Setsuna reminded him again: "But think carefully. If you expose your resurrection ability today, you'll likely never have peace again."
Nagato's eyes were calm: "If it can bring about peace, then it's worth it."
Seeing Setsuna and Nagato chattering away, Onoki grew anxious: "Kid from the Akatsuki, I'm willing to kowtow and apologize. I will accomplish anything you ask in the future, even if it costs me my life."
Nagato shook his head slightly: "As long as you can help Setsuna-sama achieve peace."
As Nagato began forming hand seals, the Don Slime informed him: "Heheh, that emotional source finally couldn't hold back. It's entered the red-haired kid's body now."
Hearing Don Slime's words, Setsuna also relaxed inside.
If his guess was correct, that hidden power should be Black Zetsu. Discovering that Nagato was about to 'commit suicide', it finally couldn't help but come out to take the blow for Nagato.
As for why it could avoid Nagato's detection, it was probably because Black Zetsu didn't intend to control Nagato's body; it was simply blocking the injury.
Nagato completed the hand seals. The ground suddenly cracked open with a dark fissure.
A horrifyingly shaped, massive Yama King's head erupted from the earth, its gaping maw spewing forth a brilliant green light.
"Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!"
That light descended like a shooting star into Kitsuchi's mangled body. An astonishing scene unfolded.
Kitsuchi's lifeless aura began to revive, color gradually returning to his face.
Tsunade hurried forward to check and found Kitsuchi's damaged internal organs were also recovering at an incredible speed.
"He really brought him back to life!" Tsunade was inwardly shocked. She had indeed heard of kekkei genkai or Jutsu in the Ninja World that could resurrect the dead, but these techniques usually came at the cost of life.
Although the red-haired boy was very weak, at least he wasn't dead.
'If Kitsuchi can be revived, then Dan and Nawaki might also...' Tsunade's heart pounded violently. Although reason told Dan and Nawaki had been dead for too long, she couldn't help but fantasize.
Under everyone's stunned gazes, Kitsuchi slowly opened his heavy eyelids.
"This... this is truly a miracle!" Onoki cautiously touched Kitsuchi, as if afraid that the slightest pressure would wake him from a dream.
While Kitsuchi was fine, Nagato's body suddenly swayed violently, the light in his Rinnegan rapidly dimming.
Setsuna flashed forward, quickly supporting him.
"Are you alright?" Setsuna asked with concern.
"I'm okay, it's just..." Nagato breathed weakly, a puzzled look on his face. "It felt like something bit me just now?"
Setsuna smiled slightly: "Maybe it was a big black mosquito. Rest first. Later, I'll make you a giant salamander feast to replenish."
"That giant salamander of Hanzo's? Didn't your summon eat it?" As soon as Nagato said the words, he knew he'd asked a stupid question. Wasn't Konan also eaten?
"But isn't that giant salamander highly poisonous?"
"Don't worry. Highly poisonous food is even more delicious."
Meanwhile, a mass of dark substance burrowed deep underground at incredible speed. Only after confirming it wouldn't be discovered did it break down into a storm of weeping: "My origin... the origin Mother gave me... so much of it was consumed."
Compared to the physical pain, the mental anguish was the most excruciating.
This 'body' was the only gift its mother had given it. Now it was no longer complete.
Although it looked down upon the lower life forms of the Ninja World, it held human filial piety in extremely high regard.
"One's body, skin, and hair are received from one's parents, and one dare not damage or injure them. This is the beginning of filial piety."
Yet now it had actually damaged its own body. It was truly unfilial.
"That idiot! Imbecile! Wastrel!" After berating itself, Black Zetsu began cursing angrily. "To waste precious Rinnegan's Ocular Power on that damnable Iwagakure's Ninja... and even forced me to consume my origin power to block the backlash for him!"
Black Zetsu was now filled with regret, overwhelming regret.
To influence Nagato, it had used mental suggestion disguised as inherited information from the Rinnegan.
This way, it could naturally make Nagato believe that using the Rinne Rebirth wouldn't kill him. Otherwise, Nagato would never use his own life to revive an unknown Uchiha Madara.
But it truly never expected that fool would actively expose his own ability.
Thinking of the fervent gazes of those present, Black Zetsu felt its 'scalp' go numb.
If those people also requested Nagato to revive their loved ones, and Nagato agreed... then even exhausting its entire origin wouldn't be enough to withstand it.
"No, I absolutely cannot let Nagato stay by that Chiaki Setsuna's side any longer." Black Zetsu had never felt time so pressing. It had to act quickly.
...
Night fell. The central campfire illuminated Setsuna's tall, straight figure.
Before him lay a giant salamander over fifty meters long, shimmering with a strange luster under the moonlight.
"This... can it really be eaten?" Pakura was on high alert. She didn't want the Allied Ninja Forces wiped out here.
"I believe in the Commander. He can definitely do it!" Rasa's expression was fierce, as if trying hard to hypnotize himself.
"Trust me. Not only can it be eaten, but it will definitely be extremely delicious." Tsunade licked her bright red lips. She had eaten the food Shizune brought back and had considerable confidence in Setsuna's culinary skills.
Although Setsuna claimed it was bought from some Master Chef, she didn't believe it at all. She had never heard of any 'Master Chef'.
Still, seeing her grandfather's Sword of Thunder God being used by Setsuna as a kitchen knife was a bit hard to bear.
Setsuna stood before the bonfire, the Sword of Thunder God in his hand drawing silver arcs under the moonlight.
The salamander's plump flesh was meticulously sliced into thin pieces under the blade's edge, each piece translucent and gleaming.
In less than a minute, the salamander's skin bloomed like a lotus flower, perfectly peeled away to reveal the crystal-clear salamander meat beneath.
All the poisonous internal organs were completely wrapped within the salamander skin, and not a single drop of poison contaminated the edible parts.
"This is truly divine skill!" Kakashi was dazzled. His father was a top-tier swordsman in the Ninja World, but he wasn't sure if his father could accomplish this.
Even Onoki, who prided himself on being well-traveled, couldn't help but lean in for a closer look: "Every cut follows the muscle grain with precision. This dissection technique is truly art."
Setsuna looked rather proudly at his handiwork, thinking to himself: 'I wonder if the phrase [Setsuna Dissects the Fish] will become a saying in the Ninja World in the future?'
Setsuna set aside half of the salamander meat to make 'sashimi', while the other half would be grilled.
Although the giant salamander wasn't actually a fish, it didn't matter.
The key to sashimi was the quality of the meat. The salamander's meat quality naturally far surpassed ordinary fish, so treating it as 'sashimi' was fine.