Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 118 The Sand Village is just a dilapidated house; one kick and it's all you need to make it...

The people of Sunagakure know best how perilous the current situation is.

It can be said that under the wise leadership of the Third Kazekage, Sunagakure was weaker than ever before—the tailed beasts were gone, and powerful ninjas were being lost one after another.

At this point, only the Third Kazekage and Chiyo, two Kage-level powerhouses, are publicly known.

This kind of strength could give some small ninja villages an opportunity to take advantage of. To put it bluntly, if someone like Hanzo suddenly went crazy and attacked Sunagakure, it's uncertain whether the Third Kazekage and Chiyo could win against Hanzo on their own, except for gathering troops to wear him down.

Well, it's only slightly better than Konoha before the Konoha Collapse Plan in the original timeline, when only the Third Hokage was left struggling to keep the village afloat...

"We can't get Yiwei back."

The Third Kazekage's face was unusually grim, and he felt a strong sense of defeat. He was known as the strongest Kazekage of all time, and he led Sunagakure through the Second World War without suffering too much loss. He should have led Sunagakure to new heights. Why did things turn out this way?

The tailed beasts are gone, and Ebizo is dead...

"Even without the tailed beasts, Sunagakure can still mobilize ninjas from all over the country. At the very least, we still have more than 10,000 people. We are still one of the top ninja villages in the ninja world!" Chiyo had recovered her composure and her expression was cold and stern.

The Third Kazekage stared at Chiyo, who seemed normal but was actually on the verge of madness, and sighed inwardly. Yes, Chiyo was right—only to a certain extent.

If other ninja villages were in this passive situation, such as Konoha, even if they only had two Kage-level ninjas left, they could still mobilize tens of thousands of ninjas from the Land of Fire, putting pressure on other countries.

Could we switch to Sunagakure? Would the Land of Wind really give Sunagakure so many opportunities? The Third Kazekage could already imagine how panicked and sarcastic those powerful figures would be.

They were already unwilling to allocate funds to Sunagakure, and now, it seems the powerful and wealthy will no longer be willing to hand over command of the ninjas stationed in the numerous towns and outposts to Sunagakure.

"Let's think of a way first. As long as we can find the One-Tailed Beast, all our current difficulties will be resolved. If we can't find it... either Konoha will swallow it up, or the One-Tailed Beast will die. We are not without a chance."

The Third Kazekage said coldly, "Either we wait a few years until the One-Tail and Four-Tail revive and then we go and steal them! Or we can just rob those existing Tailed Beasts!"

"You mean... the Seven-Tails of Takigakure?" Chiyo understood.

She didn't think it was a good idea to try and steal the tailed beasts from the major ninja villages at this time. They were no match for them anyway. Only Takigakure was the easiest to bully. With their two Kage-level ninjas and a sufficiently large ninja force, it was entirely possible for them to defeat Takigakure and steal the Seven-Tails.

"Let's gather the fleeing ninjas first. Gather as many as you can; it's better than nothing. Every single person is extremely precious," the Third Kazekage said.

His will was still carried out, and Sand Village ninjas appeared in various towns, searching for and gathering those terrified ninjas.

Some people, even those who were not affiliated with Sunagakure and had not even actually participated in the war, were forcibly conscripted to Sunagakure. Sunagakure, having suffered heavy losses, was now too preoccupied to care about anything else and simply brought over any talented individuals they saw.

What? You disagree? Sunagakure is the highest military institution in the Land of Wind, with supreme command over all violent units. It's an immense honor for you to be transferred from a town ninja or a private soldier of a powerful family to a subordinate ninja of Sunagakure. How dare you disagree? If you disagree, I'll kill you.

As a result, in terms of sheer numbers, Sunagakure's forces not only did not decrease, but actually increased by several thousand, as they managed to extract power from all over the Land of Wind through their frenzied exploitation.

The financial pressure has increased, and we also have to deal with the anger and dissatisfaction of those powerful figures who are losing their power—we can't worry about that now, who knows when the next Shinobi World War will break out?!

According to the Third Kazekage's logic, as long as Sunagakure exists, the Land of Wind will still be the Land of Wind. If Sunagakure is gone, the Land of Wind is nothing. It can't protect its territory at all and will just be waiting to be dismantled into a bunch of small countries!

"Rasa, you'll have to work hard from now on. Your Magnet Release is extremely important for the village's development, and we need you to keep mining gold from the desert to supplement the finances." The Third Kazekage looked at the young man in front of him.

It's great to have a Magnet Release ninja like this, who actually uses gold as a weapon... The boundless desert is Rasa's stage.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage, but I need to rest for a while to eliminate the effects of the Corpse Escape Technique on me..."

Rasa was also somewhat helpless. He knew the current situation of Sunagakure and that the relationship between the village and the Land of Wind was very strained. If he wanted to make money, he would have to put in more effort.

However, at least panning for gold is better than fighting on the battlefield against Kaede Tsukasa, right? Rasa felt too ashamed to recall that great defeat and never wanted to experience it again.

"Lord Kazekage, there's one more thing..."

Rasa carefully chose his words, stammering, "The information about Advisor Chiyo and the Reincarnation Technique has been leaked. So many people heard about it..."

"Let it be leaked. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Kaede Tsukasa became a very important ninja in Konoha by relying on my forbidden technique. If I could do it all over again, I would do anything to stop him from getting this technique."

This was Chiyo's biggest regret. If Kaedeji hadn't obtained the Reanimation Jutsu, he probably wouldn't have been able to solve the problem of insufficient chakra, and wouldn't have been able to use space-time ninjutsu more than a few times. He might have even run out of chakra and died in some battle!

Unfortunately, there are no ifs.

But at least let the world know that the Self-Reincarnation Technique is not a secret technique配套 (complementary) to the Corpse Escape Technique, nor was it developed by Kaede Tsukasa; at most, it is an improvement!

Chiyo left in anger, her back swaying as she walked away. This was the only way she could salvage her almost completely lost self-esteem.

“Lord Kazekage, if this information spreads widely, it may cause even more trouble… We are not the stronger party,” Luo Sha said.

"Since things have come to this, there's no need to dwell on it. If we kill Kaedeji, none of the problems will be problems. If we fail to kill Kaedeji, all the oversights will become weaknesses." The Third Kazekage also felt troubled, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

Who would have thought it would end like this? Their village of Sunagakure has been thoroughly humiliated by Kaedeji Tsukasa!

Just as Rasa had worried, Kaedeji's feat of defeating a force of several thousand from Sunagakure and repelling the Third Kazekage and other powerful figures certainly caused a great uproar, but some observant people also noticed the information about the Reanimation Jutsu.

"The Reincarnation Technique? Kaede Tsukasa seems to have used this technique to revive himself? What kind of strange language is this?"

"I see. If we use zombies as sacrifices to perform the spell, we can avoid the unknown risks of the forbidden spell... It probably requires sacrificing one's life. There can't be a resurrection spell without a price."

"There are some dubious rumors that there have been special cases where zombies turned to ashes. Could it be that Kaedeji used a forbidden technique as a regular high-level ninjutsu, extracting the power of corpses to replenish himself? If this is the cost of using the Reincarnation Technique, then it makes sense."

"Hmm, Sasori of the Red Sand is Chiyo's grandson. He defected with Tsukasa Kaede..."

The clues have all come together, although there are still many unknowns. This leads to the realm of Corpse Escape Technique, which, to this day, only Hidan has succeeded to it.

Information about Hidan remains a mystery, and the world still doesn't understand how Hidan defeated the Four-Tails.

No one criticized Kaedeji for taking off after obtaining Chiyo's secret technique. Being able to seize a core forbidden technique that the enemy's high command had painstakingly researched for many years during wartime was not a disgrace, but a high demonstration of personal talent.

This leads to a question—the Reanimation Jutsu is suspected to be a resurrection technique, or at the very least, a technique that can be used to replenish chakra. Kaede Tsukasa was able to obtain it through Sasori of the Red Sand, and they could also obtain it through certain means.

It's unrealistic to try and snatch it directly from Kaedeji. Even without the Reanimation Jutsu, Kaedeji is already a powerful ninja. He has mastered the Wood Release Kekkei and defeated the One-Tailed Jinchuriki on his own, which is beyond their reach.

Naturally, some individuals set their sights on Chiyo of Sunagakure.

I may not be able to beat Kaede Tsukasa, but I can beat you, Chiyo?!
Old Biden, hand over the technique! If Kaede Tsukasa can have it, so can I!
The Sand Village is only left with two Kage-level powerhouses. The younger generation has not yet grown to the point where they can shoulder the responsibility. In addition, they suffered a crushing defeat. If not now, when?

This made the Land of Wind even more chaotic. The towns were already angry and troubled by the sharp decline in the number of ninjas, and now some ill-intentioned people poured in, causing the security situation in the Land of Wind to deteriorate rapidly.

Even those who couldn't obtain the Reincarnation Technique were happy to take advantage of the turmoil in the Land of Wind's military power to plunder some money and other ninjutsu.

The powerful and wealthy held the grudge against Sunagakure and hated the Third Kazekage intensely.

"Lord Kazekage, this is the intelligence from all over the country these past few days. The situation is deteriorating faster than we anticipated."

"I see. Rather, it's more accurate to say that those who smelled the blood reacted so quickly," the Third Kazekage sneered.

The powerful and wealthy are dissatisfied? They act as if they were ever truly happy about it!
However, there was one thing the Third Kazekage was wrong about. He originally thought that at the current stage, no one would be crazy enough to launch a direct attack on Sunagakure, after all, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

But some people just did it anyway.

Not only individuals were doing it, but some ninja villages also took action, sending troops directly into the Land of Wind, as if they were afraid of missing out on good things if they arrived late—the various ninjutsu and puppet techniques of Sunagakure were treasures that could be passed down for generations as a ninja village, and they were all worth taking.

……

The news reached Konoha Village, causing the entire village to erupt in excitement.

The streets were packed with people, as if everyone had suddenly poured out overnight. If Kaede Tsukasa were to comment on it, he would think the scene resembled a zombie horde migration. Everywhere, people were cheering and shouting excitedly, but you had to yell to barely make out what they were saying to each other.

Unsurprisingly, everyone was talking about Kaede Tsukasa's glorious feat of single-handedly taking on four thousand Sand Village ninjas, facing the siege of multiple powerful opponents, and finally killing Ebizo!
The fact that Kaedeji single-handedly annihilated three hundred Cloud Village invaders had already established his reputation as a powerful figure. Moreover, there is only one of his kind, and he is irreplaceable.

What is happening now has elevated Kaedeji Tsukasa to an even higher level, earning him the respect of countless people.

The idea of ​​one person forming an army has been talked about before, but no one expected it to be this powerful, defeating a force of several thousand people from Sunagakure!

"Ha, Sunagakure was our number one enemy, but things are different from now on. They no longer have the right to call themselves enemies of Konoha!"

"As expected of Lord Kaedejima, the Konoha Ghoul Master must be a Sand Village ninja, hahaha!"

"The Sand Village even dealt with the Tailed Beasts long ago by Lord Kaedeji, yet they still put on such a menacing act. They're a joke in the ninja world. Such clowns don't deserve to be our village's enemies!"

When talking about the glory brought by Kaede Tsukasa, even the common people of Konoha Village proudly straightened their chests.

As for the claim that the Reincarnation Technique was actually obtained by Kaede Tsukasa from Chiyo, such trivial details didn't cause a stir. Instead, the technique's own effects sparked some discussion; resurrection techniques always attract attention.

But inside the Hokage Building, it's a completely different scene.

"Me? Go to Sunagakure to steal the Reincarnation Technique?"

Hatake Sakumo thought he had misheard and asked again, "Hokage-sama, is this my mission?"

"Sakumo, this is the will of the village."

"That's right. You just need to carry out the mission. The village will take care of all your worries and provide you with the best subordinates."

Before the Third Hokage could speak, advisors Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado put pressure on Sakumo Hatake, one after the other.

Because this matter is indeed somewhat unsavory—Kaedejima Tsukasa knows the Reincarnation Technique and has mastered it to an extreme degree, possibly understanding it better than Chiyo herself.

Instead of ignoring Kaede Tsukasa, who had just made a great contribution by resolving a major border crisis for the village and the country, he secretly sent a team to steal the forbidden technique from the enemy?
Sakumo Hatake asked疑惑地, "Excuse my bluntness, but why not just ask Tsukasa Kaede directly? A forbidden technique of this level is fully qualified to be included in the Book of Seals, and it seems that the cost of a forbidden technique can be circumvented using the Corpse Escape Technique, then—"

"You are an excellent ninja. The primary purpose of a ninja's existence should be to complete missions, not to question why such missions exist!" Koharu Utatane's face darkened.

As a high-ranking member of Konoha, she had every right to rebuke a top ninja like Hatake Sakumo—after all, she was the Second Hokage's disciple, and one of the village's leaders.
And... who made Hatake Sakumo the most mild-mannered and the most suitable person to use intimidation to coerce others?

If it were Tsunade standing here, she might have directly confronted Koharu Utatane and refused to carry out the mission.

Moreover, Hatake Sakumo had extensive experience fighting against Sunagakure ninjas. Most of his outstanding achievements came from Sunagakure, and he killed countless puppeteers.

Mitomon Homura said in a deep voice, "Kazema Tsukasa wouldn't pass on this kind of technique to the village. Even if it's a Corpse Escape technique, he only handed over a Void Realm technique that no one else could use except him... Hidan might be able to learn it too."

Sakumo Hatake frowned even more: "Can I understand it this way, that the two advisors hope that Tsukasa Kaede will contribute all of his techniques free of charge, whether it's Corpse Release or Reincarnation Technique?"

"That's not what I meant. The Reincarnation Technique is of great importance. Since Sunagakure is showing signs of decline, we have no reason to let it go."

"Since the mission objective is to seize the Reincarnation Technique, why didn't you go and ask Kaedeji about it from the beginning?"

The two advisors fell silent, their expressions displeased, their eyes darting around.

Nonsense, the Reincarnation Technique is a resurrection technique. Its principle is probably to transfer life force and summon souls? But Kaede Tsukasa most likely used this technique as a medical technique, constantly drawing power from corpses to strengthen himself.

Since a corpse is a dead person and has no soul, this technique is most likely... a forbidden technique related to life force?
Naturally, if they could obtain more life force, wouldn't that mean they could maintain their physical condition for a longer period of time? They seemed to suddenly realize why Orochimaru and Danzo had once been so close to Kaede Tsukasa.

This is a technique that can defy time.

"I'll be frank, Hokage-sama. I will carry out the mission without hesitation, but the village needs to prepare for any potential problems that may arise. Kaede Tsukasa isn't like me," Hatake Sakumo said seriously.

This is the advantage of the radical image—everyone knows that Kaede Tsukasa, who plays with corpses and has essentially confirmed that he can reverse life and death, has long lived in the shadows and even participated in human experiments, so no one wants to publicly stand up and provoke Kaede Tsukasa.

Because if Kaedeji gets angry, he might act on his own and do something extreme, just like Danzo... To put it bluntly, it's completely understandable.

But it doesn't matter if you provoke Sakumo Hatake. Just throw a bunch of things at him, like the village, the Will of Fire, the meaning of ninja, and comrades, and you can make an honest guy like Sakumo Hatake submit to your orders.

Finally, the Third Hokage spoke: "Sakumo, do as you wish."

Sakumo Hatake was completely disheartened—what did it mean to do things according to his will? His will was to carry out the village's orders, but in the end, he still secretly stole the Reincarnation Technique from Chiyo without Kaedeji's knowledge.
However, Sakumo Hatake found himself not surprised at all.

"Then I'll take my leave."

Sakumo Hatake walked out of the Hokage Building, silently walked through the noisy crowd, his tense face expressionless, and went straight home.

Kakashi had been waiting for a long time.

“Father, please train with me in swordsmanship,” Kakashi said. “In today’s sparring session, I lost to Obito again. His taijutsu is terrifyingly strong. Even without activating his Sharingan, he already put me under pressure.”

"Really? You can spar with Kai. He inherited Might Guy's physical training concepts and hardworking personality, which will definitely be helpful to you."

"It's no use. Even Kai got beaten up by Obito. I feel that the gap between us and Obito is not only not narrowing with our efforts, but is actually widening."

Kakashi's mind was in a mess. He was only slightly distracted by Kaede Tsukasa's great victory over the Sunagakure forces. The rest of his attention was on Obito, and he kept recalling the details of the battle.

Can't beat it, can't beat it at all.

He was clearly a super genius, yet he was always a step behind Obito in every aspect. Why was that? Which powerful ninja did Obito train with, and how could he be superior in taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, judgment, experience, insight, knowledge, and experience?
It can only be said that he is indeed the strongest descendant of the Uchiha clan. He probably received the full support of the clan, and the clan members with various specialties carefully taught him.

"Besides, Might Guy is currently training with Hidan and practicing his moves, so he probably doesn't have much time to train me," Kakashi said.

Hidan was already a very skilled taijutsu user. I heard that when he first came to Konoha, his skill level was obviously very low, but after being trained by Kaede Tsukasa for a few months, he killed the Four-Tails. He was ridiculously strong.

Needless to say, Hidan seems to have no interest in training ninjutsu at all, focusing all his attention on taijutsu and only making adjustments to his movements, unlike Might Guy and his son Might Dai, who spend a lot of time training their bodies.

Looking at his defiant son, Hatake Sakumo finally found some comfort. He forced a smile and said, "Unfortunately, I don't have time."

Kakashi understood immediately; he knew his father was about to embark on an important mission. But it seemed he couldn't be told the details of the mission, or even be told he was going on a mission; he'd have to guess…

After bowing to Hatake Sakumo, he picked up his weapon and began honing his swordsmanship once again.

That night, under the cover of darkness, Hatake Sakumo secretly led a team to Sunagakure, which was located in the Land of Wind.

He was definitely not among the first to attack Sunagakure, but he also wouldn't be among the last.

Countries and villages around the world are watching closely, and some have even intervened in various ways, wanting to get a share of the pie.

An underground bounty operation.

Bounty hunters from all over the ninja world have also appeared, and most of them are discussing the matter of Sunagakure. Various bounties for Sunagakure are emerging one after another, and the price is getting higher and higher every day!

Even a fool would know that so many high-reward missions couldn't all be funded by individuals; it's highly likely that many countries and villages are also increasing their efforts.

At that moment, a man walked into a bounty hunting site.

"Hmph, I smell money. How wonderful. It's been a while since it's been this lively since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War."

Kakuzu's eyes gleamed with fanaticism. Ever since he betrayed Takigakure, money had been his only pursuit. Whoever gave him money was the boss.

"Boss, take on every mission related to Sunagakure! Whether it's the Reanimation Jutsu, the Puppet Jutsu, or even just someone's head... I want it all!"

(End of this chapter)