Chapter 354 – Resurrecting Nagato and Yahiko
"I'll be taking your life, of course," the King of Hell declared.
"My life? Hahaha, you really have a sense of humor. You think you can take it? To be honest, I don't have high hopes for you," Yusuke countered.
"Mortal, do not be so arrogant."
As the God of Death spoke, a crushing, terrifying pressure bore down directly on Yusuke. Next to him, Konan's forehead was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
Seeing this, Yusuke's Conqueror's Haki exploded outward. A monstrous aura surged forward, slamming back against the King of Hell. In an instant, the Reaper's dark aura was torn to shreds.
"The aura of a King... how is it possible for you to possess the aura of a King?" the God of Death stuttered, its face filled with absolute shock.
As a deity of death, it possessed its own terrifying aura—the talent of a ruler, a special presence reserved only for those who govern.
However, the aura of a true King can only be held by those who possess the power to back it up. The "King" referred to here wasn't just some Pirate King; it was an existence that even a Pirate King would view as a god.
And Hatake Yusuke's aura had already far surpassed that of the God of Death.
"What's the matter? Surprised?" Yusuke asked with a mischievous grin.
"Impossible. How could a human reach such a level?" the God of Death muttered.
It was the ruler of the spirit world, an existence that was truly divine. Yet, even a being of its stature was shaken by Hatake Yusuke's power.
"Naraka Path."
Suddenly, the mouth of the hungry Asura within the King of Hell swung open.
From within, Nagato and Yahiko stepped out. At that moment, Nagato's eyes had turned into a pair of pitch-black orbs.
Nagato stepped forward and looked at Konan and Yusuke in shock, then glanced back at the Naraka Path behind him.
"This is... the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu?" Nagato said, his voice trembling with surprise.
But then, catching sight of the Golden Rinnegan in Hatake Yusuke's eyes, Nagato's shock lessened slightly. He just hadn't expected Yusuke to actually go through with resurrecting both him and Yahiko.
"Damn you, you bastard! Hatake Yusuke, I will kill you!" the King of Hell roared in fury.
"Don't worry, I'll come looking for you soon enough, 'God of Death' or whatever you are," Yusuke said with a playful expression.
To him, a God of Death created by the beliefs of a small nation wasn't even worth taking seriously.
"Fine. I will be waiting for you," the God of Death spat.
However, deep within its eyes, a flicker of wariness remained. With a flick of his wrist, Hatake Yusuke dispelled the Naraka Path.
"Yahiko!" Nagato cried out, looking at his friend with pure joy.
"Nagato... and Konan!" Yahiko stared at the two people in front of him, his face filled with disbelief.
"Don't tell me you guys are also... who did this? Damn it!" Yahiko shouted, his temper flaring.
Yusuke looked at Yahiko with a helpless expression. This idiot was exactly like Naruto. He truly couldn't understand how someone so reckless could exist in such a dangerous world.
Nagato then spent a good while explaining the Rinne Rebirth technique to Yahiko. It took a significant amount of time before Yahiko finally processed it all.
He hadn't imagined such a forbidden jutsu existed—one that could even bring back the dead. But when he thought about the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths, he found he could accept it.
"Who is this guy? By the way, his hair looks really familiar. Hey, you're wearing a blindfold; can you even see where you're going?" Yahiko asked, pointing at Yusuke.
While Nagato had been explaining, Yusuke had already put his blindfold back on. The last time Yahiko had seen Yusuke was when they were just children. After all these years, combined with Yahiko's scatterbrained nature, there was no way he would recognize him.
Konan watched Yahiko's antics and smiled. This was a sight she hadn't dared to dream of for a long time.
"Yahiko, that's Yusuke," Konan said.
"Him? Hatake Yusuke? That little brat from back then?" Yahiko exclaimed in shock.
The handsome man standing before him, nearly 190 cm tall and a full head taller than himself, was actually that little boy?
One had to remember that from the moment of his death to his resurrection, it felt like only a split second to him.
"Hey, hey. If we're talking about age, I'm actually older than you now," Yusuke pointed out.
Nagato nodded in agreement. Most people brought back by Rinne Rebirth returned to the state they were in just before they died. Yahiko had only been about twenty when he passed.
Hearing Nagato's explanation, Yahiko scratched his head sheepishly.
"Alright, you're both back among the living. Just go and do whatever it is you want to do," Yusuke said.
"Huh?" Yahiko blinked at Yusuke, who looked like he was being inconvenienced.
"So, where exactly are we right now?" Nagato asked.
"Oh, you're in Konoha," Yusuke replied.
"Uh... can we get something to eat before we go?" Yahiko asked, looking a bit embarrassed. His stomach was practically touching his spine from hunger.
"Well..." Konan looked at Yusuke pleadingly.
"Fine, let's go," Yusuke sighed. Seeing his wife's expression, he didn't have the heart to say no.
Yusuke and Konan then led Yahiko and Nagato back to their home. As soon as they entered the courtyard, a small figure came sprinting over, tackling Yusuke and Konan in a hug.
"Papa's home!" Senju China chirped.
"Where did Mama Konan and Daddy go?" Hatake Chiba asked, looking at Konan with curious eyes.
Yusuke patted China's head, then swung her up onto his shoulders. "Daddy went to pick up Mama Konan's big brothers."
"Really? Mama Konan?" Chiba asked, snuggling into Konan's arms.
"Yes," Konan said, stroking Chiba's hair affectionately.
"Then, since they're Mama Konan's brothers, that means they're Uncles!" Chiba's large eyes sparkled.
"Hello, Uncle. My name is Hatake Chiba," the little girl said, looking toward Nagato and Yahiko.
Meanwhile, Senju China was a bit shy, so she just buried her face in Hatake Yusuke's shoulder.
"Wait, 'Uncle'? Are you talking about me?" Yahiko pointed to himself, his face full of disbelief.
"Aren't you Mama Konan's big brothers?" Chiba asked, looking confused.
Nagato smiled as he watched Konan and Yusuke. His expression was full of warmth, like an old father watching his daughter finally find a safe harbor.
"This... Dad and Mom? You're Konan's kid? Konan's married? So you married her?" Yahiko stammered, his brain short-circuiting.
"Congratulations, Konan," Nagato said softly.
"You've got it wrong. They aren't my and Yusuke's children," Konan clarified.
As she said that, her expression darkened slightly. She and Yusuke had been together many times, yet her belly showed no signs of a child. It was a source of great frustration for her.
She didn't have any ulterior motives; she just felt that because she loved Yusuke so much, she wanted to give him a child—a fruit of their love.
"Oh, well, that's great then!" Yahiko exclaimed.
Truth be told, he had always harbored a secret crush on Konan. But Konan's heart had long belonged to someone else, so he never had a chance.
Nagato looked on helplessly. Even now, Yahiko still hadn't figured it out.
Hatake Yusuke and Konan could only remain silent, not knowing what to say.
After that, Nagato pulled Yahiko aside to whisper something to him. When they returned, Yahiko looked as if he had lost all will to live. But being the lighthearted person he was, it didn't take long for him to bounce back.
Deep down, he had always known Konan liked Yusuke. Since she had chosen him, all Yahiko could do was offer his blessing.
In truth, among the three of them, the bond of family was far deeper than what one might call "love" or "romage."
They had lived together since they were children. To each of them, the others were family. Seeing Konan find happiness made both Yahiko and Nagato feel at peace.
In the first half of her life, she was protected by Yahiko and Nagato. In the second half, she would be protected by Konan and Yusuke. It was a thought that brought them immense relief.
Soon after, the two of them began to understand the hierarchy and structure of Yusuke's household. It was clear that Tsunade was the true authority in this house. Furthermore, they realized Tsunade was on the same level as their former Sensei.
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