Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 201 The Prelude to the New Order
Nagato clearly remembered that Kaedeji had told him that his purpose in existence was to constantly deplete Jigen's energy.

Furthermore, since Yahiko's death, Nagato has reviewed and analyzed countless times, concluding that Jigen, the mastermind behind the scenes, is like Yahiko, who gained his power—both are the type who cannot endure prolonged battles and are most afraid of wars of attrition…

If Kaedeji wasn't lying, then Jigen was nothing more than a puppet and vessel used by Isshiki Otsutsuki, unable to bear too much power like Yahiko, and every time he used his power, he was shortening his already limited lifespan!

It seems that Kaede knew from the beginning that Jigen's weakness was that he couldn't fight for long, so he deliberately left the Akatsuki organization to deal with Jigen.

Nagato looked at Kaedeji with a complicated expression: "You've achieved your goal. The Akatsuki is proceeding step by step according to your initial plan and the direction you set..."

“Well, keeping you around was just a convenient thing to do, since you need to keep living to nurture Madara’s eyes, advance the Eye of the Moon Project, and even, if things get too difficult, revive Madara using the Samsara Rebirth Technique,” ​​Kaede Tsukasa said.

"I see. But don't think you can really control me. Now that I have these eyes, they are my power. I will use them to realize the ideals of myself and my companions. These things that have happened are just what I need to do."

“There is no conflict. Whether it is intentional guidance or forceful manipulation, what you are doing and what we want you to do are highly overlapping in terms of path, such as hunting down Jigen,” Kaedeji said.

Without Tsukasa Kaede's existence, killing Jigen would have been the last thing the Akatsuki needed to do and could never have done.

But things are different now. Due to various factors, Nagato has intentionally or unintentionally embarked on the path of fighting against the Otsutsuki, and Madara has also been dragged into it.

Nagato said, "Let's join forces, Madara. Jigen is definitely not someone you can defeat alone."

"Join forces? By what right do you speak to me like this, using my Rinnegan to try and join forces with me?"

The word "join forces" was rather jarring to Madara. It was only during the Warring States period that he and his clansmen joined forces to fight against the Senju clan. Since acquiring the Eternal Eye, he could solve almost any problem by fighting alone.

He slowly said, "However, as you can see, I am in very poor condition right now. The strength I can exert is less than one-tenth of my peak strength. So I will just tell you how strong this alien that you are so afraid of is."

Even Madara himself wasn't sure what kind of power he could unleash if he had a young body, Wood Release bloodline limit, and Rinnegan. And what level would that Otsutsuki named Jigen, whom even Kaede Tsukasa was so wary of, reach?

Kaede Tsukasa said, "To give you a more intuitive understanding, I'll tell you something. Madara... I consider your and Hashirama Senju's peak strength to be beyond the level of a Hokage, while Jigen is at an even higher level than yours. I call it... the Six Paths level."

Six Paths Level?
Madara's expression shifted slightly. No matter what he said, he actually took it very seriously. A qualified ninja can use words to mock and provoke an unknown enemy, causing them to take extra actions and reveal more information.

Could someone at the Six Paths level be so formidable that Kaedeji is so wary...?

"The so-called 'Hokage-level ninja' is just a level that weaklings privately comment on. Not only do you acknowledge it, but you've even given it two levels higher," Madara said coldly, his tone ambiguous, whether intentionally sarcastic or neutral.

"There's nothing we can do. Times have changed. It's nothing like it was a few years ago. You have to adapt. Even if you use all your strength, you still can't be a match for that guy with crippled power," Kaedeji said casually.

"Have you seen my full power?"

"No, but your eyes are full of power."

"...Everyone who hinders the Eye of the Moon Project needs to be eliminated, especially those with exceptionally strong abilities who are not part of the plan. However, even now, I still do not believe your words, and I will verify this myself."

Madara slowly walked up to Nagato: "Tell me all the information about that Jigen. Next, I want to see just how strong this guy who is the source of my bloodline is."

“Jigen’s location is in the Land of Fields. I’m leaving the rest to you,” Kaedeji said.

Nagato began to recount the story of Jigen, allowing Madara to learn about Karma, eye techniques, and taijutsu.

"Byakugan? It seems that the Otsutsuki clan is also divided into different bloodline branches. This Jigen is probably closer in blood relation to Otsutsuki Hamura, the ancestor of the Hyuga clan."

Madara is unaware that the Otsutsuki and the Ten-Tails can perfect their genes and possess each other's power by absorbing each other's. He still thinks that Jigen is more inclined towards the Byakugan bloodline branch than the Sharingan and Wood Release.

"If the information left by Kaedeji is correct, the Sage of Six Paths, who was the founder of the Uchiha and Senju clans, was the brother of Hamura Otsutsuki, the founder of the Hyuga clan. Then who was the Otsutsuki who gave birth to both of them? Could he have possessed both the Rinnegan and the Byakugan?"

Madara made reasonable guesses, but he was more inclined to believe that different Otsutsuki would awaken different bloodline branches and would not possess different bloodlines at the same time. Could it be that one person could have both the Byakugan and the Rinnegan?

In any case, we'll know once we have a match.

Ban said coldly, "I hope Cixian can give me some fun. If his eyes are good, I can gouge them out for future use."

After his resurrection, he should not have eyes—his body is alive, but the Rinnegan cannot be copied out of thin air; it is still in Nagato's hands.

Nagato turned around and said, "Konan, I'm going to the Land of Rice Fields. You'll be looking after the organization for a while."

“This matter needs to be considered carefully. Don’t just listen to Kaedeji’s one-sided story…” Konan was worried, even more concerned about Nagato’s safety. Nagato was a powerful figure that even Kaedeji was unwilling to confront directly. “Kazeji didn’t even dare to show up in person. He made up an excuse that he was busy with more important things. This is ridiculous.”

What could be more exciting for Kaedeji than taking the body of a powerful figure? Could it be the Musou Tsukuyomi? But if the opponent is Jigen, wouldn't Kaedejiji have designs on Jigen's body?

It's just that they're using the two of them to wear down Jigen. Once Jigen is worn down to the point where his body can't take the strain like Yahiko's, then Kaedeji will jump out and reap the rewards of the battle.

Nagato said, "Whether he comes or not, it won't affect my revenge for Yahiko, nor will it affect Madara's actions. The two of us will act together and we won't fail."

At this moment, Nagato's confidence was indeed high. With the combined power of two Rinnegan, what did Jigen, who was already low on health, have? He only had one Byakugan and the other, which was at most equivalent to the Mangekyou Sharingan. It should not have reached the level of the Rinnegan!
Xiao Nan hurriedly said, "I can help you too, as long as you make more explosive tags while traveling!"

"It's no use. Doesn't Jigen's Karma make him immune to ninjutsu? The explosive tags you made won't be any different. The only things that can deal with him are eye techniques and taijutsu."

Nagato said in a deep voice, "You stay in the Land of Rain, and I will eliminate the hidden dangers for you."

Hanzo is still alive, as is Tenzo, who was sent by Orochimaru.

Kaede Tsukasa spoke up: "You don't need to handle such a small matter. I'll take care of it. You should save your precious energy and use it on Jigen."

Psychic art!

A series of coffins rose up, and Kaede Tsukasa once again deployed those Kage-level zombies.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Hanzo will become one of them, increasing Kaedeji's power. "Sarutobi Hiruzen..."

Madara glanced at the Third Hokage zombie who was leading the group, then looked away, showing no interest. In fact, if Kaede Tsukasa had accumulated enough corpses of powerful figures, these zombies alone would be enough to cause him some trouble.

After all, completely destroying these zombies would take some of his energy and time.

Several Kage-level zombies scattered and pounced on Hanzo from different directions.

On the ruins of Amegakure, Hanzo had nowhere to hide. Even if he fled, there was nowhere to escape to. If he abandoned Amegakure, where could he go? Could he run to some town in the Land of Rain to take charge?

It's pointless now. He's been targeted by zombies, and in this vast ninja world, there's nowhere for him to hide.

"It seems there's no way to avoid it. The only solution is to fight. I never imagined that in this final battle, I would die at the hands of Kaedeji." Hanzo's expression slowly changed, revealing a hint of ferocity as he prepared to fight to the death.

He didn't want to die, and he was afraid of dying, but that doesn't mean he had completely lost the courage to face death. He still had basic self-respect and dignity.

Tenzo's words broke Hanzo's defenses, and his last bit of tension crumbled: "You won't die at the hands of Kaedeji. His true form isn't even interested in making a move; he just sent a few zombies to easily get rid of you."

"Damn it! The zombie is also an incarnation of Kaede Tsukasa!"

“They’re puppets. Even without Kaedeji’s control, zombies have the ability to fight and hunt on their own. These few are enough to kill you.” Tenzo’s voice was cold and merciless, shattering Hanzo’s words of self-comfort.

"If I die, you will die too, and you will become a puppet of Kaede Tsukasa just like me!"

"No, I'll run away, but you can't."

"Don't be ridiculous! You think you can escape from so many zombies with your meager brat skills? The Third Raikage's speed alone is beyond your capabilities!"

"Is that so? I'm somewhat confident in my speed, but it's still not entirely safe, so... Hanzo, I need you to stay here and help me hold off the enemy."

Strange patterns spread across Tianzang's body, followed by an unimaginable burst of power. Caught off guard, he punched and crippled Hanzang's leg before retreating.

His powerful physical skills allowed him to possess speed comparable to or even surpassing that of the Third Raikage, relying solely on his flesh and blood. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a black shadow and disappeared before the numerous zombies.

The zombies remained expressionless, completely ignoring Tianzang's escape, and instantly surrounded Hanzang.

Hanzo's face was contorted, he dragged his broken leg, and his eyes were bloodshot.

He had finally made up his mind to fight Kaedeji, but then Tenzo did this to him... This sense of humiliation was driving this demigod, who had little dignity left, crazy.

However, no matter how raging the anger was, it was all so pale at this moment. Under the rain, Hanzo's angry roar was nothing more than a final statement for his increasingly wretched second half of life.

Numerous afterimages moved at high speed, like ghosts, conveying a sense of desolation.

Hanzo was at a complete disadvantage and couldn't last more than a few rounds, but he wasn't entirely unprepared.

"How ironic, I never thought I would die in this way... Don't even think about playing with my corpse!"

A salamander lying in the rain suddenly burst out of the ground and sprayed out a jet of oil. Immediately afterward, Hanzo took out the explosive tag he had prepared.

"Explosive Flame Array!"

He also wanted to use a large number of explosive tags and oil to ensure that his body was never recovered.

But among those present were experts in using explosive tags. As paper butterflies fluttered about, Hanzo watched helplessly as Konan snatched his explosive tags away, his eyes wide with fury, and he let out a roar of resentment.

Soon after, Hanzo stood on one foot, holding the other foot in his hand, his eyes were pale and his face was ashen; he had become a member of Kaedeji's team.

"That's enough. The former demigod ended his life in such an ugly way."

Konan looked at Hanzo with a complicated expression.

Once upon a time, Hanzo was a hero who shook the ninja world, intimidating all the major ninja villages with his own strength, and even daring to declare war directly. However, he alone could not turn the tide of the war, nor could he change the fact that the Land of Rain was sandwiched between the three great powers, making it a natural battlefield for the three nations.

Whether Hanzo's shift from radicalism to extreme conservatism and isolation stemmed from fear or a desperate attempt to survive in order to maintain his authority over the major ninja villages and prevent them from going further, it's all in the past now.

"From now on, everything Hanzo has fought for will vanish like smoke, and the Land of Rain will exist in a different way."

The voice emanating from Hanzo's mouth was unusually dry, conveying Kaede Tsukasa's will: "Not only the Land of Rain, but all countries and all people on this planet will sever ties with the past and must embrace a completely new life."

There are two main reasons for the existence of ordinary people: either become ninjas or desperately have children so that their children can become ninjas.

Under Kaede Tsukasa's rule, only ninjas are considered human, and only those who create and contribute chakra are qualified to enter the Musou Tsukuyomi.

"Keep leading the Akatsuki organization well, Konan. For some time to come, this country will need your Akatsuki organization to clean up the mess."

"I thought you would just turn a large number of living people into zombies and then let these zombies rule this war-torn country."

“That’s a good idea, but I have more important things to do. Even with Madara and Nagato, I can only spare a little attention to them; I won’t get involved myself,” Kaedeji said.

Meanwhile, Madara and Nagato were moving at high speed towards the Land of Rice Fields.

Meanwhile, Tenzo was also speeding back to the Land of Rice Fields to report on Madara and Nagato's movements.

A major war is about to break out in this small country.

(End of this chapter)