Shisui Uchiha was not reanimated during the Fourth Great Ninja War primarily because he would have been rendered completely ineffective in battle, having lost both of his Mangekyo Sharingan prior to his death. The Reanimation Jutsu (Edo Tensei) revives individuals, but their state often reflects their physical condition or any major limitations present at the time of their demise.
The Impact of Missing Eyes
Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, particularly his unique genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, was the cornerstone of his power and what made him one of the most formidable Uchiha. Without his eyes, he would have been unable to access his signature abilities, including:
- Kotoamatsukami: His powerful genjutsu that could manipulate a target's thoughts without them knowing.
- Susanoo: The colossal, humanoid avatar composed of the user's chakra.
Reanimating a ninja without their primary offensive and defensive tools, especially one as reliant on their dōjutsu as Shisui, would have been a waste of resources for Kabuto Yakushi, who sought powerful combatants.
Parallels with Nagato's Reanimation
The consequences of reanimating an impaired individual can be understood by observing other cases. For instance, Nagato, who had exhausted his life force entirely after performing the Gedo Art of Rinne Rebirth, was reanimated in a visibly weakened and frail state. This clearly demonstrated that the reanimated body can reflect the limitations or severe physical conditions of the individual at their time of death or due to prior actions. If someone like Nagato, whose life force was completely drained, appeared in such a compromised state, it indicates that reanimating Shisui without his eyes would have resulted in a similarly "useless" form for combat purposes.
Strategic Implications for the Edo Tensei
The goal of the Edo Tensei during the Fourth Great Ninja War was to bolster the Akatsuki's forces with powerful, loyal, and capable combatants. Kabuto strategically chose reanimated ninja based on their potential to contribute significantly to the war effort.
Consider the following factors regarding Edo Tensei choices:
- Combat Prowess: Individuals were chosen for their unique abilities, strength, or strategic value.
- Completeness: While some reanimations, like Neji Hyūga later, showed that the jutsu could heal fatal wounds, it couldn't simply "restore" a removed organ like the Sharingan which had been permanently taken and utilized by others (Danzō Shimura and Itachi Uchiha).
- Chakra Consumption: Reanimating and controlling powerful ninja required significant chakra; wasting it on an ineffective combatant would be counterproductive.
Summary of Reasons
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Missing Mangekyo Sharingan | Shisui had given one eye to Itachi and the other was taken by Danzō before his death, rendering him unable to use his signature abilities like Kotoamatsukami or Susanoo. |
| Ineffective in Battle | Without his eyes, Shisui would have been a blind and significantly weakened combatant, providing little to no strategic advantage to Kabuto's forces. |
| Resource Management | Reanimating a ninja who could not contribute meaningfully to the war would be an inefficient use of the Reanimation Jutsu's power and the caster's chakra, especially when countless other powerful ninja were available. |
| Precedent with Nagato | The state of Nagato's reanimated body indicated that severe limitations or the complete draining of life force would be reflected, suggesting Shisui's reanimated form would similarly reflect his loss of eyes. |
Ultimately, Shisui was not reanimated because his physical state at death, specifically the absence of his eyes, would have made him an utterly ineffective weapon in the war.
