"Nawaki?!"
Orochimaru's pupils dilated as he stared intently at the figure inside the building known as the Third Division barracks.
Brown short hair, two prominent red cheek markings.
Who else could this be but Nawaki?
As Tsunade's peer and Nawaki's teacher, he was certain he wouldn't mistake Nawaki's appearance.
But... wasn't Nawaki already dead?
Right before his eyes, he had personally witnessed Nawaki stepping into an enemy trap and being blown to death by countless exploding tags!
Then... who is this person in front of him? Is it really Nawaki?
He recalled that Tsunade had previously heard Nawaki's voice and even wanted to come to the Uzushigakure. Only now did he realize that Tsunade really hadn't misheard!
Nawaki truly was here!
Suddenly, his heart jumped.
He remembered the Rukongai that the woman beside him had introduced earlier.
Before seeing Nawaki, Orochimaru had thought she was definitely misleading him.
But now... Orochimaru's heart sank. A dwelling place for ghosts... This was actually real!
Does that mean all the residents he saw earlier were also ghosts?!
Do people from the Ninja World come to the Rukongai in the Uzushigakure after death?
Orochimaru took a deep breath and asked, "Lieutenant Nemu, do you know the name of that young man over there?"
Nemu looked over and hesitated, saying, "That should be... Senju Nawaki?"
Sure enough!
Orochimaru's heart trembled.
His entire body suddenly began to shake slightly with excitement.
Nawaki wasn't dead!
No, Nawaki had died, but he began a new life in the Uzushigakure in the state of a ghost!
But what excited him the most was that he seemed to have glimpsed a secret of the Uzushigakure!
Although Nawaki is currently in the state of a ghost, it is clear that he has become a member of the Third Division.
In other words, the Souls here all possess the qualification to become Shinigami!
So, could all the Shinigami of the Uzushigakure actually be composed of deceased people?
The Uzushigakure grants new life to the dead and bestows them with new power, allowing them to fight for the Uzushigakure!
In this way, the sudden rise of the Uzushigakure after its destruction becomes perfectly logical!
Because they never truly died!
Orochimaru took a deep look at Nawaki, who was talking to his sword, and then followed Nemu's steps.
He did not hastily speak to Nawaki.
This was the Uzushigakure' territory after all, and without the owner's permission, he would not do anything out of line.
Moreover, he was here as Konoha's envoy this time to discuss the matter of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
He couldn't do anything superfluous, lest he ruin Konoha's important mission.
But the discovery in the Uzushigakure still made his heart race.
He even wondered, since people become ghosts and come to the Uzushigakure after death, should he try killing himself when he returns to Konoha?
He was truly curious about the difference between himself in his Soul state and his current state.
Plus, he might even be able to enroll in Soul Reaper Academy, learn those Unmarked Ninjutsu, and obtain one of those magical swords.
But in the end, it was just a thought.
What puzzled him was, since Nawaki hadn't truly died in the sense of ceasing to exist, why hadn't he returned to Konoha?
Why hadn't he even gone back to see Tsunade?
He buried this doubt deep in his heart.
Since Nawaki was living well here, there was no need to dwell on these matters.
However, if he were to tell Tsunade about Nawaki when he returned to Konoha, she would probably rush to the Uzushigakure like a madwoman.
But that wouldn't be his concern.
Soon, led by Nemu, the two arrived at a highly futuristic-looking gate.
Nemu introduced, "This is the Technical Development Bureau. It's used to develop Shinigami abilities, research Souls and Hollows, and develop various inventive tools."
Orochimaru's eyes lit up. Wasn't this Konoha's Research Institute?
Ever since he personally witnessed Nawaki's death, Orochimaru had been interested in starting research into life-extension techniques.
Soul was one of the research directions he had considered.
However, he had always been tied down by the war in the Amegakure, so he hadn't yet been able to act.
He hadn't expected the Uzushigakure to start research concerning Souls before him.
Furthermore, as the Uzushigakure—which can allow Souls to remain and enable them to become Shinigami—...
Evidently, their research into the Soul would be even more profound!
Perhaps they already had relevant research results!
Unfortunately, he would never see such research results.
Nemu suddenly said, "Do you want to go in and take a look?"
Orochimaru's eyes slightly opened, and he fell silent.
Such an important place, and they would actually allow an outsider like him to visit?
His first thought was to suspect the Uzushigakure's motives.
However, his thirst for knowledge still made him unable to resist.
"Is that allowed?"
Nemu's expression remained unchanged, and she calmly said, "Please come in."
The gate opened, and suddenly, a vast expanse was revealed.
Researchers in white coats walked back and forth inside.
The entire Technical Development Bureau had a sense of sci-fi that was out of place in the Ninja World.
There were even many pieces of equipment that Orochimaru had never seen before.
Nemu casually took him on a tour.
Of course, some important areas were not shown to Orochimaru.
But Orochimaru still widened his eyes, watching with great interest.
Although he didn't understand what a large portion of it was used for, he did have some understanding of certain things.
For example, in a certain laboratory, there was research on cloning life.
This research made him clench his hands in excitement.
There was also equipment that could explore the Ninja World through a screen.
The screen showed the battle between the monsters called Hollow and the Cloud Ninja in the Land of Lightning.
When Orochimaru emerged from the Technical Development Bureau, he felt a sense of loss.
The Uzushigakure seemed to exist in a different world from the rest of the Ninja World.
Even Konoha, which prided itself as the strongest Shinobi village in the Ninja World, couldn't even compare.
Every single thing there deeply attracted him.
Especially the mysteries of the Soul!
But... Orochimaru took a deep breath, calming his fervent heart.
He was still a person of Konoha, and a Disciple personally trained by his teacher Sarutobi. He could not betray his teacher Sarutobi's trust.
After touring the Soul Society Court for a while, Nemu finally led Orochimaru to the tall building he had looked up at when he first arrived.
Thirteenth Division Headquarters Building!
Nemu said, "Come, let's go together to meet Lord Soul King."
Orochimaru's heart sank, feeling a little nervous.
----------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 new chapters on Patreon!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out.
Your support truly means a lot to me!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
Thank you so much for being here!
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!