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Chapter 313: Resurrecting Hinata's Mother and Hizashi Hyuga
Holy City Inner Ring, Hyuga Residence Main Hall.
The atmosphere was as cold as ice.
Tsunade sat perfectly straight in her armchair, her breathing kept extremely shallow. Sakura, Kurenai Yuhi, Anko, Yugao, and the others stood behind her, their eyes entirely focused on Hinata sitting in the seat of honor.
Hiashi stood off to the side, his hands tucked into his sleeves, unconsciously gripping them tight.
He had only just made his request to his daughter, and his heart was still a turbulent mess.
Asking the two gods for the miracle of resurrection was a massive overstep. The slightest mistake could incur divine wrath.
But he truly couldn't forget Hizashi's sacrifice, nor could he sever his longing for his late wife.
Hinata picked up her teacup, the lid lightly brushing the surface of the water, preparing to speak.
Vwoom—!
The void distorted without any warning.
In the center of the hall, the air boiled violently like rolling water.
No chakra fluctuations. No hand signs.
Space was forcibly torn apart by an invisible pair of massive hands, and two milky-white pillars of light descended from the void, piercing straight into the white jade floor.
A vast ocean of lifeforce swept through the room like a tsunami.
Tsunade stood up abruptly, her armchair sliding back several feet with a harsh screech.
She stared dead at the center of the light pillars, her eyes wide.
As a medical saint, she understood exactly what this lifeforce represented better than anyone else in the room.
This was pure, unadulterated power of creation.
The pillars of light shattered, dissipating into a sky full of fluorescent motes.
Two warm bodies stood quietly in the center of the hall.
The man on the left had long hair draped over his shoulders and a handsome face. He wore a simple, old-fashioned kimono.
The woman on the right was gentle and elegant, her features radiating the softness of a picture-perfect, traditional elegance.
Dead silence.
A silence so profound you could hear a pin drop.
Clatter! The hands hidden in Hiashi's sleeves trembled violently, knocking over the tall incense burner beside him.
Precious ash spilled all over the floor, but he didn't even notice.
"Hizashi..." Hiashi's lips trembled. His throat felt like it was stuffed with sand, the sound he made completely shattered.
The man on the left slowly opened his eyes, his pure white pupils revealing the confusion of someone newly awakened.
Once his vision focused and he clearly saw his thoroughly matured older brother—along with the unfamiliar, luxurious architecture surrounding him—his confusion slowly melted into clarity.
Hizashi raised his hand, touching his forehead.
There was no forehead protector.
More importantly, the green crisscross seal that had accompanied him for his entire life—the absolute symbol of humiliation and slavery—was gone.
His forehead was perfectly smooth.
"Brother." Hizashi lowered his hand, his voice as warm as it had been on the night of their final parting over a decade ago. "It seems... the destiny of the Main House and the Branch House is finally over."
Hiashi's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. He staggered forward two steps and grabbed his brother's shoulders tightly.
The warm touch. The real pulse.
This Hyuga Clan head, who had been emotionally cold for half his life, now wept uncontrollably. "It's over... it's all over! The Hyuga Clan has welcomed a true rebirth!"
"Neji!" Hiashi roared over his shoulder, his voice piercing through the corridor. "Get in here!"
Neji, who had been waiting outside and had already sensed the anomaly, pushed the door open and rushed in.
The moment his eyes locked onto the man standing in the center of the hall, Neji's feet jolted to a halt. His pupils shrank violently, and his knees smashed heavily into the stone floor.
"Father..." Neji rasped.
The nightmare that had haunted his heart for years, his hatred for destiny—the moment he saw his father's spotless forehead, it all completely collapsed.
Hizashi stepped forward and helped his son up. Looking at Neji's equally spotless forehead, he nodded in gratification. "You've grown up."
On the other side, Hanabi stared blankly at the gentle woman, tears falling in a steady rhythm.
Her memories of her mother were incredibly blurry, but the throbbing connection of blood couldn't be faked.
"Hanabi?" The woman crouched down, reaching out a trembling hand to caress Hanabi's cheek.
"Mother!" Hanabi threw herself into the woman's arms, wailing at the top of her lungs.
Hinata stood in front of the seat of honor, her moon-white robes fluttering slightly. Watching her family cry as they embraced, her vision slowly blurred.
Joy surged through her heart like a crashing wave.
She knew that Lord Alex and Lord Konan possessed the mighty power of resurrection, but she hadn't expected the blessing to arrive so swiftly and perfectly.
She had just been planning to go see the two lords and request the resurrection of her mother and Uncle Hizashi, yet it had been realized before she even left the room.
Crossing the boundary of life and death... truly depended on nothing more than a single thought from the two gods.
This was the reward for following them.
Once again, she rejoiced that she had made the right choice back then.
Six Paths level power, the resurrection of her family... these were all the fruits of happiness born from the choice she had made.
Hinata crossed her hands, faced the direction of the Imperial Palace, and bowed deeply in the most formal of salutes.
"Thank you, Lord Alex. Thank you, Lord Konan."
At the edge of the hall.
Tsunade, Sakura, Kurenai, Anko, and the others had completely lost their ability to think.
Witnessing the dead awaken with their own eyes once again hit them far harder than hearing a thousand legends.
Tsunade clenched her fists so hard her nails pierced her palms. Blood dripped between her fingers, but she felt no pain.
Only this biting pain could remind her that everything happening in front of her was not a genjutsu.
(Nawaki...)
Kurenai covered her mouth, tears slipping silently down her face as her father's kind smile flashed madly in her mind.
Sakura breathed rapidly, her chest heaving as an unprecedented fanaticism ignited in her emerald eyes.
As long as this power existed, all regrets could be erased.
"Lady Hinata." Tsunade took a step forward. Her voice no longer held its past arrogance; all that remained was an extreme, desperate humility. "What do we need to do?"
Dignity? The title of Kage?
In the face of the temptation of resurrecting family, those things were completely worthless.
Hinata turned around, looking down at the group from on high.
Just a moment ago, Alex's will had transmitted directly into the depths of her mind.
"Tsunade, you are all very lucky," Hinata said, addressing her directly by name. Her tone was even, yet it carried heavy pressure. "His Majesty is merciful and has left the world a sliver of heavenly opportunity.
The Empire does not feed idle hands. If you wish to cross the boundary of life and death, you can only do so through equivalent exchange."
She raised her right hand, and chakra coalesced in her palm, transforming into several golden scrolls that flew into the hands of Tsunade, Sakura, Kurenai, and Shizune.
"This is the Codex of Merit that the Empire has just issued."
Tsunade and the others unrolled the scrolls with desperate urgency.
"Infrastructure expansion, new jutsu research and development, mineral exploration, suppressing rebellions..."
Shikaku, having appeared at the door at some point, walked in quickly. His eyes swept over the clauses on the scroll, and he sucked in a breath of cold air. "Every single task has a clearly marked price.
And the merit points required to exchange for the miracle of "Soul Revival" are astronomical. An ordinary ninja could work their entire life and likely wouldn't even accumulate a tenth of what's needed."
"Correct," Hinata said, her eyes calm. "Resurrection is an act that defies the heavens. If you want to shatter the boundary of life and death, you have to fill the gap with your blood, sweat, and lives.
The Empire's territory is vast, and countless ruins wait to be rebuilt. His Majesty requires you to burn every ounce of your value."
"Is it cruel?" Hinata looked at the shifting expressions of the group, a faint smile curling on her lips. "Compared to the absolute despair of the old era where you didn't even have hope, His Majesty has given you a ladder to the heavens. As long as you have enough merit, the gods will naturally bestow their grace."
The hall was dead silent for a moment.
"I accept!"
Tsunade gripped the golden scroll tightly, her eyes as fierce as a mother wolf protecting her cubs.
She was already sick of the political games of the old era. If she could carve out a life with her bare hands, she dared to grind her old bones to dust!
"I accept too!" Sakura stepped forward, reckless determination shining in her green eyes. "The Medical Department, the Infrastructure Department, even clearing wastelands deep in the mountains—as long as I can save up enough merit points, I'll do anything!"
"Count me in." Kurenai wiped her tears, her gaze resolute.
Anko, Shizune, and even Tenten and Yugao Uzuki gripped their scrolls tightly.
No one complained about the draconian merit requirements.
Because they had just seen Hizashi Hyuga and Hinata's mother standing alive right in front of them.
This was real, tangible hope!
For the sake of this hope, these former elite kunoichi and high-level strategists of Konoha completely discarded their old allegiances.
They would transform into the Empire's most fanatical gears, tirelessly driving the Holy City and the entire ninja world forward, crushing everything in their path.
Hinata looked at the wild fire of fanaticism burning in their eyes.
"Tomorrow at dawn, go to the Administrative Center to collect your mission tokens." Hinata issued the order for them to leave. "Remember, the Empire only looks at results."
Tsunade and the others bowed deeply and turned to leave with massive strides.
The speed of their footsteps revealed a desperate race against time.
Once the outsiders had dispersed, Hiashi Hyuga led Hizashi and his wife to face Hinata together.
"Hinata," Hiashi said, his eyes slightly red, his tone solemn. "The Hyuga Clan, for all generations to come, shall be the sharpest blades of His Imperial Majesty and the Angel God."
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