Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 361: White Zetsu

Uesugi Min was silent for a moment, then immediately broke into a smile.

"It’s okay, being able to see everyone again, being able to talk with everyone again, I’m already very satisfied."

Her gaze swept across the group, then suddenly paused.

"Asuma... how is he?"

Nonō, Yumi, and Ayumi exchanged glances, all showing teasing smiles.

"Oh my, just after being revived and you’re already anxious to find your boyfriend?"

Yumi teased.

Ayumi also covered her mouth with a light laugh.

"Sister Min still likes Asuma this much."

Uesugi Min hurriedly said, "I... I was just asking..."

"Don’t worry."

Nonō said with a gentle smile.

"Asuma is fine. Not long after the Danzo incident, he left Konoha. Now he’s serving as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja at the Land of Fire’s Daimyo’s residence."

"I heard he’s doing quite well; the Daimyo thinks highly of him."

Uesugi Min sighed with relief, but a flicker of loss passed through her eyes.

Sora saw through her thoughts and spoke up.

"No rush. Once your condition here stabilizes, I’ll have a snake from Ryūchi Cave send a message to Asuma."

"The most important thing now is your body."

He carefully examined her reincarnated body, his mind working rapidly.

Although the Impure World Reincarnation allows the dead to return, it isn’t true resurrection after all.

He planned to clone a perfect body suitable for Uesugi Min.

This body could be based on Min’s original cells, then optimized by incorporating cells from some excellent bloodline limits.

Or, simply using a White Zetsu would work.

A White Zetsu’s body is an excellent vessel—a special life-form cultivated from the Divine Tree, possessing extremely strong compatibility, capable of even bearing Uchiha Madara’s Rinnegan.

’If I could capture a White Zetsu, use its body as a base, and then integrate Min’s own cells for modification, I might be able to create a body even superior to her original one.’

’Perfect timing. That guy Obito is definitely monitoring Ryūgakure; there are bound to be White Zetsu active nearby.’

Having thought it through, Sora addressed the group.

"Min, first get accustomed to that body. Kabuto will teach you how to control the power of the Impure World Reincarnation."

"Sister, Ichirō, you two look after her."

"I’m going out to handle something. I’ll be back soon."

Nonō nodded.

"Don’t worry."

Though Uesugi Min was curious, she didn’t ask further, simply nodding obediently.

"Okay, Sora, be careful."

...

Outside Ryūgakure.

Sora stood atop a giant tree, his eyes slightly closed, his sensory ability quietly spreading outwards.

The Azure Dragon Fruit granted him not only immense physical strength but also sensory capabilities far beyond ordinary people—especially the perception of "life force."

In his full beast form, he could even sense life fluctuations dozens of kilometers away.

Although he was in human form now, his sensory range was still sufficient to cover the entire Ryūgakure and its surrounding areas.

"The wind will tell me everything..."

Sora murmured to himself, his perception rapidly expanding.

Soon after, his brow slightly raised.

Underground.

Approximately sixty meters beneath the surface, there were three extremely faint, yet uniquely distinctive life forces.

They were almost completely merged with the earth; if Sora’s perception weren’t sharp enough, he wouldn’t have noticed them at all.

Moreover, the "texture" of these three life forces was strange—not as vivid as ordinary creatures, but instead carrying a hollow, camouflaged feeling.

"Found you."

Sora opened his eyes, a cold smile curling on his lips.

"Three of them... Obito really is on guard against me."

"Well, the more there are, the more experimental material I have."

Sora formed hand seals.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Bang! Bang!

Two shadow clones appeared beside him.

"Number one, go to the one in the east. Number two, take the west. I’ll handle the middle one."

Sora assigned the tasks simply.

"Remember, capture them alive, and subdue them instantly. Don’t give them any chance to send a message."

"Understood."

The two shadow clones nodded, then vanished into the forest as afterimages.

Sora himself entered a semi-beast form and silently infiltrated underground.

Sixty meters underground.

A White Zetsu was idly staying in the small space it had carved out, its body half-buried in the soil, only half its head exposed.

"Ahh, I really want to go up to the surface and sunbathe..."

The White Zetsu thought to itself.

But Lord Madara’s orders had to be obeyed.

Just as it was lost in thought, suddenly, the surrounding soil hardened without warning!

"Wha—"

The White Zetsu was startled and tried to break free, but found it couldn’t move at all!

The soil had transformed into solid rock, firmly imprisoning it, leaving only its head exposed.

Immediately after, a hand covered in azure dragon scales reached out from the rock wall and precisely pressed against its forehead.

"Sleep."

Sora’s voice sounded in its ear.

A powerful surge of draconic might slammed into the White Zetsu’s consciousness. Before it could even process what was happening, it lost consciousness instantly.

Sora extracted the unconscious White Zetsu from the rock and sealed it within a scroll.

"Got it."

Sora returned to the surface, where the other two shadow clones also returned with their sealed scrolls.

Sora looked at the three scrolls and nodded with satisfaction.

...

Inside the laboratory.

Kabuto was explaining the characteristics of the Impure World Reincarnation body to Uesugi Min, with Nonō and the others listening nearby.

Seeing Sora return so quickly, and carrying three sealed scrolls, everyone was somewhat surprised.

"Sora-nii, these are..." Kabuto pushed up his glasses.

"Experimental materials."

Sora placed the scrolls on the laboratory table and unsealed one of them.

Bang!

As the white smoke cleared, the unconscious White Zetsu appeared before everyone.

"This is... a person?"

Yumi curiously leaned in to observe, then frowned.

"No, it feels strange..."

"It’s called a White Zetsu, a special type of life-form."

Sora explained simply.

"Its body has extremely strong compatibility, making it very suitable as a sacrifice for the Impure World Reincarnation."

"Kabuto, your task from now on is to research the White Zetsu and see if it can be fused with Min’s original cells to create a more suitable body."

Kabuto’s eyes lit up—as a researcher, he was most interested in this kind of unknown biological material.

"Understood. I’ll start the research immediately."

"But what about Sister Min for now..."

"Let’s not rush that first."

Sora looked at Uesugi Min.

"Min, for the time being, use the Impure World Reincarnation body to adapt. Once Kabuto’s research makes progress, we’ll consider the body replacement."

"Besides, the Impure World Reincarnation state has its benefits—unlimited chakra and automatic regeneration. You can take this time to train properly and improve your strength."

Uesugi Min was the person with the highest ninja talent among the orphanage group besides Sora. She had already been close to jōnin level at the time of her death. Sora estimated that she could at least become a Tokubetsu Jōnin, and might become even stronger after switching bodies later.

Uesugi Min nodded seriously.

"Okay, I will."

She looked at the unconscious White Zetsu, a complex expression flashing in her eyes, but it quickly steadied.

Being able to have a chance at true resurrection, to possess a flesh-and-blood body again, to live together with the people she cared about...

That was enough.