"I won't mind," Rin Nohara said with a gentle smile. To prevent her old friends from making irreversible mistakes, she was willing to sacrifice a portion of her own happiness to stop the tragedy. It was Uchiha Raizen who had resurrected her, granting her a second lease on life; paying a price was only natural. Besides, Raizen was an exceptionally handsome man—staying with him was hardly a losing deal for her.
Seeing the harmonious atmosphere among the women in Raizen's household, Rin knew he was a responsible man. Marrying a responsible, handsome, wealthy, and powerful man was a dream for any woman. Thus, becoming Raizen's woman didn't feel like a loss or a burden to her.
Anko Mitarashi, listening from the side, grumbled internally: You don't mind, but I do! With another woman in the mix, the secret time I get to split with Raizen just got shorter.
"Anko, since you're here, are you also Raizen-kun's woman?" Rin turned the conversation with a soft smile.
"Who's that guy's woman? I'm definitely not!" Anko's face flashed with a momentary panic before she forced herself to stay calm, speaking against her heart. "He's way too flirtatious; only a silly woman like you would fall for him!!"
"Then why are you here, Anko?" Rin asked, looking like a curious kitten.
"I... I'm a bodyguard he hired! I'm specifically here on a protection mission," Anko explained.
"Is Kurenai Yūhi also a bodyguard here?" Rin asked.
Anko shook her head. "Kurenai is that guy's woman."
"Oh, so I suppose I should call her Sister Kurenai from now on," Rin murmured.
"Probably," Anko replied absent-mindedly.
"How long do you have to be a bodyguard here, Anko?" Rin pressed.
"Probably for a lifetime!!!" Anko answered.
"A lifetime?" Rin was stunned, unable to comprehend why a bodyguard mission would last forever. "Isn't that a bit too long?"
Anko shrugged her shoulders and waved it off. "Can't be helped. I owe him too much money; I signed a 'body-selling' contract to pay off the debt!!!"
"You owe Raizen-kun that much?"
"Yes!!!" Anko nodded.
"May I ask... roughly how much?" Rin inquired. "With your strength, earning money should be easy, shouldn't it? Is it really worth working for a lifetime?"
"It's not as easy as it looks!!" Anko smiled but didn't tell Rin the exact figure.
Given her private relationship with Raizen, the debt didn't actually matter, but it served as her perfect excuse to stay within the Uchiha estate. Having grown accustomed to this peaceful life, who would want to go back to the days of constant missions and bloodshed? Without money, one is forced to take risks; now, she had food and a roof over her head. After the monthly deduction for the "debt," she still had a few thousand Ryō in pocket money. Why go back to the life of a killer?
Seeing that Anko wasn't forthcoming, Rin stopped asking and began inquiring about the events that had occurred during the years she was dead.
A Father's Return
After leaving the house that morning, Raizen went alone to the cemetery once more. He arrived before the grave of Shinku Yūhi.
Shinku had died during the Nine-Tails' rampage—an event indirectly caused by Obito Uchiha. Thinking of Obito, Raizen truly couldn't find a single reason to forgive him.
Putting Obito aside for a moment, Raizen checked his surroundings. Seeing no one, he began his work. Using Sōnga, he resurrected Shinku Yūhi.
The newly revived Shinku looked at Raizen in total confusion. Raizen tossed a set of clothes to him. "Father-in-law, put these on first!!"
Shinku blushed slightly as he dressed, then asked bewilderedly, "You're Raizen, right? What did you do to me? Why am I suddenly here? And... did you and Kurenai get married?"
Shinku fired off a string of questions. He remembered Raizen; he had known about the "puppy love" between him and Kurenai and had even warned Raizen about it years ago.
"Father-in-law, Kurenai and I are indeed married," Raizen explained with a smile. "I just used a certain power to bring you back to life."
After a lengthy explanation, Shinku finally accepted that he was truly alive again. "This is absolutely incredible. Raizen... did reviving me come at a great cost?" Shinku looked at him with worry. Since his daughter was married to this man, he didn't want Raizen to have put himself in danger for his sake.
"Don't worry, Father-in-law," Raizen laughed. "Reviving you cost me nothing more than a tiny amount of chakra."
Raizen didn't revive anyone else that day. He brought Shinku back to Kurenai's old family home. Raizen had hired cleaners to maintain the place daily, along with Anko's house next door. Looking at the familiar rooms, Shinku was overwhelmed with emotion.
"Kurenai must have suffered so much all these years without me... I'm glad you were there for her, Raizen." Shinku felt immense guilt for leaving his daughter alone to go fight the Nine-Tails.
Raizen remained silent. In truth, he hadn't been with Kurenai much during his years away from the village. However, he had supported her through the darkest period right after her father's death before he went into "exile." It wasn't until he returned with the System that they truly built a life together.
As they talked, Raizen was surprised to see Kurenai arrive at the house. Seeing her father sitting there drinking tea with Raizen, Kurenai burst into tears instantly.
"Papa... is it really you?" she sobbed.
"Kurenai!!" Shinku's eyes reddened as tears escaped him.
Raizen stood up and walked over, patting Kurenai's shoulder. "Today is a day of celebration. You should be smiling!!!"
"Raizen-kun, thank you." Kurenai wiped her eyes, looking at him with profound gratitude.
"There's no need for thanks between us," Raizen said, wiping a stray tear from her cheek with a smile.
Seeing the deep bond between his daughter and son-in-law, Shinku smiled with relief. As long as Kurenai was happy, he was content. That evening, the family—including Raizen's children—had a massive feast at the Yūhi residence. It wasn't until very late that Raizen led the reluctant Kurenai home.
The Legendary Sannin Encounter
In a tavern in Shuku-ba Town, Jiraiya and Naruto finally found Tsunade, who was drinking away her sorrows.
Before Jiraiya arrived, Orochimaru had already contacted her. He had offered her a deal she found nearly impossible to refuse: in exchange for healing his arms, he would resurrect her dead brother, Nawaki, and her lover, Dan Katō.
Tsunade was torn. Seeing her loved ones again was her deepest desire, but Orochimaru was a traitor who had just attacked her beloved village. Healing him would be an act of betrayal.
While she brooded over her dilemma, she ran into the lecherous Jiraiya. She usually found him annoying, especially his peeping habits, but seeing him after so many years was still a shock.
Jiraiya explained his mission: the village wanted her to be the Fifth Hokage. Tsunade's face twisted into a sneer. Ever since the deaths of her brother and lover, she had lost faith in the village and the dream of being Hokage. She famously claimed that "only a fool would want to be Hokage."
Furthermore, the timeline had diverged from the original. Because she owed Raizen a literal mountain of debt, Tsunade had been forced to overcome her Hemophobia (fear of blood) years early. She had taken on numerous medical contracts to earn money, and between the sheer volume of work and the pressure of the debt, she had gradually cured herself through exposure.
Naruto, sitting next to Jiraiya, stared at Tsunade in bewilderment. He couldn't believe this beautiful "big sister" was the same age as the old Jiraiya. "She's fifty!?" Naruto stared, his brow furrowed.
Tsunade, already irritated by her situation, grew even more annoyed by the brat's constant staring. The conversation ended poorly.
Ultimately, Jiraiya and Naruto stayed at the same hotel to keep trying to convince her. Jiraiya eventually learned of Orochimaru's visit. He confronted Tsunade, warning her that if she aided Orochimaru, he would have to stop her—even if it meant killing her.
This led to Tsunade drugging Jiraiya's drink to keep him out of the way. She took Shizune with her to meet Orochimaru for the trade. However, at the final moment of the healing process, Tsunade snapped.
She realized Orochimaru bore much of the responsibility for Nawaki's death—he was her brother's squad commander when he died on the front lines. The pain of losing Nawaki and then Dan the very day they confirmed their romance was a scar that had never fully healed.
"Come on, Orochimaru!"
Tsunade's Heavenward Kick slammed down, pulverizing the earth into a massive crater.
"What terrifying power!" Kabuto Yakushi, who had dodged the strike with Orochimaru, was shaken. Is this the power of the legendary Sannin, Tsunade!?
Orochimaru's face twisted. "Tsunade, you attacked me? Do you no longer wish to see them again?"
"Don't you dare speak their names, Orochimaru! You aren't worthy!!" Tsunade roared. She knew Orochimaru's nature; he would sacrifice anyone to ensure a mission's success. For all she knew, her brother had been a discarded pawn in one of his schemes.
"Hehehe! Tsunade, after all these years, you still hold a grudge?"
"Hmph! Even without the matter of my brother, I would crush a traitor like you into the dirt!!"
"Then let us see if you can!" Orochimaru hissed.
Tsunade lunged with a heavy punch. Orochimaru, confident in his knowledge of her past, bit his finger and let his blood spray into the air. He expected her to freeze in terror from her hemophobia.
He was wrong.
A heavy punch slammed into his chest. Orochimaru was sent flying, crashing through several stone walls before coming to a stop.
"Lord Orochimaru!!!" Kabuto rushed to pull him from the rubble.
Orochimaru was a mess, coughing up blood. He stared at the approaching Tsunade in pure disbelief. "Tsunade... you... you cured your hemophobia!?"
"Die, Orochimaru!!"
Another Heavenward Kick descended toward him. Looking at the slender, powerful leg coming for his head, cold sweat broke out on Orochimaru's face.
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