Back then, the one known as part of the "Three Greats," the First Mizukage Yuto, and Madara had revived one after another.
Konan didn't know what those two were plotting.
But there was one thing she understood clearly—given their methods, it wouldn't be long before the entire shinobi world was dragged into war again.
And Amegakure, a small country, without a powerhouse like Nagato to shelter it…
would be nothing more than meat on a chopping block, to be slaughtered at will.
Konan would never allow Amegakure to be drowned in blood and rain again.
Madara had just killed Nagato. Konan didn't even have time to take revenge—so of course she would never join Madara's side.
As for Yuto—not only did he possess strength that wasn't inferior to Madara's, he also had Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Villages, behind him.
For Amegakure, the benefits far outweighed the risks.
Hearing Konan's words, the calm on Yuto's face gradually melted into a smile.
Talking with smart people really is easy.
"Konan-san's offer… is very tempting, and I'm satisfied too. But…" Yuto said softly, a faint smile playing on his lips as he looked at her.
Hearing the first half, Konan had just let out a breath—
but the "but" instantly tightened her nerves again.
"But I still want to hear one other person's opinion on this."
Yuto didn't care about the tension on Konan's face. Instead, his gaze drifted to Nagato's corpse.
Konan froze—then a storm of emotions surged across her face: nervousness, excitement, fear… all at once.
Seeing that, Yuto's mouth twitched slightly.
Women really do change expressions fast.
"You mean… you can make Nagato…?" Konan's voice trembled, and the stiffness in her tone suddenly softened.
"I just learned a jutsu recently," Yuto said casually. "I was looking for someone to test whether it's real. Looks like I've found a pretty good candidate."
He stepped forward, flashed past Konan, and appeared at Nagato's side.
Konan hurriedly turned, staring at Yuto beside Nagato's body, her face full of tension.
She wanted to stop him—words rose to her lips—then she swallowed them back down and silently watched his movements.
Yuto lowered his head, looking over Nagato's hollow eye sockets and his emaciated body. He shook his head lightly.
Honestly, the word "miserable" fit Nagato perfectly.
Without any extra talk, Yuto sat down cross-legged beside Nagato's corpse. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as his hands rapidly formed seals.
Forbidden technique—Kishō Tensei (One's Own Life Reincarnation)!
As the jutsu activated, Yuto felt a special energy inside him begin to drain away—slowly, steadily—while an intense weakness, something he almost never felt, flooded into his chest.
So this is… life force?
As Yuto's life force flowed into Nagato's body, Nagato—who had completely lost all signs of life—suddenly had his heart begin to beat again.
Konan clapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes shimmered with tears, disbelief written across her face as she watched.
She turned toward Yuto, about to blurt out her thanks—
then she sensed Yuto's life aura rapidly vanishing.
While Nagato's vitality was rapidly returning.
"This… is a forbidden technique that transfers life force?!" Konan's eyes widened as she realized it.
A one-life-for-one-life technique!
The First Mizukage, Yuto… was using his own life to save Nagato's.
Confusion, disbelief, gratitude—emotion after emotion flashed across Konan's face.
"This really is a killer jutsu," Yuto muttered weakly, complaining under his breath. The sensation of his body being hollowed out made the corner of his eye twitch.
The stronger someone was, the stronger their life force.
Compared to Chiyo, Yuto's life force was on an entirely different level.
Under that tremendous infusion, Nagato's heart not only began beating powerfully—his skeletal frame even started filling out, returning to a normal human state.
As the final stream of life force entered Nagato, Yuto's aura rapidly vanished.
"Cough—cough!"
Nagato—who had been dead—let out a rough cough, then began gulping air in huge breaths.
"I… didn't die? And this feeling…" Nagato's voice carried shock—especially because the crippling weakness from overtaxing his body with the Rinnegan was gone.
"Nagato!" Konan cried out, unable to hide her joy.
Then she hurriedly looked toward Yuto, guilt rising inside her—
But at that moment, the "dead" Yuto suddenly showed signs of life again.
Under Konan's stunned gaze, Yuto rubbed his neck, stood up, and muttered to himself:
"Looks like that old hag Chiyo didn't lie to me. What a crazy jutsu."
A flicker of amazement passed through Yuto's eyes. This technique really had surprised him.
Of course, Kishō Tensei (One's Own Life Reincarnation) wasn't without flaws—if the target's body was too badly damaged, or if they'd been dead too long, it wouldn't work.
After all, if something as vital as the heart was destroyed, then no matter how much life force you poured in, they still wouldn't come back.
Konan stared at the suddenly revived Yuto, stunned for a second—then her face filled with gratitude.
She didn't understand how Yuto had managed to ignore the "one-life-for-one-life" price… but Nagato being alive again was a fact.
And after Madara's revival, then Nagato's revival, and now Yuto's revival—
Konan realized she was starting to go numb.
"Thank you for bringing Nagato back," Konan said solemnly, bowing deeply to Yuto.
"No need," Yuto waved it off casually. "I do things for my own reasons."
"First Mizukage Yuto? Konan… what happened while I was gone?" Nagato's empty sockets were like two deep, bleeding pits. He could only track their positions by following the direction of their voices.
Seeing blood seeping from Nagato's sockets, Konan's heart clenched painfully. She drew a deep breath and explained—briefly—everything that had happened after Nagato's death.
She knew how devastating it would be for him.
But they had no choice anymore.
They weren't two lonely orphans anymore.
Behind them stood Amegakure—and countless civilians.
Those people needed them to protect them, even if it meant staking their lives.
"A god…?" After hearing Konan's explanation, Nagato gave a bleak smile, his voice filled with self-mockery.
The prouder he'd once been… the harsher he now mocked himself.
After a long silence, Nagato's pale face lifted toward Konan's direction.
"Konan… your choice was right."
Then Nagato turned toward the direction of Yuto's voice, his tone calmer than ever.
"Without the Rinnegan, Nagato is no different from useless trash. Yuto-dono resurrecting me… probably wasn't worth the effort."
Hearing that, Yuto chuckled, his words carrying a deeper meaning.
"If you only became strong because of the Rinnegan, then you really would be trash."
"Calling yourself a 'god' wasn't only because of those eyes."
"Someone like you dying… would be far too much of a waste. You're not satisfied, are you?"
Nagato fell silent for a moment, still speaking calmly.
"Unsatisfied… and then what? Right now, in your eyes, I probably don't even qualify to be an opponent."
"You don't," Yuto said bluntly. "But I do have a pair of eyes here. Maybe they can let you touch that 'qualification' again."
Yuto's mouth curled slightly as he spoke.
A bottle containing two eyeballs had appeared in Yuto's hand at some point.
Nagato couldn't see what Yuto was holding, but Konan could.
"These eyes are… Itachi's!" Konan gasped, staring at the two eyeballs resting quietly in some kind of liquid inside the bottle.
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