CHAPTER 205: CHAPTER 205: CHANGES AND SHADOWS

This was Tsunade’s lover—the one who had pulled her out of darkness after the death of her brother, Nawaki Senju. If fate had not intervened, they should have been married by now, raising children and living a simple, happy life like any ordinary family.

But everything had changed.

Dan Katō was dead.

Because of that loss, Tsunade had once been trapped in a shadow she could not escape.

If it weren’t for Uchiha Haru, she would likely still be gambling in a casino or drowning herself in tavern alcohol, spiraling through a life of decadence and despair.

Tsunade’s heart swelled with conflicting emotions.

She led Haru and Orochimaru to the graves of her brother Nawaki and her lover Dan Katō.

After all these years, the bodies had long since turned to dry bones.

Yet, upon seeing them, Tsunade couldn’t hold back her tears.

Orochimaru, though cold and detached by nature, was also moved deep within—his heart stirred by the memory of his most beloved disciple who had died prematurely under his care. It had been a long time since he had felt such pain.

Haru spoke gently to Tsunade, then turned to Orochimaru. "Let’s begin."

Orochimaru nodded. He exhaled slowly, steeling himself. The cost of performing the resurrection jutsu weighed heavily on him.

He placed the two remains before him.

"Impure World Reincarnation!" Orochimaru shouted, quickly forming hand seals as he channeled chakra.

The somber cemetery seemed to darken further, a chilling wind sweeping through, sending a shiver down their spines.

Bang!

The sound echoed sharply.

Orochimaru looked up, breathing heavily, his face worn from exertion.

This version of the Impure World Reincarnation was still imperfect. Many improvements were needed—not just to allow the resurrected to reach their peak strength, but to surpass it. More importantly, it was draining on the caster.

Right now, with only two resurrected, Orochimaru was already pushing himself to the limit. What if there were more, or if they were stronger?

That was the improvement he sought: a flawless technique, one without such heavy drawbacks.

Slowly, the two corpses—once only vessels for the jutsu—began changing, taking on the forms of Nawaki Senju and Dan Katō.

Tsunade had long known this forbidden jutsu. She had witnessed the second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, use it before, but nothing on this scale.

This was a true resurrection—far more terrifying than simple summoning or illusion.

Haru remained calm, having witnessed the resurrected First Hokage Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju during the night of the Uchiha clan’s massacre. Such scenes no longer shook him.

Orochimaru, having completed the jutsu, stood.

Haru, Tsunade, and Orochimaru watched as the two bodies on the ground transformed—losing the death aura that once clung to them, replaced by a faint, different vitality.

Suddenly, their eyes snapped open.

"I... where am I?" Nawaki was the first to stir. He scanned his surroundings, recognizing some familiarity but unable to place the changed world.

Years had passed since his death, and Konoha had transformed greatly, especially after Pain’s Chibaku Tensei.

Dan Katō also stood, confused, his gaze finally resting on Tsunade.

Nawaki’s eyes followed suit.

"Sister... why do I see you? Didn’t I already cross over to the afterlife?"

"What is going on?"

Tsunade’s breath caught as she ran forward.

Seeing her brother alive again filled her with both joy and sorrow. Joy that he had returned, sorrow for the unnatural means that had brought him back.

Though resurrected, she knew he was destined to be lost again.

The siblings embraced tightly, overwhelmed by their reunion after so long.

"Tsunade..." Dan’s voice was soft and tender, calling her name as he had a decade ago.

Warm as a gentle spring breeze.

Tsunade clutched Nawaki in her arms while also gazing upon Dan Katō, the man she had once loved deeply.

Tears finally spilled down her cheeks.

"What is going on?"

Kato Dan was slightly confused.

But seeing Tsunade brought him immense joy.

He hadn’t seen her for so many years, yet she remained as beautiful as ever.

The three, reunited after such a long time, gathered to talk quietly about their lives.

The moment was naturally touching.

Yet this resurrection of Nawaki Senju and Dan Katō was clearly meant for something far more urgent.

So, after exchanging greetings with Tsunade, Uchiha Haru stepped forward, gently interrupting their reunion.

Tsunade understood Haru’s meaning perfectly.

Though she desperately wished to linger with her brother Nawaki and her lover Dan Katō a little longer, duty called.

Haru then explained to Nawaki and Dan the true reason for their resurrection.

When Tsunade asked what really happened to them, both Nawaki and Dan fell silent.

Very few even knew the truth of their deaths now.

If anyone knew it fully, it would be themselves.

But at this point, was there any use in saying it aloud?

They hesitated, unsure whether to speak.

Haru looked between them and then at Tsunade.

He could see clearly that Tsunade longed for answers, but Nawaki and Dan seemed unwilling to reveal the truth.

He didn’t know why.

However, the purpose of their resurrection was precisely to uncover those answers.

Haru glanced at Orochimaru.

Though Orochimaru controlled the bodies through the Impure World Reincarnation technique, his influence extended only to their physical forms.

Their minds and consciousness remained their own, untouchable by Orochimaru’s will.

In other words, Orochimaru could command Nawaki and Dan’s bodies but could not force them to speak words they refused to utter.

Orochimaru was powerless in this respect.

The best chance to learn what really happened was to have Tsunade personally persuade Nawaki and Dan to speak willingly.

Tsunade understood this truth deeply.

One was her younger brother, the other her beloved.

If anyone could convince them, it must be her.

"Tsunade, please tell us what happened that year."

"No... I want to know. I have to know what happened back then. Do you know how I’ve lived all these years because of those things?"

Tears streamed down Tsunade’s face as her emotions teetered on the edge of collapse.

To distract herself, she had once drowned her pain in drinking and gambling, throwing herself into decadence to forget the past.

Those painful memories still haunted her.

Seeing Tsunade like this, Nawaki and Dan’s expressions shifted.

They knew exactly how much pain Tsunade had carried all these years in their absence.

If Tsunade suffered, so did they.

The sorrow was mutual and profound.

They glanced at each other.

In their former lives, they hadn’t been close.

Nawaki was still young when he died, and Dan only became Tsunade’s lover after she reached adulthood.

It was natural they remained unfamiliar.

Yet both harbored deep feelings for Tsunade, sharing a silent bond.

Moreover, both were shinobi of Konoha, with dreams of becoming Hokage.

Their love for the Hidden Leaf Village ran equally deep.

Their thoughts, in this moment, aligned perfectly.

Exchanging glances, they saw the unspoken meaning in each other’s eyes.

Dan sighed heavily.

"Since what happened to Tsunade is over, there’s no need to pursue it."

"What good will come from chasing after it?"

"We won’t truly come back to life, and the past won’t change. It will only stir more hatred and bring further pain."

"The hardest thing when facing hatred is not revenge, but letting go. Do you understand that?"

"No... No..."

Tsunade shook her head vehemently.

She had risked everything to be here—breaking her own ninja code, adapting herself to the Impure World Reincarnation technique, resurrecting them both.

She had done all this to finally hear what happened that year.

Not to forgive or to simply let go of hatred.

"Dan! You have to tell me!"

Tsunade grabbed Dan’s arm, crying.

Seeing this, Nawaki beside him looked reluctant.

But did they truly have to reveal the truth of that year?

Nawaki frowned deeply, wrestling with tangled hesitation.

Finally, he resolved himself.

"Sister..."

At Nawaki’s voice, Tsunade turned toward him.

She knelt down, gripping his shoulders tightly.

"You’re willing to tell me, aren’t you? Please, tell me who killed you back then."

Tsunade’s heart raced with hope.

If Nawaki was willing to speak, it would confirm every suspicion she had.

What she lacked was proof.

And that proof lay only in the words of Dan Katō and Nawaki Senju.

Dan remained unwilling.

Only her brother—and...

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