Orochimaru's Resurrection

The cemetery in Konoha is exceptionally quiet at night.

Moonlight filtered through the sparse clouds, casting long, distorted shadows between the tombstones. The wind rustled through the trees, like the whispers of the dead. Here lie the ninjas of Konoha throughout history, from the heroes of the village's early days to Asuma Sarutobi, who was buried not long ago.

Neji stood at the entrance to the cemetery, his pure white eyes gleaming faintly in the darkness. He had removed his Akatsuki disguise, donned a black night outfit, and concealed his mask and glasses. The Caged Bird Seal his forehead was faintly visible in the moonlight, like a scar that would never heal.

There is no one here who needs to be mourned.

His father, Hizashi, was buried in the Hyuga Clan's cemetery, not in this public cemetery. He came here to find someone.

Kabuto Yakushi.

Through the connection between the Reverse Scale and the Garaga, Neji has confirmed that Kabuto has completed the Senjutsu Mode inheritance from Ryūchi Cave and reached Perfect Sage Mode just like himself, and will also develop dragon horns when transforming into a Sage. But Kabuto is not in Ryūchi Cave, so he can only be doing one thing right now—collecting corpses.

For the purpose of Impure World Reincarnation.

Neji had already searched the graveyards of the other four major ninja villages besides Konoha. Cloud Village, Iwagakure, Mist Village, Sand Village —the graveyards of heroes in each village showed signs of being excavated, done professionally, leaving almost no clues. If it weren't for his Byakugan's ability to see through the ground and discover that the soil had been disturbed and the coffins had been opened, an ordinary person would not have noticed anything unusual.

Just as he was preparing to return to the Konoha graveyard to check, the Caged Bird Seal was triggered.

That old man, Hiashi, had to choose this time to contact him. He had no choice but to go to the Hokage Office first, meet with Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Shikaku, and say what needed to be said and make the necessary arrangements.

Now, I can finally get back to business.

Neji entered the cemetery, and the flow of Chakra was clearly visible in his Byakugan. Most of the tombstones only had quiet, gradually dissipating remnants of the deceased's Chakra, but there was one place... where the Chakra fluctuations of a living person could be seen.

It was very faint, deliberately suppressed, but in Byakugan's field of vision, it was as obvious as a candle flame in the dark.

Neji approached silently.

Under the moonlight, a figure crouched before a tombstone. The person wore a dark cloak, the hood covering most of their face, revealing only their chin and the reflection of their glasses. They held a small gathering tool in their hand, carefully extracting something from the soil beneath the tombstone.

It is the grave of Asuma Sarutobi.

Neji's Byakugan could "see" Asuma's corpse in the coffin... a small finger bone was missing, and a few strands of hair remained. Meanwhile, several samples had already been collected on the small sealing scroll in Kabuto's hand.

"This is really... disgusting," Neji thought to himself.

But he didn't speak immediately; instead, he watched quietly. Dou's movements were professional and calm, showing none of the panic or greed of a tomb raider, more like a scientist collecting specimens.

A few minutes later, Kabuto finished his work. He put his tools back into his ninja tool pouch, carefully sealed the scroll, then stood up and dusted off his cloak.

Just as he turned to leave, Neji moved.

It wasn't an attack, it wasn't a surprise attack, it was simply taking a step forward, emerging from the shadows.

"Kabuto-senpai," Neji spoke, his voice soft but clearly audible in the silent cemetery, "It's been a long time."

Kabuto paused for a moment.

But he didn't panic, didn't immediately go into battle mode, and didn't even show much surprise. He simply turned around, the moonlight reflecting off his glasses under his hood, obscuring his eyes.

"Neji," Kabuto's voice was calm, with that usual gentle yet chilling tone, "Long time no see. You wanted to see me... is there something you need?"

As he spoke, he continued tidying up his tools, his movements as natural as if he were reuniting with an old friend, rather than being caught in a tomb raiding incident.

Neji looked at Kabuto, his pure white eyes exceptionally clear in the darkness.

"I'm preparing to revive Lord Orochimaru ahead of schedule," Neji said, emphasizing each word, "And I need your help."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

He stopped what he was doing. He looked up, his hood slipped down slightly, revealing a bespectacled, seemingly gentle and harmless face. But at that moment, the expression on that face was complex—surprise, doubt, anticipation, and even a hint of... fanaticism?

"Lord Orochimaru..." Kabuto murmured, his voice trembling slightly, "Is it really... possible to be resurrected?"

"Of course," Neji answered decisively. "This is an agreement Lord Orochimaru and me."

This is not a lie. He did indeed make a promise with Orochimaru: that Neji would help Orochimaru revive in a critical moment.

"When?" Dou's voice became urgent, his scientist-like calm disappearing, replaced by a believer's devotion.

"Now." Neji's answer was even simpler.

Kabuto barely hesitated. He quickly sealed the collected "specimens," put away his tools, straightened his cloak, and then looked at Neji: "What do you need me to do?"

"Come with me."

Neji Hand Seals. It wasn't an ordinary Body Flicker Technique, but the Flying Thunder God —space began to distort, enveloping the two of them.

The next second, the cemetery returned to silence, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the tombstones.

The third safe haven is located at the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Grass, in a naturally formed cave system. Neji previously placed Mitarashi Anko here and set up multiple barriers to prevent her from escaping and to prevent outsiders from investigating.

At this moment, deep within the cave.

Anko was curled up on the makeshift bed in the corner, already asleep. Her breathing was steady, but her brows were slightly furrowed, clearly indicating that she was not at peace even in her sleep.

Neji and Kabuto appeared from the Flying Thunder God teleportation.

Kabuto glanced around, his eyes behind his glasses quickly scanning the cave's structure, the arrangement of the barrier, and the sleeping Anko. His gaze lingered for a moment on the Curse Mark on Anko's neck before turning to Neji.

"Here it is..."

"One of my safe havens," Neji explained briefly, walking over to Anko and crouching down beside her.

He didn't wake her, but instead raised his hand and gently pressed on the side of Anko's neck. Chakra flowed precisely into her, and Anko let out a muffled groan before falling into a deep coma.

Neji stood up and looked at Kabuto, "You have Lord Orochimaru's Chakra on you, don't you?"

Kabuto paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. After Lord Orochimaru was attacked by Sasuke, I injected some of Lord Orochimaru's Chakra and fragments of his consciousness into my body."

"Very good." Neji walked to the center of the cave and began to Hand Seals. "Activate Sage Mode now. I need to borrow Lord Orochimaru Chakra you as a 'catalyst' for resurrection."

Dou didn't ask any more questions. He took a deep breath and put his hands together in prayer position.

Natural Energy began to converge.

It wasn't the gentleness of Mount Myoboku, nor the stickiness of Shikkotsu Forest, but rather the coldness and treachery of Ryūchi Cave —a cunning and deadly quality reminiscent of a snake. White scales appeared on Kabuto's skin, purple eyeshadow extended from the corners of his eyes, and a pair of small but sharp dragon horns slowly grew out on either side of his forehead.

Perfect Sage Mode, Ryūchi Cave Version.

Neji's Byakugan could see the Chakra structure within Kabuto's body reorganizing. Natural Energy and his own Chakra were perfectly merging, forming a new and more powerful energy form. And at the core of that energy, there was a cold, familiar Chakra —a fragment of Orochimaru's Chakra.

"I'm sorry."

Neji reached out and lightly sliced Kabuto's chest. Not with Kunai, but with a wind blade formed from Chakra. The skin split open, and blood seeped out, but beneath the wound was not muscle, but... white, snake-skin-like tissue.

Neji took a piece from the tissue, about the size of a fist. The moment the tissue left his body, the wound began to heal, returning to normal within seconds.

Kabuto's face paled for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal. His recovery ability in Sage Mode far surpasses that of ordinary people.

Neji took the tissue and walked to Anko's side. He gently pressed the tissue onto the Heaven Curse Mark on Anko's neck.

Then, he began to Hand Seals.

"Evil-Dispelling Seal."

The Curse Mark began to glow.

It wasn't the original red of the Anko, but a sinister purple. Light surged from the Curse Mark, like living tentacles, wrapping around the piece of tissue in Neji's hand. The tissue began to melt, seeping into the Curse Mark, and then invading the Anko's body along the Curse Mark's lines.

Anko's body began to tremble violently. Even in a deep coma, her instinctive resistance remained.

A few seconds later, the purple light of the Curse Mark reached its peak.

Then, a small white snake emerged from the Curse Mark.

The small snake was only as thick as an arm, but its eyes were golden vertical pupils, and its tongue flicked out, emanating a cold and powerful aura.

It opened its mouth.

It wasn't an attack, but... vomiting.

A human figure "squeezed" out of the tiny snake's mouth. First the head, then the body, and finally the limbs. The whole process was so bizarre it sent chills down one's spine, like a spatial folding or some kind of advanced Summoning Technique.

The snake disappeared when the humanoid figure was completely detached from the snake's mouth.

And on the ground, there was one more person.

His skin was deathly pale, his hair was long and black, his eyes were golden and vertical, and his face wore that signature half-smile. He was naked, but white scales quickly emerged from beneath his skin, coalescing into a simple white robe.

Orochimaru.

They've been resurrected.

Kabuto rushed over almost instantly, kneeling before Orochimaru, his voice trembling with excitement. "Lord Orochimaru... you really... came back..."

Orochimaru slowly sat up. He stretched his neck, making a soft "crack" sound, then looked down at his hands, clenched his fist, released it, and clenched his fist again.

"This body..." Orochimaru began, his voice still cold, but tinged with dissatisfaction, "Is terrible."

Neji stood aside, watching this scene, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The first step of the plan is complete.

Orochimaru stood up, his white robe swaying gently with his movement. He looked around the cave, his gaze sweeping over the unconscious Anko, over the agitated Kabuto, and finally settling on Neji.

Those golden, vertical pupils resembled two will-o'-the-wisps in the dim light.

"Neji," Orochimaru said, his voice devoid of emotion, "You seem...very anxious."

"Yes," Neji readily admitted, "Time is running out."

"Tell me about it." Orochimaru walked to a flat rock in the cave and sat down, his posture as elegant as if he were in his own laboratory.

Neji organized his thoughts and began his report:

"The Akatsuki has gathered all eight Tailed Beasts, leaving only the Nine-Tails. The current leader is Tobi —also known as Obito Uchiha, who calls himself Madara Uchiha. Apart from Kisame, Zetsu, Konan, and myself, all the other members of the organization are dead."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow slightly. "Pain is dead too?"

"Pain —that is, Nagato —recently attacked Konoha," Neji continued. "He killed many Konoha Ninja, but was eventually persuaded by Uzumaki Naruto to revive all the dead using the Reincarnation Heavenly Life Technique, and then died himself."

"Oh?" Orochimaru's lips curled into a playful smile. "Convinced? That stubborn kid Nagato... he actually got convinced?"

He didn't comment further, but instead asked, "Where's Sasuke?"

"After Sasuke killed Itachi, he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan," Neji replied. "He was severely injured by Fourth Raikage A while capturing the Eight-Tails and is currently recuperating at Akatsuki's base. Moreover... he has already received Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan."

Orochimaru remained silent.

A few seconds later, he suddenly laughed. Not a happy laugh, but the kind of laugh that comes from seeing an interesting experiment, a laugh fueled by a desire to investigate.

"Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan... Sasuke, that kid, certainly didn't disappoint me."

He turned to look at Neji, his golden vertical pupils scrutinizing him closely. "And you? Has your Byakugan... evolved?"

Neji shook his head helplessly. "It's been stagnant for a long time. We're lacking the crucial 'catalyst.' So... I'm also waiting for the Ten-Tails 'Chakra."

That's the truth. His Byakugan evolution has stagnated; no matter how much he trains, he can't break through to the Tenseigan. According to his speculation, he either needs a large amount of Byakugan (like Otsutsuki Toneri) or energy of the same level—such as the Ten-Tails 'Chakra.

Orochimaru nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the answer. He stood up and walked over to Kabuto.

Kabuto was still kneeling on the ground, looking up at Orochimaru with eyes full of piety.

Orochimaru reached out and placed his hand on Kabuto's forehead.

Without Hand Seals or incantations, Kabuto's body began to tremble violently. The white scales beneath his skin became more pronounced, Sage Mode automatically dissipated, his dragon horns retracted, and his eyeshadow faded. Meanwhile, in Orochimaru's palm, a cold, purple Chakra was drawn from Kabuto's body and merged into Orochimaru's own.

A few seconds later, Orochimaru withdrew his hand.

Dou collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his face pale, but his eyes still burned with fervor.

Orochimaru sensed the Chakra within his body, then shook his head:

"Still too weak. This temporarily reconstructed body... won't last much longer."

"Lord Orochimaru," Neji spoke up at the opportune moment, "Please wait patiently for a while. I have found a suitable body, but... I need Sasuke's cooperation."

"Oh?" Orochimaru looked at Neji. "What kind of body?"

"White Zetsu," Neji uttered. "A special life form nurtured by the God Tree, with excellent Chakra conductivity, strong adaptability, and... no rejection reaction. It is currently the most suitable body known to be used as a 'vessel'."

A glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

White Zetsu... he'd heard of it. That intelligence expert in Akatsuki had a very unique physical structure. If he could obtain a body like that...

"Do we need Sasuke's cooperation?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yes." Neji nodded. "Sasuke is currently at the Akatsuki base, and I have a way to contact him. But the specific plan... still needs further consideration."

Orochimaru didn't press the matter. He turned and looked at Anko in the corner.

"And her?" Orochimaru's voice was cold. "What are your plans?"

"She has completed her mission," Neji said. "What does Lord Orochimaru intend to do with her?"

Orochimaru looked at Anko for a few seconds, then waved his hand. "Let her go back to Konoha. She... has no value to me now."

This is a cruel statement, but it fits Orochimaru's character perfectly. Anko was once one of his most valued disciples, but ever since she chose to side with Konoha, Orochimaru completely abandoned her. Now, using her Curse Mark to revive her is already making the best use of her.

"Yes." Neji nodded.

At that moment, Kabuto got up from the ground. Although he was weak, his eyes were bright. "Lord Orochimaru, shall we... Hidden Sound Village?"

Orochimaru looked at Neji, seemingly asking for his opinion.

Neji shook his head. "Where Lord Orochimaru goes is his prerogative. I won't interfere. But please remember our promise—I'll need your help in a crucial moment."

"Of course." Orochimaru smiled, a cold but sincere smile. "After all... we made a promise."

He turned and headed towards the cave exit. Dou immediately followed, like the most loyal shadow.

When Orochimaru reached the cave entrance, he stopped and glanced back at Neji:

"Neji, this world... seems to be getting more and more interesting."

"Yes," Neji smiled as well, "That's why we must live and see the end."

Orochimaru nodded, said nothing more, and turned to disappear into the darkness outside the cave.

Kabuto followed behind him, turning back to look at Neji time with a complex expression, but said nothing before disappearing as well.

Inside the cave, only Neji and the unconscious Anko remained.

Neji walked over to Anko and checked on her condition. The Curse Mark had disappeared, and Orochimaru's Chakra had been completely drained.

He untied Anko from her restraints, picked her up, and carried her to a hidden exit deep within the cave.

"It's time to take you home."

Neji said in a low voice, then activated the Flying Thunder God.

The cave returned to silence.

And on the chessboard of the Shinobi World, another living piece has been added.

Orochimaru has been resurrected.