By the sea near Amegakure.
Kisame rested against a rock. He had spent nearly the entire past month in the deep sea without sleep or rest, and had grown noticeably thinner.
"Thanks for all your hard work..." Naruto nodded to Kisame, then approached the body with Orochimaru at his side.
Filled with apprehension, he lifted the white cloth.
Though the face was unrecognizable, the missing left arm, distinctive white hair, and forehead protector bearing the character for "oil" proved the deceased's identity!
Kisame said, "After he sank into the deep sea, his body must have become wrapped in seaweed or something, keeping the fish from eating it. But I can't explain why it hasn't completely decomposed..."
Orochimaru offered his view. "It was probably because of the toad oil in his body. Toad oil contains Sage Power, which can greatly slow a body's decomposition..."
Naruto said, "I'd rather believe the Pervy Sage was blessed by the gods! That's why his body remained intact!"
The gods he spoke of were not beings in the heavens, but what mortals placed their hopes in when they wished for something beyond their own power!
Naruto said solemnly, "Then let's begin..."
Konan laid an unconscious man wrapped in paper on the ground.
He was one of Hanzō's Remnants, captured while attempting to attack Amegakure. An earlier attempt to use him to reincarnate Itachi had failed, but in the end, he still could not escape his fate as a living sacrifice!
Orochimaru extracted some biological material from Jiraiya and drew the formula for Impure World Reincarnation!
Naruto specifically instructed him, "Remember... don't give the Pervy Sage consciousness during Impure World Reincarnation. I'm going to do that!"
"Understood."
Orochimaru formed hand seals, his long hair floating without a breeze!
-Ninja Art: Impure World Reincarnation!
Whoosh! Dust swirled around