Orochimaru-sama, this is a Sand Ninja." People gradually arrived to provide support. After dealing with the three Jonin, one of them brought a forehead protector to Orochimaru while clearing the battlefield. It belonged to the Ninja he had killed with a single strike.
Orochimaru glanced briefly at the forehead protector in the man's hand and did not spend too much time wondering why a Sand Ninja had appeared on the battlefield. At that moment, his face was smeared with blood, and his Ninja uniform was stained red. The blood was not his; it belonged to the three Jonin.
"Orochimaru-sama..." An enraged Orochimaru was terrifying; those three Jonin were simply unlucky.
Orochimaru was somewhat lost at the moment, but his eyes cleared slightly upon hearing the call. He said hoarsely, "Clear the battlefield, maintain vigilance, and we will discuss everything else after the battle."
Regardless, they needed to win the fight against Amegakure first. Judging from this one or two Sand Ninja, the Sand Ninja forces probably hadn't reached the battlefield yet. These were just advance scouts sent to investigate the situation. It was just a pity about Nawaki.
Thinking of Nawaki, Orochimaru looked desolate. He did not know how he would face Tsunade. Although this was war and death was unavoidable, and it wasn't his fault that Nawaki died, what if? What if he had been a little more cautious, or a little stronger? This situation might not have happened.
Blood dripped from his tightly clenched fist, which then abruptly relaxed. His face regained its composure, though his expression became even colder. He stored Nawaki's body properly and rushed toward other battlefields.
At night, Lin Yu, who had spent the day trying his luck in the Land of Rain, returned to the camp alone, clearly having gained nothing.
Just as he arrived at the camp, Lin Yu saw a figure flying out. He quickly stepped aside to dodge, and the figure crashed into a thick branch with a loud bang, splitting it, before collapsing unconscious on the ground.
The figure slowly settled. Lin Yu looked closer: Jiraiya? Then there was no problem; this guy must have angered Tsunade again.
Before Lin Yu could walk two steps, *Bang!* Another figure flew toward him. Damn it, was this ever going to end? Lin Yu reached out and caught the figure, but the massive impact forced him to slide back dozens of steps before he could dissipate the force. He wondered what on earth had made Tsunade so angry.
Lin Yu felt a trace of curiosity and looked at the person he had caught. Holy crap, Orochimaru!
Could it be that Senju Nawaki had died? That must be it, but why was Jiraiya the one who got beaten out first?
"Hmm? Lin Yu-kun?" Orochimaru realized someone had caught him. He turned his head, and his usually cold face held a rare hint of desolation.
"Orochimaru-sama, why are you and Jiraiya-sama together..."
"Nawaki died, due to my negligence," Orochimaru said emotionlessly. He then brushed off his clothes and walked back inside.
Although he had already guessed this outcome, Lin Yu still felt a little sad. He had met Senju Nawaki once and had no real connection with him; he was worried about Tsunade.
Because of Uzumaki Lin Yu's butterfly effect, Tsunade and Kato Dan were not lovers at this point, merely ordinary friends at best. Therefore, Tsunade, having lost Nawaki, had lost one of the only two people closest to her. Her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, who was nearing the end of her lifespan, was also about to pass away.
Tsunade had practically lost all her relatives. In the original story, she even developed hemophobia because of this. Lin Yu did not want Tsunade to repeat that fate in this lifetime; he held a very good opinion of her.
He followed Orochimaru into the tent, ignoring Jiraiya, whose eyes were still spinning. That guy must have said something inappropriate; he deserved the beating!
A white cloth covered Nawaki's small body, revealing a pale, youthful face. Senju Nawaki was only two years older than Lin Yu, yet he was already a Genin fighting on the battlefield. Lin Yu was a cheater and couldn't be compared; others around the same age, like Akimichi Choza and Nara Shikaku, were still attending the Ninja Academy.
Graduating from the Ninja Academy at age 12 was only mediocre, certainly not comparable to Kakashi, who would later graduate at five and be promoted to Chunin at six. Although he belonged to the Senju Clan, Nawaki's talent was quite ordinary.
Tsunade sat quietly beside him, tear stains clearly visible on her face. Her swollen eyes stared blankly at Nawaki. Her grief had been vented, her tears had run dry, and all that remained was deep numbness.
Not long ago, she had fiercely repelled a group of Amegakure Ninja and returned to camp full of heroic spirit to report. Then, she saw Orochimaru coldly inform her that Nawaki had died in battle. Instantly, the joy of victory vanished. Tsunade, filled with anger, disbelief, and dread, rushed into the camp. It wasn't until she saw Nawaki's body, covered by a white cloth and lying on a stretcher, that her tears began to flow silently.
Just then, Jiraiya carelessly strode in, paying no attention to Tsunade's expression. He grinned and said, "Tsunade, after this war is over, how about going on a date with me?"
*Bang!* A fist slowly magnified in Jiraiya's field of vision. Immediately afterward, Jiraiya felt his body flying into the air, accompanied by two of his front teeth.
"My apologies, I couldn't stop him." Orochimaru lifted the tent flap and walked in. Looking at Nawaki's body before him, he apologized, "I am sorry, I failed to protect Nawaki."
*Bang!* Orochimaru did not resist and was sent flying out after Jiraiya.
Tsunade understood in her heart that this wasn't entirely Orochimaru's fault. This was a battlefield, and no one could predict what might happen, just like when the three of them fought Hanzou. If Lin Yu hadn't suddenly appeared, she might have been the one lying here now.
But she just couldn't help it, because this was her younger brother, the person closest to her!
The grief was unspeakable, and Lin Yu didn't know how to offer comfort. If it were him and he had lost Kushina, he would definitely slice the enemy into a thousand pieces, and then... and then he would use Rinne Tensei to revive Kushina.
That's right! The Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, the exclusive Dōjutsu of the Rinnegan, which can summon the souls of the dead back from the Pure Land to resurrect them, provided the deceased's body is intact.
Thinking of this, Lin Yu stepped forward and lifted the white cloth, examining Nawaki's body. Fortunately, the body was whole, not hollowed out like in the original story. The injuries on his body had also been healed, clearly Tsunade's doing.
Tsunade stared blankly at Lin Yu without speaking. Although Lin Yu's medical Ninjutsu was good, it wasn't as powerful as hers, and he certainly couldn't possess a technique to bring the dead back to life. Yet, a flicker of light appeared in her eyes, carrying a thread of hope.
Lin Yu looked at Tsunade's vulnerable gaze, filled with grief yet tinged with expectation. He paused but decided not to hide anything. To truly resurrect someone, besides the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, there was also the Living Corpse Reincarnation created by Elder Chiyo of Sunagakure and the future Grass Ninja Tatsuya's Bloodline Limit, "Dragon Life Reincarnation." However, both required the caster to trade their own life for the life of the sacrifice.
Regarding the latter two methods, putting aside whether Chiyo had fully developed the first, even if she had, she would never save a Konoha Ninja. As for Tatsuya, she hadn't even been born yet.
Therefore, Lin Yu decided to reveal the secret of the Rinnegan. He had his own plans.
"Tsunade, it's not impossible to save Nawaki, but the method is extremely difficult."
Hearing Lin Yu's words, Tsunade instantly grabbed his shoulders in agitation, shaking him heavily and speaking incoherently, "Lin Yu, what did you say? Can Nawaki still be saved? What is the method? Tell me quickly! Nawaki... *sob, sob, sob*."
By the end, Tsunade couldn't help but cry again. Her beautiful eyes, red and swollen, stared at Lin Yu, terrified that he might say it was just a joke; she couldn't handle that kind of blow.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted upon hearing Lin Yu's words. Did such a resurrection Ninjutsu truly exist? He did not speak to ask, instead standing quietly and studying Lin Yu intently. He was becoming increasingly interested in him.
Lin Yu raised his hand and grasped Tsunade's fair, delicate arm, stopping her movements. He said helplessly, "There is a technique that can resurrect the dead. I saw it in an ancient text. Legend says that a person possessing the eyes of the Six Paths Sage can perform a Ninjutsu called the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, which can summon the souls of the deceased back from the Pure Land to bring them back to life. And these eyes are called the 'Rinnegan'!"
"Six Paths Sage, Rinne Tensei, Rinnegan..." Tsunade murmured, her slightly pale red lips parted as she asked, "Then who possesses the Rinnegan?"
"That, I don't know. The ancient text only recorded this much." Tsunade's face was filled with disappointment upon hearing this. The Six Paths Sage was a legendary figure; whether he even existed was debatable. Rinnegan... the light flickering in her eyes gradually extinguished.
Seeing Tsunade about to sink into despair again, Lin Yu gritted his teeth and said, "I met someone in the Land of Whirlpools before. His eyes seemed to be the legendary Rinnegan. However, I was very young at the time, and I don't remember his appearance."
"Is that true, Lin Yu? You really saw someone with the Rinnegan!" After Lin Yu confirmed it, Tsunade was instantly filled with renewed fighting spirit. She glanced at Nawaki lying there and silently thought: Nawaki, wait for your sister. Your sister will definitely find the person with the Rinnegan to resurrect you!
Lin Yu did not mention the cost of performing the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. Otherwise, Tsunade would become depressed again. Who would be willing to sacrifice their own life to save a seemingly unrelated person? Not everyone had Talk No Jutsu like Naruto!