Chapter 379: The Concept of Mass Manipulation
When Haneda reappeared, the White Zetsu were nowhere to be seen, as if they had vanished into thin air.
Kakashi asked, "Did you send them into Bishamonten?"
Haneda replied, "I'm experimenting with something. In theory, Bishamonten can trap people long enough to break them mentally and turn them into idiots."
"Of course, that's just the theory. I don't actually know how fast it works."
Haneda glanced up at the sky. The rain was still falling, but faint sunlight filtered through the thick clouds.
"Let's head back to Konoha. They've already noticed the White Zetsu have gone missing."
With that, a spatial tunnel appeared behind Haneda and Kakashi, and as it closed, the two disappeared from the Rain Country.
They reappeared in Konoha's Third Training Ground.
Continuing the conversation, Haneda said,
"I've been thinking about something. The conditions for the Izanagi Rebirth Technique require the caster to willingly sacrifice themselves."
"But what if I use Bishamonten to empty the White Zetsu's intelligence, then use genjutsu to instill a sense of voluntary sacrifice in them? That would fulfill the technique's requirements."
"White Zetsu aren't particularly smart to begin with. Bishamonten is vast—it doesn't target just one individual but all living beings within it."
"This way, I won't need Shisui to use Kotoamatsukami. I can conserve his ocular power while solving the problem on a large scale."
Kakashi asked, "Are you planning to capture White Zetsu in bulk?"
"Exactly." Haneda nodded. His confidence in reviving everyone killed in the Fourth Ninja War came from the existence of the 100,000 White Zetsu.
In the original timeline, the Allied Shinobi Forces only numbered 80,000.
Even with basic arithmetic, 100,000 sacrifices would leave a surplus of 20,000.
It was more than enough.
Besides, casualties wouldn't be excessively high. Historically, armies typically collapsed when casualties exceeded 10%.
Even among highly trained shinobi, losses exceeding 30% would result in certain collapse.
Once one person fled, it would trigger a chain reaction, leading entire battalions to retreat.
Haneda had learned this during his "Battle of the Divine Ascent" in the Hokki Mountains, where he fought thousands alone.
Winning a war required breaking the enemy's psychological defenses, instilling fear of conflict, and then using the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to grant them a renewed appreciation for peace.
A stick followed by a sweet reward—this was the art of winning hearts.
Kakashi didn't press further; he was already aware of the 100,000 White Zetsu.
About fifteen minutes later, Haneda went to check on the White Zetsu in Bishamonten.
The grayish world of Bishamonten housed the two White Zetsu, who now stared blankly with wide eyes and dilated pupils, looking utterly foolish.
Haneda asked, "Who are you?"
"Who are we?" One White Zetsu giggled. "He's Makapaka, and I'm Migubigu."
"We just made up these names. Hehe, do you think they sound good?"
Seeing their innocent, idiotic expressions, Haneda smiled. "Do you remember someone named Madara?"
"Madara? Never heard of him. Do you know him?"
"I don't know him. Who's Madara? And who am I?"
"You are… uh, what's your name again?"
…
The two White Zetsu babbled nonsensically, even forgetting the names they had just invented.
Haneda glared at them, and their eyes transformed into Rinnegan.
But even with the Rinnegan, their goofy demeanor couldn't be masked.
Haneda embedded the Izanagi Rebirth Technique into their Rinnegan, using a sealing technique to store it there temporarily.
Once the technique was needed, it could be activated.
After completing this task, Haneda left Bishamonten.
Seeing Kakashi still at the Third Training Ground, Haneda smiled and said,
"It worked faster than expected. In about twenty minutes, they forgot who they were. With a bit of genjutsu, they'll make excellent sacrificial casters."
"Did you call Orochimaru over, Kakashi?"
"No, I thought you'd handle that," Kakashi replied.
"Fine." Haneda summoned a small white snake, wrote a note, and fed it to the snake.
After dispelling the summoning, the snake disappeared and reappeared in Orochimaru's lab.
At that moment, Orochimaru was in the middle of an experiment. Noticing the snake, he hesitated briefly before setting aside his work.
Unfolding the note from the snake's mouth, Orochimaru flicked his tongue and chuckled.
"It's been a while since Haneda-kun came to find me—not in the lab, but outdoors… Edo Tensei for Sakumo Hatake? Interesting."
Glancing at Kabuto, who was adjusting some equipment, Orochimaru said,
"I'll be stepping out. Have a few people finish the experiment—don't let the lab explode."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto responded respectfully.
About two and a half minutes later, Orochimaru arrived at the Third Training Ground.
There, Haneda was resting against a tree with his eyes closed, while Kakashi was polishing his father's short sword.
With just a glance, Orochimaru could gauge their mental states but didn't dwell on it. He was more curious why they had suddenly decided to use Edo Tensei for Sakumo.
After all, if they had wanted to see Sakumo, they could have asked him long ago.
"Haneda-kun, Kakashi-kun," Orochimaru greeted them as he approached. "I see you've already prepared the conditions for the jutsu."
Haneda activated his Rinnegan, opening Bishamonten to summon a humanoid White Zetsu.
"Ah, White Zetsu. Indeed, an excellent vessel for Edo Tensei," Orochimaru remarked.
Observing White Zetsu's vacant yet pure gaze, Orochimaru turned his attention to Haneda's Rinnegan. Licking his lips, he said,
"As I suspected, the Rinnegan is the final evolution of the Sharingan. The Uchiha and Senju are both descendants of the Sage of Six Paths."
"The conditions to awaken the Rinnegan must involve combining the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan's yin energy with the yang energy of the Sage's body, correct?"
"Only by uniting both can one awaken the Sage's Eye—the Rinnegan."
"I wonder whose Rinnegan Pain was using… Uchiha Madara's, perhaps?"
Kakashi replied coldly, "You don't need to know that. Just get on with it."
Haneda waved his hand, showing his respect for the scientific genius. "Lord Orochimaru, you've already guessed the answer, haven't you? Truth lies in hypothesis and proof."
"You had a reasonable hypothesis, and I've given you the proof."
Licking his lips again, Orochimaru, satisfied with the answer, wasted no further words. He quickly performed the hand seals, ending with his hands clasped together. A coffin rose from the ground.
Standing beside the coffin, Orochimaru said,
"Haneda-kun, after you retrieved Sakumo's remains from Iwagakure, I attempted Edo Tensei on him before but failed."
"I can't guarantee it will work this time."
"In the Land of Iron, I witnessed powerful samurai break free from Edo Tensei through sheer willpower."
"Edo Tensei is fundamentally a summoning jutsu, calling forth a soul from the Pure Land. I can't say for sure if Sakumo is willing to be summoned."