Putting himself in the situation, Kaede Tsukasa knew he would do everything possible to eliminate him.
The more chaotic the war, the greater the potential for the Zombie Release secret technique—so immense it was almost unimaginable, naturally suited for the battlefield.
Using the enemy's own corpses against them, creating more corpses, accumulating more power—who could withstand that?
Allies who were risking life and death with him one moment could become enemies the next. And the crucial weak point was just the head—no fear of injury, yet capable of overloading the body's functions…
Onoki watched the vibrant, lively Kaede Tsukasa, gritting his teeth in frustration, but he lacked the ability to kill him. All he could do was watch as Kaede Tsukasa moved everywhere, evading attacks.
Even now, Kaede Tsukasa had not personally killed anyone. He moved and performed his techniques like a casual observer, slightly behind the Konoha frontlines.
Onoki kept trying to find chances to attack Kaede Tsukasa, which meant wherever Kaede Tsukasa appeared, it was always a focus of strikes.
Several Explosive Release ninjas occasionally launched aggressive assaults, blasting a path forward, yet from start to finish, they couldn't even touch Kaede Tsukasa. He always escaped deftly and reappeared wherever he could be seen.
After multiple assaults, Iwagakure understood: Kaede Tsukasa was doing this deliberately, using his own strength to tie down as many elite Iwagakure forces as possible.
Every second he delayed meant less pressure on the other Konoha ninjas, fewer injuries, and more strength to fight other enemies. What seemed like a small advantage accumulated over time, eventually becoming a crucial factor in total victory.
This sent Onoki's blood pressure soaring. Against such a cunning space-time ninja, his Dust Release, capable of killing in an instant, was virtually useless.
"What is going on with his chakra? Normally, space-time ninjutsu consumes far more chakra than ordinary techniques, with no room for error. Yet he controls so many corpses, uses his techniques repeatedly, escapes every time, and still shows no signs of weakening!"
Frustrated, Onoki stopped even using Dust Release. He hurled a massive boulder at Kaede Tsukasa with the Enhanced Earth Technique, only to watch him escape once again, while the boulder crushed a zombified Iwagakure ninja into a bloody mess.
He was stunned. Suppressing his resentment and anger, Onoki turned his attacks toward other Konoha ninjas.
Afterward, Kaede Tsukasa still used the Void Technique to assist allies, but not with the same intensity as before, indicating his remaining chakra was limited.
Even so, Onoki had no confidence in killing him. His own problems were severe—Orochimaru and Uchiha Fugaku kept interfering, and they were formidable opponents.
"If it weren't for concerns about Han…"
Onoki didn't dare to go all out, worried that the Five-Tails jinchūriki Han might be taken down by the Uchiha with their Sharingan techniques.
He could probably maintain control, but without Mangekyō-level ocular power, it was nearly impossible to turn a tailed beast into a loyal pet.
Still, there would be consequences.
Han, like Roshi, was not a perfect jinchūriki. Using the tailed beast's power required suppressing its will. If he fell victim to Uchiha genjutsu, things could get disastrous.
There was a chance of rampaging—once fully transformed, the tailed beast would become an uncontrollable weapon.
On top of that, with leaders like Senju Momoka, Hyūga Hizashi, and other secret-tech clan heads—all elite jōnin-level fighters—Iwagakure found it hard to gain a clear advantage.
Konoha's resources were simply too lavish; the legacies left by the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara were overwhelmingly rich.
"Arrogant fools never last. You'd better pray you never make a mistake, or even a tiny flaw will get you killed in a humiliating way!"
Onoki issued his harsh warning and stopped wasting chakra on Kaede Tsukasa. Every Dust Release attack was a heavy burden, and against Kaede Tsukasa, it was always futile.
He realized he had no chance to drain Kaede Tsukasa's chakra.
Orochimaru commanded three giant summoned snakes to violently charge into Iwagakure forces, aiming ultimately at the Five-Tails jinchūriki, while simultaneously attacking Onoki again.
He couldn't fly and had no instant-kill Dust Release, but his survival ability was high. His serpentine body moved fluidly, using various ninjutsu at will. With substitution techniques or other methods, he caused countless venomous snakes to crawl across the battlefield.
Kaede Tsukasa became certain that Orochimaru had officially begun forbidden experiments in secret. At the very least, body modification had yielded results, and the Zombie Technique might have already started.
He grew increasingly eager to collaborate with Orochimaru, aiming to complete his body replacement before the Third Great War. Once that was done, he could go anywhere in the ninja world.
Kaede Tsukasa once again focused on the battlefield, looking for a chance to escape using the Void Technique. After summoning a batch of zombies with the Summoning Technique to replenish his vitality, he returned to the fray.
No one noticed this, because Kaede Tsukasa was already darting around everywhere; disappearing from sight was completely normal.
However, he no longer used Zombie Release to expand his advantage, instead concentrating on collecting various valuable corpses.
As a result, some zombies suddenly unleashed area ninjutsu, attacking indiscriminately, hitting both enemies and other zombies.
To onlookers, it seemed Kaede Tsukasa was doing this deliberately. Enemies shouted in terror, while Konoha ninjas cheered, marveling at the perfection of this tactic.
In reality, at the moment the ninjutsu erupted, a few zombies had already been summoned by Kaede Tsukasa, carrying away Konoha's precious kekkei genkai corpses.
"This is tough. So many eyes on me… acquiring a Uchiha clan member's kekkei genkai corpse is extraordinarily difficult."
By now, Kaede Tsukasa had secretly taken only one Uchiha corpse—a significant feat. Kekkei genkai users guard their own clan members' corpses fiercely. If they cannot guarantee protection, they would rather destroy the body on the spot.
Some Uchiha, realizing they were doomed, even used their last ounce of strength to destroy their own eyes before peacefully drawing their final breath.
For years, the Sharingan had never fallen into the hands of outsiders. Beyond the Uchiha's relentless pursuit, this clan's strict practices were a major reason.
"Truly fitting for the Uchiha—ruthless. No wonder they didn't need cursed seals or decades of elite oversight to ensure not a single Sharingan leaks to the enemy," Kaede Tsukasa thought, a mix of admiration and resignation in his heart.
As for the Sharingan held by Uchiha Madara and Danzo… these two were not ordinary ninjas from other villages, so they didn't count.
Just as Kaede Tsukasa appeared deep in thought, brow furrowed, examining the battlefield as if his use of Zombie Release was exerting all his strength…
"First time meeting you. Truly an eye-opening secret technique. No wonder everyone speaks so highly of you."
Fugaku had just repelled a wave of Iwagakure ninjas. With the help of an Explosive Release zombie, he had successfully retreated to a safe spot, taking a moment to heal, eat, and seize the chance to speak to Kaede Tsukasa.
"You must be Lord Fugaku. Thanks to you and the others protecting me, I was able to perform my techniques safely. Otherwise, things wouldn't have progressed so smoothly."
Kaede Tsukasa wiped the dense sweat from his forehead and offered a weary smile, looking utterly exhausted.
This posture immediately eased the tension of the Konoha ninjas closely observing his every move.
By instinct, a corpse-controlling ninja should appear eerie and twisted in personality, yet they saw none of that in Kaede Tsukasa. He seemed surprisingly normal.
Moreover, using Zombie Release in battle, drawing the attention of enemy leaders, consuming immense chakra yet persevering to the end—this commanded respect.
"After this battle, your fame will truly spread across the ninja world. You might become even more famous than Minato Namikaze, emerging as a new representative figure of Konoha," Fugaku mused.
At Kaede Tsukasa's age, Fugaku had not achieved such remarkable feats. Even with the Sharingan, he couldn't reach Kaede Tsukasa's level—unless he had obtained the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Since Uchiha Madara, no one had acquired that eye, so Fugaku hadn't even considered it.
A regular Sharingan could allow an Uchiha to rise from chunin to elite jōnin. Reaching the level of Hokage-level strength was nearly impossible without the Mangekyō Sharingan.
This also underscored the power of the Hokage lineage—having multiple Kage-level ninjas easily suppressing other clans and controlling the village effectively.
Kaede Tsukasa humbly said, "Everything I have comes from the village. Unlike most of you, I'm a war orphan. Without the village taking me in, I'd likely have died in the wilderness. Now that I've been fortunate enough to develop a technique suited to me, it's only natural I serve the village. It's my duty."
"This intense Will of Fire… I can see it clearly," Fugaku thought, regretting not recruiting Kaede Tsukasa earlier. Had he done so, he might have gained a powerful ally.
In fact, if Kaede Tsukasa married a woman from the Uchiha clan, he would become part of their family. The Uchiha were not like the Hyūga; as long as Kaede Tsukasa demonstrated enough talent and promised immense benefit to the clan, even the most radical members would agree.
The value of Zombie Release was such that even a top-tier clan like the Uchiha would yield.
Unfortunately, that opportunity was lost. Kaede Tsukasa could no longer be controlled by the Uchiha, and the Hokage faction would take action.
Fugaku's greatest concern was that Kaede Tsukasa's secret technique might fall into the hands of someone like Danzo, who would seize the chance to exhume the Uchiha's ancestral tombs and raise all the buried ancestors.
That would truly be hell—but he couldn't say it outright, nor could he persuade Kaede Tsukasa to keep the secret technique solely for himself.
Kaede Tsukasa maintained polite courtesy, fully aware of Fugaku's subtle intentions.
Ordinary Konoha ninjas without kekkei genkai or secret techniques were the least concerned about Kaede Tsukasa using his techniques on them. Fugaku, on the other hand, was exactly the opposite—deeply worried.
"If you intend to take on students, I'd be happy to recommend some outstanding Uchiha descendants," Fugaku said tactfully, preparing to lead his men back to the frontlines.
Setsuna Uchiha straightforwardly remarked, "I've heard about you from Yashiro Uchiha. He speaks very highly of you, but excessive talent will inevitably provoke jealousy from higher-ups. You should be careful."
Fugaku frowned and opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing further.
"The war isn't over yet. Even radicals like Setsuna can't help but jump in… but this is just the beginning. Soon, your conflicts with the village will intensify."
In his spare moments, Kaede Tsukasa had considered how to handle the Uchiha issue.
The fall of the Senju clan was inevitable. Unless Kaede Tsukasa abandoned the body replacement plan or tried to influence the Senju's actions—but he had no obligation to do so.
The Hyūga clan didn't need consideration for now. Kaede Tsukasa had no interest in the Byakugan, though he was curious about Tenseigan—but the timing wasn't right.
Only the Uchiha clan required careful thought. They had many small maneuvers, and their future was not predetermined. Kaede Tsukasa needed to consider carefully what role he would play.
As for taking on students…
Kaede Tsukasa would do it eventually. If not now, then in the future.
Every famous Konoha ninja did this—who to take on as a student, and which techniques to teach, required careful consideration.
"Speaking of which, my Zombie Release technique isn't impossible to teach a student. But the prerequisite is that they must have the courage to train—and not accidentally destroy themselves during the process… one misstep and they become part of me."
Kaede Tsukasa chuckled lightly and stopped dwelling on the matter, deciding to deal with it after the war.
Injured ninjas continuously withdrew for recovery, while medical ninjas performed urgent treatment.
Some ate to replenish energy while glancing at Kaede Tsukasa with looks of gratitude and awe.
Even though Kaede Tsukasa deliberately restrained himself, not summoning thousands of zombies to participate directly, he still caused a huge sensation, greatly boosting Konoha ninjas' confidence.
Many battles saw zombies using a "die together" strategy, creating opportunities for Konoha ninjas. Zombies, as long as their heads weren't destroyed, retained combat ability even if riddled with injuries—this terrifying trait struck fear into Iwagakure ninjas.
From dawn to dusk, and into the night, the war raged on, the cries of battle rising from all directions.
Everyone became numb.
The initial madness and excitement of the battle gradually eroded in the endless cycle of mechanized charges, injury, retreat for recovery, and renewed attacks.
Finally, when the last Dust Release erupted, accompanied by the beastly roar of the Five-Tails jinchūriki, Iwagakure's forces began to retreat in stages.
Those left to cover the rear faced tragedy, relentlessly surrounded by Konoha ninjas. Years of war-driven madness were vented upon them in this final battle.
At some point, the sounds of cheering replaced the cries of combat. Countless people embraced in delirium, their tears carried far into the deep darkness.
Everyone knew the war was over.
Those in the camps handling logistics or recovering from injuries could think of nothing else and rushed out, shouting until hoarse to release their pent-up emotion and sorrow.
"Looks like it's truly over. For the next few years, the world will experience apparent peace."
Kaede Tsukasa exhaled, a deep fatigue flickering in his eyes.
Even though he could draw vitality from zombies and continuously generate chakra, as long as he avoided overexertion with high-level techniques and paced himself, he could sustain this for a long time.
But spiritual fatigue could not be concealed. Chakra was the product of body and mind combined. Life force could nurture the mind, but it could not replace it. Shadows of power on the soul level could not be compensated by sunlight-like power at the physical level.
Moreover, Kaede Tsukasa still had to keep an eye on the battlefield, constantly adjusting the zombies' movements to prevent a true zombie flood. If that happened, it would be troublesome to contain, and some of the more cunning enemies might catch on.
For example, Orochimaru, who had hurriedly returned.
"Not chasing the enemy anymore? Lord Orochimaru, you're unexpectedly merciful," Kaede Tsukasa said, sitting on the ground, catching his breath.
"Heh heh heh. The enemy has already lost. Killing a few more or a few less makes no difference—they are all creatures destined to perish," Orochimaru said.
He staggered as he walked, half his body drenched in blood, causing several medical ninjas to gasp in shock as they rushed over with their medkits.
Orochimaru sat beside Kaede Tsukasa, letting the medics treat his massive wounds. His vertical-slit eyes were already fixed on Kaede Tsukasa. "Kaede Tsukasa, in this war, how much of your Zombie Release technique's power do you think you managed to unleash?"
"That's hard to estimate. If I had to say… maybe ten percent," Kaede Tsukasa tilted his head, answering thoughtfully.
"Really? Only ten percent…" Orochimaru chuckled lowly. Whether he thought it high or low was unclear, but it was obvious he was in a good mood.
One medic respectfully said, "Lord Orochimaru, some of your injuries involve bones and nerves. You should return to the village for better treatment. It would be ideal if Lady Tsunade could intervene."
"Is that so? The human body is really fragile. The intensity of this battle doesn't even compare to when Jiraiya, Tsunade, and I besieged Hanzo. But coordinating large forces adds complexity and consumes quite a bit of my energy."
Orochimaru leaned slightly toward Kaede Tsukasa, who calmly shifted aside.
"Kaede Tsukasa, once you return, want to come to my laboratory? I'm not sure how much Danzo told you, but you won't be disappointed… With our cooperation, we could make breakthroughs in human experimentation."
"I look forward to that, but the human experimentation project still needs the Hokage's approval. Even you and Danzo have no right to proceed on your own," Kaede Tsukasa replied.
"The old man will agree. Konoha doesn't do this, but other villages would," Orochimaru said, his smile dark and sinister.
Kaede Tsukasa sat exhausted atop a zombie, conversing with Orochimaru.
Even this simple scene was noticed by countless people—having someone like Orochimaru, returning immediately after leading troops to victory, speak with him, was already proof of Kaede Tsukasa's status.
Through this battle, nearly all Konoha ninjas reconfirmed Kaede Tsukasa's level. No one would underestimate him again.
Seeing his casually composed face, surrounded by returning zombies, people could only stare in deep admiration and awe.
"Perhaps he could become the next Hokage-level strong ninja," someone muttered.
A member of the Akimichi clan, with a broken arm, endured the pain while still watching Kaede Tsukasa.
"Unlikely. Families like the Uchiha, Hyūga, Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, Kurama, Aburame, and Inuzuka haven't produced a Hokage-level ninja. Only the Sarutobi clan achieved that because of Tobirama."
Nearby, Tsume Inuzuka lay exhausted on Kuromaru, too tired to even lift his fingers, mumbling faintly.
Even the Senju clan, since the First and Second Hokage, had only produced Tsunade as a Kage-level ninja.
For so many well-established clans to fail, it was incredibly difficult for Kaede Tsukasa to reach Hokage-level.
Even the most arrogant would acknowledge Kaede Tsukasa's talent, recognizing that his secret technique was terrifyingly unpredictable. Becoming an elite jōnin was just a matter of time.
Yet talent and potential are fundamentally different from achieving Hokage-level mastery.
Buzzing!
A swarm of black insects flew and slowly entered Shikuro Aburame's body. This Aburame genius, alongside Shibi, had been severely injured but had at least returned alive.
In the future, he would even have a namesake descendant who would master nano-poison insects.
"Shikuro? To be pushed to such a state… truly rare," a member of the Akimichi clan said, turning to look at the battered Aburame.
Shikuro replied in a low voice, "We encountered enemies from the Kamizuru clan. Since they're also an insect-controlling family, defeating them requires immense effort."
He continued, "I overheard some of your conversation. Honestly, whether Lord Kaede Tsukasa becomes a Hokage-level ninja isn't important. He only needs to be strong enough to control Hokage-level ninjas."
Everyone felt a jolt in their hearts, an instinctive chill running down their spines, as all sorts of eerie and terrifying images spontaneously appeared in their minds.
Indeed, Shikuro was right. If Kaede Tsukasa could command the corpses of Hokage-level ninjas, whether he himself was a Kage-level ninja became irrelevant. Of course, if he truly could master Kage-level corpses, even if he fell short in combat experience or chakra reserves, the world would likely regard him as a Kage-level ninja anyway.
As always, there has never been a ninja like Kaede Tsukasa in the entire shinobi world. Ordinary standards simply may not apply.
"Shikuro, do you know something? I recall that Shibi accompanied Lord Kaede Tsukasa in the Land of Hot Water campaign. Have you two communicated already?"
"Through letters. To avoid leaking information, the contents were extremely brief, but that doesn't stop me from making inferences," Shikuro replied.
Shikuro opened his hand, and a swarm of malfunctioning insects buzzed out, clustering but not dispersing. "The corpses controlled by Lord Kaede Tsukasa are like the insects I command. The difference is that corpses naturally have very clear distinctions in strength. He may lack the ability to kill or seize them himself, but if someone is willing to do it for him…"
Kaede Tsukasa's growth rate would accelerate. The only uncertainty was how much of the full strength of these corpses he could actually wield.
Because Kaede Tsukasa and the Zombie Release were shrouded in so much mystery and the unknown, it fueled the imagination of these young ninjas.
"When the next war comes, Lord Kaede Tsukasa might be a one-man army…" Shikuro recalled Shibi's words in the letters, praising Kaede Tsukasa immensely.
He knew that Shibi, as the Aburame clan's top genius and heir, had long admired "individual infiltration combat," striving to become the perfect elite jōnin without weaknesses.
Strong offense, defense, perception, speed, intelligence, decision-making… he could accomplish anything alone, without teammates—no shortcomings whatsoever. In fact, during the Third Great Ninja War, Shibi did become this kind of perfect ninja.
Except for never reaching Kage-level strength, Shibi excelled in all aspects. Even during the Third Great Ninja War, most of the time he operated solo and always completed his missions flawlessly.
According to Shibi, Kaede Tsukasa was the ultimate ninja he had aspired to be. In terms of solo infiltration combat, no one was more naturally gifted than Kaede Tsukasa.
Remote sensing, solitary infiltration, then opening the summoning scroll at the critical moment to instantly deploy an entire force for a sudden assault, scattering the enemy…
Even if such a ninja could only ever be an elite jōnin, so what? The corpses he commanded, the troops he controlled, included powerful fighters. Even if he could only unleash a portion of their former strength, any enemy would be terrified.
Now it was just a question of whether the village would hand over the hard-won corpses of powerful enemies to Kaede Tsukasa, and, in a dire emergency, whether they could even dig up the ancestral graves of the great ninja clans…
These ancestral graves, originally serving no purpose beyond emotional value, had suddenly become a significant strategic reserve just because of Kaede Tsukasa—a truly outrageous situation.
Shikuro believed the village wouldn't do such things. The Third Hokage's direct control was overwhelmingly strong, sufficient to suppress all dissent, and consecutive victories in external wars meant there was no need to act against the Will of Fire.
But Danzo? That was unpredictable.
"Suddenly joining the frontlines, speaking closely with Lord Orochimaru…" Shikuro stopped thinking further. That was no longer a domain he could venture into.
An hour later, Minato Namikaze returned to camp. His expression held little joy, only a growing maturity and steadiness. Witnessing such outstanding young geniuses, he set a new goal for himself.
"Oh? Lord Orochimaru is talking with Senior Kaede Tsukasa. Looks like they've been at it for a while," he noted.
Looking around, Minato immediately understood. He had wanted a chance to speak with Kaede Tsukasa, maybe even compare space-time ninjutsu, but it seemed that opportunity wouldn't come for now.
"I have some ideas about the Second Flying Thunder God technique, but developing it further will be difficult… I wonder if Senior Kaede Tsukasa could give me some inspiration."
Minato's mind buzzed with ideas, his high intelligence and intense focus generating countless thoughts every second.
Besides refining the Flying Thunder God technique, he also envisioned complementary offensive techniques to pair with it.
"Bijuu Dama… such incredible power. I hear a true, complete Bijuu Dama releases a chakra sphere, not a chakra beam in a partial Tailed Beast state like the Five-Tails Jinchūriki."
Minato Namikaze fell into thought, wondering when Jiraiya would return—he needed to discuss things thoroughly with his teacher after being apart for more than two years.
More and more Konoha ninjas returned to camp, many showing off their spoils of war, beating and scolding prisoners in fits of rage, venting the pain of lost comrades, and exercising the authority of the victors.
Medical ninjas grew even busier, rushing about to heal the wounded, adding another layer of color to a war that had lasted for years.
Next came the logistics teams handling various postwar tasks: tallying achievements, counting spoils, compiling records, and sending them to Konoha for the Hokage's judgment.
The news of the end of the Second Ninja World War spread like wildfire across the shinobi world.
Citizens of the smaller nations were relieved to have survived. These countries either became vassals of larger powers, sending their ninjas to fight under major villages as expendable pawns, or their entire lands became battlefields for the greater nations.
For the citizens of small nations, survival itself was the greatest victory—a simple, pure dream that was not always guaranteed.
Other major ninja villages showed little reaction.
The Second Ninja World War ended? Kumogakure and Kirigakure hadn't even deployed their forces for real in the Second Great War; instead, they conducted detailed assessments of the strengths of Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure.
Names of dangerous individuals were marked, with orders to eliminate them if the opportunity arose; if not, it was best to avoid direct confrontation unless absolutely necessary.
"Kaede Tsukasa? That guy's really come into his own. Too bad I didn't pay him any attention back then, when he was at his weakest," Ao of Kirigakure lamented. He had been deceived by a zombie, letting the true target, Kaede Tsukasa, escape.
But the one most frustrated and helpless was Chiyo of Sunagakure.
Ever since she learned that Kaede Tsukasa had overcome his physical limitations and drastically increased his chakra reserves, she realized he had mastered the Rebirth Technique. Considering the existence of the Void Technique, it had become nearly impossible to restrict him.
"Who would have thought that the forbidden Life-Swap Technique I developed out of selfishness would create a ninja that all the villages now fear and worry about?" Chiyo seethed with resentment, yet felt powerless.
Kaede Tsukasa had entered the sights of higher authorities, becoming one of the targets that must be eliminated. His rank now far exceeded Minato Namikaze's and even surpassed most veteran elite ninjas—second only to Kage-level strength!
Anyone with common sense, analyzing Konoha's victory over Iwagakure, could see the terrifying potential Kaede Tsukasa had revealed. Even now, the world had no clear understanding of Zombie Release's limits, unable to determine the maximum number of corpses he could control.
The idea of a one-man army made other villages uneasy. On top of that, Kaede Tsukasa's corpses could consist of all types of ninjas, capable of overexertion, fearless of death, and fighting to the last second as long as their heads remained intact…
Just imagining such an undead army sent shivers down anyone's spine.
"Kaede Tsukasa must die! He cannot survive until the next Ninja World War!"
"People die eventually. If they die, their bodies remain—unless from now on all the dead are cremated…"
"The Land of Hot Water campaign was the turning point between Konoha and Iwagakure. But what jutsu did Kato use to incapacitate the Four-Tails Jinchūriki without harm, forcing him out of the war? Too many questions remain."
"Kaede Tsukasa's role in the campaign is undeniable, and it may not even be limited to what intelligence reports show. There are still many secrets about him."
"An orphan of war? Hmph. Without formal Konoha education, maybe spreading rumors will trick the higher-ups into eliminating this dangerous prodigy."
"Same goes for the others in Konoha. Take out one opportunity at a time! These Konoha guys talk about the Will of Fire, moral high ground, but their hands are bloody. Start here."
On the surface, the Second Great Ninja War had ended, but only large-scale battles had concluded. Small-team combat would continue regardless of the existence of a world war.
A greater undercurrent was brewing. Villages' secret maneuvers would grow bolder. When power accumulated to a certain point, and conflicts escalated—especially when some villages revealed fatal weaknesses…
That would be the outbreak of a new Ninja World War.
In essence, the Second Great Ninja War was merely a rehearsal for the Third. The defeated villages suffered injuries but were not truly broken.
…
When news of the final victory at the front reached Konoha, the massive, bustling village erupted into endless cheers.
Even the merchants doing business in Konoha showed expressions of delight. Peace had arrived, which meant trade would further flourish, and more commercial opportunities would emerge.
The ninja village was essentially a massive military district built from ninjas and their families. With Konoha achieving a clear-cut final victory, employers from all over the world would want to hire the people they desired here, and merchants from everywhere would flock to profit from ninja business.
Add to that the missions and compensation seized from other villages, and in the coming years, the village was bound to experience explosive growth. Its economy would thrive, and both the number and quality of ninjas would surge.
Everyone firmly believed this. It was a virtuous cycle. Unless an incomprehensible major catastrophe occurred, causing the village's various power units to collapse one by one, Konoha, already holding a massive comprehensive advantage, would continue to prosper indefinitely.
The Third Hokage had already foreseen this moment and eagerly awaited it.
"The compiled reports from the frontlines have finally arrived. I need to study them carefully."
What surprised the Third Hokage the most was undoubtedly the sudden full-scale assault launched by the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki—it had been so abrupt.
Originally, the Third Hokage planned to have the troops returning from the Land of Hot Water rest briefly before adding more forces, all led by Tsunade, to march to the frontlines and end the war in one decisive move.
But Onoki didn't give him that opportunity. Learning that Roshi had been defeated and that Iwagakure was destined not to crush Konoha, he decisively launched one last full-scale attack, hoping to achieve some results.
Fortunately, Orochimaru held firm and successfully crushed the enemy.
"Hm, Kaede Tsukasa even appeared on the frontlines, and it seems he clashed with Ryoma? Interesting."
The Third Hokage was not angry. Tsukasa acting on his own was a serious violation, but since the war had been won, and he had played a critical role, demonstrating the power and potential of Zombie Release and accelerating victory, the achievement outweighed the breach.
Such military accomplishments were enough to cover up his insubordination. At most, he would receive a mild official warning or a brief critique, and that would be it.
The Third Hokage was even pleased to see Tsukasa clash with Danzo's subordinates.
Yes, he did not know about the Rebirth Technique. Although he was aware that Tsukasa had improved his physical limitations and his chakra had surged for unknown reasons, he would never suspect it was due to such an overpowered forbidden technique.
"It seems my decision to storm Root and confront Danzo back then was absolutely correct. Kaede Tsukasa must not become Danzo's blade."
The Third Hokage's mood was exceptionally good, puffing on his pipe and watching the smoke curl upward.
Under my leadership, Konoha has become too powerful—surpassing even the era of the Second Hokage, he thought deep down.
From any perspective, it seemed to be true.
"However, Orochimaru's secret report also makes sense… In the next Ninja World War, Konoha could face even fiercer attacks. That wouldn't be good."
Thus, according to Danzo and Orochimaru's plans, forbidden experiments would need to advance on a large scale. After achieving certain research progress, live subjects would be directly used in human experiments to accelerate the research process.
As long as results were obtained, the Third Hokage was confident that he would quickly command a powerful ninja force, further consolidating his rule.
If they failed… failure would be entirely Danzo and Orochimaru's responsibility—they must bear all consequences!
"The Hashirama cels experiments… the most suitable test subjects are, after all, members of the Senju clan…"