Chapter 345: Kushina Temporarily Refuses Revival
"Mm."
Rin gave a response.
But in truth, she had already regained sensation at the very instant Shiromo completed the final piece.
Contrary to earlier assumptions, the transition from an Impure World Reincarnation body to a revived living body was not gradual.
The moment the final piece was completed, it was like adding the finishing touch to a dragon painting, instantly breaking through the boundary between life and death.
The speed of recovery was even faster than Rinne Rebirth.
In the original story, when Uchiha Madara was revived with Rinne Rebirth, it was fast, but still had a process.
Madara even had time to feel excited before suddenly realizing his Rinnegan had disappeared.
But Shiromo's method was different. Rin was revived in a single instant, and just like Rinne Rebirth, she returned in a normal physiological state, not a weakened one.
All this is to say that Rin had already regained full sensation while Shiromo's hand was still there.
However, she remained as gentle and considerate as ever, not saying anything. She only responded after Kushina came over and asked, as if she had just recovered.
"Here."
Yakushi Nono handed her a towel and a set of white lab clothes.
Rin climbed out of the tank, dried off the nutrient fluid on her body, and got dressed.
"Huh? The Three-Tails is still here?"
Rin suddenly thought of something and instinctively touched her abdomen.
She had assumed that after changing bodies, the Three-Tails would need to be resealed.
"Communication between a Jinchūriki and a tailed beast happens in the mental space. That already tells us that the relationship between them isn't a traditional physical seal."
"Oh right, the Fourth Hokage and the other half of the Nine-Tails also prove this."
"The sealing of tailed beasts is also related to the soul."
"So replacing Rin's body and completing her revival doesn't affect the Three-Tails at all."
Shiromo provided a theoretical explanation.
"Is that so? I thought it was because of the Reaper Death Seal."
Kushina scratched her head.
Shiromo waved his hand and didn't elaborate further.
Of course, it had nothing to do with the Reaper Death Seal.
It was mainly because, in this altered version of events, the Konoha Crush had changed. The Third Hokage hadn't used the Reaper Death Seal to seal the First and Second Hokage, so Shiromo couldn't give a second example.
When the Third sealed the First and Second, it was a straightforward Reaper Death Seal, so after being released, they remained independent individuals.
But when the Fourth sealed the Nine-Tails, it wasn't the same. Instead of letting the Shinigami take the Nine-Tails' soul, he used the seal's control to confine the Nine-Tails inside his own body.
The pattern on the Fourth's abdomen showed it clearly, that was the Four Symbols Seal.
The Shinigami might appear humanoid, but considering how easily Orochimaru exploited it by cutting open its stomach to release souls, it was essentially just a programmed entity.
Or in other words, an AI.
So when the Fourth sealed the Nine-Tails into himself, it was also a kind of "bug exploit."
To the Shinigami, taking the souls of the Fourth and the Nine-Tails separately was no different from taking the Fourth along with the Nine-Tails sealed inside him.
To that "AI Shinigami", eating minced meat noodles or eating dumplings made no difference, so it allowed it.
This also proved that tailed beasts could be sealed into the soul.
"Kushina-nee, why don't you come back to life too? That way Naruto won't be a child without parents anymore."
Rin softly suggested.
"Ah? Th-that… there's no rush."
Kushina waved her hands in a panic.
While waiting for the procedure earlier, she had already thought about revival.
She realized that each person has a different "font."
Shiromo now knew how to write the word '福' (Fu meaning Fortune), but the version he knew was merely Rin's 'Microsoft YaHei' [font].
He couldn't just directly apply that format to her.
Otherwise, if the time came during the New Year to put that '福' to use, whose '福' would it be? Would it be Kushina's, or would it actually be Rin's?
In other words, if Kushina wanted a perfect revival, she would have to go through the same process Rin just did.
Although Nono had comforted Rin, saying that in a medical ninja's eyes there is no distinction between male and female, the problem was that Shiromo wasn't a medical ninja.
"There's really no rush. Right now, we only needed to bring forward Rin's plan, which is why I had to do it personally."
"If there's no urgency, we can wait until Orochimaru completes a few more research projects, then return to this topic and fill in the unknown parts."
"By cultivating each organ and every piece of flesh individually, then stitching them together, the end result will be the same."
"It's just that completing all those details will take time, and we don't yet know how long."
Shiromo spoke in agreement with Kushina's hesitation.
But his words made her think of another issue.
If she didn't let Shiromo handle it, then it would be Orochimaru.
Orochimaru…
This wasn't about doctors not distinguishing gender, it was about patients not being able to distinguish the doctor's gender.
Was Orochimaru even male or female?
Letting Orochimaru handle it wouldn't just be awkward, it would be unsettling.
And she understood what Shiromo meant. Rin's prepared cells had been stored in individual containers.
But because Shiromo could shape everything directly, there was no issue.
If she chose Orochimaru instead…
That would mean a room filled with her body parts after being "dismembered."
Including… all organs.
And the viewers wouldn't just be one person. Assistants in the lab would come and go, changing nutrient solutions, casually glancing at them.
Like viewing exhibits on a display.
Yakushi Nono was a perfect example.
If that were the case, she herself could walk in and look at it anytime.
Comparing like this, it almost seemed better to let Shiromo handle it.
But then… what would she even do after being revived?
Kushina suddenly thought of that.
She didn't really have anything she absolutely needed to be alive for.
Right now, as an Impure World Reincarnation body, she didn't have to worry about being released. She had infinite chakra, infinite stamina, didn't get tired, didn't age, and wouldn't die.
Aside from lacking sensation and not being able to enjoy good food, there weren't really any downsides.
"Take your time thinking about it. Nono, remember to take Rin for a full checkup to confirm her body is healthy. I almost forgot, I still need to go check on Naruto."
Shiromo turned to leave.
But he hadn't "almost forgotten."
Leaving Naruto hanging was part of his strategy.
He needed to check the situation. If Naruto was still holding on, he might come back, get some sleep, and go again tomorrow.
"N-Naruto? What is he doing? How is he?"
The moment Kushina heard this, she immediately forgot all about revival and asked anxiously.
"He's taking off."
Shiromo wasn't sure if this counted as reporting to a parent, but as an honest person, he wouldn't lie.
"What does 'taking off' mean?"
Kushina looked confused.
What does that even mean?
(End of this chapter)