"Is everything okay with Iwagakure?"
Inside the Technology Development Department, Tsunade asked Orochimaru quietly.
They were in an underground laboratory extended beneath the Technology Development Department.
The walls were covered with countless seals, and at the nodes of these seals were embedded Gelel stones to provide energy.
In the center of the formation was the body of a man soaking in a nutrient solution.
"No need to rush." Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with a fanatic light. He paid little attention to Tsunade's question.
At this moment, no one could stop him from witnessing a miracle.
"After all, I promised you. Now, everything is ready, and we can enter the true experimental phase. The boundary between life and death will be broken by our hands!"
"I hope it will be as you say."
As the critical moment approached, Tsunade's feelings became more complicated.
On one hand, she truly wanted to revive her loved ones.
On the other, she wondered if she should disturb their peace.
The reappearance of the dead in the ninja world would cause an unprecedented shock.
Because they were about to break a boundary only gods could control!
However, Tsunade's emotions only wavered briefly. When the experiment officially began, her resolve strengthened.
"Since we cannot be sure if the experiment will succeed, I chose a clone of a deceased prisoner. I deliberately made sure he would not gain consciousness—like a living dead preserved."
If he can be revived, and after observation there are no side effects, then we can prepare for a true resurrection.
Tsunade took a deep breath. She had done her part. The rest now depended on Orochimaru and Kagetsu.
"Mastering the Impure World Reincarnation and improving it took me a lot of time," Orochimaru said, raising a finger. Then he clapped his hands on the ground and summoned a closed coffin.
Inside the coffin were the cells Tsunade provided, taken from the prisoner meant to be resurrected, along with a White Zetsu experimental body.
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
With Orochimaru's shout, the coffin opened. A stiff body stepped out, looking as if it was made of countless small fragments.
"Next, we will transplant the soul summoned from the Pure Land into this clone body," Orochimaru said as he stepped forward.
He inserted a kunai wrapped with Seal Tags into the brain of the Impure World Reincarnation body.
The Impure World Reincarnation technique summons the needed soul from the Pure Land. Then, the supporting forbidden technique Orochimaru developed transfers—or rather, implants—the soul.
This step is like competing with the Pure Land's death gods to claim the soul.
If anything goes wrong in the experiment, Orochimaru and the others believed the biggest risk would be here.
No one knew what kind of reaction this action might cause.
Although Orochimaru and the others had gathered much information about the Pure Land and had even studied the Hueco Mundo multiple times with Kagetsu's permission, there were still some differences between the Hueco Mundo and the Pure Land.
Soul Division!
This was an ability Orochimaru awakened under the guidance of Hogyoku. It could steal or even cut souls.
The seal inserted into the Edo Tensei body had more than just the purpose of acting as a connection relay.
Its other role was to suppress the consciousness of the dead, preventing them from resisting and avoiding unexpected problems caused by their struggle.
At this moment, Orochimaru instantly entered his Hogyoku Mode.
Using the Seal Tag inserted into the Edo Tensei body as a connection point, he began guiding the soul with the power of his Hogyoku Mode.
The Edo Tensei was undone in an instant.
But under the combined power of Orochimaru and the Seal Tag, the soul that should have immediately returned to the Pure Land instead stood there, confused.
The chakra flickering around it could be clearly sensed by those present.
Even in Hogyoku Mode, the three of them—Kagetsu and the others—could see the soul's confused state.
Soul transplantation!
Orochimaru forcibly pushed down his excitement and placed the soul into the clone body set in the center.
Fusion and regeneration!
Tsunade formed hand seals with both hands, activating the power of the formation.
In the somewhat dim underground space, one by one the Gelel stones on the ground lit up as if electrified.
The life energy of the Yang nature power surged into the clone body under Tsunade's activation. At this moment, it was adjusting the body, helping the soul and flesh merge faster and more tightly.
This process lasted an unknown amount of time until the Gelel stones dimmed, and the power of the formation quieted.
The three—Kagetsu and the others—all looked toward the clone body placed in the center.
Inside the nutrient fluid of the jar, the clone floated with eyes tightly shut, showing no signs of waking.
"Did it fail?"
Tsunade carefully observed for a moment, her expression a little disappointed.
Although she didn't expect the experiment to succeed on the first try, the failure of their well-prepared initial test still made her sigh quietly.
Truly coming back from death is still difficult.
They wanted to solve the mystery of life and death, but maybe something was still missing.
Orochimaru and Kagetsu didn't answer right away. Instead, they kept busy collecting each other's body data and trying to connect their minds, stimulating each other to wake up.
Konoha's rich secret and forbidden techniques covered almost all known areas, including mind, involving clans like Uchiha and Yamanaka.
"It seems to be working."
Orochimaru squinted, watching the eyelids twitch slightly under the stimulation in the spiritual world, as if about to wake up. He licked the corner of his lips, showing some expectation.
At his words, the clone inside the jar suddenly opened its eyes.
Glug glug!
A series of bubbles rose from the nutrient liquid. The clone wildly pounded on the jar's walls, full of panic.
Boom!
Tsunade rushed forward immediately and punched the transparent jar. Fine cracks spread rapidly from the center of her fist over the entire jar. In the next moment, the jar shattered as the liquid poured out.
Cough, cough, cough... Didn't I die?
The clone slid down along the liquid onto the ground. It struggled to prop up its upper body with its arms, looking around in confusion.
When its eyes met Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes, filled with greed and madness, its face instantly turned pale.
"Did it really work?"
Tsunade looked at the clone in a daze, still unable to fully believe it, her voice soft and uncertain.
But just as she finished speaking, the clone suddenly acted like it was choking, clutching its own throat, its body twisting and writhing on the ground like a snake.
Tsunade instinctively stepped forward, using medical ninjutsu to heal the clone's body while trying to figure out what was happening.
****
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