Chapter 307

"Oh, my, who would have thought I'd end up with a necklace just like my wife's here?" Yōichi chuckled, looking at the two identical necklaces in his hand. "I can return one to her when I get back; it's a precious item, one she wore for a long time before giving it to me."

"Damn it! Let's go again—I'm winning that necklace back!" Tsunade growled, rolling up her sleeves, determined to reclaim her grandfather's necklace.

The moment she bet the necklace, she had regretted it. Losing money in gambling was one thing, but this necklace wasn't just cursed; it was all she had left of her memories.

"Do you still have anything left to bet?" Yōichi glanced at the now-empty space before Tsunade. She had nothing left, not even the box that once held their money, which he had already won.

Shizune whispered nervously, "Tsunade-sama, what now? We even lost that necklace; this is really bad…"

"Stop talking, Shizune!" Tsunade snapped, then turned to Yōichi, unwilling to give up. "Hey, what's your name? Let's gamble again tomorrow. I'll find something to bet and wager my necklace against yours."

"It's my necklace now," Yōichi replied, pocketing both necklaces and hanging them around his neck. "Call me Yōichi. For now… how about some food? If you're hungry, you're welcome to join me."

"Really?" Shizune asked, her face lighting up. She had been wondering where they would eat tonight, and if it solved their lodging problem too, even better!

"Shizune, have some dignity!" Tsunade scolded, irritated.

"My dignity was gambled away by you, Tsunade-sama…" Shizune muttered, clutching Tonton to her chest.

"What did you say?" Tsunade glared, and Shizune went silent, holding Tonton protectively.

"If you're joining, follow me," Yōichi said, taking the money he'd won that night and heading out.

Tsunade and Shizune exchanged glances, and finally, biting her lip in frustration, Tsunade followed. It wasn't just about the meal—she wanted her necklace back.

The three of them arrived at a quiet corner in a local izakaya, where they ordered some sake and snacks.

Tsunade, feeling bitter, poured herself a drink as Yōichi handed her a bottle of sake.

After a while, Tsunade, somewhat tipsy but resolute, muttered, "…Tomorrow. I'll win the necklace back tomorrow."

"That necklace is really important to you, isn't it?"

"Of course. It's not just important; this necklace…" Shizune almost mentioned the curse but stopped, not wanting to reopen old wounds. "…It's very valuable. Incredibly valuable."

After a pause, Tsunade admitted, "It's from someone precious to me, which is why I have to get it back."

"A keepsake, then? Why not look for this person you cherish so much?"

"They've passed away," she said softly.

"I see…"

Yōichi nodded, then asked, "You're both shinobi, right? I've heard ninjutsu can be quite extraordinary. Is there no jutsu to bring someone back to life?"

"You…" Tsunade narrowed her eyes, her tone guarded. "You must not be an ordinary person. What's your goal?"

"No, no, you've misunderstood. I may not be ordinary, but I'm certainly not your enemy. I'm speaking with you only because of that necklace."

Yōichi waved his hand dismissively. "I'm an onmyōji. Perhaps you haven't heard of us, but onmyōji have been around much longer than shinobi."

Tsunade's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "An onmyōji? And that would be…?"

Onmyōji had disappeared after Kaguya consumed the chakra fruit. It wasn't surprising that Tsunade knew little about them; there probably weren't many in the shinobi world who did.

"Masters of heaven and earth, who connect yin and yang—that's what an onmyōji is. We possess many abilities. Although we may lack in battle compared to shinobi, in other matters, we far surpass shinobi," Yōichi explained with a grin.

Tsunade snorted, setting her cup down forcefully. "Do you think I'll believe that?"

"Well, I was hoping to show you my abilities. How about this: if I could revive someone you most wish to see, who would it be?" Yōichi asked with a sage-like expression, holding up the necklace. "I can feel it—this necklace bears the essence of two memories. But I can only bring one back. Who would you choose?"

"What nonsense are you talking about…"

Tsunade's shocked expression softened as she looked at him, realizing he wasn't joking. Her suspicion rose. "What's your real goal? Why seek me out?"

"It's wise for older women to be cautious, but you're a bit too on edge. Let me choose for you," Yōichi chuckled, then pressed his finger against Tsunade's forehead, and her eyes grew heavy as she slowly drifted off.

"Tsunade-sama, are you…?"

"Sleep," Yōichi murmured, sending Shizune into a mental stupor as she too fell unconscious.

Only Tonton remained, and sensing Yōichi's gaze, the pig trembled and promptly lay down, pretending to sleep.

"Hah, wasting so many years in despair. You should become a savior instead!" Yōichi muttered, stepping out of the izakaya. Ever since learning onmyōjutsu, he hadn't had the chance to use it. In his timeline, the Pure Land was guarded by Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, so he wouldn't wander onto his territory lightly.

But here, it was different. The Great Toad and Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo knew nothing of him, allowing Yōichi to experiment freely with onmyōjutsu.

As for Dan and Nawaki, Yōichi only intended to resurrect the latter. Although this Tsunade wasn't his wife, she was identical in every way. He wasn't feeling overly generous.

"Gate of the Pure Land—By the Decree of Command!"

With his onmyōjutsu, a 20-meter-wide formation appeared beneath his feet. Shadows formed within the array, though Yōichi didn't recognize most of them.

Then he held up Tsunade's necklace from this timeline, casting another spell. The shadows dwindled until only five figures remained.

Senju Hashirama, Nawaki, Uzumaki Mito, and, judging by appearance, Tsunade's parents. It seemed the necklace had passed through all their hands.

Next, Yōichi retrieved a White Zetsu body, using Yin-Yang Release to reshape it into Nawaki's likeness. With a final spell, he drew Nawaki's soul from the Pure Land and placed it into the body he'd prepared.

Once enough life energy was infused, Nawaki was fully resurrected within minutes.

"Sis? Sis, are you okay?"

When Tsunade began to awaken, she heard Nawaki's voice. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Nawaki standing beside her, looking concerned.

"Nawaki?"

As she came to her senses, she looked around, seeing Shizune slumped on the table beside her and Tonton snorting softly, relieved she wasn't imagining things.

Noticing her bewilderment, Nawaki asked, "Sis, are you alright?"

"Is this a transformation jutsu? Using that face to deceive me… Do you have a death wish?" Tsunade growled, grabbing Nawaki by the collar, ready to throw a punch.

Nawaki, who knew his sister's strength, quickly shielded his face in fear. "Sis, it's really me! Remember two months ago, you made onion beef stew but bought pork instead, then burned it, and forced me to eat it until I had to go to the hospital for an IV?"

Hearing him recall this, Tsunade froze. For Nawaki, it had been two months, but for her, it was a memory from twenty years ago.

"N-Nawaki… Is it really you?" Tsunade's disbelief faded as she squeezed his face, trying various techniques to dispel any illusion. When she realized he was real, tears filled her eyes, and she hugged him tightly.

Nawaki smiled, "Sis, I'm back."

After calming down, Tsunade asked, "How… How did you come back to life? You should have…"

"Yes, I remember my death very clearly. As for how I came back, it was a stranger who revived me. He said he won your necklace and wanted to compensate. He called himself Yōichi."

Nawaki recounted everything, from his resurrection to the overwhelming feeling of power in his new form, with more chakra, strength, and stamina than before.

"Yōichi… That guy…" Tsunade muttered, then noticed a flood of information in her mind.

A training method, an improved body-strengthening jutsu based on her super strength, and warnings about the untrustworthy Great Toad—how the Great Toad, after betraying the onmyōji, was slowly influencing the shinobi world.

"What's he doing, stuffing so much into my head…" she mumbled, shocked by the information coursing through her mind.

Nawaki, noticing her discomfort, asked, "Sis, are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" Tsunade reassured him, surprised by the magnitude of the techniques Yōichi had imparted, including a Taijutsu far superior to her own super strength.

"Who is this Yōichi, really? An onmyōji?" she wondered, confused by his kindness toward her. Was it purely due to his hatred for the Great Toads? Or was it because she and Jiraiya were close?

Resurrecting Nawaki and granting her so many gifts left Tsunade feeling overwhelmed. She vaguely remembered a remark before she fell asleep, something about her wasting away…

"Shizune, wake up," Tsunade called, nudging Shizune, who woke up dazed, mumbling, "Good morning, Tsunade-sama…"

"Morning? You're still half-asleep. Pack up—we're heading back to Konoha!"

That was her decision, made in that moment. With Nawaki alive and so many valuable gifts, she couldn't continue wallowing. Nawaki needed to return to the village, and Konoha's strength would be essential for finding Yōichi.

And about the Great Toad… the information in her mind made her suspicious. Why would Mount Myōboku know about the Child of Prophecy? And if found, would they insist the child study under them?

Back in Konoha, she'd also consult with the Slug Sage regarding onmyōji.

"…Seems like the Uchiha in this timeline are on the verge of revolution," Itachi noted, piecing together information he'd gathered, even using genjutsu on a member of the Police Force.

He couldn't help but feel a strange respect for his father. In his world, he'd defected from the village, while here, his father was leading a revolution—a troublesome parent in both timelines.

Itachi also learned that the Nine-Tails' rampage eight years prior had been controlled by someone wielding a Sharingan, leading to suspicion and hostility against the Uchiha clan. After years of enduring this treatment, the clan had finally decided to rise up.

"What idiots. Without Father, the Uchiha are like headless beasts…"

Yesterday, Itachi had confirmed Yōichi's existence within the clan's history. Once hailed as a prodigy, Yōichi had reportedly died before the Third Shinobi War.

After further inquiries among the clan's elders, Itachi found more about Yōichi's past.

Covered in a haze of crows, Itachi wandered through the Uchiha district, unsure where to begin in resolving this turmoil.

"If only Father were here…"

Itachi thought of Yōichi again. If he were around, he'd certainly quell the conflict. However, Yōichi had been missing for two days and only appeared when danger loomed.

"Hm? Where's 'myself' headed?" Itachi noticed the other Itachi sneaking around without any Anbu duties. Curious, he followed, hidden in his crow fog, undetectable to most.

(End of Chapter)

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