Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 82 Konoha Ghoul
There's nothing wrong with Death reaching out to Kaede Tsukasa—it's only natural to get paid after doing a job.

Even gods cannot escape this law.

But Kaede Tsukasa felt that this wouldn't work. He wanted the Grim Reaper to do the work, and he didn't want to pay for it.

Not to mention that the money here is actually his own soul.

"What's with this matter-of-fact attitude? I wasn't the one who used the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique, so why are you targeting me?"

Kaede Tsukasa leaped into the air and stood several meters away, looking up at the Grim Reaper.

To others, this action seemed inexplicable; they had no idea what Kaede Tsukasa was doing or why he kept staring at thin air.

"What is he doing, avoiding the poison gas?"

"It doesn't seem like it. It looks like it's staring at the corpse that was bound by a binding spell... No, it's behind the corpse? Is there something there?"

At this moment, those who had the energy to pay attention to the battle situation here all spared a glance over and instinctively began to analyze the situation.

If the battle between Danzo and Jiraiya was somewhat understandable—though not much—at least it revealed that Danzo had used a Sharingan technique that allowed him to remain unharmed.

But Kaede Tsukasa's actions were completely baffling. He touched a bunch of corpses, and on one of them, he used some kind of hand seal to perform a technique that was impossible to decipher. Then, he touched a giant salamander, and the giant salamander immediately lay down...

But what kind of technique is this?

Even the renowned Golden Binding Technique doesn't have such an extremely bizarre effect. Combined with Kaede Tsukasa's inexplicable retreat, it's clear that something incomprehensible has happened.

"So, something we can't see has appeared. What kind of technique is this?"

White Zetsu and Black Zetsu are also paying close attention; they share a common trait: an extremely strong sense of curiosity.

Watching from a distance, as long as Nagato and Kaede Tsukasa are safe, they can relax completely and offer their opinions on the battle.

Not to mention, it was truly an eye-opening experience.

White Zetsu cannot see the Grim Reaper, but Black Zetsu is different; as a creation with a Yin-based ability, he can sense it.

“It’s an enormous, unknown spirit. Interesting. I never thought such a thing existed in this world. It’s probably similar to those demons.” Black Zetsu became very interested. “However, this guy’s strength seems a bit off.”

A super spirit that can only manifest through a certain technique can directly attack souls, cut them off, and swallow them whole...

No, that's not right. The reason it's cut up instead of swallowing the salamander's soul whole is because the zombie that cast the spell is too weak overall, not strong enough for the Grim Reaper to do that.

"Hmph, it seems to be some kind of special sealing technique, with a more powerful effect on the soul than the Spirit Transformation Secret Technique. It's similar to the Nine Seals of the Illusionary Dragon... but the cost of using it seems to be greater than that of the Nine Seals of the Illusionary Dragon."

Black Zetsu's initial assessment is that if the caster is strong enough, such as if it were Kaede Tsukasa himself, he could at least seal the soul of a Hokage-level powerhouse, and perhaps even stronger? As for whether he could deal with someone of his mother's level, it's highly unlikely.

Ultimately, it is nothing more than a super spirit born from this world, and theoretically it will not reach the strength of the progenitor of chakra.

Moreover, Black Zetsu sensed that the Shinigami wanted to bypass the zombie casting the spell and directly grab Kaede Tsukasa. He immediately understood that this must be the price of casting the spell, and his previously tense mood relaxed slightly.

To seal the enemy's soul, one must also offer something of one's own—perhaps even one's own soul? That should be the case, making this technique inferior to the Nine Seals of the Illusionary Dragon.

Only by summoning the Gedo Mazo can one activate the Nine Sealing Techniques of the Illusionary Dragon. This technique can not only devour a large number of living souls in one go, achieving the goal of annihilating an enemy army in one battle, but its ultimate purpose is to extract the Tailed Beasts from the Jinchūriki's body and stuff them into the belly of the Gedo Mazo.

The key is that the caster does not need to sacrifice themselves; at most, it consumes a large amount of chakra.

Bai Jue said, "According to you, he summoned a demon, but controlling a demon comes at a heavy price. How does this guy plan to end this?"

"Don't you understand yet? He's controlling the corpse to cast spells, clearly wanting to use that thing's power without paying the price. Moreover, the spell's effect seems far from being realized, producing limited power. This is probably why Lord Kaedeji doesn't cast the spell himself," Black Zetsu said.

At the same time, a White Zetsu clone continuously reported what was happening here to Madara Uchiha, who was closely monitoring the situation.

Ban leaned on his sickle, his posture seemingly relaxed, but in reality, he was ready to strike.

As long as Nagato is doomed, he will demonstrate his immense power to the world by killing as many people as possible, except for Nagato.

"...Is that so? So it was the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique. That kid actually managed to do this, using Corpse Escape to activate the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique, trying to avoid the risks of this Uzumaki clan's sealing technique."

Ban narrowed his eyes, a rare hint of appreciation appearing on his face.

Honestly, he used to look at Kaede Tsukasa differently because of his Reincarnation Technique and the Void Realm Technique. These two techniques alone were enough for Kaede Tsukasa to establish himself in the ninja world, and even if he couldn't defeat his enemies, he could still escape smoothly.

But that's all. To Madara, Kaede Tsukasa was just a young man who accidentally stumbled into his plans and was somewhat useful. Having Kaede Tsukasa was certainly good, but losing him wouldn't have much of an impact.

Now, Madara has a higher opinion of Kaede Tsukasa.

"It seems he's using this method to make up for his lack of combat ability. What a clear-headed guy."

Madara nodded secretly. He had been collecting information about Kaedeji Tsukasa directly and indirectly, analyzing Kaedeji's secret techniques, psychology, combat style and overall strength. It was easy to see that Kaedeji's biggest problem was that he lacked a powerful technique to break the deadlock in one blow.

When facing an enemy with a turtle-shell-like defense, Kaede Tsukasa doesn't really have any good ways to break the deadlock besides attrition warfare and retreat. He can't just keep blowing up a few explosive tags, as the effect is extremely limited.

Now it's different. If the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique can be activated using the Corpse Escape Secret Technique, even if the destructive effect is severely weakened, it will still be enough to make up for Kaedeji's biggest weakness!

If everything goes smoothly, Kaede Tsukasa will truly become a ninja with extremely strong combat capabilities.

"He abandoned the costly Mutual Explosion Talisman and the sluggish and rigid Inner Four Symbols Seal, and chose the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique instead. This kid is very clever and knows what is most beneficial to him. I'm afraid he had already figured out how to modify this forbidden technique before choosing the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique."

Madara made no attempt to hide his admiration, and slightly elevated the importance of Kaede Tsukasa in his heart.

This is already a very rare thing. Given Madara's arrogance, since Hashirama Senju, who has looked down on the ninja world? So far, only Nagato has earned his attention.

There will be Kaede Tsukasa in the future.

but……

"I have a rough idea of ​​how he deceived the Grim Reaper, using the technique I taught him like this." Madara chuckled in a low voice.

……

Kaedeji closely monitored the Grim Reaper's every move, and sure enough, even though the Grim Reaper knew that he was the true mastermind behind the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique, the connection between the technique and the zombie remained bound together.

They wanted to extract Kaedeji's soul directly, but they couldn't bypass the zombies casting the spell. Now, Kaedeji leaped back, and even the Grim Reaper could only watch helplessly.

Death began muttering again, speaking in that strange language.

"You want me to give up my soul? What a joke! Why should I do such a thing? Even if you are the Grim Reaper, you can't take my soul for no reason."

Kaede Tsukasa shook his head repeatedly, refusing without hesitation, and pointed to the zombie that was casting the spell: "The souls you want to harvest are over there."

"..."

Death sensed the zombie's spiritual state, and his expression visibly stiffened for a moment.

Zombies themselves don't have souls; their souls have long since gone to the Pure Land. Death can't directly retrieve souls from the Pure Land; that's beyond its scope of business.

Zombies without souls are originally unable to successfully cast spells—the Reaper Death Seal technique is based on using one's own soul and chakra to summon the Grim Reaper!
The arrival of death means that the zombie that cast the spell actually possesses a soul that can attract death—even if this so-called "soul" temporarily implanted into the zombie is full of deception.

That's right, when Kaede Tsukasa first touched the zombie, he was essentially doing one thing:

Inject your will into the zombie's body, using this will to replace your complete soul, and combine it with the zombie's body to activate the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique!

The last time Kaede Tsukasa separated his will was when he created Black Zetsu in front of Madara.

"The secret technique that Madara taught me is really useful. He probably never thought it could be used like this. Even if he knew it, it wouldn't matter unless he could perfectly control zombies to cast the spell, just like me."

If someone could achieve the same perfect control as Kaede Tsukasa's Corpse Release, they could also use the "Sky Realm Technique." But if that were the case, then Kaede Tsukasa wouldn't be the only one in the entire ninja world to have developed this space-time ninjutsu over the past thousand years.

Therefore, looking at the entire ninja world, only Kaede Tsukasa could activate the Reaper Death Seal in this way!

This is one of the two ways that Kaede Tsukasa envisioned to activate the Reaper Death Seal Technique, and it is also a method that can only be used by Kaede Tsukasa alone!

If there is any drawback, it is that it cannot be used frequently. After all, each separation of will will put a certain burden on one's soul consciousness, which is a recoverable injury.

If Kaede uses Corpse Release: Corpse Demon Sealing Technique multiple times in a battle, Kaede Tsukasa will have to frequently separate his will, and might eventually faint on the spot—just like what happened to Rōshi in the Land of Hot Springs.

This is normal. The Corpse Demon Sealing Technique is ultimately a forbidden technique that requires a huge price to use. Kaede Tsukasa used Corpse Release to reduce the cost to this extent, paying with a little bit of willpower in place of the soul, which is perfectly acceptable.

Kaedeji wouldn't allow himself to fall into a near-comatose state. He developed space-time ninjutsu not only for combat, but also to ensure a smooth escape when victory seemed hopeless.

"Speaking of which, the Corpse Transformation: Void Realm Technique and the Corpse Escape: Corpse Demon Sealing Technique are very compatible. As long as there are multiple zombies present, they can move instantly. If necessary, the second stage of the Void Realm Technique can be used to further enhance the suddenness of the attack and ensure that the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique can be successfully applied to the target."

Kaede Tsukasa felt that his combat system was now basically complete.

Mobile, long-range, aggressive, and unpredictable tactics have all reached a considerable scale.

"I used to envy powerful offensive techniques like Rasengan and Chidori that could break through the entire area with a single point, but now I don't need to. My Corpse Release: Reaper Death Seal is no weaker than those two techniques, but of course, the cost seems to be higher. In addition to chakra, it also consumes willpower..."

However, aside from special cases like Naruto who can create countless Rasengans in a single battle, most normal people would be exhausted and unconscious after using Rasengan and Chidori only a few times.

Kaedeji used the Corpse Release version of the Reaper Death Seal a few times, paying a price, but in reality, it wasn't much different from the final number of times a normal person would use the Rasengan or Chidori.

He looked at Death once again.

The Grim Reaper reluctantly extracted a wisp of Kaede Tsukasa's will from the zombie that had cast the spell and swallowed it with difficulty—it seemed to taste like cardboard and was very unpalatable.

Lord Death has never suffered such humiliation in his life! He did a good job for someone, and now he's reduced to only being able to consume a segment of willpower?
Don't say things like it didn't do much damage to the enemy; that's because the zombie that cast the spell was too weak. Death doesn't care about that, but it does feel like it's been fooled.

Then, somewhat dissatisfied, it uttered incomprehensible words, and its enormous form gradually dissipated, indicating that it was about to leave.

"They've left. Aside from the potentially harsh insults, they seem willing to follow the rules. I love dealing with law-abiding deities."

Kaede Tsukasa was very satisfied, feeling that he had developed another ingenious complementary technique, and was in a great mood.

So, the next step is to completely eliminate Hanzo's threat.

"It seems this summoning beast is in a rather precarious situation, Lord Hanzo."

Kaede looked at Hanzo from afar and said something.

Hanzo stared intently at the suddenly collapsed spellcasting zombie, and combined with Kaedeji's series of strange actions just now, he vaguely realized what had happened.

"You always manage to come up with techniques that surprise me. Before long, you'll grow into a powerful figure who will shake the ninja world... But can you tell me what you did to my summoning beast?" Hanzo asked.

"Based on your experience, you must have already guessed. If there are no physical injuries, then it's obvious where it was hurt," Kaedeji said calmly.

"Hmph, it really is a soul attack..."

Hanzo's heart pounded wildly. Who would have thought that this Konoha genius would actually pull out such a technique? This must be a forbidden technique, right?
"You seem to use forbidden techniques every time, yet you look perfectly healthy and alive... I have a strong feeling that the future ninja world will be very interesting, and countless people will suffer."

"That is, you can live to see the future."

Kaedeji confirmed that the Grim Reaper had left, and with a backhand, he activated the Second Stage of the Void Realm. After many zombies broke through the poison gas and approached the Salamander again, he summoned a zombie that Kaedeji had touched to the Salamander.

"As you can see, I touched three corpses, which means I can still use the forbidden technique twice more."

The second zombie, carrying the will of Kaede Tsukasa, used the Reaper Death Seal to touch a salamander.

This time, Hanzo looked even more carefully, and didn't even care about the life or death of his summoned beast.

In Kaede Tsukasa's perception, the Grim Reaper had returned, drooling as well. But upon seeing the familiar place and familiar people, he paused, and the entire god fell silent.

A hint of disbelief crept into his fierce eyes—was this something a normal human being could do?

"We meet again. Now, please once again sever a part of the enemy's soul."

The first time was unfamiliar, the second time was familiar, and it would become even more familiar in the future. Kaede Tsukasa was already quite skilled, controlling the zombie to extend its spiritual hand from its abdomen again, sealing a part of the salamander's soul.

Strange, writhing runes appeared on the zombie's abdomen before solidifying completely.

Death still wanted to directly demand Kaede's soul, but was still constrained by the zombies that cast the spell, and ultimately reluctantly swallowed a portion of Kaede's will.

Smacking lips.

I ate it, but it also feels like I didn't.

It would be a waste not to eat it, and it would also violate the rules of the technique. But if I eat it, it would be the same as not eating it at all, and it would be a bit disgusting.

A hint of confusion crept into Death's expression. It had been a long time since any human had summoned it. It had rushed over twice, its mouth watering with excitement, but why had it turned out like this?

Is this right?
Calling it over to fight, and then not giving it a single hair afterward—though in reality it did give it a hair—is an insult to God.

Death wanted to do something, but its barren mind couldn't come up with any good ideas. It mainly acted on instinct and was subject to the restrictions of the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique, so it had to abide by the rules.

And so, death departed again, but the god had a strong premonition that it would return soon.

"What a hardworking Grim Reaper! Among all the supernatural beings on this planet, Grim Reaper is probably the most principled one... From now on, I can bully him without any worries."

Kaede Tsukasa expressed great admiration for the Grim Reaper and will continue to do so in the future.

Hanzo made up his mind to retreat. "Kazema Tsukasa, you are an extremely strange ninja. I would call you the 'King of Konoha.' I will definitely make this world feel fear. I will never be wrong about that."

Seeing the salamander's increasingly painful cries, Hanzo immediately released the summoning spell.

The fact that the salamander did not dispel the summoning spell on its own and disappeared in a wisp of smoke indicates that it still possesses some combat capabilities—meaning that the two attacks on its soul did not completely destroy the salamander.

This has already given Hanzo some idea of ​​the power of Kaedeji's technique. If he were to be hit by such a technique, even as a demigod, his fate would not be much better, and his combat power would definitely plummet.

Moreover, Kaedeji can use this unknown forbidden technique multiple times; who knows exactly how many times he can use it!

"Kounoha Ghoul...does this mean I've gained your approval? You seem to have a knack for giving nicknames to juniors you approve of," Kaede Tsukasa said.

The character “喰” is a general summary of his devouring of life force and soul, which is quite interesting.

Kaede Tsukasa didn't really care about nicknames. He had no interest in having a title that could highlight his status, like the Yellow Flash or the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.

However, since Hanzo has said so, whether this title will spread in the future, and to what extent, is neither Kaedeji's concern nor his interest. Let others call him whatever they want.

Hanzo ordered all Amegakure ninja to retreat, and he himself ran the fastest, without even saying goodbye to Danzo—after fighting to this point, and given the strangeness that Kaedeji had displayed, Hanzo felt there was no need to waste any more time on Danzo.

Danzo is already in his fifties, how old is Kaedeji? Can Danzo kill Kaedeji? If not, then for Hanzo, the only option is to avoid offending anyone.

This made Danzo's face turn ugly. He was still entangled with Jiraiya, and the two sides kept testing each other, but this time, Danzo could not find a good opportunity to use Izanagi.

He could only use Izanagi one more time; if he still couldn't defeat Jiraiya, he would have no choice but to flee.

"That bastard Hanzo, always looking back and forth, he doesn't deserve the title of demigod of the ninja world!!" Danzo, who was originally quite calm, was now somewhat losing his composure.

His strongest fighter, Hanzo, has escaped. Does he expect Hanzo to fight Kaede Tsukasa and Jiraiya alone, and also take Nagato with him? That's simply impossible.

But even though he knew he could achieve that in the future, Danzo felt a sense of resignation, though his heart was still filled with intense resentment.

"Kaedeji, you are my subordinate! Now that you've driven away Hanzo, this outsider, you can join forces with me to kill Jiraiya. As for the Rinnegan, I'm willing to share it with you, one for each of us!"

Danzo said sternly, "If you have any other conditions, just say so. Even if it's learning other forbidden techniques from the Book of Sealing, I can get them for you! That's the biggest concession I can make!"

Jiraiya forced Danzo to retreat and sneered, "What, you still want to bribe him at a time like this? He's not the kind of person you are."

Jiraiya was also very worried. He had witnessed the battle between Kaede Tsukasa and Hanzo. Although he didn't recognize the Reaper Death Seal Technique, he could roughly guess how the technique worked.

The methods displayed by Kaedejima truly surprised Jiraiya. This was a level that even he had to be cautious about. Even though he was confident that if he went all out, he would be fully capable of driving away Kaedejima—after all, Kaedejima knew space-time ninjutsu, and if he was determined to leave, he couldn't stop him.

But given how old and what his background is, the fact that Kaedejima could already make this legitimate Hokage disciple and successor of Mount Myōboku feel threatened speaks volumes about how terrifying Kaedejima's talent is!

He starts with forbidden techniques, and even his basic attacks are dangerous ultimate moves. How can anyone dare to relax for a moment? Every forbidden technique that Kaede Tsukasa uses would be a trump card for any other ninja, enough to secure their survival or even be passed down to the next generation!

Jiraiya least wanted Kaede Tsukasa to betray him at a time like this.

Kaede Tsukasa said, "Lord Danzo, if I wanted to join forces with you, I would have done it from the beginning. After killing Lord Jiraiya and taking the Rinnegan, I could have dealt with Hanzo later. But since I didn't do that, you shouldn't have any illusions about me."

"Hmph, you really think you've got me cornered?" Danzo suddenly retreated, raised his hand, and the seven surviving Root ninjas quickly gathered in front of him.

The battle was over. Danzo realized that even if he could kill Jiraiya, could he possibly defeat Kaede Tsukasa?

Moreover, the deceased Jiraiya might soon become Kaedejima's top general... No, perhaps Kaedejima is waiting for such an outcome!
Danzo stared at Kaede Tsukasa with his three-tomoe Sharingan, only to see his expressionless face.

And most importantly, Danzo knew he couldn't kill Jiraiya with Izanagi. He underestimated Jiraiya's strength and overestimated the power of Izanagi.

This is only temporary! Before long, even these two, or even Hanzo, will not be a match for him!
As long as he has the body organs created by Hashirama's cells, as long as he has an inexhaustible supply of three-tomoe Sharingan and can use Izanagi without limit, who in this world can be his opponent?

Kaede Tsukasa laughed, "Lord Danzo, don't act like you've been taken advantage of. Don't think I don't know why you secretly came to the Land of Rain. Was it to investigate Jiraiya, or to investigate me? The Rinnegan was a complete accident, not part of your plan at all... If you can take action against me, then it's not unusual for me to do something to displease you."

He wouldn't lower his stance just because Danzo was a high-ranking official in Konoha—if it were before, when he hadn't developed his strength, there would have been no argument; survival was the most important thing.

But now it's unnecessary. He is fully capable of standing on his own and can engage in dialogue with Danzo on the same level.

"The fledgling bird of yesteryear has grown its wings and dares to speak to me like that. But I will not give up the Rinnegan; it is the power that can change the ninja world! Or do you intend to kill me?" Danzo said sternly.

“Kill you? Don’t put it so harshly. Even if you die, I can resurrect you. It’s no big deal,” Kaede Tsukasa said. “Of course, who will listen to whom at that point is anyone’s guess…”

Kaedeji raised his hand and summoned the heavily injured Sandstorm Araki back to Kaedeji's side. This type of area-of-effect ninja would still suffer some losses when facing a ninja like Terai.

Just as Kaede was about to make a move, Jiraiya reached out and blocked Kaede's path.

"...It seems you have a different opinion. Are you serious? At a time like this, you're still being so...childish?" Kaedeji looked at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's expression was complicated, and his face showed intense struggle. He knew that killing Danzo and the Root ninjas would ensure Nagato's safety to the greatest extent. All he had to do next was ensure that Kaedeji didn't leak information about the Rinnegan.

But if he really killed him, then he would truly be betraying the village, since Danzo was, after all, a high-ranking member of the village.

"Be naive if you will, but I won't let you kill Danzo."

Even if he was just about to kill you?

"Didn't he fail to kill me? Although I only saw him use that eye technique once, and I haven't been able to analyze much of the information yet, he no longer has the ability to kill me," Jiraiya said in a deep voice.

Kaede sighed: "Don't you want to ask how he got his three-tomoe Sharingan? And what crime did he commit by trying to kill you, a disciple of the Hokage?"

"Stop talking. There are some things that Danzo can do, but I can't. I won't let Danzo kill you, and I will never let you kill Danzo," Jiraiya said.

Kaede sighed again. To be honest, Jiraiya's decision did not surprise him. Jiraiya was the kind of person who felt helpless when faced with Danzo, who always claimed to be doing what was best for the village.

Just like in the original timeline, after the Konoha Crush plan, Jiraiya took Naruto to find Tsunade and persuade her not to make a deal with Orochimaru.

At that time, Tsunade asked Jiraiya if he would kill her if she did that, and Jiraiya replied, "Perhaps, but I will kill Orochimaru first."

"As expected of Hiruzen's disciple. I've always looked down on you, but now I'm starting to acknowledge you a little more." Danzo said this, but he didn't close his Sharingan, ready to activate Izanagi at any moment to prevent any accidents.

He didn't want to be hit by Kaedeji's Corpse Demon Sealing Technique, even though he could tell that the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique was a weakened version and its power wasn't as exaggerated as rumored. He still didn't want to lose a part of his soul, and who knew what terrible consequences might occur.

Danzo still doesn't understand why Kaede Tsukasa was able to learn a sealing technique of the level of the Reaper Death Seal in such a short time. Is it possible that by using the Corpse Release to activate the appropriate forbidden technique, the learning efficiency is so high?
Or is it that the castrated version of the Reaper Death Seal activated by Corpse Release doesn't require Kaedeji Tsukasa to have perfect mastery of the Reaper Death Seal technique?

"Lord Danzo, you should worry about yourself first. I respect his wish to let you leave, and I also respect your status and will, but it's only for you. All your subordinates should stay. I'm short of a batch of good corpses."

Kaede Tsukasa formed a hand seal, drawing numerous zombies closer to Danzo and his group. He also planned to accelerate the proliferation of the zombie virus within these Root ninjas.

Danzo was shocked and furious, Jiraiya frowned, but Kaedeji made his move.

He especially likes Terai!
Who would complain about having more and stronger cards in their hand?

The more elite Jonin-level beings there are, the better. Even when he obtains his ideal body and reaches a certain peak in strength, he will not complain about having too many elite Jonin under his command; he will only feel that he has too few.

The numerous zombies launched another attack, especially the one that still retained Kaede Tsukasa's will, which terrified Danzo. If he were caught, Izanagi should be able to reverse the sealing effect of the Reaper Death Seal, right?

"Lord Danzo, you can't escape. I was just doing what I was supposed to do. Didn't you mention it from the beginning? It's perfectly reasonable... Hand them over to me, and I'll let you go. I'll even personally escort you back to Konoha. As for what happened in the Land of Rain, I'll pretend nothing happened, and we can go back to how things were before."

Kaede Tsukasa smiled, his hand clearly displaying the hand seals of the Void Realm Technique, which made Danzo's face even more gloomy.

"Terai, you stay here." Danzo gave the order without hesitation.

"...Understood, Lord Danzo. Please take care. I will no longer be able to accompany you on your journey from now on."

Terai's tone remained unchanged as he led the remaining Root ninja in a suicidal attack on Kaede Tsukasa.

Soon after, Terai stood quietly beside Kaedeji, his face blank and his eyes gray.

Jiraiya and Danzo watched this scene with grim expressions. They had witnessed firsthand how an elite Jonin, who would be considered a strongman even in Konoha, the strongest ninja village in the ninja world, had become Kaedeji's puppet.

This made the two instinctively feel a chill in their bodies, and they did not want to become corpses that Kaedeji could control at will after death.

"Kaede Tsukasa, your techniques are far too dangerous. If you abuse them recklessly, sooner or later you will find yourself on the opposite side of the entire ninja world," Jiraiya said seriously.

"Perhaps you are right, but that's a matter for the future. Everything I've done is for Konoha Village, isn't it? You'll surely agree, Lord Danzo, won't you?" Kaedeji Tsukasa said with a smile.

Danzo felt as uncomfortable as if he had eaten shit, because Kaedeji was saying a word he often used.

He watched as Kaede Tsukasa retrieved all the zombies.

"You'd better not get any ideas. My forbidden technique is enough to erase all the results of your attacks on me."

"Understood, Izanagi. I've read the Scroll of Seals and know this technique. With this technique as a backup, what else do you have to worry about? I'll send you back to Konoha Village right away..."

Swish!
Kaede Tsukasa and Danzo disappeared from the spot, replaced by an ordinary zombie. As soon as it appeared, it let out a howl and then dug a hole and crawled into it.

Jiraiya watched this scene unfold until Nagato and the other two arrived, trembling with fear.

The group carefully observed the zombie that had buried itself, exchanging bewildered glances.

"Jiraiya-sensei, has Kaedeji left? I'm a little scared of him..." Konan clenched her fists, looking nervous.

The power that Kaedeji Tsukasa displayed was less powerful and more bizarre, which was more frightening than any comprehensible power.

Yahiko feigned a positive attitude: "He is a powerful ninja on our side, so there's nothing to be afraid of. And Jiraiya-sensei is definitely stronger than him!"

"That's right, Yahiko's judgment is as accurate as ever! The Toad Sage will never lose to a junior who uses Corpse Release. I will protect all of you." Jiraiya laughed heartily.

"..."

Nagato remained silent, observing everything with his eyes, seeing even more than Jiraiya himself.

"The Corpse Demon Sealing Technique—that's the demon that Kaedeji summoned," Nagato said. "I can sense that the demon's power is extremely terrifying; even the Rinnegan can't see through it."

“Evil spirit… I’ll find time to investigate the details of this technique. Corpse Demon Sealing… But don’t worry, while he has this forbidden technique, I also have more powerful immortal techniques that I haven’t used.”

When the topic of Sage Mode came up, Jiraiya's face lit up with confidence.

Entering Sage Mode, and with the help of the two great toad sages, it was only natural that he could sense the demons that Nagato saw.

With his drastically increased physical attributes, including strength and speed, it's impossible for him to be hit by Kaedeji's Reaper Death Seal.

However, when Sage Mode was mentioned, Jiraiya glanced at Nagato subconsciously, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately said nothing.

Nagato noticed Jiraiya's gaze and silently murmured the word "Sage Art" in his mind.

Konan interjected, "Jiraiya-sensei, that Kaede Tsukasa, he didn't really come here to save Nagato, did he? He actually wanted to get enough high-quality corpses to strengthen his own corpse army?"

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, that's the reason. That's the real reason I'm wary of him. Wherever there's war, there he is. If one day there's no more war in the ninja world, will he...?"

Jiraiya shook his head and said, "It's no longer safe here. We need to move immediately."

"Jiraiya-sensei, are you going to teach us Sage Mode next? It sounds amazing! Is it the Sage of Six Paths' ninjutsu? Is that why it's called Sage Mode?" Yahiko asked excitedly.

"No, but perhaps the Sage of Six Paths also knows Sage Techniques. Who can say for sure?" Jiraiya chuckled, not giving a direct answer.

……

The outskirts of Konoha Village.

Kaede Tsukasa carried Danzo back to the village in an instant; this was the first time Danzo had ever experienced such long-distance teleportation.

"What a convenient technique. But your chakra should be almost depleted."

Danzo stared at Kaede Tsukasa, his three tomoe spinning rapidly.

"Even a little chakra is enough for me to use the Void Realm Technique once, so don't waste your time on me. I would never reveal such an obvious weakness."

"Hmph, that's true, but don't think things are over yet. I won't let you have the chance to enjoy the Rinnegan all to yourself." Danzo snorted coldly, his expression shifting between light and dark, seemingly still undecided.

"I'm not interested in the Rinnegan. Even if I were given that kind of eye, I wouldn't be able to control it. I might not even be able to use the three-tomoe Sharingan properly..." Kaede Tsukasa laughed.

Danzo didn't believe a word of it. He suspected that Kaede Tsukasa had secretly obtained the corpses of the Uchiha clan on the battlefield and thus acquired the Sharingan.

"Whether you have the ability to use it or not is not important. What is important is that you know about the Rinnegan and have the ability to seize it! I not only cannot let you have it all to yourself, but I also cannot let Hiruzen get it. However, I must ensure that the Rinnegan belongs to the village."

Therefore, there is only one option left, and currently, no one in Konoha Village is more suitable to get involved in this matter than that person.

When that person leaves the scene, they generally won't hand over the Rinnegan to the Hokage or anyone else. Instead, they'll pack up the Rinnegan's owner and bring them back to Konoha.

Danzo and Kaede walked down the street like normal superiors and subordinates, but each harbored their own secrets and completely distrusted the other.

"Can your Void Realm Technique transport a massive chakra entity?" Danzo asked suddenly as he was walking normally.

Kaedeji frowned and said, "The more chakra the target has, the greater the pressure I bear. Although it's not quite a one-to-one ratio between the target's size and the amount of chakra consumed, the consumption is definitely not low, and there's even a possibility that the transfer might fail. In this respect, the Flying Thunder God Technique should be more suitable for transferring individuals than my Sky Realm Technique, but Minato Namikaze probably hasn't grown to a satisfactory level yet... Lord Danzo, could it be that you're thinking of..."

"That's right, she's the most suitable person for me to visit Mito Uzumaki!"

(End of this chapter)