Chapter 5: Resurrection

Chapter 5: Resurrection

While the Uchiha family enjoyed their harmonious family time, the Hokage's office was equally bustling.

At least in terms of the number of people, it was no less than the former.

A delicate fox-shaped mask lay quietly on the desk of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Hokage-sama, the sealing team has checked it repeatedly."

Kakashi Hatake, hidden behind his ANBU mask, reported, "This is just an ordinary mask with no issues. Before coming here, I also consulted the toy craftsman who made this mask. He said it was custom-made by a child named Giyu Uchiha for his family. There are five masks in total, all in the shape of a fox, and they were all ordered three days ago."

The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, then picked up the mask with his right hand and waved it towards the three Hokage advisors sitting on the couch.

"My speculations are correct. Naruto's sudden power surge was an accident. Uchiha's child happened to encounter Naruto, and the fox pattern on this mask is probably just a coincidence."

His obscure gaze roamed over the three individuals and finally landed on the elderly man with closed eyes, lost in thought.

"Moreover, even if Fugaku wanted to approach and control the Jinchuriki, he wouldn't send a child without any chakra. It would be more convenient to directly send Shisui, wouldn't it?"

"When it comes to the Uchiha, you seem to be overly suspicious. You attribute everything to them. It's too dark to doubt our comrades in the village."

"Danzo, if you have the time, why not come out from underground more often and enjoy the sunlight?"

The implication was, don't always assume others are as cunning and dark as you are.

Upon hearing this, the corners of Kakashi's eyes twitched beneath his mask.

"Hiiruzen, I'm not as leisurely as you, and I don't have time to bask in the sun."

"Don't forget, our sensei repeatedly said, 'No precaution is excessive when it comes to that clan.'"

Danzo lightly tapped his cane on the ground, emitting a dull sound. "Every time there's an issue with the Jinchuriki or the Nine-Tails, there are always members of the Uchiha clan nearby. I refuse to believe it can be explained by coincidence alone. Don't forget what happened five years ago. We still haven't uncovered the cause, but the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes is evidence!"

"It seems you've got the sequence of events mixed up."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, "According to the report from the ninja responsible for monitoring Naruto, he first threw a stone at the three academy students, and then Fugaku's youngest son appeared later. The reason Naruto's power surged and broke the tree was because Hinata, Hiashi's daughter, was injured before his eyes. He unleashed his power to protect his comrades in the village, not because the mask had angered him..."

"Speaking of Hinata"

Danzo interrupted: "It's precisely because there were members of the Hyuga clan nearby that the ANBU responsible for surveillance was actually quite far away. They only got a rough idea, didn't they?"

"...You're really twisting words and seizing opportunities!"

Seemingly getting Impatient Sarutobi furrows his brow, Hiruzeni had already guessed the true intent behind Danzo's exaggerated account of the incident.

"What exactly do you want by coming to me today?"

The ensuing conversation was lengthy, so here are the key excerpts.

Danzo: Jinchuriki, Root, training, security.

Sarutobi: No, darkness, outbreak, Minato, entrusted.

Danzo: Hiruzen, you will regret it.

Sarutobi: Danzo, I am the Hokage.

Danzo slammed the door and left.

The remaining two Hokage advisors sat on the couch, their gaze fixed intently on the Third Hokage.

"Although his thoughts are dark, but he made some valid points. Hiruzen, you need to come up with a strategy. At the very least, we need to find out what the Uchiha clan is up to, and what they want. Relying solely on the surveillance of ANBU is not enough."

Homura and Koharu reached an agreement. They also felt it necessary to be cautious of the Uchiha's actions towards the Jinchuriki.

In these five years, the reputation of the Uchiha and the Security Forces has been deteriorating. The flames of war between Konoha and this clan are ready to ignite.

Hiruzen let out a sigh.

"Since you insist, Kakashi."

"Yes."

"Starting tomorrow, it will be your responsibility, as someone with the Sharingan, to monitor and protect Naruto. As for the duty of the ANBU Captain, I'll leave it to Shisui for now."

Hiruzen looked at the two advisors. "Also, let Fugaku's eldest son, that child named Itachi Uchiha, participate in next month's Chunin exams. With his strength, passing the exam is undoubtedly guaranteed. Afterward, we can find a reason to have him join the ANBU as well. This way, Shisui and Itachi, the two Uchiha prodigies and rising stars, will be able to experience the true meaning of the Will of Fire up close, and it will be convenient for us to assess them. Does this plan work for everyone?"

The two elderly fellows nodded.

Now that their objective had been achieved, they stood up to bid their farewell.

Kakashi was about to leave with them when Hiruzen called him.

"Wait a moment."

Hiruzen continued, "Spread the word that from now on, there must be no contact between civilians or ninjas with connections to Root and Naruto. Including those few ninja academy students who attacked Naruto today, they are all to be expelled. Leave the rest for Root to handle."

"Yes."

Kakashi wasn't surprised.

If there hadn't been someone orchestrating it, would those few children dare to attack Naruto despite knowing he is the 'Nine-Tails'?

It was clear that Root was intentionally inciting these students to assault and provoke Naruto, causing the power of the Nine-Tails within him to erupt due to resentment.

If those students were directly killed by Naruto, it would be even better.

Because once such an incident occurred, Danzo could prove to the elders and high-level ninjas in the village that the Third Hokage's plan to nurture Naruto was a mistake. Thus, Danzo would be able to rightfully seize control over the Jinchuriki.

[Absolutely, we can't let such an incident happen!]

"Also, have the person on duty tonight take this mask back."

Hiruzen pushed the mask towards Kakashi with his cigarette. "I heard that Naruto placed this mask by his pillow before going to sleep. For him, it's a rare gift."

"But this incident also proves that even a child from the Uchiha clan is capable of extending a helping hand to strangers. I heard that Fugaku's youngest son doesn't want to become a ninja, perhaps driven by such kindness. He reminds me of that child, Obito. There must be many similarities between the two of them."

[No, they are completely different, Lord Third.]

Kakashi paused. The words of the Ninja Dog from earlier echoed in his mind.

[This brat is extremely dangerous.]

"Kakashi?"

Seeing his lack of response, the Third Hokage apologized, "I'm sorry, I brought up a painful memory for you."

Hiruzen was taken aback for a moment. He didn't mean to probe Kakashi's mental state, but the result was somewhat unexpected.

"If there's nothing else, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi decided to keep his opinion of Giyu hidden for now. "I'll go back to my duty."

"Sure, go ahead."

Kakashi turned his back. "From the way you look lost in thought, it's better for you to read less of Jiraiya's books."

Hearing this Kakashi's Body Flicker Technique failed, and he slipped down to the rooftop of the Hokage Building.

The next morning.

The moment Giyu opened his eyes, he heard the mysterious notification sound again.

[Spending 8 hours in close proximity with Uchiha Sasuke, Flame Breathing Analysis: +0.04%, Thunder Breathing Analysis: +0.04%]

He sat up with some confusion and observed Sasuke, who was squeezed together with him in the same blanket.

Sasuke was sleeping soundly, even picking at his belly while snoring, resembling a fair-skinned pig.

If he remembered correctly, before he fainted yesterday, Giyu heard that being in close proximity with Itachi for one hour increased Flame Breathing analysis by 0.02%.

Afterward, his father, Fugaku, used a small ninjutsu, and the analysis increased by 0.04%.

But after spending a total of 8 hours sleeping in close proximity to Sasuke, the analysis for Flame Breathing and Thunder Breathing increased by 0.04% each, equivalent to an increase of 0.01% per hour.

So here comes the question.

Why does Sasuke have a higher analysis for Thunder Breathing than his father and Itachi?

And how close is considered "close proximity"?

[Within a two-meter range of individuals with whom you have a higher level of intimacy, you can analyze the corresponding breathing techniques based on their chakra attributes. The value of the analysis depends on the degree of mastery of the chakra attribute changes by the other person.]

[That person spoke again.]

Giyu frowned and entered the state of "Transparent World," scanning his surroundings, but he didn't see any living beings. Upon careful consideration, that voice seemed more like it appeared directly in his mind.

Several seconds passed, but Giyu didn't hear any sound.

However, at least his doubts were answered.

To obtain analysis of the breathing techniques, the following conditions must be met:

Be in the presence of individuals with a higher level of intimacy.

The so-called intimacy refers to the quality of relationships.

Naturally, family members and friends are closer.

In this world, Sasuke, Itachi, and his parents are among them, perhaps even Shisui...

Must maintain a distance within two meters of these individuals.

That means at least being in the same room with them.

Analysis is calculated every hour unless the other person uses a ninjutsu, in which case it is calculated immediately, just like when Fugaku blew out two fireballs yesterday.

However, the specific breathing technique analyzed depends on the chakra attributes the other person possesses.

According to Giyu's understanding, the term "attribute" should refer to things like Fire Style and Water Style, corresponding to Flame Breathing and Water Breathing in the breathing techniques.

According to the instructions he heard yesterday, as long as he fully analyzes Flame Breathing and practices it to an average level, he can revive the Flame Pillar.

"Constant" is a realm of practicing in the breathing techniques.

When swordsmen use "Total Concentration Breathing," they are actually forcibly improving their physical abilities through intense breathing, causing their bodies to operate beyond their limits. Therefore, they cannot use it for an extended period, as it would leave severe side effects such as necrosis of lung cells and the like.

However, once a swordsman completes the training of "Constant," they can use the breathing techniques without any burden for twenty-four hours a day, and they can also subtly change their physique using the natural power through the breathing techniques.

It can be said that reaching the level of "Constant" is the threshold for becoming a Pillar.

And Giyu has reached the level of "Water Breathing - Constant" for half a year now.

What surprised him was that the natural power in this world was even more abundant than on Earth, which resulted in the strengthening speed of "Water Breathing - Constant" for this body being much faster.

Helping the blonde kid yesterday was the first time he took action in this world.

Although he didn't go all out with that strike, its power was no weaker than when he first became a Pillar.

Moreover, he used a simple stone instead of the Nichirin Sword for his "Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust"...

This gave Giyu considerable confidence in this body.

Although mastering the Flame Breathing technique may be quite challenging, the fundamentals of breathing techniques are universal after all.

Given his current physical condition, even if there are any issues, they shouldn't be too significant, and achieving an intermediate level is only a matter of time.

As long as he can revive Rengoku, his beloved teammate from the Demon Slayer Corps, Giyu will overcome any difficulties with determination.

(In the Manga, Giyu's attitude towards Rengoku is: He often initiates conversations with me. I like that.)

[And what about the others?]

Giyu tentatively inquired in his mind, [What about if it's Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Pillar? How can I revive him?]

To have died at the age of fourteen, it's truly a pitiful fate.

Moreover, the one who killed Tokito was his ancestor, the Upper Moon One, Kokushibō.

Giyu has the intention to revive Tokito, but he seems to have not heard of any ninja techniques related to Mist Release in the Shinobi world.

[Once both Water Breathing and Wind Breathing reach an intermediate level, it will be possible to revive Muichiro Tokito.]

Giyu blinked his eyes.

So, this peculiar voice selectively responded with the answers.

The Mist Breathing used by Tokito relies on hazy mist and swift movements for guerrilla warfare, originating from Wind Breathing, but it also seems to borrow some elements from Water Breathing, which coincidentally correspond to Wind Release and Water Release.

However, does this mean that he needs to find someone who can use Wind Release and become friends with them in order to decipher it?

Making friends, undoubtedly, is the most challenging task for Giyu.

During the two years after killing Muzan Kibutsuji, he struggled to find employment due to his inability to communicate with people, relying on his savings to get by.

The only social activity he had during that time was exchanging letters with Tanjirō and his master...

However, Giyu Uchiha is capable of overcoming this level of difficulty too!

As long as he knows what others like to eat and carries it with him to feed them, he can always make them like him.

This is the profound truth that Tanjiro taught him.

(Shinobu Kocho: ×@#&!)

[What about the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho?]

Giyu changed the question.

[You need to reach an intermediate level of Water Breathing and have basic knowledge of Moon Breathing.]

Giyu was puzzled for a moment.

Moon Breathing, isn't that one of the Breath Styles of the Upper Moons?

But the problem is, he has never heard his family mention any words related to "Moon Breathing" or "Moon Attribute."

Moreover, Moon Breathing doesn't seem to have any connection with the Insect Hashira's Insect Breathing, right?

After contemplating for a while and not receiving a reply, he stopped worrying about it.

[Can you resurrect Sabito?]

Sabito was his senior who trained with him on Mt. Natagumo, but he ended up being the only one to die during the Final Selection exam in Fujikasane Mountain.

He was very talented, and Giyu always thought that if he had survived, he would have become the Water Hashira earlier than himself.

In that case, there would be fewer members who died in the final battle.

[Resurrectable individuals only include "Pillars" who sacrificed themselves in battles against demons before and after the Great Battle.]

Only the Pillars, huh?

Giyu wasn't disappointed and continued to ask.

[What about Kanae Kocho...?]

Giyu had been in this world for five years already, and Shinobu should have died a while ago.

[She has already been reincarnated and is living a happy life.]

Giyu was momentarily stunned. That was good news.

In this way, after asking about the conditions for resurrecting each of the Pillars, his mood became better and better.

[To resurrect the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro, you need to reach an intermediate level of Flame Breathing.]

[To resurrect the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, you need to reach an intermediate level of Water Breathing and have basic knowledge of Moon Breathing.]

[To resurrect the Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro, you need to reach an intermediate level of Water Breathing and Wind Breathing.]

[To resurrect the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, you need to reach an intermediate level of Flame Breathing and have basic knowledge of Sun Breathing.]

[To resurrect the Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro, you need to reach an intermediate level of Water Breathing and Thunder Breathing.]

[To resurrect the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, you need to reach an intermediate level of Stone Breathing.]

The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, and the Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho, are not among the options for resurrection.

Uzui has not activated the pattern yet, probably living a happy life with his three wives...

Giyu kept these conditions deep in his mind.

Among them, the Flame Pillar is undoubtedly the easiest to resurrect because he can obtain the Flame Breathing and achieve resolution from his father, Itachi, and Sasuke.

Thus, Giyu finally found something he could call a goal in the Shinobi world.

After finishing, Giyu pushed the sleeping Sasuke aside and got up himself.

Today, he was going to the training grounds with Itachi and Sasuke. As long as he stayed close within two meters, he should be able to further understand the working principle of that so-called resolution. By the way, he wanted to find out if there was something like Moon attribute...

It's not that he has any special feelings for the Butterfly Ninja; he just wanted to resurrect someone who would be willing to talk to him first, like the Butterfly Ninja and Rengoku Kyōjurō. They should get along well with each other.

After all, Obanai Iguro and Muichiro Tokito didn't seem to like him, especially the latter. They always teamed up to mock him along with Shinazugawa Sanemi, which made Giyu very sad.

After going downstairs, Giyu noticed his father Fugaku sitting in the courtyard, talking to Itachi. Itachi would occasionally nod as if accepting some mission. His mother was in her own room.

As usual, Giyu ignored them and started cooking after washing up. He first remade the leftover dishes from last night and prepared some snacks to eat when he went out today.

Half an hour later, Sasuke, rubbing his eyes, arrived late. The family sat around the table in the Japanese-style room, eating breakfast in silence and without much enthusiasm, the typical dining style of the Uchiha clan.

It was not until Giyu suddenly asked, "What is chakra nature?"

The whole family was taken aback.

Mikoto covered her mouth in excitement, her eyes filled with an incredulous expression.

[Oh my goodness, Giyu actually initiated a conversation with someone!]

She was almost in tears.

Although he didn't specify whom he was asking, he finally asked a question unrelated to household chores! It was a question that a child his age should ask.

[My Giyu, he has finally grown up!]

"Sasuke, do you remember what I told you before? Why don't you explain it to Giyu?"

Itachi intended to let Sasuke demonstrate his recent learning achievements, fearing that Fugaku would think Giyu had better talent, which would cause an imbalance and hurt Sasuke's feelings.

Sasuke, who was originally stuffing himself with fried fish belly, immediately sat up straight, intending to perform well in front of his father.

"Well, Brother said that chakra has five basic natures: water, fire, lightning, earth, and wind. Every ninja is naturally born with at least one of them."

Sasuke glanced at Itachi.

When he saw Itachi smiling and nodding at him, his tone became more confident.

"For example, as Uchiha, we naturally possess a high affinity for the Fire element. Therefore, when we use Fire Release to convert refined neutral chakra into Fire chakra, we waste less and achieve higher efficiency. The power of our ninjutsu also becomes greater compared to other shinobi."

"However, my brother also mentioned that apart from the innate attributes, ninjas can also study and develop the properties of other attributes through training and research. It just takes more time and effort. To become a Jonin, one must master the nature transformations of two to three or more attributes."

"That's roughly correct."

Fugaku nodded in satisfaction and took the opportunity to express what he had been holding in since last night, "Truly worthy of being my son."

In reality, this statement encompassed all three of his sons, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud last night due to a surge of compassion.

But today, he finally spoke those words.

Fugaku thoroughly enjoyed his breakfast.

All three of his sons, including Sasuke, were stronger than he was at their age.

He believed that as long as things went smoothly, the Uchiha clan would soon overcome their precarious position and possess their own progressive power.

However, of all his praises, Sasuke was the happiest.

His cheeks turned red on both sides, as if he was about to ignite into a fireball. If someone didn't know, they would think he was brewing a massive fire jutsu.

Following that, Mikoto, on the other hand, expressed her confusion.

"But Giyu, why are you so curious about this?"

[Could it be that Sasuke told him something last night?]

"Well, I want to know if there are chakra attributes related to the moon, apart from these five basic attributes."

Sasuke was a bit confused by the question and shook his head.

"The moon? Are you referring to the Yin attribute?"

Fugaku took a sip of soup and calmly explained, "In addition to the five primary attributes, there are two rarely mentioned chakra attributes: Yin and Yang. Among the shinobi, very few have truly understood the nature transformations of the Yin attribute. Most only have a superficial understanding and apply it in sealing jutsu and genjutsu."

"Within Konoha, the clans that truly research the nature transformations of the Yin attribute are the Nara, Yamanaka, and the Aburame clan, along with a select few genjutsu specialists."

"To master the nature transformations of the Yin attribute, it requires not only a high level of comprehension and imagination but also a significant amount of time. The only ones who can quickly grasp the Yin attribute chakra are the Uchiha. We don't even need to deliberately enhance this power, nor do we need hand seals to release genjutsu."

He activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, and it gently rotated in his eye sockets.

His family members put down their chopsticks and stared at his eyes without moving.

"Giyu, as long as your Sharingan continues to evolve, the Yin attribute chakra, also known as the Doujutsu, will naturally become stronger. The effects of the genjutsu you produce will also become more potent, capable of altering reality, reversing life and death, and much more. When you said you didn't want to be 'hated' yesterday, with powerful genjutsu, you can achieve that."

[So, do you finally understand how powerful the Uchiha's abilities are?]

Fugaku stared at Giyu's face, seemingly hoping to see an expression of longing or pride for their clan.

[The Sharingan is the eye that reflects the mind. Its power also depends on the desires deep within its wielder.]

[If Giyu can become a genjutsu specialist stronger than Shisui, perhaps we can subtly control the higher-ups of Konoha without them even realizing it.]

But he was disappointed.

Giyu remained silent, looking at those crimson eyes, and suddenly had an epiphany.

He realized that the dark energy in his clan members' minds had an explanation. So, that was the unique Yin attribute chakra of the Uchiha clan.

But why did it always give him a sense of unease?

It was as if something strange had mixed into that chakra...

However, Giyu's greatest gain this morning was discovering the existence of Yin and Yang, two attributes that only graduate from the Ninja Academy would typically understand. They corresponded to the Breathing Styles of the Moon and the Sun.

With this knowledge, whether it was resurrecting Rengoku Kyojuro or the Butterfly Ninja, he only needed to "target" his family members to gather the necessary compatibility.

For Giyu, this was undoubtedly good news, as it meant he wouldn't have to interact with more people for now.

However, it also meant that in the future, he would have to become more like Sasuke, more clingy, in a literal sense.

But in doing so, he wouldn't be able to spend too much time alone at home anymore...

[How should I plan my time? That's the question...]

Seeing Giyu's lack of reaction, Fugaku frowned.

He instructed Itachi, "Speaking of chakra attributes... go buy a test paper to measure Sasuke's potential. As my son, he should possess more than one Fire attribute."

"Understood."

Itachi agreed.

Although Sasuke had a long way to go before he understood the nature transformations, knowing his attributes in advance would allow Itachi to gather some ninjutsu with a higher compatibility during missions and pave the way for him.

Of course, if Giyu was willing to learn chakra refinement, they could also test him...

However, the question remained: How could they make him willingly pursue that path?

Yesterday, Giyu made a wish not to be "hated"...

But Fugaku couldn't figure out who exactly he meant by "them."

After finishing their meal, Fugaku and Mikoto left for work, while Giyu neatly packed the remaining snacks into two large food boxes and waited at the door. Ninja had a big appetite, especially during training.

"Giyu, we're going to train, not go camping..."

Sasuke said this with his mouth, wanting to show his younger brother that he could endure hardship and work hard like an adult.

But to be honest, he didn't want to satisfy his hunger with rice balls for lunch.

He walked over to Giyu's side, wanting to share one of them with him.

However, as soon as Sasuke lifted the lunchbox, his face turned ghostly pale as if he had seen a ghost, and then gradually became flushed.

In the end, Giyu took the lunchbox back again, relieving him from the awkward situation.

"There's soup inside this one, it's heavy. Let me do it."

Giyu effortlessly lifted the lunchbox as if it did not weigh at all, making Sasuke feel anxious.

"Why does Giyu have such great strength even though he never trained? Could he really be a more talented genius than his brother?"

A slight sense of dissatisfaction surged in Sasuke's heart.

Itachi silently watched this scene and remembered the task his father had given him after waking up in the morning.

"Find a way to assess Giyu's physical condition and see how strong he really is."

Although he knew that by doing so his father would become even more determined to make Giyu a ninja, he had to do it.

"Sasuke, did you bring the shuriken and kunai for practicing taijutsu?"

Itachi asked softly.

"Yes, I brought them."

Sasuke touched the bulging ninja tool pouch tied to his leg. "I also brought Giyu's portion."

After all, he had made up his mind to train Giyu together with him.

"I'm just going along with you guys."

Giyu was only going to improve his resolution, not particularly interested in becoming a ninja himself.

Even if he wanted to pursue strength, the physical transformation through breathing techniques was far from reaching its limit.

To say something that would infuriate Sasuke, he could become stronger just by breathing every day, and the progress was extremely fast.

"Let's just follow Giyu's wishes."

Seeing that Sasuke was about to say something else, Itachi shook his head gently.

For children with ideas, forcing them is useless; one must start by guiding their thoughts.

However, Itachi planned to demonstrate the power of ninjutsu to Giyu first, as he thought Giyu would be very interested in flashy ninjutsu effects. Many ninjas began to study seriously for similar reasons, just for the sake of "cool" and "impressive"...

"By the way, how about running to train our bodies today?"

Itachi didn't forget his father's arrangement; this way, he could see Giyu's endurance level and roughly gauge his overall physical fitness.

"But if we do that, we won't have energy left for training."

Sasuke was somewhat unwilling. The training grounds they often went to were several kilometers away from the Uchiha clan area, even farther than the outskirts of the Uchiha clan territory. As for the training grounds in the lake area behind the clan, there were always some young clan members trying to prove themselves by challenging Itachi, which was why they chose to practice in the village's training grounds.

"But if Sasuke is willing to run there, I can carry you back in the afternoon."

"Then I'm willing!"

Sasuke showed a level of clinginess that made Giyu envious.

If only he could do the same, everyone would be able to resurrect faster.

"What about Giyu?"

Itachi smiled and turned his head. "I can help you carry the lunchbox."

"No need."

Giyu refused, "I can keep up."

He planned to stay within a two-meter radius of Itachi for the entire day.

To see if he could learn the resolution of the Moon Breathing technique from Itachi, who possessed the Three Tomoe Sharingan.