Only with the Second's help had Orochimaru managed to create a new body so quickly.
The Second had discovered a white creature underground, one that looked very much like the Zetsu who accompanied Pain.
For now, they decided to call it White Zetsu.
To their surprise, White Zetsu's body contained a great many Hashirama cells, and its severed arms regrew very quickly.
The discovery astonished them both, because it meant someone besides the two of them had made use of Hashirama cells.
That person's mastery of Hashirama cells even surpassed their own.
After giving it considerable thought, the two decided to put White Zetsu to use.
The new bodies cultivated from White Zetsu grew quickly, too.
The Second was even more accomplished than Orochimaru in researching Hashirama cells. After all, he was a scientific genius in his own right. Had being Hokage during his lifetime not left him short on experience with human experimentation, he might have achieved even more.
With the Second's help, Orochimaru had used Living Corpse Reincarnation ahead of schedule to complete his body transfer. The Second also intended to try reviving himself through this method, so that he could eventually regain, or even surpass, the power he had possessed at his peak.
Living Corpse Reincarnation was, at its core, a technique in which a soul took over a body.
He even took half a step closer to Jiraiya, an almost inviting interest flickering in his golden eyes.
"What do you think, Jiraiya? If you're tired of this aging shell, covered in old injuries..."
His voice lowered, like a snake's hiss.
"I could use your cells to 'custom-build' you a brand-new, youthful body brimming with vitality, too. The experience would be quite... novel."
Jiraiya frowned deeply as he looked at his familiar yet unfamiliar "friend" and listened