"Phew—"
Standing before the bodies of his brother and sister-in-law, who lay in "slumber," Hii Kōri softly exhaled.
Thoughts, parallel.
His already-evolved quintuple divided thinking synchronized once more, put to the utmost into the next calculations.
The light in his eyes faded away completely. His gray eyes were calm to the point of near nothingness, as if he had settled all his emotions to the deepest recesses of his consciousness.
What stood here now was merely an instrument—existing to complete a certain operation.
Calculation, begin.
Hii Kōri slowly raised his hand. The first seal was formed.
A resonance, too low to be heard but felt by everyone, burst forth from within his body.
It was less like the roar of chakra and more like the vibrating string sound of "life" itself.
Then, over a hundred hand seals were formed in rapid succession within just three to five seconds. Tsunade and Chiyo watched clearly—the vast majority were hand seals or variations used in Yang Release secret techniques.
Blazing, pure Yang Release chakra, like a bursting dam, poured out from every cell, every pore of his body. The hundreds of enhanced tattoos etched into his flesh also lit up with a blue fluorescent glow.
Unlike the chakra light flames or cloaks emitted by Yang Release and taijutsu ninjas in combat, this surging Yang Release power was almost comparable to the tailed beast cloak covering a jinchūriki in semi-tailed beast transformation nearly becoming tangible substance.
With the final hand seal formed, the Yang Release chakra, which had accumulated to its peak, finally found its outlet and burst forth!
Countless incantations, intricately and dizzyingly structured, emitting a light blue fluorescence, spread out from Hii Kōri's feet like living vines.
Covering the floor, climbing the walls, obscuring the ceiling, the blue mantra instantly filled the entire room, following a particular pattern.
The spell didn't even stop there. They flowed out through the open door, surged along the outside corridor, dyeing everything visible with blue lines.
The domain of the "living world" was forcibly demarcated and reinforced. The Yang Release chakra driving this technique filled this space to its maximum with the concept of "life."
The authority from the Dragon Veins mobilized the remnants of the Star Blood still lingering in this land, further stabilizing the rules that Hii Kōri had established.
Feeling the weakness caused by the continuous conversion of vitality into Yang Release chakra, Hii Kōri frowned slightly but made no other reaction instead, he further increased the output of his vitality.
Vitality is nothing. Compared to what I'm about to do, it's nothing.
All things are impermanent; the strong must fall.
As the domain of "life" gradually stabilized, the opposing yet interdependent "death" was violently stirred!
The "realm of death," whose only entrance was sealed by the stone slab, was fully activated under the stimulation of this vast vitality.
The sixty-four corpses, driven like living wedges into the outer barrier, continuously cycling through their death phases, shifted positions within the space as the barrier rotated.
The barrier that had filled the entire square room gradually contracted, becoming a more stable sphere.
Meanwhile, the inner nine-phase chart continuously rotated in a planar ring—the scene resembled a zoetrope that children play with, endlessly cycling through the cycle of death.
"AHHH—"
Empty eye sockets, open mouths, damaged wounds... accompanied by wails that held nothing but resentment, foul gray-black mist seeped from every "opening" of those corpses, gathering in the central skeletal pyre.
That was resentment. That was bitterness. That was the precipitation of pure death energy, reduced to a most profound and intense curse upon the living.
The torrent of death, thick and grey like ink, suddenly burst forth, violently slamming into the reserved channel and filling it entirely. It then slammed hard onto the seemingly ordinary stone slab that blocked the exit.
Even a fully liberated tailed beast struck by such a pure concept of 'death' would have the damaged area dissipated without a trace. If it were to be struck directly in the head, it would likewise be immediately 'reincarnated'.
That was "death" directed at all things. Any mortal thing would instantly decay, weather, and turn to dust. Yet the ordinary-looking stone slab was blocked before the channel stood firm against the surge of death.
Because this stone slab was the most critical existence in this circulation system that Hii Kōri had meticulously designed.
In mythology, after Izanami gave birth to the fire deity Kagutsuchi, she was burned and died. So Izanagi journeyed to the Underworld of Yomi, hoping to retrieve his wife.
But in that process, Izanagi lit a flame in the dim Yomi, illuminating his wife's already-rotted body, and thus turned and fled.
To block the pursuing Izanami, Izanagi used the "Chibiki-no-Iwa" (One-Thousand-Drag Rock) to block the Yomotsu Hirasaka, the slope leading to the living world.
From then on, the Chibiki-no-Iwa was called "Chigaes hi-no-Okami" (Road-Reversing Great Deity) and "Yomido-no-Okami" (Yomi Gate Great Deity).
"Yomido" means the entrance to Yomi. The word "词 sit" (to block and sit) has historically been understood as meaning to constitute an obstacle. But when used in this deity name, it more specifically means to fill a gap to prevent passage.
The Chigaeshi-no-Okami also possesses the divine nature of Dōsojin (Traveler's Guardian Deity) and Funadama-no-Kami (Fork-path deity)—both are guardian deities that prevent evil spirits and plague gods from invading villages.
And the Chibiki-no-Iwa itself became the insurmountable boundary between life and death.
For this very reason, the stone slab, which originally possessed no power, now divides the simulated Yomi: Visions of Hell and the living world, becoming the manifestation of the Chigaeshi-no-Okami.
Feeling the violent collision of the two barriers he had arranged at the Chibiki-no-Iwa, Hii Kōri knew that the simulated cycle of life and death was complete.
He turned and strode toward the stone slab blocking the entrance, raising his hands as he did. He formed a blade with his left hand and cut across the palm of his right, then slapped that palm onto the stone slab.
Like a red-hot brand on an ice surface, the blood—representing the "life" of a human—made a sharp sound the moment it contacted the slab.
A pale blue light lit up within the crimson blood. The blood, saturated with Yang Release chakra, spread across the stone slab like a school of snakes. In the blink of an eye, a technique formula resembling that of a summoning technique, centered on his palm print, was clearly branded onto the slab.
"Reverse Path Technique: Yomi Gate Open!"
If the Chigaeshi-no-Okami was the obstacle Izanagi used to block the connection between the living world and Yomi, then removing that obstacle was equivalent to reopening the path to the Underworld of Yomi.
Even though the relationship between the afterlife and the living world in this world was different from the state of Yomi, that was precisely the nature of rituals and curses—as long as the concepts matched, they could always be substituted and executed.
And this "Yomi Gate Open" was the ritual to reconnect the worlds of the "dead" and the "living."
"Awaken, you shall revive my dust drifting in brief peace. The eternal life you longed for shall finally descend. The seeds of life that were sown shall once again blossom here—"
Hii Kōri, one hand pressing on the stone slab, chanted the mantra in a low, steady voice.
"The reaper prowls and wanders, gathering the fragments of the dead. Believe in my heart. Nothing can be lost. What I possess is what I desire. What I possess is what I once loved!"
The blood-red spider web on the stone slab blazed with light. The entire slab began to shake violently, as if something behind it was desperately struggling to break free. One could even hear the wails of countless lost souls and the scraping of fingernails against the stone.
The blue spell that had spread into the corridor rapidly contracted, bringing back the support of the Star Blood remnants from the earth.
"Believe that you were not born in vain, not greedily clinging to life in vain, not enduring suffering in vain. All that is born must eventually perish. All that perishes must be reborn. Stop trembling, stop fearing. Prepare your body for the path of living!"
The "life" of the living world and the "death" of Yomi were fiercely contested. Even the mere aftertaste released was enough to make everyone present feel dizzy and disoriented, as if the floor beneath their feet was melting and the rock ceiling above was collapsing.
"Suffering, you penetrate all things! Death, you conquer all things!
Yes! But I shall transcend!"
Hii Kōri's chanting reached its climax. He suddenly spread his arms wide, his eyes contracting to their limit, as if trying to embrace the entire cycle of life and death. With all his strength, he made his final declaration—
"Life-Death Binding: Yomi Rebirth!"
A cracking sound—almost crisp, as if the entire world were shattering together—rang in everyone's ears.
The Chibiki-no-Iwa before Hii Kōri's palm instantly became covered in dense cracks.
The blue and crimson hues nearly merged into one, transforming into a blazing light. Then—BOOM!!!
The stone slab was completely shattered, not even having time to break into fragments before it turned into countless fine particles of dust, as if scattered by an invisible wind, disappearing without a trace.
Vigorous death energy gushes out, but was immediately suppressed by the even purer force of "life," unable to move.
Two hazy light clusters, emitting a faint glow, slowly drifted out from the depths of the gray-dark mist. They were two souls—two souls from the "Underworld of Yomi."
Swish! Swish!
The two soul clusters hover briefly in the air, then, like meteors plummeting to earth, precisely plunged into the two long-waiting bodies below.
The moment the souls entered their bodies, Mataza and Shūko shuddered slightly. Their hearts, which had stopped beating for a long time, suddenly started beating again.
After what felt like an eternity, their heartbeats grew strong and steady. Colour, visible to the naked eye, spread across cheeks that had been pale for years. Their stiff joints began to soften. Their chests started to rise and fall rhythmically.
The Reincarnation Technique was complete.
Thud.
The very moment he confirmed the successful return of the souls, Hii Kōri stumbled, nearly falling backward.
The vast vitality consumed to create the simulated life-death cycle was not something even an Uzumaki like Hii Kōri could casually bear.
Tsunade, who had been watching his condition, instinctively rushed over and caught his nearly collapsing body, her arm steadily supporting his back.
Hii Kōri leaned against Tsunade, turned his head, and gave her a teasing glance.
Tsunade was irritated by that look, but since he still had the energy to tease her, he was probably fine.
After all, Hii Kōri was no ordinary medical ninja; he certainly knew his own physical condition. Most importantly, she didn't believe for a moment that Hii Kōri would "sacrifice" himself at a time like this.
Not that she doubted his feelings for Mataza and his wife—rather, she knew he would definitely find a "win-win" solution.
That was his character, and his talent.
Thinking this, Tsunade gave a light snort, turned her face away, and didn't reply. But her arm supporting Hii Kōri steadied even more.
"Kōri? Are you okay?"
Karura, a step slower, also took his other arm. Together with Tsunade, she slowly helped him to a corner.
On the other side, Chiyo looked at Hii Kōri's somewhat pale face and wanted to say something as well. But at that moment, Mataza and Shūko slowly began to wake.
Hii Kōri waved at Chiyo, signaling that he was fine, then mobilized his cursed energy and began using Reverse Cursed Technique to replenish the deficit of vitality.
In healing and defense, Reverse Cursed Technique was far, far ahead of medical ninjutsu.
To this day, medical ninjutsu—based on battlefield first aid—still followed the underlying logic of "stimulating cells to divide on their own." Although there were many other applications and improved methods, there was no limb regeneration in the general sense, let alone organ repair.
But Reverse Cursed Technique was different. With sufficient precision, one could even repair their own brain.
Destroy the part of the brain that records the technique circuit, then heal it—this would reset the technique burnout state after Domain Expansion, allowing for another Domain Expansion. That was the ace in the hole of the "B-people" who had mastered the highest level of Reverse Cursed Technique.
And Hii Kōri happened to be one of those "B-people."
In fact, if he hadn't been worried about affecting the technique's effect, Hii Kōri could have restored his vitality with Reverse Cursed Technique while performing the reincarnation technique.
But healing himself afterwards didn't delay anything either.
Hii Kōri herself enjoyed Pakura's lap pillow, holding Tsunade's and Karura's hands, watching Chiyo throw beside Mataza and Shūko. He showed his warmest smile yet.
"Mataza... Shūko... my children—" Chiyo's voice was so choked it was nearly unrecognizable. Where was the dignity of a Sunagakure elder?
But Hii Kōri, who usually joked around with Chiyo, nor the Third Kazekage, who had known her longer, made any jokes at the expense of this mother who had just retrieved her once-lost treasure.
"...Mother...? Why..."
The dislocation between soul, memory, and body made Mataza and Shūko feel dizzy and disoriented. In their eyes, everything was overlapping lights and shadows; they couldn't understand what had happened.
In their memories, they should still be on the battlefield, fighting Konoha's White Fang.
Even their words came out distorted and unrecognizable due to the numbness of their bodies.
"But even so, hearing Mataza's call, Chiyo smiled like a fifty-year-old child."