Re: how can orochimaru be alive?
if you've seen harry potter, u might understand that thing well..
maybe, the curse mark is like a hocrux, that means, orochimaru sealed a bit of him in every person. Kabuto might have kept her alive to bring orochimaru back..
As you see, when itachi fought sasuke, orochimaru tried to take over sasuke's body..
n what itachi sealed might be some part of orochimaru (just like the third did by death reaper)..so maybe orochimaru can be revived by using one of the bodies having curse mark by depleting their chakra (but he may be weak)..