Two months had passed since the battle with the Ōtsutsuki. Orochimaru had successfully cultivated a clone from Uchiha Madara using Uchiha Izuna's cells. He already possessed Senju Tobirama's cells, so he didn't ask Hashirama for them.
This point left Senju Hashirama feeling somewhat bewildered.
Furthermore, Nawaki's body, having been dead for too long and lacking internal organs, also required Orochimaru to clone a new one. Yahiko's body, however, was well-preserved by Nagato.
Lin Yu looked at everyone and said softly, "Resurrection is forbidden. This is the only time, and the last time. I don't want resurrection to become your confidence, your reliance. The only one you can rely on, the only one you can trust, is yourselves!"
Lin Yu had already decided to use up the trial period of the Samsara Eye's power without any consumption. This was not only to make Obito and the others stronger and more cautious, but also to prevent himself from becoming overly addicted to this power.
The ability to arbitrarily resurrect the departed and alter life and death was too monstrous. If this ability were something Lin Yu possessed himself, it might be acceptable. But it was merely a trial product, like Pandora's Box; once opened, one would be tempted to open it again and again, until they finally plunged into the abyss.
Besides, Lin Yu already had the ability to alter life and death. Such an ability, not under his own control, should disappear as soon as possible.
"Hmph! Get on with it."
Uchiha Madara snorted coldly. He understood these principles even better than Lin Yu and was not one to be indebted to others. He would find an opportunity to repay this favor to Uzumaki Lin Yu later.
Nagato nodded gravely. This time, he would not allow anyone he cherished to be harmed again.
Lin Yu wasted no more time. He closed his eyes and silently chanted "Release," then formed the "巳" (snake) hand seal. Spiral patterns emerged in his eye sockets.
"Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!"
Five streams of green light shot into the corpses lying on the ground. Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, standing nearby, also sprouted white eyes. The cracks on their Edo Tensei bodies vanished, and they once again felt the warmth of flesh and blood, and the beating of their hearts.
"A body full of vitality, Hashirama, I want to fight you right now!"
Senju Hashirama responded with interest, but then his expression turned to surprise. "Madara, your eyes..."
The Samsara Eyes on the Edo Tensei bodies detached. Uchiha Madara closed his eyes and arrogantly declared, "What does it matter if I let you have one pair of eyes?"
*Clack!*
Uchiha Madara reached out and caught a pair of eyeballs. He turned his face towards Nagato. "You brat..."
Two bloody streaks flowed from Nagato's eye sockets. His expression remained indifferent. "I'm not used to carrying things that don't belong to me."
"Heh, backbone."
Uchiha Madara put on his own eyes. At this moment, Uchiha Madara regained his full strength.
Lin Yu watched this unfold without intervention. Nagato had told him that the sole purpose of his Samsara Eyes was to resurrect Yahiko. Now that Yahiko was about to be resurrected, his Samsara Eyes had lost their purpose.
To Nagato, these eyes had caused him to lose his parents and led to Yahiko's death. They were a pair of utterly cursed eyes.
Lin Yu had also told Nagato that as long as he didn't willingly give them up, even Uchiha Madara couldn't snatch them away. But Nagato refused. What truly convinced Lin Yu were Orochimaru's words.
"Nagato's Samsara Eyes don't belong to him, and they are too much of a burden. Furthermore, they can't exert the true power of the Samsara Eyes. But don't worry, the cells of the Ōtsutsuki clan are like top-tier supplements for the Sharingan. Although hundreds of Sharingans have burst, several have still evolved into Mangekyo Sharingan."
"I believe it's only a matter of time before they evolve into Samsara Eyes. And with Nagato's Uzumaki clan cells added, they will surely be much more useful than Uchiha Madara's Samsara Eyes."
Lin Yu walked to Nagato's side and used Yin-Yang Release on his eyes. A pair of distinct black and white eyeballs appeared.
"Wipe your face, lest you scare Yahiko later."
Seeing that Yahiko on the ground showed signs of waking up, Nagato quickly tore off the clothes of an Akatsuki member behind him and wiped away the blood streaks from his eyes.
Hoshigaki Kisame retreated a few steps, feeling wronged. He wished he hadn't come to join the fun with the leader. But seeing other members paired up when he was alone was an eyesore!
"Where am I... Didn't I already die?"
The first to open his eyes was Nawaki. His appearance remained as it was at the moment of his death, at the age of twelve, the same age as Naruto and Sasuke were now.
"Nawaki!"
Tsunade's eyes turned red as she saw her younger brother resurrected. Just as she was about to rush to him, she heard Nawaki ask in confusion, "Are you... Sister? Why have you gotten so old? Did you die too?"
*Clang!*
Tsunade gritted her teeth and slowly retracted her smoking fist. It seemed her brother was in good spirits and didn't need her excessive concern.
"Hiss! That hurts!"
Nawaki clutched his swollen forehead, but his eyes caught sight of Orochimaru in the corner, and he exclaimed, "Teacher Orochimaru, did you die too?"
This exclamation of "Teacher Orochimaru" stirred something within Orochimaru, but soon his expression turned grim.
"So Teacher Orochimaru isn't that great either. I should have apprenticed under Teacher Jiraiya back then!"
Orochimaru, with a grim face, turned to Tsunade. "Tsunade, you don't mind me disciplining my own student, do you?"
"Just don't break him."
Just as Nawaki was about to flee, Senju Hashirama blocked his path and said with a smile, "He's just a child. There's no need for that, give me some face."
Nawaki looked at the man before him, clad in armor from the Warring States period, blinked, and then shouted loudly, "You! You're the First Hokage!"
Although Senju Hashirama had died before Nawaki was born, he had seen his portrait and always considered becoming Hokage his dream.
Senju Hashirama reached out to pat Nawaki's head. Little Tsunade's brother, that would make him his grandson as well. He hadn't expected to have two more relatives alive in this world. If he counted Tobirama, it would be three. If he counted Madara...
"It seems all of this is true. Sister and Teacher Orochimaru are dead, and the First Hokage is the best proof. Alas!"
Nawaki sighed. Even the First Hokage, whom he respected the most, suddenly lost interest. He then looked at the people around him with the expression of someone looking at unfortunate souls.
"You all died because of war, how pitiful."
Senju Hashirama's face stiffened, and the outstretched hand stopped in mid-air. This brat had used him as proof and offended everyone in one go.
"Cough! Go easy on him. He's still a child, after all."
Orochimaru, with a dark expression, picked up Nawaki by the collar and grinned at everyone. "Don't worry, everyone, I'll take good care of him."
Nawaki cried out, "Don't grab me by the collar, I'll get a side stitch! Huh? How can a dead person get a side stitch? Am I not dead?"
Nawaki finally realized his predicament, but it was too late. Just after being resurrected, he was about to suffer a beating, and he had personally offended all his potential backing.