Konoha, reported by the Fourth Hokage at the start.

Chapter 7 The Art of Spiritual Transformation and Possession

The Hokage's office was filled with smoke.

The Third Generation leaned back in his chair, one hand resting on the desk, the other holding the pipe in his mouth, listening to the report from the Anbu Yoru while exhaling smoke.

When the squad leader speculated that Kimura Yo had most likely been killed and made into a human puppet, the Third Hokage, who was about to smoke, paused, then took another deep drag. A hint of surprise flashed in his calm eyes, followed by barely concealed anger.

The Third Generation had actually anticipated Kimura Yo's death.

In fact, after hearing Minato's account of what happened with Kimura Yo, it became clear that Kimura Yo's child had most likely been murdered.

After all, if it's just genjutsu control, what valuable information could a kid who's still in ninja academy possibly gain? It's completely unnecessary.

Only by disguising themselves as children and using this as a springboard to infiltrate the Konoha ninja system can they obtain valuable intelligence.

So today, Minato didn't encounter Kimura Yo, but rather a spy using a special transformation technique.

However, what the third generation never expected was that Kimura Yo was not a spy, but was made into a human puppet and controlled after his death.

And he even swaggered off to continue attending the ninja academy.

This is practically a provocation against Konoha.

They really don't respect Konoha at all, treating him as their Hokage.

Unforgivable!

Once that spy is found, the Third Hokage will make him experience the power of the Konoha Anbu interrogation room; only then can he vent his hatred.

Just as the Third Hokage was thinking this, Yoru continued to explain why the insects couldn't find any chakra threads around Kimura Yo, and what the various possibilities were regarding Kimura Yo's abnormal physical condition. Finally, he asked the Third Hokage whether to continue searching for spies or to arrest them directly.

Upon hearing this, the third generation's brows immediately furrowed.

He believed in the power of insects; no matter how fine the chakra threads were, they could not escape the perception of insects that specifically fed on chakra.

If it's controlled by a human puppet, there's no way there wouldn't be chakra threads present.

If there are no chakra threads, then it means it's not a human puppet.

If it's not a human puppet, then there are only two possibilities now.

Either the current Kimura Yo is still a spy using transformation magic to impersonate someone else.

Either Kimura Yo is indeed dead, but is being controlled by some unknown means that are not those of a puppeteer.

Of the two scenarios, the first one is better.

If it's the second one, then that's troublesome.

The ability to control the dead easily brings to mind the forbidden technique of Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu).

If the enemy were to master this forbidden technique, which is similar to the Impure World Reincarnation technique, the threat to Konoha would increase dramatically.

Reports indicate that Kimura Yo's body is currently very cold, and he is suspected of being dead.

Secondly, the insects could not sense any naturally emanating chakra from Kimura Yo, which basically ruled out the possibility that Kimura Yo was a living person.

No matter what kind of special transformation technique it is, as long as it is a living person, it is impossible for chakra to leak out unnaturally.

Therefore, Kimura Yo is most likely a corpse now.

In other words, the situation has reached the second possibility that the third generation least wanted to happen: the enemy used unknown means to manipulate the already dead Kimura Yo.

The third generation first ruled out their own family's Impure World Reincarnation method as the unknown method used.

This forbidden technique was created by the Second Hokage and is only found in Konoha. He is currently in charge of it, and anyone who has seen it knows that Kimura Yo could not have been born from Edo Tensei.

Besides the Impure World Technique, the Mountain Clan's Mind Transfer Technique can also control the corpses of the dead, but only those that have recently died, let alone control a corpse to live for more than seven days.

Therefore, it cannot be a secret technique like mind transference.

Besides Mind Transfer, what other secret techniques can control corpses, allowing them to move and condense chakra like living people, and also possess the memories of the corpses from their previous lives?

"Hmm... wait, there really is a secret technique that can do that."

"Spiritualization Technique!"

In an instant, a secret technique that was once famous during the Warring States period appeared in the mind of the Third Generation.

This secret technique was collected by the Second Hokage, Tobirama, and has been passed down in Konoha to this day. It's not surprising that others in the ninja world have also inherited it.

The more the Third Hokage thought about it, the more he felt that Kimura Yo had likely been controlled by a secret technique similar to the Spirit Transformation Technique. (PS: The Spirit Transformation Technique is set in the Sengoku period and was not exclusive to Konoha.)

The art of spiritualization can materialize a person's soul, and then perform a series of secret techniques targeting the soul.

Killing someone's soul, taking over their body, and reading their memories through soul reading are just the basic abilities of spiritification.

The technique of possession is the strongest manifestation of the spirit transformation secret technique, and it is also the ability that the ninja who created this secret technique most desired to achieve.

The art of possession, as the name suggests, is a technique that allows one's soul to possess another's body, thereby maintaining the body's eternal youth and achieving immortality.

If it is a soul possession technique of spiritual transformation, then all of Kimura Yo's current abnormalities can be explained.

Kimura Yo is indeed dead, but only his soul is dead; his body is still alive. The soul of a spy in the shadows is now controlling his body.

The reason Kimura Yo's body was cold was because the soul of the spy in the shadows was adapting to Kimura Yo's body, which is why it appeared to be as cold as a dead person.

This is a side effect that only occurs when a spirit possession technique is used.

Before the soul fully adapts to the body, the body remains in a very cold state, like a dead person.

As for the inability to sense the overflowing chakra, that might be a side effect of the soul possession technique.

The third generation did not possess the art of spirit transformation, and historically, very few people possessed this art, so detailed information is scarce.

No... there are still a few loopholes here that are not clearly explained.

First, a body possessed by a soul cannot sustain high levels of chakra accumulation for an extended period during the adaptation period; otherwise, it would exacerbate the rejection between the body and soul, leading to a prolonged adaptation period.

However, Minato said that Kimura Yo maintained a state of high-speed chakra condensation all day long, which was clearly inconsistent with the performance of the soul possession adaptation period of the Spirit Transformation Technique.

Secondly, while the art of soul possession can allow one to take over another's body and continue living, it does not mean that one can possess another's body.

However, they will be completely imprisoned by the possessed body and will not live long.

Because the body that has been possessed will be in great repulsion towards one's own soul.

This rejection is irreversible. The longer it lasts, the stronger the rejection becomes. The final result is that the physical body collapses and dies due to the rejection, and the soul will naturally dissipate and disappear.

Historically, during the Warring States period, several ninjas who used soul possession techniques died within a year due to bodily rejection.

The reason why the Third Generation couldn't understand this was precisely this: what value did Kimura Yo possess that would make a powerful expert in spirit transformation willing to sacrifice his life to possess his body?

It should be noted that ninjas who can use secret techniques such as Spirit Transformation are at least elite Jonin-level powerhouses.

Moreover, unlike other elite Jonin.

Even a powerful individual skilled in spiritification techniques would be instantly killed if they couldn't withstand a soul attack, even against an elite Jonin of the same level.

Throughout history, powerful individuals who possessed the art of spirit transformation were renowned figures in the ninja world, inspiring fear in all who beheld them.

Such a powerful being would exchange his life for possessing a child, just to gain at most a year of life.

does it worth?

Having the ability to spiritify, whether it's killing enemies or gathering intelligence, is far superior to possessing the body of a six-year-old child.

Why?

The third generation put down his pipe, frowned, and looked puzzled.

Putting myself in his shoes, if it were him, he wouldn't risk his life to save Kimura Yo for a year.

If it were a famous ninja, like his disciple, it might be worth possessing. But a six-year-old child has no access to Konoha's core secrets.

Even his disciples didn't actually have much contact with him.

So it's not worth it at all.

Unless you can't die after possessing someone's body... well, you can't die!

The third generation muttered something to himself, his pupils suddenly contracting slightly as he realized a possibility.

Perhaps the possession technique of spirit transformation no longer has the side effect of physical rejection, and has truly achieved immortality.

Perhaps someone has indeed perfected the ability of spirit possession in the art of spirit transformation.

This is not impossible; the Third Hokage never dared to underestimate the creativity of the ninja world's geniuses.

If... no, it must be that the technique of soul possession has truly been perfected.

Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for a powerful being with the ability to possess the body of a six-year-old child who is orphaned and has no special talents.

Therefore, the technique of possession must have been perfected, and there will no longer be any risk or side effects such as physical rejection and death.

Thinking of this, the third generation's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Who wouldn't yearn for the secret to immortality?

(End of this chapter)