Chapter 181 - Establishing the Research Department
No matter what Uchiha Fugaku was thinking, Senju Tobirama walked straight into the office.
"Granduncle… is that really you?"
Tsunade stood frozen in place, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears. Her voice trembled with hope and uncertainty.
"Little Tsunade, you've grown up so much."
As he walked up to her, Tobirama's icy expression gradually softened. He placed his left hand gently on her head, his stern features relaxing.
But when his gaze landed on Sarutobi Hiruzen—who stood nearby, head bowed and face full of guilt—Tobirama's gentleness vanished. His brows furrowed sharply.
"Monkey, Konoha has truly 'flourished' under your leadership. Don't leave after the meeting. We have things to discuss."
After that, he glanced coldly at Uchiha Fugaku, then sat beside Tsunade.
Tobirama's calm demeanor left Kazane a bit disappointed. He had expected Tobirama to storm in and hold Hiruzen accountable. He was looking forward to some fireworks. But instead, Tobirama just sat down without making a scene—a letdown, honestly.
At that moment, Orochimaru also took his seat. Once he confirmed everyone was present, he announced the start of the meeting.
"There are three items on today's agenda."
"First, congratulations to the Second Hokage on his resurrection!"
"Second, we'll address Uchiha Obito's defection."
"Third, I propose the establishment of a new division outside Konoha's six existing departments: the Konoha Research Department. In addition, we plan to create a dedicated research class in the Ninja Academy, co-taught by myself and the Second Hokage."
"That concludes the agenda. If anyone has questions, now is the time."
The topic of Obito's defection had already been discussed privately between Orochimaru and Kazane. Bringing it up at the meeting was a step toward clearing Obito's name.
As for the research department, it was something Orochimaru and Kazane had discussed back when Orochimaru became Hokage. At the time, however, they didn't move forward due to lack of results and the fact that Orochimaru was the only one truly capable of such research.
Now, with Tobirama's resurrection and Kabuto having trained under them for a year and gained the ability to conduct independent experiments, Orochimaru finally decided to make the proposal.
Tobirama's sudden reappearance cast an awkward tension over the room.
Hiruzen felt especially conflicted—torn between fear and excitement.
Unlike Minato and Fugaku, who had already seen Tobirama in his Edo Tensei state and were somewhat mentally prepared, Hiruzen had no warning whatsoever.
Tobirama's return was a shock he never anticipated. He knew very well the role he played in the downfall of the Uzumaki clan and the near extinction of the Senju—leaving only Tsunade alive.
Now that Tobirama had returned, if he came to settle old scores, Hiruzen feared he wouldn't get through this unscathed.
Still, he had made up his mind: blame everything on Danzo. By the time he had discovered it, it was already too late.
At the same time, Hiruzen was genuinely excited by Tobirama's return.
If the dead could be resurrected, then could immortality and even reversing aging be within reach?
Among everyone in the room, only Tobirama was older than Hiruzen.
Though ninja bodies are far sturdier than civilians', the constant training and battles take a toll. Dark injuries accumulate, and their bodies often age faster than normal.
Hiruzen was over forty now—past his prime—and could feel his decline.
Of all those present, he was the one most eager for Orochimaru's research to succeed.
π_π
Sigh… the midlife struggle is real!
"Lord Orochimaru, have you truly developed a jutsu that can resurrect the dead?"
Suddenly, Fugaku stood up. His dreams had been shattered, and now the person he least wanted to see had reappeared. Emotionally shaken, his usual respectful tone toward Orochimaru slipped.
For Fugaku, today's events were beyond belief.
If things really went that way, not only would Orochimaru remain Hokage permanently, but a fully revived Senju clan could once again suppress the Uchiha.
Tsunade, too, looked toward Orochimaru with trembling hope, her thoughts filled with memories of Dan and Nawaki.
If resurrection was truly possible, didn't that mean Dan and Nawaki could return too?
"I'm afraid true resurrection is still impossible."
Orochimaru remained calm, offering the answer they were most desperate to hear.
All eyes turned toward Tobirama, seated beside Tsunade and doubt filled the room.
If resurrection was impossible, then what was Tobirama?
Without stalling, Orochimaru explained, "The Second Hokage hasn't truly been resurrected. His current body carries only a conscious imprint of his chakra—not his soul."
"He once invented a forbidden jutsu that could attach a deceased soul to a living body through a special ritual. I used that jutsu to summon his soul from the underworld. Over the past year, he and I developed another forbidden technique."
"One that allows a living soul to be transferred into another living body—essentially continuing life in a new vessel. We call it the 'Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique. We tried combining both forbidden arts in an attempt to truly resurrect the dead—but all attempts failed. When a soul is transferred to a new body, it must first overpower the host's original soul. Only an overwhelmingly powerful soul can succeed."
"Next, the new body must adapt to the transferred soul. Unfortunately, no matter how refined the body is, it still decays. Only the soul can live on. Even if the host's soul is erased, the new soul often struggles to fully integrate with the body. This resistance accelerates the body's decay and drains the soul. Worse yet, deceased souls carry a trace of the underworld's aura, which further speeds up decay."
"We tried everything, but none of the revived souls could last more than a day in their new bodies. Many souls were completely destroyed during repeated reincarnation attempts and could never be summoned again. But the Second Hokage was different. He voluntarily split his soul, discarding most of the underworld-tainted part. By wrapping his consciousness in his chakra and using Edo Tensei, we barely managed to rehouse his awareness in a new body."
"However, this is a one-off case. We tried duplicating the process 21 times—all failed. The souls involved were irreversibly erased."
What Orochimaru didn't reveal was that if the new body had no soul and was highly compatible with the original one, the soul transfer wouldn't cause much harm.
That was his next research topic—cloning technology.
Fugaku's tense expression finally eased a bit after hearing the explanation. Relief flickered in his heart: Good. So mass resurrection isn't possible.
But then it hit him—Orochimaru had mentioned soul immortality and transferring a living soul into a new vessel.
He wasn't a fool. He knew exactly what that meant.
His voice trembled as he asked, "Lord Hokage… does this mean that, through Living Corpse Reincarnation, a powerful soul—say, an elderly person's—could inhabit a new, young body?"
Fugaku had hit the mark, and Orochimaru couldn't help but smile with pride.
His eyes narrowed in delight, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips.
"Exactly, Elder Fugaku. That is the core of our research this past year. Though the technique has flaws and can't enable endless reincarnation, it can still grant us lifespans many times longer than normal."
"And we're still refining it. With the new research department, I believe we'll soon achieve seamless reincarnation."
Fugaku, however, heard none of Orochimaru's follow-up.
As soon as Orochimaru confirmed his fears, he mentally shut down.
He sat back in his chair, stunned—lost, as if all meaning had been drained from his life.
Oblivious, Orochimaru continued speaking passionately.
"With the founding of the research division, I foresee a future where Konoha… humanity… will use our tools to soar into the skies…"
"We will communicate across thousands of miles… scientific ninja will change the world…"
Fugaku heard none of it—only nodded mechanically along with the crowd.
In the end, everyone approved appointing Tobirama as the head of the Research Department. A dedicated research tower would be built behind the village for the team.
The meeting finally concluded.
Fugaku forgot all about inviting Kazane to his home, staggering out of the Hokage building in a daze.
Just earlier, the sky had been bright and clear, but now it was raining lightly.
Raindrops fell on his head and shoulders. A chill blew in with the breeze.
He tilted his face upward, eyes closed, catching the rain with his face, and tasting it with his tongue.
What should have been a refreshing drizzle tasted bitter in his mouth.
---
After the meeting, Hiruzen was taken to the Senju estate by Tobirama. Orochimaru, meanwhile, asked Kazane to stay behind.
"Kazane, I need you to find this person."
Orochimaru pulled a scroll from his mouth, unsealed it, and handed Kazane a drawing.
"This is?"
Kazane looked at the portrait. It was of a boy around his age—someone who looked oddly familiar.
Kazane understood Orochimaru well. Only people or things of true importance were stored in scrolls and kept in Orochimaru's mouth.
"His name is Hiruko. He was once a friend of mine. Later, he was declared a rogue for experimenting with forbidden jutsu and marked for execution by Sensei Hiruzen."
"Tsunade, Jiraiya, and I were assigned to the mission—but due to a moment's carelessness, he escaped. He became a Jonin years ago and even created a forbidden jutsu. He's not someone ordinary ninja can handle."
"But now Konoha's Research Department needs him. He can return. So Kazane, I want you to bring him back safely."
Orochimaru brushed back his long hair and stared into the distance with a nostalgic look, clearly recalling old memories.
In truth, Orochimaru had helped Hiruko escape back then.
The two of them were, in many ways, the same kind of people.
Orochimaru just hadn't begun his own research yet at the time.
Hearing the name, Kazane remembered who it was.
Another lunatic—with a gift for jutsu development and the will to transform himself into something inhuman.
Such a pity. He tried so hard, only to die due to a plot armor event involving the protagonist.
"Understood, Lord Orochimaru. Leave it to me."
Since Orochimaru said so, Kazane naturally agreed.
It was a great chance to travel with Kurenai for a while—some peaceful time without little Anko tagging along.
As for Anko, she could stay with Tsunade for now. Duty comes first, after all.
---
After parting ways with Orochimaru, Kazane went straight to the ANBU.
After all, Hiruko had been hiding for years, and a decades-old photo wasn't going to be enough to find him.
But some things are best left to professionals.
As the ANBU Commander, Kazane knew exactly how much power this shadowy organization wielded.
No matter how deep Hiruko was hiding, as long as he was still in the Land of Fire, ANBU would find him. Even if he had fled to another nation, as long as he wasn't living like a wild man on an isolated island, it was only a matter of time.
---
Uchiha Clan
A ninja's body heals faster than any civilian could imagine. Within a week, Uchiha Mikoto was already back on her feet, caring for little Sasuke as though nothing had happened, and pregnancy was of little concern.
Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by thunder rumbling into the house.
The loud boom startled baby Sasuke, who had just fallen asleep in Mikoto's arms. He immediately burst into tears.
Waaah! Waaah! Waaah!
In the quiet Uchiha estate, the cries of a baby echoed loud and clear.
Not far away, in the clan shrine, Uchiha Fugaku had once again convened a clan meeting.