Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 98 A Great Sensation

This article discusses 99 ways to use Hidan, each one more useful than the last.

Kaede Tsukasa proved this with his actions. Look, with Hidan's Sky Realm Technique, he can already transfer the Tailed Beast Ball!

This was also the first time Kaedeji had ever done something like this.

Back during the Land of Hot Water War, Kaede Tsukasa had already developed the Sky Realm Second Stage. At that time, when facing the Four-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball, if he had taken the initiative to rush up, there was a certain possibility that he could have transferred the Tailed Beast Ball away and then returned in a dangerous situation. However, this was too risky, as he could have been blown up along with the Tailed Beast Ball if he was not careful.

Out of caution, Kaedeji did not do such a thing at the time.

But things are different now. Kaede Tsukasa has a more reliable assistant, a guy who's harder to kill than a zombie.

"See, Hidan, you did it. I told you before not to underestimate yourself. Now even the Tailed Beast Ball can't do anything to you."

Kaede Tsukasa was generous with his praise.

Hidan was completely dazed. His limited brain cells made it difficult for him to realize what had just happened, and his face immediately turned bright red.

"Are you praising me?? I was almost killed just now! I was almost crushed by a Tailed Beast Ball!!"

"Look at you, so anxious. You weren't killed, were you? Your immortality won't be a problem. You have to believe in the power of the evil god and me."

"How can that be the same? If that thing exploded when it touched me, I'd be reduced to ashes. Even immortality wouldn't help! I just don't like to use my brain, I'm not stupid!" Hidan's eyes widened, his heart pounding, but then again, he felt an extraordinary thrill.

How many people in the entire ninja world have had the experience of touching a Tailed Beast Ball and surviving?

Kaede Tsukasa shook his head: "I've taken everything into account. Although I rashly used you as a medium for the spell, only you in this world can do this. Moreover, the structure of the Tailed Beast Ball is extremely stable. It won't explode unless the impact intensity reaches a certain level."

He also pointed to the huge ravines on the ground, which were clear evidence of the pressure released when the Tailed Beast Ball pressed down.

It could leave such marks on the ground and still not explode, so how could a mere Hidan sticking to it possibly explode?

"Hidan, your mental fortitude is still lacking; you need more training. I hope this experience will help you grow."

"Growth, oh my god, it hurts so much! Take your hand away!!"

Before Hidan could finish his rant, he started wailing, simply because Kaedeji had placed his hand on Hidan's shoulder.

Kaede Tsukasa smiled and said, "Seriously, even if you really died, I would bring you back to life. Your body may be gone, but your soul remains. Even if your soul returns to the Pure Land, I will retrieve you and resurrect you. You have witnessed my abilities and know that I am not joking..."

He didn't mind Hidan complaining; that guy wasn't the type to stay put.

"...Okay, really. Next time you develop a technique like this, you can just tell me in advance. I won't refuse."

Hidan muttered to himself, knowing that what Kaedeji said was probably true.

Hidan had already witnessed the power of the Reincarnation Technique, where a large number of corpses were turned into mummies, transferring all their life force to him.

This also caused Hidan's body to improve explosively, making him comparable to the Senju clan. Senju Momoka had previously sensed the vigorous life force in Hidan and was very surprised by it.

Kaede Tsukasa smiled and comforted him, "It's not that I didn't want to tell you beforehand, but I didn't expect to succeed on the first try."

"??? You're asking me to use a technique you're not even confident in yourself? Is it too late for me to become a rogue ninja? I really want to chop you up with one stroke!!"

Hidan was furious. He felt he was already unreliable enough, but this teacher seemed even more abstract.

The others watched as Hidan yelled and shouted dangerous words.

"You two have such a good relationship. We owe you a lot this time. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened in the end? We might all have died here."

Jiraiya was also shocked that Kaede Tsukasa was able to transfer the Tailed Beast Ball. Most Kage-level shinobi were powerless to deal with the Tailed Beast Ball, and being able to survive was already an extraordinary feat.

No one would dare to say that someone like Kaede Tsukasa could move such a huge thing away on the spot!

Well, although the specific steps of this transfer technique are quite special... that's not important. The important thing is that the goal was achieved without any casualties!
"Judging from the direction of the explosion, it seems the Tailed Beast Ball was moved to the northern region of the Land of Fire?" Minato was very interested in this technique and told him directly that this was the path he should take: use space-time ninjutsu to move the Tailed Beast Ball and become a powerful ninja who could directly confront the Tailed Beasts!
As expected, standing with Lord Kaedeji, even without being deliberately taught anything, just observing is enough to gain crucial inspiration; it's directional guidance.

Even someone as composed as Minato was deeply moved at this moment.

What he didn't know was that in the original timeline, Jiraiya's team was forced into a desperate situation during this battle, completely helpless against the Four-Tails and Five-Tails. In the end, it was Minato who led Jiraiya and the others to escape, thus avoiding total annihilation.

Now, only the Five-Tails was not in a good mood. Instead, it became even more agitated, letting out a sharp cry, stomping the ground several times with its huge hooves, and then lowering its head and charging forward.

"The standard charging posture of a deer, and the momentum is quite impressive." Kaede Tsukasa squinted at the scene.

As expected of the Five-Tails, which is known for its superior taijutsu, if any other tailed beast were to encounter this situation, its first reaction would probably be to unleash another Tailed Beast Ball, or if that didn't work, to launch a series of Tailed Beast Balls. Kaede Tsukasa really couldn't handle the series of Tailed Beast Balls right now. His Sky Realm Technique was powerless to deal with this high-frequency attack, which was like a machine gun.

After all, there's only one Hidan.

"The tough battle is about to begin, everyone. I need to obtain some of the Five-Tails' chakra for research, and I'll need your help." Kaedeji made no attempt to hide his purpose.

Swish!
Numerous zombies scattered and launched ninjutsu attacks at the Five-Tails, unleashing a barrage of elemental attacks that further enraged it.

"There shouldn't be any ninja in this world who can fight this monster in terms of taijutsu. We're not good at genjutsu, so ninjutsu is the best choice. Here I come, Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"

Jiraiya unleashed a high-level Fire Release technique.

If he enters Sage Mode, and works with the two Toad Sages, he can use Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet, and he can also use a Fire Release technique that is not actually a Fire Release technique—Sage Art: Goemon—after all, Goemon is actually a hybrid technique of Fire Release, Wind Release, and Oil.

"Flame Bullet, this is already a B-rank Fire Release technique." Kaede Tsukasa nodded secretly.

There is no such thing as an S-rank Fire Release ninjutsu in this world; the highest rank is only A-rank, which is the Great Flame Bullet.

Senju Momoka immediately used Wind Release to further enhance the power of Fire Release, which directly engulfed the Five-Tails.

The Five-Tails' enormous size was attacked by ninjutsu from all directions in an instant, but of course this could not defeat this behemoth. It was like a small mountain moving at high speed, charging forward with great momentum, ignoring all obstacles in its path. Even though it was constantly covered in wounds, its eyes were only on Hidan.

"Want to avenge the Four-Tails? No, it's less about shared hatred and more about their pride being hurt, and they want to kill us all."

Kaede Tsukasa remained noncommittal. Tailed beasts were ultimately just intermediate forms on the path to the final form, and also a power he was determined to obtain.

"Well then, that's enough of the testing. Everyone, help me restrain it."

Kaedeji raised his hand.

Sandstorm Araki and a dozen or so zombies crouched down at the same time.

Earth Escape·Earth Flow Wall!
A thick wall blocked the Five-Tails' path. Of course, Kaede Tsukasa didn't expect this thing to be able to stop the Five-Tails. In fact, no one present could stop the berserk Five-Tails.

Kaede Tsukasa only needs a fleeting moment to get close.

Boom!

The earth-style wall was smashed through, but this had already successfully blocked the Five-Tails' instantaneous attack.

There were no weaklings among those who participated in the attack on the Five-Tails, Kaede Tsukasa gestured with his eyes.

Jiraiya slapped the ground.

Earth Escape·Yellow Quan Marsh!
The ground suddenly turned into a mud pit, trapping the Five-Tails in it and further restricting its movements.

Senju Momoka unleashed all her chakra, transforming herself into a vortex of storm.

Wind Release: Infinite Breakthrough!
The endless gale force firmly resisted the Five-Tails' movements.

Troy unleashed countless square shuriken, a dense barrage that stretched as far as the eye could see. In his pursuit of high-intensity output, his body even showed signs of visibly crumbling, with numerous muscles ruptured.

The sandstorm also stirred up endless dust, engulfing the five tails.

"Finally, there's Terai, who excels at solo raids."

Kaedeji's heart stirred. Terai, who had been preparing for a long time, stared at the struggling Five-Tails with his lifeless eyes, his weapon already coated with a layer of chakra.

Under Kaede's command, Terai seized the opportunity and thrust forward, severing half of the Five-Tailed Beast's tail with lightning speed. Several zombies grabbed the tail, and Kaede immediately used a summoning jutsu to summon all the zombies to his side. With great speed, he took out a scroll he had prepared beforehand and sealed the tail.

A series of actions, completed in one go.

"I've also got the Five-Tails' chakra." Kaede Tsukasa was in high spirits.

A sharp roar rang out, and the Five-Tailed Beast writhed in pain, its eyes filled with savagery. With a flick of its tail, it turned several zombies into mincemeat.

But none of the people present cared about this loss.

"Five-Tails, do you really want to avenge your kind? But it's best not to project meaningless emotions onto yourself in a self-indulgent way."

Kaede Tsukasa smiled and shook his head, watching as the Five-Tails pointed its sharp horn at him.

He turned to look at Jiraiya and Senju Momoka, who were panting heavily: "Thank you all. Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to deal with such a tailed beast by myself."

“What I mean is, we should take this opportunity to retreat. If we really kill both tailed beasts in one fell swoop, Iwagakure will go crazy, a new round of war will break out, and it will disrupt the village’s policy of recuperation,” Jiraiya said, panting.

Kaedeji paused for a moment, then turned to look at Senju Momoka and noticed that the Senju clan leader actually had a look of approval on his face.

Seriously? These two... if they get the chance, they'll definitely kill the Five-Tails. Iwagakure has the tailed beasts, which gives them the confidence to fight Konoha to the death. If both tailed beasts are gone, they'll truly lose their deterrent power...

But never mind, he wasn't actually surprised by some of the ideas he had about the Naruto lineage.

If Orochimaru were here, he would rather pay a heavy price to kill the Five-Tails.
"Then I'll send you to retreat. You've lost your will to fight and you'll easily become a burden to me."

Kaede Tsukasa said bluntly, "But let's make this clear first: I will keep a close eye on the Five-Tails' movements. Once it reverts to its full tailed beast form, I will return immediately to kill the Five-Tails' Jinchuriki. This is where our philosophies diverge. Why stop for some inexplicable reason when we can inflict greater damage on the enemy in one fell swoop?"

Kaedeji shook his head, ignoring the expressions of Jiraiya and the others, and immediately formed a hand seal.

Upon seeing this, Minato immediately formed hand seals as well.

Sky Realm Technique / Flying Thunder God Technique!
The group vanished from their spot, so the Five-Tails' impact completely missed its target, only creating a large dent in the ground and having no effect other than tearing off a layer of soil.

Faced with the combined attack of multiple Kage-level and elite Jonin, and the barrage of wide-range ninjutsu, even the mighty Five-Tails was hampered. It was only a very short time that was wasted before it missed its last chance.

The Five-Tails had completely turned red. Hidan, whom it wanted to kill, was gone, as was Kaede Tsukasa, whom it also wanted to kill. It was left bewildered and helpless, having had a portion of its chakra stolen.

The pride and arrogance of the tailed beasts suffered a severe blow at this moment.

It instinctively looked to its side, only to find that Lao Zi's corpse had also disappeared without a trace.

Kaede Tsukasa and his group appeared somewhere in the Konoha Forest.

"Tsukasa, are you really planning to return alone?" Jiraiya couldn't help but ask.

"I wouldn't say I'm alone. I still have this group of corpses. Although they're no match for the Five-Tails, the Five-Tails' existence depends on the physical strength of its jinchūriki. As soon as it can't hold on and has to undo its full tailed beast transformation, I'll rush over and kill them immediately," Kaedeji Tsukasa replied.

Jiraiya thought to himself, "He really is a radical. No wonder he was able to gradually take over the vacant area left by Danzo."

If a few more years pass and Danzo is reinstated, he might be surprised to find that his core base has already been eroded and occupied by Kaedeji Tsukasa.

Looking at the tired faces of the people present, Kaede Tsukasa said calmly, "Actually, there is another reason. Have you thought about how much damage it would cause if the Five-Tails were to go berserk and spew Tailed Beast Balls all over the Land of Fire? How many people would die, and how much damage would it cause to the country's economy? Since I have the ability to transfer the Tailed Beasts, then this is something that only I can do."

In truth, he was still preoccupied with the corpse of the Five-Tails Jinchuriki.

A muscular man standing 2.3 meters tall can unleash the full power of the Five-Tails' taijutsu. If we could get our hands on him, Kaede Tsukasa would have a combat unit capable of going toe-to-toe with a muscle man like the Third Raikage.

Relying solely on Terai, an elite Jonin skilled in solo assaults, often feels like something's missing.

"Lord Kaede, we'll be waiting for your safe return." Tekai's eyes sparkled; he thought this kind of ninja was incredibly cool and made him feel very safe.

Hidan slung his scythe over his shoulder, looking suspicious: "You mean you'll need me to transfer the Tailed Beast Ball? You've already tested it; you can use a regular corpse instead."

“No, you are a crucial medium, an important vessel for my Corpse Escape power,” Kaede Tsukasa said.

Hidan attaches the Tailed Beast Ball to the object, and then Hidan and a distant zombie use the Sky Gate Technique to transfer the Tailed Beast Ball away.

As for whether Hidan is willing or not? He has no choice but to agree, since he has entered the Corpse Release system and occupies an important position.

Kaedeji used the Void Realm Technique to leave.

Hidan plopped down on the ground, looking utterly hopeless, waiting for the chance to get a Tailed Beast Ball right in his face.

"Teacher won't do anything rash. If the Five-Tails doesn't use the Tailed Beast Ball, you don't need to worry about anything," Shizune said after a moment's hesitation.

Hyuga Takashi said, "You have successfully killed the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, which is an achievement beyond imagination. Compared to what happened with Kaede-sensei, you should be more worried about what will happen after you become famous in the ninja world."

What's bothering you?

"When you're annoyed when someone rushes up to you for an autograph, what's the coolest way to respond?"

"Hey, what you said makes a lot of sense!"

Hidan rallied his spirits, his mind wandering, but he quickly shook his head, closed his eyes, and muttered something under his breath.

Dekai leaned closer, his face ingratiating: "What are you talking about?"

"Quiet down! I'm praying to the evil god. I was supposed to do this after defeating the enemy, but the body is gone. The teacher must have secretly taken it. This is putting me in a difficult position! I need to explain to the evil god." Hidan looked impatient and even fiercely brandished the scythe in his hand at Dekayi, who hurriedly took two steps back in fright.

If someone else had done this, Dekayi certainly wouldn't have been in such a sorry state. How could someone who could join Jiraiya's team be weak? But it depends on who you're facing!
Facing Hidan, a junior who killed the Four-Tails Jinchuriki through self-harm and survived even after losing his head, Dekayi couldn't be proud at all, fearing that Hidan would find an opportunity to strike him down.

"Minato, you've been watching him the whole time, haven't you? Did he take the opportunity to steal my blood? No, right?"

Dekayi touched his body suspiciously, feeling uncomfortable all over.

Minato smiled wryly and said, "Don't worry, no, Hidan wouldn't do such a thing. He wouldn't hurt his comrades."

"His actions are even more terrifying than harming his companions. He shows no mercy to himself, even when it comes to beheading! I clearly saw him casting the spell, but I didn't understand it at all. Tell me, do evil gods really exist?"

"Who knows..." Minato pondered. He didn't know if the evil god existed, but he knew that the Corpse Release was real. Even now, he firmly believed that Hidan's power actually came from Kaede Tsukasa's Corpse Release.

Immortality and corpse escape are such a perfect match, they seem to be part of the same system.

Jiraiya and Senju Momoka also watched Hidan's every move, exchanging whispers.

"Hidan... If the enemy doesn't know his information, they will die a terrible death. He will definitely kill the second or third Hokage-level powerful ninja in the future."

"The village has produced another remarkable person, and he is so young. His achievements at such a young age surpass those of all the sages of Konoha."

Senju Momoka's expression was complicated. Why didn't such a powerful junior appear in their Senju clan? If he were, she wouldn't be so anxious. With a strong junior who could carry the torch, many problems would be easily solved.

Unfortunately, reality is cruel. The Senju clan does not have a super genius like Hidan, forcing the clan leader, Momoka Senju, to find other solutions.

Those present took out food and water to replenish their strength as much as possible, waiting for Kaedeji's next move.

People occasionally looked up into the distance, trying to see which direction an explosion was coming from. If so, it meant that the Five-Tails had used the Tailed Beast Ball again, which also meant that Kaede Tsukasa had made another move.

Kaede Tsukasa did indeed appear in front of the Five-Tails, and even summoned a new batch of zombies, making these zombies move in different directions to serve as Kaede Tsukasa's spatial coordinates, so that they wouldn't all be blown to pieces by the Five-Tails in one fell swoop.

“Well then, I can focus on you now, Five-Tails.” Kaede Tsukasa sat on a branch, watching Five-Tails charge at him furiously.

Boom!

A towering tree collapsed, and the Five-Tailed Fox smashed a zombie into a bloody pulp with its head, but Kaede Tsukasa had already appeared in another direction.

Every time the Five-Tails launches an attack, Kaede Tsukasa always manages to appear in another location, leaving only a few zombies for the Five-Tails to kill.

Repeatedly, the Five-Tails was like a giant headless fly, bumping around aimlessly. When cornered, it opened its mouth to spit out a Tailed Beast Ball, but quickly closed its mouth and did not do so.

"...Because the Five-Tails Jinchuriki is about to collapse. Your reckless actions have consumed too much of his power. His body was already severely damaged due to his half-tailed beast transformation, and it became even more difficult for him to withstand your attacks after you came out."

Kaede Tsukasa waited patiently: "So, what do you plan to do in the face of someone who can't be killed, Five-Tails?"

"Damn human, I'll remember you!" The Five-Tails finally spoke.

Kaede Tsukasa coldly said, "Remembering me is useless; killing me is what matters. But you can't do that. So, if you beg me and offer me your chakra, I'll be merciful and let you go."

Five-tailed Beast endured its frustration. Just as Kaede Tsukasa had said, its time was running out. Once it returned to Han's body, Han himself would be unable to resist Kaede Tsukasa, and its fate would be dire.

Then the only option is... to run!
The five-tailed beast turned around and began to run at high speed. It was this simplest action that made Kaedeji frown.

He didn't deploy enough zombies in that direction, so the number of times he could use the Void Realm Technique was very limited, making it difficult to track down the Five-Tails.

The Five-Tails' running speed is incredibly fast. It has the appearance of a deer and possesses the strongest taijutsu skills among the nine tailed beasts. When it moves at full speed and frequently changes direction, Kaede Tsukasa can't keep up at all.

After several attempts to track them down, Kaede Tsukasa could only stand on a branch at the border of the Land of Fire, watching the Five-Tails escape.

"This guy actually ran back to the Land of Earth. That's rare. I thought it would take the opportunity to gain its freedom. Hmph, after all, even tailed beasts are afraid."

Kaede took out a scroll and admired the seemingly ordinary character "尸" on it, which contained the corpse of Old Purple.

It's okay if the head and body are separated; it's just a minor wound that can be stitched up and still be usable.

Unfortunately, the Four-Tails died completely, and even if it revived on the spot, Kaede Tsukasa did not have the ability to capture it.

Having lost the Four-Tails, Old Purple can at most use a little of the Four-Tails chakra stored in Kaede Tsukasa's possession. At worst, he can only use a tailed beast cloak. But even so, Old Purple will definitely become the strongest zombie in Kaede Tsukasa's hands.

A Jinchuriki is still a Jinchuriki, and cannot be compared to an elite Jonin like Sandstorm Araki.

"Finally, I've finally acquired another Kage-level fighter. Madara's limited-time trial card can't be used a second time."

Kaede looked deeply into the distance, formed hand seals, and returned.

The moment Jiraiya's team and Kaede's team returned to Konoha unharmed, the entire village was in an uproar.

The violent explosion of the Tailed Beast Ball was felt throughout the Land of Fire and neighboring countries. Anyone with a little knowledge could understand what had happened. Just looking at the terrifying explosion coming from the no-man's-land, the brief moment when it blotted out the sun's light, one couldn't imagine the pressure that their comrades on the front lines would be facing.

The moment they learned that Hidan had killed the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, the entire village began to churn wildly, like boiling water in a pot.

Everywhere people are asking the same question—who is Hidan?
"Have you heard? The Four-Tails Jinchuriki has been killed, and the Four-Tails is dead too!"

"Not only that, I heard that the Five-Tails was also banished by Lord Kaedeji alone. Some towns near the border felt violent tremors and saw white giant deer running wildly in the distance."

"Amazing, truly amazing! Lord Hidan is also Lord Kaedeji's disciple, they are truly remarkable!"

"What? Hidan has this other identity? No wonder he's so strong, he has a powerful master. That makes sense... What the hell? I heard he's only 12 years old!! Do you know what 12 years old means?"

"This means he is 12 years old and can officially graduate from the Ninja Academy."

"Get lost! What does this have to do with the school? He was personally trained by Lord Kaedeji Tsukasa. Can a school teach students how to kill a Jinchuriki at the age of 12? This fully demonstrates Lord Kaedeji Tsukasa's abilities!"

"But I heard that after Lord Kaedeji brought Hidan to the village, he only trained him for a few months..."

"That was after we arrived in the village. What about before we arrived? It's normal that we were trained for many years!"

No one believed that Hidan could reach such an exaggerated level after only a few months of training. Many people were curious about how Hidan killed the Jinchuriki, but in the end, they never got any answers.

Jiraiya and the others would never intentionally leak Hidan's information. Moreover, Hidan's operations require extremely high levels of intelligence secrecy. If the enemy were to guard against it closely and not give Hidan the opportunity to obtain blood, the difficulty for Hidan to activate the Death Possession would increase exponentially.

However, Hidan did become very popular and was regarded by everyone in Konoha as the leader of the new generation.

Even Minato Namikaze temporarily fell out of favor, and everyone's attention was focused on Hidan. The general public didn't care that Minato and Hidan were different types; they simply used the formula that Hidan, who was younger, killed a Jinchuriki, so Hidan was stronger than Minato to make a simple judgment.

Some mature and composed ninjas vaguely guessed that Hidan's abilities and methods might be quite special, otherwise it would be too unbelievable that he could kill a Jinchuriki at the age of 12. Could it be genjutsu? They had never heard of Kaede Tsukasa being good at genjutsu, let alone teaching Hidan.

That is... the Corpse Escape Technique? The upper limit of this technique is so powerful that it allows a 12-year-old boy to kill a Tailed Beast single-handedly?

"Corpse Escape... If I could become a disciple of Lord Kaedeji, I'm sure I could become incredibly powerful too."

"Don't even think about it. We don't know when Lord Kaede will take on students again, and he must require exceptional talent and a suitable fighting style. Otherwise, he wouldn't just take on disciples rashly."

The impact of eliminating the Four-Tails Jinchuriki is so enormous that it's enough to cause a major earthquake in a great ninja village.

When the Third Hokage learned of this, he showed an expression of disbelief. If it weren't for the fact that the people who reported to him were Jiraiya and Senju Momoka, who were absolutely trustworthy, he would have subconsciously judged it as false information.

"As the Hokage, I shouldn't pry into my comrades' secrets, but let me guess, Hidan used the Corpse Release technique to defeat the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, right?" The Third Hokage suddenly increased the frequency of his smoking.

Jiraiya and Senju Momoka exchanged a glance. They weren't really sure either, because they had never heard of Kaede Tsukasa having a technique called "Blood Possession Technique." However, considering that Hidan could kill his enemy even after cutting off his own head, using self-harm to eliminate the enemy... it should be considered a form of Corpse Escape, right?
Anything related to corpses or immortality should be considered as a form of corpse escape.

“Actually, we’ve discussed it together, and there are many things we don’t quite understand either, but it should be Corpse Escape, a mysterious technique called ‘Death Possession Blood’,” Jiraiya said.

"Is that so? Corpse Release: Blood Possession? It's a completely unfamiliar technique. It's a new technique developed by Kaede Tsukasa. Perhaps it was tailor-made for Hidan."

The Third Hokage pondered. He had considered the possibility that Hidan might have developed the technique himself, but he quickly ruled out that possibility.

Hidan is 12 years old, not 22. How could a teenager like that develop a technique that can kill a Jinchuriki? That's absurd.

"Kaede Tsukasa is 18 and Hidan is 12. They are truly amazing talents. I have a feeling that for many years to come, the village will not have to worry about its safety."

The Third Hokage sighed, "Then, from this moment on, Hidan shall be appointed as a Jonin."

"Huh? Well, I'm not saying he's not qualified, it's just... he's only ever carried out this one S-rank mission, and he hasn't even done a single D-rank mission." Senju Momoka said subconsciously, but quickly shut up.

Hidan is absolutely qualified to stand firm in the ranks of Jonin. His taijutsu allows him to draw blood, and his Shichi allows him to use blood with his own. He is simply too powerful.

At that moment, the door to the Hokage's office opened, and Kaede Tsukasa entered.

"I apologize, Hokage-sama, for the slight delay. Hidan had to continue his prayer ceremony when he got home, which was a bit too cumbersome," Kaedeji Tsukasa said with a smile.

"Well, that's alright, but what exactly is the so-called evil god he worships..." The Third Hokage's eyes revealed a look of inquiry.

Kaede Tsukasa said, "Don't worry, Hokage-sama. My Corpse Release has nothing to do with that evil god. Corpse Release is a secret technique that I developed myself, and it will never rely on any strange thing."

"That's good."

The Third Hokage was immediately relieved.

Today, the Corpse Escape Technique is far more than just controlling a few corpses in battle; it has become a systematic and powerful super technique encompassing many different styles. Its effects, functions, and potential far surpass the clan techniques used by ninja clans such as the Ino-Shika-Cho.

The Third Hokage certainly didn't want to one day have Tsukasa Kaede tell him that Corpse Release was actually the power of some strange thing; that would be a major, unpredictable problem.

"As for the evil god that Hidan worships, it comes from a religion in the Land of Hot Water. Hidan and I killed everyone in that sect." Kaedeji said calmly, "So there will never be any strange people coming to ask Hidan to serve me. I can guarantee that. Hidan is a ninja of Konoha Village. I will not allow my disciple to be recruited by strange guys."

"Really? As expected of you, quite decisive."

The Third Hokage didn't press further about the sect. He watched Kaede Tsukasa and increasingly felt that Konoha needed someone like him who could decisively take ruthless action at crucial moments.

The key is that after getting things done, they won't hide it from him, the Hokage.

From the moment he assassinated the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, the Third Hokage had been watching all of Kaede Tsukasa's actions, and from any perspective, Kaede Tsukasa was becoming more and more suitable.

Jiraiya and Senju Momoka remained silent. Given their relatively benevolent natures, they certainly wouldn't do something like Kaede Tsukasa wiping out an entire sect so easily.

"Lord Hokage, there's something else I'd like to say."

Kaedeji slowly said, "After losing the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Iwagakure will definitely engage in an even more frantic arms race. Once someone takes the lead, this kind of thing will continue indefinitely, even at the cost of damaging the national economy, lowering the people's living standards, and mortgaging the future. They will definitely put all their resources into expanding their military power. More importantly, other villages will definitely follow suit."

"Tell me what you think."

Kaedeji held up one finger: "I'm applying to start a human experimentation project. With my Corpse Release power, plus some corpses of ninjas from other villages stored in the village, we might be able to transplant bloodline limits."

"What? How can this be? Human experimentation projects are different from ordinary biological experiments. They require living people as test subjects. If the experiment fails, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Jiraiya was the first to object.

Kaede Tsukasa's radical treatment of people from other countries is none of his business; even the Hokage doesn't care, so why should he?

But human experimentation is an extremely risky thing...

Kaedeji Tsukasa's expression remained unchanged: "Lord Jiraiya, you should know very well that the enemies are doing it. If we don't, our situation will become even more dangerous in the future, and we will have to sacrifice more comrades to turn the tide. This is still a good outcome, where we can close the gap with human lives. But what if too many people die and we still can't turn the situation around?"

"Impossible, with the strength of Konoha Village—"

"Yes, you know it's all thanks to the village's power. Human experiments are also relying on the village's power. Although these taboo experiments can't be brought to light, it doesn't mean they're unnecessary."

Kaede Tsukasa ignored Jiraiya's on-site objections.

In the original timeline, Konoha Village had already started a human experimentation project, and a large number of ninjas were put into it and all of them died tragically on the experimental table. As a result, the Third Hokage personally intervened to stop it. In the eyes of the higher-ups, this was an open secret and there was no need to deliberately hide it.

Therefore, Kaede didn't have a private conversation with the Third Hokage, but instead brought it up casually with others present.

And he was also saying it to Senju Momoka.

The Third Hokage was not ready to make a decision. It was really difficult for him to take the initiative to push forward a major decision with an unknown outcome. This was the case when training medical ninjas during World War II, and it is the same now when launching a human experimentation project.

Senju Momoka's expression shifted between light and shadow before she finally made up her mind: "Hokage-sama, let's start the human experimentation project. And not just any ordinary experiment. I propose we transplant the First Hokage's cells. Since we're going to conduct human experiments, the number of bloodline limit corpses we can take from other villages is ultimately limited. Instead of wasting time on that, let's go straight to the point and use our own Konoha village's bloodline limit to carry out the experiments."

If we're talking about the most precious, and also the most "inexpensive," bloodline limit that Konoha Village possesses that can be used on many people without ever running out, then it's the Wood Release from Hashirama's cells.

Like cancer cells, interstitial cells can divide without limit and do not die automatically after dividing a certain number of times, unlike normal cells.

If we could unlock the secrets of Hashirama's cells and allow them to be widely transplanted into a large number of Konoha ninjas, the resulting effects would be immeasurable.

Senju Momoka gritted her teeth. As the head of the Senju clan, she clearly saw an opportunity to change the clan's decline.

"The First Generation Lord was from the Senju clan. If I lead the Senju clan to participate in human experiments, it will suppress all kinds of doubts to the greatest extent and will not violate the village's rules!" Senju Momoka was going all out.

Take a gamble!
There's a chance of winning if you gamble, but if you don't gamble? The Thousand Hands Clan has no successors; they're doomed sooner or later, and the harder they try, the more doomed they become!
Jiraiya stared wide-eyed in shock at Senju Momoka, who resembled a gambler: "Momoka-senpai, what exactly is this...?"

"Jiraiya, there are many things you don't understand. I have no choice but to help you. The situation of the Senju clan is far more serious than you imagine. I cannot allow this clan to decline into a second-rate family under my leadership!"

Senju Momoka gritted her teeth and said, "Now it all depends on the level of the village's biotechnology. If we can use the lives of the Senju clan members to advance the research on the First Hokage's cells and successfully awaken some clan members' Wood Release... I am willing to be the first human sacrifice for this experiment!"

(End of this chapter)