Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 115: Only Zero and Nine are sealed as Tailed Beasts.

The Asura Path, the Human Path, and the Hell Path are all terrifyingly skilled in physical combat; a slight misstep can result in instant death upon first encounter.

Unfortunately, Kaede Tsukasa was quite familiar with these eye techniques and had already taken precautions.

"The One-Tailed Beast, you've already captured the One-Tailed Jinchuriki of Sunagakure?" Nagato's expression changed slightly.

"Almost everyone in the ninja world knows about this. Your intelligence network is too outdated. But that's not your fault. The precarious and stressful life you lead is not enough for you to grow and thrive."

Kaedeji used all four of his hands to fling Nagato away: "However, once you get the One-Tailed Beast that I gave you, you will gain a powerful force that will be enough to intimidate your enemies."

Nagato tumbled through the air before Yahiko, who appeared just in time, reached out a hand and caught him on the back, bringing him safely to the ground.

"Don't do that again. Your body was already severely damaged because of the Gedo Mazo, and it hasn't recovered yet. When facing a powerful enemy, try not to use physical techniques."

Yahiko also knew that Nagato possessed the eye technique of "head-patting kill," which could extract the enemy's soul with a single touch, but Nagato's current physical strength was simply not up to par, and his nerve reflexes and other abilities could not compare to his prime.

"He's not the enemy..."

“I know that the real enemy won’t actively trade with us for something like a Tailed Beast. I just wanted to make that point,” Yahiko said.

Kaede Tsukasa said calmly, "The solution is simple. Just use corpses to fight, like I do. Use corpses to perform your own techniques. Nagato, since you can project your Rinnegan onto that dog, you should be able to do the same with corpses. I have plenty of corpses."

"No need. Even if I were to do that, I would choose a body that I'm satisfied with myself." Nagato was startled. He increasingly felt that Kaede Tsukasa seemed to have a special understanding of his Rinnegan and wouldn't be surprised if he used any of his eye techniques.

Yahiko stood in front of Nagato, staring directly at Kaedeji.

"Tell me your terms of the deal. Let's make this clear first: we only have one requirement, which is to return Konan. On that basis, we can discuss whatever you want. As for the One-Tailed Beast, the Akatsuki doesn't need that kind of thing." Yahiko spoke with extreme confidence in a calm tone.

Kaede glanced at him, and through the process of elimination, he roughly guessed what was going on with Yahiko. Although it was somewhat unbelievable, that was the most likely explanation.

"Suddenly gaining power always comes at a price many times higher. Even Jinchuriki, in the process of unlocking the power of the Tailed Beasts, have been attacked and injured by countless people, and have gone berserk countless times, killing their cherished family and companions."

Kaede Tsukasa slowly withdrew the two arms behind him and said slowly, "So, Yahiko, what price did you pay to obtain this unknown power? Every gift from fate comes with a price tag in secret. Are you prepared to pay the price?"

"I've long been aware of this. But you, do you even have the right to judge me?"

Yahiko sneered. If it were Nagato hearing such words, his first reaction would probably be to think along the lines of Kaedejima, but Yahiko would not do that.

"As far as I know, you only rose to prominence in the last few years, becoming a powerful ninja who is renowned throughout the ninja world, constantly revealing the terrifying nature of the Corpse Release technique. What were you doing for the previous ten years or so? Do you have the right to advise me?"

"Ah, if you put it that way, although it sounds like you're trying to gain sympathy, it's not something shameful... For more than ten years, I've been battling with death, struggling every day, and every morning when I open my eyes, I'm moved to tears by the sight of sunlight. You also have a past of wandering and uncertainty, so you should be able to understand my situation a little, but you can never truly empathize with me."

Kaede Tsukasa opened his arms: "If my body and spirit hadn't held on during this endless torment, if I hadn't even let out a breath, I wouldn't be who I am today. My current strength certainly comes partly from something we can call 'talent,' but the ability to control this so-called talent is something I've acquired over more than ten years ago."

What is his talent? Corpse escape? To be more precise, it's the zombie virus he brought to this world. For countless days, he should have eventually become a zombie without self-awareness, but he survived. He has already paid the price. Now, it's time for him to control the virus.

But Yahiko... if it really is the situation he guessed, sooner or later, Yahiko will pay a heavy price, and it will definitely affect Nagato and Konan.

Even the Mangekyou Sharingan requires the death of close friends and family to obtain, and the Uchiha clan hasn't acquired such Kage-level power in decades. Yahiko has actually reached a level where he dares to confront Kaede Tsukasa. This is truly intriguing.

Yahiko frowned, hesitating for a moment, but soon a determined look appeared on his face. He needed to gain the power to protect his companions. If he didn't have the power, he could only watch helplessly as his companions were harmed. What was the point of living if he could pay the price to let his companions live longer? It would be worth it.

"Then, let's begin the transaction."

Kaedeji formed a hand seal with one hand, his body flashed, and he grabbed Bunfuku and threw him to the ground.

Fenfu felt the cold rain falling on his body, opened his eyes, and looked around.

"It seems the time has come for you to decide my and Shukaku's fate, but it doesn't look as simple as just killing them... Do you want to find another Jinchūriki to control Shukaku's power?"

If this is the outcome, Bunpuku can accept it completely. He was already tired of war and conflict, and now he can be free. His only regret is that he was ultimately unable to truly reconcile with Shukaku... He firmly believes that humans and tailed beasts can definitely trust each other, and that day will surely come.

Kaede Tsukasa said, "I will give you the One-Tail to bolster your power. Yahiko, even without using that power, you can protect yourself with the One-Tail."

"I want Xiao Nan."

“If I wanted to kill Xiao Nan, she would be dead already. I have the ability to control Xiao Nan’s corpse to continue to serve me. My patience is limited. If you say another word, I will cut off Xiao Nan’s head right now, pass it to you like a ball, and let her keep wailing and asking why you didn’t save her.”

"you!!"

"This is outrageous! What kind of person could come up with such a plan?!"

"The Konoha Ghoul Master is indeed a born evil demon!"

Kaede Tsukasa felt a sense of satisfaction as he looked at Yahiko and the others, who were furious but had no choice but to quiet down. Sure enough, when dealing with good people, you should point a gun at them; at least that way you can force them to obey.

Nagato took a deep breath: "Do you want Yahiko to become the Jinchūriki of the One-Tailed Beast?"

“There’s no need for that. You clearly have a more perfect vessel. That thing can unleash the power of the Tailed Beasts to the fullest extent. You know what I’m talking about, right, Nagato?”

Kaede looked at Nagato, whose expression was constantly changing.

Fenfu and Shukaku are also exchanging ideas.

"Hmph, so that's how it is. These guys are really capable. Old monk, it seems we have no choice but to stop here." Shukaku snorted coldly.

"Don't be pessimistic, you will get out of this predicament one day."

"No, barring any major surprises, this will be our final farewell. Although you're annoying, you're not so bad after spending time with you." Shukaku said in his sharp voice, "Gedo Mazo, that Rinnegan has obtained the Ten-Tails' husk, and I'm about to return to the Ten-Tails."

Fenfu fell silent.

As one of the few Jinchūriki in this era who can peacefully communicate with the Tailed Beast within him, Bunpuku had indeed heard Shukaku mention the Sage of Six Paths.

They also know what the Ten-Tails is all about.

Bunpuku wanted to say something to Kaedeji, but he no longer had the chance.

“By devouring the One-Tailed Beast with the Gedo Mazo, you will be able to wield even more powerful weapons that are imbued with your own chakra, and you will no longer need to sacrifice your own life force. Your Akatsuki organization will leap to become a powerful force in the ninja world,” Kaede Tsukasa said.

"That's actually the case."

Yahiko wasn't surprised. After thinking for a moment, he looked at Nagato and said, "We need to get the One-Tailed Beast."

"But killing a complete stranger, the One-Tailed Jinchuriki..."

“We have no choice; Minami is still in his hands,” Yahiko said.

Nagato was silent for a moment, then raised his hand and used Universal Pull to draw in the Seimei, holding it in his hand. He looked at Kaede Tsukasa with a complicated expression: "You seem to know a lot about my Rinnegan."

“I understand that if something has ever truly existed, it will always leave a trace,” Kaede Tsukasa said. “Over the next few days, I will help you seal the One-Tailed Beast.”

"You make it sound so obvious, you want to figure out the secrets of the Rinnegan, right? Like, to further master the eye techniques within the Rinnegan for sealing tailed beasts," Yahiko said coldly.

"Isn't it just the Nine Seals of the Illusionary Dragon? I experienced it firsthand last time and had to sacrifice a precious three-tomoe Sharingan to escape the predicament."

Kaede Tsukasa took a sealing scroll from his waist, placed one hand on it, and summoned the finger of the Gedo Mazo.

Yahiko, Nagato, and the others were all stunned, staring at the finger in disbelief.

They had all speculated about why the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had lost a finger, and where that finger had gone, but they had no clue. But now…

"You actually did this? You came into contact with the Gedo Mazo even before Nagato? But why did this happen?!" Yahiko was stunned. He had imagined many possibilities, but he never expected it to be like this. He was completely dumbfounded.

Nagato was dumbfounded. He was certain that the Gedo Mazo was something bound to the Rinnegan. As long as he continued to develop the power of the Rinnegan, he could naturally gain the ability to summon the Gedo Mazo.

What happened to Kaede Tsukasa? He doesn't have the Rinnegan, yet he came into contact with the Gedo Mazo earlier and even cut off a finger?

"I also have some experience in sealing tailed beasts. I wouldn't dare say I know more about the Gedo Mazo than you do, but with my understanding of the Gedo Mazo, I won't hold you back," Kaede Tsukasa said.

His nonchalant manner of speaking made him even more unfathomable in the eyes of Nagato and the others, completely impossible to fathom.

Over the next few days, Kaede Tsukasa, Yahiko, and Nagato worked together to feed the One-Tailed Beast to the Gedo Mazo.

After a thousand years, the demonic statue of the heretic was finally able to truly replenish itself, and it became noticeably more imposing, capable of unleashing even greater vitality and power when activated.

More importantly, this thing is naturally effective against other tailed beasts. If an enemy wants to use a tailed beast to deal with the Gedo Mazo, Nagato can control the Gedo Mazo to swallow the tailed beast whole.

Under Kaede Tsukasa's interference, the Akatsuki organization has embarked on a different path. "Now can you tell me who you plan to use us against?"

As Yahiko walked alongside Kaedeji, he asked, "I'm also curious about what kind of enemy would force someone like you to seek help. I thought you'd be more inclined to turn your companions into corpses than to find new ones."

"Most of the time, I do see things the way you do. Corpses don't betray me, but people do. However, the guys you need to deal with are a bit special. Remember this, because one day in the future, I'll need your help."

Kaedeji didn't even glance at Yahiko before speaking.

"If this is accomplished..."

"I will return Xiao Nan to you. I've said it before, I didn't really want to kill her, but I need to use her power to help me. The simplest way is to use force."

The two reached a consensus in their conversation.

After Kaedeji used his space-time ninjutsu to leave, Yahiko stood there, silent for a long time.

Nagato stepped forward, hesitatingly saying, "Yahiko..."

"The plan to infiltrate Konoha remains unchanged, but there's no need to rush it. We all need stronger forces. The fact that he'd rather give us the One-Tailed Beast means he doesn't care about it at least."

Yahiko said in a deep voice, "Then as long as we can obtain more tailed beasts and continuously increase the power in our hands, until we are strong enough that neither Kaede Tsukasa nor Konoha Village can withstand us, our comrades will naturally return. During this period, the stronger we are, the safer Konan will be."

The newly established Akatsuki organization, despite its setbacks, has already gained enough strength to establish itself.

After Yahiko and Nagato returned to the base.

Black Zetsu and White Zetsu emerged from the ground and observed from a great distance.

"What do we do? This is a huge problem. Has Nagato already used the Gedo Mazo to devour the Tailed Beasts? Everything's in chaos. Once this starts, it can't be stopped. What exactly is Kaede Tsukasa trying to do?" White Zetsu exclaimed in surprise.

Black Zetsu said in a low, hoarse voice, "Lord Kaede has his reasons for doing this. Even Madara couldn't stop him, so you certainly can't."

"I didn't intend to stop him. I know you're on his side, there's no need to be so sensitive," White Zetsu grumbled. "I just don't know what I should do in the future. Should I listen to Madara? He won't live much longer, he could die at any moment. Should I listen to Obito? He's obviously not mature enough yet, in the end I'll still have to listen to Kaede Tsukasa, right?"

That's ridiculous, but Kaede Tsukasa is someone that even Madara can't find a good way to deal with.

……

Kaede returned to Konoha Village.

Anbu ninjas had been waiting outside for quite some time.

"What is it?" Kaedeji opened the door.

"Relay the Hokage's order: the village wants you to lead the troops to deal with the threat from Sunagakure. Intelligence indicates that Sunagakure has indeed launched an operation, deploying a force of four thousand men to the border region between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire," the Anbu ninja said.

Kaede Tsukasa opened the mission book and looked at it carefully. It was an S-rank mission. After memorizing the contents, he immediately closed the book.

"It's just a bluff. I'll handle it."

"The Hokage has been waiting for you. If you had returned a day later, he would probably have chosen someone else to lead the troops into battle."

"Is that so... You still have to lead troops? But I won't have to do that. I'll take care of the trouble I caused."

Kaedeji's expression remained calm.

The ANBU ninja froze, then abruptly raised his head, staring at Kaedeji in disbelief: "Kaedeji, do you want to go alone...? The enemy has four thousand men!"

"I'm a Corpse Release ninja, have you forgotten?"

“Even if you control numerous corpses in battle and can continuously hunt down enemies to replenish your ranks with new corpses, you are still only one person. No matter how many corpses you have, they will still consume your chakra,” the ANBU ninja said.

Kaedeji remained calm, showing no intention of further explanation. The Third Hokage would understand his meaning—he had no shortage of chakra.

The Third Hokage and others must have thought that he had successfully transplanted some Hashirama cells. They had no idea that he had swallowed a whole Hashirama Senju. The amount of chakra he possessed alone was already an astonishing amount.

Moreover, he can use the Reincarnation Technique to extract the life force from zombies and create even more chakra for his own use.

If necessary, he could also use the Reincarnation Technique to treat severely damaged zombies, repair their bodies, and put them back into the battlefield. However, this method would be fine if used only on a limited number of zombies like Sandstorm Wildwood, but it would be a waste if used widely.

Instead of wasting chakra like that, Kaede Tsukasa might as well activate Wood Release himself.

"Considering the existence of the Uchiha clan, I still need to conceal the fact that I possess the Sharingan. However, I don't need to deliberately hide the Wood Release. The guys in Sunagakure are already spreading the word that I have mastered Wood Release, and I'm afraid that other ninja villages have already learned about this."

Kaede disappeared from the sight of the ANBU ninjas and headed straight for the front lines.

Only the ANBU ninja remained standing there, bewildered. One man against a force of four thousand? This was no way. It was understandable that Kaedeji was young and impetuous, but the village couldn't really let him go alone.

Previously, Kaedeji's ambush of three hundred elite Cloud Village troops had already astonished the world, but now he's going to take on four thousand people single-handedly? That's absolutely impossible.

"You should leave. I don't like having strangers here." Konan looked coldly at the ANBU ninja.

"..."

The ANBU ninja returned to the Hokage Building without saying a word.

The Third Hokage pondered, "Is that so? That's what he said. So confident that he can escape unscathed from thousands of enemies? Then let him do it. He probably has a sense of atonement, after all, this war wouldn't have started in the first place, it was only because he attacked the One-Tailed Beast."

According to the Third Hokage's speculation, Kaede Tsukasa was simply leading a bunch of zombies, using space-time ninjutsu to continuously raid the Sunagakure forces, and then retreating after achieving some results.

That's enough. Kaede Tsukasa made a mistake and took the initiative to stand up, which greatly reduced the Third Hokage's dissatisfaction.

"Let Sakumo Hatake organize the troops. Once Kaedeji has killed a group of Sunagakure ninjas and created chaos, they will be unable to hold out and retreat. Then Kaedeji can go up to support them and repel the Sunagakure attack. Even if Kaedeji obtains the First Hokage's cells, making him stronger and increasing his chakra, he still cannot possibly deal with so many enemies by himself."

The Third Hokage wasn't worried about Sunagakure at all; instead, he was pleased with Kaede Tsukasa's initiative.

Since Kaede Tsukasa had taken the initiative, the Third Hokage immediately employed his traditional skill—remaining silent, offering neither support nor opposition, letting Kaede Tsukasa handle it himself, and discussing the next step only after a definite result was achieved.

As for what to do if Kaede Tsukasa dies... well, let him die. It's a bit of a pity, but it was Kaede Tsukasa's own decision, and the Hokage didn't force him.

Compared to these, he was more concerned about the movements of other villages. As long as other villages did not carry out large-scale troop movements, the Third Shinobi World War would not break out.

It's still too early. If we wait a few more years for what's happening now to occur, it might immediately trigger World War III.

……

All factions were closely watching the movements of Sunagakure. Upon realizing that Sunagakure had mobilized its troops, they immediately became alert and paid close attention.

In a short time, the Land of Wind was infiltrated like a sieve, with spies from all over the country, and all kinds of intelligence were quickly transmitted to all parts of the ninja world through various intricate methods.

Everyone wanted to see if Sunagakure, which had most likely lost the One-Tailed Beast, was really going to fight with this kind of posture.

When the One-Tailed Beast was at its peak, it could still put up a fight against Konoha. The Third Kazekage, along with the One-Tailed Jinchuriki, and powerful ninjas like Chiyo and Ebizo, formed a formidable fighting force.

But now? It's difficult.

"The intelligence has come back. No Konoha Village has been found to have sent troops to the border. It seems they don't want to fight either. Our deterrence plan has been successful. Now we just need to hold out for a while and see if we can find the location of the One-Tailed Beast."

Chiyo breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this information.

If given a choice, they really don't want to fight, especially against an opponent of Konoha's size. But they can't afford not to fight. Having lost the One-Tailed Beast, they must buy time and project a powerful image to the outside world, regardless of the cost.

Ebizo sighed, "The village is in a very bad situation. I have received questions from the nobles of the Land of Wind, who demand that we find the One-Tailed Beast no matter what. If we can't find it, they will steal the tailed beasts from other villages... Lord Kazekage, would you like to take a look?"

"No need to look, just burn them all. Those guys are even more nervous than we are." The Third Kazekage said coldly, "The Land of Wind is a great power, and controlling the One-Tail is one of the important prerequisites. Now that we have lost the One-Tail, those guys are starting to get anxious."

At that moment, a sensory ninja hurriedly walked in.

"Lord Kazekage, enemy forces have been spotted rapidly approaching!"

"Oh? Could it be that Konoha Village managed to evade our reconnaissance and secretly complete the troop movement? How many enemies are there?"

"I don't know how to put it, there might only be one!"

(End of this chapter)