His mother's voice was very soft, yet it carried an immense depth of love and guilt toward Jokichi.
If she were alive right now instead of in a spectral state, her voice would undoubtedly be choked with sobs and her eyes filled with tears.
This feeling was truly warm and deeply nostalgic.
In his past life, when Jokichi was still young, his mother had often held him in her arms, allowing him to bask in that very same warmth.
But he had been too young back then. He hadn't understood the preciousness of that warmth, nor had he cherished it.
It was only when it was gone that he finally understood its true weight.
"No, you both did wonderfully. It's precisely because of your sacrifices that I was able to grow up safely to this day."
"Jokichi..."
His mother murmured her son's name under her breath. A complicated yet profoundly relieved smile bloomed on her beautiful, delicate face.
They were naturally delighted to see their child act so sensibly.
But at the same time, when a child grew up and set off on their own path, they always seemed to no longer need their parents...
This was an emotional ache shared by all parents.
"Come on! Let's not be like this!"
Jokichi chuckled softly. "I brought your souls back to the living world because I wanted to ask you a question."
"What question?"
His parents asked in unison out of sheer instinct.
Then, it clicked. They stared at Jokichi with their mouths agape. "Did you just say you were the one who brought our souls back to the living world?"
Before Jokichi could even answer, the two of them grew agitated and immediately began to scold him.
"Child, do not do anything foolish!"
"Although we were only Chunin, even we know that summoning the souls of the dead back to the living world defies the laws of nature. Only forbidden jutsu can achieve such things, and they always demand a terrible price. You absolutely must not do anything foolish for our sakes!"
"Don't worry!" Jokichi smiled brightly. "Your son has already become the strongest existence in the entire Shinobi World. Not even the mythical Sage of Six Paths can compare to me. Doing something like this doesn't require me to pay any price at all."
"Yes, yes, yes. My son is the absolute best."
His mother stroked Jokichi's cheek and beamed. "So, what does our son, who has become stronger than the Sage of Six Paths, need from us?"
I made a mistake!
Jokichi sighed inwardly.
His mother's patronizing tone made it blatantly obvious that she thought Jokichi was just acting like a toddler showing off to the adults.
After all, in their eyes, the Sage of Six Paths was just a figure from fairy tales. How could a real, living person possibly compare to a myth?
Moreover, even if such a thing were possible, they had absolutely no concrete grasp of how strong the Sage of Six Paths actually was.
If I had said I was stronger than the Hokage, they probably would have been completely astounded.
"Stop treating me like a child, alright?!" Jokichi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Everything I'm saying is true. In the war a year ago, I killed the Fourth Kazekage and ended the conflict entirely on my own. I'm the hero of Konoha."
"Alright, alright, our child has grown up. Mother won't treat you like a little kid anymore."
His mother looked thoroughly pleased, but the doting gaze she gave him still screamed 'I'm looking at my precious toddler'.
His father, on the other hand, was deeply shocked by Jokichi's words.
He desperately wanted to ask for the details, but seeing the harmonious interaction between mother and son, he swallowed his words back down several times.
As for Jokichi, he was utterly helpless.
The situation was exactly like a child from an average family going out to work for a decade, only to come back and claim they had become the richest person in the world.
Who would believe that!
"Anyway, summoning your souls back to the living world has absolutely no negative effects on me..."
Mid-sentence, Jokichi's expression turned incredibly serious. "What I truly wanted to ask you is this: I can revive you just as easily, without any backlash. Do you wish to live in this world once again?"
His parents stared at Jokichi in sheer amazement.
Jokichi returned their gazes with absolute, unwavering seriousness.
"This..."
The couple found the claim utterly incomprehensible. They wanted to blurt out things like 'How is that possible?', but seeing Jokichi's solemn expression, they swallowed the words back down.
"Do you still think it's impossible?"
Jokichi sighed, then fixed his gaze on an empty spot nearby.
Suddenly, dust particles began to gather in the empty air. They slowly transformed and materialized, eventually growing actual fur.
A lively, hopping rabbit was created out of thin air.
It scanned its surroundings cluelessly before following its animal instincts, sniffing the scent of flowers and grass outside as it hopped out of the courtyard.
This time, his parents were genuinely floored.
They stared at the scene in sheer disbelief, their faces plastered with horror and awe. "Son... w-what is that..."
"The Yin-Yang Release. It is a jutsu capable of creating something from nothing out of thin air."
Jokichi gently massaged his temples, looking slightly fatigued as he muttered to himself. "I didn't expect the toll of creating a living creature with a soul and consciousness to be this immense. However, both of your souls are already here. All I need to do is sculpt new bodies for you."
His parents were still trapped in their shock. They failed to notice Jokichi's fatigue or hear his quiet murmurs.
They watched in utter disbelief as the rabbit hopped out of the gate. After confirming it wasn't a genjutsu, they gasped in horror. "The legendary ninjutsu that the Sage of Six Paths used to create the world actually exists!"
"Create the world?"
Jokichi curled his lips, fighting the urge to laugh.
"Creating an entire world is a bit of an exaggeration, but creating objects or living beings is perfectly fine."
"Father, Mother, tell me. Do you wish to be resurrected?"
"As long as you nod your heads, I will resurrect you right this instant."
Hearing this, the two of them lowered their heads and fell into deep contemplation.
Jokichi felt genuinely baffled.
Does something like this even require consideration?
He had previously considered the various troubles that resurrecting the dead might bring.
But that was thinking from the perspective of a bystander.
For the individuals involved, regardless of the repercussions, returning to life was inherently beneficial.
He couldn't fathom what there was left to think about.
"...Let's just leave it be!"
After pondering for a long time, his mother looked up. Staring at a dumbfounded, speechless Jokichi, a comforting smile graced her beautiful face.
"When people are alive, they fiercely resist death. But similarly, once people die, they resist returning to life. It's just like how the older a person gets, the more they crave a quiet, peaceful life."
"Jokichi, being able to see how much you've grown after we died... we are already so happy. We are truly content."
"If we have any lingering regrets, it's that we won't be able to see the day you get married."
"If it truly has no negative impact on you, then on the day of your wedding, please summon us back to the living world. Let us officiate your wedding for you."
"Jokichi..."
His Father and Mother spoke one after another, finishing each other's thoughts.
Every word and gesture radiated their profound care and boundless happiness for Jokichi.
Jokichi's mood shifted from initial shock, to silence, and finally to a smile of complete acceptance.
In the end, Jokichi respected their wishes and did not resurrect them.
They simply chatted together late into the night.
Under the ironclad rules of death, their spectral souls were summoned by the Pure Land once again. Their figures slowly began to fade away.
Both sides merely gazed at one another, exchanging no further words of farewell.
Everything they wanted to say had already been said.
However, in the very final moments before their souls returned to the beyond, Jokichi heard their inner thoughts.
Our child has become so incredible. If we were still alive, we would definitely hold him back!
Indeed!
He's become such an important and powerful figure; he surely wouldn't be home very often anyway. Even if we continued to live, we wouldn't be able to spend much time together. It's better to just slumber in the Underworld.
Yes, let's have a good, long sleep!
Hopefully, the next time we're woken up, it will be time to officiate our child's wedding.