Has Tsunade been cured of her hemophobia?
Uchiha Kei wasn't sure.
But one thing Uchiha Kei did know—so long as Nawaki remained, Tsunade's hemophobia would never return. For the sake of her brother, who had finally come back, she would become a goddess of battle.
As far as outcomes go, Uchiha Kei had already completed his mission.
Or perhaps, Tsunade had redeemed herself.
After so many years, Tsunade finally celebrated her long-overdue twenty-fourth birthday—the one she owed to Nawaki, the birthday party that was never meant to be.
Then, she was horrified to discover that Nawaki's body began to emit a soft white light. His form became more and more transparent, as if it might vanish at any moment.
Seeing this, Tsunade froze, panic rising on her face. Just as she had reunited with her brother, she was about to lose him again.
But... what could she do?
Nawaki was already gone. Life and death separated them—there was nothing she could do. Letting his soul return to the Pure Land seemed like the right choice.
But how could she accept that?
After finally seeing him again, after rescuing him from evil—now she could only watch helplessly as he disappeared.
How could anything hurt this much?
Tsunade's heart ached to the point of breaking.
But Nawaki, sensing his body glowing, seemed to understand something. He smiled brightly and said to his grieving sister, "See you in a bit, nee-san!"
And with that, Tsunade felt her arms empty. Nawaki's body shimmered with light—and vanished.
Instinctively, Tsunade reached out to catch the fading motes of light.
But she couldn't grasp anything. She simply cupped the last wisp in her hands and placed it gently against her chest, collapsing to her knees, powerless.
Tears once again streamed down her cheeks, falling from her bowed face to the ground.
"See you in a bit"? Tsunade hadn't even registered those words. She thought Nawaki was simply comforting her. She instinctively believed he had left her forever.
She had no family now.
The heavy grief inside her was swelling, ready to burst.
Then, at that very moment, her tears touched the ground.
And the world seemed to change.
Ripples spread outward from where the tear fell.
In the next instant, the whole world transformed.
The dark, oppressive atmosphere disappeared. In its place was a grassy meadow, a gentle breeze, and the scent of earth and greenery that made Tsunade's heart tremble. She looked up in dazed confusion.
Though tears still marked her face and her eyes were red, the miraculous scenery before her snapped her out of her sorrow.
Then came a joyful cry—
Tsunade's eyes widened as she turned to the voice. She saw Nawaki running toward her, waving excitedly.
He was no longer a ghostly, translucent figure—he had a solid body now.
At least, in this world, it looked and felt completely real.
Clearly, the Nawaki she had seen before in the game was just a projection. His true form had always existed in the mental network world. That's why he had said, "See you in a bit."
And now, they had truly met.
Nawaki threw himself into her arms. Tsunade stared at him blankly, her expression caught between reality and illusion.
"Nawaki? Am I... am I dead too? Is this the Pure Land?"
She was getting more confused by the second.
Who could blame her? Just a moment ago, she thought his soul had returned to the Pure Land. Then he reappeared, and the entire world changed. It was only natural to be suspicious.
Nawaki, still giddy, was baffled by her words. "Nope, nee-san! This isn't the Pure Land. My soul never returned there. We're inside a special genjutsu world. Orochimaru-sensei said Kei-nii created this place! He summoned me from the Pure Land to here!"
Tsunade: "Orochimaru? Kei-nii? You mean... Uchiha Kei?"
"Yep, yep!" Nawaki nodded enthusiastically.
Just then, Uchiha Kei appeared, with Orochimaru close behind.
Obviously, Kei had temporarily returned to the real world to inform Orochimaru to log into the genjutsu world.
Now, with everyone gathered, Orochimaru took the lead and began explaining everything to a stunned Tsunade.
When he finished, Orochimaru smiled. "Honestly, when Kei-kun first told me the treatment plan, I thought it was ridiculous. But he proved me wrong. Tsunade, congratulations—you're finally free from your hemophobia."
"..." Tsunade remained silent, still digesting the information.
After a long while, she said, expressionless, "So... the one calling out to me was really you, Nawaki. And you being captured—that was fake, wasn't it?"
Her tone was soft. Emotionless.
But Nawaki, hearing it, shivered reflexively. His whole body trembled as he gulped and instinctively tried to bolt.
Tsunade grabbed him with an iron hold—a full-on cross lock. Even without much strength, it still left Nawaki breathless.
Yes, this was love—the suffocating kind. Literally.
Tears welled in Nawaki's eyes from the sheer pressure.
Of course, Tsunade wasn't really going to hurt her brother. After a small punishment, she released him and gently embraced the now-terrified Nawaki, whispering:
"Idiot. Don't ever lie to your sister again."
Nawaki blinked, then gave an awkward smile. "I won't, nee-san. I only did it to help you. But hey—it's okay now! Even if I can't leave this place, I can still live here in this genjutsu world!"
"You can come see me anytime you want!"
He was quick to lay out the future arrangement—not something he came up with on his own, but what Uchiha Kei had planned for him.
After all, Nawaki couldn't leave the mental network world. Even if he projected his consciousness into genjutsu games others played, it would only be a projection. His actual existence remained inside the network as a spirit.
In sci-fi terms, Nawaki was now a digital lifeform. Newest update provıded by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁
Or in more childlike terms—a digital monster.
As for Tsunade, although Kei hadn't originally included her in the mental network access list, with Nawaki involved, that plan was instantly scrapped.
With Nawaki here, Tsunade would unquestionably be an ally.
And with Nawaki's successful integration, Uchiha Kei's mental network world would inevitably gain more "residents."
After all, with a resurrection skill available—cooldown of one month—he could summon one dead soul every month.
Imagine how many have died in the shinobi world. If even a fraction could be summoned, the benefits for Uchiha Kei would be enormous.
Yes, that's right. I'm talking about *you*, you naturally evil old coot, Tobirama Senju. You think I'd let you go?
No, you're destined to be my loyal workhorse!
Granted, Tobirama's deep-rooted hatred for the Uchiha might make him less than cooperative...
Tsk tsk. You really underestimate the lure of a grand library.
That master of forbidden jutsu might not be as obsessed as Orochimaru, but he was close. Could he really resist the temptation of infinite knowledge?
And if, by some miracle, he *did* resist and tried to rebel against Uchiha Kei?
Easy. Just boot him back to the Pure Land. Worst case scenario, he's removed from the mental network. The resurrection system would auto-correct the glitch and return his soul to rest.
Of course, all of this was hypothetical. Implementation would depend on future developments.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru's eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked at Uchiha Kei. Smiling, he said:
"Kei-kun, the results are impressive. You not only cured Tsunade but allowed Nawaki to remain here."
"So... does this technique have any other limitations? I mean, can it work on others besides Nawaki?"
Uchiha Kei understood immediately. "You mean your idol, the Second Hokage, right? It's possible—as long as my mental strength can handle the strain of maintaining another spirit's presence, I can repeat the process."
"However, I can only use the resurrection technique once per month. If you want someone else, we'll have to wait till next time."
Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully. He wasn't disappointed. In fact, it made perfect sense.
To him, Uchiha Kei's method was so revolutionary that limits were not only reasonable—they were reassuring.
He glanced around the vast genjutsu world, a grin curling at his lips and his eyes full of anticipation.
The shinobi world's greatest scientist had already glimpsed the glorious future of this second world.
A place where countless historical geniuses could gather, study, create miracles—and bring them back to the real world to change it forever.
Such unknown possibilities...
It was everything Orochimaru lived for.