Returning to Sunagakure

A week later, Uchiha Gen had completely mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique.

His physical body was still safe within the Uchiha Clan compound. And with Izanagi prepared in advance, he had virtually nothing left to worry about!

"Forbidden technique—Spirit Transformation Technique, activate!"

A transparent Uchiha Gen emerged from the body sitting cross-legged below!

Destination: Sunagakure. Off we go~

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he had flown from Konoha to the skies above Sunagakure. The Spirit Transformation Technique was incredibly fast. Looking down at the village, Uchiha Gen was speechless for a long while. When Naruto had gone to support Sunagakure, he'd had to rush all the way there, and it had taken ages. Gen was only a little slower than the Flying Thunder God. But learning the Flying Thunder God was far too difficult; it wasn't something you could master simply by risking your life.

Sunagakure was quite large. After all, land in the Land of Wind was cheap, unlike in Konoha, where every inch was precious. It took Uchiha Gen's soul, empowered by the Spirit Transformation Technique, only a little while to sense where Pakura was.

After a busy day, the hardworking Pakura returned to her cozy little home. The Kirigakure Front had been relatively stable lately. She didn't know what the Kirigakure leadership was thinking, fighting Sunagakure while also attacking Konoha, but it was undoubtedly a good thing for her village!

Sunagakure had never expected much help from Konoha, despite their alliance. But with the Kirigakure leadership apparently losing their minds, Kirigakure had now provoked Konoha, and Konoha would have to get involved whether it wanted to help or not!

"Phew... at this rate, it's only a matter of time before the village signs a peace treaty with Kirigakure! Could things really turn out the way he said?" Pakura wondered, hesitant.

"Hey, Pakura. Were you thinking about me? You look deep in thought."

"Who's there?" Pakura immediately took up a fighting stance! As an elite Jōnin with Scorch Release, which was famous throughout the Ninja World, Pakura was a seasoned veteran of the battlefield. Someone had managed to approach her without her noticing; their strength had to be at least above the Fourth Kazekage's.

After all, even the Fourth Kazekage couldn't get close to her so silently! Perhaps Elder Chiyo could. In an instant, Pakura's mind raced.

"It's me, Uchiha Gen. It's good to see you again and know you're all right!" Uchiha Gen revealed himself and smiled at Pakura. In a sense, she was the first woman he'd ever been with!

"Huh? You—you beast!" Pakura glared at him through gritted teeth, then quickly calmed down. She wasn't surprised that Uchiha Gen had infiltrated Sunagakure. Every village had spies infiltrating it, and most ninja of Jōnin rank or higher could manage it. Some Chunin and Special Jōnin with special abilities could, too.

"They say a night together earns a hundred days of affection. We spent seventy-two hours in Tsukuyomi Space—three whole days, without sleep, getting to know each other. And now the first thing you do when you see me is call me a beast? Don't I have a name?" Uchiha Gen said, his face darkening.

"Bastard! Don't bring that up. What exactly are you here for?" Pakura's face flushed. She clearly remembered those compromising positions.

"Oh, it's nothing important. Did you find the hair I asked you to collect from that unlucky fellow who used One's Own Life Reincarnation? This concerns our future happiness, after all." Uchiha Gen reminded her.

"You're after One's Own Life Reincarnation?" Pakura asked, her expression turning serious.

"Yeah. Given our relationship, I need your help with this, so I won't hide anything from you. Elder Chiyo of your village developed the forbidden technique, One's Own Life Reincarnation. It can transfer the user's life force to someone else, and can even bring the dead back to life!"

"What does that have to do with you? It's our village's forbidden technique!" Pakura cut him off before he could finish.

"What do you mean, yours or mine? Given our relationship, I'm practically Sunagakure's son-in-law. By extension, I'm entitled to learn One's Own Life Reincarnation!" Uchiha Gen shamelessly pressed his case.

"Hmph. I'm not going to let you get what you want!" Pakura turned her face away.

"Don't be so cold, Pakura. I treat you like a woman, but you treat me like an enemy? Besides, I'm doing this for your sake. Think about it: with the Ninja World in this state, no one can say whether tomorrow or an accident will come first. If you die one day, I could use One's Own Life Reincarnation to bring you back, couldn't I?" Uchiha Gen tried to persuade her.

"Hmph! Do you really expect me to believe you're that kind? I'm a Sunagakure Jōnin, and you're an Uchiha from Konoha!" Pakura's resolve wavered.

"What do the villages matter? After what we've been through, you have only one identity to me: you're my woman!" Uchiha Gen declared domineeringly. In his previous life, he'd been a hopelessly straight-laced guy who'd never dated anyone. He'd heard from the experienced men online that there was a shortcut to a woman's heart, so he'd skipped dating and gone straight for the shortcut. Besides, in the Ninja World, nobody from the authorities was going to arrest him and sentence him for it! He could do whatever he wanted!

"Forget it. If what you say is true, then that's my fate. You don't have to sacrifice yourself to bring me back." After hearing Uchiha Gen's words, Pakura had already spun an entire seventy-two-episode war-romance family drama mystery in her head.

Huh? What was that supposed to mean? Sacrifice myself to save you? Dream on! I haven't lived long enough to die yet! I'm not about to throw my life away. I'm no lovesick simp!

"Why not look at it another way? We don't have to use One's Own Life Reincarnation ourselves. We could just catch a few bandits, couldn't we?" Uchiha Gen said, waggling his eyebrows at Pakura.

"Impossible. One's Own Life Reincarnation is a forbidden technique. Some random bandit can't just learn it!" Pakura shot down his idea.

"Don't be so sure. The bandit doesn't need to learn it. Our goal is only to make him use One's Own Life Reincarnation. Using it and learning it are two entirely different things! He can know what to do without knowing why!" Uchiha Gen said smugly, showing off his knowledge.

"My current state is the result of Konoha's forbidden Spirit Transformation Technique. In this soul form, I can directly control someone else's body. If I invade someone's body and make them use One's Own Life Reincarnation, wouldn't that work? In that respect, my method is more convenient than Elder Chiyo's puppetry. Puppetry only controls someone's body and the flow of their chakra. If their own consciousness refuses to cooperate and perform One's Own Life Reincarnation, the technique will fail." Uchiha Gen had been there when they discussed saving Kushina, so he knew all the details about One's Own Life Reincarnation. It wasn't as if he needed to know the precise hand signs.