incarnation.Living Corpse Reincarnation

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Just as Jiraiya stepped out of the Hokage's office, he walked back in again. He was about to close the door when he heard a name that caught his full attention.

"If you know any news about Orochimaru, please be sure to tell me." Jiraiya unusually didn't smile; his face was serious, and he spoke sternly to Yoru no Tsuki and the others.

Although he knew it was inappropriate, he couldn't care about that any longer when it concerned his long‑cherished friend.

Shisui glanced at Minato, and Minato nodded.

He also understood his teacher's obsession with Orochimaru; even if he wasn't told, he would keep searching for clues on his own.

After receiving Minato's affirmation, Shisui continued.

"Not long ago I followed the leads we'd found and went to the Land of Rice Fields to track down the remaining Uchiha defectors. After investigating there for a while, I realized something was off.

I heard that children have been disappearing in the Land of Rice Fields, and strange, almost‑human cries are often heard. What struck me as even more abnormal was that the newly established Otogakure not only refused commissions from villages within the country, but also blocked them from sending missions to other ninja villages.

That made me suspect this village was up to something. After some probing, I discovered that the ninjas of Otogakure were secretly conducting human experiments and had created many monsters that are stronger and faster than ordinary people, but they had lost their sanity, retaining only a primal desire to kill."

Listening to Shisui's report, Jiraiya clenched his fists. He could guess that these deeds were Orochimaru's doing; after all, Orochimaru's defection from Konohagakure was originally exposed because of his human experiments there.

Shisui went on.

"At the time I thought the matter was too complex for me to handle alone, so I sent a message to Itachi, hoping he could help if he had time. I continued to investigate the village myself."

Shisui looked at Itachi, and Itachi picked up the story: "When I received Shisui's letter, I didn't have time right then, but the next day our squad happened to be assigned a mission to investigate missing children in the Land of Rice Fields. The client was a couple from that land. Remembering Shisui's letter, our squad took the job."

Sasuke was stunned. He had just analyzed the situation, concluding that his squad shouldn't have accepted the mission—it was his own judgment. He didn't expect the mission had already been pre‑arranged for his squad, leaving him completely in the dark.

Now Sasuke felt a strong sense of unreality, as if everyone was deceiving him.

"After arriving in the Land of Rice Fields, our squad gathered intel that was similar to Shisui's, but we also learned that foreign ninjas in the area were frequently disappearing.

Later, our squad found a hidden chamber where the missing children were being held. Inside were monsters born from the human experiments and Otogakure guards. After rescuing the children, two S‑rank rogue ninjas from Konohagakure—Orochimaru and Uchiha Setsuna—confronted us at the same time.

In the end we managed to defeat Orochimaru, and Setsuna was killed, but Orochimaru escaped, taking all the Otogakure ninjas with him. The person who founded Otogakure must have been him."

Itachi gave Minato a brief rundown of the mission's details.

Minato frowned, thinking for a moment, while Jiraiya impatiently asked, "So you found Orochimaru in the Land of Rice Fields, right?"

Shisui nodded.

"No, Orochimaru's foothold on the Diverging Path is already too deep. I have to find him quickly and bring him back."

After hearing the news, Jiraiya was ready to leave at once, but Minato stopped him.

"Teacher Jiraiya, I understand how you feel right now, but I still hope you can stay in the village for a while.

Based on Shisui's report, Orochimaru has already fled the Land of Rice Fields, and we have no idea where he went. The ninja world is vast; it will be extremely difficult to track him down now.

Moreover, the Chunin Exams for the five great villages are about to start. Other villages will surely use this as an opportunity to test Konohagakure's strength, and trouble could arise. I'd like you to wait until after that period passes.

And…," Minato smiled gently, "Naruto has been wanting to see you for a long time. He probably still doesn't know who you really are. I also want you to spend more time with him, since you gave him his name."

Jiraiya halted his steps. Minato's words calmed him; he had been a little dizzy after suddenly learning about Orochimaru.

"Ha ha ha, can't help it. Since you want me to stay, I'll stick around a bit longer and help you train Naruto."

Jiraiya returned to his usual boisterous self, chuckling a few times as he spoke to Minato.

"Then thank you, teacher." Minato smiled back at Jiraiya.

After saying that, Jiraiya left the office again, taking the eavesdropping Naruto standing outside with him.

Yoru no Tsuki could still hear Naruto exclaim in disbelief, "No way, no way—how could an old pervert be the hero I admire?"

Jiraiya shut the office door behind him. Minato turned to Shisui and asked, "What about the remaining Uchiha defector you mentioned? How does he relate to Orochimaru?"

Shisui thought for a moment; he wasn't entirely sure himself.

"When we fought Orochimaru, we discovered he also possessed a Sharingan."

"Could Orochimaru have transplanted a Sharingan from our clan?" Shisui thought of his student Kakashi, who also had a transplanted Uchiha Sharingan, though only one eye.

Shisui shook his head. "I don't think so. If someone who isn't from the Uchiha clan transplants a Sharingan, it usually conflicts with their body, greatly weakening its power, and they can't close it—only keep it open, draining chakra. Kakashi's case is exactly that.

But Orochimaru is different; he can freely control the Sharingan, turning it on and off at will. It's as if… he transplanted an entire Uchiha body. It sounds far‑fetched, but that's the only explanation I can think of, and it would also explain why we can't locate that final Uchiha defector."

Even Shisui wasn't completely certain after saying that.

Minato was taken aback for a moment, then something clicked.

"You're right. Orochimaru may have completely transplanted that Uchiha defector's body."