All techniques related to life inevitably obey the law of exchange.
Asking the Shinigami for help is no exception—one must offer their own soul as a sacrifice in exchange for the Shinigami devouring the enemy's soul.
Shinju had remembered that scene from Kushina's memories—the Fourth Hokage sealing the Nine-Tails—and that was what inspired him to improve upon that forbidden jutsu.
In his version, one could sacrifice any nearby soul to summon the Shinigami's intervention...
And any soul devoured by the Shinigami would be eternally trapped within its stomach, never to reincarnate again!
That was the reasoning behind the name Shinju had given to this sealing technique.
Thinking of this, Shinju suddenly realized something—when the Fourth Hokage had used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, he had also sacrificed his own soul to the Shinigami. That meant his soul, too, was still trapped inside the Shinigami's belly, forever unable to move on...
Shinju frowned slightly. "I wonder if there's a way to make the Shinigami spit those souls back out…"
Somewhere in the underworld, the Shinigami suddenly felt a chill in its stomach.
Although Shinju had successfully developed a method to seal the Edo Tensei technique, he still felt it needed improvement.
Summoning the Shinigami every single time to seal one Edo Tensei shinobi—wasn't that too much work for it?
Besides, among Kabuto's Edo Tensei army, there might even be people who once belonged to Konoha. He couldn't possibly have them all trapped forever like that...
"Looks like I'll need to come up with a new approach…"
...
Inside Akatsuki's secret base, Kabuto's eyes shot open in panic.
"Too terrifying! That Shinju guy actually used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to seal Edo Tensei shinobi!"
"Has he lost his mind?!ヽ( ຶ▮ ຶ)ﾉ!!!"
"No… wait. Shinju wouldn't do something that foolish…"
"Forget it. Whatever. At least we've found their current hideout now!վ--0027ᴗ--0027 ի"
...
Kumogakure.
The Raikage, supreme commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces, gave his orders:
"Commando Division, First, Second, and Fifth Divisions—move out! Wipe out all remaining Akatsuki cells across the nations in one strike!"
"Third Division, assist the Sensory Ninja Unit in locating Akatsuki's main headquarters!"
"Fourth Division, remain at base and stay on standby!"
"Every division—protect your communication and intelligence ninjas at all costs. As long as they remain alive, I can maintain real-time contact with you all!"
The voices of countless shinobi echoed in unison, shaking the very skies.
"Understood!!!"
Soon, the divisions set out. The Raikage, Hokage, and others stayed in the command center, coordinating the operation through real-time intelligence reports.
...
Deep within a dense forest, Hyuga Tokuma and Aburame Muta were sprinting desperately, having discovered the location of Akatsuki's base!
Behind them, not far away, a group of figures followed relentlessly, showing no sign of exhaustion!
Tokuma was panting heavily.
The Hyuga clan were skilled in taijutsu, and their physical endurance was greater than most—but even they couldn't keep running for several days straight.
"Don't those guys ever get tired?" Tokuma muttered. "They've been chasing us nonstop without resting once!"
Aburame Muta replied, "My insects tell me the chakra inside them is… strange. Didn't you notice the cracks on their faces?"
Tokuma groaned. "I've been too busy running for my life to look at their faces!"
"Enough talking. Save your breath—we have to get this intel out!"
Behind them, the pursuing group of shinobi—all with different appearances—were equally confused.
Among them was someone Shinju had once fought against: Haku.
"I clearly remember dying on that bridge," Haku murmured, frowning. "So how did I suddenly wake up here… and why can't I control my body?"
A nearby shinobi with a wild afro said, "Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing."
An older ninja among them spoke up, sounding weary.
"Most likely, we've been brought back with Edo Tensei. That's a forbidden jutsu developed by the Second Hokage of Konoha. Whoever performed it must have revived us. Can't even rest in peace these days…"
Haku nodded slightly.
"Yes… this feeling—having consciousness but not control over my own body—it's unbearable."
After a pause, he muttered softly, "I wonder if Zabuza-sama survived back then… how he's doing now…"
Even as they talked, the Edo Tensei squad never slowed down.
Their relentless pursuit was closing the distance by the second.
Some of them, realizing they were being controlled to do evil, shouted out loudly on purpose:
"Hey, you two Konoha shinobi ahead! Run faster!"
"Otherwise, we're gonna catch up to you!"
But to his shock, the moment he yelled that, the two ahead actually stopped!
"What? They're not running anymore? Planning to just surrender? (￢‸￢) ?"
"Something's off," said the afro-haired ninja. "Looks like someone's blocking their path."
Before they could even finish speaking, the Edo Tensei squad caught up to Tokuma and Muta—and finally saw the figure standing before them.
When Haku saw the man's face clearly, his pupils trembled violently.
"Zabuza-sama…?"
"What are you doing here! (⊙o⊙)"
The man before them had bandages wrapped around his face, the massive blade resting on his back, and that same cold expression he always wore.
After Haku's death all those years ago, Zabuza had found his purpose in life shattered.
His ideals no longer mattered.
He drifted aimlessly, surviving on low-level assassination missions just to get by.
Until he heard of Shinju—a shinobi with Wood Release—making waves across the ninja world.
Then came the endless stream of news about Konoha's rising geniuses.
Shinju wasn't really his enemy, but Zabuza needed something to live for again.
So he decided to train harder than ever—so he could one day assassinate Shinju.
Unfortunately, Shinju, with his Flying Thunder God, was almost impossible to catch. He moved unpredictably, and Zabuza never found the chance to strike.
When the Fourth Great Ninja War broke out and the Allied Forces were formed, Zabuza heard rumors that Shinju was hidden somewhere—and once again set out to find him.
He hadn't expected to encounter two fleeing Konoha shinobi… and Haku among their pursuers!
When he saw Haku again, Zabuza's face stayed calm, but his heart thundered inside his chest.
"Haku… all these years, where have you been?" His voice was hoarse and trembling.
Haku shook his head. "I don't know either. It felt like I just fell asleep… and when I woke up, I was here."
"But my body isn't under my control anymore."
"Zabuza-sama, you need to leave—quickly!"
...
Inside the Akatsuki secret base, Kabuto's smirk widened.
"Looks like keeping their consciousness intact really paid off," he chuckled. "Otherwise, I'd never get to watch touching little reunions like this one. •ᴗ•"
"Shame I can only control their bodies, not their mouths…"
...
In the forest, Zabuza slowly lifted his Executioner's Blade.
"Tell me," he asked, voice low and dangerous, "who's controlling you?"
"Give me his name… and I'll set you free right now."
...
A few hundred meters away, Kakashi—leading the Third Division—squinted toward the distant scene, puzzled.
"Huh? Why do those people look kind of familiar? (´°Δ°`)"