The Ninja World was still unaware that Gaara had joined the Akatsuki Organization and taken a prominent position.
However, the Hidden Sand Village stripping him of his Kazekage title and subsequently declaring him a Rogue Ninja truly shocked the entire Ninja World.
It wasn't uncommon for smaller Villages to see leaders murdered through assassination, coups, or poisoning, followed by power grabs; it was nothing new. But for such a thing to happen in one of the Five Great Ninja Villages was a first.
When Naruto received the news, he rushed to Jiraiya's office that very night to ask about it, only to find the office packed with people in the middle of the night.
It was so crowded that there was no space to even set foot in the small room.
"Huh???" Naruto finally managed to push the door open and squeeze his head in. Seeing so many people in the room left him a bit dumbfounded.
"Naruto, you truly surprise me." Kakashi, standing by the door, was speechless. He scratched his head. Minato Namikaze was about to be revived, and all the informed parties had come to watch, but Naruto suddenly burst in!
If you were to say he was unrelated, that's clearly not true; the person being revived was his father. From a bloodline perspective, everyone else in the room was unrelated; they should be the ones to leave.
But if you were to say he was related to the matter, it seemed he actually wasn't. He had been kept in the dark from beginning to end, knowing nothing of the inside story.
Even with Kakashi's resourcefulness, seeing Naruto suddenly burst in at this moment, he was at a loss for how to handle it.
Naruto looked at the room full of people with suspicion.
Pervy Sage, Kakashi-sensei—these were the most familiar.
He knew Tsunade, but not very well.
He didn't know the clan heads of the Ino–Shika–Choji, but he knew Ino and Shikamaru. He was just curious why Choji wasn't there.
Asuma was present, and Shiranui Genma looked familiar, though he didn't know his name. There were also several other Jonin, and an old woman he had never seen before.
What were these people doing gathered at Pervy Sage's place so late at night? Were they hiding here to eat, or were they discussing Gaara's situation?
Naruto was completely confused.
Then, a translucent light projection suddenly floated in front of him.
Within the light projection was a humanoid phantom. The figure stroked his head.
"Naruto, you've grown up."
No matter how gentle the attitude, it didn't change the reality that Minato Namikaze was now a ghost. Perhaps due to his positive constitution and extreme loneliness since childhood, Naruto was fearless of everything except ghosts.
No sooner had Minato Namikaze finished speaking than Naruto's face was filled with terror, his hair standing on end, and his body trembling like a sieve: "Ghost! A ghost! Pervy Sage, there's a ghost!"
His voice grew fainter and fainter, until he collapsed stiffly, mouth agape, and fainted.
Minato Namikaze: "..."
Kakashi let out two dry laughs and immediately shifted the blame: "Sensei, I did tell you about Naruto's unpredictability."
Minato Namikaze was torn between laughter and tears. Was the first meeting between father and son really ending like this? What kind of situation was this!
Ino and Shikamaru, being the younger ones, carried the unconscious Naruto to the side.
Everyone collectively stepped back. Tsunade took out a sealing scroll, which contained Minato Namikaze's body.
Because Ninja possess Chakra, their bodies decompose much slower than ordinary people's. Additionally, the body had been treated previously, so it wouldn't be too odorous.
Granny Chiyo's will had long been rewritten by Kotoamatsukami. At this moment, she was wholeheartedly considering Konoha's interests, willing to sacrifice her old life, like a candle in the wind, to revive Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze.
Everyone, including Jiraiya and Ino, bowed to her in gratitude. Despite the effect of Kotoamatsukami, the respect due was still given.
"Then, this old woman shall begin."
Chiyo's hand signs were slow.
Ino felt a bit uncomfortable, her whole body uneasy.
The Reanimation Jutsu summoned a type of energy completely opposite to the power of the Shinigami. Fortunately, this energy was gentle, and even she would not be repelled by it.
After more than ten seconds, Chiyo completed the hand signs, then placed one hand on her chest and the other on her lower abdomen, continuously converting her Chakra into life force and slowly injecting it into Minato Namikaze's body.
A minute later, a pulling force emanated from the body. Minato Namikaze's soul offered no resistance and was directly drawn in.
At this point, all the damaged areas of the body were fully repaired. The internal organs, bones, and muscles regained vitality under the infusion of Chakra, but more life force was needed to reconnect the soul and body.
Chiyo's white hair turned gray, her skin grew even looser, and her face was covered in sweat. She looked as if she was about to give out.
The Konoha Ninja were well prepared.
One by one, they placed their hands on her shoulders, transferring their Chakra to help her maintain the Reanimation Jutsu.
Everyone would lose a few months of their lifespan as a result, but this loss was reversible. Chiyo, as the caster, faced irreversible death.
The Reanimation Jutsu lasted for ten minutes.
The old woman, completely drained, collapsed and died.
After waiting for another five or six minutes, Minato Namikaze sat up, his face etched with pain.
The process of revival from death was not comfortable at all. If possible, he didn't want to experience it again.
He looked at his hands, the sensation incredibly real. He was alive!
The cost was the life of Sunagakure Elder Chiyo.
Even with the presence of Chakra and the infusion of Chiyo's life force, Minato Namikaze's body had, after all, been dead for over a decade. A certain stiffness in his limbs was unavoidable, and his brain needed more rest. His internal organs also needed to gradually return to working condition. An hour later, he was admitted to Konoha's special ward, where Director Kanpo and Shizune would provide twenty-four-hour care.
Everyone gradually left. The Elders, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, remained.
Jiraiya was concerned about a potential Shinobi World War, so he had informed the two in advance. Both held a neutral stance on reviving Minato Namikaze, neither supporting nor opposing it. Now, seeing a dead man revived, they were truly filled with emotion.
Konoha had obtained the Reanimation Jutsu from Chiyo, but unfortunately, this Jutsu was very difficult to replicate.
After her son and daughter-in-law died in battle and her grandson was deeply melancholic, Chiyo once ventured deep into the desert and consumed a strange flower in its depths. Only then was she able to successfully develop the Reanimation Jutsu. Others without this experience could not master Reanimation. Let alone outsiders, even Ebizo could not use this Jutsu.
This Jutsu became extinct after Chiyo's death.
Hoping to trick a few foolish youngsters into practicing this Jutsu to extend the lives of the higher-ups? No chance.
The three closed the door and discussed Konoha's current situation.
Compared to the Third Hokage's era, Konoha's current situation was not just good, but exceptionally good!
Tsunade's hemophobia was completely cured, Minato Namikaze was revived, and Jiraiya was tied down by the Hokage position, leaving him no time to run around. There were many high-level Ninja in the Village, all from the Hokage faction. Konoha truly wasn't afraid of war now. The question was, who should they fight? This required careful discussion.
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