Naruto: You Call This A Medical Ninja?

Outside, Yahiko and Konan had just returned.

Their eyes fell on the strange, massive stone statue before them, where Nagato stood guard. In front of him lay Reiki, unmoving.

Yahiko and Konan's expressions shifted to shock and horror as their perception confirmed the worst.

"Nagato... did you kill Reiki?!" Konan gasped, her voice trembling.

Yahiko looked equally panicked. Reiki wasn't just any shinobi—he was Tsunade's personal disciple and a treasured figure of Konoha. His contributions in medicine alone made him invaluable.

If it turned out Reiki had died at Nagato's hands, there would be no redemption for the Akatsuki. Konoha would destroy them without hesitation.

Nagato's Panic

"What?! No!" Nagato stammered, clearly shaken. "I was only guarding his body! Reiki said he was going somewhere, and he fell unconscious after interacting with the Gedo Mazo... Wait..."

Nagato leaned closer to Reiki, placing a trembling hand over his chest.

"Why... why is there no heartbeat?"

His voice faltered as panic set in. This was the first time Nagato had used the Gedo Mazo in this way. Reiki had shown no signs of distress earlier; in fact, he had been his usual, cheerful self.

Now, though, his body was unresponsive.

The Weight of Responsibility

"Nagato, is there any way to bring him back?" Yahiko asked, his voice filled with urgency.

Nagato hesitated. "There is a way... but if I use it, I will die."

Both Yahiko and Konan froze. The idea of trading Nagato's life for Reiki's felt unbearable. Yahiko clenched his fists, his hands shaking.

"If anyone should give their life for Reiki, it should be me," Yahiko said quietly. "But I can't ask my brother to make that sacrifice. We need another solution."

Konan nodded in agreement. "There has to be another way."

Nagato's Resolve

"Enough," Nagato said, his voice firm. "This was my mistake, and I will take responsibility."

"But Nagato—"

"No," he interrupted. "I've decided."

Chains shot out from the Gedo Mazo, wrapping tightly around Yahiko and Konan. They struggled but couldn't free themselves.

"Nagato! What are you doing?!" Yahiko shouted, his voice laced with desperation.

"I've followed you in everything, Yahiko," Nagato replied, his Rinnegan glowing. "But this time, I must act on my own."

Before Yahiko or Konan could protest further, Nagato turned and began walking toward where Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the others were waiting.

Tsunade's Grief

"Nagato? Why are you here?" Jiraiya asked, surprised.

Tsunade stepped forward. "Weren't you with Reiki? Why are you alone?"

Nagato's gaze dropped, and he spoke the words that felt like a dagger in his own heart.

"I think... I accidentally killed Reiki."

Jiraiya's jovial expression vanished instantly.

"You what?!"

Tsunade didn't hesitate. In a flash, she was in front of Nagato, gripping his collar.

"What did you just say?!" she demanded, her voice trembling with rage and despair.

Her knees buckled slightly, and she struggled to keep herself steady. She prayed that Nagato had misspoken or that this was some cruel joke. But the look in his eyes told her otherwise.

A Glimmer of Hope

Shisui and Nozuki darted off toward Reiki's location, unwilling to wait for answers. Meanwhile, Nagato dropped to his knees.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice choked. "This was my fault. I'll take responsibility. I'll use my Rinne Rebirth technique to bring him back."

Tsunade's heart sank further. She had been holding onto hope, but Nagato's words left no room for denial. Reiki was gone.

Jiraiya placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Tsunade, let's at least go see him. Maybe there's still a chance."

Nagato nodded and led them back to the Gedo Mazo's location.

The Unexpected Return

When they arrived, Shisui and Nozuki were sitting silently next to Reiki's still body, their faces blank with grief.

Tsunade didn't need to get any closer to confirm it—Reiki's chakra was completely gone.

She felt her legs give way, collapsing to the ground. "Reiki... no..."

Nagato stepped forward, preparing to activate his technique. But just as he was about to begin, a familiar voice broke through the tension.

"Wait, what's this about me being dead?"

Everyone froze.

Nagato turned slowly, his eyes wide with disbelief. Reiki was sitting up, scratching his head with a look of mild confusion.

"Nagato, did you seriously think you killed me?" Reiki said, glaring at him. "Shameless. Absolutely shameless."

Relief and Confusion

Nagato staggered back, utterly speechless. "But... you weren't breathing... Your body was completely—"

"Yeah, yeah," Reiki interrupted, waving him off. "It's called being in a soul state, genius. My body was fine, just, you know, on standby while I handled some important business."

Tsunade rushed forward, pulling Reiki into a crushing embrace. "You idiot! Don't scare me like that!"

Jiraiya let out a long sigh of relief, muttering, "This kid's going to give us all heart attacks one day."

Nagato, still dazed, tried to piece together what had happened.

"But you were—"

"Nagato, let me make one thing clear," Reiki said, smirking. "You couldn't kill me even if you tried."

Looking around, Reiki saw tears in Nozuki's eyes and a look of profound relief on Shisui's face. Understanding the chaos his "death" had caused, Reiki sighed.

"Alright, alright, my bad. Next time, I'll leave a note."

The tension broke, and for a moment, the weight on everyone's shoulders lifted. But one thing was certain—Reiki would be hearing about this for weeks to come.