As soon as those words were spoken, everyone present nodded in agreement. Those five—by seniority, strength, and contributions—were undeniably the best choices.
Tsunade, hearing this, clenched her fists slightly, struggling to contain her excitement.
They were talking about her grandfather and grandmother— the First Hokage and the First Lady—about to return to life. How could she not be overjoyed?
But then she thought of her younger brother Nawaki, her beloved Dan Katō, and other important people in her life who had passed away, and she felt a pang of sorrow.
Under the Alliance's current rules for distributing revival slots, who knew how long it would take before she could resurrect them.
Jiraiya, noticing Tsunade's reddening eyes, sighed and patted her shoulder in comfort. He felt equally conflicted but hated seeing his dear friend in such pain.
Naruto felt something similar; he lowered his head, hands clenched unconsciously.
He could hardly contain the thrill at the thought of his parents coming back. It almost made him want to leap for joy! But then he realized Sasuke would have to keep waiting.
If he showed too much excitement, wouldn't that be like rubbing salt into Sasuke's wound? So Naruto took a deep breath, doing his best to appear calm, though his slightly ragged breathing betrayed his excitement.
Sasuke, standing not far from Naruto, instantly guessed what was going through his friend's mind. With a small, reassuring smile, he stepped forward to break the silence. "Lord Hokage!"
In a firm voice, Sasuke asked, "The Alliance's resurrection slots are allocated based on each village's contributions to the Alliance, right?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. "That's correct."
"Konoha is taking five slots in advance. If I serve the village—and the Alliance—above and beyond, can I earn a slot of my own to revive someone of my choosing?" Sasuke asked resolutely, bowing deeply.
Hiruzen and his two Advisors exchanged a look. All three broke into warm smiles and nodded.
Koharu Utatane answered gently, "Of course. If you render meritorious service to the Alliance, you deserve one of those slots in return."
After all, with the First, Second, and Fourth Hokage revived, Konoha would be more secure than ever. They no longer had any reason to worry about a potential Uchiha uprising. Even if someone resurrected Fugaku and Mikoto— or even Madara himself—it wouldn't cause much trouble.
Hearing their response, Sasuke let out a breath and bowed formally. "Thank you, Lord Hokage, and esteemed Elders."
Tsunade, who had been feeling down, now found her spirits reignited. "Hmph, guess I can't lag behind either!" She lifted her chin, brimming with the usual confidence of the Konoha Princess. "Once I've racked up enough points, I'll bring Nawaki and the others back sooner than later!"
The mere thought of her younger brother Nawaki and lover Dan Katō standing before her again set her blood racing.
In the corner, Kabuto pushed up his glasses, revealing a rare earnest smile.
He, too, yearned to resurrect Lady Nonō. For that, he'd also have to work twice as hard.
Everyone else nodded, empathizing with the pain of losing loved ones. Each of them had people they wished could return. At that moment, a fresh hope lit up in everyone's eyes.
"All the other major villages face a similar situation," Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly. "They'll mostly opt to revive their past Kage and greatest heroes. Sure, resurrecting so many high-level shinobi will drastically shake up the balance of power in the ninja world, but it should still be crucial for preserving peace in the days ahead."
He paused, looking emotional. "It's my life's greatest fortune to see old comrades, mentors, and younger friends regain their lives."
Hearing that, Tsunade felt a surge of emotion.
If her grandfather and grandmother were really revived, and could see the peaceful world they'd once dreamed of gradually taking shape—how gratified they would be.
She pictured Hashirama's goofy grin. She could only imagine how that legendary First Hokage, creator of Konoha, would react upon beholding this new era of the ninja world.
…
Meanwhile, in Amegakure, Senshi had another angle in mind. According to the Alliance's decisions, anyone seeking to resurrect a ninja had to pay Kaguya Ōtsutsuki a massive fee.
Reviving a top-tier fighter was priced at a staggering five hundred million ryō! With this "great resurrection business," Kaguya stood to gain limitless wealth.
But Senshi's lips curved into a knowing smile: all that money would eventually end up in his purse—meaning it would be funneled back to him via new commissions. Kaguya's profits would go straight into his pocket, fueling his own upgrades and unlocked abilities.
Just then, Senshi himself was seated cross-legged on his bed, watching the system interface flash rapidly.
[Congratulations, you have obtained 1 unit of chakra.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 3 explosive tags.]
…
"Whew, only four hundred more sets of ten-pulls to go…" Senshi muttered, wiping nonexistent sweat from his brow. "Once I'm done, I should unlock the advanced draw feature at last, right?"
Although day after day of random draws was mind-numbing, the lure of those top-tier possible prizes reinvigorated him.
Just as he was about to try his luck again, there was a gentle knock at the door.
Knock-knock.
It opened a crack, revealing a red-haired girl peeking in cautiously. "Senshi—?"
He recognized her and couldn't help a laugh. "Hey there, Karin! Looking for me?"
Karin pouted—she was used to that nickname—and hurried over with a sealed scroll clutched to her chest, looking uneasy. She held it up like a nervous child, quietly saying, "Senshi…I have a request."
Summoning her courage, she explained, "I… I want to resurrect my mother. But with the Alliance's current system, neither of us has enough status. It'll take ages before I can earn a slot."
Her head drooped, tears pooling in her eyes. "Maybe…it'll be years—maybe longer—before we get that chance."
Her mother was one of the last survivors of the Uzumaki clan, killed protecting Karin in wartime. Karin had never healed from that wound. Now that so many were on track to reunite with their loved ones, she felt pangs of envy and sorrow, but couldn't bear to impose—except on the one she trusted most: Senshi.
He listened, then nodded in understanding. "That's all? I was expecting something big." He patted her head, smiling comfortingly. "So Karin misses her mommy, huh."
Karin flushed. "I'm not a kid anymore…" Then she looked up at him hopefully. "But you must have a way, right?"
Senshi arched an eyebrow. "That's easy! Just go ask Aunt Kaguya. Pay her enough money and she'll revive your mom, simple as that."
Karin: (O_O)???
She froze on the spot, nearly dropping her scroll. It was… that simple? Her mind went blank, wondering if she misheard.
Seeing her stunned, Senshi couldn't help but laugh. "You still don't get it, do you? Zetsu-bro and Aunt Kaguya would definitely do it as a favor to me."
"For real?!" Karin's eyes sparkled, and she gave an excited hop, practically hugging Senshi's arm. "That's awesome!"
With a wry smile, he waved her off. "Alright, off you go."
"Mm-hm!" Karin nodded vigorously, swallowing back a lump in her throat. She had hardly spoken when—
Swoosh—her petite figure vanished in a swirl of Kamui.
That vortex had barely faded when another Kamui swirl appeared, revealing a visitor Senshi hadn't expected: a person in a gray cloak and mask—Obito. He'd briefly become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki but lost that power when Madara extracted the beast; he'd survived, and Senshi had even reattached his Sharingan with medical ninjutsu.
Obito stared at Senshi. "What…happened?"
He was referring, of course, to why both his and Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan had failed.
Senshi raised an eyebrow. "You mean, why did both your plans crash and burn?"
Obito nodded, eyes full of confusion and frustration behind the mask.
"The truth, you say…" Senshi gave a thin smile. "The inscription beneath Naka Shrine was tampered with. Black Zetsu altered it. The 'path to salvation' you and Madara believed in was a carefully crafted lie from the start."
"What?!" Obito's eye bulged, voice going shrill. "You're saying Black Zetsu… rewrote the stone tablet?!"
Senshi nodded, face turning serious. "Exactly. And Black Zetsu isn't some will of Madara created, either; it has its own agenda. More precisely, it's Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's 'child'…a piece in her plan to regain her freedom. As for the Uchiha, you're the descendants of Hagoromo's son Indra, whereas Kaguya is Indra's grandmother. In other words, Black Zetsu exploited the Uchiha's obsessions so that your ancestor—Kaguya—could be resurrected."
Each word from Senshi felt like a lightning strike to Obito's brain. He stood there in a daze, mind spinning in chaos.
Silence.
His fists clenched and relaxed repeatedly, knuckles cracking. His body trembled under the robe. Eventually, he let out a long, ragged breath. "I see… so that's how it is. Hah…hahaha…"
He gave a few self-mocking laughs, voice filled with bitterness and regret. When the laughter faded, a sweet, gentle smile rose in his mind—Rin Nohara.
She had always encouraged him with bright smiles, serving as both his motivation and the trigger for his fall into darkness.
Rin…
If the person you love can truly be brought back, why create a false world?
Obito snapped his head up, fixing Senshi with a trembling stare. "Senshi… R-Rin. She… can she be revived?"
Senshi nodded calmly. "Of course. If you want Rin Nohara back, stay here in the real world. Atone for your past crimes by supporting the Shinobi Alliance. Then, based on your merits, they'll give you a slot to bring her back."
That definite answer made Obito's chest feel a thousand times lighter. He nearly collapsed, tears gathering in his single eye, but he kept his head raised so they wouldn't fall.
After a beat, he bowed deeply to Senshi.
"…Thank you, Senshi. Thank you for telling me all this and giving me a chance to atone."
"I just did what I had to. The choice is yours—I'm glad you picked the right path."
Obito gave a wry smile, shaking his head. "Right path, huh… I used to think this world held nothing worth living for besides Rin. Since Infinite Tsukuyomi is no longer an option, I'll trust you—and this so-called 'Perfect Ninja World Plan.'"
With that, the gloom in his eye vanished, replaced by unprecedented calm and resolve. He shed the mask, revealing a face etched with the scars of time. That once-dreaded "Masked Man" now looked only remorseful and sincere.
He and Senshi gazed at each other for a moment. A hint of relief touched Obito's lips.
"We'll meet again, Senshi."
Then the space around him rippled as he slid into a vortex, vanishing entirely.
Senshi gazed at the empty spot, letting out a quiet sigh. But—
"What use is being a 'simp'? All that clownish groveling made my mom wait so many years!" A voice drifted up eerily from beneath the floor.
Senshi turned to see the wooden boards near the bed ripple into dark waves, from which a shadowy figure emerged—Black Zetsu.
Having fully risen, it crossed its arms, wearing a nonchalant expression.
"Obito left?"
"Yeah," Senshi nodded. "You seem calm."
Black Zetsu shrugged. "As long as my mother's revived, none of them can do a thing to us. Not even if they keep bringing legendary Kage back to life."
He then grinned slyly. "I heard everything underground. The Five Great Villages pay five hundred million ryō per revive, which means Mama's about to earn a fortune."
Senshi laughed. "Spying on them from below and counting money for your mom at the same time, huh?"
With a casual shrug, Black Zetsu replied, "Anyway, I've come to continue our collaboration. I'd like to buy a lot of chakra to nourish my mother."
Senshi paused, then chuckled. "Haha, Zetsu-bro, always the devoted son, are we?"
Black Zetsu flushed, clearing his throat. "Ahem, well… Mother's just regained freedom. I have to look after her, don't I?"
Senshi eyed him curiously. "But where'd you get the cash?"
Black Zetsu drew himself up smugly. "Mama gave me an allowance! The Five Great Villages alone have five slots each— that's 25 resurrected ninja total, plus 15 among the minor villages, for 40 in all. At five hundred million a pop, that's 20 billion ryō straight into Mama's pocket. And she gave me two billion as pocket money, which I plan to spend on chakra or other supplements to help her recover."
Senshi: (O_O)???
He gaped, rubbing his forehead. "Dude… that's more than Konoha's annual budget as pocket change."
Black Zetsu snickered. "Heh, that's what having a mom's all about!"
Senshi rolled his eyes, amused. "Fine, fine. Ordinary remedies won't help someone at Kaguya's level anyway. Direct chakra infusion is best. So if you want to buy chakra, just put a commission."
"Just what I was waiting for!" Black Zetsu smirked, promptly issuing a mission:
"Lord Senshi, I'll pay you two billion ryō to provide my mother with two billion worth of chakra."
"Got it, Zetsu-bro. I officially accept."
[Mission Accepted!]
[Client: Black Zetsu]
[Goal: Supply Kaguya with Chakra worth two billion ryō]
[Payment: Two billion ryō]
[Rank: S]
[Reward: Two million Employment Points]
…
An Open Field Outside Amegakure
The torrential rain had finally ceased, and the dark sky parted enough for some slivers of sunset. In the center of the clearing, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki stood quietly, clad in pure white robes, her long hair draped over her shoulders, her third eye closed yet still emanating an imposing aura. She was calmly regulating her chakra, waiting for the various ninja representatives to arrive.
Suddenly, the ground rippled, and two figures emerged one after another—Black Zetsu and Senshi.
"Aunt Kaguya!" Senshi called cheerily, striding over to set a pile of scrolls on a dry rock near her. "These scrolls hold two billion ryō's worth of chakra—Zetsu-bro asked me to prepare them for you as a restorative."
Kaguya opened her eyes, looking surprised. "Two billion ryō's worth…of chakra?"
She glanced at Black Zetsu. He flashed a bashful grin. "Heh, Mother, I asked Lord Senshi to help. I'm worried that resurrecting so many people is draining you too much."
Kaguya mulled it over, a rare gentle smile touching her lips. Raising a pale hand, she softly patted Black Zetsu's head. "You…"
He practically beamed inside.
"Thank you, Black Zetsu," she whispered, placing her palm on the stack of scrolls and closing her eyes. At once, an enormous surge of pure chakra rose around her.
Each scroll's seals lit up, releasing strong waves of energy that flowed into her through her hand. A brilliant halo formed around her figure, her Rinne Sharingan faintly visible under the glow, silvery hair rippling despite the lack of wind.
Finally, as the last shred of chakra was absorbed, Kaguya exhaled, opening her eyes again.
"How is it, Mother?" Black Zetsu asked, stepping forward anxiously.
She gave a small nod, her expression notably more relaxed. "Yes, this chakra is exceptionally pure and vast—enough to support my usage of the Rinne Tensei. If I run short again, I presume Senshi can supply more, right?"
Her gaze flicked to Senshi, and there was a faint hint of approval.
He quickly nodded. "Absolutely, Aunt Kaguya. Anytime you need more."
Seeing the grand princess of the Ōtsutsuki look so satisfied, he glanced at his system panel.
Sure enough, the "Bond Value" next to Kaguya's name had inched higher. If I keep pushing her favor to max, I can farm more Employment Points… he thought, all smiles on the surface.
"Senshi, I owe you one," Kaguya said softly.
He waved it off. "It's nothing, Aunt!"
Just then, voices echoed from a distance.
Looking over, Senshi and Black Zetsu saw a multitude of ninja from every village: Konoha, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, plus the Land of Iron, Amegakure, Takigakure, and more, converging on the clearing in huge numbers.
Hundreds lined up in neat rows, leaving a wide circle in the center. Their village leaders headed up each faction: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tsunade, and Jiraiya for Konoha, trailed by Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, Guy, Shikamaru, Hinata, and many more.
Gaara and Temari led Sunagakure, with Elder Ebizō in tow.
Iwagakure had Ōnoki himself, accompanied by Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi.
Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage A strode with his signature swagger, Killer Bee by his side.
Kirigakure featured Mei Terumī, flanked by Ao and Chōjūrō.
And Nagato led the Amegakure team, with Konan, Kisame, and the remaining Akatsuki members spread out. They all gathered now under the Alliance banner, an epic sight.
"Kaguya-sama!"
Representatives from each village approached and respectfully bowed. Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke on their behalf: "We'd like your help performing these resurrection rites. Please, if you'd be so kind, restore the brave souls who sacrificed themselves defending the ninja world!"
The Five Kage and other major figures bowed. "We're counting on you!"
Kaguya's expression remained composed, as calm as a windless lake. She nodded. "Let us begin."
Slowly raising her hands, she opened her eyes wide. An overwhelming surge of chakra burst from her body, rippling through the surroundings and blowing people's clothes and hair. Her face solemn, Kaguya formed seals, then cried, "Outer Path: Rinne Tensei!"
Rumble!
Bright green light soared skyward, the earth trembling violently. With a deafening roar, a massive figure burst from the ground, towering into the clouds.
Fierce-fanged with a terrifying visage, it was unmistakably the legendary King of Hell, said to obey only the Rinnegan. Throwing back its head, it gave a mighty roar that shook the air.
"Stay calm, everyone. This is part of the Rinne Tensei," Tsunade called, quieting the stirred crowd.
Indeed, in the next moment, that hideous King of Hell statue let out odd noises from its throat, then spat out a series of glowing green masses.
One, two, three… In an instant, 41 orbs of green light shot out, drawing arcs of brilliance across the sky and descending gently to the ground.
Each green globe landed and soon took human form—arms, torsos, heads gradually solidifying.
"It worked!" Naruto cheered, clenching his fist.
A wave of elation erupted among the onlookers as they realized the impossible was unfolding before them.