Kaede Tsukasa tried to cut a piece off the Outer Path Golem, but no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't succeed.
"What are you doing? This is the Outer Path Golem. You can't destroy it so easily—it's the vessel that can devour all the Tailed Beasts," said Aburame Ryōma.
"There's nothing that's absolutely indestructible. The Outer Path Golem has chakra; it's not made of stone or other matter. That means it can be destroyed—you're just using the wrong method," Kaede Tsukasa snorted coldly, and with a flick of his hand, summoned a zombie and began forming hand seals.
Snake–Pig–Goat–Rabbit–Dog–Rat–Rooster–Horse–Snake!
Zombie Release: Dead Demon Consuming Seal!
The Shinigami appeared again. Upon seeing Kaede Tsukasa, its drooling stopped instantly, and it stared silently at him.
Kaede Tsukasa controlled the zombie, having it grab at the Outer Path Golem, then commanded the Shinigami to deliver a slash to it.
This actually raised a question: just how powerful was the Shinigami, a super spiritual entity capable of cutting the Nine-Tails? Could it even slice through an Outer Path Golem that had fallen from Six Paths level?
In the original timeline, the Outer Path Golem had endured attacks from the Eight-Tails and the Yang Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Balls, as well as assaults from the Allied Shinobi Forces, without ever showing damage.
The only time it suffered injury was when Kakashi struck its head with Kamui. At that moment, Kakashi had tried to solve the problem at its source by twisting off the Golem's head, but ultimately failed.
The Outer Path Golem had withstood Kamui; its head's eye bled heavily but quickly recovered. At least this proved that the Golem could be harmed by power below Six Paths level.
Theoretically, then, the Shinigami could accomplish this by slicing chakra.
Whoosh!
The Shinigami drew its blade and slashed one of the Golem's fingers—and sure enough, it cut through.
Roar!!
The Outer Path Golem, initially in a deep slumber, suddenly "awoke," instinctively letting out a frenzied wail. The sound seemed to condense all the sins and endings of the world. Its extreme rage and malice spread swiftly from the mountain graveyard into the surrounding area.
The effect, however, was minimal. At most, a group of Iron Country warriors noticed something, but they couldn't discern the details. There was no ultimate sensory ninja like Uzumaki Mito to locate them.
"This… this… this… did I see that wrong? One of the Outer Path Golem's fingers is damaged, like it was sliced horizontally. Does that even make sense?! How could he do this to the Golem? Even Lord Madara didn't do this during his research!"
White Zetsu was stunned. He was the first White Zetsu created by Madara, so he had witnessed Madara's subsequent studies of the Outer Path Golem, but he had never seen Madara intentionally damage it—let alone cut off a finger.
Black Zetsu was also frozen, falling into long silence. He was shocked at Kaede Tsukasa's boldness and furious that "Mother" was being desecrated in this way.
Well, the Outer Path Golem was only the Ten-Tails' shell and not strictly Mother, but since Mother and the Ten-Tails had once fused, Kaede Tsukasa's actions were also a desecration of Mother!!
"How dare this guy do something like this… How could he?! And he actually succeeded!"
Black Zetsu was enraged.
I hold you as a treasure, yet you treat me like this?
Because Black Zetsu was created late, he didn't know much about Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's life, but that didn't stop him from seeing the Outer Path Golem as part of her—though she and the Ten-Tails were not truly the same.
Black Zetsu stared at Kaede Tsukasa's back, tempted to pierce his heart, but he restrained himself, ensuring no murderous intent was revealed.
"Black Zetsu, you're shocked too, right? I feel like you're trembling a little. Are you okay?" White Zetsu rotated his eyes, concerned about his other half.
"…I'm fine. More than fine, actually. Seeing Lord Kaede able to easily harm the Outer Path Golem, as the will of Lord Kaede, I am extremely excited," Black Zetsu said through gritted teeth, each word low and tense.
He was worried Kaede Tsukasa would continue, now that one finger was already damaged. If this continued…
Would an Outer Path Golem missing a finger affect Mother after her resurrection? Probably not, right?
Aburame Ryōma, ever one to enjoy the chaos, was thrilled wherever there was action.
"Wahaha, this is incredible! Is this really the Shikigami Sealing Technique under Zombie Release? It's definitely different from the one that old lady used—it can be used multiple times!"
Aburame Ryōma had witnessed the full horror of the Shikigami Sealing Technique firsthand. One touch and it was over.
But the version Kaede Tsukasa used was special—it could be used repeatedly. How many times, nobody knew.
They didn't have to wait long to find out. Since Kaede Tsukasa's will had been consumed by the Shinigami, he had to summon new zombies again to continue the Shikigami Sealing Technique.
"As expected of the Outer Path Golem. Even though the Shikigami Sealing I'm performing has weak destructive power—not enough to rival Uzumaki Mito's—at the very least it can summon the Shinigami to strike. But one slash… and it only cut this small gap…"
Kaede Tsukasa estimated about a quarter. And that was just the effect from ordinary zombies performing the technique. He immediately summoned elite Jonin Terai and Sabaku Araki, split their wills in two, and had them make the zombies perform the Shikigami Sealing Technique again.
No matter what, today he would pry a piece off the Outer Path Golem—even Kaguya herself couldn't stop him!
"Lord Kaede!"
Black Zetsu couldn't hold back upon seeing Kaede Tsukasa determined to continue, vowing not to stop until a finger was severed. He shouted, "Performing this technique—won't it harm your soul? With Lord Madara in trouble, we're relying entirely on you. You absolutely cannot get hurt! The Shikigami Sealing, this forbidden technique—"
"Shut up, or I'll kill you."
Kaede Tsukasa cut him off without looking back. His eyes had somehow switched to the Mangekyō Sharingan. Focused on meticulous observation, he directed the Shinigami to execute the most precise cuts, leaving not a single flaw.
"You are my will. Whatever I do, you just cheer. No objections, understand your place!"
He calmly continued, "If your opinion opposes my actions, I will immediately make you a sacrifice for the Shikigami Sealing. The Shinigami will deal with you, and you can keep company with the many fragments of my will within it."
Black Zetsu fell silent. Even he, biased toward Yin Release from Kaguya's lineage, wouldn't dare challenge the Shinigami.
His inner rage burned hotter and hotter, yet he could do nothing. In his thousand-year existence, he had never been this angry. He could only vent a little in frustration.
Terai and Sabaku Araki performed the technique one after the other. With greater power, they directed the Shinigami to strike two more times.
The Outer Path Golem let out an even more harrowing scream. Then, with a crisp snap like breaking bones, its right-hand index finger was forcibly severed by Kaede Tsukasa.
Bang!
Even a single finger hitting the ground felt like a thousand pounds. After all, this was part of the Ten-Tails—its weight exaggerated beyond measure.
"Excellent, success. That solves the problem. My plan now has more depth. Whether it's needed is one thing—but when it's needed, it absolutely cannot be missing—that's another matter."
Kaede Tsukasa was highly satisfied.
With the Four-Tails' chakra and Nine-Tails' chakra in his possession, he wondered what might happen if fused with this severed finger.
And if he acquired the chakra of the remaining seven Tailed Beasts? Using all of it on this finger—could he form a miniature Ten-Tails?
Theoretically possible, though it would require meticulous operations—using powerful sealing techniques to strengthen containment, ensuring the nine types of Tailed Beast chakra remained compressed within the finger, and so on.
But that was for the future.
After its scream, the Outer Path Golem trembled violently for a moment before returning to silence.
Kaede Tsukasa glanced at it, sensing an odd impression—it seemed like a starving little beast that had its flesh cut, pitiful.
When Kakashi had attacked it, the creature had already swallowed seven Tailed Beasts. Even though Obito had extracted six of them to create a new Six Paths of Pain, it had at least tasted something.
Now, after a thousand years of starvation, it hadn't eaten a thing—and had a finger chopped off. Truly miserable.
"How pitiful… Outer Path Golem. I suppose your situation will only change once the Ten-Tails is resurrected."
Kaede Tsukasa jumped down, stood before the severed finger, and sealed it with a sealing scroll.
After using the Shikigami Sealing Technique three times consecutively, even Kaede Tsukasa felt some discomfort. His body was fine, but the extreme weakness and damage to his soul were far more tormenting—an omnipresent sting.
Physical injuries could still be mitigated with anesthesia, nerve severing, or medical ninjutsu.
But the damage to the soul—even if it was just a tiny superficial layer—couldn't be directly repaired. The soul had to heal itself.
This was also the first time Kaede Tsukasa had used the Shikigami Sealing Technique three times consecutively. Last time, when facing Hanzo, he had only used it twice in a row.
"If I continue using the Shikigami Sealing Technique, I could succeed, but the damage to me would increase. Unless absolutely necessary, I must never do this again. Using it twice in a battle is reasonable; three times is tolerable."
Unless Kaede Tsukasa found a way to strengthen his soul—to make it enormous, resilient, and capable of rapid self-healing—then he could freely wield such a forbidden technique.
Kaede Tsukasa narrowed his eyes, imagining a future where his body was perfect and his soul powerful. At that level, anyone below Six Paths couldn't harm him in the slightest.
But there was still a long way to go.
"I've also taken Madara's corpse. You all stay here. No extra actions without my order."
Kaede Tsukasa looked at Aburame Ryōma and the others, announcing his decision: "Before Madara officially resurrects, I want to properly use his body. Consider this compensation for all the information he hid from me."
Whoosh!
Kaede Tsukasa activated the Void Technique and returned to Konoha Village.
Only a single zombie remained in place, unconsciously biting at something.
Aburame Ryōma waited a moment, making sure Kaede Tsukasa wouldn't suddenly return, and then asked, "Can we really trust this guy? Lord Madara never said to let Kaede Tsukasa inherit his remaining power. Is it reasonable for us to blindly follow his orders? I feel I might as well act freely—pursuing the truth of personal desire seems more meaningful."
"I don't know. What do you think, Black Zetsu?"
"Patiently wait for Lord Madara's return. That's always correct," Black Zetsu said coldly.
"But what if Madara is truly dead? And if he didn't use that Sharingan ability Kaede Tsukasa mentioned? What should we do then?"
"Then we continue following Lord Kaede's orders. No matter what, we must ensure the Eye of the Moon Plan progresses smoothly," Black Zetsu said.
…
Kaede Tsukasa returned to Konoha.
Holding the aged Madara's shadow-level combat strength in his hands, he felt a little more confident. He had spent the last couple of days quietly at home, not going out to show presence while villagers whispered about the mysterious state of emergency.
Now things were better. Under the cover of night, dark and windy, it was perfect for someone like him to move unseen.
"Hm?"
Kaede Tsukasa paused slightly before opening the door, thinking for a moment.
After another pause, he opened the door, stepped onto the street, and saw Kushina standing under a streetlamp.
Having money was nice. With a new house, she could now see streetlights outside. Thanks to his efforts over the past two years, he had not only contributed to the village but also recruited many others into his own team to serve the village.
At this hour, even if Madara were released to stroll through the village, no one would recognize him.
"Blocking our door in the middle of the night, Kushina—what's your problem?"
Kaede Tsukasa held several summoning scrolls, hanging them neatly at his waist, dressed in clothes purchased specifically for the occasion, looking meticulous.
His tone was calm, unaffected even by seeing the village's jinchūriki after two days.
"I heard you have some sensory abilities. Didn't you notice me all this time? If word got out, you'd be laughed at," Kushina said, her expression perfectly normal, showing no fatigue. As a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan and Nine-Tails jinchūriki, any injury would heal with sleep.
If Naruto could do it, Kushina certainly could.
Kaede Tsukasa said calmly, "I noticed you the moment you arrived, but I didn't know what you intended. At first, I thought you weren't looking for me, so I waited deliberately."
He pointed to the dense trees about two meters from Kushina. "There, I buried a corpse. You just stepped over it, which is how I sensed you. This method isn't as refined as your Nine-Tails sensing, but it has some use."
"…"
Kushina frowned, then relaxed. A Zombie Release ninja burying a corpse at his doorstep—perfectly reasonable. Absolutely reasonable.
Kaede Tsukasa gestured around the area and said, "By the way, I've buried quite a few around my house. Some of the ANBU assigned to protect you are right next to my corpses."
Still, there was silence. Not a single ANBU stirred, though hearing his words might have caused some internal unease.
Kaede Tsukasa guessed that those assigned to protect the new Nine-Tails jinchūriki were probably the son and daughter-in-law of the Third Hokage. These two would die shortly after giving birth to Konohamaru, leaving behind no trace of their appearance or names.
Kushina spoke softly, "I don't have Granny Mito's sensory abilities… I can't sense your setup at all."
"Mm, I figured. So what brings you here? If it's nothing, you should go back. I have work to do. With the contribution I've brought back for you, the village will likely adjust my official position. I wonder how long I can stay in the corpse handling department."
Kaede Tsukasa stepped out, standing across from Kushina.
Only then did the ANBU move, instinctively tensing their bodies, ready to act at any moment.
It wasn't that they feared Kaede Tsukasa would attack Kushina, but anyone approaching the new Nine-Tails jinchūriki was naturally suspect.
Kushina's identity as the new jinchūriki was too sensitive to confine her forcibly within a special barrier, so the ANBU had to keep a close watch.
Kaede Tsukasa noticed their movements but didn't care. He didn't even care about Kushina, let alone these small gestures.
He walked calmly toward her, examining the red-haired girl up close. She was indeed attractive, but nothing extraordinary.
Kaede Tsukasa had no interest in her romantically—not because of any concerns about Naruto's birth or ruining some "precognitive" plan. No matter how Asura's reincarnation turned out in this generation, Tsunade and Dan would handle the contingencies.
It was purely for one reason: he and someone like Kushina were reproductively isolated.
A purebred carbon-based primate cannot reproduce with a hybrid of primate and plant DNA. No matter how much effort, it would be a complete waste of energy.
Kaede Tsukasa valued his energy and time; his physical stamina could be freely expended thanks to his One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu.
Kushina looked at him earnestly. "You must have heard something about me. In the village, only Granny Mito and I are descendants of the Uzumaki Clan. Now I'm the last one. I don't have anyone I can truly trust in the village… thinking it over, it might as well be you."
"Ah, so you hope I can strengthen the village bond through you? That's too troublesome. Besides the Nine-Tails chakra, there's nothing on you that I truly want," Kaede Tsukasa refused.
His focus now needed to shift to cultivating the body he desired. Various genetic experiments, even human trials, had to proceed. This was when his Zombie Release could truly shine; he didn't want to waste time with Kushina.
"Really? That's quite practical… I wonder what Lord Mito saw in you. Perhaps from the first time we met at that barbecue restaurant, the result was decided. Without you, I might not even have become the Nine-Tails jinchūriki," Kushina said.
Instinctively, she held her stomach. "I can feel it. It hurts… I hurt too. Suddenly, the world seems filled with pain…"
"I see. That's a new realization after initially adapting to coexisting with the Nine-Tails, isn't it? That's normal. You were with Minato, right? That should make you fourteen… no, maybe fifteen. A truly beautiful age."
Kaede Tsukasa strolled through the dark streets. A few shops were still open. Konoha might be the largest military district in the Land of Fire, but it wasn't all killing machines—some normal businesses stayed open overnight.
Kushina followed half a step behind, head lowered, silent, her mind a chaotic storm, memories bombarding her like ninjutsu.
She remembered arriving in Konoha for the first time, feeling lonely and desperate in an unfamiliar place.
She remembered entering the ninja academy for the first time, introducing herself and declaring she would become the first female Hokage in Konoha's history, only to be laughed at by the entire class.
She remembered being beaten daily by groups of boys, noses black and faces bruised, until one day she fought back, leaving her classmates wailing in pain.
Her memories froze at Granny Mito's final words to her.
Since coming to this village, she had never felt a sense of belonging, never understanding what "home" truly meant, especially since the entire Land of Whirlpools was gone.
"Boss, two orders of dango and two pots of sake," Kaede Tsukasa stopped in front of an izakaya.
"Sure thing. 1900 ryo. The war just ended, so the drinks are expensive—but the person behind you cannot drink the sake."
"That's fine, no need to worry. I have a strong tolerance—what are you reaching for? The woman behind me is paying."
Kaede Tsukasa rolled his eyes and pointed his thumb backward.
"Huh? A guy and a girl come out, and it's the girl paying the bill?"
"Heh, I'm not used to paying myself."
Kaede Tsukasa stared at Kushina, urging her to hand over the money.
Kushina looked up at him, who seemed completely self-assured, then glanced at the izakaya owner.
She realized she was being treated as an easy target, yet she didn't mind. Being singled out as "needed" by a recognized genius… it felt… not bad?
At least it suggested that someone important in the village actually needed her. She wasn't just a container for restraining the Nine-Tails; that much she could assume.
"H-here you go!"
Nervously, Kushina pulled out her wallet—a clearly well-crafted piece, perhaps a small gift left to her by Granny Mito.
Kaede Tsukasa frowned, pulled out some money, and tossed it to the owner without looking: "Keep the change."
Clink, clink…
Walking down the street, Kaede Tsukasa first handed Kushina a skewer of dango.
"You should've refused me earlier."
Chewing, finding the taste mediocre (who knew why locals liked this food?), he spoke to Kushina:
"Huh?"
"You should've refused me. No one deserves your one-sided effort, not even me. Whatever you think about me, or your connection to Mito, that's your personal view. What I do is accept a mission and execute it. If pressed, I might be slightly interested in the Nine-Tails chakra granted by Lord Mito."
He thought for a moment and emphasized: "You still owe me some Nine-Tails chakra. Remember to return it later. It's very useful. If the Hokage knew, I doubt he'd complain."
"You think I have a good temper?" Kushina widened her eyes.
"I've heard your nickname 'Red Hot-Blooded Habanero' when chatting with some juniors. Because of that, don't you think you're a bit dull now? Where's your confidence, your fiery spirit? Don't belittle yourself for outside approval. Never do that."
Kaede Tsukasa looked up at the full moon. He seemed to enjoy this rare form of entertainment, perhaps searching for traces of the Giant Reincarnation Eye. "Life isn't just about seeking approval. The self is the core."
"But Lord Mito didn't teach me that. My mission is to be the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, to protect the village with the efforts of generations. That is my life…"
"The life everyone expects of you."
Kaede Tsukasa interrupted, "Life itself has no inherent meaning. But if you persevere, you might discover interesting things. Pleasing yourself—that's true enjoyment."
These were words from the future Orochimaru, his reflection when he could no longer turn back, his critique of life itself.
"Have some sake."
Kaede Tsukasa opened two pots of sake and handed one—perhaps better called a bottle—to Kushina.
She froze, hesitated, then actually took it. Smelling the sake, she wavered, unsure whether to drink it.
The ANBU began to panic.
"Captain, how can he encourage the Nine-Tails jinchūriki to drink?! This isn't right! Kushina has only been a jinchūriki for a few days. We don't know her control over the Nine-Tails. If she gets drunk, what if the Nine-Tails breaks free…"
"And she's underage! Encouraging her to do this violates village regulations!"
Some ANBU were about to jump in and stop this absurd act.
So he bought alcohol and actually handed it to an underage jinchūriki girl?
"Don't move."
"Captain!"
"I said don't move. While you were watching them, you were already being watched. Look above your head."
The ANBU looked up. Hair stood on end, hearts racing.
A head hung from the dense leaves, staring up at him. Its gray-white eyes held no spark—only utter numbness and deathly silence.
"A zombie? When—when did it get this close?!"
"It didn't move closer. Any movement would make a sound, and we wouldn't miss it. So it's been here all along? No wonder they walked this way—there's a setup here."
"Damn it! How many corpses has Kaede Tsukasa secretly placed in the corners of the village? And judging by this one, it hasn't decayed—it's fresh, so no smell? This is outrageous! Doesn't the village even care?"
The ANBU felt terror at the thought that a dead body could touch them in such a place. And if the corpse wanted, it could bite them, or even ambush them and turn them into part of its own horde—horrifying.
The captain spoke in his usual icy tone: "You can't directly interfere. Orders haven't been issued, and the corpses would just run off. How would you control that? This is his jutsu. You stop him from using it? Then what about other ninja? You could try convincing the Konoha Guard to hand over their Sharingan and stop using it—see if they let you get away with it."
"Forget it. I heard that clan's been agitated lately. Apparently, a few days ago during the lockdown, the village ordered the guard to stay put, forbidding any roaming to maintain order…"
Not only were they denied authority, but their responsibilities were taken and they were collectively distrusted. Unbelievable.
Even the Uchiha, stupid as they could be, should have figured it out after a few days—this concerns the Nine-Tails jinchūriki!
The only small comfort was that the other two prominent families were also restricted; even Tsunade was on distant watch, never entering the core area.
Still, the Senju and Hyūga weren't even in charge of guard duties!
Gulp, gulp.
While the ANBU wrestled with these thoughts, Kushina had already finished her sake, a flush rising to her cheeks, then she coughed—someone drinking straight from a full bottle on their first try was either desperate or foolish.
Unfortunately for Kushina, she was both.
"If you go berserk drunk, I'll transfer you out of the village. Lord Mito's sealing technique should be reliable, but you… not so much."
Kaede Tsukasa spared her no dignity, scolding her bluntly while sipping his own sake slowly.
Some time later.
Kaede Tsukasa left Kushina's home—the former house of Mito Uzumaki—without ceremony, tossing the bed aside. He had bigger matters to attend to.
The ANBU exchanged worried glances, continuing their task of protecting Kushina, nervously monitoring her in case she transformed into the Nine-Tails in her sleep.
In the Hokage building, the Third Hokage peered into his crystal ball, letting out a slight sigh of relief.
"I see… everything seems to be going smoothly. But as it continues, I can't say if that's good or bad."
He took a puff from his pipe, watching the smoke rise, lost in thought.
Ideally, he wanted a reliable descendant of the Hokage lineage to form a deep bond with Kushina.
In short, his ideal candidate was Minato Namikaze—his grandstudent, sunny and talented, perfectly suited to Kushina.
If a bond formed between them, Kushina's lack of belonging to the village would be resolved—a simple, effective solution.
But for now, Kushina seemed more focused on Kaede Tsukasa. Understandable—Kaede had been involved in Mito Uzumaki's demise and had gained the special gift of the Nine-Tails chakra.
"That should be fine as well. Kaede Tsukasa is also a space-time ninja. Even if Kushina truly lost control, he could instantly transfer her away, preventing the Nine-Tails from wreaking havoc in the village."
Still, it wasn't perfect. Minato would have been better, but if not, it couldn't be helped. With the Third Hokage's personality, if Minato wasn't interested in Kushina, he wouldn't intervene.
Observing quietly, letting things unfold, the Third Hokage maintained his usual style. Even if the Nine-Tails jinchūriki was sensitive, as long as he closely monitored her and Kaede Tsukasa to ensure their thoughts and actions remained within the Will of Fire, there would be no problem.
So far, there were no issues.
Surely Kaede Tsukasa wouldn't go rogue with Kushina and betray the village—such absurdity was unimaginable. The Third Hokage chuckled quietly to himself.
It was late at night.
Kaede Tsukasa walked alone.
"Hm, the Third Hokage probably isn't watching me anymore. The crystal ball jutsu really is useful—I still haven't found a way to break it."
Kaede Tsukasa had a certain level of sensory ability, essentially using zombies to patrol the surroundings. Whatever the zombies saw, he could know—somewhat similar to Pain's Six Paths shared vision.
But this so-called perception had a flaw: the zombies couldn't directly "see" chakra.
Even the Inuzuka clan wouldn't be able to break the crystal ball jutsu.
The Hyūga, on the other hand, were convenient—they could use their Byakugan to directly see the surrounding chakra. If something seemed off, they could confirm they were being monitored remotely.
Kaede Tsukasa went straight to Orochimaru.
"A rare visitor. Could it be that the village has lifted its surveillance on you?"
Orochimaru, in pajamas, smelled Kaede Tsukasa's presence even before opening the door, and his tongue instinctively flicked out in excitement.
"It's over, I suppose. The village has many powerful jutsu—it's normal, I didn't notice being watched. But you… I thought you'd already started your experiments, yet you're sleeping?"
Kaede Tsukasa walked in without hesitation, treating himself as if he belonged, surveying the overly tidy courtyard. Sure enough, this guy was rich. Kaede Tsukasa couldn't afford a house like this, right in the village center.
There was even a pond in the yard.
"Heh heh heh, normal people need rest. Don't you rest, Kaede-kun? Transferring two Nine-Tails jinchūriki must be stressful. If it were me, I'd need a long sleep to recover."
"I don't need rest. The One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu and Nine-Tails chakra are enough."
"Is that so? I'm envious. Kaede-kun always manages to excite the deepest part of one's mind with the simplest words." Orochimaru's smile stretched exaggeratedly, almost to his ears. Every time he saw Kaede Tsukasa, he couldn't hide his excitement.
"Spare me the pleasantries. I've decided to join your experiments. How far along are you?"
"I'm researching cell transplantation. Gene editing still has technical difficulties, but I feel we're close. With enough human experiments, gene editing will reach a major breakthrough. We might soon be able to manually transplant kekkei genkai."
Orochimaru poured Kaede Tsukasa a cup of hot tea and chuckled lowly: "Speaking of which, I recently discovered something interesting. Kato Dan seems to have mastered a new jutsu—I even heard an explosion, though only once… Kaede-kun, perhaps you know some insider info? They must trust you immensely."
"I removed the internal organs and spine from the Explosion Release corpse and attached them to Senior Dan. Without doing that, he couldn't have survived. Fortunately, it worked. He's benefited from misfortune, roughly mastering the Explosion Release kekkei genkai. How strong he can become is unclear—I don't know if it can match a true Explosion Release kekkei genkai," Kaede Tsukasa said casually.
What came next required far more technical skill than crude organ transplantation.
Using the Corpse Technique in this way was nearly invincible. Any dead body could have its cells reactivated via his Self-Rebirth Jutsu, and then Orochimaru could perform cell transplantation—greatly accelerating research progress.
Kaede Tsukasa believed that Orochimaru still didn't dare to go all-in, directly conducting almost-suicidal human experiments with Hashirama cells, since the Hokage hadn't given approval yet.
But this was only a matter of time.
"I see, Kaede-kun. Being born in this era, having you here, is truly a blessing for all of us. Working with you is fantastic—I can't wait to get started."
"Since you can't wait, then let's act. I also hope to contribute to the village and improve its combat strength as much as possible," Kaede Tsukasa said without even blinking as he lied.
Orochimaru could tell that Kaede Tsukasa had his own agenda, but what could it be? To involve someone capable of controlling corpses and resurrecting the dead in human experiments… was he coveting certain kekkei genkai from the village?
It was possible, but Orochimaru had a feeling things weren't that simple.
"Good. Danzo can't interfere with us for now. During this vacuum period, we can accelerate our experiments. I think we'll both get what we want, right?"
Slurp!
Orochimaru flicked out his tongue.
"Yes, let's hope so."
Kaede Tsukasa nodded.
The two figures departed that night, diving straight into a hidden laboratory.
The following period would be spent in intense experiments, preparing for the upcoming human trials.
"Kaede-kun, I remember you acquired Nine-Tails chakra. With your One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu, are you also interested in tailed beast chakra? You probably won't need it, right?"
Orochimaru sliced open a corpse's chest. Kaede Tsukasa pressed his hand on it, reactivating the inert organs, and said calmly: "It's not so much that I'm interested in tailed beast chakra as I am in the tailed beasts themselves. Having achieved immortality, my attention doesn't linger on transient lives. I focus more on extraordinary existences… immortal, undying, indestructible tailed beasts naturally fall into my view."
Orochimaru paused, a pang of jealousy stirring within him.
Damn it. The very immortality he had pursued so desperately was described so casually by Kaede Tsukasa. That composure… it was almost unbearable.
"Then, I do know some particularly interesting news… Are you interested in the Eight-Tails' chakra?"