Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 78 I'm a Sharingan Ninja Too
One after another, the troops returned to the village.

The pride of being the ultimate victor reached its peak, and every ninja was treated with courtesy, enjoying countless cheers and applause.

But not every ninja who returned alive was able to stay in Konoha.

As the highest military institution in the Land of Fire, Konoha Village can forcibly conscript ninjas from all over the country. Many of these ninjas were originally garrison ninjas in various towns of the Land of Fire, or even private soldiers of daimyo and nobles. All of them were conscripted by Konoha and sent to the battlefield.

The war ended, and of those who survived, only a small group of the most outstanding individuals were invited by Konoha Village to join the village due to their exceptional performance. The majority of the others ultimately returned to their hometowns with their rewards.

This gave some people the illusion that everything had returned to the way it was at the beginning, but in reality, things were no longer the same.

As part of the third group to return to the village, Kaedeji blended in with the crowd, keeping a very low profile. With the war over and peace restored, a ninja like him might not always be welcomed.

"They are so enthusiastic. I firmly believe that these people's excitement and gratitude are genuine, but sincerity is the easiest thing to fade with time."

Kaede looked at the cheering crowd and gazed at the exquisite decorations on the village buildings and roads. Everything seemed to fit together perfectly, as if the most beautiful aspects of the ninja world were all displayed here.

However, for Kaede Tsukasa, all of this was ultimately illusory.

Some people recognized Kaedeji Tsukasa in the crowd and shouted his name.

Kaede Tsukasa did not show any surprise. Instead, he smiled calmly and waved to the crowd.

Throughout, he stood in the middle of a group of ninjas, without deliberately moving his position like the others, trying to attract more admiring glances.

Before achieving his goal of changing bodies, Kaede Tsukasa will remain humble and stay away from negative public opinion related to himself as much as possible, because if the public opinion is too great, it will attract the attention of the higher-ups, which will force Kaede Tsukasa to devote unnecessary energy to dealing with it.

Soon, Kaedeji Tsukasa, as one of the war heroes, had the opportunity to listen to the Third Hokage's speech.

The Third Hokage delivered a passionate victory speech at the Hokage Building. His writing was rigorous, his tone was high-spirited, and he was incredibly charismatic, which greatly excited many ninjas.

After that, the Third Hokage began to summon them one by one. By the time it was Kaedeji's turn, it was already dusk.

"Kaede Tsukasa, you did very well. Although you went to the front lines without permission, it's not a problem. Just be more careful next time," the Third Hokage said with a smile. "However, if anyone asks, I will say that I have already criticized you and deducted some of your credit."

"Yes, I'm sorry to trouble you. I'll do whatever the Hokage commands."

"It's not that I'm making things difficult. I'm just pleased to see such an outstanding young person like you in the village. It shows that the village is working in the right direction."

The Third Hokage smiled kindly and then chatted with Kaede Tsukasa. It didn't seem like a work report between superiors and subordinates, but rather like a daily conversation between two generations.

As Kaede answered the Third Hokage's questions, he remained as humble as ever, but his thoughts had already drifted far away, recalling the life story of the person in front of him in the original timeline.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, this "strongest Hokage," cannot be described as someone who likes to use schemes and tricks, nor can he be called a heinous schemer. In Tsukasa Kaede's eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi is more like the type who, when uncertain about the true situation, would rather do nothing than make a mistake.

Normal people would rather make a mistake than waver and do nothing. The Third Hokage, however, did the opposite, which led to him giving the impression of being lazy and negligent in his duties in various subsequent events, resulting in an inevitable decline in the overall strength of Konoha.

Whether it was Sakumo Hatake's suicide, the collapse of the Senju clan, the annihilation of the Uchiha clan, or Hiashi Hyuga nearly being forced to his death by the Hidden Cloud Village... in all these events, the Third Hokage consistently played the same role:

By remaining inactive, watching the spectacle, observing the actions of those involved, offering no directional guidance, and only cleaning up the mess after a definitive result is achieved, the wise and mighty Hokage is free of any fault. All the mistakes are attributed to his subordinates, who have already severely criticized and punished those who acted dishonorably.

The most typical example is when Hyuga Hiashi proposed to sacrifice himself to quell the dissatisfaction of Kumogakure. Hyuga Hizashi resolutely took his place, and the Third Hokage did not exercise his authority as Hokage throughout the entire process, just watching these people act on their own.

Silent observation, to some extent, is already a terrible form of political infighting, forcing those below to resort to self-destructive self-preservation.

It's difficult for Kaede Tsukasa to fully assess the Third Hokage's governing style, but at least for now, it's undeniable that the Third Hokage has led Konoha to prosperity.

"Tsukasa, I think you're prepared for this too, so I'll get straight to the point. Is there any room for improvement in the Corpse Escape Technique you developed?" The Third Hokage filled his pipe with tobacco, took a puff, and asked.

Kaede's attitude will determine the Third Hokage's opinion of him.

"Theoretically, it's possible. Whether it's the efficiency of the Zombification Technique, the number of zombies that can be controlled, the derivative combination ninjutsu that utilizes zombies in combat, or the supporting ninjutsu that works with Corpse Escape, according to my vision, there is still some potential for development," Kaedeji Tsukasa said respectfully.

"Is that so? As expected, all the ninja villages have already put bounties on the black market for your head and your secret techniques. They want everything you have now."

The Third Hokage laughed and said, "However, the village will provide you with strong protection. I will absolutely not allow the enemy to harm my comrades."

If it were a Konoha ninja who had received a proper education, they would have been deeply moved at this moment, wishing they could cut open their own heads and show their Will of Fire to the Hokage.

"This is also my belief, Hokage-sama. People will always die, but I believe that before we die, we should see as much of the world as possible, fight with all our might for the beliefs in our hearts, and even if we die, we should die with a smile. I think this is probably why I was able to develop the Corpse Release technique... People and techniques are never separate; there must be some subtle underlying connection between them."

The words spoken by Kaede Tsukasa were from many years later, during the Naruto and Sasuke era. The Third Hokage had spoken to Konohamaru and the others when he went to inspect the Ninja Academy. Kaede Tsukasa had adapted them to his own situation.

As expected, the moment these words, which embodied the Will of Fire and were subtly connected to the Corpse Escape Technique, were uttered, the Third Hokage was immediately moved, his gaze towards Kaede Tsukasa filled with admiration and satisfaction.

Despite being a war orphan and lacking formal ninja academy training, he still embraced the Will of Fire and was willing to strive for it... Thus, the unprecedented secret technique system of Corpse Release was born and flourished...

The Third Hokage, of course, did not believe it entirely. What pleased him was that Kaedeji Tsukasa had shown a tendency to align himself with the Will of Fire. That was enough. In the increasingly prosperous Konoha Village, was there any need to worry about Kaedeji Tsukasa committing acts of treason that would harm the village?

“Well said. Your will has deeply moved me. The Corpse Escape Technique will surely become a force that the village can rely on. I believe you will not abuse the power of Corpse Escape. As you said, the technique and you, as its developer, are closely linked. Its future direction will be determined by you.”

"Yes, Hokage-sama, I will not abuse the Corpse Release technique, nor will I use this power on my comrades. I know some of my comrades have worried about this in private, and I can only prove this through my actions," Kaedeji Tsukasa said.

The Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction. He understood the terrifying nature of Corpse Release. It was best to limit this power to some extent after the war ended, but he couldn't really imprison Kaedeji.

"Both the Corpse Escape Technique and the Void Realm Technique are extremely dangerous techniques. If you wish, you can include them in the Book of Sealing and preserve them as part of the village's foundation. Without your permission, the village will not allow anyone to learn these techniques until you die. Years later, perhaps someone will learn your techniques again and spread your name, just like Minato Namikaze mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique."

The Third Hokage smiled and said, "In return, you can choose one of your favorite techniques from the Scroll of Seals as an exchange. Of course, I understand if you are unwilling, and I will never force you."

If Kaedeji's answer just now didn't satisfy him, then there would definitely be no selection of forbidden techniques; instead, there would be rewards such as money and ninja tools.

Kaede Tsukasa: "..."

When the Third Hokage proactively proposed a plan with a clear direction, it already indicated that he had made a decision in his heart.

If he truly wanted to refuse, the Third Hokage certainly wouldn't say anything, much less force him. However, this posed a potential problem for Kaede Tsukasa, who needed to keep a low profile and prepare for his body-changing plan. Moreover, he genuinely coveted a certain forbidden sealing technique, so…

“I am willing to offer up the Void Realm Technique, as well as the prerequisite ninjutsu for it. Please forgive me for not being able to inscribe the Corpse Escape Technique on the Book of Sealing. This technique has a great impact, and I will carefully select suitable disciples. If they are qualified in all aspects, I will personally teach them,” said Kaedeji.

"Good, a very prudent approach. I'm pleased that you've already considered taking on disciples and are even willing to teach the Corpse Release technique." The Third Hokage was increasingly satisfied.

Having the Space-Time Technique and its prerequisite ninjutsu is enough; from now on, the Scroll of Seals will contain two space-time ninjutsu.

As for Kaede Tsukasa, whether he teaches the Corpse Release technique to his disciples or, like the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, marries, has children, and establishes a family based on the secret techniques, the Third Hokage is happy to see it happen.

The Third Hokage took out the Book of Sealing and opened it layer by layer, leaving a blank space for Kaedeji Tsukasa, watching as Kaedeji Tsukasa recorded the Void Realm Technique on it.

"No wonder it requires a prerequisite ninjutsu; it turns out it requires the cooperation of a corpse and the caster to perform the technique, involving summoning substitution and chakra resonance..."

The Third Hokage glanced at it quickly, nodded secretly, and gained a general understanding of the Void Realm Technique. Without mastering Corpse Release, it would be impossible to activate the Void Realm Technique.

The so-called pre-requisite ninjutsu is essentially just an auxiliary technique for adjusting chakra pathways and vibration frequencies, not the corpse transformation technique that activates corpses in the Corpse Escape secret technique.

Without the Corpse Escape Technique, the Void Realm Technique is useless and cannot be used.

However, this is not a drawback for the Third Hokage. Even without the Corpse Release technique, it is possible that one day a brilliant genius might emerge and develop other methods of using the Void Realm technique.

Ninjutsu encompasses everything and has infinite possibilities.

As Kaede Tsukasa took notes, he pondered how many ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals the Third Hokage had actually learned.

The Third Hokage was known as a professor, largely because he claimed to have "learned all the ninjutsu of Konoha Village."

If this "all ninjutsu" is just ordinary five-element ninjutsu, then it's actually not so bad. But if it also includes the secret techniques of various clans, then it's a bit scary. However, even if one secretly learns it, given the Third Hokage's personality, he would never use it publicly.

Because the impact is so severe, the Hokage has mastered the secret techniques of his clans, which will greatly damage people's trust in the Hokage.

As for whether the Third Hokage will try to master his Void Release technique... that's ridiculous. If the Third Hokage really dares to do that, Kaede Tsukasa wouldn't mind passing on his Corpse Release technique and then quietly waiting for the Third Hokage to become his vassal.

It took Kaedeji four whole hours to finish writing his technique.

Next, it's time to choose your favorite ninjutsu from the Book of Seals.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique... I have no use for this technique at all... Hmm, as expected, there is no Impure World Reincarnation Technique. Just as I expected, it must have been sealed away by the Third Hokage."

Kaede Tsukasa felt regretful. Although the current version of the Impure World Reincarnation technique was just an initial version and quite bad, it was still very useful for Kaede Tsukasa's future plans.

That's right, the current Impure World Reincarnation technique, like the Flying Thunder God Technique, has ultimately not been further developed and perfected, and its strength is extremely limited.

The Flying Thunder God Technique was originally developed by the Second Hokage to counter the Sharingan's powerful perception abilities. The Second Hokage did indeed use this technique to kill Uchiha Izuna, but that was all.

The Second Hokage himself did not further refine the Flying Thunder God Technique.

It wasn't until Minato Namikaze further developed the Flying Thunder God Technique, completely surpassing the Second Hokage, that the Flying Thunder God Technique's power was elevated to a dazzling level.

For the Impure World Reincarnation technique to truly shine, it must wait until Kabuto Yakushi perfects this forbidden art.

Even if Orochimaru were to master an upgraded version of the Impure World Reincarnation in the future, which could use talismans to erase the self-awareness of the killer, its strength would still be so-so. However, it would at least be strong enough to be used as a powerful technique on its own.

Kaede Tsukasa felt a pang of regret. If he couldn't control the Impure World Reincarnation himself, it seemed that the task would ultimately fall to Orochimaru.

He continued flipping through the pages and came across the Spirit Transformation Secret Technique. There was no need to deliberately choose this one; if necessary, he could shamelessly ask Kato Dan to learn it.

There was no Eight Gates technique, Might Guy had not yet become famous, and the village did not value this physical technique.

"Even Izanagi is there... It was probably done by Uchiha Kagami back then. He wrote all the forbidden eye techniques that the three-tomoe Sharingan could use into the Book of Seals, which allowed Danzo to learn them."

To be honest, Kaede Tsukasa hesitated for a moment on Izanagi, as he had secretly hidden the corpse of an Uchiha clansman, but he quickly and discreetly looked away.

There's no need to waste this precious opportunity for Izanagi.

So, after all the back and forth, there are only a few that are most suitable right now.

"Then I'll choose this one, Hokage-sama."

Kaede Tsukasa ultimately abandoned the Mutual Multiplication Explosion Tags and chose another forbidden technique.

"It's this sealing technique...? Why would you choose this?" The Third Hokage was very surprised. "I know you are good at using explosive tags to enrich your attack methods, and I thought you would choose the Second Hokage's Mutual Multiplication Explosive Tags."

“I will do that in the future. I am still young and can achieve even greater merits, or I may hand over the complete Corpse Escape Technique in the future and obtain the possibility of choosing the forbidden technique a second time,” Kaede Tsukasa said with a smile.

He had a plan: if he could make good use of the chosen sealing technique and if it could develop as he envisioned, he might obtain a powerful weapon.

And most importantly, Kaede Tsukasa needs to eliminate any potential weaknesses he may have.

His weakest point was originally his body. After mastering the techniques of self-reincarnation and the void realm, his physical problems were alleviated, and his ability to survive was greatly improved. To put it bluntly, if he didn't care about saving face and focused solely on escaping, there would be very few people in this world who could kill him.

Kaede Tsukasa is constantly looking for opportunities to advance his plan to change bodies, striving to obtain the most perfect body he envisions.

That leaves us with questions about the soul, spirit, and consciousness.

His interest in Kato Dan's spiritualization techniques stemmed from this reason, but it wasn't enough to give him sufficient understanding and development of the Yin Release side.

"The Reaper Death Seal Technique, Lady Mito just taught this technique to the village not long ago... It is a sealing technique that focuses on the soul and chakra, and the best outcome is to perish together with an invincible enemy."

The Third Hokage closed his eyes, a hint of hesitation indeed forming in his mind.

In theory, someone who has mastered this technique can take down any enemy in one fell swoop, unless the enemy is too fast to be caught.

However, Kaede Tsukasa possesses the technique of the Void Realm, which compensates for the speed issue.

That's why the Third Hokage hesitated. He was worried that a promising junior like Kaede Tsukasa might not choose to retreat when in trouble, but instead impulsively drag the enemy down with him.

Even if Kaede Tsukasa chose the highly destructive Mutual Explosion Tags, the Third Hokage would have agreed without hesitation.

"Have you really thought this through? You only have this one chance. If you regret it later and want to change it, it will be too late."

The Third Hokage said, "I still think that the Mutual Explosive Tags are more suitable for you. Whether it is your personal inclinations or the enrichment of tactics, the Mutual Explosive Tags are a perfect match for you."

"But this technique is expensive, Hokage. The war is over, and I've carried out many important missions. All the rewards and bonuses I've received are probably only enough to use the Mutual Multiplication Explosive Tags once, right?"

Kaedeji spread his hands, revealing a helpless expression.

The Mutual Explosion Tag, in essence, is similar to the Impure World Reincarnation and the Triple Rashomon, and can also be regarded as an S-rank summoning jutsu.

Within a certain area, the super-high frequency of necromancy summoning is performed in an extremely short period of time, using a massive amount of explosive tags to destroy all matter. This is the brutality of the multiplicative explosive tags. As long as the caster is willing, it will never stop until everything is annihilated.

However, the biggest drawback is the stockpile of explosive tags. This technique cannot create something out of nothing; it is impossible to conjure up a bunch of explosive tags out of thin air!

Of course, there is another drawback: it can easily kill the caster.

However, this was not a problem for Kaede Tsukasa. According to the Third Hokage's plan, firstly, Kaede Tsukasa had the Void Realm Technique and could escape immediately after using the Mutual Multiplication Explosive Tags; secondly, it depended on whether Kaede Tsukasa could successfully cast the technique on the corpse.

The Third Hokage was unaware that Kaedejima could use the Reincarnation Technique to resurrect numerous zombies together. He only thought that Kaedejima and the zombies might use the Space Technique to transfer time and space, and that Kaedejima might have the ability to make the corpses use ninjutsu they hadn't learned before they were born!

He had been looking at Kaedeji with anticipation, using the exploding tags as a pretext to see if Kaedeji could teach the corpse the techniques he himself had mastered.

If this can be achieved, Kaedeji's potential will skyrocket, and his importance in the Third Hokage's mind will soar.

But the attempt failed. Kaede Tsukasa had absolutely no interest in the multiplicative explosive tags, this ultimate weapon.

“That’s true, it was my oversight. Even if the village provides you with financial support, it would be too much of a burden for you personally. You haven’t established a ninja clan, and you don’t have enough industries to ensure a long-term, stable income.”

The Third Hokage sighed: "Actually, the Mutual Explosion Tags are a complementary ninjutsu to the Impure World Reincarnation Technique, just like the relationship between the Void Realm Technique and your Corpse Release Secret Technique. The Second Hokage had this in mind when he developed these two techniques."

"The Impure World Reincarnation Technique?" Kaedeji showed just the right amount of curiosity.

"Well, you are a trusted young man in the village, so I may tell you. This is a forbidden technique that summons the souls of the dead to the mortal world. However, the strength of the summoned dead is far inferior to that of the living, perhaps not even one-tenth as strong. If you try to summon some overly powerful undead, for various reasons, it is highly unlikely to succeed."

“I see. Without the exploding tags, the Impure World Reincarnation technique seems to have no value on its own? It sounds inferior to my Corpse Escape Technique,” ​​Kaedeji said.

The Third Hokage nodded, then shook his head: "The body structure of the reanimated ninja is very special. You can think of it as being made up of a huge number of blank talismans. When the reanimated ninja uses the Mutual Multiplication Explosive Tags Technique, as long as they damage their own body, they can grab a handful of explosive tags from the wounds and have a continuous supply of them to use."

Kaedeji deliberately feigned shock, even though he already knew all along.

In the original timeline, the Edo Tensei Second Hokage, with only half of his body remaining, had a large amount of debris scattered on his body like snowflakes. He flicked his palm at his wound and used the Mutual Multiplication Explosive Tags technique.

Kaedeji exclaimed in amazement, "So that's how it is! As expected of the Second Hokage, what a genius idea! The Impure World Reincarnation technique is actually a combination of an S-rank summoning technique and an S-rank sealing technique? After all, the Impure World Reincarnated person has to quickly transform the blank talismans on their body into explosive tags filled with explosive patterns..."

"You could say that; the Second Hokage's talent is something I can't match."

"You are a professor, and in the eyes of your subordinates, you are no less than the Second Hokage, and may even be stronger than him."

"This title means that I have good learning ability and can quickly learn and master a large number of ninjutsu, but it does not mean that my talent in developing various new ninjutsu is comparable to that of the Second Hokage." The Third Hokage showed a kind smile.

Subsequently, the Third Hokage used a sealing technique to copy the Reaper Death Seal Technique onto a scroll and handed it to Kaede Tsukasa.

Immediately afterwards, he took out a kunai and suddenly thrust it out, much like the posture he used to attack Kaede Tsukasa. Finally, he gently touched the back of Kaede Tsukasa's hand, drawing out a little blood.

Throughout the entire process, Kaede Tsukasa remained calm, neither acting instinctively nor showing any dramatic change in expression. Instead, he patiently observed the Third Hokage's actions.

This performance reassured the Third Hokage even more. He pressed Kaedeji's drop of blood onto the scroll, then formed a hand seal with his other hand and pressed it down as well.

"This is the Blood Contract, an extremely advanced technique. Only your own flesh and blood can unlock this scroll; otherwise, the scroll will self-destruct," the Third Hokage explained.

Kaede Tsukasa nodded; he did indeed know this technique.

The prerequisite for Jiraiya to summon the two Great Toad Sages was to draw a mark with his finger below his eyes; this was the Blood Contract Mark, a technique that used his own flesh and blood as a medium.

The Third Hokage formally handed the scroll containing the Reaper Death Seal to Kaede Tsukasa: "But remember, you can only read this scroll yourself, and you cannot pass it on to others."

“Understood. My purpose in learning this forbidden technique is to better utilize my abilities to protect the village. I will absolutely not reveal this forbidden technique. After I have mastered it, I will destroy this scroll.”

Kaede Tsukasa solemnly agreed.

As for why the Third Hokage didn't set a time limit for viewing the scroll... the answer is that it was meaningless. Once Kaede Tsukasa truly learned this forbidden technique, he could teach it to others himself, so there was no need for anyone to learn it through this scroll.

The Third Hokage picked up the Hokage hat, put it on his head, and stood up. Despite his short stature, he exuded an imposing presence.

"You may leave now. You should focus on your training. I look forward to seeing how you perform in the future. It would be embarrassing if you couldn't learn this forbidden technique in the end, hahaha. I need to go to Lady Mito's place later to explain to her that I taught you the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique. After all, it was a technique she taught to the village... I think I'll get her permission."

The Third Hokage let out a hearty laugh, looking as if he had made a difficult decision.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage. You've gone to a lot of trouble."

Kaedeji lowered his head slightly and left the Hokage's office.

After leaving the Hokage Building, he looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.

Excited heart, trembling hands.

Kaedeji didn't care whether Mito Uzumaki agreed or not. Did he really think he would return the Reaper Death Seal if Mito didn't agree?

Impossible, absolutely impossible. If such a thing were to happen, the Third Hokage would completely lose face, and he would never allow it to happen.

Even if the Third Hokage couldn't stop it, Kaedeji would rather take the Reaper Death Seal and defect.

"Heh, looks like I got the technique I wanted. Could it be the Mutual Explosive Tags?"

Under the cover of night, Orochimaru leaned against a tree trunk, clearly having been waiting for some time.

"Lord Orochimaru, didn't you go back to rest after your report?"

“A little rest time won’t make a difference. I’m more concerned about you, Kaede-kun… I can’t wait to work with you. I’ve already asked the old man to let you join. What did he say?” Orochimaru chuckled in a low voice, unconsciously licking his lips.

"The Hokage didn't mention anything about human experimentation. He must know that I'm well-suited to participate in this kind of research. Since he didn't say anything, it means it's not the right time for me to publicly join in," Kaedeji said.

"It's only a matter of time. The war is only temporarily over. Every ninja village is trying to increase its strength, and Konoha will definitely do something too. Nothing is more cost-effective than human experimentation."

Orochimaru and Kaede walked side by side down the street.

People kept stopping to look at them with attention and respect as they watched the two leave.

"Kaze-kun is already a very famous ninja. In two or three years, when you are twenty years old, you will definitely become a strongman comparable to the Hokage, and you will be able to lead the village forward."

“Words of flattery have no effect on me. I don’t strive for such empty fame,” Kaedeji said calmly.

"I see. So you prefer practical things. Speaking of which, you must have gained something from the battle with Iwagakure a few days ago."

“Yes, having gained the trust of my companions and the village’s commendation, I feel my Will of Fire has become even stronger,” Kaede Tsukasa replied.

"..."

After several exchanges, Orochimaru couldn't find any flaw in Kaede Tsukasa's performance, but it was too perfect, which, from another perspective, seemed to be the flaw itself.

He had always suspected that Kaedeji might take advantage of the chaos of the final battle to secretly gather some shady assets, such as those belonging to the Senju, Uchiha, or Hyuga clans...

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, almost the only one in recent years. It would be strange if someone like Kaedeji, who plays with corpses, didn't do this.

"Heh, I never knew that Kaede-kun, as a war orphan, always talks about the village and the Will of Fire. It's so heartwarming to hear."

Orochimaru chuckled in a low voice, "I've always been good at judging people. You should become my companion; this is the path for you. I have something that you're very interested in, and I'm sure you'll like it... When you stand beside me, assisting me in my human experimentation projects, you'll understand what I mean by what I'm telling you."

"Lord Orochimaru, after saying all this, what do you want?"

“You’re a smart person, you must have already guessed it. That’s right, it’s your forbidden technique. I’m developing a forbidden technique that really needs your technique to supplement it.”

"You are in the prime of your life, why would you be interested in this kind of technique? I will not teach you my technique. Only I can unleash the true power of this technique in this world. No one else, not even you, can do it. Even if you learn this technique, recklessly using it will only lead to your death."

Kaede Tsukasa refused: "However, if Lord Orochimaru wants to gain the benefits of this technique, I would be very happy to make a deal with you, for example, something you mentioned that I would be interested in."

"Hehehe, as expected, Kaede-kun, you and I are the same kind of people. We should be the kind of people who pursue ideals... Those things that are destined to disappear are just temporary passers-by in our lives."

Orochimaru became excited, one of his fingers trembling slightly; even winning World War II hadn't made him this excited.

Kaedeji calmly said, "I think I've heard someone else say something similar, but that's not important. If I can help the village and save more comrades through a trade, I'm willing to do everything in my power."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. Kaede-kun's thinking is indeed meticulous."

However, the two did not immediately enter the laboratory. The war had just ended, and its aftershocks had not yet subsided. Various political and diplomatic wrangling would continue for a long time, and Kaede Tsukasa himself needed to remain silent for a while.

"I absolutely love the current trend; it suits me perfectly."

Kaede returned to his old, dilapidated dwelling, where he had lived for many years and had developed some attachment to it.

But old things are not eternal; as time goes by, they will eventually come to an end, and now that time has come.

Just like Kaede Tsukasa will definitely change his current body and choose a completely new one.

For the last time, Kaede Tsukasa was organizing all his belongings here, arranging each item carefully and sealing them into different sealing scrolls.

In the end, Kaedeji used the Sky Realm Technique to leave Konoha Village.

In the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage, with a pipe in his mouth, stared at the scene displayed in the crystal ball, lost in thought.

"He's left. He probably plans to establish his own secret base or research lab elsewhere... After all, his techniques aren't suitable for extensive research in the village."

The Third Hokage didn't really care about this behavior. People who had special value to the village always received special privileges, and as long as they didn't go too far, the Third Hokage would choose to turn a blind eye.

Leaving aside Danzo, the main issue is Jiraiya. He ran away without permission for over two years. If anyone else had done that, they would have been labeled a rogue ninja long ago, and the hunting party would have been on its way to the Land of Rain as soon as the war ended.

However, the Third Hokage forcefully suppressed all the criticism and protected Jiraiya, believing that Jiraiya must have his reasons for doing so.

As for Kaede Tsukasa, although he is not a member of the Hokage lineage, as long as he loves the village, the Third Hokage is willing to tolerate even slightly outrageous behavior and observe him for a longer period of time.

The Third Hokage did not find it unacceptable that his son secretly left the village to train and experiment with various forbidden techniques.

"Since Nawaki's death, Orochimaru's personality seems to have undergone some subtle changes. He actively invited Kaede Tsukasa to join his research project. This kind of thing... shouldn't be about reviving Nawaki."

No matter how you look at it, it shouldn't be a bad thing.

The Third Hokage never dreamed that Orochimaru would betray the village. He just felt that if Orochimaru continued down this dark path, he would eventually become the next Danzo, doing dirty work and never be able to clear his name.

"Regarding the Fourth Hokage, if Orochimaru hadn't become the Fourth Hokage but instead became the next Dark Shinobi, would Tsunade have been a better fit..." The Third Hokage fell into deep thought.

……

Kaede Tsukasa didn't know what the Third Hokage was thinking, but he was mentally prepared to be monitored remotely. Many of the things he had were not suitable to be displayed in the village.

"This place will do. It's just an ordinary cave. I'll make it my temporary base."

Deep in the forests of the Land of Fire, in a remote area teeming with large wild animals, more than 1,200 kilometers away from Konoha Village in a straight line, simply using the Void Technique to travel here would consume a huge amount of chakra.

Kaedeji used his psychic powers to summon a group of zombies to replenish his life force. At the same time, he carefully arranged a corpse.

This is the corpse of an Uchiha clansman who had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, and it was also an important spoil of war he obtained during the war.

"Next, let me see how the Uchiha clansmen with the three-tomoe Sharingan will perform... Corpse Release: Corpse Transformation Technique!"

Kaedeji placed one hand on the corpse, and soon the corpse opened its eyes. The blood red in the Sharingan eyes also dimmed considerably at that moment.

Pfft!

Kaede Tsukasa inserted two fingers and gouged out a Sharingan. At the same time, he used his other hand to gouge out his own eye and stuff the Sharingan inside.

Blood trickled from the corner of his eye, but Kaede Tsukasa immediately used medical ninjutsu to repair the injury inside his eye socket, which was very easy for him now.

From initial discomfort to, a few seconds later, Kaede Tsukasa moved his eyes, channeling his chakra into the eye in an attempt to awaken the Sharingan.

After failing several times in a row, Kaede Tsukasa clearly felt that the eye was putting some "pressure" on his body—mainly a mental burden.

"The Eye of the Mind, the bloodline limit of the Yin Release side, is indeed extraordinary, but it's only a matter of time before I master it."

Kaede Tsukasa scattered the zombies to the outside world, ordering them to lie on the treetops and burrow into the ground to hide themselves as much as possible and be wary of anything suspicious around them, while he himself settled into the new eye.

If the first time using the Sharingan is with the Mangekyou Sharingan, Kaede Tsukasa feels it's normal that he can't control it in a short time. But with the three-tomoe Sharingan, it only takes a little time.

As expected, with the support of his powerful vitality and abundant chakra, Kaede Tsukasa was able to activate his Sharingan normally in just five minutes.

Seeing things through this eye gave Kaede Tsukasa a refreshing feeling. His static and dynamic vision was greatly enhanced, and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion in his eyes.

He could even see the chakra clusters within the nearby zombies.

"These are truly wonderful eyes. Although opening and closing them is extremely difficult and consumes a great deal of energy, I can replenish my life force at any time. As long as I don't become mentally overwhelmed, I am fully capable of truly making these eyes my own."

Without hesitation, Kaede Tsukasa immediately dug out the other three-tomoe Sharingan and transferred it to his own body.

In this way, his eyes also became Sharingan with three tomoe.

“My strength has improved again, but unfortunately it’s just a regular Sharingan. There’s no way to get the Mangekyou Sharingan right now. I can’t just go and dig out Nagato’s Rinnegan right away.” Kaede Tsukasa shook his head.

I will not use my eyes unless absolutely necessary. Once I do use them, it means that it is time to kill the enemy at all costs.

He first soaked his original eyes in formalin and carefully sealed them away. Then he took out the scroll he had obtained from the Third Hokage, used his own blood to break the blood seal of the contract, and officially began learning the Reaper Death Seal Technique.

This is destined to be a huge undertaking, and the difficulty of learning it will inevitably be greater than when I first learned the art of reincarnation.

"...Indeed, the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique is a complete forbidden technique, far more complex than the incomplete Self-Reincarnation Technique, and for me, the danger of cultivating it far exceeds that."

Kaede Tsukasa painstakingly studied the text and incantations, his brain working at full capacity, trying his best to analyze every detail. With each step forward, the difficulty of the next part increased exponentially, leaving Kaede Tsukasa completely baffled.

This is just interpretation; it becomes much more difficult when you actually begin practicing.

(End of this chapter)