Just as the Third Hokage confirmed Sasuke's location, Jiraiya was not idle on his side.
Inside the underground passage, the sounds of roaring and the flashing lights of bursting Ninjutsu continued incessantly.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
Jiraiya's white hair danced wildly, tearing apart the serpentine Summoned Beasts and Puppet mechanisms surging from the front, forcefully carving out a path. His expression was serious, his gaze sharp.
Tsunade followed closely behind, stamping her foot down; the passage shook violently, and traps were destroyed before they could even trigger.
Deep within her eyes, however, burned an extremely complex flame—not just anger, but a hint of hope and fear forcibly suppressed beneath a layer of icy rationality.
Yet she masked it well; on the surface, there was only the dignity and cold fury befitting one of the Sannin.
The two broke through the obstacles and arrived before the metal gate of the core laboratory.
The gate rose; Orochimaru stood in the center, Kabuto stood respectfully to the side, while Kimimaro stood quietly in the shadows.
"Orochimaru!" Jiraiya barked, his gaze sweeping over Kimimaro, unable to hide his shock.
"That is... Kimimaro?! The Great Toad Sage was right, he has truly been resurrected! You really are researching Forbidden Jutsu!"
Tsunade's gaze also observed him carefully, sweeping over Kimimaro's entire body. The moment she saw him, she understood; as a top-tier Medical Ninja, no one understood this better than her.
With just a single glance, her heart felt as if it had been tightly gripped by an invisible hand. This was not the state of an undead or Edo Tensei.
This was a completely, utterly living organism.
True resurrection might... actually exist.
This realization was deeply implanted in Tsunade's heart.
Dan... Nawaki...
Tsunade took a deep breath, her nails digging into her palms to bring pain, helping her maintain absolute calm on the surface.
Orochimaru looked at Tsunade.
"Hehe... Rare guests. Long time no see, Tsunade, Jiraiya. I didn't expect you both to visit my humble abode together. What's wrong? Can't the Konoha Sannin function without me, the Protagonist?"
"The Sannin have finally gathered together after so long, and this is how you greet your former partner? Isn't that a bit impolite?"
Orochimaru teased, watching his old friends' eyes fixed on Kimimaro, completely unable to look away. He slowly walked toward Kimimaro and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It seems you are very interested in my 'partner,' but I will not part with him."
"Is he really that Kimimaro? The Kimimaro who died long ago?" Tsunade ignored Orochimaru's nonsense and questioned him directly.
"Oh my? Is there anyone else named Kimimaro?"
Orochimaru smiled, observing the other party's reaction.
Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade before speaking to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, stop playing games! What exactly is going on? What method did you use?"
Orochimaru looked at Tsunade's calm face, which seemed as if she were merely discussing a difficult medical case, and then looked at Jiraiya's impatience; thoughts raced through his mind.
He licked his lips, deciding to reveal a little to show off his achievement.
"Heh heh, how should I put it?" Orochimaru's voice carried a hint of smugness.
"In my opinion, the current Edo Tensei is nothing but a clumsy Forbidden Jutsu, using dust and contracts to bind the Souls of the dead, granting them false forms and incomplete wills. But this one before you..."
He patted Kimimaro's shoulder, and Kimimaro obediently lifted his head slightly.
"He retains all his memories, will, and combat instincts from when he was alive, and I have even optimized certain flaws."
Orochimaru's gaze swept over Tsunade with deep meaning; he knew what Tsunade cared about most.
"There are no external contract constraints, no weaknesses of an Edo Tensei body. In terms of life form, the difference between him and a naturally born individual is negligible. Or rather, naturally born life is the inferior product, while he is perfect. Everything you see right now is what the world commonly refers to as resurrection."
Every sentence Orochimaru added was like a key, attempting to open the tightly sealed Pandora's box in Tsunade's heart.
Her breathing quickened for a moment, but it was immediately suppressed by an even stronger willpower.
She couldn't appear too concerned; that bastard Orochimaru was best at prying into people's hearts and exploiting their weaknesses.
"Hmph, resurrection? This sounds more like advanced cloning technology."
Tsunade continued her questioning with a cold face, "How can you guarantee that the will you awakened is the original one, and not just a Puppet created with memories? Is the boundary between life and death so easily broken?"
She threw out a series of technical questions, attempting to firmly keep the topic at the level of an "academic discussion."
She wanted to confirm what conditions this method required: cell samples? Special energy? How great were the risks?
Orochimaru watched with great interest as Tsunade "forced herself to stay calm" and raised one sharp, professional question after another. He deliberately sighed and spread his hands.
"Tsunade, when you are standing at the threshold of the mysteries of life, do you still care about the dust on the doorframe? Isn't the ultimate goal of your research into the Strength of a Hundred Technique to reverse life and death? As for the authenticity of his will, look into his eyes."
Upon hearing this, Kimimaro calmly looked at Tsunade. In those eyes, her figure was clearly reflected—there was no dullness of a Puppet, no turbidity of Edo Tensei, only the spirit unique to Kimimaro.
"He recognizes me, remembers his mission, and possesses the ability to make independent judgments," Orochimaru said slowly.
"As for how it was done... that is a secret. This is my exclusive confidential information, not to be shared."
Tsunade gritted her teeth; she needed more information, but she also knew that Orochimaru would never easily reveal the core.
Jiraiya watched this eerily calm, undercurrent-filled "academic exchange" between the two, feeling increasingly uneasy, and interrupted.
"Orochimaru! I don't care how advanced your technology is, playing with life and death is the greatest taboo! What exactly are you trying to do by creating such... an existence?"
Orochimaru moved his gaze away from Tsunade and looked at Jiraiya, his smile becoming dangerous.
"What am I trying to do? Naturally, it is to verify theories and conjectures, and to create more perfect possibilities. Moreover, for many things, it will be much more convenient, for example... dealing with some uninvited guests."
As his voice fell, Chakra surged around Kimimaro, sharp bone spikes emerged from the ground, and cold killing intent locked onto Tsunade and Jiraiya.
"The pleasantries should end now," Orochimaru stepped back and smiled.
"Kimimaro, my old friends don't quite believe you are the real deal. Let them experience it for themselves."
"Yes."
Kimimaro stepped forward, bone blades protruding.
Tsunade took a deep breath. It seemed this battle was unavoidable; if she let him go this time, it would be difficult to find him again.
"Jiraiya!" she barked, clenching her fists, her Super Strength ready to be unleashed.
"Understood!" Jiraiya began to prepare Sage Mode, his hands forming seals, and Chakra began to surge.
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