Chapter 302: The Army of the Dead
The sterile silence of the hidden laboratory was broken only by the rhythmic dripping of an unknown liquid. The air smelled of formaldehyde and ozone.
Uchiha Obito, masked and formidable, stood before Orochimaru, the latter's serpentine form coiled in thought.
"All the past Kage." Obito's voice was cold, absolute, echoing in the subterranean chamber.
"And all those powerful individuals who left their names in the Ninja World's bloody history."
"Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama… Every single one. As long as you can find even a small piece of their flesh and blood, I want you to drag them back from the Yellow Springs (Underworld) into this world! Use the Impure World Reincarnation!"
[Inorin's Note: The Impure World Reincarnation (穢土転生, Edo Tensei) is a forbidden S-rank technique used to revive the souls of the dead and bind them to a living sacrifice, creating nigh-indestructible bodies.]
Orochimaru's pupils, slitted and golden, constricted violently. A flicker of genuine shock crossed his face, quickly replaced by a terrifying, scientific delight.
[A madman! Resurrecting all the past Kage and powerful individuals?]
But it had to be said, this insane, apocalyptic idea instantly piqued Orochimaru's profound, dangerous interest.
Orochimaru licked his dry, pale lips slowly.
[If… if this plan really succeeded… what a magnificent sight that would be! An army made of legends!]
No matter how strong Uchiha Akira was, no matter his strange eyes or god-like abilities, could he, by himself, contend against the entire resurrected history of the Ninja World? It was the ultimate biological experiment.
"By then…"
Obito seemed to read Orochimaru's ambitious thoughts, his voice lowering, filled with calculated temptation.
"Uchiha Akira's body, along with his unparalleled eyes, will be your spoils of war, Orochimaru."
"Orochimaru, isn't this the ultimate vessel you've always dreamed of? The ultimate perfect canvas for your eternal life?"
For Orochimaru, finding the path to true immortality was everything. And Uchiha Akira's body—the one capable of wielding the Rinnegan and Wood Release—was undoubtedly the closest thing to a perfect, ultimate answer in this world!
Thinking of Uchiha Akira's terrifying eyes and his unique, powerful body, Orochimaru's breathing instantly became heavy, loud in the quiet lab.
The pure greed and lust for power in his eyes could no longer be hidden.
"This is… an offer I cannot, and will not, refuse."
Obito was noncommittal, accepting the agreement as a formality.
Then, Obito reached into the Kamui dimension (神威) and took out a large, heavy scroll, which he threw onto the cold stone floor near Orochimaru.
"What is this?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, viewing the scroll with suspicion and curiosity.
"A welcoming gift for you. A down payment."
"It is also the necessary, most perfect material for you to complete this army of the dead."
Orochimaru's heart stirred. He unrolled the scroll with rapid, eager movements.
Buzz!
As a puff of white smoke dissipated, several pale, unnervingly lifelike humanoid bodies appeared on the laboratory floor. They were naked, featureless, and almost skeletal.
[Inorin's Note: These are White Zetsu (白ゼツ, Shiro Zetsu) clones. They are artificial humans created from the cells of Senju Hashirama and infused with immense vitality, making them ideal sacrifices for the Impure World Reincarnation.]
"These are…!"
Orochimaru quickly darted to one of the bodies, his interest peaking. He cut a shallow incision on its arm with a sharp scalpel.
"First Hokage's cells!" Orochimaru gasped, his voice filled with extreme, raw excitement.
"This vitality! This regenerative energy! This source material…"
"There's no mistake! These bodies all contain the First Hokage's (Senju Hashirama's) unique cells!"
"Truly… perfect material! The pinnacle!"
For the Edo Tensei jutsu, the quality of the living sacrifice used as the vessel directly determined the extent to which the resurrected individual recovered their strength and speed.
The better the quality of the sacrifice, the more the resurrected soul could unleash power closer to, or even equal to, what they had in life!
And these White Zetsu bodies, possessing the legendary First Hokage's cells, were undoubtedly the top-tier, most perfect sacrifices in this entire world!
"With these things, Obito…"
Orochimaru's voice trembled slightly, filled with manic conviction!
"I am confident that I can make those resurrected dead unleash at least ninety percent, or even… one hundred percent of their original, terrifying power!"
Obito was very satisfied with Orochimaru's reaction. The greed had guaranteed his loyalty.
"Very good. That's exactly the effect I want."
A cold glint flickered in Obito's single visible Mangekyō eye.
"No matter how strong Uchiha Akira is, no matter how bizarre or powerful his Mangekyō or Rinnegan is, he is ultimately just one man! He is mortal!"
"How can one mortal man contend against the entire resurrected military history of the Ninja World! He cannot fight the dead who never tire!"
Orochimaru took a deep, hissing breath, forcibly calming his inner, spiraling excitement, and looked at Obito.
"The problem of the sacrifices is solved with these White Zetsu."
"But there's still one crucial issue, Obito."
"Where can I find the physical flesh and blood of those powerful individuals who died long ago? The genetic material of the First, Second, and Fourth Kage? That material is highly secured."
This was the biggest logistical limitation of the Edo Tensei jutsu.
"You don't need to worry about that."
Obito's tone was full of supreme confidence, a confidence rooted in his long-established spy network.
"Their bodies, or rather, parts of their bodies—genetic material, organs, bone fragments—I will help you acquire them. I have sources, Orochimaru. You focus on the jutsu."
"I understand."
Orochimaru nodded, his mind already spinning with the possibilities of mixing the White Zetsu cells with the Kage's DNA.
"Then, let us begin a pleasant… cooperation."
"Hmph." Obito snorted, which served as his final reply and seal on the terrifying pact.
Then he said no more. The space around his body began to distort and ripple again.
A dark, swirling vortex slowly swallowed his masked figure, pulling him back into the safety of the Kamui dimension.
"Remember your promise, Orochimaru. The Uchiha's eyes and body are yours."
As Uchiha Obito left, the laboratory returned to silence.
Only Orochimaru remained, along with the several pale, silent White Zetsu vessels lying on the cold floor.
"Hehehehe…"
Orochimaru's low, hissing laughter echoed chillingly in the empty laboratory, sounding particularly eerie and mad.
"Uchiha Akira…"
"Just wait. Your perfect, unique body will be mine sooner or later. My ultimate vessel! My path to absolute eternity!"
Our gaze returns to Konoha.
On the massive construction site on the Village outskirts, dust flew thick and fast, mingling with the cries of labor and the relentless clamor of stone cutting.
Thousands of figures toiled on this construction site, performing heavy, physical labor under the unforgiving sun.
"Why?!"
A tall, muscular Sunagakure Ninja, his headband scratched, slammed his tool onto the ground, letting out an angry, despairing roar that was instantly amplified by the hard rock walls.
"Why do we have to work like beasts of burden here?! We are shinobi, not common laborers!"
His roar instantly attracted the attention of hundreds of other exhausted Sand Hidden Captives.
"Those Hidden Mist guys!" he yelled, pointing towards the pristine residential areas of Konoha. "As soon as they arrived, they became Konoha's 'Kirigakure Division!' They are living in clean, Wood Release houses and enjoying the same treatment as Konoha Ninja!"
"And what about us?"
"We have to be driven and whipped like livestock here, day in and day out! We are starving while they feast!"
"This isn't fair! This is a disgrace!"
These words instantly stirred up a massive, collective wave of resentment in the hearts of all the thousands of Sand Hidden Captives!
Yes!
It wasn't fair!
Why? Sunagakure and Kirigakure were both among the Five Great Shinobi Villages! Both were defeated parties!
Why was the difference in treatment so vast? One was in heaven, the other on earth!
"Exactly! This is too unfair!"
"We refuse to accept this!"
In the crowd, voices of agreement rose and fell, swelling into a chorus of anger.
The long-suppressed resentment, humiliation, and jealousy towards the Mist Ninja completely erupted at this moment.
Another older Sunagakure Ninja, his eyes bloodshot and filled with exhaustion, roared hoarsely, his pain fueling the fire.
"If Rasa-sama and Chiyo-sama hadn't insisted on that last, suicidal resistance, why would so many people from our Hidden Sand Village have died needlessly?!"
"So many comrades died, and in the end, we're still dragged here to be slaves!"
"If we had only known this was the end, we should have just surrendered back then! We should have preserved our strength!"
This statement hit everyone's sore spot even harder—the regret over their failed resistance and the loss of their former leaders.
Jealousy towards the Hidden Mist, resentment towards the deceased Kazekage and Elder... all sorts of complex, bitter emotions intertwined, making the atmosphere on the entire construction site incredibly volatile and oppressive.
The tall Sunagakure Ninja who first stirred up trouble, seeing the crowd's unified excitement and rage, grew bolder, his face twisted with fanaticism.
He raised his tool high above his head and shouted, his voice cracking!
"Brothers!"
"We are Sunagakure Ninja! We are not slaves to be slaughtered at will! We are not livestock!"
"We cannot just accept our fate like this! We must fight for our dignity! We must fight for our families!"
"We Sunagakure also demand the same treatment as the Hidden Mist!"
He attempted to incite everyone into a grand, violent riot that would force Konoha to pay attention!
"Yes!"
"We demand fairness!"
"Demand Konoha treat us equally!"
A few hundred of the angriest Sunagakure Ninja, their heads clouded by anger and desperation, followed suit, raising their fists and roaring back. The uprising had begun.
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