It seemed to be about influend e.

  “I must have profoundly influenced Baki’s life, creating a e that allowed me to summon him.”

  “Simirly, I’ve had a profound impa Sasuke’s life, which must have established a e that allowed me to summon his father.”

  “As for my father, our e is self-expnatory.”

  This expnation seemed to make sehough something still felt off. After all, he had signifitly impacted the life of the Third Hokage. So why couldn’t he summon the Hokage’s deceased wife, son, or daughter-in-w?

  Or maybe he had tried, and they simply chose not to respond?

  Lihese thoughts aside, fog ba the battlefield.

  Sasuke Uchiha was already down, his pained expression suggesting he had been hit by asukuyomi. Meanwhile, Itachi and Fugaku were engaging in a carefully restrained fight, from taijutsu to kunai exges and even fire-style ninjutsu. It was evident from Itachi’s subtle hesitation that his emotions were far from calm.

  Baki wasn’t faring aer. Within thirty seds of engaging Kisame, he was already in a precarious position, barely using his superior speed to evade the massive sword swings. It was obvious he wouldn’t st much longer.

  Still, being dead meant Baki didn’t fear death. He showed ation or thoughts of retreat, steadfastly preventing Kisame from casting further ninjutsu.

  However, just as Link turned his focus to him, Kisame used a water e to trap Baki in a Water Prison Jutsu.

  “So much for being useful.”

  "Stop!"

  Kakashi Hatake was the first to arrive. Upon seeing the two deceased figures without shadows, his eyes betrayed a hint of shock.

  "Kisame, let’s go," Itachi said, seeing reinforts arrive. With a calm yet firm tone, he vanished using the Body Flicker Teique.

  Kisame gri Link, baring his sharp teeth, then pulled his sword from the ground and followed suit.

  Oheir chakra signatures disappeared, Fugaku returned with Sasuke in his arms. He cast a cold g Kakashi before ying his drenched son on the ground. Turning to Link, he said, "Sasuke is in your hands now."

  If Fugaku were alive, he might have sidered f good retions with Kakashi for the be of the Uchiha's revival. But as a deceased man, his only s were his two sons. The Uchiha had already been wiped out.

  Baki, freed from the water prison and clutg his arm where Kisame’s Samehada had torn into him, approached Link and asked, "The war... it’s over, right?"

  His for the vilge was evident. After all, wheook his own life, the Fourth Kazekage had yet to surrender. His as, directly defying his superior’s orders, had forced the Kazekage’s hand to iate peace.

  Even if he hadn’t itted suicide, there would have been no pce for him in the ninja world afterward.

  Kakashi, now joined by Asuma, remained silent, watg Link.

  "Yes," Link replied, "we’ve accepted the Sunagakure’s surrender."

  Baki visibly rexed, nodding before vanishing along with Fugaku as the Rashōmon gates recimed them.

  Kakashi lifted Sasuke and, with a rare seriousness in his tone, said, "Link, this jutsu of yours—"

  Jutsu that touched the boundary of life ah were invariably forbidden. The first to summon the dead to fight was the Sed Hokage, whose Edo Tensei had earned infamy as a vile teique.

  Due to its uhiature, Konoha had sealed away Edo Tensei for years.

  Only yesterday, Orochimaru had used the same teique to devastate Konoha during the Konoha Crush. Now, if Link ractig simir teiques—

  Kakashi initially inteo warn Link not to use such jutsu lightly but ultimately refrained. Instead, he simply said, "I’ll take Sasuke to the hospital."

  Link watched him disappear before deactivating his transformation. Turning to Iris and Ami, he said, "Let’s for today. We’ll save the barbecue for ime."

  The two exged a gh him before naturally dispersing.

  "Hey, uh..." Asuma started, seemingly wanting to say something.

  But Link was already heading toward the Hokage’s office. With the Akatsuki’s appearance, he o report directly to the Third Hokage. Two members of the anization had infiltrated Konoha, one of whom was a former Konoha spy. Ign the situation wasn’t an option.

  Seeing Asuma hesitate, Link smiled and asked, "What is it?"

  Asuma shook his head. "Nothing."

  Seeing Baki and Fugaku earlier had deeply shocked Asuma. Initially, he thought it was Edo Tensei, but upon notig the absence of sacrifices, he realized it wasn’t the same.

  It made him think about those he had lost—people he still deeply missed. But probing someone else’s secret jutsu was taboo, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

  …

  Twenty Minutes Later, Hokage’s Office

  After hearing Link’s report, the Third Hokage showed no surprise. Ever since he had experienced rejuvenation through Link’s mysterious jutsu during the Konoha Crush, he had known the boy wasn’t simple.

  Summoning the deceased was just another yer to his abilities.

  Looking at the young man standing before him, the Third Hokage simply said, "Be cautious when using that summoning jutsu."

  Si didn’t require sacrifices, wasn’t excessively cruel, and didn’t harm the user’s body, it didn’t strictly qualify as a forbidden teique.

  In fact, the Third Hokage mused, if he were to die, he might be willing to be summoned back to protect the vilge and its future.

  "About the Uchiha..." The Third Hokage removed his hat and locked eyes with Link. "How much do you know?"

  Given that Fugaku Uchiha had been summoned, it was clear Link had uncovered a signifit portion of the truth.

  "Some," Link admitted, prepared for this versation.

  He had rarely ied with the Third Hokage before. A man who had lived so long couldn’t be easily deceived, and Link wasn’t about to test whether his secrets could fool someone like him.

  But now, as a Special Jonin and an integral part of Konoha’s upper echelons, Link’s position was secure. His es, especially to the Hokage's fa, ensured his safety.

  There was no longer ao hide everything.

  Initially, Link had po approach the Hokage ter, but the Akatsuki’s appearance had accelerated his timeline. He decided to frame his knowledge as being gleaned from his iions with the deceased, leaving no way for ao verify its accuracy.

  As a regur ninja, exposing too muowledge would have been perilous. But as a high-ranking member of Konoha’s leadership, and someorusted by the Hokage, Link wasn’t worried.

  Why should I handle every future crisis alone when I delegate to others?

  Bleam