Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 102 Impure World Reincarnation - Release!
Everything happened so fast and so smoothly that there was a few seconds of silence in the underground cave.

"That Kaede Tsukasa was just taken out like that? That's far too hasty," Tobi broke the silence.

"It's alright. Lord Madara's genjutsu can even control tailed beasts. Kaede Tsukasa's strength lies in manipulating corpses; he's very talented in ninjutsu, but he's never seemed to have shown any talent in genjutsu. What do you think, Black Zetsu? Your original body is dead; are you secretly crying now?"

White Zetsu sensed the state of Black Zetsu beside him.

Black Zetsu fell silent, repeatedly examining Kaedeji's corpse to confirm that it was not a modified substitute corpse, but the real Kaedeji.

This left Black Zetsu in a state of great confusion.

He wasn't surprised that Madara and Kaede Tsukasa had fallen out; in fact, he had prepared for the worst, that is, if Kaede Tsukasa was defeated, he would risk his life to escape with him.

Of course, if Kaede Tsukasa's condition is poor at that time, Black Zetsu will not hesitate to take action, attempting to control Kaede Tsukasa's body and seize the Reincarnation Technique.

After all, one thing is one thing, saving people and using underhanded tactics are not contradictory.

Black Zetsu racked his brains but still couldn't understand why Kaede Tsukasa was killed so inexplicably!
"Is his resistance to illusions really that bad?" Black Zetsu was puzzled.

"Who knows? Come to think of it, it seems that since Kaedeji Tsukasa rose to fame, he has never encountered a ninja skilled in genjutsu... Enemies are often killed by a horde of zombies before they can even get close to Kaedeji Tsukasa. Even if they manage to get close, Kaedeji Tsukasa can use the Void Realm Technique to quickly teleport away..."

At this point, Bai Zetsu felt that the enemies killed by Kaede Tsukasa in the early days were truly miserable. To put it bluntly, it was like being kited to death—after death, their remains would join Kaede Tsukasa's team and fight until they were reduced to ashes.

Madara spoke up: "Although I have lost my original eyes and only have this three-tomoe Sharingan that I obtained from Kaedeji, my genjutsu is still in a class of its own in the ninja world. Even the Nine-Tails cannot withstand it. It is normal that Kaedeji cannot withstand it."

"But it's still hard to believe that this person, who many people say is the most difficult to kill, was defeated like this." White Zetsu's soft voice was still filled with deep astonishment. "Every day, a large number of White Zetsu gather information about the ninja world here. I have heard too many praises about Kaede Tsukasa."

Afei chuckled and said, "Maybe Kaede Tsukasa hid his flaws well before, even leaving behind his own corpse... By the way, if you don't want this body, how about giving it to me? I'll repair it, put the internal organs back in, and maybe it'll still be usable."

"Greedy fellow, you actually coveted the power of Corpse Release. However, the combination of Wood Release and Corpse Release might be interesting. Do as you please."

Madara glanced at Kaedeji's corpse and frowned slightly.

The body seemed far too fragile; even the skin and muscles gave him the impression that they could be sliced ​​open with the slightest force.

"This is the price to pay for developing the Corpse Escape Technique and constantly using various forbidden techniques. There can't be a perfect technique in this world, nor can there be a powerful technique without any cost." Madara thought with his eyes closed.

He also had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but he had indeed killed Kaedeji without a doubt. Even if Kaedeji's soul escaped, it wouldn't have much of an impact—he had a good understanding of the characteristics of the Spirit Transformation Technique.

During the years he hid, Madara never let any intelligence slip by, whether it was the situation in the ninja world or the various forbidden techniques that had recently appeared; he would at least have a basic understanding of them.

As Afei touched Kaede Tsukasa's corpse, he looked at Black Zetsu and said, "Your situation doesn't seem too good right now, Black Zetsu. Do you want me to kill you? I won't let you suffer too much."

"No need. Lord Kaedeji's soul is still alive; he's not truly dead. I still have a reason to exist," Black Zetsu said coldly.

"Ha, whatever. How long can a soul live? Without this body... Hmm, the summoning scrolls are all here. Let me see which ones are those powerful zombies. These corpses are much more useful than White Zetsu and Black Zetsu."

Ah Fei happily pieced together Kaede Tsukasa's body, reached out and gathered the scrolls on Kaede Tsukasa's corpse, and then opened them one by one.

Black Zetsu said, "Give up. As far as I know, his most precious corpses are kept in specially made coffins. He can summon them remotely using a necromancy technique when needed. He doesn't carry them with him."

"Oh, that's a shame. I wanted to see Sandstorm Araki again. That guy ate quite a few White Zetsu before."

Afei examined the scrolls and found that they were indeed ordinary scrolls, containing only ordinary corpses of little value.

Suddenly, Kaede's corpse opened its eyes and howled as it lunged at the nearest person, Tobi, biting hard at Tobi's swirling face.

"..."

"..."

"Hahaha, Afei, look at yourself now!!"

"Shut up! I didn't expect it to turn out like this either. The bodies of corpse-escape ninjas can actually turn into zombies. But that suits me just fine."

Afei wrapped himself around the body of Kaedeji, who had turned into a zombie.

"Hmm, the power within this corpse is still very active, fighting against me. Hehehe, the clash between Wood Release and Corpse Release feels really strange. These two powers are frantically plundering each other, replenishing their energy by killing each other."

As soon as Afei got started, he sensed the conflict between the Wood Release cells and the zombie virus. Without a special force to suppress and control them, these two forces would only stop after completely destroying each other.

Next, we just have to wait for Kaedeji's spirit to dissipate.

Black Zetsu looked up at the direction from which Kaedeji's spirit had penetrated. He now only hoped that Kaedeji still had a backup plan and wouldn't die such a pathetic death, being so easily countered by illusion magic.

Although there is little hope.

Suddenly, Afei cried out in surprise, his body stiffening and appearing somewhat out of control.

"Kaedeji's body is moving, it seems he wants to use the Void Realm Technique. Even if this guy is only a spirit, does he still want to take his body with him? But the summoning power is not strong, I can still handle it."

As Fei muttered to himself, he remembered that he hadn't found a copy of Hashirama on Kaede Tsukasa. If he wanted to get it back, he would have to send out a whole bunch of White Zetsu to search for it, which would take extra time.

……

Kaedeji's spirit moved at high speed, casually activating the Void Realm Technique along the way, which unsurprisingly failed.

"Hey, it was probably Tobi or Black Zetsu who did it. Only those two are really interested in my body."

Kaede Tsukasa was not surprised, and he had already realized that his body had turned into a zombie—the transformation was happening very quickly.

Through the opportunity of being killed, Kaedeji confirmed the various events that occurred after his death. Although many changes were within expectations, speculation and actual confirmation are ultimately completely different.

"Well then, everything is going well, and my remains will become one of the forces and coordinates I can utilize, and they will definitely play a role... The important thing is what comes next."

Kaede Tsukasa felt his spirit body weakening with time, and an invisible force was trying to pull him somewhere.

Instinctively, Kaede Tsukasa knew that this was a call from the Pure Land; all the dead must go to the Pure Land, and this was the rule that this world operated under.

Pure Land is also a place that Kaedeji is particularly wary of.

“I must not enter the Pure Land. After all, I am an outsider soul. Who knows what will happen if I enter the Pure Land? Even if the Sage of Six Paths is indifferent to me, I cannot allow such an uncontrollable thing to happen.”

According to Kaedeji's speculation, even if the Sage of Six Paths examined his soul and memories and clearly knew that Kaedeji was an outsider, he would most likely not do anything extra and would continue to remain an observer.

The reason is simple: even the Sage of Six Paths could not be certain how the ninja world would develop, how it would change, or what its ultimate fate would be.

He couldn't figure out whether Kaedeji was part of the evolution of the ninja world, so he wouldn't act rashly and expose his own existence.

Kaede Tsukasa had prepared for the worst. If things didn't go as he expected, he would have no choice but to use the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique and hide inside the Grim Reaper's belly.

The Grim Reaper's body is the safest yet most painful prison, preventing him from entering the Pure Land for some time to come. The downside is that it makes many plans uncontrollable, leaving him with no choice but to wait passively.

First is Izanagi. Kaede Tsukasa had previously obtained an extra three-tomoe Sharingan from Orochimaru. After tentatively returning to the Mountain Graveyard a few times, he then used the three-tomoe Sharingan to try to delay the activation of Izanagi using the Transcription Seal.

The fact that Madara was resurrected after being sealed by Mito Uzumaki made Tsukasa Kaede completely certain that Izanagi could change the established reality of being sealed by the Shinigami.

If Madara doesn't make a move against him, then Kaedeji will keep his last three-tomoe Sharingan and look for other ways to die.

"This is really troublesome. With Madara alive, a lot of things become uncontrollable. If I don't deal with him in advance, he will restrict many of my actions. I always feel like Madara will suddenly stab me in the back... But since he took the initiative, it saves me a lot of trouble."

There is another possibility: that Kaede Tsukasa was unable to activate Izanagi, or that his eye power was insufficient, so even if he used Izanagi, he could not escape from the stomach of the Shinigami. In that case, it doesn't really matter.

Because Kaedeji still has a backup plan.

"Once I enter the Shinigami's body and confirm that I cannot escape, then I can only rely on Kushina's performance. This woman's personality is quite reliable. If she doesn't receive my messages for a long time and confirms that I am dead, she will immediately take action."

Kushina was able to easily obtain the Grim Reaper's mask from the Uzumaki Shrine, so she was fully capable of releasing Kaede Tsukasa from the Grim Reaper's belly.

As for the wound left by the seppuku, he was not worried. As long as Kaede Tsukasa was freed, even if Kushina died, he could revive her using the Reincarnation Technique.

Kaede Tsukasa pondered repeatedly. In reality, at this point, with only his spirit remaining, there was really not much he could do.

Swish!
Kaede Tsukasa entered the body of a corpse, then used the Void Realm Technique to return to Konoha Village, appearing directly in Orochimaru's laboratory.

"Kaze-kun? No, it seems to be just a corpse... But as far as I know, corpses cannot directly use the Void Realm Technique. So, Kaze-kun, what happened?"

Orochimaru dropped his scalpel and looked at the zombie in front of him with a strange expression.

"Something unexpected happened. My body had a problem, so I was actually dead. It was only thanks to the characteristics of the Spirit Transformation Technique that I was able to remain mobile for a period of time after my death."

An unfamiliar and somewhat obscure voice came from the corpse's mouth.

The incredible power of the Spirit Transformation Technique lies in its ability to briefly resist the pull of the Pure Land. Just like in the original timeline, after Kato Dan was released from the Impure World Reincarnation, his soul was able to go and save Tsunade, helping her recover her chakra, before returning to the Pure Land.

This technique is perfect for carrying out special operations.

Orochimaru observed the zombie before him and confirmed Kaedeji's identity.

"Dead...? That's unbelievable. What happened to force you to this point, forcing you to use a spiritification technique to transfer your soul?"

Orochimaru pondered for a moment, then became extremely excited. Could it be that the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived?

In fact, how Kaede Tsukasa died is no longer important to Orochimaru!
Whether they were killed or had a hidden physical ailment, it doesn't matter now that it's time for it to fully manifest.

The important thing is that Tsukasa Kaede has returned in another form and has been driven to the brink of death. If he does not acquire a new body as soon as possible, he will only face death.

Orochimaru trembled, excitedly saying, "I understand! You foresaw this moment, didn't you? You knew you would become like this, which is why you were so eager to have me cultivate a completely new body for you..."

"Think what you want, but my old body is unusable, so I have to transfer my soul." Kaede Tsukasa sneered, controlling the zombie as he staggered to another secret room.

This simple action is incredibly difficult. Although controlling an unfamiliar body to perform various actions is one of the signature abilities of the Spirit Transformation Secret Technique, its original purpose is to forcibly control the enemy's body to kill oneself or one's companions.

Orochimaru followed closely behind Kaede Tsukasa, entering the secret room together and standing in front of a barely formed experimental subject.

"You see, Kaede-kun, this is the body I finally managed to cultivate after exhausting all my talents. Although it's not perfect, I've done my best... Originally, there might have been a chance to complete its cultivation in a few more months, but judging from your current state, you won't be able to wait a few more months... Hmph hmph hmph." Orochimaru chuckled, suppressing his laughter.

The reason it is considered imperfect is that many areas at the body's boundaries are in a semi-melted state, mixed with various tissue fluids.

“Don’t worry about such details. I don’t care about imperfections. As long as it has a complete organizational structure, that’s enough.” Kaede Tsukasa replied coldly, with a hint of urgency in his tone, and immediately broke free from the zombie.

Orochimaru had been watching closely and only now confirmed it.

"As expected, Kaede-kun, you made a mistake... You originally planned to wait until I had nurtured it properly before using the Spirit Transformation Technique to transfer your soul. Although I don't know how you will adapt to this new and unfamiliar body after the soul transfer."

Orochimaru finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Five shadow clones spread out around, immediately formed hand seals, and then pressed themselves to the ground, quickly inscribing the spell.

His movements were incredibly skillful, as if honed through countless trials. Clearly, Orochimaru had practiced the technique he was about to use countless times and could activate it at any moment.

Kaede Tsukasa's soul showed no change in expression, and regardless of whether Orochimaru could see it, he focused intently on the experimental subject in front of him.

In just a moment, he will take over this body constructed from Hashirama cells.

Orochimaru has made his move again.

"I can't let you succeed so easily... Contract Seal!"

Immediately, a spell appeared on the surface of the test subject's body, briefly blocking Kaede Tsukasa's spirit.

"You inscribed a technique on this body beforehand, Orochimaru. You really did plan this all along. But this is not beyond my expectations. It would be really unlike you if you didn't take this opportunity to do something."

Kaede looked at Orochimaru.

That's perfectly normal; that's something Orochimaru would do.

Knowing that Orochimaru was so interested in him, and knowing that Orochimaru coveted the Reincarnation Technique and other forbidden techniques, how could he possibly not have any expectations?

When it actually happened, Kaede Tsukasa was still moved; Orochimaru was acting in the direction he had most hoped for.

Orochimaru licked his lips: "Please wait a little longer, Kaede-kun. In just a few seconds, I will revive you."

"resurrection?"

“That’s right, you really want to use this experimental subject, don’t you? I promised to help you with all my might, but not in the way you want, but in the way I want! I will let you take over this body in another form… and in a more perfect way, so you no longer have to worry about not having enough chakra, and no longer have to worry about dying again!”

Orochimaru's smile now appeared somewhat ferocious and twisted. He watched as the other shadow clones completed the circle of seals they had inscribed on the ground, and couldn't wait to act. His hands moved with incredible speed, forming hand seals as if he wanted to unleash sparks. Zi-Chou-Shen-Yin-Chen-Hai…

"The art of reincarnation from dirty soil!"

Orochimaru slammed his hand on the ground, his eyes burning with a heat that seemed to scorch Kaede Tsukasa's soul!

A shadow clone placed the experimental subject within the circle of magical symbols. As an inexplicable force exerted its effect through the symbols, a large amount of debris spontaneously generated and quickly merged with the experimental subject's flesh and blood.

At first glance, it seems as if this flesh and blood body is turning into countless fragments and dust from bottom to top, and then being pieced together by the fragments and dust to form a brand new body!
"Come, Kaede-kun, this is the forbidden technique I've been planning for far too long, perfecting it specifically for you! From now on, you'll no longer need to extract life force from corpses. Not only will you live forever, but you'll also survive even if you're attacked and shattered to pieces!!"

Orochimaru's long, flowing hair shot into the sky as his chakra surged violently, and visible blue chakra currents swept wildly through the secret room.

Bang bang bang!
The shadow clones disappeared one after another, and Orochimaru laughed almost ferociously as he watched the experimental subject in front of him change its appearance.

"So that's how it is. You're really something, Orochimaru. It seems you really did make thorough preparations, just as I predicted..."

Kaedeji's spirit uncontrollably entered the drastically changed body before him. With the soul returning to its place, the Impure World Reincarnation technique was completed, and Kaedeji once again possessed his own body.

However, this Kaedeji's exposed skin occasionally has strange cracks, and the color of the whites of his eyes has also changed.

Orochimaru stared intently, and even though he was cold-blooded, he let out a long sigh of relief the moment he got what he wanted.

It went too smoothly. He had been thinking about it day and night, and had even devised and overturned countless plans to kill Kaede Tsukasa and resurrect him. What was happening now was the most ideal and perfect scenario in all his imaginations!

Killing Kaede Tsukasa was an incredibly difficult task, almost impossible for Orochimaru—he couldn't kill someone with a massive amount of chakra, who mastered space-time ninjutsu, and had a large number of corpses under his command for combat.

But now someone has taken this most impractical step and succeeded, forcing Kaedeji to run to Orochimaru in spirit form.

Orochimaru would never let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Because it was going so smoothly, Orochimaru's first reaction was that he might be under a genjutsu and his perception had fallen into a false world.

Fortunately, everything was reality, and everything was as he wished!
"Hmph hmph hmph hmph... Hahahahahahaha!! Kaede-kun, welcome back! From now on, we can truly be partners forever, and no one can separate us!"

Orochimaru stuck out his tongue more than a meter long and walked step by step toward Kaede Tsukasa: "In the past, I was always the one helping you. Whether it was seizing the Eight-Tails' chakra, advancing human experiments, or cultivating a new body composed of Hashirama's cells, I did everything I could. From now on, I will rely on you to help me with all your might... Please take care of me. With our combined talents, as long as we join forces, immortality is just the beginning. It won't be long before we can explore all the mysteries of this world."

He was too excited to be satisfied with the work in front of him, because Kaede Tsukasa was the most proud work of his life.

Immortality? The moment Orochimaru used the Impure World Reincarnation to control Kaede Tsukasa, he realized that the goal of eternal life he had once pursued was no longer anything.

Orochimaru has not forgotten his purpose: immortality. In essence, it serves the purpose of exploring the unknown and acquiring all techniques.

Kaede Tsukasa was frighteningly calm, feeling the extremely cold, devoid of any warmth body, its touch was hard and cold, yet it was incredibly resilient.

"The Impure World Reincarnation Technique? I've seen it in the Scroll of Seals before, but the Hokage didn't reveal this forbidden technique to me. He also told me that it's a suicidal ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage, essentially existing as a complementary ninjutsu to the Mutual Explosion Tags." Kaede Tsukasa calmly spoke, sensing his physical condition.

Orochimaru said, "The Second Hokage was a genius who developed many forbidden techniques, but he didn't have the ability to bring these forbidden techniques to their full potential. That's what a junior like me has to do... Whether it's the Flying Thunder God Technique or the Impure World Reincarnation Technique, it's the same. The power that a junior can unleash will definitely exceed the power he used."

"So, you've secretly improved the Impure World Reincarnation technique?"

"That's right. I acquired this technique years ago. Danzo even urged me repeatedly, hoping to revive some old-era ninjas. I brushed him off by saying it was too difficult to learn and that the Edo Tensei ninjas were too weak. But that's not actually the case."

Orochimaru was in a very good mood: "Ever since I met you, and learned from Danzo that you possess the technique of immortality, I have accelerated my research on the Impure World Reincarnation technique. For this, I even slowed down my research on another forbidden technique, the Corpse Reincarnation technique! Kaede-kun, only you could make me do this much. In the end, I did not fail you. It seems I did not disappoint you."

"I was not disappointed at all, and even pleasantly surprised. Apart from not being a living flesh and blood body and lacking the feelings that a living person should have, this body completely meets all my needs and is even more powerful than my original body."

When Kaedeji said those words, he meant them sincerely.

His original body was already nearing its limit, with three to four trillion cells, which was pitifully few, even less than that of the most ordinary people at the bottom of this world.

Even though they can extract the life force from zombies to replenish themselves and then use that life force to create chakra, there are still limits—a weak body and a strong body can bear vastly different amounts of life force.

The less life force a person can carry, the more often they need to replenish it. This is the weakness. It's not fatal at the moment, but it's only harmless at this point in time. Once a Six Paths level expert appears, Kaede Tsukasa's weakness will become too great.

At that time, Kaede Tsukasa would use a technique that consumes a lot of energy, and would be depleted after only two uses, forcing him to flee to replenish his life force. However, on a Six Paths level battlefield, Tailed Beast Balls flying all over the world and bombarding the entire area are just the most basic operations. Kaede Tsukasa's behavior of constantly fleeing the battlefield to replenish his life force is always a problem.

If there's a chance to make amends, Kaedeji will definitely try his best to improve.

"You seem to be using cultivated experimental subjects as a vessel; this is the sacrifice?"

“That’s right. One person has to be sacrificed to revive another. It’s fair. And the stronger the sacrificed body, the more the reanimated ninja can exert power close to that of his/her former self… But judging from your expression, it seems the effect is even better than I expected.”

"That's natural. You should know about my original physical condition. I had very little chakra. During the period when I first carried out the village mission, I often needed my companions to take care of me. I tried not to use my chakra whenever possible. It was only after I used the Reanimation Jutsu that this problem was solved."

Kaede Tsukasa calmly said, "With the experimental subjects as sacrifices, my physical strength is much stronger than before. At least I don't have to worry about physical fatigue or overload."

He was very satisfied. Next, he just needed to find an opportunity to break free of the Impure World Reincarnation technique's control over him, and then use his impure body to fuse with the Hashirama clone and the Sharingan...

"The Impure World Reincarnation Technique is an incredibly complex forbidden technique, and there's a lot of room for improvement." Kaede Tsukasa looked at the complex formula on the ground. Experiments created using Hashirama's cells are definitely countless times stronger than mass-produced White Zetsu.

In the original timeline, after the Edo Tensei Hashirama joined the battle, he could only activate Sage Mode and Wood Release: Wood Release at most, and seemed unable to activate True Several Thousand Hands. This meant that the Edo Tensei version with White Zetsu as its vessel was not enough to allow Hashirama Senju to unleash the full power he had before his birth.

Since Kaede Tsukasa had a choice, he definitely wouldn't use White Zetsu. He not only needed to ensure that the existence of White Zetsu couldn't be exposed to Orochimaru, but he also needed to have a sacrifice that surpassed White Zetsu as a vessel.

Orochimaru laughed and said, "Don't worry, Kaede-kun, I will continue to improve this technique, and in the future I will cultivate a body that will satisfy you even more, so that you can be resurrected in a more powerful form."

"Then I really have to thank you, Orochimaru."

"Kaze-kun, is it just my imagination? I feel like you're too calm, not at all opposed to being resurrected by me using the Impure World Reincarnation technique... This doesn't fit your original plan, does it?"

“It doesn’t match. I knew you would make a move, but I didn’t expect it to be Edo Tensei. Now I have no choice but to let it be,” Kaedeji said.

Orochimaru stared at Kaede Tsukasa, one hand always in a hand seal position, constantly and forcefully restraining Kaede Tsukasa's movements.

But as he waited and waited, he never saw any sign that Kaedeji was going to do anything.

In any case, Orochimaru doesn't believe that Kaede Tsukasa will just accept his fate like that, and he will definitely try to find a flaw in the Impure World Reincarnation.

"Kaze-kun, I'm just trying to remind you that the weakness of the Impure World Reincarnation technique is me, the caster. Even if you kill me, you won't be able to undo the spell... I hope you won't do anything that would affect our relationship."

"I understand. You don't need to emphasize it. I know what to do."

Kaede Tsukasa casually replied; by now, he was fairly familiar with the body.

The plan proceeded very smoothly. Orochimaru was incredibly cooperative, allowing him to avoid entering the Shinigami's stomach and wait for Kushina to release him and revive him using the Impure World Reincarnation technique.

Moreover, while this Impure World Reincarnation technique may not be as powerful as the improved version used by Orochimaru in the original Konoha Collapse Plan in the original timeline, it is definitely sufficient.

Anyway, this impure body is only being used temporarily.

"Hmm, time to send a signal to Kushina. The plan is going smoothly..."

Kaedeji's heart skipped a beat, and he ordered the zombies in Kushina's house to move around. According to their previous agreement, Kushina would know that everything was going well when she saw this, and she wouldn't need to do anything for the time being.

If Orochimaru fails to revive him using the Impure World Reincarnation technique, he will choose to enter the stomach of the Shinigami.

Once Kushina has mastered the Impure World Reincarnation technique, we can break the Reaper Death Seal to release him, and then revive him using the Impure World Reincarnation.

It all depends on Kushina's actions. In the entire Hidden Leaf Village, Kushina is the most suitable person to do this. There is still a long time before Nagato starts his plan to capture the Tailed Beasts, Madara needs time to train Obito, there is the Third Shinobi World War, and Naruto and Sasuke's generation will be born and grow up.

Over the years, Kushina has had ample time and energy to acquire and learn the Impure World Reincarnation technique, as she has not had to go to the battlefield, perform village missions, or be attacked by powerful enemies.

Fortunately, things didn't come to that. Orochimaru, just as Kaede Tsukasa had hoped, resurrected him using the Impure World Reincarnation technique.

"Kaze-kun, now you can tell me, who was the guy who drove Uzumaki Mito to the brink of death? And did you get his body?"

Orochimaru had always been curious about this: "Lord Mito possesses the Nine-Tails and even used the Tailed Beast Ball to control it. What kind of enemy could have enabled him to do that?"

"I don't know. That's what I told the Third Hokage too. I couldn't participate in a battle of that level. Afterwards, I just followed Mito Uzumaki's orders and brought her back," Kaedeji Tsukasa replied.

"Heh, never mind then, I'll go to the Land of Rain myself and see for myself. I'll discover a lot just by seeing the forest that suddenly appeared there."

Orochimaru had long wanted to do this, and now that he had successfully controlled Kaedeji, the Reanimation Jutsu would eventually fall into his hands. So he was no longer in a hurry and began to calmly investigate and unravel the mysteries that had puzzled him.

"Investigating the truth behind Mito Uzumaki's death is a pretense; your real intention is to seize the Rinnegan. Someone like you would never do anything unnecessary."

"Hehe, Kaede-kun, it's as if you're not like that... I've said it before, we're the same kind of people, so we should be companions."

Orochimaru certainly had designs on the Rinnegan, but then again, who wouldn't have designs on the Rinnegan? Who would remain indifferent upon learning of the Sage's Eyes' existence?

Danzo couldn't do it, Jiraiya couldn't do it, and Kaede Tsukasa himself certainly couldn't do it either. It's just that everyone had different ways of controlling the Rinnegan. Besides forcibly seizing it, they also cultivated Nagato, trying to achieve a certain goal through Nagato's hands.

Orochimaru clearly intended to forcibly take it, unlike Danzo who pretended to accept Nagato as a disciple. Orochimaru preferred to snatch the Rinnegan back and then start researching it himself from scratch.

Hmm, while you're at it, bring Nagato's body back too, we'll study it together.

"Kaze-kun, I might need your help next. I'll need you to use the Void Realm Technique to take me there. I might also need your power to find the Rinnegan."

"It's called trouble, but it's really an order. If I don't agree, I can't act freely."

"Please don't say that. It really is a request... Kaede-kun, please believe me. I truly consider you a fellow traveler. Your Corpse Release is perfect for helping me uncover the mysteries of this world. Having you by my side will save me a lot of time. I will not treat you as my puppet. I will only need your help when necessary, no matter what."

Orochimaru said that, but in reality he did not loosen his control over Kaede Tsukasa.

Kaedeji wasn't in a hurry.

Soon after, Danzo, having received the news, secretly arrived.

"Danzo? Orochimaru, you actually plan to bring this guy along? You're actually going to share the Rinnegan? This is really not like you."

Kaede looked at Danzo in surprise.

Danzo snorted coldly, looked at Kaedeji's condition, and sneered: "Kokohama's ghoul Kaedeji... It hasn't been long, and you've already fallen into this state. The people in the village are still talking about your name, but they don't know that you died so casually. How ironic."

Danzo's feelings were somewhat complicated. He had once sought Kaede Tsukasa's help but failed to obtain it, nor had he ever acquired the Reanimation Jutsu. In the end, he was suppressed by the Third Hokage for indirectly causing Mito Uzumaki's death and had remained silent until now.

However, a comeback is only a matter of time.

Now we see Kaede Tsukasa dead, resurrected by Orochimaru using the Impure World Reincarnation technique.

"I thought you and Orochimaru would briefly replace me and become the representatives of the village's radical faction. But it seems your capacity is still far from enough. Even if you have achieved some success with Corpse Release, it is not enough for you to go far. I still have to take over."

"I know, Danzo. It's disgusting to have to listen to your lectures even after I'm dead," Kaedeji said impatiently.

Danzo wasn't angry. He said, "Tell me how you died. I will avenge you because I once took you as my subordinate. I'm also curious who in this world has the ability to kill you."

"It's none of your business. I wouldn't leak my information to someone like you. And as for avenging me... to say that with such confidence, it seems Orochimaru has already performed the transplant surgery on you. Judging from your appearance, it's working very well," Kaedeji said.

“It’s not that bad. I cultivated the experimental subject that carried you, which did advance the experimental progress of transplanting Hashirama’s cells and did provide Danzo with a part of his arm to increase his chakra level,” Orochimaru said. “And it can be cut off at any time and his original arm can be transplanted back in.”

Danzo scolded, "Orochimaru, don't talk too much about the living with a dead man. His purpose in existing in the mortal world is to help us seize the Rinnegan!"

"What's wrong? Are you so worried about a dead person? There won't be any problems with the Impure World Reincarnation. I'm very confident in it, so there's no need to worry."

Orochimaru laughed and said, "I promised Kaede-kun that I wouldn't keep controlling him. This is an insult to him."

"The Impure World Reincarnation technique is a technique that makes the dead serve the living. What's with the talk of humiliation?" Danzo was very dissatisfied, but he couldn't change Orochimaru's decision.

"Then, I shall begin... Corpse Transformation: Void Realm Technique!"

Kaede Tsukasa led the two to the Land of Rain, appearing on the outskirts of the battlefield where Madara and Mito Uzumaki had fought.

As expected, Orochimaru and Danzo were stunned when they saw the fragmented forest. They were both knowledgeable and had witnessed firsthand how Hashirama's cells turned into trees after going out of control.

Now, upon seeing these bizarrely shaped, fragmented forests, I am utterly horrified.

"Something seems off about the shape of these trees..."

"There's no mistake, it's Wood Release! Lady Mito's enemy can actually use Wood Release, but why would this happen?"

Just as Orochimaru and Danzo were distracted...

Kaedeji moved.

Hai-Chen-Yin-Shen-Chou-Zi——

Impure World Reincarnation Technique - Release!
(End of this chapter)