Naruto: Flash Reborn — Minato’s Second Life

"You're not dead?"

Ryo Yagura was also taken aback, but quickly flashed to appear before Tachiyama Shinsaburo's head and asked.

Tachiyama clenched his teeth tightly. Although he had survived, the intense pain of decapitation wasn't easy to bear.

After slightly easing the pain, Tachiyama looked at Ryo Yagura and said, "Help me reattach my body."

"I'm not a doctor," Ryo Yagura replied bluntly.

Tachiyama's cheek twitched continuously as he spoke through gritted teeth, "However you do it—whether sewing or using [Lightning Release Chakra]—as long as my body and head are reunited."

Nodding, Ryo Yagura placed Tachiyama's body next to his detached head. Both remained separate for now.

"Zzt!"

He joined two fingers on his right hand, arcs of brilliant blue lightning crackling between them. He pressed these fingers against the neck area of the body. Under the effect of [Lightning Release Chakra], the flesh there began sizzling loudly.

Meanwhile, with his left hand, he used two fingers in the same way to channel [Lightning Release Chakra] onto the severed neck of Tachiyama's head.

"Aaaah!"

A loud scream immediately echoed throughout the woods.

The sight unsettled the three Cloud Ninja nearby. He may be abnormal, but he's still human.

What Ryo Yagura had done was to use the extreme heat from [Lightning Release Chakra] to literally weld the body and head back together.

After several minutes, Ryo Yagura finally "stuck" Tachiyama's separated head and body back into one piece. The latter's face contorted in fury, his muscles convulsing all over.

His neck now looked like charred meat.

"Help me attach the missing arm too," Tachiyama's face twitched as he forced those words out.

Hearing this, Ryo Yagura acted just as before, helping him reconnect the severed limb.

Such unbearable pain would likely kill an ordinary person on the spot. Tachiyama writhed in agony for more than ten minutes before finally gaining slight relief.

"That bloody Sakumo Hatake!"

As the pain finally eased, murderous rage filled Tachiyama's eyes. All this torment had been inflicted by none other than Sakumo Hatake.

Once I finish the last step of this ritual... you won't live to see another sunrise!" he thought darkly.

All parts forcibly removed by Sakumo had been restored—but half of his left arm had been utterly destroyed.

He glanced toward the left arm of the fallen Cloud Ninja Chunin corpse nearby. However, Ryo's method was far too agonizing—he certainly didn't want to endure that torture again.

Comparatively speaking, stitching would be less painful.

"Move out. You haven't gotten what I came for yet," Tachiyama looked at the remaining four Cloud Ninjas, unwilling to waste more words on them.

At this moment, Ryo Yagura was undoubtedly furious. Yet this mission had been personally assigned by the Third Raikage.

The current Susumu Kurayama possessed crucial intelligence about Konoha and the Land of Fire. If these secrets could be obtained, perhaps the Land of Lightning could completely crush the Land of Fire.

"I hope the intel you provide proves valuable enough. Otherwise, I'll make Sakumo Hatake's actions today look merciful by comparison."

Despite being in a partnership, Ryo Yagura naturally feared no one. With chilling indifference, he issued a clear threat.

"Understood." Tachiyama Shinsaburo replied indifferently while thinking otherwise to himself.

"Before that, you must first survive to return to Kumogakure. Although the people of Konoha believe I'm dead, this commotion might draw interference from those in the Hidden Hot Spring Village..."

Clearly, he hadn't revealed everything yet to the Cloud Ninja before him.

Then, the Cloud Ninja chunin carried the corpse on his back, and Tachiyama Shinsaburo's group of four immediately left the area.

They couldn't possibly keep carrying the body for long, but due to concealment concerns, they definitely couldn't just bury it where they were either.

...

Sakumo Hatake and others returned to the inn room they had previously occupied. Minato remained unconscious—he'd lost too much blood. Though not life-threatening, even considering his physical condition, it would probably take a day or two before he could awaken.

"You should both get some rest. Let me keep an eye on him," Sakumo said to Junko Watanabe and Yan Uchiha. Despite neither bearing significant wounds, after continuous battles, they must be extremely exhausted.

"This is an order," he added when neither moved to rest as instructed.

Yan Uchiha obeyed accordingly, though Junko simply ignored the command and stayed firmly by Minato's side.

Sakumo hesitated awkwardly, then patted her shoulder, preparing to continue persuading her.

At that moment, Junko suddenly turned her head back toward him. In her eyes—bright like polished obsidian—shone an expression Sakumo had never seen there before.

Perhaps out of guilt, or maybe gratitude, Junko's gaze held tenderness unlike anything she'd ever shown.

Her determined stare also conveyed firm resolve, making Sakumo understand—this young woman had no intention of obeying his command for now.

Rather than becoming angry, Sakumo's eyes gradually softened into a smile.

Junko Watanabe had once served in the Anbu, and the missions she'd taken on were no less demanding than this one. To a genin like Yan Uchiha, this level of combat was a challenge—but to her, it was routine.

He then leaned against the wall, cradling his tanto. Junko cared about Minato, and as team leader for this mission, he naturally watched over him too.

Gradually, his eyes narrowed slightly—Susumu Kurayama had such freakish vitality! Even after suffering multiple fatal wounds and massive blood loss, he still didn't die.

So if he had cut off his head… was he really dead?

With this lingering doubt, Sakumo felt that this mission was far from simple.

Meanwhile, Junko Watanabe continued staring intently at the unconscious Minato without blinking.

Minato, trapped in a deep coma, was far from unconscious—in fact, quite the opposite. He seemed to sense an extremely sinister force deep within his consciousness.

To Minato's understanding at that moment, the power was indescribably immense.

Yet this was only a layer of his subconscious mind. In reality, Minato himself perceived it as nothing more than a vague sensation.

At that moment, Junko Watanabe, who had not yet activated her sensor abilities, remained unaware that a foreign chakra—slightly different from Minato's—was circulating within him. The energy lost from his injuries and severe blood loss was being restored at an astonishing rate...

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