"The Uchiha Clan… wiped out? By one of their own?"
Mito stared at Itachi in disbelief, then turned toward Madara. He folded his arms and looked away, his expression unreadable.
"Uchiha Itachi," Tobirama said, his tone surprisingly soft. "You're a good child with the Will of Fire. It's just a pity you were born in the wrong era.
If you'd lived in my time, the title of Hokage might not have gone to Hiruzen. Truly… a shame."
Itachi gave a faint, hollow smile. "The Will of Fire, huh…"
Boruto clapped his hands once, interrupting. "Alright, everyone, let's focus for a moment. You can reminisce later. I have something important to say."
He took a breath. "The Ninja World will soon face another invasion—this time from the Ōtsutsuki Clan. I'll need all of your strength to resist them. But as you are now—Edo Tensei bodies—you're limited."
Minato nodded. "That's true. If these Ōtsutsuki are as strong as Kaguya—or stronger—we'll need more than Edo Tensei. We'd need our real bodies."
Boruto smiled faintly. "Exactly. That's why… I intend to truly bring you all back to life."
The room fell silent.
"Truly… revive us?" Mito whispered, eyes wide.
Everyone turned toward Boruto, waiting for an explanation.
Madara spoke first. "You're referring to the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, aren't you?"
Boruto nodded. "Yes. That's exactly it."
Madara tilted his head slightly. "But my body from the Fourth Shinobi World War… what about it?"
Boruto met his gaze. "You want those eyes again, don't you? Unfortunately, they've already lost their power."
Madara smirked faintly. "Indeed. After separating from Kaguya, my chakra and the Rinnegan's ocular power were completely drained. My eyes regressed to three-tomoe Sharingan. I can no longer awaken the Mangekyō, let alone the Rinnegan."
Boruto frowned. "That's… inconvenient."
"Wait," Madara muttered, his eyes glinting. "There's still one Rinnegan left."
Tobirama's head turned sharply. "You mean Uchiha Sasuke?"
Itachi's eyes widened. "Sasuke awakened the Rinnegan?"
Madara nodded. "Yes. And not just any Rinnegan—one that's far stronger than mine."
Nagato crossed his arms. "The Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique comes at the cost of the caster's life. Would Sasuke really be willing to sacrifice himself for this?"
Itachi immediately stood up, his voice tight. "You're not saying you plan to capture Sasuke and make him use that technique, are you?"
Boruto held up a hand calmly. "Relax, Itachi. Sit down first. I'm not planning to kill your brother."
After a pause, Itachi slowly sat again.
"I have a different idea," Boruto continued. "But it's… experimental."
Everyone turned to him with curious expressions.
"Since the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique drains the life of its user, what if we used a clone instead? One created specifically for that purpose."
Madara arched an eyebrow. "A clone capable of wielding the Rinnegan? That's not exactly simple."
Kabuto, who had been silent until now, smirked. "Actually, that's not as impossible as it sounds."
Boruto nodded. "Exactly. We can clone Madara, implant the Rinnegan into the clone, and have it perform the technique. That way, no one important dies."
Tobirama stroked his chin thoughtfully. "In theory, it could work. But first, you'd need a Rinnegan."
Boruto sighed. "Yeah, about that. I'm not about to dig out my own eye for an experiment. Which means… we'll probably need Sasuke's cooperation—or his Rinnegan."
Hashirama frowned. "You intend to take Sasuke's Rinnegan by force?"
Madara gave a low laugh. "Even at my peak, I couldn't easily defeat Sasuke. And you expect Edo Tensei bodies to do it now? Do you really think you can take it from him?"
Boruto smiled wryly. "No, this is just theoretical for now. We won't act rashly. Let's focus on strengthening our forces first."
Later, deep within a quiet valley in the Land of Fire, two figures walked slowly through the mist.
They were Yakushi Kabuto and Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi stopped suddenly, his gaze falling on a cluster of inconspicuous stones. "This… is where Uchiha Shisui rests."
Kabuto blinked. "So this is the grave of Shisui of the Body Flicker? I thought it was somewhere in Konoha."
"It was… moved," Itachi said quietly. "And no, Kabuto, I won't disturb him myself. That's why you're here."
Kabuto sighed, shaking his head. "You're unbelievable. Fine, fine… I've dug up plenty of graves before. What's one more?"
He crouched down, pressing his palm against the earth. The ground began to tremble slightly as he activated his technique.
Cracks spread, stone fragments shifted, and slowly an ancient stone coffin emerged from the soil.
Kabuto's movements were efficient and practiced—clearly not his first time grave-digging.
He brushed away the dust and lifted the lid.
Inside lay a decayed body clothed in black, a short sword strapped to its back, the Konoha forehead protector still faintly visible.
Kabuto took out a sealing scroll and carefully stored Shisui's body inside.
"It's done," he said, standing. "Let's go."
Itachi turned, his expression unreadable. He stared at the scroll in Kabuto's hand—the remains of his dearest friend—and gave a small nod. He said nothing.
As they walked back toward the base, Itachi finally spoke. "Kabuto, do you know how Sasuke is doing now?"
Kabuto glanced at him, smirking. "Still worried about your little brother, huh? I haven't seen him since the Fourth Shinobi World War. But I've heard rumors."
"Rumors?" Itachi asked softly.
Kabuto chuckled. "Apparently, he's married now—and has a daughter."
Itachi stopped mid-step, eyes widening. "Married…? And he has a daughter?"
He smiled faintly, whispering to himself, "So… I have a niece."
...
Author's Note:
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