Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 75: Fengjian Sishen

front.

Orochimaru ended a surprise attack he had initiated, losing over three hundred of his own ninjas and killing over five hundred enemy ninjas.

This was a very good victory.

In the context of frontline battles involving tens of thousands of people, a few hundred casualties in a single battle may seem insignificant, but one must consider that a war can last from several months to several years.

Even Orochimaru couldn't predict how long the war would last, so the loss of several hundred ninjas was actually quite significant in the long run and needed to be included in the battle report for the Third Hokage's review.

"Lord Orochimaru, should we launch another surprise attack before the enemy can react? I feel that their defenses seem to be weakening. If we continue the attack, we might be able to achieve even greater results."

Senju Momoka followed closely behind Orochimaru and said, "I am very willing to lead the Senju clan in an attack to kill more enemies and end this war as soon as possible."

Orochimaru glanced back at Momoka, his eyes expressionless, but a deliberate smile played on his lips: "Clan Chief Momoka, you seem a bit too impatient. Not only can I see it, but everyone else can too... There's no need to be anxious about the Uchiha clan's outstanding performance. Their achievements were bought with the lives of many clan members."

Throughout the entire Ninja World War, the most intense and deadliest war was undoubtedly the war between Konoha and Iwagakure. The war between the two sides did indeed continue until the very end, and it was never truly over.

However, Orochimaru had already realized that the war would end soon, and Iwagakure would likely withdraw its troops first.

"When news of the Battle of the Land of Hot Springs came back, most people were overjoyed, not because Iwagakure had lost its elite force of a thousand men, but because the Four-Tails Jinchuriki had fallen into a coma."

Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his cheek, his emotions somewhat excited. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was excited because of this: "The defeat of the Four-Tails has put the countdown on this war. Onoki will definitely choose to retreat. He is no match for us."

The strong ninja from Iwagakure have all been mobilized, including Onoki, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, and Kari, but Konoha's side has an equally impressive lineup. The three great bloodline clans of Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga are in charge, along with some secret technique clans, a bunch of smaller ninja clans, and many commoner ninjas. Under Orochimaru's leadership, they are not at a disadvantage at all.

Most importantly, these configurations do not represent the full strength of Konoha Village.

Hatake Sakumo is currently annihilating the invading squads of Kirigakure and Kumogakure, deterring both countries; Kato Dan and Tsunade are recuperating in the village, and the renowned Kaede Tsukasa is also resting. If nothing unexpected happens, they will be able to set out again in a while.

The Third Hokage, Danzo Shimura, and Mito Uzumaki simply didn't take any action; if necessary, they could have gone to the front lines.

There's also Jiraiya, whose whereabouts are unknown, as a backup force.

With such a luxurious setup, if Onoki were not out of his mind, he would never have been able to continue fighting after losing the Four-Tails, a crucial fighting force.

"Large-scale wars are bound to end. At most, there will be some small-scale infiltration and counter-infiltration operations. However, such small-scale battles have been happening every year before the outbreak of the Fourth Shinobi World War, which is normal." Orochimaru saw this very clearly.

War is good, war must be fought.

This way, he could take advantage of the chaos and secretly collect the corpses of various bloodline ninjas, preparing enough research material for his immortality plan.

Moreover, during these years of fighting on the front lines, such a "special" ninja actually appeared in the village, so special that Orochimaru would tremble with excitement whenever he thought about him, wishing he could devour Kaedeji alive and take everything he owned for himself.

Immortality! Immortality! If the information Danzo provided wasn't exaggerated, or if Orochimaru hadn't been deceived by Kaedeji, Orochimaru was certain that he was incredibly close to immortality.

"The technique of self-reincarnation, this forbidden technique actually appeared in the world. Whether he developed it himself or obtained it from someone else through some means, the technique itself is not the most important thing."

The most important thing is to use the Corpse Release technique to activate the Self-Reincarnation Technique, because only in this way can you use a bunch of worthless corpses to replenish your life force and obtain eternal life!

It's just consuming corpses, what kind of price is that? Every year, a large number of ninjas die in the ninja world. So many corpses would just rot in the ground if they weren't used. It's better to use them as sacrifices to extract their life force!

Orochimaru is still unable to confirm the true relationship between the Reanimation Jutsu and Corpse Release—is it necessary to first learn the Corpse Release secret technique, and is the Reanimation Jutsu a component of the Corpse Release secret technique? Or are Corpse Release and the Reanimation Jutsu both independent forbidden techniques, but using Corpse Release to activate the Reanimation Jutsu can minimize the cost?
Based on Orochimaru's keen intuition, he felt that the latter was more likely, especially considering that during the Battle of Hot Springs, Kato Dan had miraculously defeated the Four-Tails...

Orochimaru knew all too well what level Kato Dan was at. How could he defeat the Four-Tails Jinchuriki without taking any damage, with Kaede Tsukasa's assistance? The key must have been Kaede Tsukasa's support.

It's highly likely that Kato Dan used a spirit transformation technique to try and kill himself, but his body was ultimately saved by Kaede Tsukasa's Reincarnation Technique. Otherwise, it's really hard to explain how Kato Dan could be so fierce.

Perhaps Kaede Tsukasa himself also used some method to attack the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, causing injuries and accelerating the Four-Tails Jinchuriki's defeat.

Such peculiar ninjas, such a masterful arrangement of the cycle of life and death, from the dead to the living and back to the dead—Orochimaru was utterly captivated by them, utterly envious, and…

I really want it!
"Hmm, hum, hum..."

In his extreme excitement, Orochimaru unconsciously stuck out his tongue half a meter, waving it around as if drooling.

"...Lord Orochimaru, it seems you are very pleased with the victory in the Land of Hot Water. However, please remember that maintaining the personal image and charisma of the unit's leader is also an important element of warfare."

"Yes, you're right. I just suddenly feel that this war is a bit boring, and there's absolutely no need to continue fighting." Orochimaru retracted his tongue, remembered something pleasant, and chuckled darkly.

Senju Momoka once again volunteered: "Then I request to launch another attack, kill more enemies, and end the war as soon as possible."

"Alright, since you insist, I won't stop you."

Orochimaru was too lazy to waste time on the Senju clan.

Yes, he was not fond of the Senju people—don't misunderstand, it wasn't out of dislike for the Senju people, but simply because there was nothing about the Senju people that he coveted or cared about.

The Senju clan nowadays are only physically stronger than ordinary ninjas and have more chakra. That's about it.

Even the First Hokage's Wood Release bloodline limit was not passed down, not to mention the various world-destroying Wood Release techniques, all of which have been lost.

Since Nawaki died before his eyes, Orochimaru has become even more cold-blooded and less willing to waste time on the Senju clan. He would rather use that energy to search through various war ruins for the remaining secrets of the Uzumaki clan.

Most importantly, Danzo had Hashirama cells. With such abnormally powerful cells in hand, who would care about the Senju?

Not to mention Tsunade, the most outstanding descendant of the Senju clan, who is also his partner since childhood!

So... if the Senju clan insists on proving themselves and is determined to compete with the Uchiha clan, then let them do it. It doesn't matter if a few more members of the clan die, since it has nothing to do with Orochimaru anyway.

In fact, the Senju clan is now lagging behind the Uchiha clan, which has inherited the Sharingan bloodline, in many ways.

Even in terms of population size, it lags behind in every aspect.

With a heavy heart, Senju Momoka led a group of her people on their journey.

The Uchiha clan also turned their attention to this matter.

"Lord Fugaku, it seems the Senju clan still refuses to admit defeat." Someone immediately reported to Uchiha Fugaku.

At 27, Fugaku was mature enough. Having experienced the trials of World War II, he was a qualified clan leader. He made no further comment on the Senju clan's rivalry.

“Then let them do it. They are all fellow villagers, and they are all fighting for victory,” Fugaku said.

More and more Uchiha clan members no longer regard the Senju clan as rivals, especially after the death of Nawaki, a direct descendant of the Senju, this contempt became even more obvious.

If it weren't for Tsunade being so dazzling, with her personal strength, battle achievements, honors, and position all far ahead of the others, thus giving the Senju clan's reputation a new lease on life, the Uchiha clan would have paid even less attention to the Senju clan.

Uchiha clan members, once they awaken the Sharingan, can at least reach the level of Chunin. Developing their bloodline limit step by step, becoming Jonin is a natural progression. What does the Senju clan have?
Wood Release? Does the Senju clan still possess Wood Release? Not even a sapling remains. Tsunade and Nawaki, the granddaughter and grandson of the First Hokage, haven't awakened Wood Release bloodline limits, indicating that it will be lost forever, becoming just a legend. Furthermore, the Uchiha clan has hundreds of members, while the Senju clan, at most, has less than a hundred. Their numbers are dwindling, yet they still fight so desperately to prove themselves on the battlefield…

"The decline of the clan may seem sudden, but it is actually the result of decades of continuous effort. Don't you think so, Hiashi? You will become the head of the Hyuga clan in a few years, so you can probably understand my thoughts."

Fugaku watched as Hyuga Hiashi walked slowly towards him.

As the only main family member on the battlefield, Hiashi Hyuga was always protected by a large group of branch family members wherever he went, ensuring that there would be no oversights.

Hiashi Hyuga, of course, also saw the Senju clan's unwilling struggle and was somewhat moved, but he did not think that the Hyuga clan would be like the Senju clan.

The reason is simple: the Hyuga clan's bloodline limit is the easiest to awaken among the three great clans of Konoha.

Anyone who is a descendant of the Hyuga clan can awaken the Byakugan; the only difference is the level of power they possess.

The sheer difficulty of awakening alone has already raised the bar for the Hyuga clan beyond imagination.

This is also why the Hyuga clan insisted on planting the Caged Bird Seal on their branch family members—too easy for them to be coveted, and too easy for outsiders to obtain.

Therefore, the Hyuga clan has the least need to worry about "rapid decline" like the Senju clan. As long as they can reproduce normally and the Caged Bird Seal is not broken, there will never be a tragic scene of having no successors.

On the contrary, the Senju clan has yet to have anyone awaken Wood Release, relying on their powerful bodies to establish the clan's prestige. However, the Uzumaki clan, which is also known for its vitality, has almost been wiped out. How long can the sparsely populated Senju clan last?

However, this has nothing to do with Hiashi Hyuga, and he doesn't care.

"Hmm? This feeling..."

"Did you notice it too?"

Hiashi and Fugaku simultaneously turned their heads to look at the center of the camp, where a surge of chakra suddenly erupted.

"Are they enemies? But how did they manage to infiltrate that location!"

Fugaku suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with three tomoe, ready to personally lead the attack. But soon, masked figures emerged from the central camp, relaying Orochimaru's orders.

"Everyone stay put and do not approach the central camp without Lord Orochimaru's order!"

Fugaku and the others frowned upon hearing this and looked up in confusion.

"These people... are they from the Dark Guard?"

"No, it's the Root organization from the Dark Division. How could Root members be here, and in such large numbers, more than a dozen? That means at least one detachment is stationed here!"

Everyone knows that the Root is Danzo's direct subordinate force, which trains selected young people into emotionless mission machines.

Only the three great bloodline clans could openly refuse Danzo's request to select young people from their clans. Ordinary bloodline clans below the great bloodline clans, as well as secret technique clans, could not refuse Danzo, let alone ordinary young ninjas.

But Danzo's Root ninjas appeared here, conveying Lord Orochimaru's orders...

Hiashi Hyuga remained calm. He was too lazy to bother with the messy affairs between the village's higher-ups, nor did he need to get involved. The Hyuga clan only needed to maintain a stable and peaceful existence.

Fugaku frowned, revealing his annoyance. How could it be a good thing for Lord Orochimaru to be associating with someone like Danzo? What are these two planning to do, or have already done?
"Speaking of which, it's very unusual that several clansmen have mysteriously disappeared on the battlefield. We've been taking great care to recover the remains of our clansmen, but people are still going missing."

Behind him, Elder Uchiha Setsuna said in a sinister tone. This man had been a well-known radical since the Second Hokage's time and was extremely hostile to Danzo.

Fugaku's heart sank, and he said, "Elder Setsuna, don't speak recklessly without evidence. The village's higher-ups may not think the way you do!"

As he spoke, Fugaku glanced at Hyuga Hiashi in the distance. At that moment, he suddenly envied Hiashi's composure—it was precisely because he knew that there would be no problem with his bloodline limit that Hiashi had the confidence to remain calm forever.

This is the powerful sense of security brought by the Caged Bird Seal, naturally cutting off all covetous gazes and outstretched tentacles from the outside world.

Momoka, Fugaku, and Hiashi are all contemplating the fate of their clan.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, was contemplating the fate of the entire village.

"Leaked? I clearly told you not to do anything without my permission, but you still disobeyed my orders..."

Orochimaru's vertical pupils were filled with the venom of a snake, and his intense killing intent burst forth as a tangible stream of air. He stepped into the heavily guarded central tent, saw a figure, and snorted coldly.

"So it's you, Ryoma. You've got some nerve. Aren't you afraid I'll take this opportunity to kill you?" Orochimaru laughed, his inner emotions unreadable.

Ryoma, completely enveloped in a wide robe, looked up at Orochimaru: "Things have changed. Lord Danzo has lost his patience. I hope you can end the war as soon as possible and produce your research results."

"So you barged into my lab and interfered with my unfinished research?"

Orochimaru's fingers twitched slightly, and with a sudden swing of his arm, he instantly cut the two zombies that pounced on him in half at the waist.

The zombie, now only its upper body remaining, howled and crawled on its hands.

"The power extracted from the remaining fragments of Kaedeji's body could be a great asset if used properly, and might even help Danzo crack the secret of the Corpse Release technique sooner. But you're too impatient. You want both Wood Release and the Sharingan, and you also want to master Corpse Release. This puts me in a difficult position."

Orochimaru looked at the two zombies on the ground with a cold smile. Not long ago, these two were his subordinates. Now, thanks to Ryuma's intervention, the virus leaked and they became zombies.

Aburame Ryoma raised his hand, and a large number of insects flew out from his sleeve, enveloping all those who were turning into zombies and others who had already turned into zombies. In just a few seconds, they devoured all the flesh and blood on their bodies.

"Aren't you afraid of getting infected, you crazy guy?"

"I won't let these insects return to my body; I just need to kill them," Ryoma said expressionlessly. "Don't worry about those who die; the Root will compensate you with more manpower."

"Hmph, no matter how many people we have, with a reckless fellow like you who doesn't understand research getting involved, a couple more leaks and they'll all be dead. We might even alert that guy. Even I don't have a deep understanding of corpse escape techniques, so I can't be sure how far that guy can sense and control..."

Orochimaru sized up the two crawling zombies on the ground, his eyes flashing with undisguised greed. These two guys were so full of life; if only he could transfer his life force to them.

The Undying Reincarnation Technique, which has already begun research and development, is responsible for maintaining the immortality of the soul. It specifically targets perfect young bodies for possession. If it can also maintain the immortality of the body using the Self-Reincarnation Technique, then it will be perfect.

The two crawling zombies suddenly stopped moving, and then, at the same time, began to form hand seals.

"?"

"This is……"

boom!
First, there was a loud bang, and a zombie used lightning magic to clear the area.

Immediately afterwards, a figure appeared where another zombie had been.

"Nice to meet you, Lord Orochimaru... Special Jonin Kaedeji Tsukasa of the Corpse Disposal Department hereby reports."

(End of this chapter)