Chapter 1: Hatake Sakumo

In Konoha 42, Hatake Sakumo died at his home.

In Konoha 47, the soul of Hatake Sakumo was reborn in the "Flower Restaurant" in Konoha.

Uchiha Kiyoshi still couldn't believe what he was seeing. Five years ago, he had attended Hatake Sakumo's funeral, and he still vividly remembered the solemn and sorrowful atmosphere of that day.

But now, the "Konoha's White Fang," who had passed away many years ago, stood in front of him, safe and sound.

However, it seemed that Hatake Sakumo was even more bewildered than Kiyoshi.

Hatake Sakumo's head was in turmoil, and he shook it vigorously as his consciousness gradually became clear.

Taking in his surroundings, he found himself in what appeared to be an ordinary small restaurant.

The tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and the wall tiles were bright, but the only other person in the room was a boy who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old.

The door was closed; it seemed they weren't open for business yet.

As sunlight streamed in through the window and he heard lively voices from outside, Hatake Sakumo visibly trembled.

With a bewildered expression, he turned towards Konoha Street.

"Strange... am I already dead?" Hatake Sakumo murmured to himself in deep confusion.

He could recall the last moments of his life, lying on the floor of his own home.

Then his soul had wandered in the Pure Land of the Underworld.

"Could it be because of Edo Tensei?" Hatake thought suddenly. Edo Tensei was a Forbidden Jutsu developed by the Second Hokage, capable of summoning the souls of the dead from the Pure Land of the Underworld to the present world, but its use was morally and ethically questionable.

He cast a vigilant eye on the ordinary young man before him. Could this man be the caster?

Uchiha Kiyoshi sighed and shook his head, realizing that explaining this would take some time.

"No, it's not Edo Tensei. It's because of 'Guseido,' Uncle Sakumo. Edo Tensei involves an 'immortal body,' and you should know the difference between a soul and a real body."

"Guseido" was the name Uchiha Kiyoshi gave to his system.

Rebirth meant breaking free from the shackles of past karma and starting anew.

Just yesterday, Uchiha Kiyoshi, a time traveler, had lost his parents on the battlefield during the Third Ninja World War.

He had inherited his parents' last wish and continued to run this small restaurant on Konoha Street: Huadao Restaurant.

However, when he had finished settling all the affairs and was about to reopen, an invisible ghost barrier, imperceptible to others, had enveloped his small restaurant.

The passage between the Pure Land of the Underworld and reality had been opened, and the connection point was Huadao Restaurant.

In the Hokage world, the souls of the deceased would go to the Pure Land of the Underworld, and with this connection, Uchiha Kiyoshi had the possibility to bring back the souls of the dead to reality.

In simple terms, he could revive them.

After establishing the enchantment, the Guseido system had given Uchiha Kiyoshi  his first experience: resurrecting the long-deceased Hatake Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo, the former Konoha's White Fang.

"Um... I don't know," Hatake Sakumo replied skeptically. He had heard of the existence of Forbidden Jutsu like Edo Tensei but had never seen it in action.

Uchiha Kiyoshi was also surprised. Knowing the details of Forbidden Jutsu was basic knowledge for him as a time traveler, but not for others.

"In short, to put it plainly, you died five years ago, but now you are resurrected. Your soul has wandered in the Pure Land of the Underworld for five years, so you should understand matters related to the soul."

Hatake Sakumo nodded thoughtfully, gazing at Konoha's main street with a sense of wonder.

He tried to approach the door, wanting to open it and see the changes that had taken place in his memory, but Uchiha Kiyoshi  stopped him.

"You can't get out. The entire restaurant is enclosed by an enchantment, not to restrict me, but to restrict you," Uchiha Kiyoshi  reminded.

[Resurrecting the dead goes against common sense, so it must have certain restrictions.]

This was the prompt given to Uchiha Kiyoshi  by the Guseido system.

Although Hatake Sakumo was now in perfect health, he couldn't pass through the barrier and leave Huadao Restaurant. It had nothing to do with his strength; it was a limitation imposed by the "rules."

Hatake Sakumo prepared himself and reached out to touch the door. However, as soon as his fingers made contact, he felt an immense and powerful force push him back.

He tried again, with the same result.

Hatake Sakumo gave up attempting to leave and settled into a chair with a calm expression, showing no disappointment.

Having the opportunity to return to the human world was already a rare stroke of luck, and there was no need to ask for more.

Uchiha Kiyoshi  stepped forward and introduced himself, "My name is Uchiha Kiyoshi, the owner of this restaurant and the manager of the passage between the Pure Land of the Underworld and reality."

He thought it best to keep certain details to himself; saying "I have a system in my head" would be rather perplexing.

Hatake Sakumo nodded, and Kiyoshi Uchiha provided a brief background about himself and the restaurant.

Since the war had begun, Uchiha Kiyoshi's parents had stopped running Huadao Restaurant. Now that responsibility had fallen to him. The restaurant hadn't reopened yet, so no new employees had been hired. Given the current circumstances, he didn't dare to hire outsiders.

In the future, they might encounter individuals as ruthless as Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, making it challenging for ordinary people who were not from the Pure Land of the Underworld to enter.

Uchiha Kiyoshi  contemplated hiding the restaurant's activities for the time being.

When the First Hokage and Second Hokage eventually found out, the high-ranking officials of Konoha would come daily to pay their respects. It was a situation they needed to prepare for.

Hatake Sakumo gradually comprehended the current situation.

Uchiha Kiyoshi  continued, "It's now five years since your 'death.' The Third Ninja World War has been raging between the major nations for quite some time."

"Five years..." Hatake Sakumo murmured, bowing his head.

"Kakashi should be twelve years old now. How is Kakashi doing?"

Hatake Sakumo looked up with hope in his eyes; that was all that truly mattered to him.

Uchiha Kiyoshi sighed and began to explain Kakashi's situation, but he realized it would be a complex matter to convey.

Since the Kannabi Bridge battle, Kakashi had changed significantly. He had grown into a Jōnin, and his personality had undergone two shifts, all linked to his father's actions and the transplanting of Uchiha Obito's Sharingan.

Hatake Sakumo listened intently, nodding along.

"So much has happened. Ultimately, it all traces back to my decisions at that time," Hatake Sakumo sighed heavily, his expression filled with regret.