One unit after another returned to the village.
The pride of being the ultimate victor had reached its peak, and every ninja was treated with honor, enjoying countless cheers and applause.
But not every ninja who survived the war could ultimately stay in Konoha.
As the Fire Country's highest military authority, Konoha had the power to conscript ninjas from all over the nation. Many of these ninjas were originally town defenders of the Fire Country, and some were even private soldiers of daimyo or nobles, all drafted by Konoha and sent to the battlefield.
When the war ended, among the survivors, only the most exceptional few were invited to officially join Konoha due to their outstanding performance. The majority returned to their hometowns with rewards in hand.
This led some to a fleeting illusion: everything seemed like it had returned to the way it was at the beginning, yet in reality, nothing was the same.
Kaede Tsukasa, part of the third batch returning to the village, blended into the crowd, keeping a low profile. With the war over and peace restored, a ninja like him would not necessarily always be welcomed.
"How enthusiastic," Kaede Tsukasa thought. "I truly believe their excitement and gratitude are sincere, but sincerity is the easiest thing to fade with time."
He watched the jubilant crowd and admired the village's buildings and ornate decorations along the streets. Everything seemed perfectly in place, as if the best of the ninja world had gathered here.
Yet to Kaede Tsukasa, it was all ultimately an illusion.
A few people recognized him in the crowd and called out his name loudly.
Kaede Tsukasa showed no surprise, instead smiling calmly and waving to the crowd.
From start to finish, he remained in the midst of the other ninjas, not moving to gain more admiring gazes like others might have.
Until he completed his goal of transferring bodies, Kaede Tsukasa would stay humble, keeping as far away as possible from negative attention, as excessive public scrutiny could draw the higher-ups' notice and force him to expend unnecessary energy dealing with it.
Soon, as one of the war heroes, Kaede Tsukasa had the opportunity to hear the Third Hokage speak.
The Third Hokage delivered a passionate victory speech at the Hokage building. His tone was rigorous yet uplifting, radiating charisma, leaving many ninjas deeply moved.
Afterwards, he began summoning individuals one by one. When it was Kaede Tsukasa's turn, dusk was approaching.
"Kaede Tsukasa, you did very well. Even though you went to the front lines on your own, it's not a problem. Just be careful next time," the Third Hokage said with a smile. "If anyone asks, I'll say I've already reprimanded you and deducted some of your credit."
"Yes, I apologize for causing trouble. Everything is as the Hokage commands."
"'Trouble' is not quite the word. I'm simply pleased to see such an excellent young ninja in the village. It shows the village's efforts are going in the right direction."
The Third Hokage smiled kindly and then chatted with Kaede Tsukasa casually, more like a conversation between generations than a superior-subordinate report.
Kaede Tsukasa answered his questions humbly, as always, though his mind had already drifted, recalling the life history this man had in the original timeline.
Hiruzen Sarutobi—Kaede Tsukasa would not call him a schemer, nor an unrepentant conspirator. To him, Hiruzen was the type who, when uncertain of the facts, preferred to do nothing rather than risk a mistake.
Most people would rather make a wrong move than remain indecisive, but the Third Hokage was the opposite. This approach made him seem negligent in later events, causing Konoha's overall strength to inevitably decline.
Whether it was the suicide of Sakumo Hatake, the fall of the Senju, the Uchiha clan massacre, or Hyuga Hiashi almost being killed by the Cloud Village… in all these events, the Third Hokage played the same role:
He did nothing, watched the situation unfold, observed the actions of those involved, provided no guidance, and only intervened once the outcome was clear. This way, the wise and mighty Hokage bore no blame; all mistakes were made by subordinates, who had already been harshly reprimanded.
The most typical example was when Hyuga Hiashi proposed sacrificing himself to appease the Cloud Village. Hiashi decisively took the fall, and the Third Hokage never exercised his authority, merely watching them act on their own.
This silent observation, in a sense, was a terrifying form of political pressure, forcing subordinates to engage in self-destructive self-preservation.
Kaede Tsukasa could not easily judge the Third Hokage's governing style, but at least from the present perspective, Konoha prospered under his leadership.
"Tsukasa, I assume you've already considered this, so I'll be direct. Your development of the Zombie Release secret technique—does it have further potential?" The Third Hokage filled his pipe with tobacco, drew a puff, and asked.
Kaede Tsukasa's answer would determine the Hokage's impression of him.
"In theory, yes. Whether it's the efficiency of zombification, the number of controllable zombies, derived combination ninjutsu using zombies, or supportive techniques complementing Zombie Release, all still have potential for development," Kaede Tsukasa replied respectfully.
"Is that so? As expected. Every ninja village has already placed a bounty on your head and your secret technique on the black market. They want everything you currently possess."
The Third Hokage smiled and said, "But the village will provide you with strong protection. I will never allow an enemy to harm my comrades."
For a Konoha ninja who had received proper training, this moment would have been overwhelmingly moving, almost as if they wanted to open their head and show the Hokage their unwavering Will of Fire.
"This is also my creed, Hokage. People are bound to die, but I believe that before death, one should see as much of the world as possible and give everything for their convictions. Even in death, one should die with a smile. I suppose this is why I was able to develop the Zombie Release secret technique… Humans and ninjutsu are never truly separate; there is always some subtle underlying connection."
Kaede Tsukasa's words were adapted from what the Third Hokage had once said during an inspection of the ninja academy, addressed to Konohamaru and others, modified to fit Kaede Tsukasa's own circumstances.
As expected, these words, which both expressed the Will of Fire and subtly connected to the Zombie Release technique, immediately moved the Third Hokage. His gaze toward Kaede Tsukasa was filled with admiration and satisfaction.
Even though Kaede Tsukasa was a war orphan who had never received formal ninja training, he still acknowledged the Will of Fire and was willing to strive for it… And thus the unprecedented secret system of Zombie Release was born, shining brilliantly…
The Third Hokage did not fully trust him, of course. What pleased him was that Kaede Tsukasa showed a tendency to align with the Will of Fire. That was enough. In a steadily flourishing Konoha, was there really any reason to worry that Kaede Tsukasa would betray the village?
"Well said. Your conviction deeply moves me. The Zombie Release technique will surely become a power the village can rely on. I trust you will not abuse its power. As you said, the technique is closely linked to its developer, and you will decide its future direction."
"Yes, Hokage. I will not abuse the Zombie Release technique, nor use this power against my comrades. I know some of them worry about this privately. I can only continuously prove it through my actions," Kaede Tsukasa replied.
The Third Hokage nodded with satisfaction. He also understood the terrifying nature of Zombie Release. Since the war ended, it would be best to impose certain restrictions, but he could not truly confine Kaede Tsukasa.
"Whether it's the Zombie Release or the Void Technique, both are extremely dangerous. If you wish, you can record them in the Book of Seals, preserving them as part of the village's heritage. Without your permission, no one will be allowed to learn these techniques until your death. Perhaps, many years later, someone might learn your techniques again and spread your name, just as Minato Namikaze mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique."
The Third Hokage smiled. "As a reward, you may choose a technique from the Book of Seals that appeals to you as an exchange. Of course, if you do not wish to, I understand and will never force you."
If Kaede Tsukasa's previous response had not satisfied him, there would be no chance to select a forbidden technique; instead, rewards would have been limited to money, tools, or other benefits.
Kaede Tsukasa remained silent.
The fact that the Third Hokage himself proposed such a clear plan indicated that he had made a firm decision in his heart.
If Kaede Tsukasa truly refused, the Third Hokage would not have pressed or forced the issue. Yet for someone needing to act discreetly while preparing his body-transfer plan, this carried risk. And Kaede Tsukasa indeed had his eyes on a certain forbidden technique in the Book of Seals, so…
"I am willing to contribute the Void Technique, along with its prerequisite ninjutsu. Please forgive me for being unable to inscribe the Zombie Release technique in the Book of Seals. Its impact is immense. I will carefully select suitable disciples and personally teach them if they meet all requirements," Kaede Tsukasa said.
"Good. A very prudent approach. You already plan to recruit disciples and are willing to teach the Zombie Release technique. I am pleased," the Third Hokage said, growing more satisfied.
With the Void Technique and its prerequisite ninjutsu, the Book of Seals would now contain two space-time ninjutsu techniques.
As for Kaede Tsukasa, whether he passed on the Zombie Release technique to disciples or, like Ino-Shika-Cho, married, raised a family, and established a secret technique lineage, the Third Hokage would fully support it.
The Third Hokage opened the Book of Seals, layer by layer, leaving a blank section for Kaede Tsukasa to record the Void Technique.
"No wonder it requires a prerequisite ninjutsu. It needs cooperation between the corpse and the user—summoning replacement, chakra resonance…"
The Third Hokage merely glanced at it, nodding quietly, gaining a general understanding of the Void Technique. Without mastering Zombie Release, the Void Technique could not be activated.
The so-called prerequisite ninjutsu was essentially just an auxiliary technique to adjust chakra pathways and vibration frequencies, not the corpse activation technique within Zombie Release.
Without Zombie Release, the Void Technique was useless.
Yet for the Third Hokage, this was not a flaw. Even without Zombie Release, a future genius might emerge who could develop alternative methods to use the Void Technique.
Ninjutsu encompasses infinite possibilities.
Kaede Tsukasa recorded the technique while pondering how many ninjutsu the Third Hokage had actually mastered from the Book of Seals.
The Third Hokage was famed as a teacher largely because he claimed to have "learned all the ninjutsu of Konoha."
If this "all ninjutsu" referred only to standard elemental techniques, it would be manageable. But if it included the secret techniques of various clans, it was quite formidable—though, given the Third Hokage's character, even if he learned them secretly, he would never openly use them.
The reason being, mastering the hereditary secret techniques of subordinate clans could severely undermine the village's trust in the Hokage.
As for whether the Third Hokage would attempt to master the Void Technique… that would be amusing. If he dared, Kaede Tsukasa wouldn't mind passing on his Zombie Release technique and quietly letting the Third Hokage become his subordinate.
Kaede Tsukasa spent a full four hours documenting his technique before finishing.
Next came the task of selecting a favored ninjutsu from the Book of Seals.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu… I have no use for this technique… Hmm, as expected, there's no Edo Tensei here. Just as I thought—it must have been specifically sealed by the Third Hokage."
Kaede Tsukasa felt a twinge of regret. Even though the current version of Edo Tensei was just an initial, weak version, it would have been extremely useful for his future plans.
Indeed, the current Edo Tensei, like the Flying Thunder God Technique, had never been further developed or perfected, and its strength was very limited.
The Flying Thunder God Technique had originally been created by the Second Hokage to counter the Uchiha's formidable Sharingan insight. The Second Hokage did use it to kill Uchiha Izuna, but that was the extent of its use.
Even the Second Hokage never further improved the Flying Thunder God Technique.
It was only when Minato Namikaze conducted a series of developments that the technique finally surpassed the Second Hokage, elevating its strength to a dazzling degree.
Edo Tensei would likewise not reach its full glory until Kabuto Yakushi perfected this forbidden technique.
Even the upgraded Edo Tensei that Orochimaru would later master, which could use seals to erase the consciousness of the deceased, was strong but limited—enough to be used as a major technique, at least.
Kaede Tsukasa regretted that if he could not master Edo Tensei himself, it would eventually fall into Orochimaru's hands.
He continued flipping through the book and saw the Soul Infusion Secret Technique. There was no need to select it now; if necessary, he could shamelessly approach Dan for instruction.
There was no Eight Gates Technique either. Might Duy had not yet gained fame, so the village did not pay attention to this taijutsu.
"Even Izanagi is here… Probably Kagami's doing back in the day—he put all the forbidden dojutsu techniques usable by the Three-Tomoe Sharingan into the Book of Seals, allowing Danzo to learn them."
Honestly, Kaede Tsukasa hesitated for a moment over Izanagi. He had secretly hidden the corpse of a Uchiha, but quickly diverted his gaze.
There was no need to waste this precious opportunity on Izanagi.
After scanning through the options, only a few techniques were truly suitable.
"Then I'll choose this one, Hokage."
Kaede Tsukasa ultimately passed over the Multiplying Explosive Tags and chose another forbidden technique.
"The sealing technique…? Why this one?" The Third Hokage was surprised. "I know you're skilled with Explosive Tags to enrich your attacks, and I thought you'd choose the Second Hokage's Multiplying Explosive Tags."
"I will use those in the future. I'm still young and can establish greater achievements, or perhaps submit the full Zombie Release technique later, giving me a second chance to select a forbidden technique," Kaede Tsukasa said with a smile.
He had a plan: if he could master this selected sealing technique and develop it as he envisioned, it might become a tremendous weapon.
Most importantly, Kaede Tsukasa needed to eliminate potential weaknesses.
His weakest link had been his body. After mastering the One's Own Life Reincarnation and Void Techniques, his physical vulnerabilities were mitigated, drastically increasing his survivability. Put bluntly, if he disregarded appearances and focused purely on escaping, very few in the world could kill him.
Regarding his body-transfer plan, Kaede Tsukasa was constantly seeking opportunities to advance it, aiming to acquire the perfect body he envisioned.
The remaining concerns involved his soul, mind, and consciousness.
He had paid attention to Dan's spirit transformation technique for that reason, but it was still insufficient to give him full understanding or development of Yin Release techniques.
"Dead Demon Consuming Seal… Lord Mito recently entrusted this to the village… It focuses on sealing souls and chakra. At best, it results in mutual destruction with an undefeatable enemy."
The Third Hokage closed his eyes, showing a hint of hesitation.
Theoretically, someone mastering this technique could take out any enemy in one strike, unless the opponent was too fast to catch.
But Kaede Tsukasa had the Void Technique, compensating for speed deficiencies.
Because of this, the Third Hokage hesitated. He worried that such a talented junior might, when in trouble, act rashly and drag the enemy to death instead of retreating.
Even if Kaede Tsukasa had chosen the high-damage Multiplying Explosive Tags, the Third Hokage would have readily agreed without such concern.
"Are you sure about this? You only have one chance. If you regret it later and want to change, it will be too late."
The Third Hokage continued, "I still think the Multiplying Explosive Tags suit you better. Considering your tendencies and your tactical versatility, they perfectly match you."
"But that technique is expensive, Hokage. The war is over, and I've carried out many important missions. All the rewards I've received probably only cover using the Multiplying Explosive Tags once," Kaede Tsukasa said, shrugging helplessly.
In essence, the Multiplying Explosive Tags, like Edo Tensei or Triple Rashomon, could be considered an S-rank summoning technique.
Within a certain area, they allow ultra-high-frequency summoning over an extremely short period, using massive Explosive Tags to annihilate all matter. Their brutality lies in the fact that as long as the user wishes, they will not stop until everything is obliterated.
The biggest drawback, of course, was the supply of Explosive Tags. This technique couldn't create them out of nothing—there was no way to generate a pile of tags from thin air!
Of course, there was another drawback: it was very easy for the user to blow themselves up.
But for Kaede Tsukasa, this posed no problem. From the Third Hokage's perspective, first, Kaede Tsukasa had the Void Technique to immediately escape after using the Multiplying Explosive Tags; second, it was a test to see if he could get corpses to successfully execute this technique.
The Third Hokage had no idea that Kaede Tsukasa could use the Life Transfer Technique to make multiple zombies act simultaneously. He only thought of Kaede Tsukasa using the Void Technique alongside zombies for space-time transfers. Perhaps Kaede Tsukasa even had the ability to make corpses perform ninjutsu they had never learned in life!
He had looked at Kaede Tsukasa with hope, using the Multiplying Explosive Tags as a reason to see if he could teach corpses the techniques Kaede Tsukasa himself had mastered.
If he could, Kaede Tsukasa's potential would skyrocket, and his importance in the Third Hokage's mind would soar.
But the test failed.
Kaede Tsukasa had no interest in the Multiplying Explosive Tags, this superweapon.
"You're right, that was my oversight. Even with the village funding you, the burden on you personally would be too great. You haven't built a ninja clan, nor do you have enough resources to ensure long-term, stable income."
The Third Hokage sighed. "Actually, the Multiplying Explosive Tags were originally a supporting technique for Edo Tensei, just like the relationship between the Void Technique and your Zombie Release. The Second Hokage created these two techniques with that in mind."
"Edo Tensei?" Kaede Tsukasa feigned just the right amount of curiosity.
"Yes. You're a young person the village trusts, so it's fine to tell you. It's a forbidden technique that summons the souls of the dead into the living world. However, the summoned dead are far weaker than they were in life, often not even one-tenth as strong. Summoning overly powerful spirits usually fails for various reasons."
"I see… Without the Multiplying Explosive Tags, Edo Tensei doesn't seem to have much standalone value? Sounds inferior to my Zombie Release," Kaede Tsukasa remarked.
The Third Hokage nodded, then shook his head. "The bodies of Edo Tensei subjects are structurally unique. You can think of them as being made of countless blank paper talismans. When an Edo Tensei user employs the Multiplying Explosive Tags, they simply destroy part of their own body, grab a handful from the wound, and an endless supply of Explosive Tags becomes available."
Kaede Tsukasa feigned shock, though he already knew all this perfectly well.
In the original timeline, the half-body Edo Second Hokage's fragmented pieces drifted like snow. With a flick of his hand toward the wound, the Multiplying Explosive Tags technique was executed.
Kaede Tsukasa exclaimed, "So that's how it works! Truly genius, as expected from the Second Hokage. So Edo Tensei is essentially a combination of S-rank summoning and S-rank sealing techniques? After all, the Edo Tensei body can rapidly transform blank talismans into Explosive Tags imbued with explosive jutsu…"
"You could put it that way. The Second Hokage's talent is beyond my ability to match."
"You are the professor, in the eyes of your subordinates, no less than the Second Hokage—arguably even stronger."
"That title simply means I have a strong capacity to learn and master a large number of techniques quickly. It doesn't imply that my talent for developing entirely new ninjutsu surpasses the Second Hokage's." The Third Hokage smiled kindly.
He then performed a sealing technique, imprinting the Dead Demon Consuming Seal onto a scroll and handed it to Kaede Tsukasa.
Next, he took a kunai and suddenly thrust it, resembling an attack on Kaede Tsukasa, finally pricking the back of his hand and drawing a drop of blood.
Kaede Tsukasa remained calm throughout, neither instinctively reacting nor changing expression, simply observing the Third Hokage's actions patiently.
This reassured the Third Hokage. He pressed Kaede Tsukasa's blood onto the scroll, formed hand seals with his other hand, and completed the imprint.
"This is a blood-contract seal, a highly advanced jutsu. Only your own flesh and blood can unlock this scroll; otherwise, it will self-destruct," the Third Hokage explained.
Kaede Tsukasa nodded, already familiar with the concept.
Jiraiya's preparatory technique for summoning the two great toad sages was done the same way, marking beneath the eyes with his own blood—this was a blood-contract seal, using one's own flesh and blood as the medium.
The Third Hokage formally handed the scroll with the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to Kaede Tsukasa. "But remember, only you may view this scroll. You cannot teach it to anyone else."
"I understand. My goal in learning this forbidden technique is to better protect the village with my strength. I will never reveal it. After learning it, I will destroy this scroll."
Kaede Tsukasa replied solemnly.
As for why the Third Hokage didn't set a viewing time limit… it was meaningless. Once Kaede Tsukasa had truly mastered this forbidden technique, he could teach it to others directly; the scroll would no longer be needed.
The Third Hokage put on his straw hat and stood up. Despite his short stature, he exuded authority without anger.
"You may leave. Now it's time to train hard. I look forward to your future performance. If you fail to master this forbidden technique in the end, that would be embarrassing—hahaha. I'll be visiting Lord Mito shortly to explain that I've entrusted the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to you. Since it was originally her technique for the village, she should approve."
The Third Hokage laughed heartily, as if having made a difficult decision.
"Thank you, Hokage. I appreciate your effort."
Kaede Tsukasa bowed slightly and exited the Hokage's office.
After leaving the Hokage Tower, he looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.
His heart raced, his hands trembled.
Kaede Tsukasa didn't care whether Uzumaki Mito would approve or not—was he really going to return the Dead Demon Consuming Seal if she refused?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible. If that happened, the Third Hokage would lose all face, and there was no way he would allow such a thing.
Even if the Third Hokage didn't stop him, Kaede Tsukasa would rather defect with the Dead Demon Consuming Seal in hand.
"Heh, so you got the technique he wanted… Could it be the Multiplying Explosive Tags?"
Under the night sky, Orochimaru leaned against a tree, clearly having waited a long time.
"Lord Orochimaru, after your report, you didn't go back to rest?"
"A little rest doesn't matter. I'm more concerned about you, Kaede-kun… I can't wait to work with you. I've already submitted a request to the old man to have you join me—what did he say?" Orochimaru said with a low chuckle, instinctively licking his lips.
"As for human experiments, the Hokage didn't mention it. He must know I'm well-suited for such research. Since he didn't speak of it, it means it's not yet time for me to officially participate," Kaede Tsukasa said.
"It's only a matter of time. The war is only temporarily over. Every village is trying to increase its strength. Konoha will certainly take measures as well, and nothing is more cost-effective than a human experiment project."
Orochimaru walked beside Kaede Tsukasa down the street.
People frequently stopped, casting looks of attention and respect as they watched the two pass.
"Kaede-kun is already a well-known ninja. In two or three years, when you're twenty, you'll surely become a power comparable to the Hokage, capable of leading the village forward."
"Flattering words are of no use to me. I don't strive for empty fame," Kaede Tsukasa replied calmly.
"I see. So you prefer practical matters. Speaking of which, in the recent war with Iwagakure, I'm sure you gained something."
"Yes, I gained the trust of my comrades and the village's recognition. I feel my Will of Fire has grown even stronger," Kaede Tsukasa responded.
"…"
After several exchanges, Orochimaru still couldn't discern Kaede Tsukasa's weakness. But perfection itself, from another angle, seemed almost like a flaw.
He suspected that Kaede Tsukasa might secretly seize some hidden spoils amidst the chaos of the great battle—perhaps related to the Senju, Uchiha, or Hyuga clans…
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, almost the only one in recent years. If someone like Kaede Tsukasa, a manipulator of corpses, didn't take it, that would be strange.
"Heh, I never realized… Kaede-kun, a war orphan, always talks about the village and the Will of Fire. It's really heartwarming to hear."
Orochimaru chuckled lowly. "I've always been good at reading people. You should be my companion—that's your path. I have something you'll find very interesting. You'll understand what I mean when you stand by my side assisting with the human experiment project."
"Lord Orochimaru, after all you've said, what exactly do you want?"
"You're smart; you've probably guessed. Yes, it's that forbidden technique of yours. I'm developing a forbidden technique and need yours to supplement it."
"You're in your prime, so why be interested in this technique? I won't teach it to you. Only I can wield its true power. Anyone else—even you—cannot. Using it recklessly would be suicide."
Kaede Tsukasa refused. "However, if you wish to gain the benefits of this technique, I am willing to negotiate, in exchange for something you mentioned that I'd be interested in."
"Hehehe, as expected, Kaede-kun. You and I are alike; we are kindred spirits pursuing ideals… Those things destined to vanish are merely temporary guests in our lives."
Orochimaru grew excited, a finger trembling slightly—winning the war hadn't exhilarated him this much.
Kaede Tsukasa remained calm. "I think I've heard similar words from someone else, but that doesn't matter. If trading can help the village and save more comrades, I am willing to give my all."
"Yes, yes, that's exactly my thought. Your mind is indeed meticulous, Kaede-kun."
However, the two did not immediately enter the laboratory. The war had just ended, the aftereffects lingered, and political and diplomatic disputes would drag on. Kaede Tsukasa also needed a brief period of quiet.
"I really like the current atmosphere. It suits me perfectly."
Kaede Tsukasa first returned to his old, dilapidated residence, where he had lived for years and held some attachment.
But old things never last forever. With the passage of time, everything eventually comes to an end. And now, that moment had arrived.
Just as Kaede Tsukasa would inevitably replace his current body with a completely new one.
For the last time, Kaede Tsukasa organized all his belongings here, carefully categorizing each item and sealing them into different scrolls.
Finally, he activated the Space-Time Technique and departed from Konoha.
In the Hokage Tower, the Third Hokage watched the scene in the crystal ball, pipe in mouth, lost in thought.
"Has he left? Probably planning to establish his own secret base or laboratory elsewhere… After all, his techniques aren't suitable for large-scale research within the village."
The Third Hokage didn't mind such behavior. People of special value to the village always received privileges. As long as they didn't go too far, he would turn a blind eye.
Tsunade aside, Jiraiya had gone rogue for over two years without permission. If anyone else did that, they would have been labeled a rogue ninja and a hunting squad would already be en route to the Land of Rain after the war ended.
But the Third Hokage suppressed all criticism to protect Jiraiya, believing he had his reasons.
As for Kaede Tsukasa, though not of the Hokage faction, as long as he loved the village, the Third Hokage tolerated minor deviations in behavior, preferring to observe over time.
Secretly leaving the village to train and experiment with forbidden techniques was not unacceptable in the Hokage's eyes.
"Since Nawaki's death, Orochimaru's personality seems to have shifted subtly. Actively inviting Kaede Tsukasa to join his research… it's probably not about resurrecting Nawaki."
By all accounts, this should not be a bad thing.
The Third Hokage could never imagine Orochimaru betraying the village; he only thought that Orochimaru, who always took things to extremes, would eventually become the next Danzo, handling dirty work with no chance of redemption.
"As for the Fourth Hokage… if Orochimaru doesn't become the Fourth Hokage but becomes the next shadow of the ninja world, would Tsunade be more suitable…" The Third Hokage fell into thought.
…
Kaede Tsukasa didn't know what the Third Hokage was thinking, but he had mentally prepared for remote observation. Many of the items in his possession were unsuitable for display within the village.
"This will do. A simple cave, nothing fancy—this will be my temporary base."
Deep in the forests of the Land of Fire, a remote area teeming with large wild animals, over twelve hundred kilometers in a straight line from Konoha, merely using the Space-Time Technique to reach this location consumed a massive amount of chakra.
Kaede Tsukasa used summoning techniques to call forth a group of corpses to supplement his vitality, carefully positioning one particular corpse.
It was the body of a Uchiha who had awakened the Sharingan—a valuable spoil from the war.
"Now, let's see how a Sharingan behaves… Zombie Technique: Corpse Transformation Technique!"
Kaede Tsukasa placed one hand on the corpse. Soon, the body opened its eyes, though the blood-red Sharingan dimmed significantly.
Pfft!
Kaede Tsukasa inserted two fingers, extracting one Sharingan, and with his other hand, removed his own eye and implanted the Sharingan in its place.
Blood trickled from the corner of his eye, but he immediately repaired the socket with medical ninjutsu—a trivial task for him now.
From initial discomfort, within seconds, he rolled the eye, channeling chakra into it, attempting to awaken the Sharingan.
Several attempts failed. Kaede Tsukasa felt a subtle "pressure" from the eye—a mental burden.
"The eye that reflect the heart, the limit of the Yin Release side… truly extraordinary, but mastering it is only a matter of time."
He spread the corpses outside, instructing them to hide in trees and burrow in the ground, remaining alert, while he focused on adapting to the eye.
If it had been a Mangekyō Sharingan, his inability to control it quickly would be understandable. But with a standard Mangekyō Sharingan, mastery required only some time.
Sure enough, with enhanced vitality and abundant chakra, within five minutes, Kaede Tsukasa could fully activate the Sharingan.
Through this eye, his perception was heightened—both static and dynamic vision improved greatly, everything appearing in near slow motion.
He could even see the chakra clusters inside nearby corpses.
"What an incredible eye. Though activating and deactivating it is exhausting and costly, I can replenish my vitality anytime. As long as my mind doesn't collapse under the strain, I can truly make this eye my own."
Without hesitation, he removed the other Sharingan and implanted it in his other eye.
Now, both his eyes were Sharingan.
"My power has increased again. Unfortunately, these are only standard Sharingan. There's no way to obtain the Mangekyō right now. I can't exactly go and take Nagato's Rinnegan immediately," he shook his head.
These eyes would not be used unless absolutely necessary. Once he used them, it would mean a time when killing the enemy at all costs had become unavoidable.
He first soaked his original eyes in formalin, carefully sealing them away. Then he took out the scroll he had received from the Third Hokage, used his own blood to open the contract seal, and officially began learning the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
This was destined to be a massive undertaking, with a difficulty far exceeding when he first learned the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu.
"…As expected, the Dead Demon Consuming Seal is a fully perfected forbidden jutsu. Its complexity far surpasses that of the incomplete One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu, and the danger involved in training it is even greater for me."
Kaede Tsukasa meticulously worked through the text and the techniques, his mind operating at full capacity, analyzing every detail to the best of his ability. Each small advance was followed by an exponential increase in difficulty in the next section, leaving him mentally exhausted.
And this was just reading it—the real challenge would only come when he began the actual training.
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