The three-year reincarnation period.
This didn't mean that the new body could only last for three years. Rather, it meant that after Orochimaru switched to a new body, he couldn't switch again for at least three years. Whether due to physical limitations or spiritual obstacles, the three-year term referred to the minimum interval between transfers, not the maximum limit of the body's lifespan.
In other words, as long as Orochimaru was willing...
The body he transferred into could be used indefinitely.
As long as no accidents occurred.
But clearly, an accident had occurred now.
The damage inflicted by the Dead Demon Consuming Seal far exceeded imagination. Initially, it seemed to be just the loss of his arms, but through subsequent sensations and experiments, Orochimaru could clearly feel his current body being corroded by a special power spreading from his arms. once it spread to his entire body, the vessel would naturally be destroyed. Before that happened, Orochimaru had to transfer his "soul" out in advance.
Otherwise, he would perish along with the body.
This was exactly why Orochimaru had been so ecstatic when he learned the true solution to the Dead Demon Consuming Seal from Menma, and why he couldn't resist seeking out Tsunade—it was no longer just a matter of his hands.
Unfortunately, Tsunade had rejected him. The "method" Menma provided hadn't undergone systematic and complete testing, and no accurate intelligence had come from the Hidden Leaf yet. Naturally, Orochimaru had no way to proceed.
So, to solve the severe problem caused by this jutsu...
There was only one option left for Orochimaru to consider.
That was to use the Living Corpse Reincarnation again to switch to a new body. If everything went smoothly and no errors occurred, the new body would allow him to temporarily escape the influence of the jutsu. Even his sealed arms could be "restored to their original state"!
But this would inevitably be only "temporary"!
Because Orochimaru's true "soul of his arms" was already inside the belly of the Death God.
In the end, he would definitely have to return to the true solution provided by Menma.
But for now, Orochimaru had to rely on the Living Corpse Reincarnation to extend his life.
"Now? Orochimaru-sama, Sasuke Uchiha is estimated to arrive in just two or three days. With Menma-kun moving out, there shouldn't be any major problems, right?"
As Orochimaru's most trusted subordinate, Kabuto Yakushi knew better than anyone how much his master craved Sasuke Uchiha's body and yearned for the power of the Sharingan.
To finally have a chance to obtain a legitimate Uchiha bloodline...
Was he just going to let it go like this?
Kabuto expressed that he couldn't understand.
"Kabuto, do you think my body can hold out any longer? If not for avoiding Menma's detection, I would have wanted to switch bodies days ago. The corrosive nature of this jutsu far exceeds my expectations. Cough, cough..."
Orochimaru shook his head lightly, speaking in a very weak tone.
This was the most wretched state Orochimaru had been in since defecting from the Hidden Leaf—the last time being when he was instantly defeated by Itachi Uchiha.
"Yes, I understand, Orochimaru-sama. I will make preparations immediately."
Kabuto wasn't the one suffering, after all. Even with instruments to monitor the condition, he couldn't perfectly empathize with Orochimaru's feelings. But Orochimaru's orders were absolute.
After bowing and responding, Kabuto turned directly to make the final preparations for Orochimaru's reincarnation.
'The Sharingan... now is not the time. Now is not the time. But, one day... Heh heh. Itachi-kun, whether it's you or Sasuke-kun, everything about you will belong to me. It will definitely belong to me!!'
A look of ultimate madness surfaced in Orochimaru's sickly snake eyes at that moment.
Menma set out; Orochimaru switched bodies.
Different actions unfolded simultaneously.
---
At the same time.
From the Hidden Leaf Village all the way to the westernmost border of the Land of Fire, the squad led by Naruto was engaged in the fiercest of pursuits with the Sound Four.
Under the interference of other Leaf ninja using various methods ahead of them...
A journey that should have taken less than two days at most...
Had been forcibly extended by nearly a third of the distance.
Furthermore, they encountered resistance from garrison ninja in certain places. Although several ordinary Leaf Chunin and Genin died in battle, the time delayed...
Had bought Naruto and Shikamaru's pursuit squad the most critical time.
After spending a little over a day on the chase...
Naruto finally caught up to the Sound Four who had taken Sasuke.
"You bastards! Give Sasuke back to me!"
Seeing the Sound Four speeding ahead from a great distance, Naruto immediately roared.
A powerful chakra aura, far exceeding that of an ordinary Chunin, erupted from his body.
It directly attracted the attention of the Sound Four at the front.
"Hmph. More pursuers? Truly a bunch of reckless fools who don't know when to die!"
Tayuya, the only female among the Sound Four, glanced at Naruto's group hundreds of meters away, her pupils revealing a look of disdain.
The strength of the Sound Four in their base state already surpassed the vast majority of Chunin. Once they activated their Cursed Seal mode, they firmly entered the Jonin tier.
In the ninja world, this was already considered standing near the top of the pyramid.
In their eyes, they were the absolute confidants cultivated painstakingly by Lord Orochimaru. How could these pieces of trash be qualified to be mentioned in the same breath as them!?
"Just like before. Defeat them quickly, then we move on," Tayuya continued coldly.
"No, we've already been delayed too much. We can't waste any more time. If we make Orochimaru-sama wait any longer, that would be our sin. Jirobo, Kidomaru, you two stay behind to intercept them. Tayuya and I will take Sasuke-sama and leave first. Remember, don't drag out the fight. Just stall them for a while and then retreat!"
With Kimimaro not present...
Sakon was the captain of the four, bearing the responsibility of command.
Under normal circumstances, the other three would listen to Sakon's orders.
"Don't worry, Sakon. Mere brats like these won't be a problem at all!"
Kidomaru licked his lips in a very Orochimaru-esque manner, speaking with a chilly tone.
"Yeah!"
Jirobo grunted in agreement from the side.
He handed the barrel containing Sasuke directly to Sakon.
As Sakon and Tayuya accelerated to leave...
Buzz!
Boom!
Jirobo and Kidomaru didn't hesitate in the slightest. They activated their Cursed Seals, entering the first stage, and then launched a fierce assault toward the location where Naruto, Shikamaru, and the others were rushing in from behind.