When only Naruto and Nagato, who was sitting opposite him, were left in the room, the air seemed to become more stagnant and quiet. Only the faint chirping of insects outside the window added a bit of background sound to the silence.
Nagato was silent for a moment, his chest rising and falling slightly, as if he was trying to calm down some turbulent emotions, and he seemed to be gathering the courage to speak.
His originally pale face, under the soft lighting of the restaurant, looked even more bloodless and almost transparent, as if one could see the tiny blood vessels under the skin.
However, his eyes were extremely bright, as if burning the last spark, staring closely at Naruto, mixed with pleading, hope, and a trace of unnoticeable anxiety.
Finally, he spoke, his voice hoarse and drier than when he discussed state affairs before, with a kind of pleading and hope that almost overflowed:
"Sixth Hokage... I want to ask you to help me resurrect Yahiko."
He paused, as if he had exhausted all his strength, before speaking out the next words in a low but clear voice, "I also want him to... see with his own eyes that this world can truly embrace peace."
Having lost the pair of Rinnegan that symbolized the power of Divine Power, Nagato also completely lost the ability to use "Heretic·Rinne Rebirth" to resurrect others.
He knew that Naruto would not give Rinnegan to him, because those were Sage of Six Paths's eyes.
The taboo Dōjutsu that he once regarded as the ultimate means to achieve peace and that he wanted to control even if it cost his life, has now left him.
However, hope is not completely extinguished.
He heard about the previous incident of "First Hokage, Second Hokage and others appearing briefly" in Konoha, and knew that there are still Forbidden Jutsu like "Impure World Reincarnation" in the world.
Even if it's just for Yahiko to return in that form made of soil and paper, even if it's just temporary.
He also desperately hoped that Yahiko could see with his own eyes that the "peace" the three of them had promised in the rain when they were young, fought for it, and even sacrificed everything to pursue it, now seemed to be slowly coming to this traumatized land in a way they had not expected, driven by the Blond-Haired Boy in front of them.
In addition to this obsession of wanting to be witnessed by close friends, there is another reason that worries Nagato even more.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi A conversation with him before.
The old man reminded him as a person who had been there that Konan's life should not always be tied to taking care of him and remembering the past.
If peace really comes, Konan should also have the right to pursue his own happiness and future.
Nagato has always felt that Konan admires the sunny, cheerful and charismatic Yahiko.
Now, he doesn't know how long his broken body can last, and he doesn't want to become the fetters of Konan's pursuit of a new life.
If Yahiko can come back, maybe we can give Konan an explanation and a consolation, so that she can truly come out of the shadow of the past.
Naruto did not answer immediately.
He pondered for a moment, leaned back slightly, and tapped his fingers unconsciously on the smooth wooden tabletop, making a soft "click, click" sound.
In my mind, the principles of Impure World Reincarnation, the research results of Orochimaru, the mystery of Pure Land and the soul, and the unfathomable authority of Sage of Six Paths were quickly assembled and analyzed like fragments.
"The body of Deva Path Pain is the original body of Yahiko."
Naruto slowly spoke, "Although you have preserved it, the internal organs have been deeply eroded and functionally replaced by Rinnegan's Chakra during the long process of being the core of 'Six Paths of Pain'. 'Deva Path', and have basically lost their original physiological activity."
He changed the subject slightly, "However, if Deva Path Pain's tissue sample is given to Orochimaru, with her knowledge of Life Sciences and Cloning Technology, it may be possible to use cell culture or Cloning Technology to create a 'blank' body Vessel with the exact same gene sequence as Yahiko.
This body can maintain physiological functions and serve as the carrier of the soul."
He looked at Nagato with a frank look and did not avoid the difficulty. "But, Nagato, the most critical and unavoidable problem lies in Yahiko's soul."
Naruto's tone became solemn, as if he was talking about a taboo field. "At present, I am powerless to summon and control the soul.
The realm of the soul involves Pure Land, reincarnation, and even the fundamental rules of this world. It is a forbidden area that is more mysterious and difficult to touch and interfere with than the regeneration of the body.
Even Lords First Hokage and Lord Second Hokage, who had such powerful souls, appeared briefly because of Uchiha Hikari's Dōjutsu. The direct intervention of Sage of Six Paths has returned to the depths of Pure Land, and seems to have been imposed with some special restrictions or anchors, and can no longer be summoned through regular Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu."
He paused, looked at the dimming light in Nagato's eyes, and added a crueler reality, "Sage of Six Paths, as the controller of Pure Land, seems to have extremely high authority and strict rules to interfere with the flow of souls between Mortal World and Pure Land.
Without his permission, or encountering some extremely special and rule-breaking situation, it is extremely difficult to accurately summon a specific soul that has been dead for many years from the depths of Pure Land, especially a soul like Yahiko who may have already completed the purification process of Pure Land, or even entered a new round of reincarnation.
In fact, judging from the information currently available, it is almost impossible."
Nagato listened quietly, as if his body had solidified into a sculpture.
The last glimmer of hope in his eyes dimmed little by little with Naruto's calm and clear analysis, and finally returned to deep darkness.
His hands on the armrests were clenched unconsciously, and the knuckles of his skinny fingers were white from excessive exertion, and they were trembling slightly, as if he was trying to grasp something that was about to disappear completely.
"Is that so..."
After a long time, Nagato finally let out a low sigh, almost from deep in his chest.
The sigh was very light, but it seemed to carry a huge weight, full of endless regret, loss, melancholy, and a trace of struggle that had been buried deep in my heart for a long time, but still refused to give up, and was completely crushed by reality until this moment.
He slowly lowered his eyes, no longer looking at Naruto, but staring blankly at his hands that had become thin, pale, and covered with fine wrinkles due to years of illness, Chakra overdraft, and life in a wheelchair.
Resurrecting Yahiko, allowing the best friend who illuminated their gloomy childhood like the sun, to witness with their own eyes the prototype of the peace they dreamed of, may be the last and deepest obsession in his broken body and tortured soul, and the glimmer of light that supported him through the long dark years.
Now, even this last ray of light seems to have become out of reach with Naruto's calm and almost cruel analysis, and was finally annihilated behind the barrier of reality.
The restaurant fell into a long, suffocating silence. The night outside the window seemed to get darker, and the chirping of insects seemed to become distant.
The soft light stretched the two silent figures into slender shapes and cast them on the wall and floor, intertwining together, making them look particularly lonely and heavy.
Naruto can clearly feel the deep, almost substantive feeling of sadness and powerlessness emanating from Nagato. It is a kind of emptiness after hope is completely shattered, and a confusion where obsession has nowhere to rest.
He understands this emotion. He feels the pain of losing an important person better than anyone else.
However, he also knows better than anyone else that the boundary between life and death and the mystery of the soul are areas that even immortals cannot easily enter.
There are some things that even he is currently unable to do.
If Takami Musubi is used to save Yahiko, the original historical process will be changed. If Clone Body is used to replace the then Yahiko, there will be certain risks.
Moreover, Takami Musubi is now suspected to be banned. If it cannot be used, there is no point in planning it.
The last thing is that Yahiko's resurrection is not good for Naruto, but now Yahiko's non-resurrection is good for Naruto.
When we went back to Pure Land, Naruto wanted to take Nagato with him, and Nagato was also Kage Level's combat power.
The pair of Rinnegan is still being studied by Orochimaru. If Nagato can be persuaded, he can be made to wait for Super-Kage Gatekeeper again.
Perhaps it is not impossible for Nagato, who has been transplanted with Hashirama Cells, to adapt to his body and reach the peak level of Super-Kage.
After solving Sage of Six Paths, resurrecting a Yahiko is a trivial matter.