"It worked…"

Orochimaru's eyes lit up. He quickly pulled out two pre-prepared control kunai and inserted them into the backs of their bodies.

Rin remained as she was in the moment of death — a teenage girl whose body had already begun to mature.

Her features were delicate, her cheeks marked with purple stripes. Her short hair was clean and sharp.

She wore a long-sleeved black top, a white skirt around her hips, and thigh-high dark stockings.

Her entire form was covered with Edo Tensei sealing marks.

Beside her—

Kushina blinked as her consciousness slowly began to return.

She still maintained the appearance she had when she sealed the Nine-Tails.

Her face was beautiful, with curled eyelashes and a pair of lively, mischievous black eyes.

Compared to the girlishly dressed and youthful Rin Nohara beside her, Kushina wore a loose maternity dress—mature, yet still retaining the charm of a young woman.

However, Kushina's face and arms were also covered in the distinct markings of Edo Tensei.

Orochimaru gave the two a once-over.

He smiled, seemingly quite satisfied.

"Ah-le, Orochimaru-senpai?" Kushina was the first to react. She turned her head, looked at Orochimaru, and asked in a dazed, silly manner—

A classic case of pregnancy brain.

"Kakashi!"

Rin Nohara's pupils trembled as she exclaimed. Her frozen memories surged like a tidal wave.

Images flashed through her mind like a reel, finally stopping on the moment when Kakashi pierced her chest with Chidori.

"Rin? Weren't you already dead?"

Kushina blinked her long lashes at the outburst and turned to look.

Rin's mouth hung slightly open, her face stiff. When she saw Kushina, she was surprised:

"Kushina-sama?"

The two locked eyes and fell silent.

A moment passed.

Kushina's pupils widened. She spread her hands in panic, stumbled back like she'd seen a ghost, and cried out:

"Ghost!! I remember… I died too! But I didn't do anything bad when I was alive—why would I become a ghost!?"

At her words, Rin also recalled—she had died too.

The two were silent for a long while, then slowly turned to look at Orochimaru, who still wore a smile.

Orochimaru finally explained with a grin:

"I used Edo Tensei on you. It's a forbidden technique that can summon the souls of the dead from the Pure Land back into this world of impurity."

At that, both women fell into a dazed contemplation, finding the whole situation surreal.

"Reviving the dead? That's impossible… Senpai, you must be joking, right?"

Kushina looked closely at Orochimaru.

Since Minato was Jiraiya's student, and Jiraiya was Orochimaru's peer, when Orochimaru was still loyal to the Leaf, both Minato and Kushina had to call him "senpai" out of respect.

"But we do seem to have our consciousness back… our senses… It doesn't feel any different from when we were alive, Kushina-sama…"

Rin whispered.

She looked up blankly at Kushina and Orochimaru—both of whom were her seniors.

When Rin had died, Orochimaru was still a loyal Konoha shinobi, one of the legendary Sannin.

Seeing these familiar faces again, Orochimaru was in a rare good mood. He smiled and explained:

"I'm not joking. Edo Tensei is a forbidden jutsu. It normally requires a part of the deceased's body—a sufficient amount of flesh—but I've modified it. Now, even bones are enough. That's the key—something tied to the soul. With that as a medium, resurrection is possible."

"Forbidden techniques have reached this level now?" Kushina looked shocked, unable to hide her emotion.

"..." Orochimaru's face stiffened slightly.

He didn't feel the need to explain further—that jutsu had existed long ago.

It was originally created by the Second Hokage.

He merely stood on the shoulders of giants and refined what already existed.

"Senpai… can you bring Minato back too?"

Kushina spoke, and one by one, the memories of Minato in her mind began to resurface.

Orochimaru shook his head and said:

"Those whose souls are not in the Pure Land—that is, those sealed away elsewhere—cannot be reincarnated. That doesn't count as true resurrection."

"I see..."

Kushina looked slightly disappointed.

"Hehe..." Orochimaru suddenly turned to Rin Nohara and asked, "You were classmates with Uchiha Yu at the Academy, weren't you?"

Rin was briefly stunned, then recalled a handsome Uchiha boy whose looks surpassed even Obito's.

"Yes, Uchiha Yu was my classmate, but like Kakashi, he graduated from the Academy early." Rin nodded, then asked, "Why do you ask, Lord Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru smiled and shook his head. "No reason. If you were classmates, that's even better."

"Oh—"

Rin didn't understand what he meant.

Kushina asked seriously:

"By the way, how long has it been since the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha?"

"The Nine-Tails' attack... you mean it was released inside the village? Who did it?"

Rin's eyes trembled slightly.

Back then, to prevent the Three-Tails from being released in the village, she had chosen to have Kakashi kill her.

She hadn't expected the Nine-Tails would actually be unleashed within Konoha. How many must have died…

Kushina sighed. "During my labor, Konoha was invaded. The Nine-Tails was released by a masked man, causing huge damage to the village. Minato and I died that night."

"What? Lord Minato too…"

Rin's eyes widened, stunned.

She now realized that Kushina had earlier begged Orochimaru to bring Minato back to life.

In her memory, her teacher had never failed. She couldn't believe…

Orochimaru thought for a moment and shook his head. "Time doesn't mean much to me now, but it's been about 8 or 9 years since the Nine-Tails incident."

"It's been that long already?" Kushina's thoughts were in turmoil. Her nose suddenly stung as she thought, Then Naruto... he must be grown up now.

Rin's expression was also sorrowful.

So many years had passed.

Kakashi must be an adult by now.

"Lord Orochimaru, why did you awaken Lady Kushina and me? What do you need us to do?"

Rin asked.

Her mind had been running the whole time. After her shock and contemplation, she asked the key question.

Kushina also looked curious.

"Just wait here for now. As for what you'll need to do—you'll find out soon enough."

Orochimaru replied with a smile.

…

Konoha, outskirts of the village—the barrier protecting the village was continuously bombarded by Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin.

Thunderous booms rang out.

Root Division.

Underground base.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the dark base and saw debris scattered everywhere, he froze on the spot.

"Hiruzen!"

Mitokado Homura rushed out from a relatively intact chamber to meet him.

"What happened here?"

Hiruzen asked urgently.

"Orochimaru infiltrated the Root base, attempting to steal the remains of the past Hokage!"

"What?" Hiruzen's pupils dilated. His fists clenched in fury. After a moment of frustration, he said coldly, "Does he feel no gratitude at all for me sparing his life back then?"

"Sigh—"

Homura sighed deeply.

"What's the situation?"

Hiruzen asked with a dark expression, striding toward the chamber Homura had exited.

"Fortunately, Orochimaru only managed to take Minato's body. The First and Second Hokage, as well as Danzo's body, are still here."

Homura replied.

Then—

The two entered the chamber and saw Koharu Utatane talking to a reanimation offering.

"Hiruzen!"

Hearing footsteps, Koharu turned and, upon seeing Hiruzen, her tense expression finally relaxed a little.

"Tell me everything—what's the situation now?" Hiruzen asked urgently.

"Alright..."

Koharu nodded and briefly explained the difficulties they were encountering with Edo Tensei.

Simply put—

There wasn't enough time.

Koharu had just learned the technique. Casting it required time, and with her inexperience, the risk of failure was high.

"Hiruzen, you decide. Should we really use this forbidden technique?"

Koharu asked gravely.

She stared seriously at the battered Hiruzen Sarutobi

°°°

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