Grandmother Chiyo calmly said, "This is a forbidden jutsu that I developed—the Rebirth of Life."
"As the name suggests, it uses all of the user's chakra as a medium to transfer their life force into another person, even if that person is already dead."
"Yes, this is a forbidden jutsu that can truly bring the dead back to life!"
Everyone was stunned.
Naruto was even more shocked.
"Is this... is this really possible?"
"But if that's the case, Grandma Chiyo, what will happen to you?"
Grandmother Chiyo smiled gently.
"Naruto, I was going to die sooner or later anyway. If I can exchange this old, worn-out life for a brand-new, young one, then I've gained something rather than lost it."
"Don't you think so too?"
Naruto couldn't find the words to answer.
Hinata could no longer hold back her tears and burst into sobs.
"Grandma Chiyo, you..."
"Don't cry, Hinata. This is the best thing I can do now."
"Heh. In fact, I originally developed this forbidden jutsu for Sasori. At first, I wanted to use it to bring puppets to life. I even dreamed of using it to resurrect my son and daughter-in-law—Sasori's parents."
"But unfortunately..."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Unfortunately, it's too late for that now. So sacrificing my life to resurrect Gaara, the future of the Hidden Sand Village, is the best choice I can make for you, Naruto, and the entire Ninja World."
Her hands remained steady as chakra and life force continuously flowed from her body into Gaara.
For a moment, everyone fell silent, staring blankly at the scene unfolding before them.
Grandmother Chiyo smiled faintly.
"I've spent so many years pretending to be dead. I suppose I've finally reached the moment when I truly have to die."
"Thanks to this, I can finally be completely free."
"Perhaps..."
She didn't finish the sentence.
But Hinata understood what she was thinking.
Perhaps in another world, Chiyo would be reunited with her son, daughter-in-law, and beloved grandson.
Thinking of this, Hinata could no longer say anything.
She simply stood there silently, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Grandmother Chiyo finally looked toward Naruto.
"Naruto, you said that you and Gaara share the same fate, and that Gaara is your friend."
"Therefore, I entrust the resurrected Gaara to you."
"This child is the hope of the future for the Hidden Sand Village."
"Moreover, he will no longer be a Jinchuriki. I hope you can help him and support him as he becomes..."
"The Fifth Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village!"
Naruto slowly shook his head.
"Don't worry, Grandma Chiyo. Gaara will definitely become the Fifth Kazekage!"
Grandmother Chiyo managed a faint smile.
"That's good... That's good..."
"I'm going to die now."
"This time, it's not a joke."
With those final words, the forbidden jutsu was finally completed.
All the vitality and strength drained from Chiyo's body.
She collapsed to the ground.
Grandmother Chiyo, one of the elders of the Hidden Sand Village, had died.
Hinata could no longer hold back her grief. She began sobbing uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face.
And then—
Gaara's fingers suddenly twitched.
His eyelashes trembled, and his eyelids slowly opened.
Everyone stared in shock.
"He really came back from the dead..."
Naruto was both surprised and overjoyed.
The sadness of losing Grandmother Chiyo was now mixed with the overwhelming happiness of seeing Gaara return to life.
"Gaara... Gaara!"
"You're really awake!"
Gaara's eyes were filled with confusion.
"Where..."
"Who are you?"
Naruto wiped away his tears and forced a smile.
"You're Gaara of the Hidden Sand Village, and I'm your friend, Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Gaara... Hidden Sand Village..."
"Uzumaki Naruto... my friend..."
Naruto's tearful yet smiling face was reflected in Gaara's eyes.
Suddenly, something seemed to stir deep within him.
"So this is it..."
"He's like me..."
"What happened?"
Naruto was so excited that his words came out in a somewhat disorganized manner, leaving Gaara even more confused.
Gaara then turned his gaze toward his deceased grandmother, Chiyo.
He remained silent for a moment.
"I died... and then came back to life."
"Therefore, my life no longer belongs only to me."
Naruto nodded.
"That's right. Grandma Chiyo's final hope rests on you."
Gaara stared deeply at Chiyo's lifeless body before slowly lowering his head in respect.
"Thank you..."
He then looked at Naruto and the others.
"Thank you too, Naruto..."
"And thank you, everyone."
The expressions on everyone's faces became complicated.
Although Gaara had successfully been rescued, Grandmother Chiyo had sacrificed her life, and the One-Tailed Beast had truly been captured by the Akatsuki.
However, Naruto had also managed to kill Deidara, which, in a sense, allowed him to avenge the Hidden Sand Village.
No one could have predicted that this would be the final outcome.
Asuma Sarutobi spoke in a deep voice.
"To prevent any further incidents, we should hurry back to the Hidden Sand Village."
Kitsuchi and Might Guy nodded in agreement.
"Indeed."
Thus, Gaara personally carried Grandmother Chiyo's body, and the group began their journey back to the Hidden Sand Village.
For the first time in what felt like ages, Gaara looked at the world around him as if he were seeing it for the first time.
"I am..."
"Gaara."
---
After finally returning to the Hidden Sand Village, Naruto followed everyone to meet with Baki, the acting Kazekage, and the village elders despite his exhaustion.
The outcome had caught Baki and the elders completely off guard.
Gaara had been rescued, but the Hidden Sand Village had lost both the One-Tailed Beast and Grandmother Chiyo.
For the already weakened village, this was still a devastating blow.
Kankuro and Temari, however, were filled with relief.
"As long as Gaara is alive, there's still hope..."
The two siblings shed tears of joy.
"Naruto, thank you."
"And thank you, everyone..."
Baki also expressed his gratitude to Naruto and the others on behalf of the acting Kazekage and the Hidden Sand Village.
One of the village elders sighed.
"Gaara has been rescued, the One-Tailed Beast has been extracted, and Elder Chiyo has died."
"What will the Hidden Sand Village do from this point forward?"
The other elders immediately began discussing the situation among themselves.
Suddenly, Baki stood up.
"Elders, I once again ask that Gaara officially be declared the Fifth Kazekage!"
Everyone was stunned.
"Baki, why are you still bringing this up at a time like this?"
"No. It is precisely because we are in such a difficult situation that this decision is even more necessary!"
"Initially, you refused to let Gaara become Kazekage because he was the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast, and you feared he might lose control at any moment."
"But now, the One-Tailed Beast has been removed from his body. Gaara is no longer a Jinchuriki."
"What reason do you still have to oppose him?"
One of the elders immediately retorted.
"Yes, without the Tailed Beast, Gaara may no longer be dangerous. But don't forget that his strength will also decrease!"
"How can he still be qualified to become Kazekage?"
Baki spoke firmly.
"Your assumption that Gaara's strength will decrease after losing Shukaku is nothing more than speculation."
"In the entire Ninja World, there has never been a confirmed case of a Jinchuriki surviving after having a Tailed Beast extracted."
"So how do you know that Gaara's strength will decline?"
The elder snorted.
"Isn't the strength of a Jinchuriki activated through the Tailed Beast inside their body?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Temari immediately interrupted.
"No!"
"Even without Shukaku, Gaara is still the strongest and most outstanding shinobi in the Hidden Sand Village!"
"Besides, you should understand that Shukaku often interfered with and disturbed Gaara."
"Without the Tailed Beast constantly affecting him, perhaps Gaara will actually become even stronger!"
Kankuro also nodded firmly.
"Exactly! Gaara's potential is limitless. No one here can compare to him!"
For a moment, the entire council of elders descended into chaos.
Kitsuchi, Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, and the others found it difficult to intervene.
They were outsiders, after all.
This was an internal matter concerning the Hidden Sand Village and, more importantly, the most important decision regarding the position of Kazekage.
But then—
Naruto suddenly stood up.
Sasuke and Hinata, who were standing beside him, frowned slightly.
"Naruto-kun..."
Naruto, however, was already speaking angrily.
"Gaara becoming Kazekage is also Grandmother Chiyo's final wish!"
"We can all testify to that!"
"She sacrificed her own life to save Gaara."
"Are you really going to criticize her final decision now?"
"If you reject Gaara, then wouldn't Grandmother Chiyo's sacrifice have been meaningless?"
The entire council of elders fell silent.
Ebizo remained quiet for a moment before looking at Naruto.
"Naruto, is it really true that my sister's final wish was for Gaara to become Kazekage?"
Kitsuchi, Asuma Sarutobi, and Might Guy all nodded.
The elders exchanged glances, their expressions shifting.
Finally, Ebizo sighed.
"If that's the case, then I fully support Gaara becoming Kazekage."
"Ultimately, my sister was never wrong."
After Ebizo spoke, several of the elders began changing their positions.
However, a stubborn group of conservatives still refused to agree.
Baki looked at Naruto and spoke solemnly.
"Everyone must remember that the current Hidden Sand Village cannot afford internal conflict."
"This already weakened village has suffered one disaster after another."
"If we continue fighting among ourselves now, the consequences will be disastrous."
________________________________________
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