Living Corpse Reincarnation

Root!

Guo Wang stood at the edge of a training ground with a white bandage wrapped over his eyes, watching dozens of children paired off, completing their training according to their respective opponents. Some sparred with taijutsu, some dueled with ninjutsu, and others used kunai and shuriken, but the most common practice was kenjutsu.

These swords were all of a standard issue: one finger wide and twenty centimeters long, perfectly suited for assassination. The sword style was taught personally by Danzo, with its origins tracing back to the Second Hokage.

The renowned White Fang was also a figure who emerged from Root. It was only by merging his own secret sword style with the Konoha-Style Kenjutsu that Danzo had inherited from Senju Tobirama that he had achieved such near-invincible swordsmanship.

Years ago, when White Fang committed suicide, Danzo had felt quite a bit of regret.

How could a perfectly capable ninja fail to distinguish between duty and personal feelings? The creeds passed down within Root—such as sacrificing one's family for the greater good and prioritizing the big picture—had clearly been forgotten by him.

Such fragility of heart was not at all like a disciple taught by Danzo; it was truly shameful!

"Is that child the test subject I left behind?"

Orochimaru, wearing his Konoha jonin flak jacket, watched Kinoe, who was surrounded by three larger children yet remained completely calm and composed. He couldn't help but lick his lips.

"Although he has reproduced the First Hokage's Wood Release, the power is still far from impressive."

Adapting to a complete pair of Mangekyo Sharingan, Guo Wang felt himself becoming increasingly familiar with the power system of this world. He had already mastered the nature transformation and shape transformation of chakra. He had also grasped most of the ninjutsu that the original Danzo knew, and even the Summoning Jutsu had been secretly tested just yesterday.

"He is still a child, after all, but one can see great potential for growth. If he were handed over to me for training, he would eventually become the toughest branch of Konoha."

Seeing Kinoe weave hand seals and send brown wooden strips flying out to bind his three opponents, Orochimaru's habit of wanting to groom promising juniors kicked in.

"It seems the pain I inflicted upon you was not intense enough."

The cold words reminded Orochimaru of the sensation of being crushed by Shinra Sei, and the fanaticism in his eyes began to cool slightly. At the same time, he elevated the Sharingan—which he hadn't previously valued much—to the second most important position in his mind, second only to the forbidden jutsu he was currently developing.

"Yesterday, the Third Hokage passed the armistice agreement with Iwagakure at the Jonin Council. I imagine the war will be over before long."

Although Orochimaru wasn't afraid of Danzo if they were to truly fight, the old man was deeply entrenched in Konoha. Root had suffered significant losses during the Shinobi World War, but the survivors—such as Aburame Torune and other experts from prominent clans—had become even more mature and terrifying. Having already alienated many, Orochimaru needed the cover provided by Danzo and Root to ensure his experiments proceeded smoothly.

Not wanting a direct confrontation, he took the initiative to change the subject, using their teacher to align their positions.

"Did it pass even with both myself, the Hokage's advisor, and you, the head of the Jonin Squad, absent?"

In some respects, the Hokage could make unilateral decisions, but for major matters like an armistice, it was mandatory to pass a vote by the advisory council and the Jonin Squad before it could be truly implemented.

If Danzo and Orochimaru joined forces, their combined influence would account for at least one-third of Konoha. If they wanted to obstruct something, even Sarutobi Hiruzen would find it a massive headache, despite being the Hokage.

"No, I cast my vote in favor using a Shadow Clone!"

Orochimaru said this with a smile, his tone incredibly grating.

Guo Wang's eyes, hidden beneath the bandages, turned toward him. An invisible wind began to stir, causing the Root ninjas training nearby to feel a chill, and they slowly ceased their movements.

"I, for one, have no desire to face that old man Ōnoki again. Besides, my experiments are at a critical juncture; I cannot leave."

After Orochimaru smilingly provided his reason, Guo Wang didn't say anything more. He let out a cold snort, turned around, and left the training ground.

He had come here only to see what the Wood Release ninja, whom Danzo considered the most important asset, was actually like.

Now that he had seen him, he was nothing more than that!

Compared to the Mangekyo, which could connect to the source of the world and steal the authority of gods, he was like a blade of grass compared to a towering tree.

"Orochimaru, I need you to do something for me."

Orochimaru, who had followed Danzo away from the training ground, finally waited for these words. Ever since he had witnessed the power of the Mangekyo, he had been filled with curiosity.

What exactly was this so-called "Kyōka Suigetsu"?

"Please, Elder Danzo!"

Three days had passed since Yakushi Nonō helped Guo Wang change his eyes. Orochimaru had used his status to consult a vast amount of Uchiha records. He had found several books on the Sharingan, but those mentioning the Mangekyo were few and far between, and even then, they were vague and inexplicable. Although he might have gotten more answers by asking his teacher, Orochimaru, who had been colluding with Danzo for years, didn't want to trouble the busy Sarutobi Hiruzen too much.

"Although the Mangekyo is decent, it was not cultivated and generated by me. Therefore, I need a pair of eyes that truly belong to my own heart, to steal the portion of authority I require from the source of the world."

"Oh, if I understand you correctly, Elder Danzo has taken a fancy to the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique I am currently researching!"

With Orochimaru's intelligence, he understood the meaning behind Guo Wang's words after only the first half of the sentence. The expressions on both men were quite interesting: one was silent, while the other was brimming with excitement.

"Even I am not certain that this technique can succeed. I am surprised Elder Danzo has such confidence in me."

As the direct disciple of the Third Hokage and the head of the Jonin Squad, even with Namikaze Minato currently in the limelight, Orochimaru was still the one with the highest prestige to succeed as the Fourth Hokage. Yet, ten years ago, he had voluntarily applied to join Root and become Danzo's lackey.

No one understood why he had abandoned the light to plunge into the darkness.

The reason was that only Danzo would tolerate him conducting human experiments, researching the Living Corpse Reincarnation, and was willing to provide him with test subjects.

"Then, may I ask which young member of the Uchiha clan has caught Elder Danzo's eye?"

Possessing Danzo had been a necessity because Guo Wang, residing within the Five-Colored Stone, only possessed spiritual power and could not move. Now that he had stabilized, he found himself somewhat dissatisfied with this aged physical body.

The God-Devouring Technique was, after all, a possession method from the Dao Realm; its level was too high. He feared that using it repeatedly would cause the owner of those terrifying eyes to once again cast their gaze upon this world.

The Living Corpse Reincarnation that Orochimaru was developing, however, was a possession method that adhered to the laws of this world and would not trigger fluctuations in the source.

"A young man named Uchiha Itachi!"