"Hahaha! Sasuke! I won!"
Looking at the gloating, laughing Naruto, Sasuke was speechless. He could only turn his head away, refusing to look at him.
After the PK ended, the two small rooms merged, and the scene was broadcast to the light curtain. In other words, everyone in the ninja world could now see Naruto and Sasuke.
This naturally signaled that the event was far from over.
The audience didn't know it yet, but as the participants, Naruto and Sasuke understood what was coming next. It was something that would undeniably shake the entire ninja world to its core!
"Um..."
Naruto scratched his head, seemingly talking to the air, while Sasuke looked on with eyes full of envy. Dammit, I missed such an opportunity...
"Actually, I don't really have anyone I need to revive. I don't even know anyone who's gone."
Naruto's sudden words were like a bolt of lightning from the blue, striking everyone's minds.
What? What?! That kid... what did he just say? Did we... hear that right? Revive? Was it a pun, or did he mean literal resurrection?
"Hehe~ Now it's time for a real shock!"
Ryuma chuckled. Without a move like this, it would be difficult for these people to accept the reality. But if a famous, deceased figure was truly recalled from the Pure Land by the light curtain, then they would have no choice but to believe.
Play the Naruto Mobile game, and you get a chance to revive dead relatives, partners, teachers...
Everyone would think that way! Pushing the Naruto Mobile game to the entire ninja world as quickly as possible was Ryuma's goal.
For that, a little early-stage chaos was only natural. And regarding the things played on the light curtain—he hadn't lied about the important parts.
The threat of the Otsutsuki clan was like the Sword of Damocles, hanging over their heads. Having finally come to this world and gained such an opportunity, he naturally wanted everyone to have "fun" playing the game.
"So, what is your choice?"
Ryuma, like everyone else in the ninja world, watched the conflicted Naruto on the screen.
If Sasuke had won this chance, he wouldn't have hesitated long, would he? At most, he'd face a difficult choice between his father and mother. It would probably be quite painful.
But Naruto was currently in a state of complete bewilderment. He only fought because he didn't want to lose to Sasuke; he hadn't expected that after winning, he wouldn't even have a specific person to bring back. It was both a blessing and a tragedy.
Naruto...Naruto...Naruto...
Many in the Hidden Leaf Village stared intently at the screen, their hearts calling out the same words: The Hokage! The Hokage! The Hokage!
Though they didn't know if this mysterious thing could truly revive the dead, the best choice for resurrection was obviously a Hokage! Only those legendary figures etched into history could maximize the benefits of this opportunity.
From ordinary villagers to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, everyone thought the same. Jiraiya and Kakashi were no different; it was only human nature.
"The Fourth Hokage."
Naruto's opening words made people's eyelids jump. But if the Leaf was ecstatic, the other villages looked like they had just swallowed flies.
"The Yellow Flash, huh?" The Fourth Raikage, A, muttered to himself with a sense of nostalgia. After all, that was the man whose speed rivaled his own.
Over at the Hidden Stone, Onoki's aged face wrinkled even further as he cursed inwardly, hoping Naruto would get the name wrong.
Even Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, couldn't ignore the man whose name commanded such respect and fear. Outside of the Leaf, no one wanted to experience the terror of being dominated by the Yellow Flash again.
Inside the light curtain space:
"The Fourth Hokage was so amazing, and since I don't know anyone personally, it should be him, right? But..." Naruto glanced at Sasuke, hesitated, and asked, "Sasuke, do you have someone you want to revive?"
Do you?Do you?Do you?
Those simple words were like boomerangs, echoing in Sasuke's mind in wave after wave. His eyes widened, and his lips trembled.
Do I? Yes, too many. Each name was vivid in his memory—names he could never forget, and never dared to forget. But what did Naruto mean?
"Naruto, I... I don't need it." Heaven knows how much strength it took for Sasuke to say those words. He bit his lip so hard it bled.
Seeing Sasuke's state, Naruto understood.
"Hey! Can you hear me? You... uh, weird thing?" Naruto shouted toward the sky. "If you can hear me, I want to use the reward promised to the winner. If there's only one choice..."
"Sasuke! Uchiha Sasuke's mother!"
"NARUTO!!!" Sasuke roared.
The audience witnessed a total plot twist. No one expected Naruto to do such a thing. The Leaf villagers who were just cheering were dumbstruck—it was like falling from heaven to hell in an instant.
Some even broke down and started cursing. Meanwhile, the other ninja villages were laughing their heads off; a Uchiha woman was nothing compared to the threat of the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze.
But soon, everyone froze. Sasuke froze as well.
A figure, both strange and familiar, slowly took shape before Sasuke's eyes. Like mist rising from water, she appeared silently and peacefully.
A gentle woman with long, straight black hair.
"...Sasuke?"
The moment she regained consciousness, her eyes fell upon him—a Sasuke who had grown quite a bit.
Sasuke opened his mouth, swallowing the word "Mother" that nearly escaped, and looked at Naruto with a complex gaze.
"Why? Even if you didn't know their names, you could have revived them. Theoretically, you could have seen one of your own parents. Don't you want to see them? Or the Hokages that everyone expected?"
Sasuke couldn't understand it. He couldn't imagine it. If he had won, he absolutely wouldn't have given the chance to anyone else; he would have complained that one revival wasn't enough.
Naruto had no parents and knew nothing of them—this was something Sasuke knew. Could a guy this lonely really say some "I'm used to being alone" crap?
"I only won because you made a mistake, right? I never even thought about that 'Bait' trick. It's not like there won't be another chance in the future."
Naruto grinned widely. "Besides... if a father or mother suddenly popped out of nowhere, I'd feel awkward. I might as well wait for a chance to bring them both back together later. I have things I want to ask them!"
"...Naruto," Sasuke whispered.
"Don't give me that face! It looks terrible. Is this the 'top student', Sasuke?" Naruto reached out and gave Sasuke a push. "Someone is waiting for you over there!"
Sasuke took a deep breath, said nothing more, and turned toward the woman.
Uchiha Mikoto. His mother.
"MOM!!!"
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