Chapter 835: Chapter 836: I Like the Happy Ending the Most

Resurrection?

Minato was stunned. Ethan’s words left him speechless. Jiraiya and Kakashi, standing nearby, were also frozen in shock.

Jiraiya, who knew the most, was the first to react, but the "resurrection" he imagined wasn’t true resurrection, just forbidden techniques like Impure World Reincarnation.

"Ethan, resurrection is..."

As if knowing what he was thinking, Ethan immediately added,

"Don’t worry, I’m not talking about that Impure World Reincarnation stuff."

Since Ethan said so, Jiraiya had no further objections. In fact, he also thought that it would be a good thing if Minato could be resurrected.

"This... I’m afraid it’s difficult, isn’t it? Right now, I’m actually just a clone."

"I know. Your main body... or rather, the main body of your soul isn’t here."

Minato nodded. He wasn’t surprised. The higher-ups in Konoha all knew how he died, and those familiar with the inner workings were more or less aware of the Reaper Death Seal.

"Then you should know that my soul is trapped inside the Shinigami’s stomach."

"Shinigami?"

"Does the Shinigami really exist?"

Neither Kakashi nor Jiraiya spoke. Another major reason Jiraiya hoped for Minato’s resurrection was that, unlike other deceased ninja, Minato couldn’t rest in peace. He had to endure endless suffering and torment. That was the horror of the Reaper Death Seal. Neither the user nor the target sealed by the jutsu met a good end.

Jiraiya felt that even if Ethan couldn’t truly resurrect Minato, just relieving him of that eternal torment would already be a great blessing.

Sakura and Sasuke didn’t know what the Reaper Death Seal was. Their first reaction upon hearing "Shinigami" was surprise and a trace of fear.

"Tell me about this Reaper Death Seal."

"This..."

Minato glanced at Jiraiya. Seeing Jiraiya nod, he told Ethan all the details of the Reaper Death Seal without reservation. He didn’t hide anything from anyone. Sakura and Sasuke also heard clearly, but Kakashi warned them seriously.

"Even if you remember this jutsu, don’t ever use it. The price is far too great."

As Minato explained the Reaper Death Seal in detail, Sakura and Sasuke already understood what the so-called heavy price was. At the same time, they both deeply admired the Fourth Hokage’s sacrifice for Konoha. Ordinary people could never make such a decision.

Ethan listened to the entire explanation and Minato’s insights into the jutsu. He then looked at Minato, who was beginning to fade, nodded, and gave a definite answer.

"Don’t worry. You’ll be reunited with your family soon."

Minato smiled as he slowly faded away.

Watching Minato disappear again, Jiraiya felt complicated. But seeing Ethan, he felt that hope hadn’t completely vanished.

"Are you confident?"

"Are you doubting my abilities?"

Ethan curled his lip. It was just the Reaper Death Seal—something even Orochimaru could break. He had countless ways to dismantle the jutsu and release the souls trapped inside the Shinigami’s body.

"Forget it. There’s no point in talking more. You’ll see for yourselves whether I’m telling the truth soon enough."

He wasn’t in a hurry to resurrect Minato. Instead, he looked toward Naruto.

Since he was already going to resurrect Minato, why not go all the way and do a good deed? Kushina might as well be brought back too. After all, Ethan liked happy endings.

He walked over to Kushina. Naruto was still talking to Kurama, and they seemed to be getting along well. It was likely only a matter of time before they reached an agreement.

Kushina, on the other hand, was quietly watching her son, her eyes full of affection, seemingly wanting to memorize his face before she vanished again.

"Alright, you don’t need to look anymore. You’ll have plenty of time to watch him later, as many years as you like."

Kushina was a little confused by Ethan’s words, but her situation was even more troublesome than Minato’s. Minato’s soul was in the Shinigami’s belly, and once the Reaper Death Seal was mastered, it wouldn’t be hard to locate the Shinigami.

Kushina was different. She was completely dead. Her soul had entered the Pure Land. If not for the preserved chakra fragment, the only option would have been to dig up her grave.

That was too troublesome. To save effort, Ethan didn’t want this chakra-formed clone to vanish.

"I could explain in detail, but there’s no time. Forgive me for the offense."

Kushina’s body had already become a translucent phantom, a sign that her chakra was nearly depleted and she would vanish soon.

Before that happened, Ethan reached out and shattered her form. Her chakra turned into energy, which he gathered into a sphere and held in his hand.

From beginning to end, Kushina had no chance to resist. She simply didn’t have the strength.

By the time Naruto reacted, she had already turned into a chakra ball in Ethan’s hand.

"What are you doing?"

"This is to save your mother."

Naruto was the type to trust his comrades completely. When Ethan said that, he believed him without hesitation. Instead, he looked surprised and delighted.

"You can really save my mom?"

"..."

Kurama, nearby, was speechless. He had just thought that reaching a mutual understanding with Naruto was a good thing. At least he wouldn’t be trapped in this dark space all the time. Even though he couldn’t move freely, seeing the outside world through Naruto’s eyes was much better than his current situation.

But seeing Naruto trust people so easily, he couldn’t help but worry if this kid would get scammed one day.

"Brat, you trust people too easily."

"Ethan is my friend. Of course I trust my friends!"

"Hmph. You’ll pay for being that naive one day. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Ethan glanced at the giant fox, then at the grinning Naruto. These two were bonding quickly. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before Naruto truly mastered Kurama Mode.

"You two have plenty of time to build your relationship. Let’s leave this place first..." Ethan looked at Kurama. "If you’re worried, you can observe through Naruto’s eyes."

As Ethan spoke, everyone’s vision blurred, and the scenery shifted again. They returned to the training ground from earlier. They had exited Naruto’s mental world.

The ability to pull everyone into someone’s inner world and back left Jiraiya and Kakashi shocked. It meant Ethan’s strength far surpassed theirs. He could kill them with a genjutsu if he wanted to.

Sakura and Sasuke had also received thorough training and were aware of what that meant. Sasuke, however, had long grown used to Ethan’s power. Nothing surprised him anymore. Whatever Ethan did, it always made sense to him.

Naruto didn’t care about that at all. What mattered most to him was what Ethan had just said—saving his mother.

As Ethan was preparing to act, Jiraiya suddenly reached out and stopped him.

"Wait. You’re not going to use that jutsu here, are you?"

Ethan paused, realizing the problem. This was still Konoha. The village had been thoroughly reorganized by Tsunade. Although Anbu were stationed nearby, they were all considered her trusted agents.

However, resurrecting the Fourth Hokage was a major event and not something unrelated people should witness.

"Let’s find a more secluded place."

Kakashi handled the location, while Jiraiya went to notify Tsunade. Upon learning of the situation, she immediately called the retired Third Hokage, Hiruzen.

Resurrecting the Fourth was no small matter. She had to take it seriously.

Hiruzen was also the only person in the village who fully understood the Reaper Death Seal. With his special status, it wasn’t strange to call him.

So, when Kakashi finished setting up the location, the number of spectators had increased to include the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, and the Fifth, Tsunade.

Itachi and Kakashi were in charge of security. Tsunade’s trusted Anbu were stationed as well. This level of defense guaranteed no intrusion.

The location chosen was the former Root base. After being thoroughly investigated, it had been abandoned, but now it was being put to use. It was secluded enough, and the entrances could be blocked to ensure internal security.

"You can really resurrect Minato?"

Hiruzen had already heard from Tsunade about Ethan’s identity. Although he found it unbelievable, he didn’t care. All that mattered now was whether Minato could truly be brought back.

"Yes."

Although he’d been asked multiple times, Ethan still answered patiently. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Not only Minato. Kushina can be resurrected too."

Seeing that no one else had questions, Ethan began.

"I’m starting."

He first used Kushina’s chakra, then used a method similar to Impure World Reincarnation to call back her soul. But to the others, her spiritual form was invisible.

Then he immediately performed the Reaper Death Seal, summoning the Shinigami.

Hiruzen recognized the jutsu and grew tense. Normally, those not involved in the jutsu couldn’t see the Shinigami. The presence of something invisible was deeply unsettling.

But to his surprise, this time he saw the Shinigami clearly. Just as he was about to warn Ethan to be careful, the next second, Ethan drew the long sword from his waist and directly sliced the Shinigami in half.

"..."

(To be continued.)

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