and slowly pushed it open.