I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 708 Before the teacher is called away, he always leaves some homework for the students to study on their own.

"Interesting. I didn't expect things to develop this way. Now that it's in my hands, you can't predict what will happen next, Madara."

Inside the Hokage's office, Tatsuma, who was grading documents, suddenly stopped writing, a strange smile on his face, and muttered to himself, "These old Shiki and Han are really good people, sending sheep into the tiger's den."

Although the original plan was not completed, things have strangely gotten better.

After saying that, his expression returned to normal. He reached for the internal phone, dialed, and less than two seconds later, a flash of golden light appeared in the Hokage's office. Minato appeared and asked, "What's wrong?"

Tatsuma said, "Go to Konoha Hospital and have Director Biwako prepare the operating room."

"Who is it?"

As Minato asked the question, he also formed hand seals to expand his sensory range. Soon, he also sensed the several streams of chakra heading towards the village.

Sensing the chakra of the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails, Minato frowned, but he also sensed two faint, negligible chakras.

If he wasn't a civilian, then he was a severely injured ninja, with Jiraiya by his side. Minato vaguely guessed the identity of the newcomer, and without even responding to Tatsuma, he simply nodded and disappeared.

Tatsuma marked the document in his hand and closed it. Then he left the office in a somewhat unhurried manner. Of course, with the characteristics of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he arrived at the Wood Release laboratory in an instant.

"Knock knock knock~"

Tatsuma knocked on the door of a laboratory that had been converted into a classroom. Orochimaru, who was giving a furious lecture inside, stopped and said, "That's all for today's class. Kabuto, take your men and clean the rabbit cages. Yamato, you take your men over to the rat cages."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"

Kabuto and Yamato answered loudly. Orochimaru nodded and walked straight towards the door. He didn't bring any lesson plans, since all the knowledge was stored in his brain.

"What is it?"

Orochimaru was clearly annoyed, whether from dissatisfaction at being interrupted or from the anger that had been building up during the lecture. Tatsuma didn't answer immediately, but instead pointed to another laboratory.

Seeing this, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. Tatsuma's arrival was clearly not for something that could be made public. Thinking that it might be something that couldn't be seen by others, Orochimaru suddenly became interested.

The two entered another laboratory, where Orochimaru set up all the necessary security measures before asking, "What kind of research are you going to conduct this time? Send me the money first."

"Yes, but the village won't send money."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru not only did not get angry, but became even more interested, because if it was just a matter of the laboratory being self-funded, or even if Orochimaru had to pay a little out of his own pocket, Tatsuma would probably make up some nonsense about the village's financial difficulties.

However, Tatsuma made it clear that the village would not provide any funding, which meant that this was not only an experiment that could not be seen by anyone, but also something that could not be done in the open, a project that might be even more interesting than the Wood Release research.

"Tell me about it."

"Lord Orochimaru, are you interested in eye techniques?"

"Are you talking about the Sharingan, the Byakugan, or the Red Eyes from another village? The Blood Dragon Eye? To be honest, I'm not very interested in any of them, unless you give me Uchiha Tenka's eyes."

Upon hearing that it was a dojutsu (eye technique), Orochimaru immediately lost interest. After all, among these dojutsu, the most powerful one was undoubtedly Madara Uchiha's eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

But even those eyes were defeated by Hashirama Senju's Wood Release, and what Orochimaru is currently researching is precisely Hashirama Senju's Wood Release!

Who would want a second-rate bloodline limit like a pupil technique?

But Tatsuma shook his head and said, "The Eye of the Immortal."

"The Sage's Eyes? The eyes of the Sage of Six Paths?"

Orochimaru then became somewhat interested and asked, "You found the Sage of Six Paths' tomb? A thousand years have passed, and his body hasn't decayed yet? If so, then his body is actually more valuable for research."

"No, they have the same eyes as the Sage of Six Paths, but it's uncertain whether their abilities have awakened. Are you interested in investigating them?"

"If you can get your hands on it, I wouldn't mind taking some time to study it."

The Sage of Six Paths' eyes are, after all, unknown. Although Orochimaru said he would study them when he had time, there was interest in his eyes. Tatsuma nodded and said:

"I'll get them as soon as possible, but you'll need to cultivate a pair of identical eyes. Putting aside their abilities, they'll at least have to be very similar, and I'll probably only have a few hours."

When do you need it?

"We can begin now; I'll bring the glasses over later."

Tatsuma sensed that Jiraiya and the others were already very close to the village, and he had to leave to make preparations. Orochimaru nodded and said, "Okay, you can bring the eyes over in half an hour."

"Then it's settled."

A silver light flashed by, and Tatsuma disappeared. Orochimaru frowned and pondered for a moment, then stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, revealing a smile that he only showed when he was doing research. He left the laboratory and headed towards the department that cultivated organs.

Tatsuma appeared on the northwest wall of the village. He waved to Jiraiya and the others who were rushing over. Upon seeing this, Jiraiya said, "There's no need to go around to the main gate."

After Tatsuma modified Konoha's barrier, it became extremely strong. Especially when Tatsuma, the "key," was fully activated, the barrier's strength was such that even the Nine-Tails couldn't break it.

While it's not usually that powerful, it's not easily penetrated either. Therefore, people can only enter and exit through the main gate or through the hidden doors that were pre-prepared for ninjas to use when carrying out secret missions.

However, this was all under the condition that Tatsuma, the controller of the barrier, did not interfere. Now that Tatsuma has arrived, there is naturally no need to look for any gate.

Tatsuma raised his hand and placed it on the barrier. The light traveled through the barrier in straight lines, and soon an empty space appeared. Jiraiya and his men passed directly through the barrier and landed on the wall.

Jiraiya anxiously asked, "Tatsuma, these are Yahiko and the others."

"I know. I've already sent Minato to prepare the operating room. I'll take Nagato there now."

As Tatsuma spoke, he reached out and took Nagato from Rōshi's hand. Jiraiya nodded gratefully, but still somewhat unwillingly looked at Yahiko, who was stiff and unable to straighten up in the cold weather, and said, "Yahiko."

My condolences.

Tatsuma left only this one sentence before disappearing with Nagato. More than 24 hours have passed since his death; Yahiko's soul has likely already become accustomed to the Pure Land environment, making any attempt to bring him back futile.

Unless Nagato awakens and uses the Rinnegan's Rinne Rebirth technique, no one can save him.

Tatsuma is praised for being able to revive the dead, but there are certain conditions: firstly, the soul cannot be completely dissipated, and secondly, the body must retain a certain degree of vitality.

For example, the heart and lungs, brainstem reflexes, or nerve reactions. Rather than saying that Tatsuma brought the dead back to life, it would be more accurate to say that he brought the dying back to life, like Kato Dan back then.

But Yahiko was different; he was completely dead.

Jiraiya's face turned deathly pale. Of the three children, he liked Yahiko the most because of Yahiko's liveliness, resilience, and ideals. Yahiko was another version of himself that Jiraiya longed for.

Leaning against the fence, Jiraiya managed to stand. He took several deep breaths before his pounding brain regained some clarity. He looked at Old Purple and Han and asked, "What... happened?"

Meanwhile, in an operating room at Konoha Hospital, Tatsuma, already dressed in his surgical gown, began a solo surgery. He first stopped Nagato's bleeding to prevent his life force from fading away.

However, he did not infuse Nagato's body with life force, since no one knew what would happen to those eyes after they were nourished by life force.

He gently lifted Nagato's eyelids with his left hand, looking into those unfocused eyes that resembled slices of an onion. With his right hand, he conjured a chakra scalpel, and behind his mask, a smile played on his lips.

Knife up and down.

(End of this chapter)