Chapter 260: Orochimaru…
(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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"Children?"
Colt felt a shiver run down his spine.
Was she really saying this? He could hardly believe it—he was only seventeen years old.
He... was still just a kid! He can't have a kid of his own just yet.
How did this conversation suddenly jump to becoming a father?
Hinata, sitting next to his mom, blushed, her cheeks flushed pink, and Ino wasn't faring any better.
The thought of having children with Colt sent both of their minds reeling.
"Mom, I think it's a bit early for that. Besides, I've just become the Hokage. There are still a lot of things I need to take care of. Maybe I'll think about it in a few years after I've retired from the position."
Colt tried to smile, offering the first excuse that came to mind.
In truth, he wasn't ready to become a father yet.
Between his duties as Hokage and his life with Hinata and Ino and the others, when would they even have the time to take care of children?
They were still young…
And besides, what if he ended up with a child like Boruto, who brought nothing but headaches?
The thought alone was enough to make him reconsider.
In short, he would put off having kids for a long, long time.
"You don't need to worry about balancing the Hokage duties with raising a child," Mieko said, looking at Colt with a mix of exasperation and determination.
"The Third Hokage became a father, and he still managed his duties just fine."
She wasn't about to let this go and quickly looked to Hinata and Ino for support.
"Look at Hinata and Ino. You can see that they want children of their own," she added.
"Especially Hinata. She's not getting any younger, you know..."
Colt found himself speechless, overwhelmed by the sudden barrage.
Even Hinata was speechless.
His mother was eager to make up for lost time, having missed out on Colt's childhood.
It made sense now why she was so eager to have a grandchild.
"Mom, we won't need to worry about age from now on. As such, there's no rush to hold a grandchild," Colt tried to reason with her before quickly changing the subject.
"Oh, I heard Sasuke has woken up. I should go check on him."
With that, he made his escape.
Watching him leave, Mieko sighed.
"This boy, he never thinks about other people's feelings."
Hinata and Ino smiled weakly, unsure of what to say.
Hokage Rock.
Sasuke stood atop the monument, gazing out over the village where the Uchiha clan once thrived.
"I thought you'd cause more of a scene when you woke up."
Colt's voice came from behind him.
He wasn't lying earlier—Sasuke had indeed woken up.
The Sage of Six Paths had taken back the power he'd granted to both Sasuke and Naruto to fight at their peak.
As a result, Sasuke had been in a coma, and Naruto had only regained consciousness yesterday.
Sasuke didn't turn around but sat down on the head of the Third Hokage, continuing to stare at the vibrant village.
"With you here, the 'god' who defeated the Sage of Six Paths, how could I even hope to harm Konoha?" Sasuke replied, his voice carrying a touch of sarcasm.
"You'd probably kill me the moment I tried."
Sasuke hadn't lost consciousness when the Sage of Six Paths had borrowed his body to fight.
He knew full well just how far behind he was compared to Colt.
Even if he had a burning desire to fight again, he knew better.
He had come here today for one reason: confusion.
Of all the people in the ninja world, Sasuke was perhaps the loneliest.
The Uchiha clan had been slaughtered by his own brother, and Sasuke had severed his ties with Konoha in the pursuit of revenge.
Eventually, he had killed his final relative and was truly left with no one.
The desire for revenge had driven him for so long, but now all his enemies were gone.
And for the first time, Sasuke had no idea where he belonged.
Colt could feel the overwhelming loneliness that radiated from Sasuke.
He had a good idea of what was going through his mind.
Sitting down next to him, Colt spoke softly.
"I remember you said you needed something from me."
Sasuke's gaze focused.
"Can... can you bring back my parents?"
After witnessing the resurrection of Senju Hashirama and the others, Sasuke's heart had raced.
Could his parents also be revived?
However, the chaos that followed had prevented him from asking Colt until now.
Colt rested his chin in his hand, thinking deeply.
After a long pause, he spoke up.
"There is a way, but it won't be easy."
Sasuke's eyes lit up with hope.
"And it won't be something that can happen overnight," Colt continued.
"First, Madara's Rinnegan is gone. And we certainly don't have the luxury of plucking eyes from someone else and using them for the resurrection."
Sasuke frowned slightly.
He was willing to sacrifice his own eyes if it meant he could bring his parents back.
"If my eyes can bring them back, I don't mind giving them up," Sasuke said determinedly.
Colt shook his head.
"Not just anyone can handle the Rinnegan. Who would even be able to use it for the resurrection?"
The Rinnegan wasn't just some tool that anyone could wield.
Only those with a strong enough bloodline, like the Uzumaki or Uchiha, could control it properly.
The reality was harsh, and there weren't many left who could help Sasuke achieve his goal.
Faced with this grim truth, Sasuke remained silent.
Colt patted his shoulder, a knowing smile on his face.
"There might be another way... Orochimaru."
He glanced at his ninja pouch, where a sealed scroll containing Orochimaru rested silently.
"The most resourceful ninja in the ninja world…" Colt muttered to himself. Orochimaru was the perfect candidate for the job.
"My original plan was to have Orochimaru study White Zetsus to find a way to make it suitable for the Rinnegan. But I didn't expect him to be so capable. He actually managed to snatch a Rinnegan for himself."
Sasuke's eyes gleamed with a new sense of hope.
Orochimaru... he might be the key.