Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 87 Even the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path couldn't escape being taken advantage of.

Kaede tried to cut a piece off the Gedo Mazo, but failed many times.

“What are you doing? This is the Gedo Mazo. It won’t be destroyed so easily by you. It’s a vessel that can devour all the Tailed Beasts,” Tobi said.

"There is nothing that is absolutely indestructible. The Gedo Mazo has chakra and is not a material like stone, so it can be destroyed. It's just that the wrong method was chosen."

Kaede Tsukasa snorted coldly, pulled out a zombie with his backhand, and immediately began to form hand seals.

Si-hai-wei-mao-xu-zi-you-wu-si!
Corpse Escape: Corpse Demon Sealing Technique!

Death has come again. Upon seeing Kaede Tsukasa, she stopped drooling and stared at him quietly.

Kaedeji controlled the zombie, using his spiritual hand to grab at the Gedo Mazo, and then demanded that the Grim Reaper slash the Gedo Mazo.

This actually raises the question of just how powerful the Grim Reaper, a super spirit capable of severing the Nine-Tails, is, and whether it can sever the Gedo Mazo that fell from the Six Paths level.

In the original timeline, the Gedo Mazo withstood the Tailed Beast Balls of the Eight-Tails and the Yang Nine-Tails, as well as attacks from the Allied Shinobi Forces, without ever showing any signs of damage.

The only time he suffered damage was when Kakashi attacked his head with Kamui. At that time, Kakashi wanted to solve the problem at its source and directly twist off the head of the Gedo Mazo, but he ultimately failed.

The Gedo Mazo withstood the divine power, its eyes bleeding profusely but quickly recovering. However, this at least demonstrates that the Gedo Mazo can be harmed by power below the Six Paths level.

Theoretically, the Grim Reaper could also do that by cutting chakra.

Swish!
Death took out his knife and slashed at one of the Gedo Mazo's fingers, cutting right through it.

Roar! ...

The demonic statue, stimulated and previously in a deep slumber, suddenly "awakened," instinctively emitting a frenzied wail. This sound seemed to encapsulate all the sins and end of the world, and its extreme rage and malice rapidly spread from the mountain cemetery to the surrounding area.

However, the impact was minimal. At most, a group of warriors from the Land of Iron would notice, but they couldn't figure out the specifics, nor did they have a sensory ninja as powerful as Mito Uzumaki, so they couldn't find this place.

"W-W-W-W-I must have seen wrong! One of the Gedo Mazo's fingers is damaged, like it was cut off horizontally by something. Does that make sense?! How could he do this to the Gedo Mazo? Even Madara-sama didn't do this when he was researching the Gedo Mazo!"

White Zetsu was stunned. He was the first White Zetsu created by Madara and had witnessed Madara's subsequent research on the Gedo Mazo. However, he had never seen Madara deliberately destroy the Gedo Mazo, let alone cut off a finger.

Black Zetsu was also stunned, falling into a long silence, horrified by Kaede Tsukasa's audacity, and even more furious that his "mother" had been subjected to such desecration.

Well, although the Gedo Mazo is just the shell of the Ten-Tails and not strictly speaking the mother, since the mother and the Ten-Tails were once one, Kaede Tsukasa's behavior can be considered a desecration of the mother!
"How could this guy do such a thing... How could he possibly do something like this?! And he actually succeeded!"

Black Zetsu was enraged.

I cherish it like a treasure, yet you treat it so badly?

Because Black Zetsu was born so late, he doesn't really know much about Kaguya Otsutsuki's life, but that doesn't stop him from considering the Gedo Mazo as part of Kaguya Otsutsuki—even though Kaguya and the Ten-Tails are not essentially the same thing.

Black Zetsu stared at Kaede's back, wanting to tear Kaede's heart out, but he tried his best to restrain himself and make sure he didn't reveal his murderous intent.

"Black Zetsu, you're shocked too, aren't you? I feel like you're trembling slightly. Are you alright?" White Zetsu rolled his eyes, concerned about his other half.

"...Okay, I'm fine, I couldn't be better. Seeing that Lord Kaedeji could so easily damage the Gedo Mazo, I, as Lord Kaedeji's will, am extremely excited."

Black Zetsu spoke these words through gritted teeth, each syllable uttered in a low voice.

He was very worried that Kaedeji would continue like this. One of his fingers was already injured, and if this continued...

Will the Gedo Mazo, missing a finger, have any impact on the resurrected mother? Probably not, right?

Ah Fei was someone who loved watching a good show; wherever there was a big job, there he would be, excited and high-spirited.

"Hahaha, this is amazing! Is this the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique under the influence of Corpse Escape? It's definitely different from the one that old woman used; it can actually be used multiple times!"

Afei had personally witnessed the terror of the complete version of the Reaper Death Seal; being touched even once was fatal.

But the one that Kaede Tsukasa uses is very special; it can be used multiple times, but it's unknown exactly how many times it can be used.

However, they soon witnessed that after Kaedeji's will was devoured by the Grim Reaper, he had to summon new zombies again to continue using the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique.

"As expected of the Gedo Mazo, although my Reaper Death Seal is quite weak and far from comparable to Mito Uzumaki's, it can still summon a Shinigami to attack. But with one strike, it could only cut this small opening..."

Kaede Tsukasa assessed the effect and estimated it to be about a quarter. This was still the effect of the ordinary zombie's technique. He immediately summoned two elite Jonin, Sandstorm Araki and Terai, separated their wills, and had the two zombies activate the Reaper Death Seal Technique again.

We must pry a piece off the Gedo Mazo today, no matter what, not even if Kaguya comes!
"Lord Kaedeji!"

Seeing that Kaede Tsukasa was determined to continue, not stopping until he severed a finger, Black Zetsu couldn't help but shout, "Won't this technique damage your soul? If something happens to Lord Madara, we can only rely on you. You absolutely cannot be harmed. This forbidden technique, the Reaper Death Seal, is still—"

"Shut up, or I'll kill you."

Kaede interrupted him directly without turning his head. His eyes had somehow switched to the three-tomoe Sharingan, dedicated to using meticulous observation to drive the Shinigami to perform the most precise cutting work, leaving no room for error.

"You are my will. Whatever I do, you just need to applaud and don't have any questions. You need to know your place!"

Kaede Tsukasa calmly said, "If your views differ from my actions, I will immediately use you as a sacrifice for the Reaper Death Seal, and let the Grim Reaper deal with you. You will then accompany the many wills of me within the Grim Reaper."

Black Zetsu fell silent, staring at the enormous Shinigami. Even as a being born from Kaguya with a Yin-based nature, he dared not claim he could contend with the Shinigami.

The anger in his heart burned brighter and brighter, but there was nothing he could do. Black Zetsu had never been so angry in the past thousand years, and in his anger, he could only vent his anger for a moment.

Terai and Araki, with their enhanced abilities, unleashed two more blows from the Grim Reaper.

The Gedo Mazo let out an increasingly shrill scream, and with a crisp sound, as if bones were breaking, the Gedo Mazo's right index finger was chopped off by Kaedeji Tsukasa.

boom!
Even a single finger falling to the ground feels like a thousand pounds; after all, it is a part of the Ten-Tails, and its weight is extremely exaggerated.

"Very good, it's a success. Now there's no problem. My plan has gained another layer of foundation. Whether we can use it or not is one thing, but not being able to do without it when we need it is another matter."

Kaede Tsukasa was very satisfied.

In addition, if the Four-Tails chakra and Nine-Tails chakra that he currently possesses were to be fused with this piece of finger, who knows what interesting things might happen.

What if we obtained the chakra of the other seven tailed beasts? If we used it all on this finger, could we create a mini Ten-Tails?

Theoretically, it should be possible, but it would definitely require a lot of meticulous operations, such as using powerful sealing techniques to strengthen the binding force and ensure that the chakra of the nine tailed beasts can always be pressed into the fingers.

But that's a matter for the future.

After screaming, the demonic statue trembled violently for a while before falling silent again.

Kaede glanced at him and had a strange feeling that this guy looked like a hungry little beast that had been cut in half, and he looked rather pitiful.

When Kakashi attacked it, this thing had at least swallowed seven tailed beasts. Even though Obito extracted six tailed beasts from its body in order to create a new Jinchūriki, Pain, it still got a taste of them.

Unlike now, we've been starving for over a thousand years, not only without a single bite to eat, but we've also had a piece of our finger cut off. It's truly miserable.

"How pitiful, Gedo Mazo... I suppose your situation will only completely change after the Ten-Tails is resurrected."

Kaede jumped down, stood in front of the finger, took out a sealing scroll, and sealed the thing.

After using the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique three times in a row, even Kaedeji was starting to feel uncomfortable. His body was fine, but the extreme weakness and damage to his soul was even more tormenting than his body. It was a constant, piercing pain.

Physical injuries can be alleviated through anesthesia, severing nerves, or healing techniques such as medical ninjutsu.

However, damage to the soul, even if it is only a tiny superficial layer, cannot be directly addressed; the soul can only repair itself.

This is also the first time that Kaedeji has used the Reaper Death Seal three times in a row. The last time he dealt with Hanzo, he only used it twice in a row.

"If I continue to use the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique, I can definitely do it, but it will cause me more damage. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I should never do it again. Using the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique twice in a battle is reasonable, and three times is acceptable."

Unless Kaedeji finds a way to strengthen his soul, or even make his soul so powerful that it has an astonishing size and self-healing ability, then he can naturally use the forbidden technique of the Corpse Demon Sealing Technique at will.

Kaede Tsukasa squinted, imagining that future in his mind: a perfect body and a strong soul, probably no one below the Six Paths level could harm him in the slightest.

However, there is still a long way to go.

“I’ve taken Ban’s body too. You all stay here and are not allowed to take any further action without my orders.”

Kaede looked at Tobi and the others and announced his decision: "Before Madara is officially resurrected, I want to make good use of his body. This is my compensation for the fact that he withheld too much information from me."

Swish!
Kaedeji activated the Sky Realm Technique and returned to Konoha Village.

Only one zombie remained, unconsciously opening its mouth and tearing at something.

Afei waited a while longer, making sure that Kaedeji wouldn't suddenly return, before saying, "Can we trust this guy? Lord Madara didn't say before he died that Kaedeji would take over his remaining power, right? It's not reasonable for us to just follow his orders like this. I feel that it would be more meaningful for me to act freely and pursue the true meaning of the meaning."

"I don't know. What do you mean, Black Zetsu?"

"It's always right to patiently wait for Lord Madara to return," Black Zetsu said coldly.

"What if Madara really dies, without using the Sharingan technique that Kaede Tsukasa mentioned? What should we do then?"

"Then we will continue to follow Lord Kaedeji's orders and ensure that the Eye of the Moon Project can proceed smoothly no matter what," Black Zetsu said.

……

Kaede returned to Konoha Village.

With the power of the Age Spots, a Kage-level fighter, he unknowingly gained more confidence. For the past two days, he had stayed at home obediently, without taking advantage of the villagers' discussions about the inexplicable martial law imposed a couple of days ago to go out and make his presence known.

Things should be better now. With the night deep and quiet, and the moon high in the sky, it's the perfect time for someone like him to travel in the underworld.

"Ok?"

Just as Kaede Tsukasa was about to open the door, he paused slightly and hesitated for a moment.

After a while, he opened the door, walked out onto the street, and looked at Kushina standing under the streetlight.

Having money is great. After moving to a new house, we can even see streetlights when we go out. This is all thanks to his hard work in carrying out his mission over the past two years. He not only contributes to the village himself, but also brings many other people into his team to serve the village.

At this point, if we let Ban out for a stroll around the village, probably no one would recognize him.

"Kushina, what's wrong with you blocking our door in the middle of the night?"

Kaede Tsukasa held several summoning scrolls in his hand, hanging them neatly at his waist. His specially purchased clothes made him appear meticulous.

His tone was calm, and he showed no change in mood even after seeing the village's Jinchūriki two days later.

"I heard you have some sensory abilities. Didn't you notice me at all? If word gets out, you'll be laughed at." Kushina's complexion was perfectly normal, showing no signs of fatigue—given her status as a descendant of the Uzumaki clan and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she could recover from any injury after a good night's sleep.

If Naruto can do it, there's no reason why Kushina can't.

Kaede Tsukasa said calmly, "I noticed you as soon as you arrived, but I didn't know what you wanted. At first, I thought you weren't here to see me, so I waited for you on purpose."

As he spoke, Kaede Tsukasa pointed to the lush trees two meters away from Kushina: "There, I buried a corpse. You just stepped over it, which is why I was able to sense it. Although this method of sensing is not as good as yours with the Nine-Tails, it is indeed somewhat useful."

"..."

Kushina frowned, then relaxed her brow. It made perfect sense for a Corpse Release ninja to bury a corpse in front of their own house.

Kaede Tsukasa pointed around and said, "Speaking of which, I buried quite a few around my house. Some of the ANBU ninjas who were protecting you are right next to my corpses."

Silence remained, and no ANBU ninja made a sound, even though they were somewhat moved when they heard these words.

Kaede Tsukasa guessed that the ANBU who came to protect the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki were probably the Third Hokage's son and daughter-in-law. These two would die shortly after giving birth to Konohamaru, leaving behind no trace of their appearance or names.

Kushina whispered, "I don't have the same sensory abilities as Grandma Mito, not at all... so I couldn't detect your arrangements."

"Hmm, I guessed it. So what's up? If not, you can go back now. I have to go to work. With such a great contribution as bringing you back, the village will probably make some adjustments to my position. I wonder how many more days I can stay at the morgue."

Kaede Tsukasa walked out and stood opposite Kushina.

Only then did the Anbu ninjas begin to move, instinctively tensing their bodies and preparing to strike at any moment.

It wasn't that they thought Kaede Tsukasa would attack Kushina, but rather that they were naturally wary of anyone who got close to her.

Kushina is, after all, the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and her identity is too sensitive. It's not easy to force Kushina to live within the special barrier for the time being, so the Anbu ninjas can only keep a close eye on her.

Kaede Tsukasa noticed the Anbu ninjas' movements, but he didn't care. He didn't even care about Kushina, let alone these guys' little tricks.

He walked slowly to Kushina, looked at the red-haired girl up close, and carefully examined her. He found that she was indeed quite attractive, but that was about it.

Kaede Tsukasa had absolutely no interest in Kushina in any romantic relationship—not because he was worried that Naruto's birth would be abnormal and would ruin his "precognition" or any other pointless reason. He didn't care how this generation of Ashura was reincarnated, since Tsunade and Kato Dan were there to cover for him.

It's purely for one reason: there must be a reproductive barrier between him and someone like Kushina.

How can a purebred carbon-based ape reproduce by mixing its genes with those of apes and plants? It's absolutely impossible. No matter how hard you try, it's just a waste of precious energy.

Kaede Tsukasa felt that his energy and time were precious, but his physical strength could be consumed at will thanks to his Reincarnation Technique.

Kushina looked at him earnestly: "You must have heard some things about me. There were only two descendants of the Uzumaki clan left in the village, Mito and me. Now I'm all alone. I don't have anyone in the village I can trust. After thinking about it, you're probably the only one left."

"What, you hope to strengthen the bond with the village through me? That's too much trouble. Apart from the Nine-Tails' chakra, there doesn't seem to be anything I truly want from you," Kaedeji refused.

Next, he will shift his focus to cultivating the body he desires, and will push forward with various genetic experiments and even human experiments. This is the time for him to showcase his Corpse Escape skills, and he does not want to waste time arguing with Kushina.

"Is that so? How realistic... I really don't know what it was about you that Mito-sama saw in you. It probably all started from the first time we met at the yakini restaurant. Without you, I might not have been able to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

Kushina instinctively clutched her stomach: "I can feel it, it's in pain, and I'm in pain too. Suddenly, I feel like the whole world is full of pain..."

"I see. So, after you've started to adapt to the state of coexistence with Kurama, you've gained a whole new understanding of life? That's normal. You and Minato Namikaze are in the same year, right? So you must be 14 years old? No, maybe you're already 15. It's a wonderful age."

Kaede Tsukasa strolled through the dark streets. Some shops were still open. Although Konoha Village was a massive military district of the Land of Fire, it wasn't just a place filled with killing machines; there were still normal business owners operating all night. Kushina lagged half a step behind him, head down, silent, her mind a jumble of memories bombarding her like ninjutsu.

She recalled her first time arriving in Konoha Village, feeling lonely and desperate in an unfamiliar environment;
I remembered the first time I entered the Ninja Academy. During my self-introduction, I declared that I would become the first female Hokage in the history of Konoha Village, and was then ridiculed by the whole class.

I remembered how every day after class I would be ganged up on by a group of boys, always ending up with a bruised and swollen face. When I couldn't take it anymore, I would fight back, which resulted in the boys in my grade crying and howling in pain.

And, the memory is frozen on the scene where Mito gives her his last words.

To be honest, ever since she came to this village, she has never felt a sense of belonging and doesn't understand the meaning of a hometown at all, since even the Land of Whirlpools is gone.

"Boss, two servings of dumplings and two jugs of sake, please." Kaede Tsukasa stopped in front of an izakaya.

"Cheng Hui, 1900 taels. The war has just ended, so drinks are quite expensive. But you can't give the drink to the person behind you."

"That's none of your concern. I can hold my liquor well—why are you reaching for my hand? The woman behind me will pay the bill."

Kaede rolled his eyes and pointed his thumb behind him.

"Huh? A man and a woman came out, and it was the girl who paid the bill?"

"Ha, I don't have the habit of paying the bill myself."

Kaede Tsukasa stared directly at Kushina, urging her to hurry up and pay.

Kushina looked up at Kaede Tsukasa, who looked completely at ease, and then at the izakaya owner.

She was being taken advantage of, but she found that she didn't mind it. Being specifically mentioned as "needed" by a recognized genius seemed... not so bad?

This at least shows that there are still important people in this village who need her, right? She is not just a vessel used by the village to restrain the Nine-Tails, that must be the understanding, right?

"Here, take it!"

Kushina nervously took out her wallet, a wallet that was clearly meticulously sewn, perhaps a small gift left to her by Mito Uzumaki before her death.

Kaede frowned, took some money from the bill, and threw it to the shopkeeper without even looking at it: "Keep the change."

Giggle...

As the two walked down the street, Kaedeji first handed a string of dumplings to Kushina.

"You should have refused me just now."

As Kaede Tsukasa ate, he thought the taste was just so-so, and wondered why the locals would like this kind of food. He then said this to Kushina.

"Ah?"

“You should refuse me. No one is worth your one-sided sacrifice, not even me. Whatever you think about the connection between me, you, and Lady Mito, that’s your own opinion. All I do is accept missions and carry them out. If I had to say, I might even be quite interested in the Nine-Tails chakra that Lady Mito bestowed upon me.”

After thinking for a moment, Kaede Tsukasa emphasized again: "You still owe me some Nine-Tails chakra. Be sure to remember to pay me back in the future. This stuff is very useful. Even if the Hokage finds out, he probably won't say anything."

"Do you think I have a good temper?" Kushina asked, her eyes wide.

"I've heard about your reputation as 'Little Chili' when I'm chatting with some younger people. Doesn't that make you seem boring right now? Where's your confidence and boldness? There's no need to belittle yourself for the sake of external approval. Never do that under any circumstances."

Kaede looked up at the bright moon in the sky. He seemed to enjoy this rare form of entertainment, perhaps trying to find traces of the giant Tenseigan: "Life is not entirely about seeking recognition; the self is the core."

"But Lady Mito doesn't usually teach me like this. My mission is to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, to protect this village that generations have poured their hearts and souls into with my own efforts. This is my life..."

"The kind of life that everyone hopes you will achieve."

Kaede interrupted, "Life itself has no inherent meaning, but if you persevere, you might discover something interesting. Pleasing yourself is the true joy."

These words were spoken by Orochimaru in the future, and they were his comments on life when he could no longer turn back.

"Have a drink."

Kaedeji opened two jugs of sake and handed one of them—or rather, one bottle—to Kushina.

Kushina was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and actually took it. Smelling the alcohol, she was hesitant, unsure whether she should really drink it.

Seeing this, the ANBU ninjas became somewhat anxious.

"Captain, how could he encourage the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to drink? This isn't right! Kushina has only been a Jinchuriki for a few days. None of us know the extent of her control over the Nine-Tails. What if she gets drunk and the Nine-Tails breaks free..."

"Furthermore, Kushina Uzumaki is still a minor, and being encouraged to do such a thing is a violation of the village rules!"

Some ninja from the secret service were eager to jump out and stop this absurd act.

So you bought the alcohol and actually gave it to an underage Jinchūriki girl?
"Do not move."

"team leader!"

"I told you not to move. While you were watching them, you were already being watched. Look at the top of your head."

The ANBU ninja looked up, his hair standing on end, his heart pounding!

A human head hangs from the dense foliage, looking up at him. The gray eyes are devoid of any light, only extreme numbness and death.

"Zombies? When did they get so close?!"

"It wasn't close; any movement would make a sound, so we would have noticed it. So it's been here all along? No wonder they were heading in this direction; there must have been some kind of setup here."

"Damn it, just how many corpses has Kaedeji secretly dumped in every nook and cranny of the village? And judging from the appearance of this corpse, it's not rotten at all, it's still very fresh, so there's no smell? This is too much! Doesn't the village do anything about it?"

It's terrifying that a dead body could find these ninjas in such a place, and that the corpse could bite them or even ambush them at any time and turn them into one of its own.

The captain spoke in his usual cold tone: "There's no way to manage it directly. The orders haven't even been given yet, and the corpses have already run away on their own. How can you control them? This is his technique. If you don't let him use it, what about the other ninjas? Are you going to prevent them from using their techniques in the village? You could try persuading the Konoha Police Force to cut off their Sharingan and stop using it. See if they beat you up then."

"Never mind, I heard that tribe has been quite irritable lately. Apparently, it's because during the martial law a few days ago, the village ordered the guards to stay put and not allow them to move around to maintain order..."

Not only are the city management officers being prevented from handling affairs, but they're also being collectively distrusted. This is unacceptable!

Even if the Uchiha are stupid, they should have figured it out after a few days and must have guessed that it involves the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!

The only consolation was that the other two powerful families were not allowed to approach, and even Tsunade was on guard from a distance and did not enter the core area.

But then again, Senju and Hyuga didn't take on any duties related to the security force!

Gurgling.

While the ANBU ninjas were hesitating, Kushina had already downed her drink in one gulp, her face flushed, and then she coughed—a person who downs their drink on their first try is either asking for something or is a fool.

Unfortunately, Kushina had both.

"If you go berserk while drunk, I'll move you out of the village. Lord Mito's sealing technique should be very reliable, but you might not be."

Kaede Tsukasa showed no mercy to Kushina, scolding her without any politeness, and then sipped his sake one sip at a time.

After a long time.

Kaede Tsukasa left Kushina's house—formerly the Uzumaki Mito family—quite decisively, just tossing him onto the bed and leaving; he had important business to attend to.

The ANBU ninjas exchanged glances, continuing their mission to protect Kushina, nervously observing her condition, fearing she might transform into the Nine-Tails in her sleep.

Inside the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage looked at the image in the crystal ball and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I see. It seems everything is going smoothly. However, it's hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing."

The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe, watched the rising smoke, and fell into deep thought.

His idea was to have a reliable successor from the Hokage lineage deeply bound to Kushina.

To put it bluntly, his most satisfactory choice was Minato Namikaze, who was not only his grand-disciple but also had a sunny personality and exceptional talent. From any perspective, he was a perfect match for Kushina.

If the two develop a bond, Kushina's lack of belonging to the village will be easily resolved; this is the simplest and most effective solution.

However, it seems that Kushina is paying more attention to Kaede Tsukasa, which is understandable, since Kaede Tsukasa was involved in the death of Mito Uzumaki and received the special gift of the Nine-Tails' chakra.

"There shouldn't be any problem. Kaedeji is also a space-time ninja. Even if Kushina really loses control and goes berserk, Kaedeji can teleport her away in an instant and prevent the Nine-Tails from harming the village."

But this is still not perfect. If it were Minato Namikaze, that would be great. But there's nothing we can do about it. Given the Third Hokage's personality, if Minato himself wasn't interested in Kushina, the Third Hokage wouldn't say anything.

Watching the spectacle, observing the situation, and letting things take their course – the Third Hokage employed his usual approach. Even though the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was overly sensitive, as long as he kept a close watch to ensure that Kushina and Kaede Tsukasa did not stray from the Will of Fire in their thoughts and actions, there would be no problem.

It seems unlikely that this will happen.

Surely it's not like something absurd like Kaede Tsukasa defecting with Kushina would actually happen? The Third Hokage couldn't help but burst into laughter to himself as he thought about this.

It's late at night.

Kaede Tsukasa walked alone.

"Hmm, the Third Hokage shouldn't be observing me anymore. The Crystal Ball Technique is really a useful ninjutsu. I don't have a way to break this technique yet."

Kaedeji has a certain level of perception; he simply uses zombies to survey the surroundings. Whatever the zombies see, Kaedeji knows, somewhat similar to the shared vision of the Six Paths of Pain.

However, this so-called perception has a certain flaw: the zombies cannot directly "see" chakra.

Even if it were the Inuzuka clan, they wouldn't be able to break the crystal ball technique.

The Hyuga clan actually has an advantage, as they can use their Byakugan to directly see the surrounding chakra and if they sense something is wrong, they can confirm that they are being remotely monitored.

Kaede Tsukasa went directly to Orochimaru.

"What a rare guest! Has the village lifted its surveillance on you?"

Orochimaru, still in his pajamas, caught a whiff of Kaede Tsukasa's scent before even opening the door, and his tongue naturally and excitedly stuck out.

"I guess it's over. The village possesses many powerful techniques, so it's normal that I didn't notice I was being monitored. But you, I thought you had already started your experimental project, and you were actually sleeping?"

Kaede walked straight in, completely disregarding his place as an outsider. He looked around at the overly tidy courtyard and thought to himself that this guy was indeed rich. In any case, Kaede couldn't afford a house like this in the center of the village.

There is also a pond in the yard.

"Hehehe, normal people need to rest. Doesn't Kaede-kun need to rest? Transferring two Nine-Tails Jinchuriki must have been very stressful. If it were me, I would need to sleep for a long time to recover."

"I don't need to rest. The Reanimation Jutsu and the Nine-Tails' chakra are enough."

"Is that so? I'm so envious. Kaede-kun always manages to evoke the deepest excitement in people with the most ordinary words." Orochimaru's smile was exaggerated, almost reaching his ears. He could never suppress his excitement whenever he saw Kaede Tsukasa.

"Let's skip the formalities. I've decided to join your experiment. How far have we progressed?"

"We are currently researching cell transplantation technology. As for gene editing, there are still some technical difficulties, but I feel it will be soon. As long as there are enough human trials, gene editing technology will definitely achieve a major breakthrough. Maybe we will be able to manually transplant bloodline limits before long."

Orochimaru poured Kaede Tsukasa a cup of hot tea and chuckled in a low voice, "Speaking of which, I recently discovered something very interesting. Kato Dan seems to have mastered a new ninjutsu, and I even heard an explosion, though it only happened once... Kaede-kun, perhaps you know something inside? They must trust you a lot."

"I removed the internal organs and spine from the corpse that used Explosion Release and reattached them to Senior Dan's body. Otherwise, there would have been no way to save him. Fortunately, it was successful. He also benefited from the misfortune and seems to have roughly mastered the Explosion Release bloodline limit. I just don't know how strong it can be, and I'm not sure if it can compare to a real Explosion Release bloodline limit," Kaedeji said casually.

Because what we're about to do requires far more technical skill than the brutal organ transplant.

The Corpse Release technique is incredibly effective in this regard. Kaede Tsukasa can activate the cells in any dead body with a single Reanimation Jutsu, and then Orochimaru can transplant the cells, which can at least significantly accelerate the research progress.

Kaede Tsukasa felt that Orochimaru might not dare to take the plunge and directly conduct near-fatal human experiments on Hashirama's cells, since the Hokage had not yet given his approval.

But it was bound to happen sooner or later.

"I see. Kaede-kun, it's our good fortune that you were born in this era. It's wonderful to be able to work with you. I can't wait."

"Since you can't wait, let's take action. I also hope to contribute to the village and improve its combat strength as much as possible." Kaedeji didn't even blink when he lied.

Orochimaru could tell that Kaede Tsukasa had his own motives, but what could they be? To involve someone who could control corpses and resurrect the dead in human experiments... Was he after some of the village's bloodline limits?

That's possible, but Orochimaru always felt things wouldn't be that simple.

"Alright, Danzo can't control us for the time being. We can take advantage of this vacuum to speed up the experiment. I think we'll both get what we want, right?"

Slip!

Orochimaru stuck out his tongue.

"Well, I hope so."

Kaede Tsukasa nodded.

Two figures emerged overnight and plunged into the hidden laboratory.

For the next period of time, we will be immersed in intensive experiments, which will also prepare us for the upcoming human trials.

"Kaze-kun, I remember you obtained the Nine-Tails' chakra. With your Reanimation Jutsu, are you also interested in the chakra of the Tailed Beasts? You probably don't need it, right?"

Orochimaru sliced ​​open the chest of a corpse with a single stroke. Kaedeji placed a hand on it, reactivating the lifeless internal organs, and said calmly, "I'm not so much interested in the tailed beast chakra as I'm interested in the tailed beasts themselves. Having achieved immortality, my gaze doesn't linger long on fleeting lives. I'm more inclined to focus on those special beings... The immortal and indestructible tailed beasts naturally come into my view."

Orochimaru paused, a hint of jealousy in his eyes.

Damn it, the immortality technique he had been so desperately seeking was spoken of so casually by Kaedeji Tsukasa. This composure was something even Orochimaru couldn't handle.

"Well, I do know something interesting... Are you interested in the Eight-Tails' chakra?"

(End of this chapter)