Over the next few days, all the participating shinobi began special training. Last-minute preparation or not, as long as they performed well, becoming a chunin would make them famous.
Sasuke trained under Itachi Uchiha, while Naruto led Hinata in practice himself.
Meanwhile, underground in the Land of Rice Fields, Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
"Finally finished, hehe."
His chilling laughter carried far into the distance.
"Congratulations, Lord Orochimaru." A glint flashed across Kabuto Yakushi's glasses.
"Did you find what I asked for?"
"I found it."
Kabuto Yakushi took out a terrifying mask—the Shinigami Mask.
"Hehe, not bad."
Orochimaru's eyes lit up at the sight of it. He had always had a bit of a collector's habit. Impure World Reincarnation had originally been developed by the Second Hokage to work alongside the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.
However, after this jutsu fell into Orochimaru's hands and underwent his relentless development and experimentation, it had become something entirely different. By the time of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kabuto Yakushi's refinements had turned it into a true forbidden technique.
With White Zetsu, it could preserve roughly eighty percent of the reincarnated person's strength.
And now, after Orochimaru's further refinements, this forbidden technique was already usable in actual combat. At the same time, his recent Living Corpse Reincarnation had also reached an almost perfect state.
"Bring me my vessel."
"As you command, Lord Orochimaru."
Kabuto Yakushi walked out and soon returned with several people.
Orochimaru prepared himself, put on the mask, and began performing a strange dance.
Gradually, a phantom appeared behind him—the horrifying Shinigami.
Orochimaru cut open his own stomach.
Two souls flew out from within.
Then he activated Living Corpse Reincarnation.
A reborn Orochimaru emerged.
"Hehe, I really look forward to seeing the old man's face when he sees who I am now."