After both sides—mainly Sasori—had calmed down, Aizen spoke, "We're all members of the organization. Let's not damage our harmony."
"The organization?" Sasori glanced at the four of them, knowing full well that such people didn't exist within the Akatsuki. "You're referring to that Akatsuki organization you invited me to join? These few don't look too bright!"
Upon hearing this, Masahide and the others felt quite displeased.
"How can you speak like that to your elders?"
"You dare talk to your own ancestors like that?"
Aizen coughed lightly. "People from the Uzumaki clan tend to be pretty blunt."
"The Uzumaki clan?" Sasori turned his head, looking toward the four as he asked, "You mean that clan wiped out for their sealing techniques?"
Ichiro sighed bitterly. "Yes, we're Uzumaki too!"
Sasori replied coldly, "Don't associate me with you people!"
"If I may ask, do you bear the name Uzumaki? Or do any of your elders carry that surname?" Masahide inquired.
Sasori answered indifferently, "No."
"You idiot! Haven't they already said the Uzumaki were wiped out? Who among those who survived would dare use their real names? You should've asked differently!" Chiyuki scolded him before grinning slyly, "So, among your immediate family, is there anyone else with red hair like you?"
"Red hair?" Sasori frowned. "My father had red hair."
Chiyuki grew excited. "That settles it! You must definitely belong to our Uzumaki clan!"
"Because I have red hair, I'm part of your clan?" Sasori mocked. "In that case, I can recommend someone to you. The Kazekage of Sunagakure and his youngest son also have red hair."
"That's different." Chiyuki replied sheepishly. "You can generate massive chakra with only a piece of flesh left, and even after turning yourself into a puppet, you're still alive. That's definitely a sign of extraordinary vitality!"
"Enough!" Sasori interrupted. "I've already abandoned the part of myself that was human. Whether I'm an Uzumaki or not has nothing to do with me anymore!"
Seeing they were about to say more, Aizen spoke up, "Since Sasori doesn't want to discuss this, you don't need to press him. Besides, I didn't summon you all here just for family reunions."
Upon hearing Aizen speak, the four immediately quieted down.
Although Aizen usually seemed quite approachable, when he got serious, he could be truly intimidating!
Especially for spirits like them—rootless souls—the pressure they felt in his presence was overwhelming!
Seeing the group had quieted, Aizen pointed to the puppets beside him. "These puppets are prepared for you. Go inside and take a look."
"Puppets? What use could they be to us?"
"We probably can't even control them, right?"
Despite their confusion, none of them dared question Aizen's orders, each entering one of the puppets.
In the next moment, the puppets sat upright on their beds, voices filled with astonished amazement.
"Incredible! It's a perfect fit! How is this possible?"
"It feels just like a real human body—but no, this body suits us even better than a human one!"
"That's right. We can't feel even the slightest resistance!"
"Because they're puppets, there's naturally no rejection between soul and vessel. Even more cleverly, the puppets given life by the Great Tenseigan are essentially a form of life—conscious beings without souls!
Why couldn't the human puppets created by Sasori work? Because they were lifeless objects, like walls. Souls would simply pass through them instead of fusing with them!
After all, souls themselves are intangible. Only living beings can serve as the ideal vessels for souls!
'It's incredible! Who would've believed we'd ever regain physical forms again!'
'Actually giving life to puppets! What terrifying power!'
As the four expressed their shock, their respect for the mysterious Aizen deepened even further.
Watching their stunned expressions, Sasori's normally composed heart stirred with emotion.
"Their souls... can they truly remain in this world forever?"
Aizen gave a gentle nod. "In theory, yes."
Taking a deep breath, Sasori continued, "The Second Hokage of Konoha once developed a kinjutsu called [Impure World Reincarnation] that summons the souls of the dead back to this world, granting them immortal bodies... However, this technique actually has a flaw. The sacrifice must be alive before the jutsu is cast since it needs a living body to contain the soul. But when the soul is summoned, the sacrifice dies. Only through a special technique can the soul be 'pinned' to the corpse. Before long, the summoned soul will return to the underworld anyway."
Aizen smiled. "You, a rogue ninja from Sunagakure, know so much about Konoha's forbidden techniques. It seems you've had similar ideas yourself."
Sasori didn't bother to defend himself, simply continuing, "Only living beings can serve as soul vessels. Although the Second Hokage brilliantly developed [Impure World Reincarnation] using live sacrifices, its limitations are great. It's only suitable as a consumable in war. To permanently resurrect the dead is simply impossible! But now, seeing them has given me a new idea—what if we used these puppets that exist between life and puppetry as sacrifices?"
"In theory, it's feasible!"
"What? Really possible?"
Seeing Sasori's usually indifferent eyes burning with intensity, Aizen smiled. "I also know something about the [Impure World Reincarnation] technique. The reason summoned souls can't stay long in this world is mainly because their vessels—those sacrificed—eventually die. However, these puppets have life granted by special abilities. Even if you put a soul inside them, it wouldn't destroy the puppets!"
"Incredible! It's actually possible!" Sasori whispered, awestruck.
It wasn't just him. Even the four Uzumaki ninja beside them had shining eyes.
"Does this mean we can resurrect the dead at will?"
"Can our Uzumaki clan achieve revival through this method?"
"Revival? Don't fool yourself!" Aizen shook his head. "First of all, this isn't truly resurrection—it's merely allowing souls to permanently reside in this world. They can't reproduce at all. Furthermore, do you really think the underworld has no guardians? Using this tricky method to steal souls is fine when the numbers aren't large and the power isn't strong. However, once certain limits are breached, even I would encounter trouble!"
After hearing Aizen's explanation, the four of them exchanged uneasy glances.
"Oh, that's why! I was thinking, resurrection couldn't possibly be this easy!"
"Wait, does the Underworld really have Shinigami guarding it?"
"Hold on—doesn't our Dead Demon Consuming Seal intercept a lot of souls bound for the Underworld?"
"Uh-oh… Could the Underworld guardian be waiting for us?"
Aizen muttered quietly to himself, "Scared now? Where was that fear earlier?"
Though it was just a wild guess, he had always suspected that Hagoromo might have played a role in the Uzumaki clan's downfall.
The reason was simple—it had clearly stepped on Hagoromo's sacred ground.
<><><><><><><><>
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
<><><><><><><><>