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Was it ever explained why Jiraiya wasn't brought back via Edo Tensei when just about every other powerful ninja in history was?

From my understanding, the summoner only needs a good bit of genetic material to bring someone back and Jiraiya's body was intact when he died.

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    Yeah but I think it would be cool to have jaraiya now then they could have then ultimate battle you could have the team of jaraiya, naruto, orochimaru, sasuke, tsunade n sakura vs the juubi
    – user1831
    May 27, 2013 at 13:35

1 Answer 1

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The point is quite simple.

In order to perform Edo Tensei you need a sample of DNA of the deceased. If you remember how Jiraiya died, he's been in the depth of the water and it's not feasible to recover him.

And indeed in this Wiki on Edo Tensei, it is stated that

Kabuto wanted to reincarnate him, but his "body lies at the bottom of the ocean where the water pressure is too great to reach. However, he claimed that the bloodstains on the Six Paths of Pain's weapons may provide enough DNA."

He wanted to reincarnate Shisui Uchiha too, but he "could not find his body, though he suggested that Shisui's crushed eye, which is in Tobi's possession, may be sufficient. Later, after learning that Shisui's other eye was on the battlefield, he seemed excited at the prospect of obtaining it. However, Itachi incinerated it."

If you're reading the Manga, the fact about Jiraiya is stated in the Volume 55, Chapter 520, page 14, so you can read if you got there:

Kabuto: Unfortunately, I had no luck finding Uchiha Shisui's corpse, and Jiraiya's body rests deep in the ocean, below unfathomable depths. Though Danzou's right eye and the Six Paths of Pain's weapons should still carry their DNA...

So, that's a pretty simple but fundamental requirement.

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  • I hadn't considered that the pressure was too great to get down that far. I must have missed that quote from Kabuto. Do you know which issue or episode that was in? Dec 17, 2012 at 18:15
  • @MCeley Only Jirayia, Nagato, Fukasaku and Shima know where he died. J is dead (Cpt.Obvious), Nagato, too, and the latter two won't tell. How should Tobi know where he is? Also, J's body was crushed in the deep ocean, so no chance ;).
    – looper
    Dec 17, 2012 at 18:16
  • @MCeley Ah no wait, Kabuto says it. I included it in the answer.
    – Alenanno
    Dec 17, 2012 at 18:21
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    Couldn't Kabuto could just make Nagato to tell him where he was died via Edo Tensei? Dec 17, 2012 at 18:49
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    They are fighting a world war against the world's 5 top ninja villages and not doing an archeology project. Even if he could send someone to fetch Jiraiya's body, it would be too much trouble. He also had no pressing need to do so when he had pretty much all major badasses from the past at his disposal (former Akatsuki members, former Kages, former jinchuriki, and a host of other legendary characters). Best of all, he had his trump card. (Never mind it didn't go according to his plan.)
    – Masked Man
    Dec 20, 2012 at 16:12

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