Lin Xuan ultimately gave up on the idea of turning in Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju for a bounty. The reason? Madara flat-out refused to cooperate, calling it humiliating. Taking just Hashirama or any other ninja from the Shinobi World to cash in wouldn't be worth the effort—it was too small a payoff for Lin Xuan to bother with.
There was another reason, though. He'd stumbled upon a far better opportunity to rack up reputation points: the War at the Summit. When he read in the newspaper that Ace had been captured, he knew this was the butterfly effect he'd set in motion. With Ace in custody, would the War at the Summit still happen? Lin Xuan was certain it would. He could practically see the World Government scheming, plotting to use the execution of the Pirate King's son to restore their tarnished prestige.
After all, the World Government had lost face in the Shampoo Islands war, thanks to him. Their authority was crumbling, and if they didn't act fast, bigger problems would follow. Executing Fire Fist Ace would inevitably mean clashing with the Whitebeard Pirates. The World Government's real target for reestablishing their dominance was clear: the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors. If they could crush them, they'd recover the prestige they'd lost to Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan was also certain that, after their humiliating defeat in the Shampoo Islands, the World Government would go all out this time. The War at the Summit would be bigger than anything he'd known. If he could stir things up during the chaos, earning billions of reputation points wouldn't be a pipe dream. He was already plotting how to get involved.
Just then, someone approached him. Perfect timing—it was Konan and Nagato, the very people he'd been thinking about. They seemed to have something to discuss, but when they saw Uchiha Madara in the room, they hesitated. Clearly, they still held a grudge against Madara for his past schemes. Even though Madara had been manipulated himself and had teamed up with Hashirama to fight Kaguya and Black Zetsu—thanks to Lin Xuan's influence—the shadow of his actions lingered. Many in the Shinobi World, like Nagato and Konan, still couldn't fully trust him, despite fighting alongside him in the Shampoo Islands.
Madara, of course, couldn't care less about their opinions. He did what he wanted, unbothered by their wariness. Hashirama, ever the peacemaker, was always trying to smooth things over for his old friend. Sensing the tension, he quickly intervened. "Madara, I just thought of a new technique. Come take a look and see if we can improve it!" he said, giving Madara an out.
"Oh? Show me, then," Madara replied, his interest piqued. He followed Hashirama out, though whether it was genuine curiosity or just taking the excuse to leave was anyone's guess.
Once they were gone, Nagato and Konan relaxed, ready to share their purpose. But before they could speak, Lin Xuan cut in. "You want to bring Yahiko back, don't you?"
Since Yahiko's strength before his death was only at the level of a Jonin, he wasn't among the Shinobi World powerhouses Lin Xuan had summoned to this world.
"How did you know?" Nagato and Konan asked, staring at him in shock.
Lin Xuan just smiled. "I know a lot of things."
Nagato and Konan fell silent for a moment. Then Nagato spoke up. "Can you help us with this?"
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, curious. "Why do you want to bring Yahiko back through Reanimation? I thought you'd prefer to let him rest in peace."
Nagato let out a heavy sigh. "If we were still in that world full of pain, we'd want Yahiko to stay at rest. But after seeing how vibrant this world is, I don't want him to miss out. Please, President Lin, help us!"
He bowed deeply, his tone earnest, and Konan followed suit with a slight bow.
Lin Xuan didn't respond immediately. He sensed someone else approaching and called out, "Jiraiya, come on out!"
Nagato and Konan turned toward the door, and sure enough, Jiraiya strode in, his long white hair unmistakable. For once, his usual playful grin was absent, replaced by a serious expression.
Konan frowned. "Teacher Jiraiya, what are you doing here?"
Jiraiya sighed. "I'm here for the same reason you are—for Yahiko." He looked at Lin Xuan. "President Lin, Yahiko was my student. I failed him as a teacher, and he died far too young. He was a good kid who deserved a better future. Please, give him another chance!"
Another chance. Those words echoed the mindset of many Shinobi World warriors who'd been brought to the pirate world through Lin Xuan's Reanimation Jutsu. To them, it was like being given a new life.
Lin Xuan smiled faintly at the trio's heartfelt pleas. "It's not impossible to grant your request, but performing a cross-dimensional Reanimation comes at a cost. So…"
"Name your terms. I'll do whatever it takes!" Nagato declared, cutting him off.
"I'm in too!" Konan added firmly.
Jiraiya opened his mouth to speak, but Lin Xuan waved him off. "Relax, I'm not asking you to climb mountains of blades or dive into cauldrons of oil. Just put in a bit more effort in the future, that's all."
Nagato's expression shifted, a hint of discomfort flickering across his face. He caught the subtle jab—Lin Xuan was implying his performance in the last war had been lackluster. To be fair, Nagato had been disoriented after being reanimated and hadn't been at his best. He nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, President Lin. If you can bring Yahiko to this world, I'll serve you with everything I've got."
"Good," Lin Xuan said. "Now go to Kaguya and bring me a White Zetsu. We'll need it for the Reanimation."
"Yes, sir!" Nagato and Konan replied, their faces lighting up as they hurried off to find Kaguya.
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T/N:
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