"Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation... truly is a remarkable jutsu."
As expected, Orochimaru was deeply fascinated by this technique. Because of that, he had dug up countless graves in pursuit of research. At one point, he even asked Anya if she wanted to reincarnate White Fang after her successful study.
Anya naturally declined. This method of resurrection was deeply dishonorable—especially for someone like White Fang. If White Fang discovered he'd been brought back through the Impure World Reincarnation, he would have drawn his sword and chopped down that unworthy disciple without hesitation. Still, this did remind Anya—For Anya, the world here wasn't like her previous life; here, death didn't mean finality.
The key to resurrection lay within the Rinnegan. Since Konan had already graduated from the ninja academy, it was time to find an opportunity to send her back.
Although Anya remained here conducting research, she always stayed in the know about everything happening outside. After all, there were few things Orochimaru couldn't accomplish in Konoha, and gathering intelligence was even easier. After White Fang's departure, the Third Hokage had begun treating Orochimaru as a potential successor, intentionally or not.
One sentence perfectly summed up Orochimaru's stance: In Konoha Village, he was still the one calling the shots.
Through their combined efforts, the Spirit Transformation Technique had undergone new developments. However, they ultimately took two very different paths. Orochimaru chose partial materialization of his soul, gaining some physical abilities. That way, even if his body was destroyed, his soul could quickly find another host and reincarnate with minimal loss of strength. He named this new jutsu [Living Corpse Reincarnation], which was currently under continuous refinement.
Anya, on the other hand, chose to divide her soul—so even after using the Spirit Transformation Technique, part of her soul would remain inside her physical body, remedying the previously unavoidable flaw of leaving the body uncontrolled. However, splitting one's soul was extremely dangerous and couldn't be sustained for long; otherwise, it easily led to mental instability, causing dissociation and the emergence of a second personality.
Thankfully, with Orochimaru's help, Anya learned of a small incident that occurred during her absence—that Haku, whom she had brought back to Konoha, had tried to escape from prison. She felt touched yet exasperated but managed to calm him just in time. Otherwise, he'd have ended up locked away again too soon.
While deep in research and conducting experiments, Orochimaru suddenly paused mid-movement.
Anya noticed at once. "Uncle, what's wrong?" she asked.
Orochimaru seemed to detect something. He replied, "Someone has come to visit you. They've already opened the first lock."
Anya was instantly startled and immediately prepared to leave. Although a clone could fool distant observers, close contact would certainly expose the ruse.
"Wait," Orochimaru called out, stopping her.
Anya looked at him in confusion.
Orochimaru pulled out a mirror and waved it toward her.
Anya glanced into the mirror. Sharp brows, bright eyes, tall and dignified—it really was her!
Watching her admire herself in the mirror, Orochimaru sneered, "Seriously, have you gotten too comfortable lately? What kind of prisoner looks this good after half a year behind bars?"
"That's it!" A sudden realization hit Anya like a bolt of lightning. It seemed Orochimaru was right—those worry-free days had been too comfortable, dulling even her most basic instincts. Back in the day, she should've noticed something like this right away. Ugh, I've just been too spoiled by Uncle Snake all this time.
After successfully shifting the blame, Anya got straight to work without hesitation. There were plenty of ready-made materials lying around; scavenging from a pile of corpses wasn't hard at all. Soon, she looked like she'd been dragged straight out of a trash heap.
Anya gave her new appearance a quick glance in the mirror and nodded with satisfaction. Then, through a pre-prepared passage, she smoothly swapped places with her clone in an instant.
Footsteps approached from afar. Judging by the sound, two people were coming. Who could they be? Could it possibly be the Third Hokage?
As Anya was speculating, the heavy door opened for the last time. Two unexpected figures appeared before her—Kurenai Yuhi and her father, Red.
The moment Kurenai Yuhi laid eyes on Anya—her white hair disheveled, her body covered in filth, exuding a foul stench—tears the size of beans streamed down her face uncontrollably, and she rushed forward recklessly.
After recovering from her surprise, Anya reflexively dodged.
"Teacher Kurenai Yuhi, don't come closer—I'm really dirty," sighed Anya. If I'd known it was you two, I wouldn't have gone overboard like this. A simple effort would've sufficed.
Unfazed, Kurenai Yuhi rushed forward again and tightly embraced Anya, staring at her intensely with those big, beautiful eyes.
The look in her gaze made Anya slightly reluctant to meet her eyes directly, prompting an inward thought—this girl really has grown up.
Witnessing the scene beside him, Red couldn't help but sigh. Girls grow up too fast. She's not even fully matured yet, and already slipping away.
Wrapped in Kurenai Yuhi's soft embrace, Anya couldn't help but feel awkward. Her dad's right there for crying out loud! She shot him a desperate glance for help.
Red's forehead vein throbbed furiously, nearly tempted to slap Anya across the face—but seeing how pitiful she looked, he managed to restrain himself. Sighing deeply, he said, "Alright then, Kurenai Yuhi, visiting time is limited. Say whatever you need to say quickly."
Earlier, before arriving, Kurenai Yuhi had so many things prepared to say. But now, not a single word came to mind. Instead, her eyes welled up again, clearly overwhelmed with aching concern.
After all, only Anya herself knew how good she'd actually had it. Feeling a pang of guilt inside, she gently patted Kurenai Yuhi's head to comfort her: "It's fine, really. I've got food and shelter, and I'm actually more relaxed than I should be…"
"Don't even try to lie to us," Red cut in. "You've definitely gone through a lot during this time."
Anya was practically at her wit's end, dying to say, "No, really—I've been spoiled rotten!"
Red pulled out some food—and even brought drinks. "Life in prison must be tough. We can only briefly improve your meals during this visit. Don't ever give up hope. Just a little over two years remain—it'll pass quickly. From now on, think twice before acting so impulsively."
With genuine gratitude, Anya replied, "Thank you, Uncle Red."
Kurenai Yuhi, hearing their conversation, suddenly clenched her fist, clearly wanting to punch Anya. But just before impact, she pulled back most of the force, giving Anya's shoulder only a light, playful tap.
Voice trembling with tears, Kurenai said, "It's all your fault! You went around killing people recklessly, and even got Father dragged into it!"
Anya stiffened upon hearing this and immediately turned to look at Red.
Red casually smiled, "I was part of the discussion among the higher-ups about your punishment too. Originally, it was going to be five years, but since you're my subordinate, I naturally share some responsibility for your mistakes. Now that everything's settled, I'm finally free to spend more time with my daughter."
So that's how the three-year punishment came about. How could she ever repay such a debt? In that moment, Anya felt a heavy weight settle deep in her chest.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>