MM Racing Let's start with Edo Tensei Kushina in Chapter 204.
Let's start with Edo Tensei Kushina in Chapter 204.
Let's start with Edo Tensei Kushina in Chapter 205.
The special care ward area of Xingzhidu First Hospital is filled with a clean scent that is a mixture of disinfectant and a faint herbal aroma.
The corridor is spacious and bright, and through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, you can overlook most of the city skyline, which is thriving under the warm winter sun.
The door to the ward at the far end, marked "Special Care No. 3," was ajar, and whispers could be faintly heard coming from it.
Summer gently pushed open the door and entered.
The ward was dimly lit, and the heating dispelled the chill from outside.
On the small hospital bed, Chino was fast asleep, her pale face buried in the soft pillow, her breathing even, only her brows occasionally furrowing unconsciously, as if she was still experiencing the battle in the snow forest in her dream.
Her injured left leg was properly bandaged and immobilized in a brace.
Three figures turned around at the sound beside the bed.
Miya Shiro sat in the chair closest to his daughter, still wearing his signature diamond-shaped sunglasses, but the concern in his eyes was undeniable.
He was dressed in dark casual clothes, his back straight, exuding the reserved temperament unique to the ninja clan.
His wife, a gentle woman with features somewhat resembling Chino's, was carefully wiping the fine sweat from Chino's forehead with a damp cotton swab.
Standing by the window was a tall, handsome young ninja with short, neat black hair.
He was wearing the Star Ninja standard vest, with a resolute face and calm eyes; he was none other than Summer's husband, Hotaru.
He was holding a thermos in his arms, which was obviously a freshly delivered soup.
"Teacher Natsumi," Mr. and Mrs. Miyajo greeted each other softly, with respect.
"Mr. Yan, Madam." Xia Ri walked to the bedside, her gaze falling on Qian Nai's bandaged leg. The glaring white bandage made her heart tighten.
She took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Mr. and Mrs. Miyagi, her long, reddish-brown hair falling over her shoulders. Her voice was heavy with apology: "I am so sorry! This mission was a misjudgment on my part, causing Chino to suffer such serious injuries and exhausting her strength. As the supervising Jonin, I cannot shirk my responsibility!"
The ward fell silent for a moment, with only Chino's steady breathing.
"Summer Jonin," Miyajo En's voice was deep and calm, without any hint of reproach, but rather a kind of wisdom that came from years of experience.
"Please lift your head!"
Summer did as she was told and straightened up.
Miyajo En's gaze, hidden behind his sunglasses, fell on Natsumi's face.
"The path of a ninja is a thorny path accompanied by blood and pain. From the moment she chose to wear the headband, bleeding, injury, and even death were the fate she had to face and endure."
"If she can't even endure this much training, then she doesn't deserve to be a true ninja! Flowers in a greenhouse can't withstand real storms."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over his sleeping daughter, his tone softening, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible relief: "On the contrary,"
This experience, though perilous, allowed her to truly activate the power of the Blood Dragon Eye at the brink of death. This is a crucial transformation for her and for our Blood Pond clan. In a sense, I even have to thank you, Summer Jonin. You gave her a battlefield to face life and death and break through her own limitations. It is Chino's blessing to be your disciple.”
Mr. Yan felt a mix of emotions in his heart during the summer. He felt relieved to have relieved some of his burdens, but also deeply admired his father's magnanimity and profound respect.
Chino's mother also came over, gently taking Natsumi's arm. Her gentle face was filled with understanding and gratitude: "Yes, Natsumi-sensei, please don't blame yourself too much. My daughter was willful and insisted on graduating early to carry out the mission. She was able to return safely this time thanks to your and her teammates' protection. As parents, we only hope that she can grow from every experience."
Firefly walked over to Summer and silently shook her hand, conveying her unspoken support.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the ward door twice, and then it was pushed open.
Morishita Toshihito and Murahashi Hazuki peeked in at the doorway.
Both of them changed into clean casual clothes. Morishita Toshito's left arm was wrapped in a thick bandage and hung in front of his chest. His face had several bruises, and his waist seemed to be a little uncomfortable when he walked, but he was in good spirits.
Murahashi Hazuki had a small bandage on her forehead and was holding a large bunch of brightly blooming winter cherry blossoms in her hands, while Morishita Toshito was carrying a fruit basket full of fresh fruit in his other good hand.
Seeing so many people in the ward, the two were clearly taken aback for a moment, and then stood up straight somewhat awkwardly.
"Report! Teacher Natsumi! Mr. Yan! Madam!" the two shouted in unison, their voices loud and clear, displaying the respect a genin would show to a superior and senior.
"Oh, it's you guys. Come in quickly," Xia Ri greeted, a gentle smile on her face.
The two entered the ward and placed flowers and fruit on the bedside table.
Hazuki Murahashi looked at the sleeping Chino and whispered, "Is Chino-chan still not awake?"
"She just fell asleep, let her rest more," Chino's mother replied softly.
Morishita Toshihito looked at Chino's pale face with mixed feelings, then quickly glanced at the bandage on her leg. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just awkwardly looked away and muttered, "This brat...she can sleep quite a bit."
Summer introduced them to Mr. and Mrs. Yuuya: "Mr. Yuuya, Madam, these two are Chino's teammates, Toshito Morishita and Hazuki Murahashi. They performed exceptionally well on this mission, especially in the final moments, where they did everything in their power to protect Chino."
Miyajo En's gaze fell on Morishita Toshito's sling arm and the wound on his face, then looked at the gauze on Murahashi Hazuki's forehead, and nodded solemnly: "You've worked hard. Chino is lucky to have companions like you. Thank you for taking care of her on the battlefield."
His tone was sincere and solemn.
"Yes, children, thank you!" Chino's mother quickly thanked them as well.
Taken aback by the sudden, heartfelt thanks, Morishita Toshito was somewhat flustered. A rare blush rose to his dark face as he stammered, "N-nothing, it's nothing—and thanks to Chino, we were able to repel the enemy—"
His previous disdain and rejection of Chino now seemed particularly childish and glaring in the face of her parents' sincere gratitude.
Hazuki Murahashi smiled generously: "Auntie, you're too kind. We're teammates! Protecting each other is only right! Chino-chan was amazing in the end; if it weren't for her, we might all—"
"Ahem!" Summer coughed lightly, interrupting Hazuki and changing the subject.
"By the way, regarding the follow-up to this mission, the military has reassessed the mission process. Considering the unexpected situation of encountering a Jonin from the Land of Snow and the intensity of the battle, the mission's final level has been upgraded to A-rank."
She looked at Morishita Toshito and Murahashi Hazuki: "The corresponding mission rewards and contribution points will be issued according to the A-rank standard. In addition, Chino needs time to recuperate, and you two are also injured. For the next two weeks, the team will not be assigned any fixed missions. You can arrange your own time, whether it's resting or basic training. If you want to take on missions, you can take on some D-rank or C-rank missions. With your current skills, you can easily complete them by yourself."
"Or I will notify you to participate when the military has a suitable B-level team mission."
"Rank A?!" Morishita Toshito's eyes lit up, and even the pain in his body seemed to lessen a bit.
The rewards and contribution points from Rank A missions are a huge fortune for these low-ranking ninjas!
"That's great!" Hazuki Murahashi smiled happily. "Thank you, Natsumi-sensei!"
"Take good care of your injuries and consolidate what you've learned in this combat," Xia Ri instructed. "Especially you, Junren, don't take advantage of your strong physique and act recklessly."
"Understood, teacher." Morishita Toshito scratched his head, unusually not arguing back.
The atmosphere in the ward was warm and harmonious.
Mr. and Mrs. Miyajo once again thanked Natsumi and their two children for their visit.
After exchanging a few more words with the fireflies, Summer led Toshihito Morishita and Hazuki Murahashi away from the ward, allowing Chino to rest in peace.
Almost at the same time that Xia Ri stepped out of Shura's office, in the top-floor office of the tallest building in the Star City Administrative District.
In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, Menma removed his signature white three-eyed fox mask, revealing his handsome young face.
Beneath his black, tousled hair, his deep blue eyes reflected the magnificent winter twilight of Star City outside the window: the afterglow of the setting sun gilded the city with a warm golden edge, smoke curled from chimneys, and ninjas returning from training were like ants returning to their nests, while in the distance, the military zone echoed with the faint sound of orderly shouts.
He gazed silently at the city that had risen under his rule for a moment, then turned away.
On the large, modern desk lay the ancient scroll presented by Whirlpool Vanilla, its map drawn with simple, archaic lines and marked with the Whirlpool Clan's unique cryptic symbols.
His fingertip lightly traced a highlighted area on the map, in the forest downstream of the Namga River.
The next moment, the boy's figure vanished from the office overlooking the entire city, as if he had never existed.
The Land of Fire, outside Konoha Village.
Deep in the forest of Namka River.
The towering ancient trees blocked out most of the sunlight, making the forest appear deep and dark even during the day.
The thick layer of fallen leaves exuded a damp, decaying smell, and the stream rushed and made a sound among the rocks.
This place is far from human habitation, a natural barrier against wild animals and ninjutsu experiments.
Menma's figure moved among them, having changed into a set of dark casual clothes that allowed for easy movement, concealing all the fierce aura that belonged to "Shura", and appearing like an ordinary Konoha boy.
"Kagura's Mind's Eye, open."
He closed his eyes, and an invisible sense of perception, like the most sophisticated radar waves, spread out from him!
Everything within a radius of hundreds of kilometers—the veins of the giant tree, the course of the stream, the wriggling of the subterranean worms, even the faint remnants of chakra in the air—all this information flooded into his mind like a tide, constructing an incredibly clear holographic map.
Following the guidance of the scroll map, he went upstream along the rushing, icy stream of the Namga River, weaving through dense forests and strange rocks.
Kagura meticulously scanned every inch of the land, searching for any trace that matched the ancient barrier or unusual chakra fluctuations.
A small, hairy head popped out from his thick black hair.
The little nine-tailed fox, its dark red color tinged with its large, watery eyes, curiously surveyed the gloomy forest around it.
Her small nose twitched, as if she had smelled something.
"Xiao Jiu, did you feel it?" Mianma asked in a low voice without stopping.
"Mmm!" The little nine-tailed fox nodded vigorously, its fluffy tail gently brushing against the numb man's earlobe, its voice carrying a childlike surprise and a hint of instinctive wariness.
"What a strange power! It's cool and sticky, with a hint of death in it? It's different from chakra! I've never encountered anything like it in that world!"
Menma's lips curled into a knowing smile: "That's the aura of the 'Grim Reaper.' An ancient deity native to the ninja world, who holds sway over a portion of the rules governing the boundary between life and death. Our destination is related to him."
Deep in the forest, an extremely faint yet uniquely "empty" and "dead" energy fluctuation emanated, completely out of place with the active natural energy around it.
The dough fell to the ground, and in front of it was a dilapidated temple-like building.
The red emblem above is still faintly discernible; it is the emblem of the Whirlpool Clan.
Upon entering the Namian Hall, the air inside was murky, filled with a heavy smell of dust and mold.
The runes on the building have long since faded, but one can still sense the powerful sealing force they once contained.
The wall directly opposite the entrance was covered with countless hideous masks!
These masks come in various shapes and are made of materials that resemble wood or bone, giving them an old, grayish-white appearance.
Without exception, their expressions were grotesque and twisted, with horns on their foreheads of varying shapes, hollow eye sockets, and gaping mouths, as if silently mocking the insignificance of the living.
The cold, desolate energy fluctuations, carrying the aura of death, emanated from these countless masks!
The passage of time has covered many masks with dust, but unlike the dilapidated building, they even exude a chilling aura.
"Wow! So many ugly masks!" Little Nine-Tailed Fox peeked halfway out from the top of Menma's head, looking at the masks on the wall with curiosity and a bit of disgust, and pointed to one of them with her little finger.
"That one! That one has the strongest scent!"
Menma's gaze also fell on the mask that the little nine-tailed fox was pointing to.
It is located in the upper center of the wall, and its expression seems more "calm" than the other masks, but its profound aura of death is the most restrained and pure.
"The 'Namendo,' where the Uzumaki clan worships the Grim Reaper, truly lives up to its reputation," Menma murmured.
He quickly took out a specially made storage scroll from his ninja tool pouch.
With hands forming a mudra, the scroll unfolds.
"seal up!"
With a soft shout, powerful chakra enveloped the entire mask wall.
The masks on the wall seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, falling off automatically and turning into streaks of gray-white light, which were continuously absorbed into the unfolding scroll!
Including the mask with the strongest aura that Little Nine-Tailed Fox pointed out.
A moment later, the entire wall became bare, leaving only some rotten wooden nails used to hang noodle dishes.
The chilling atmosphere that had permeated the stone chamber dissipated considerably.
The reel closes automatically.
Menma put it away, glanced one last time at the stone chamber that held the ancient secrets of the Uzumaki clan, and then disappeared.
Star City, a high-level experimental zone deep underground in the military district.
The air here carries a constant low temperature, permeated with the faint hum of disinfectant and the operation of precision instruments.
The cool white light illuminated the spotless alloy corridor and the heavy isolation doors.
In the innermost core laboratory, Mian Ma stood quietly in front of a large alloy experimental table.
In his hand, he toyed with the Grim Reaper mask that he had brought back from the Namikawa Mendo, the one with the most unique aura.
The grayish-white mask was cold to the touch and made of neither gold nor wood.
He tried to infuse chakra into the mask, and even tried to sense it with his mental power, but the only feedback he received was a deeper "emptiness" and a faint sense of rejection.
"The rules of the native gods are indeed different from the pure chakra system." Menma frowned slightly.
Communicating directly with Death through the mask, or locating and contacting the souls devoured by Death, seems to be more difficult than he anticipated.
The rules governing the power of death seem to be self-contained and extremely isolated.
It seems we have no choice but to use Orochimaru's method from the Fourth Shinobi World War.
The method involves sacrificing a powerful ninja with a Shinigami mask to summon the Shinigami, then opening the Shinigami's belly to release Minato Namikaze's sealed soul.
Then, using the Impure World Reincarnation technique, a forbidden technique created by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju and improved by Orochimaru, Minato Namikaze was resurrected using Impure World Reincarnation.
Menma had many questions he wanted to ask Minato Namikaze and Kushina, such as why they chose to die together when one child was kidnapped, and why the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, seemed unaware of the existence of the other child and had not searched for him.
However, he hesitated, unsure how to communicate with Minato Namikaze.
In the "Limited Tsukuyomi World" where he spent fifteen years, that Minato Namikaze valued his family more.
But Minato Namikaze in this world values Miyo more.
Will my cheap dad try to stop me from doing what I'm doing or what I'm about to do?
Menma put down his Shinigami mask and pondered for a moment: "It seems that before releasing Minato Namikaze's soul and resurrecting this cheap old man with Edo Tensei..."
Let's ask Kushina first, using the Edo Tensei technique.
After all, Kushina's personality is pretty much the same whether it's in that world or this one.
Menma no longer hesitated. He first used the engraved chakra network to order Kisame Hoshigaki, the head of the Anbu, to go to the prison area and bring over a prisoner.
Then he extended his right index finger, and highly concentrated dark red chakra gathered at the tip of his finger, like the most precise carving knife, and began to carve on the ground.
The intricate runes of the spell took shape rapidly under the outline of the chakra flames, their lines flowing and exuding a cold, ominous aura.
After completing the inscription, He Wen took out the sealing scroll and a special test tube containing a tissue sample no bigger than a fingernail.
That was a small amount of cell tissue belonging to Kushina Uzumaki, which was traded from Orochimaru.
Speaking of Orochimaru, he had cells from the First Hokage to the Fourth Hokage, and sure enough, he also took Kushina's cells along the way.
The precious sample of mahjong tiles was gently placed at the center of the spirit communication array.
Not long after, the gate opened.
"My lord!" Kisame Hoshigaki, dressed in an ANBU vest and carrying Samehada, the greatsword bestowed upon him by Shura, entered the laboratory, dragging a bound black-haired ninja by the hand.
"This is the prisoner you requested." Kisame Hoshigaki threw the 'Death Burial' on the ground.
This is one of the three rogue ninja from Hoshigakure. He probably has the strength of a special jonin and has been imprisoned. Now he comes in handy.
"Okay, you can leave now," Menma said without turning his head.
"Yes!" Kisame Hoshigaki acted swiftly and decisively, never asking many questions.
After Kisame Hoshigaki left and the gate closed, Menmashiro Shizo dragged it to the center of the summoning circle and covered the cell sample.
"My lord! Spare me, my lord!" After being imprisoned for more than a year, Si Zang was barely clinging to life and was still begging for mercy.
Following the Impure World Reincarnation technique provided by Orochimaru, Menma began to form hand seals.
Yin, Si, Xu, Chen!
He slapped the ground with his right hand.
"The Impure World Reincarnation Technique!"