Every person's heart is fragile in some way. Or rather, everyone carries certain obsessions to one degree or another.
If you can seize those key obsessions and pieces of information, using "talk no jutsu" to change someone's mind isn't actually that difficult.
The reason Naruto's talk no jutsu is so terrifyingly effective is that he somehow always manages to latch onto the exact vulnerability in the other person's heart. In the end, his words create a corresponding illusion inside them, allowing him to turn the situation around completely.
Of course, the most crucial part of talk no jutsu is that the other party has to play along.
In the Naruto world, the people who can be swayed by talk no jutsu are never truly evil at their core.
When Natsuhiko read the series in his previous life, he could clearly feel that even the characters who destroyed villages or wiped out clans were still portrayed as "people full of love who longed for peace"—pitiful souls.
Although their actions did carry that flavor, Natsuhiko remembered an old saying from his past life: Every pitiful person has something hateful about them. And the reverse is also true.
Deep down, Natsuhiko actually looked down on these people a little. In his opinion, if you're going to do something, you might as well go all the way like Uchiha Madara and do it thoroughly!
Perhaps that was exactly why they ended up as pitiful wrecks while Madara became a legendary overlord.
Of course, that was only Natsuhiko's personal view. Everyone thinks differently, and perspective changes everything.
Take Uchiha Itachi, for example. From the Uchiha clan's standpoint, the boy was a villain who deserved to be hacked into a thousand pieces.
Natsuhiko sometimes wondered: if he had transmigrated into the Uchiha clan instead, how would he have avoided being plot-killed by Itachi?
After thinking it over countless times, he arrived at a rather straightforward conclusion.
He would probably wait until Itachi was four or five years old, follow him after that funeral in Konoha when the kid ran off to a cliff to "contemplate the meaning of life," and the moment Itachi slipped off the edge—
Natsuhiko would jump down after him and hurl several kunai straight at him, refusing to stop until the brat was unquestionably dead.
But from Natsuhiko's current standpoint, Itachi's actions had absolutely nothing to do with him.
And after learning about everything that happened later in the story—the burdens he carried, the humiliation he endured, and the sacrifices he made—Natsuhiko could admit that the guy was actually pretty impressive.
At the end of the day, Itachi had no connection to him whatsoever. No matter how stupid Natsuhiko got, he would never imitate someone like that.
Still, because of Itachi's ridiculously cool fighting style and the fact that he was the first character in the original story to display the Mangekyō Sharingan, Natsuhiko had called him "Itachi-sama" plenty of times back in his previous life.
There was never any shortage of spectators who enjoyed watching the drama unfold, and Natsuhiko was exactly that kind of person.
On the other hand, from the perspective of Konoha's higher-ups, Itachi was practically a saint. After all, he had personally erased one of Konoha's greatest unstable elements.
Different perspectives naturally led to completely different conclusions.
A thousand people would have a thousand different Hamlets. Natsuhiko would never force others to accept his views, nor would he interfere with how others chose to see things.
Besides, he was feeling rather pleased with himself right now.
His Talk-no-Jutsu had always been mediocre at best, so successfully convincing Sakumo Hatake to continue living genuinely made him happy.
Of course, he also knew that Sakumo probably still harbored a deep desire to live. No one truly wants to die, especially when they have lingering attachments. Now that Konoha had entered a brand-new era, Sakumo's desire to return to the Pure Land wasn't particularly strong anymore.
As Hidan finished forming the seals and placed one hand on Sakumo's body, the boy's vast life force began pouring into Sakumo at an astonishing speed.
At that moment, Natsuhiko activated his Jōgan. He needed to observe both Hidan and Sakumo carefully.
This experiment was based entirely on Natsuhiko's conjecture. He had no idea what the actual result would be, so he had to be extremely cautious.
Only through the Jōgan could he see the finer, more subtle details and determine where the technique still needed improvement.
Naturally, he paid close attention to Hidan's condition as well. The boy's value had already been fully realized; Natsuhiko did not want any accidents to happen to him.
The so-called miracle of immortality created by the Jashin cult had already been shattered by Natsuhiko long ago. Otherwise, why would Hidan's teacher have died such a miserable death?
Natsuhiko did not fully understand the principles involved, but he still remembered how, when Hidan's teacher used the Reaper Death Seal: Release, the Shinigami he summoned had shown extreme disgust toward him.
In the end, the man's abilities completely collapsed because of that technique, leaving Natsuhiko without even the chance to save him for further research.
That incident had also made Natsuhiko realize something. The greatest weakness of this so-called immortality was most likely backlash involving the soul itself.
Or perhaps it was because entities like the Shinigami were natural enemies of this kind of existence, making resistance completely impossible.
In the end, everything that so-called Jashin had created was essentially stealing business from the God of Death.
If they never crossed paths, then nothing would happen. But once they did, it was only natural for the Shinigami to refuse to let them off, even if they were merely insignificant followers.
Natsuhiko silently observed everything unfolding before him.
Within his vision, Hidan's life force was draining away at an astonishing rate, and as it continued to fade, visible changes began appearing across his body.
Almost visibly to the naked eye, Hidan's flesh started shriveling up, exactly like the bandit Orochimaru had once captured for experimentation.
"Did Orochimaru modify this part too?"
Natsuhiko could not quite figure it out. He clearly remembered that Chiyo had never experienced anything like this. Could it really be related to the condition of the target receiving the technique?
He could not be bothered to think too deeply about it.
What mattered was that although Hidan's condition looked terrible, the flame of his life showed no signs of weakening whatsoever.
It was as though some invisible force was protecting that flame, ensuring it would never truly extinguish.
As Hidan's life force continued pouring out, Natsuhiko shifted his attention toward Sakumo Hatake instead.
At that moment, Sakumo's condition had become extraordinarily strange.
Under Natsuhiko's gaze, bizarre changes began occurring throughout his body.
The Edo Tensei paper originating from the Pure Land started dissolving continuously, while the body that had once belonged to the Hidden Mist spy was completely melted down by the ash-like Edo Tensei material.
In Natsuhiko's eyes, Sakumo's insides had become nothing more than a shapeless mass of sludge without even the outline of a human form.
However, the situation did not last long.
As a small flame ignited deep within the very core of that "sludge," everything suddenly began moving in harmony with Sakumo's soul.
Bones, organs, blood, muscles—everything started forming at a frantic pace. Strange smoke poured out of his body, and the cracked, edo tensei appearance on his surface gradually disappeared.
"AAAAH!"
Hidan let out a furious roar. The transmission of his life force had apparently reached its limit. He now looked like a desiccated corpse.
Thump…
At that exact moment, a special chakra—belonging to a living person—burst forth in time with the beating of Sakumo's heart.
As the heartbeat grew stronger, the dull gray-brown color in Sakumo's eyes faded, eventually returning to the normal white of a living human.
Sakumo stood there in a daze. He clenched his fist tightly. The sensation on his skin told him everything was real.
He slowly closed his eyes and began to breathe in the fresh air greedily.
"This long-lost fresh air… it's intoxicating."
From the moment he had been summoned by Edo Tensei until now, he had felt almost no sense of touch and no sense of smell. He couldn't feel the movement of air or breathe in its freshness. Everything had constantly reminded him that he was nothing more than a dead man.
But now he could feel it all. And every sensation was telling him one thing:
He was alive. He was no longer dead. He was completely, utterly alive!
"Father?" Kakashi asked cautiously from the side as he watched Sakumo's state.
The next instant, Sakumo turned and pulled Kakashi into a tight embrace. He could feel the warmth of his son's body.
And in that moment, he could also feel the special bond of blood calling to blood.
Being alive… it really was wonderful.
Seeing the scene, Natsuhiko finally let out a long breath of relief. Even he hadn't expected the technique to work this well.
Still, no matter how good the result looked, many things needed to be confirmed. This had only been an immature hypothesis put to the test; he couldn't be sure how far its effects could go.
Right now, he was far more concerned about Hidan. If resurrecting Sakumo had cost Hidan's life, Natsuhiko would have suffered a massive loss.
"You okay?"
Natsuhiko walked over to Hidan and asked softly, looking at the boy's miserable state.
If he couldn't see the life flame still burning brightly, he might have thought Hidan was dead.
"Not dead yet…"
Hidan's voice was hoarse and raspy, like it had crawled out of hell itself and sent chills down the spine.
Natsuhiko frowned, thought for a moment, then reached out. A surge of green chakra appeared in his palm.
As his strength continued to grow—especially after fusing Yin-Yang Release—his understanding of both forces deepened considerably.
Since he already possessed intermediate sealing techniques, he could now attempt to seal a portion of his life force within himself.
In that regard, he had indeed learned a few things from Tsunade. Naturally, he did not possess the Strength of a Hundred Seal itself, since that technique was Tsunade's personal creation.
But lacking the original technique did not mean Natsuhiko could not develop simplified methods suited to his own needs.
With his current level of strength, creating something like that was hardly difficult.
As the green chakra overflowing with vitality flowed into Hidan's body, his condition immediately improved somewhat.
Especially after that life force surged directly into the flame of his life and caused it to burn even more intensely, Hidan finally began using that power to restore himself.
After quite some time, Hidan's shriveled body—which had looked like a dried mummy—gradually regained vitality. Before long, he was even able to stand up on his own again.
"This immortal body really is ridiculous. No wonder he could keep talking trash even after getting his head chopped off," Natsuhiko muttered inwardly.
Meanwhile, Hidan, still pale-faced, gave Natsuhiko a slight bow.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"No, I should be thanking you instead. Though judging by your condition, you probably won't recover for at least a month. I'll have Kakashi give you some extra leave when the time comes."
"I was thinking the same thing myself. I really didn't expect the consumption this time to be so terrifying."
Natsuhiko glanced at Hidan. Not only had the boy not expected it—Natsuhiko himself hadn't anticipated the situation would turn out like this.
Still, the result was excellent. Even though Hidan clearly wouldn't be able to use the technique again anytime soon, and Natsuhiko wasn't entirely sure about Sakumo's exact condition, the fact that a person had been fully brought back to life was a huge success and a cause for celebration.
"Hokage-sama, thank you."
At that moment, Sakumo Hatake and Kakashi Hatake walked over together, and Sakumo once again bowed slightly toward Natsuhiko.
Soon after, he turned toward Hidan and bowed to him as well.
"And thank you. If not for you, I truly couldn't have come back to life."
"Just make your son give me more vacation time…"
Hidan spoke without thinking, then immediately remembered Natsuhiko was still standing there and forced an awkward laugh.
"That was Hokage-sama's promise. You'll honor it, right, Commander?"
"All right, shut up." Natsuhiko cut Hidan off.
The boy immediately shrank back like a frightened rabbit.
If there was one person in the world Hidan feared the most right now, it was undoubtedly the Fifth Hokage, Natsuhiko. Even though Kakashi was his direct superior, Hidan only showed him respect. The moment Natsuhiko spoke, Hidan instantly fell silent.
Natsuhiko couldn't be bothered to deal with him any further. Hidan was fine now.
What mattered most at the moment was Sakumo's condition.
"Sakumo-senpai, how do you feel right now?"
Natsuhiko thought for a moment before asking slowly.
"After all, this was only an experiment—our very first one. We need to collect as much data as possible.
So, how do you feel at this moment? Compared to when you were alive, is there anything different?"
This was something Natsuhiko absolutely had to confirm. Only by understanding these details could he decide the future direction of the technique.
Hidan would clearly need time to rest. During this gap, Natsuhiko could plan the next steps.
If Sakumo was completely normal, Natsuhiko could start preparing materials for the next experiment.
If there were problems, he would have to identify them and then discuss solutions with Orochimaru.
Even without Orochimaru, Natsuhiko could try to solve some issues himself.
After all, he had always wanted to dig up the dead and put them to work. Free labor that required zero salary or benefits? It would be a waste not to use it.
For example, his predecessor—the Second Hokage—was quite the research genius.
Natsuhiko felt almost no psychological burden about resurrecting the Senju clan's ancestors to make them work.
Sometimes he even wondered maliciously whether Tobirama Senju had created Edo Tensei in the first place because he was waiting for someone to summon him back.
After all, he had never told anyone that the technique had a release method. Only he, Hashirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha knew about it—and Madara had probably learned it from Hashirama.
If that were true, then summoning Tobirama wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
If it ever came up, Natsuhiko could simply say "for the sake of Konoha" and that would be enough.
In any case, Natsuhiko had never expected the Edo Tensei he summoned to truly possess top-tier combat power.
The version of Edo Tensei he used was still the most primitive form of the technique. When the sacrifice material was decent enough and the resurrected target was not some "superhuman"-level monster, the results were still acceptable.
But once it involved true monsters of that caliber, Natsuhiko estimated that restoring even fifty to sixty percent of their original strength would already be considered an outstanding result.
Just like the two Kage the Third Hokage fought in the original story, whether they even possessed half of their original power was questionable.
Even so, Natsuhiko still believed those summons had already been powerful enough to crush the overwhelming majority of shinobi.
"Hokage-sama, my vital signs seem normal for now."
Sakumo closed his eyes and carefully sensed his own condition for a long moment before opening them again.
"Although I haven't had a formal medical check, I can tell everything feels normal.
The only thing is… the nearly infinite chakra I had when I was first summoned has disappeared.
My current chakra level seems a bit lower than it was right before I… committed suicide. There's been a noticeable drop.
Besides that, although I still have good control over my body, my physical strength doesn't seem to have reached my previous level.
Both speed and power have dropped quite severely. However, I can sense that if I put in the training, I should be able to recover quickly."
Natsuhiko listened quietly. Even though Sakumo had phrased it very politely, Natsuhiko could still tell the truth.
Sakumo's strength had dropped dramatically!
Sakumo had been a swordsman. His greatest pride had always been his speed and power—those two qualities formed the foundation of his status as a top-tier blade master. Combined with his reaction speed and countless battle experiences, he had become the dreaded Konoha White Fang.
But now, although he had been resurrected, the current Edo Tensei clearly hadn't achieved 100% resurrection accuracy.
On top of that, the material Natsuhiko had chosen—the Mist spy—had a fighting style that differed from Sakumo's, or was simply far inferior.
As a result, Sakumo's strength had declined sharply. In Natsuhiko's observation, his chakra was still decent, but how much of it he could actually use was uncertain.
"I understand."
Natsuhiko thought for a moment, then nodded seriously.
"This is probably because the material I chose wasn't a perfect match for you. Even though the material was completely melted and reconstructed into a body that matches your soul, some aftereffects still remain.
But you can rest assured—you are still you. After we return to Konoha, you can have a full examination.
I believe your perception is correct. This body is your own body. Anything you've lost can be regained through training. The Konoha needs you to recover. Understood?"
Sakumo was momentarily speechless at Natsuhiko's words. He actually had quite a bit of confidence in restoring his own strength.
After all, his experience was still there, his control over his body was the same as before, and he even felt full of vitality now.
In this condition, of course he had confidence. He was a swordsman—his combat power could be raised through constant training.
Still, he had one small doubt: whose body was this exactly?
He had no idea how Natsuhiko's technique actually worked, nor did he know the finer details. He only knew he had come back to life by relying on a death-row prisoner.
But when Natsuhiko said "reconstructed," Sakumo suddenly felt relieved. He roughly understood what "reconstruction" meant.
It was very likely that the resurrection had completely dissolved the prisoner's body into energy and then rebuilt it into a body that was entirely his own.
If that was the case, then it was wonderful.
He really didn't want to come back to life only to discover he no longer shared the same bloodline as his son Kakashi.
Of course, he could already sense that he was still himself—earlier he had felt that special blood connection with Kakashi.
"I understand, Hokage-sama."
Sakumo knelt on one knee once more and spoke with utmost seriousness.
"I will work hard to rehabilitate myself. I absolutely will not disappoint you, Lord Hokage."
"I believe you, Sakumo-senpai."
Natsuhiko smiled and nodded. After thinking for a moment, he continued.
"As for your identity… my Hokage Guard Team hasn't been formed yet. You can be the first member."
"Your personal guard team, Hokage-sama?"
Sakumo looked at Natsuhiko in surprise. According to Kakashi, Natsuhiko had already been Hokage for more than half a year. The guard team should have been established long ago.
"Yes—my Hokage Guard. Come up with a name or codename for yourself. Let Kakashi handle the rest.
Also… welcome back, Sakumo Hatake."
With that, Natsuhiko casually grabbed Hidan and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, vanishing from the spot.
He had obtained everything he needed and verified many things. Now he planned to go back, record the data properly, and prepare for the next resurrection.
As for placing Sakumo in his Hokage Guard, although the idea had come to him on a whim, Natsuhiko realized it wasn't a bad one at all.
He didn't plan to form the guard team right away, but he would still need to do some groundwork for the future.
Since Sakumo had now been resurrected, and Natsuhiko could roughly guess how strong a fully recovered Sakumo would be, there was also the matter of Sakumo's identity to consider.
So why not take this opportunity and simply let him join the Hokage Guard?
It would hide his identity while also laying the foundation for the guard team. Why not?
"Who knows… maybe in the future my entire Hokage Guard will be made up of resurrected people."
Natsuhiko thought to himself with a silent smile. If that happened, it would actually be pretty interesting.
...
After reviving Sakumo, Natsuhiko entered a relatively peaceful period for quite some time.
Of course, this "peaceful" state was only relative.
As Hokage, he still had countless matters to deal with every single day.
For example, there were Konoha's internal policy reforms, development plans across every sector of the village, and adjustments to Konoha's diplomatic policies.
The reason Natsuhiko could remain relatively relaxed was because he had enough capable people working beneath him to help execute his goals.
As long as he determined the correct direction, the rest would naturally move forward.
During this period, Sakumo also underwent a complete medical examination.
Although Natsuhiko had already assured him that "he was still himself," conducting proper tests was obviously the safest option.
And when Sakumo and Kakashi concealed their identities and arrived at the ANBU laboratory, it only took half a day for them to receive all the conclusions they needed.
The results naturally filled them with joy.
Natsuhiko had not exaggerated at all.
The findings not only excited Sakumo immensely, but also left Kakashi overwhelmingly relieved and happy.
After all, Kakashi had also been worried about one important issue—
If Rin and Obito were eventually revived, how exactly would they view themselves afterward?
Especially Obito Uchiha.
As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Obito had always been incredibly proud of his bloodline.
It was difficult to imagine just how devastated he would become if he were to lose that heritage entirely.
"And besides, that guy is just a dead-last. Without the Sharingan, he really wouldn't amount to much."
Although the materials used were somewhat gruesome, after those lingering concerns were put aside, Kakashi also felt himself relax.
However, after learning about Hidan's current condition, he also understood that resurrecting Rin and Obito right now was still impossible.
So he stopped dwelling on it. With a living example right in front of him, he knew everything was worth waiting and hoping for.
During this period, Kakashi also learned one of Natsuhiko's secrets: Natsuhiko was actually working with Orochimaru!
Although Kakashi had already been mentally prepared to some extent, since Natsuhiko had already hinted at many things before, he was still shocked when Orochimaru's name was confirmed.
He knew exactly what kind of person Orochimaru was.
He was arguably the most heinous missing-nin still alive in Konoha's history.
Not only had he conducted human experiments within the village, but he had used Konoha shinobi as test subjects. And especially when he left the village, he even went as far as to extract Fugaku Uchiha's eyes.
A man like that—yet Natsuhiko was actually working with him.
Kakashi genuinely did not know how to react.
"Surprised?"
Natsuhiko saw the look in Kakashi's eyes and immediately understood what he was thinking. He smiled and explained.
"There's no need to be shocked. You have to understand one thing: the things Orochimaru did weren't necessarily things he wanted to do.
We hunted him down not because of his crimes, but because we needed someone to take the blame."
Kakashi was smart. And with his father back to offer guidance, his perspective had broadened.
It didn't take him long to figure out many things—for example, that Orochimaru had probably been made the scapegoat.
He had participated, but he might not have been the mastermind. Yet he had still done those things, and the real mastermind had too special a status to be touched.
Naturally, Orochimaru became the abandoned pawn who had to shoulder all the responsibility, and he was forced to leave Konoha.
Once he understood the situation, Kakashi felt genuinely nauseated by the higher-ups' schemes and compromises for the first time.
Sakumo, however, was much more open-minded. After all, his own situation back then hadn't been much better than Orochimaru's.
Orochimaru had simply been luckier—he had chosen to leave the village and escaped unscathed. Sakumo, on the other hand, had been abandoned by everyone.
"Some things are just like that. You don't need to overthink it. Just do what we need to do."
After learning everything, Sakumo did not forget to give his son a word of advice—though at this point, they almost looked more like brothers than father and son.
"You're very lucky. The Fourth Hokage was your teacher, and the Fifth Hokage was your classmate. Both of them treat you well and trust you.
But you must never become complacent because of that trust. Being close to them doesn't mean you're the same as them.
What you need to do is perform your duties, improve your strength, and complete the tasks they assign you. Understood?"
Kakashi naturally nodded in agreement, indicating that he understood.
But he still felt somewhat stifled.
So afterward, he turned around and sparred with Sakumo for a proper training match. As for the outcome, no one really knew.
What was known, however, was that Sakumo became even more diligent and disciplined afterward.
Natsuhiko paid no attention to the father-and-son matters.
At that moment, he was sitting in the Hokage Office, waiting for the meeting attendees to arrive.
Today, he needed to preside over an extremely important meeting—one that concerned Konoha's future foreign policy and development direction.
According to Natsuhiko's plan, if everything went smoothly, he would naturally gain many allies and partners.
To complete his own goals, he naturally had to change many, many things.
This meeting was also the first step in breaking Hiruzen Sarutobi's old foreign policy—and it would be a crucial one.
Besides that, he wanted to see how the jōnin reform was progressing.
After all, quite some time had passed. If everything was going well, it would be time to move on to the second phase and push the reforms toward chūnin and genin.
So far, all the data Natsuhiko had received was perfect. And after such a long time, even the group of special jōnin seemed to have stopped causing trouble.
"In that case, it's time to start advancing. I don't want to miss this window."
...
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