Genin-level battles are, overall, very straightforward and brutal. With limited chakra and only one or two jutsu learned, they tend to repeat the same moves throughout a fight.
Given the current situation, Kaede Tsukasa had very few overt options. The self-destructing zombie remained his main offensive tool.
"Good, I've encountered a Chunin without high combat discipline… Kirigakure is a major ninja village. Under the harsh rule of the Third Mizukage, many exceptional ninja emerged. Luckily, I didn't run into one of those prodigies."
Kaede Tsukasa calculated the timeline: in about two years, the Third Mizukage would officially implement the "Blood Mist Village" policy, requiring every graduating student to kill a comrade they had spent time with to graduate.
Was this because the population was too large? Or because the average skill level of ninja was too low? If Konoha played the same game, every Uchiha young man would probably have a pair of Sharingan by then.
This particular time period was interesting. The Kaguya clan of Kirigakure was still active—a fanatical family seemingly inheriting the Rikudō lineage, and still a central force in Kirigakure.
On Konoha's side, the Senju clan hadn't disbanded yet—at least during the Second Great Ninja War, many Senju still fought on the battlefield.
For example, Senju Nawaki, at the start of the Second Great Ninja War, might have been overly emotional—at the slightest sign of movement, he would rush in shouting. He fell into an explosive tag trap before Orochimaru could intervene and was blown to pieces.
Even with the Senju physique and accompanying a survival expert like Orochimaru, this hotheaded youth overestimated himself and underestimated the enemy—such recklessness on a deadly battlefield was a fast track to death.
Yet by the Third Great Ninja War, the Senju clan mysteriously disappeared.
A family so strong, populous, and renowned—if they truly disbanded after the Second Great Ninja War, with every notable member quietly withdrawing from village life, it would be extreme.
The upper- and mid-level Senju ninja hadn't all fallen under some foreign jutsu.
Yet the Senju clan indeed "vanished" quietly before the Third Great Ninja War. For that to happen, there could only be one explanation…
"Something critical must have occurred, causing the Senju clan to disappear in name."
Kaede Tsukasa had been observing silently for years, listening to the names of Senju like Nawaki and Momoka, gradually confirming a possible cause for the clan's dissolution.
There was no way it was the absurd reason of the Senju voluntarily disbanding.
"If it really was that incident, it may intersect with my plan to change bodies—perhaps it could be leveraged."
Kaede Tsukasa didn't actually care whether the Senju clan survived. A family that valued love wouldn't degenerate into a tragic Uchiha-like fate, so it had no practical impact on him.
But if it could provide an opportunity for his body-switching plan, he had to pay some attention.
"Hmm… first, I need to return to Konoha safely. This operation exposed my Corpse Release, but that was inevitable. To change bodies, I must first demonstrate my talent to facilitate the next steps. Yet Corpse Release—controlling corpses—is too unusual and risks causing a scandal…"
Kaede Tsukasa found himself in a deadlock. His current body was near its limit; fewer than 40 trillion cells prevented him from progressing further as a ninja, let alone fully mastering Corpse Release.
This forced him to take concrete action to achieve his goal of changing bodies.
But taking action would expose Corpse Release, which would be troublesome. He needed a plausible reason to cover his moves, at least enough to get through the initial stage after the technique was revealed.
"I need to think carefully… maybe this time it's an opportunity disguised as no opportunity…" Kaede Tsukasa looked toward the direction the Kirigakure ninja had fled.
…
Ao was chasing Kazamatsuri Takuno.
Only ten minutes had passed since Ao sent Kifu out and up to now.
"You're probably a Chunin. Killing a medical ninja like you carries the same weight as killing a Jonin."
Ao blocked the bloodied Takuno, throwing kunai and other ninja tools to keep him bleeding. "By now, most of your companions are probably dead. This infiltration operation has been very successful."
Kirigakure and Kumogakure didn't commit their full forces to the Second Great Ninja War. Instead, they sent small teams to infiltrate, trying to bleed Konoha little by little.
By now, the situation was clear. Konoha had withstood all attacks, retaining its territory in the Land of Fire. Considering Konoha's strength, legacy, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's character, simply not losing meant they had won.
Of course, other villages wouldn't admit that. Just because Konoha didn't lose didn't mean they hadn't. Not losing was framed internally as victory, while heavily weakening Konoha's active ninja forces, setting the stage for the next ninja world war.
Takuno leaned against a rock, minimizing his exposed area. His chakra was nearly depleted, making healing difficult, let alone defeating an upper-level ninja like Ao.
"Don't get too cocky. We died to give our comrades a chance to trap you… you'll die here too," Takuno gasped.
Ao shook his head slowly. "Our philosophy differs from yours. Comrades' lives aren't important to us. Our own lives aren't necessarily that important either. Completing the mission is what matters most. You did well… but you could have done better."
The Kirigakure ninja couldn't comprehend Konoha ninja's self-contradictory methods. They valued the mission, yet insisted on overemphasizing "comrades," complicating what should have been simple.
Takuno let out a deep sigh, his face showing despair. He knew it was over, though he had hoped to see a day of peace…
Rustle…
"I'll kill you and leave the Land of Fire immediately. Next time I come, I hope to meet the Hyuga clan… hmm?"
Ao frowned. "Kifu? Faster than I expected… wait, who are you?"
A bloodied and mangled figure staggered forward. Large patches of charred flesh covered him, and his features were almost gone—only a pair of eyes remained, his face entirely destroyed, unrecognizable.
What truly shocked Ao was those eyes.
What kind of eyes were those? The pupils and sclera had almost merged into one, leaving only an extreme pale white that set them apart.
Ao thought he was seeing things, staring rigidly at the unusual eyes.
"…Byakugan?"