Living Corpse Reincarnation

War never seems to evoke thoughts of peace, but it was on such days that Kato Osamu felt a deep sense of tranquility and peace.

In the laboratory far from the battlefield of the Mist Shinobi, he slowly took off the medical gloves that were already stained with blood and carefully picked up the bento box placed to the side—a fish and meat rice ball with the aroma of the deep sea.

Looking around the research lab where he had been for more than half a month, he gently closed the lunchbox and frowned slightly.

I feel like I've forgotten something.

"The experiment of separating the soul from the body is almost over..."

"The Cursed Seal serves as a directional anchor point, while simultaneously preserving the core's will..."

"Living Corpse Reincarnation..."

"There are no more technical difficulties..."

Kato Osamu couldn't remember when she first conducted the experiment; it was a long, long time ago. But now, all her hard work had been poured into the small scroll in her hand.

This scroll contains an irresistible temptation for all living beings—immortality!

"Unfortunately, the soul suffers some irreversible damage during the process of reincarnation..."

Kato Osamu currently helpless against this kind of soul loss; the systemic loss cannot be eliminated unless the experimental results are completely overturned and a different method is used to achieve it.

Or perhaps there are other ways, but Kato Osamu doesn't understand them yet.

"Given this irreversible attrition, even though the soul can theoretically exist for much longer than the body, it is not eternal and without end..."

"It could even lead to a loss of consciousness due to the depletion of the soul..."

"But in any case..."

"This is a method for achieving immortality..."

Kato Osamu gently stroked the scroll in her hand until the sound of the laboratory door opening startled her from her reverie.

He slowly placed the scroll into his robes, then suddenly looked up with a somewhat inexplicable expression at Orochimaru, who looked travel-worn and had just returned from the Mist Shinobi battlefield.

"Xu-jun seems a little different today..."

Since Kato Osamu's arrival, Orochimaru's deep eye bags seemed to have gradually smoothed out. He just squinted at Kato Osamu, as if he could already guess the outcome of the matter.

Although he didn't show it on his face, Orochimaru's heart seemed to be churning with more turmoil than ever before.

"Orochimaru- sensei..."

"You know me, I'm not a sentimental person. I didn't come to Mist Shinobi because I was desperate, or anything like that. I just needed something..."

Kato Osamu gently raised the scroll in his hand, looking at Orochimaru with a smile. Although most of the ideas came from Orochimaru, without Kato Osamu, this secret technique would never have been born so smoothly.

"You really didn't disappoint me, Xu..."

Looking at the scroll in Kato Osamu's hand, Orochimaru was not as excited as Kato Osamu had expected. Instead, he smiled and looked at Kato Osamu with an expression of appreciation and fondness that Orochimaru had never seen before, one that was never so intense.

"Perhaps, exchanging Osamu for Danzo was the most amazing thing I ever did..."

"I am equally honored to be Orochimaru's disciple..."

The not-too-dim light in the laboratory enveloped the two of them; there was no gentle breeze or bright moon, no wine or cheerful conversation.

But even in this seemingly uneventful atmosphere, Kato Osamu and Orochimaru looked at each other with smiles on their faces.

No one in the world is omniscient or omnipotent. Just like what Kato Osamu and Orochimaru are researching, Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't know. All he knows is that the Mist Shinobi battlefield where Orochimaru is located has yet to yield any results.

Similarly, even if they were only separated by the sea, Orochimaru could not possibly know what major events were happening in Kirigakure...

"Next... Zabuza Momochi!"

Of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, only one remains. Besides bringing the people of Mist Shinobi an indelible shame, he has also reignited the Mist Shinobi's fervor during lulls in the war.

It seems that any young man from Mist Shinobi with even a modicum of ambition has set his sights on the remaining six Ninja Blades.

"Zabuza Momochi...?"

Akihamaru merely squinted slightly as he watched Zabuza Momochi approach step by step, a slight unease creeping into his heart.

Here, there are no other rules, only the most primitive and simplest way—fighting. As long as you are strong enough, you can gain the recognition of everyone in Mist Shinobi.

Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, seems to be one of the very few among the Mist Shinobi who can be considered truly strong.

Akihamaru pulled his long sword from the defeated man's chest, his arrogant gaze, typical of Mist Shinobi members, fixed on Zabuza.

It's not common to see someone walking around Kirigakure with bandages wrapped around their neck, but for the people of Mist Shinobi, who are used to all sorts of strange people in the village, it's not considered anything unusual.

Here, even a fish, as long as it has enough strength, can gain the recognition of the Mist Shinobi people.

Zabuza, whose Zabuza his eyes, did not speak. He simply drew his long sword lightly, propped it up with one hand, and plunged it into the ground.

"Demon of the Hidden Mist, huh? Killing a guy like that would seem more interesting..."

"They're really something... they've killed quite a few people..."

Zabuza silent for a moment, his gaze filled with cruelty as he looked at Akihamaru, but he did not immediately make a move.

"By sending them to their deaths, I'm merely sending them on their way ahead of time. I'm not as famous as the Demon of the Hidden Mist..."

"Having personally killed all your classmates, I wonder if the long sword in your hand is still cold..."

Meeting Zabuza's Zabuza gaze, Akihamaru remained silent. As he lightly Hand Seals, his willow-leaf-shaped slender sword was instantly drawn.

A silver arc flashed through the air, easily blocked by Zabuza. However, both the sword and Zabuza seemed to have vanished, while the mist slowly gathered, instantly enveloping the entire training ground.

"This is... Silent Killing Technique?"

There weren't many spectators; just a few Jonin standing on the high platform Jonin observed every move on the battlefield. Among ninjas, no one could fail to value the importance of intelligence, especially during wartime, as any leak of intelligence would weaken Mist Shinobi.

If Karatachi Yagura hadn't been an idiot, he wouldn't have allowed such a selection process to be held as a 'grand event' during wartime...

"He actually used Zabuza Momochi's technique to attack Zabuza?"

No one could see Zabuza's expression, nor did anyone know what he was thinking. He simply squinted at the hazy mist, his eyes seeming to radiate boundless brilliance.

"Hidden Mist Technique!"

With a soft shout, Zabuza also unleashed Mist Shinobi's signature ninjutsu. The two disappeared into the mist, vanishing without a trace. The entire training ground turned into a gray world, and no one could see what was happening inside anymore.

"Looks like we're not getting to see the real show..."

Gently closing the notebook in his hand, the Jonin the high platform seemed somewhat bored, but his gaze never strayed from the mist.