Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 145 Landing on Turtle Island
No one present showed any surprise at Orochimaru's appointment.

Everyone knows that, looking at the village now, Tsunade and Dan Kato have basically faded from the mainstream view. Although they are not exactly on the opposite side of Kaede Tsukasa, they have no interest in helping Kaede Tsukasa manage the village.

Jiraiya has also disappeared without a trace, probably hiding in Mount Myōboku. Considering all factors, including seniority, strength, experience, and relationship with Tsukasa Kaede, Orochimaru is the most suitable candidate.

Anyway, he's more suitable than Sakumo Hatake. This gentle-natured White Fang of Konoha is taciturn and in an extremely awkward situation.

That day, he stood on the opposite side of Kaede Tsukasa, but failed to help the Third Hokage complete his mission. After the Third Hokage and others died, he voluntarily withdrew, as if his beliefs had collapsed, and his eyes lost their luster.

However, no one cares whether his values ​​are truly shattered; that's not important at all. His strength is what matters more.

Some of the more rude individuals were already secretly discussing that if Sakumo Hatake died, and was turned into a zombie by Lord Kaedeji and sent to the battlefield, he might be able to play a greater role.

"We have to deal with those Iwagakure guys again. I really miss them. The village's various experiments need those Iwagakure guys as materials." Orochimaru said in a hoarse voice, a smile playing on his lips.

"Hey, as expected of Lord Orochimaru, so confident!"

"Konoha has never fought such a costly battle before. This time, we must teach Iwagakure a profound lesson, and ideally, turn them into another Sunagakure, making them our vassal forever!"

"Reduce the strength of Iwagakure and plunder the Land of Earth! Use their flesh and blood to nourish ourselves, and the village will become stronger and more prosperous!"

As the saying goes, no one can refuse resurrection and life extension, not to mention the various precious high-level ninjutsu, secret techniques and forbidden techniques, which can be exchanged for through battle merits. Since the founding of Konoha Village, no one has ever had the opportunity to obtain these things.

Even various techniques, just by obtaining one, can greatly enhance one's own strength and enrich the family's power! Only Kaede Tsukasa is willing to take out these dangerous and precious things.

Shikaku frowned slightly as he looked at the frenzied crowd, but the passionate people were so engrossed in the exciting atmosphere that no one noticed him.

"Is it really okay to use all sorts of dangerous spells from the village as rewards? It's fine now, but what about ten or twenty years later—"

Normally, this is a risky choice made by the newly appointed person to consolidate their rule in exchange for the support of the people in the present stage, sacrificing the future stability of the village. It is also a way to plant a time bomb for the regime many years later.

Shikaku quickly dismissed the idea, because he suddenly realized that Kaedejima was immortal and possessed a terrifying power that always had new techniques at his disposal. As long as Kaedejima lived, he could continue to suppress the various hilltops in the village.

But if Kaedejima were to rule the village forever, just thinking about that future, Shikaku didn't know what kind of scene that would be. At least for now, based on his evaluation of Kaedejima, Konoha Village shouldn't become stagnant, because Kaedejima always comes up with clear action goals.

Shikaku didn't know whether to pray that Kaedejima would live forever, or that he would die after a while. Instead, he pondered how long he himself needed to live, and how much lifespan he could obtain from Kaedejima. If he worked hard, he could gain lifespan indefinitely and become an immortal being dependent on Kaedejima…

Most people present thought the same way, and their gazes toward Kaede Tsukasa unconsciously became even more intense.

Shikaku said, "Are you planning to launch an attack on Kumogakure before defeating Iwagakure? Are you planning to fight on two fronts?"

Kaede Tsukasa nodded: "You and I both know very well that Kumogakure and Kirigakure will not sit idly by and watch us deal with Iwagakure with ease. They will definitely find an opportunity to launch a large-scale surprise attack on us. The worst case scenario is that we will have to face the interesting situation of fighting on three fronts."

Yes, interesting. When Kaede Tsukasa uttered that word, no one thought it was wrong.

During World War II, among the five great ninja villages, Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure fought many major battles, with each village facing pressure from the other two villages at the same time.

Of course, a mobile force should also be specially deployed domestically to deal with any small teams from the Cloud Village and Mist Village that might infiltrate and cause sabotage.

This time, at most it will be a simultaneous attack from three major ninja villages, and a siege by the three major ninja villages mobilizing the vast majority of their domestic forces!

But so what? Konoha + Sunagakure VS Iwagakure + Kumogakure + Kirigakure, the more enemy forces there are, the more sacrifices we can seize and utilize. Once Kaedeji Tsutomu makes his move, many of these enemies will turn into zombies and stand on Konoha's side!

Having a large number of people is not necessarily an advantage; it can even be a disadvantage.

“Then I will make preparations immediately,” Shikaku said, without asking why they should deal with Kumogakure first instead of Kirigakure.

Kaede Tsukasa watched as Shikaku buried himself in a pile of documents, quickly flipping through them and scribbling on the paper, his thoughts already elsewhere.

The Third Shinobi World War was essentially a continuation of the Second Shinobi World War. The various grudges and hidden problems that were not resolved in the Second Shinobi World War would normally surface in the Third Shinobi World War.

The wars between the various ninja villages were also full of conspiracies and schemes.

For example, the battle in which Iwagakure sent 10,000 ninjas to besiege the Third Raikage, resulting in the Third Raikage's death from exhaustion, was very interesting.

According to intelligence, the Third Raikage discovered the major raid by Iwagakure and, in order to protect his comrades so they could retreat safely, he went alone to cover their retreat.

So here's the question—what are Aya and Killer Bee doing? The Hidden Cloud Village clearly has the Heavenly Teleportation Technique, which can teleport people over extremely long distances.

The answer is that he was held back by Minato Namikaze and had no chance to escape. It is likely that Konoha Village noticed Iwagakure's actions against Kumogakure and deliberately created an opportunity for Iwagakure to kill the very difficult Third Raikage.

There are many similar things.

However, that happened on a different timeline and will not happen in the current timeline. Now, we'll see how the three ninja villages will deploy their forces.

Deploying too many troops to the battlefield against Konoha might result in a large number of them being turned into zombies by Kaede Tsukasa, which would be a net loss. Therefore, the troops that are not needed will naturally be used to deal with other ninja villages.

No matter how well they cooperated or united, the three ninja villages were filled with hatred for each other and could not possibly cooperate sincerely.

"A real waterfall..."

Kaede Tsukasa pondered over this thing.

Everyone is thinking about their own affairs and making plans to achieve their goals.

Orochimaru was different; he had no interest in the war whatsoever, but was instead very curious about the guy sitting opposite him.

"You haven't said anything yet. To be appointed as an advisor to the village by the Hokage, you must have some extraordinary abilities. I would like to hear your teachings."

Orochimaru's face showed a sincere expression, which those familiar with Orochimaru knew meant he was about to trick someone.

Obito slowly raised his head, feeling extremely troubled. He felt uneasy and out of place in this situation.

"I have no intention of wasting my time on such trivial matters," Obito said, his voice low and subdued, giving off a powerful aura.

The heated discussion subsided slightly, and everyone stared at Obito, guessing his identity—this guy seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Rumor has it that this unidentified advisor seems to be able to command white humanoid creatures in combat, similar to Kaede Tsukasa's early fighting style?

It shouldn't be Hidan 2.0 trained by Kaedeji Tsukasa—but probably not. Kaedeji Tsukasa wouldn't arrange for his clone to be an advisor to increase his influence; there's no need for him to do that.

"Is that so? War can be quite troublesome and boring at times. I wonder what kind of operation Your Excellency is planning to carry out? Perhaps we can cooperate closely on the western front and gain a better understanding of each other in advance."

"There's no need for that, Orochimaru. Just do your own thing."

"Hmph, is that so..."

"This guy's all bluster. I really want to rip off that mask and see who he really is," Orochimaru remarked.

There will be a chance.

"Meeting adjourned. Mobilize the troops as soon as possible. I am leading a force into the Land of Lightning. The main members of the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Senju clans should follow me," Kaede Tsukasa ordered.

This disappointed Orochimaru, as he had lost another good opportunity to seize the corpses of three bloodline families.

"As for Kirigakure, Sakumo Hatake is on guard, and Shikaku will lead the command staff to formulate the specific battle plan."

Kaede Tsukasa left the venue; he was no longer needed to participate in what followed.

Orochimaru wanted to test Obito further, but Obito slowly merged into the ground and disappeared, thus thwarting Orochimaru's plan.

"This isn't a normal Earth Release technique; it looks a bit strange," Orochimaru pondered.

Once Konoha's massive war machine was in operation, the power it unleashed was astonishing. The towns and cities of the Land of Fire also cooperated wholeheartedly, throwing their most powerful forces into the war, bringing the number of ninjas that Konoha could directly control to a new peak.

"Twenty-four thousand people, that's about right. After all, that includes the ninjas sent from the towns, plus the people who have been teaching civilians how to create chakra over the past few months. Anyone who successfully created chakra is considered a genin, and that's over a thousand people..."

The total number of ninjas in the Land of Fire now is incomparable to that during Naruto and Sasuke's time. After all, there was more than a decade of peace during Naruto and Sasuke's era, leading to a population explosion, a surge in the number of ninjas, and the gradual rollout of various educational programs. The dark clouds of war hang over the ninja world, and everyone is preparing for war. Everyone is waiting for Konoha and Iwagakure to start fighting first.

The military operations of Sunagakure were no secret; they had already been leaked by spies. It was also no secret that Konoha and Sunagakure were at war with Iwagakure.

"Is that so? It really has turned out like this. Is the master still asleep? I wanted to ask it about its prophecy: what will this world become in the future?"

Jiraiya was also troubled; once the Fourth Shinobi World War broke out, he was even more at a loss as to what to do.

The large-scale troop mobilization of Konoha Village not only demonstrates the village's strength, but also signifies that Kaedeji has gained control of Konoha Village from the inside out in a very short period of time.

War is the most complex systemic project, and the fact that Kaedeji Tsukasa was able to handle it proves his dominance.

"Those guys have studied the Will of Fire for so many years, and this is what happened in such a short time. Old man, you've completely failed..."

Jiraiya took a swig of sake, looking tipsy, and casually picked up a large blue worm, numbly stuffing it into his mouth to chew, finding it tasteless.

In the past, he could have vomited, but now he doesn't need to worry about that anymore. Compared to the unpleasant taste, the collapse of his inner beliefs is more fatal.

That's it? The village, painstakingly built up by three generations of old men, vanished in a single coup? That's the most absurd thing, isn't it?

"Minato, what's the deal with those people? Why are they willing to follow Kaedeji?"

"Because Kaedeji possesses something that others don't, he can attract many people to work for him even by using pure incentives," Minato said helplessly.

Jiraiya lay on the table, tilting his head to look at the wriggling insects in the plate: "I see. But can something driven by profit really govern a village? It might bring temporary stability, but can it last forever—"

It seems that it's really possible. Kaede Tsukasa himself can achieve immortality and reverse the life and death of others. This kind of thing... just the benefits alone have already driven countless people crazy.

Jiraiya was even more confused. It was too late to talk about how to take Konoha back from Kaede Tsukasa. He couldn't beat them in strength, but what made him even more desperate was that the people of Konoha had already voted with their actions, and probably few people would miss the Third Hokage anymore.

"Is the Will of Fire really no match for pure self-interest?"

"Don't worry too much, teacher. This war has nothing to do with us. Let's just wait and see how it goes. We don't know how many years this war will last."

Minato abruptly changed the subject, fearing that continuing the conversation would completely shatter Jiraiya's composure.

If it is simply about offering benefits, it is essentially like drinking poison to quench thirst. When there are few benefits left, that is when the rule will collapse. However, this law does not apply to Kaedeji, because Kaedeji can really keep providing benefits, and everyone is willing to accept it.

Konoha Village's benefit means that other villages will have to pay a heavy price to satisfy Konoha Village's appetite... Minato vaguely felt that there would only be more and more wars in the future. When other villages become weak and become like Sunagakure, Kaede Tsukasa would probably harvest other ninja villages regularly, capturing the living and plundering corpses, using the suffering of others to lay the foundation for his own glory.

Unless there is a way to replace war and harvest the ninjas of the ninja world more efficiently, but Minato couldn't think of any way to achieve this, he was in a bind.

Just then, two toads appeared, hopping around. Jiraiya and Minato exchanged a glance and silently fell silent.

As expected, it was still about Nagato. Only the Rinnegan could make the two of them care so much.

"Jiraiya, when are you going to bring Nagato over?"

"Yes, the Ninja World War has broken out again. I really don't know what's so good about war. That Kaede Tsukasa is afraid that not enough people will die! Nagato is in a very dangerous situation now. The Land of Rain is just a small country, and no one can protect him."

Jiraiya paused for a moment, then finally relented: "Then I'll go to the Land of Rain and tell him about this... but whether he comes or not is not up to me. In exchange, you must also teach Minato Sage Mode."

“No problem. With Minato’s talent, he might be able to master Sage Mode in a few years,” said Fukasaku.

Several years? If it really takes several years to learn this technique, who knows what the outside world will be like? Minato smiled bitterly.

The main concern is, even if one learns it, can they really defeat Kaedejima? Jiraiya and the two great sages joined forces, only to be defeated by Kaedejima's Mangekyou Sharingan...

"Don't underestimate Sage Mode, Minato. The reason I failed was partly due to a lack of information, but the main reason was that my Sage Mode wasn't perfect. I needed two Sages to help me stabilize the natural energy. If you can enter Sage Mode on your own, that's a different story."

Jiraiya, drunk, said, "Even if you fall for Kaedeji's genjutsu, you won't be in the same situation as me. You'll definitely be able to fight Kaedeji head-on! He's currently focused on the Ninja World War, which is a great opportunity for you to master Sage Mode and become a perfect sage who surpasses me."

Compared to Nagato, Minato was the true successor to whom Jiraiya poured his heart and soul. He was supposed to be a backbone of the Hokage lineage and might even have become Hokage in the future, but now everything is ruined.

Jiraiya was exhausted, and at the same time, Nagato was also deeply worried.

The Fourth Shinobi World War has broken out again. The Land of Rain, sandwiched between three great nations, is very likely to become a battlefield once again. How should the Akatsuki, which prides itself on being a peace organization, conduct itself in a war of this scale?
“Let’s join forces with Hanzo. That’s the only way to protect our country and keep as many people as possible away from war,” Yahiko said. “At least let those guys who plan to invade us know that we’re not to be trifled with.”

Nagato advised, "If it comes to taking action, I must do it no matter what. There must be something wrong with your strength. At least there's a limit to the number of times you can take action. You can only step in if I can't defeat the enemy. I've mastered a new eye technique, so I can definitely protect everyone... I will definitely bring Konan back."

Everyone is worried, but everyone is also full of hope. In this crazy world, hope is more precious than anything else.

Nagato awaited the enemy's invasion. He even planned that if Sunagakure attacked, he would persuade Yahiko to let Granny Chiyo negotiate with the people of Sunagakure. He thought that this method might be able to persuade some of the enemies.

But what happened next caught Nagato completely off guard.

No country's troops entered the Land of Rain. The marching routes and combat plans were completely different from previous wars. They went straight into the enemy's territory and fought a bloody battle!

The Land of Rain, sandwiched between powerful nations, was completely ignored.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps Kaedeji didn't want to waste time in a protracted battle and wanted to expand his gains as quickly as possible and obtain more corpses.

But the information that followed left Nagato completely bewildered.

Kaede Tsukasa led a force to launch an attack on the Land of Lightning!

Konoha Village simultaneously provoked two wars, both of which were initiated by the villagers!
"He's too confident. Does he really want to crush two great powers in one fell swoop?! Kirigakure won't let this opportunity slip by; they might force Konoha to fight on three fronts!"

"Kaede Tsukasa is simply insane. Even if he has mastered the Corpse Release technique that allows him to sustain himself through battle, there are definitely limits to it. This Fourth Hokage will lead Konoha Village in a disastrous direction."

"Hmph, since he has deliberately dispersed his forces, then we'll take this opportunity to destroy Konoha!"

"We have to take into account his ability to use space-time ninjutsu. He can move quickly between different battlefields, and if we're not careful, the situation could change drastically."

The Hidden Cloud Village took the toughest stance, with the Third Raikage and Aya Yotsuki personally leading the team. They no longer cared about their mortal enemy, the Hidden Stone Village, and focused all their attention on Tsukasa Kaede.

"Lord Raikage, the messenger who went to Kirigakure will soon bring back the documents from Kirigakure," Tsuchida said.

"Very well, now I'll personally join the battle and face Kaedeji Tsukasa head-on! I want to experience this guy's Wood Release and Mangekyou Sharingan for myself!"

The Third Raikage clenched his fist, his muscles slowly bulging: "A person who has mastered the powers of those two guys will definitely let me experience the joy of battle."

"Dad, don't forget, that guy's signature move is corpse escape!"

“I know! Have Killer Bee communicate with the Eight-Tails, and then attach a layer of Tailed Beast Cloak to our people. Even if it’s just the thinnest layer, it will be enough.”

The most troublesome corpse transformation technique can be solved with the Eight-Tails. This is the value of a perfect Jinchuriki, and even more so the value of the Eight-Tails, which is considered a powerful Tailed Beast in the Tailed Beast rank!
Next, I need to focus on figuring out how to get rid of Kaedeji.

"Bring the Amber Purification Bottle with you. As long as we can seal Kaedeji inside, this war will be over, and the ninja world will return to what it was before."

The Third Raikage was already impatient. Although he was wary of Kaede Tsukasa, he also looked forward to a great battle with Kaede Tsukasa, a true clash of men.

Based on the fighting style that Kaede Tsukasa used to defeat the Third Hokage and others that night, the Third Raikage accurately judged that Kaede Tsukasa seemed to have gradually abandoned his kiting style and started to fight personally.

This is precisely the fighting style that the Third Raikage preferred.

Just then, a ninja rushed in.

"It's terrible, Raikage! Kamejima has been attacked! According to the last intelligence we received, it seems that Kaedejima Tsukasa himself attacked Kamejima!"

"What, Turtle Island??? How could it be Turtle Island?"

(End of this chapter)