(This chapter's order has also been adjusted, so the paragraph comments were cleared. Looking forward to everyone filling them back in~)
When Chen saw Jin's figure within his mind, his memories were pulled back as well—to the autumn of Konoha Year 73.
In Konoha Year 73, the two families of Chen and Jin had attended the Ullambana Festival's Six-Pattern Lantern Festival in Sai River Source Village, Land of Tsuchi.
They had only separated briefly to see to their respective families.
Jin was already lying beside the river below Shinazugawa Shrine.
By the time Chen arrived, Jin no longer showed any signs of life. His eyes were fixed rigidly on the sky, as though he had seen something utterly terrifying before he died.
With Utsuro-ryu, Chen could manipulate the boundary between life and death.
Just as he had done when recovering those masterpieces years ago.
Chen desperately reversed time, but even when blood vessels burst across his eyes, he could not restore warmth to Jin's cold body.
Chen realized that too much time had passed since Jin's death, beyond the limit of what he could undo.
He immediately thought of a Forbidden Jutsu that could bring Jin back to life.
It was the Forbidden Jutsu Grandma Chiyo had used to revive Gaara: One's Own Life Reincarnation.
Fortunately, Chiyo was one of his Impure World collection pieces.
He immediately summoned Grandma Chiyo, who had already been subjected to Kotoamatsukami, and had her teach him the technique of One's Own Life Reincarnation.
Chen formed the seals for One's Own Life Reincarnation and began transferring his life force to Jin without reservation. But it was as though the channel for transferring life force had been closed. He could not send it in, and Jin could not be revived!
Chen asked Grandma Chiyo why.
After a long silence, Grandma Chiyo said that the prerequisite for One's Own Life Reincarnation to raise the dead was that the person had died less than twelve hours ago and their soul had not yet gone to the Pure Land after death.
Jin could not be revived, which meant his soul had already reached the Pure Land. Then Grandma Chiyo emphasized that there had never been a precedent for a soul reaching the Pure Land only half an hour after death.
At that point, Chen knew there was no hope of making Jin stand up alive again.
Chen reminded himself to stay calm. He could not panic or act rashly. He could not make the same mistake he had made when he caused the deaths of Father and Mother! At the very least, he had to find out what his younger brother had seen before dying!
Chen released a White Zetsu from the Otsutsuki Time Zone, intending to use it to reincarnate Jin through the Impure World, just as he had done with Father and Mother.
Even if Jin would later be like Father and Mother, finding peace in his heart and ascending to heaven, leaving him forever, Chen could not worry about that then!
But reality dealt Chen a crushing blow. Even Impure World Reincarnation could not summon his younger brother's soul back into the living world!
It was as though an invisible giant hand had blocked every path through which Chen might see his younger brother again!
He truly had nowhere to turn.
Even now, Chen could not forget the sight of his sister-in-law Samui holding the young Fuka and Hana, devastated by grief.
If this ninja world truly contained an existence unknown even to him, a transmigrator, that could silently kill Jin, then silently killing anyone around him would likely be no difficult task either.
Whether intentionally or not, the other party had left Jin's eyes behind.
More clearly than ever, Chen realized that his strength was not yet enough to protect those around him!
He absolutely could not let something like this happen again!
For that, he needed even greater strength!
And so, he inherited Jin's eyes and awakened his own Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
The "Time Freeze" that had once required Jin's Mizuha to work with Utsuro-ryu could now be performed by Chen alone.
Chen froze Jin's body and placed it in a compartment at the far end of the Otsutsuki Time Zone.
In truth, there was still another path to reviving his younger brother: the Rinne Rebirth Technique.
That required the power of the Rinnegan.
With the potential of these Dual Eternal Mangekyo, awakening the Rinnegan in the future was not impossible.
But unless it became absolutely necessary, Chen would not take that path.
They were no longer merely two brothers depending on each other for survival. Both of them had their own homes and families.
He had the responsibility and obligation to protect this entire family.
For the time being, he set aside the matter of reviving his younger brother. In the years that followed, not a single day passed without him investigating the cause of Jin's death.
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There was not a single wound on Jin's body, nor were there any internal injuries like those caused by the Hyuga Gentle Fist.
His expression before death had been one of terror, as though he had witnessed some great horror.
That supported mental shock as the cause of death... most likely [genjutsu].
This was the only clue Chen had obtained.
But looking across the ninja world, who could make Jin—an awakened Mangekyō Sharingan user whose strength had not been much inferior to Chen's back then—die from a mental attack?
Chen was certain that not even Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, lurking in this land, or anyone in his Kara Organization possessed such ability.
Anxiety, hidden dread, self-blame... they tormented him during that period.
Whenever the night grew quiet, thoughts like, If I had arrived at the riverbank by Shinazugawa Shrine earlier that day, perhaps Jin could have been saved, would arise in his mind, leaving him unable to sleep.
Regret and self-reproach took the form of an Inner Demon that resembled Jin, startling him awake from midnight dreams more than once.
To keep it from affecting his mind and body, Chen used his methods to seal it in the depths of the Samadhi Meditation Sea, along with the resentment and violent negative emotions born deep in his heart from Jin's death!
I thought it would never appear again!
He had not expected that the regret of failing to save his younger brother would still follow him even now. At this moment, when he was weak and his mind slack, the Inner Demon struck again without warning, seeking to take his life while he was down!
"Demon Jin" had not truly broken free from the seal of the Zen Meditation Sea. It had merely projected an "image" before Chen's consciousness!
Just as Nine-Tails Chakra had once seeped through the cracks in Naruto's seal!
But in Chen's current state, even a projection of an Inner Demon was enough to threaten his life!
Demon Jin shouted sharply, "Answer me! Didn't you say you would keep me safe for my entire life?!"
Chen did not answer.
"Die!"
Boom! Jin's Inner Demon clone suddenly raised its hollow eyes. A dark aura condensed into sinister bones, and a Bone Palm gripped Chen's consciousness!
—Dark Susanoo: Demon Touch!
Black sinew membranes crawled from the gaps in the bones, transforming into sharp tendrils that burrowed into Chen's solar plexus all at once, violently amplifying the piercing agony...
"Arghhhhhhh...!" Chen's gut-wrenching scream echoed through time and space.
Obito crouched nearby. Watching the flesh at Chen's solar plexus writhe, he frowned deeply.
"The blood vessels that were originally repaired by Hashirama Cells have torn open again."
"And what's going on here? Chen's Chakra has suddenly split off into an undercurrent. That undercurrent is now like a toxin, eroding Chen..."
Obito clenched his fist tightly. "This is bad..."
If this continued, Chen's life would be in danger... I had to do something.
Obito did not know what Chen was experiencing.
But he possessed an ability: he could use Kamui to transmit Chakra and assist in battle within the spiritual world. After his death, he had used it to aid Kakashi and deliver the strongest support.
Obito placed his hand on Chen's forehead, closed his eyes, and focused, preparing to synchronize his mind with Chen's!
Boom! Suddenly, a dark Susanoo emerged fiercely within the backdrop of his mind!
The negative emotions flowed into a vortex even more terrifying than Kamui, swallowing and tearing at Obito's mind!
He nearly lost control!
As though shocked by lightning, Obito yanked his hand away from Chen's forehead!
His heart still trembled with lingering fear. What was that?!
This savage, murderous emotion was no less intense than mine had been back then...
Precisely because of that, Chen desperately needed help right now!
Obito steadied himself and once again reached toward Chen's forehead.
"Obito, let me handle this myself!" The hoarse sound from Chen's throat made Obito's palm tremble slightly, stopping an inch before Chen's forehead.
Brushing his hand aside, Chen's left eye had already transformed into an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan!
Obito smiled. "Such a firm will... just like mine!"
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