Brook first extracted Mabui's bloodline, then opened a space-time portal and sent the brown-skinned beauty with the Heavenly Transfer Technique back to Thunder City, appointing her as Samui's deputy.
When he had time in the future, Brook would visit them properly.
Kakuzu, his mission complete, could no longer wait to leave. Thus began his official journey toward becoming the richest man in the world.
When they heard that Brook was going to revive Nohara Rin, both Kurenai and Tsunade quieted down and stopped disturbing him.
Obito Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake stared at Brook with anticipation, wondering how exactly he planned to bring Rin back.
It could not be something like Impure World Reincarnation, right?
"Nohara Rin's body has long since decayed. I'll give her a new one."
Brook spoke casually. There was a huge difference between immediate resurrection and bringing back someone who had been dead for years.
Even though Brook now controlled the Pure Land Hell and had authority over souls, he still could not resurrect a person out of nothing. A physical vessel was still required.
Brook summoned Nohara Rin's soul, along with a White Zetsu body.
Then he directly placed Rin's soul into the White Zetsu body and poured in Six Paths power and Yang Release, the power of life.
The White Zetsu body twisted continuously. Its shape shrank, its color changed, and its entire form transformed according to the state of the soul inside it.
Obito and Kakashi wore strange expressions.
Was the resurrected Rin still the same Rin as before?
"What are those looks for? Are you interested in Nohara Rin's body, not her soul? Tsk, tsk."
The moment Rin's resurrection succeeded, Brook deliberately spoke those teasing words and made sure Rin heard them.
As expected, after Nohara Rin returned to life, her gaze quickly met Obito's and Kakashi's. A strange feeling immediately rose in her heart.
"Rin! Don't misunderstand! You'll always be my favorite... my most important... partner!"
Even after everything he had been through, Obito still could not bring himself to say that one sentence.
"Rin, welcome back."
Kakashi said only that, but in his heart, he intended to help Obito and Rin get together. Obito had sacrificed too much, and his feelings were far too intense.
"Where is this? Obito, you're still alive! That's wonderful! And you've all grown so much."
Rin's memories were still stuck in that war, and she had yet to adjust to the present. For the moment, she had even pushed Brook's words to the back of her mind.
She seemed to have truly been resurrected. But just now, she thought she had seen doubt and awkwardness in Obito and Kakashi's eyes.
"Haha! So this is what a love triangle looks like?"
At that moment, Tsunade suddenly spoke, breaking the awkward reunion between the three young people.
Then she abruptly remembered something.
If Brook could revive Rin, could he also revive her younger brother, Nawaki?
"Kakashi, Obito, take Rin away."
Brook found the scene uninteresting and immediately drove them out. He had no time to watch the emotional mess between these three.
"Yes, Lord Brook!" the two replied at once.
Kakashi and Obito immediately took Rin away, planning to explain everything that had happened later.
After they left, Brook returned to his throne and sat down.
At that moment, two beautiful girls with pale Byakugan eyes came forward with tea and fruit, while a beautiful girl with a Sharingan brought food.
Brook was slightly surprised.
Had the quality of the maids in the Flame Imperial Palace risen this much?
"Pretty, aren't they? They're all talented girls from the Hyuga and Uchiha clans."
Tsunade sat casually on the chair beside Brook, while Kurenai immediately moved behind him and began massaging his shoulders. She had not had much physical contact with Brook yet, so she was carefully seizing the chance.
"Not bad. Much more sensible than you."
Brook spoke indifferently. He did not care about Hiashi Hyuga and Fugaku Uchiha's little arrangements. Having a few more beautiful girls around was not a problem.
However, they were still rather young. Most of them were probably not even eighteen yet, though girls in the ninja world tended to mature early.
"Hmph! You lecherous scoundrel. You even crown little girls as queens. Disgusting!"
Tsunade looked at Brook with clear contempt, showing no concern at all for his noble status as Emperor of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Nations.
Those words startled Kurenai and the three clan girls, making their expressions change drastically.
This imperial consort was far too bold.
"Tsunade, it seems my indulgence has made you more and more presumptuous. I originally intended to help you revive Senju Nawaki, but now I'm starting to think there's no need."
Brook chuckled and pulled Kurenai into his arms, then spoke to Tsunade in a cold voice.
"You can spend the rest of your life bearing the title of Empress of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Nations and die alone.
"Kurenai, next time, I'll help you revive your parents."
Kato Dan's soul had already been harvested by Brook and thrown into the Animal Path for reincarnation. For a woman like Tsunade, Brook had plenty of ways to handle her.
"You..."
Tsunade's face turned pale, and panic finally flickered in her eyes.
The thought of asking Brook to take back her title as Empress vanished instantly.
"Thank you, Lord Brook!"
Kurenai obediently nestled in Brook's arms, her voice full of excitement.
The three Hyuga and Uchiha girls watched with envy. They wished they could take Kurenai's place, commoner girl or not.
"No need to thank me. I like obedient girls. Besides, we're family. If I don't treat you well, who should I treat well?"
Brook gently flicked Kurenai's delicate nose and spoke softly, his attitude completely different from the way he treated Tsunade.
"Lord Brook! I admit I spoke a little loudly and harshly just now, but I'm also your appointed consort. We're family too. You have to treat me well!"
Tsunade's face flushed red, then turned pale again. Finally, with a look of desperation, she walked behind Brook with a forced professional smile and began massaging his shoulders.
"Stop, stop, stop. You're pressing too hard. Bad review. Your smile is stiff. Bad review. Your tone is strange. Bad review.
"I won't force you, but I've heard you've been making quite a scene lately. So I'm preparing a cold palace for you. From now on, you can live there by yourself.
"You'll cook for yourself, brew your own wine, make your own clothes, and gamble with yourself..."
Brook could feel Tsunade's massage growing heavier and heavier, but he continued talking as if he could see her gritting her teeth behind him.
"Kurenai, step outside for a moment! You three, leave too!"
Tsunade spoke urgently, ordering Kurenai and the three maids out.
She wanted to show Brook exactly how broad-minded Tsunade's temper could be.
------------
Tsunade's voice carried a sharp, intimidating edge that sent a chill through the room. Taking the hint, the Hyuga sisters and the young Uchiha girl beat a hasty retreat. Kurenai Yuhi glanced toward Brook, and seeing his subtle nod, she followed them out, quietly closing the palace doors behind her.
As the heavy doors clicked shut, the stifling tension in the room shifted instantly into something thick, ambiguous, and charged.
Tsunade, who had been radiating fury just moments before, now looked a mix of aggrieved and shy, her eyes shimmering with complicated emotions.
"I know you've been thinking about this the whole time," she muttered, her voice trembling with a mix of defiance and resignation. "Fine! Come on then! Let's see what you're actually capable of!"
Still supposedly massaging Brook's back, Tsunade suddenly lunged forward. She grabbed Brook's head with a burst of frantic energy and pulled him against her chest, her movements wild and uncoordinated as she vented her frustration through sheer physical proximity.
Brook was momentarily stunned by the sudden outburst. Was she always this wild when she was angry? It was a chaotic display, but he couldn't deny it was incredibly comfortable.
Never one to be a passive participant, Brook surged to his feet and spun around, looming over the legendary medical ninja. He looked down at her with a predatory glint in his eyes.
"You're very brave, aren't you?"
Brook's gaze burned with passion. Before she could retort, he seized her face and pulled her into a deep, commanding kiss. He completely ignored her initial struggles and the frantic pounding of her fists against his chest.
Five minutes later, the resistance crumbled.
"You can't escape now," Brook murmured.
He hoisted a flushed, breathless Tsunade onto his shoulder and began walking toward the back hall. Tsunade flailed her limbs weakly, a half-hearted attempt to mask the sheer nervousness radiating from her body.
This time, however, there were no curses or refusals. For the sake of bringing her brother back to life, she had accepted the price.
What followed was an earth-shattering encounter, a battle so intense that even the fading evening glow outside seemed to linger just to witness it. The sounds of Tsunade's wild cries and the rhythmic creaking of the hall eventually became too much for Kurenai Yuhi.
Standing guard some distance away, her face turned a deep crimson, and she finally fled the area in embarrassment.
The three maids stationed directly outside the doors were not so lucky. Bound by duty to remain ready to serve their master, they could only cover their ears and slump weakly onto the stone steps, their faces burning.
The "battle" raged through the afternoon and deep into the night. Tsunade's legendary vitality and Senju endurance proved to be a match for Brook's own; even as the physical toll mounted, her body's natural recovery kept her in the fight.
It wasn't until noon the following day that Brook finally emerged from the palace looking completely refreshed, leading a weary but composed Tsunade behind him. In Brook's world, no one escaped his grasp.
In a wide clearing within the gardens of the Emperor's Palace, Brook gathered Tsunade and Kurenai to begin the promised resurrections.
"Wait, you're saying my grandparents, my parents, and my grand-uncle can't be brought back?"
Tsunade's temper flared again. She felt cheated. She had gone through an exhausting ordeal to please him, and now he was saying he could only bring back one person?
"That's correct," Brook explained calmly.
"Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Mito Senju have already taken up positions as high-ranking officials in the Underworld. As for your parents, Tobirama turned them into demon soldiers to help expand his influence in Hell. They're focused on growing their power down there."
He reached out and pinched Tsunade's cheek, a smirk playing on his lips.
"If your brother, Nawaki, wasn't so young and relatively weak when he died, your second grandfather probably would have drafted him into the ghost army too. He only remained available because he stayed in the cycle of reincarnation."
Tsunade stood frozen, blinking in shock. "What? Grandpa and the others... they're Underworld officials?"
It actually made sense. Men like the First and Second Hokage were legends; it stood to reason they would carve out a legacy even in death. The realization that the Underworld was a tangible, structured place was staggering, but she found herself accepting it quickly. Her disappointment at not seeing them was tempered by a strange sense of pride.
"If you continue to keep me satisfied," Brook added, his hand drifting down to pat her suggestively, "I might just let you visit them. I could arrange a soul-trip to the Underworld for a day."
Tsunade's face turned beet red again. She swatted his hand away with a huff.
"Hmph! Just hurry up and revive Nawaki!"
"Alright, alright," Brook chuckled. He then turned to Kurenai, his expression softening slightly.
"Kurenai, I have similar news for you. Your parents have been recruited as demon soldiers by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. They cannot be resurrected at this time."
Kurenai gasped.
"Even the Third Hokage is an official?"
"That old man was always a strategist," Brook noted.
"He's already gathered a significant number of Konoha souls into his own faction in the Underworld. But, if you wish, I can arrange for you to see them."
Tears welled in Kurenai's eyes. While she was saddened that they couldn't return to the living world, the knowledge that they were "alive" in their own way and serving under the Third Hokage brought her immense comfort.
"Thank you, my Lord. As long as they are doing well, that is enough for me."
"Hey! Why does Kurenai get to see her family for free while I have to 'satisfy' you first?" Tsunade snapped, throwing a tantrum at the clear favoritism.
"Because she's obedient and you're a brat," Brook mocked with a laugh.
Without further delay, Brook performed the technique. He summoned the soul of Senju Nawaki from the depths of the Underworld and placed it into a prepared White Zetsu vessel. Within moments, the transformation was complete.
"Nawaki!"
The second the boy opened his eyes, Tsunade lunged forward, sobbing as she pulled her brother into a fierce embrace.
Seeing her entire world narrow down to just her brother made Brook feel a momentary pang of jealousy. It seemed he still had work to do to truly claim her heart.
As the days passed, Brook realized that the "problem" of souls becoming demon soldiers was widespread. When he met with Kakashi and Might Guy, he had to break the news that their fathers had also taken up posts in the Underworld and could not be brought back to the surface.
However, he offered them a different incentive. By completing high-level missions for him, they could earn "Points" that would grant them visitation rights to the Underworld. Conversely, the demon generals and soldiers in the Underworld could earn their own points to visit the living world.
It was a perfect system; Brook was effectively making a profit from both the living and the dead.
Hearing that their fathers held prestigious positions in the afterlife, Kakashi and Guy actually felt a sense of relief. Rather than forcing a resurrection, they figured they would simply wait until their own time came to seek out their families in the Underworld.
Brook also chose not to revive the legendary Uchiha Chiri. Instead, he kept her as a high-level secretary within the Demon Emperor's Palace. He had established a new rule: only those who were weak or held no strategic value were eligible for resurrection.
The powerful souls were far too useful as employees.
With the realms of the Underworld and the Ninja World stabilizing, Brook took some time to enjoy his status. He located the legendary Sky Fortress, Ancor Vantian, and had it transported to the City of Flames, where he oversaw its renovation into a luxurious Cloud Palace.
Using the gravitational powers of the Tenseigan and Rinnegan, Brook took the concept even further. He utilized Chibaku Tensei to construct dozens of floating islands, creating a massive aerial palace complex where each of his queens could have her own floating estate.
As time marched on, even Kaguya Otsutsuki began to evolve. Under Brook's guidance, her raw power was finally being tempered by actual combat skill, making her a match for the tactical genius of men like Madara or Hashirama.
With the rules of travel between the worlds firmly established, the passage between life and death opened periodically for missions, marking the beginning of a new era for the world under Brook's shadow.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]