On the first floor of the Konoha Research Institute, inside a hidden chamber, Kizaru stood beside Orochimaru.
Three days had passed since Tsunade delivered that so-called "kiss of death," and for the time being, Kizaru was safe.
The reason he had come to the Research Institute today was simple.
The Impure World Reincarnation.
He planned to bring back Sasori's parents ahead of time and persuade the couple in a friendly manner.
According to the latest report from Root, negotiations with Sunagakure were progressing smoothly. Danzo and Homura Mitokado were expected to lead the delegation back to the village in two days.
Returning with them would be the children of Sunagakure's higher-ups.
Sasori included.
Kizaru held a scroll in his hand.
Sealed inside were the remains of Sasori's parents.
Before leaving Sunagakure, Kizaru had asked Shukaku to collect and seal them.
"These are the body tissues of that child's parents."
Orochimaru accepted the scroll, his golden eyes narrowing with curiosity as he looked at Kizaru.
"You know quite a bit about the Impure World Reincarnation, don't you, Kizaru?"
Kizaru smiled faintly.
"Only a little~"
"Hahaha…"
Orochimaru laughed, then opened the scroll and released the seal.
At the front of the hidden chamber, in the open space at the center, two shinobi were kneeling on the ground. Their eyes were covered, and their bodies were bound tightly with rope.
Both were wandering shinobi captured by Konoha after committing robbery and murder within the Land of Fire.
After interrogation, it had been confirmed that they were not spies sent by another hidden village, so they had been thrown into Konoha's prison.
Wandering shinobi like them, once captured, usually met one of two ends.
Those with bounties were turned over by the village to the authorities in exchange for payment.
Those without value as bounties were imprisoned and eventually used as expendable material for dangerous training or experiments within the village.
A hidden village was, at its core, a strict military organization.
It did not feed people who contributed nothing, nor did it waste anything that could still be used.
Making use of every possible resource was the rule of every hidden village.
Konoha was no exception.
Under Kizaru's gaze, Orochimaru used the two wandering shinobi as sacrifices.
A moment later, through the Impure World Reincarnation, Sasori's parents were successfully summoned.
"Where… is this?"
Sasori's father, a young man with red hair much like Sasori's, slowly opened his eyes.
"Konoha," Orochimaru answered with a satisfied smile. "Konohagakure, in the Land of Fire."
He was clearly pleased with the result this time.
"Aren't we… dead?"
Yūsha's consciousness still lingered on the battlefield in the Land of Rain.
The last thing he remembered was the flash of Hatake Sakumo's blade.
"You are dead," Orochimaru said plainly, giving them no room for comforting illusions. "I summoned you back from the afterlife."
"What a wicked jutsu…"
Sasori's parents' expressions changed. Both of them immediately looked at Orochimaru, then at Kizaru behind him, with clear wariness in their eyes.
"What does Konoha want from us?" Sasori's mother asked.
Kizaru stepped forward from behind Orochimaru, his hands tucked casually into his pockets.
"There's a red-haired child from Sunagakure who wants to see his parents. And since I'm such a kind person, I agreed to help him."
"Sasori?!"
The moment they heard that name, both of them became visibly agitated.
For parents, their child was the most precious thing in the world.
"What did you do to Sasori?!"
Kizaru did not answer immediately. Instead, he spoke in that slow, unhurried tone of his.
"Because of the defeat in the Land of Rain, Sunagakure's strength declined sharply. After that, Kumogakure and Iwagakure joined forces and invaded. In order to survive, Sunagakure asked Konoha for aid and agreed to form an alliance with Konoha, with Konoha taking the leading position.
"To show sincerity, Sunagakure, represented by Elder Chiyo and the village's higher-ups, agreed to send the descendants of its senior officials to Konoha to study and live."
"Mother…"
Hearing Chiyo's name, Yūsha's expression became complicated.
"How could they do that?" Shina's voice trembled with anger and grief. "Sasori is only four years old. He's only four… How could they…"
"Shina," Yūsha said softly, though pain also filled his eyes. "Mother must have her reasons. It's all for the village."
"The village?"
Perhaps because she had already died once.
Perhaps because her longing and worry for Sasori had overwhelmed everything else.
Shina's emotions erupted.
"Is the village really that important? For the sake of the village, Sasori became an orphan at four years old! For the sake of the village, Sasori is being sent to Konoha as a hostage! Is the village all you people can see?! Then what is Sasori to you?!"
"I…"
Faced with his wife's accusation, Yūsha fell silent.
Guilt toward his wife and child weighed heavily on him.
"Please don't get so worked up, madam," Kizaru said with a lazy smile. "The reason I asked Orochimaru-san to summon you was to reunite your family."
Yūsha's gaze sharpened.
"What are you after?"
Shina, however, looked directly at Kizaru.
"What do you need us to do?"
Faced with two completely different reactions, Kizaru smiled.
"Let Sasori forget Sunagakure and become a shinobi of Konoha."
"No." Yūsha immediately rejected it. "Sasori is a child of Sunagakure."
Shina did not look at him.
She only stared at Kizaru.
"Can you protect Sasori? Can you promise that he'll be treated the same as Konoha's other children?"
As a mother, the only things she cared about now were her child's safety and future.
"Of course."
Kizaru's smile faded slightly.
"As a disciple of the Third Hokage and a candidate for the future Fourth Hokage, I can promise you this. Sasori won't just receive the same treatment as the other children. If he proves talented enough, I can even take him as my disciple."
His tone was no longer joking.
For once, he sounded completely serious.
"If what you said is true, then I'm willing to cooperate with you," Shina said without hesitation.
"Shina, this could be a Konoha scheme," Yūsha said anxiously.
"Yūsha, we already gave our lives for the village."
Shina's voice turned cold.
"Now, I only want to do what I can for Sasori."
"You…"
Facing his wife's icy gaze, Yūsha slowly lowered the hand he had raised.
After a moment, he sighed in defeat.
"I understand. For you and Sasori, I'll do it."
"Ooh~ wonderful."
Kizaru smiled again, clearly satisfied with their answer.
"As long as you cooperate with my plan, you can remain by Sasori's side and watch over him as he grows. And in the future, there may even be a chance for resurrection.
"A real resurrection."
The moment those words left his mouth, Sasori's parents froze.
Even Orochimaru looked at him in surprise.
Truly resurrecting the dead?
Even Orochimaru had only ever heard of such a thing. He had never seen it, let alone accomplished it.
"That is a jutsu left behind by the Sage of Six Paths," Kizaru said calmly under the three pairs of eyes fixed on him. "A powerful ninjutsu capable of truly bringing someone back to life.
"And by chance… I happen to know a little about it."
"I understand."
Yūsha took a breath and forced himself to calm down.
"As long as you can guarantee Sasori's safety and treatment, Shina and I will follow your arrangements."
"Can I see Sasori now?" Shina asked, unable to hide her urgency.
"They'll arrive in Konoha in two days," Kizaru said gently. "For now, you should first get used to your current bodies."
"Understood," Yūsha replied.
"Thank you."
Shina bowed deeply, her voice full of gratitude.
"Orochimaru-san, I'll leave the rest to you," Kizaru said, turning his head toward Orochimaru. "I'll explain the situation to Sarutobi-sensei."
Orochimaru nodded while looking at Kizaru.
For a moment, he seemed like he wanted to say something.
"We'll talk about the rest later," Kizaru said, immediately seeing through Orochimaru's thirst for knowledge.
The moment he heard that, Orochimaru laughed.
Working with Kizaru was indeed one of the best choices he had ever made.
"Ahem! You… you and Orochimaru actually used the Impure World Reincarnation?"
Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been smoking his pipe.
After hearing the news Kizaru brought, he choked on the smoke and coughed.
"I asked Orochimaru-san to use the Impure World Reincarnation," Kizaru corrected him.
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment.
Orochimaru had actually mastered the forbidden technique created by the Second Hokage.
What terrifying talent.
As the Hokage, Hiruzen could not help but think of more possibilities after learning this.
If Orochimaru could bring back Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law through the Impure World Reincarnation, then could he not bring back others as well?
For example…
"Orochimaru-san's grasp and research of the Impure World Reincarnation still aren't perfect," Kizaru said directly, cutting through Hiruzen's thoughts. "The revived dead are far weaker than they were in life, and he can't control them properly in combat yet."
Hiruzen's expression shifted.
"This forbidden technique that controls the dead is far too dangerous. Tell Orochimaru not to misuse it."
"Don't you think this jutsu has tremendous value, Sarutobi-sensei?" Kizaru asked.
Hiruzen looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"If Orochimaru-san can perfect the Impure World Reincarnation, the village could avoid many sacrifices during dangerous missions and wars."
"That would frighten the other hidden villages," Hiruzen said cautiously. "And not only them. The daimyo and nobles would fear it as well."
"Then let it remain one of Konoha's trump cards."
Kizaru shrugged lightly.
"If the village is ever driven into a corner, surrounded on all sides, perhaps we can summon our predecessors and have them protect Konoha together."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
This point, at least, he could agree with.
"Perhaps by then, Sarutobi-sensei, you'll be summoned too."
Halfway through his nod, Hiruzen's body stiffened.
Why would I be summoned?
I'm not dead yet!
He glared at Kizaru.
"Kizaru… are you looking forward to my death?"
"Ooh~ don't say that, Sarutobi-sensei," Kizaru replied with a smile. "I was only using an example, so you could understand how those dead predecessors might feel."
For some reason, Hiruzen felt even more unsettled.
He took another pull from his pipe.
"What you said does make sense. The Impure World Reincarnation can indeed be kept as a trump card for the village."
"Sarutobi-sensei," Kizaru said, his smile becoming rather wicked, "if another hidden village starts a war against us, and we use the Impure World Reincarnation to summon their dead Kage, then control those Kage to fight against them…
"Wouldn't that be very interesting~?"
Killing someone's body was one thing.
Crushing their heart was another.
Looking at his disciple, Hiruzen suddenly felt that the darkness inside Kizaru ran far deeper than he had thought.
"Kizaru," Hiruzen said earnestly, "we must still show the dead the respect they deserve."
"Compared to the dead, I value the living more."
Kizaru's voice remained calm.
"If this lets the village suffer fewer sacrifices, and lets more people live until their natural deaths, then that matters more."
"Perhaps you're right," Hiruzen said with a sigh.
He did not refute him.
After all, allowing the villagers to live well and protecting the next generation as they grew was also his duty and his wish as Hokage.
"I'll leave the matter of Sasori's parents to you. I believe you can handle it properly."
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Kizaru turned to leave.
Watching his back, Hiruzen hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"Treat that child well."
Kizaru stopped.
With both hands still in his pockets, he turned his head slightly and smiled.
"Ooh~ don't misunderstand, Sarutobi-sensei. I really do like that child."
"I believe you, Kizaru," Hiruzen said.
Regardless of the situation, Orochimaru's use of the Impure World Reincarnation this time had been very successful.
In appearance, Sasori's parents were almost indistinguishable from living people. Aside from their darkened eyes, there were barely any cracks visible on their bodies.
With Sarutobi-sensei's approval, Kizaru's arrangements for Sasori's parents became simple.
Considering their current condition, Kizaru did not register them as Konoha shinobi. Instead, he arranged for them to be recorded as civilians.
He planned to pick a suitable shop within the clan district and let the two of them run it.
After bringing the couple to the clan district and handing them over to Keiko to receive and settle them in, Kizaru returned to the Research Institute.
He still remembered the excited look in Orochimaru's eyes before he left.
As expected, Orochimaru was filled with overwhelming curiosity toward all unknown knowledge.
"Kizaru, come in."
The moment he saw Kizaru return, Orochimaru immediately stood up.
"How impatient, Orochimaru-san~"
Kizaru smiled teasingly as he walked into the laboratory.
After closing the laboratory door and confirming that no one else was nearby, Kizaru walked over and sat down across from Orochimaru.
"Can you tell me about the Sage of Six Paths and that ninjutsu?" Orochimaru asked, barely hiding his impatience.
Kizaru nodded.
At the same time, he considered how much information he should reveal.
Orochimaru had a close relationship with him, and he was also the core of the scientific research system Kizaru valued. Kizaru trusted him quite a lot.
In Kizaru's view, Orochimaru was a very pure person.
His obsession was to master every ninjutsu and uncover every truth in the world.
It was an incredibly ambitious dream.
And in its own way, a magnificent one.
"That ninjutsu is called the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique," Kizaru said. "It's a powerful ninjutsu that can bring the dead back to life. It can even restore them to their youth."
"That jutsu was left behind by the Sage of Six Paths?"
Orochimaru's eyes shone.
"Then the Sage of Six Paths truly existed?"
"Yes," Kizaru answered. "The Sage of Six Paths truly existed. He created Ninshū, the predecessor of modern ninjutsu."
Orochimaru was completely excited now.
He licked his lips and asked, "What is the price for using that jutsu?"
As a ninjutsu expert and researcher, Orochimaru was certain that such a technique could not be without cost.
"The Rinnegan," Kizaru said. "And the life of the caster."
He did not hide this.
Orochimaru had heard of the Rinnegan before.
It was said to be one of the Three Great Dōjutsu, alongside the Sharingan and the Byakugan.
However, that was only information passed down in the shinobi world.
He had never actually seen the Rinnegan with his own eyes.
"Have you found those eyes?" Orochimaru asked curiously.
"Yes," Kizaru replied.
Then, with a smile, he added, "But I can't tell you about that just yet."
Kizaru did not intend to give Orochimaru all the information at once.
He planned to reveal it slowly, piece by piece.
"Can't you tell me?" Orochimaru pressed, unable to suppress the itch of curiosity in his heart. "I promise I won't leak it."
"The water here runs very deep," Kizaru said meaningfully. "Knowing too much can be dangerous."
"Is the secret itself dangerous?" Orochimaru asked. "Or is the person hidden within that secret dangerous?"
Kizaru only smiled and shook his head, deliberately maintaining an air of mystery.
There really were quite a few secrets hidden within Kizaru.
Could his Light Release have come from some inheritance related to the Sage of Six Paths?
Perhaps, somewhere within the shinobi world, there existed darkness and dangers that no one knew about.
And Kizaru had been chosen by the light to eliminate those threats?
Thinking of this, Orochimaru instinctively licked his lips again, his smile widening.
"I look forward to the day you can tell me."
"You are one of the people I trust most," Kizaru said with a serious expression. "When the time is right, I'll tell you."
One of the people he trusted most.
Hearing that, Orochimaru's smile became even brighter.
"I'll look forward to that day."
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