Finally caught him.
Facing an opponent like Yozuki, even if he hadn't reached his peak yet, there was absolutely no room for carelessness. One slip, and this guy could easily escape.
A massive Shinigami phantom appeared behind Kaede Tsukasa, its spectral hands extending from its abdomen, merging into Yozuki's body and tightly grasping his soul.
"What… what is this?!" Yozuki's eyes widened as he stared at the suddenly appearing, terrifying demon. He wanted to retreat immediately, but found that his body couldn't move at all.
"Surprised? An excellent ninja always keeps a little trump card for himself. I specifically hid this move just to catch you."
Kaede Tsukasa said calmly, "From now on, your soul belongs to me. No matter how strong your body is, how will you defend against an attack on the soul? Even the mighty Lightning Release Chakra Mode is useless in the face of my technique."
This was the only weakness of Lightning Release Chakra Mode: it couldn't strengthen the soul itself. Then again, there were very few techniques in the entire ninja world that directly targeted the soul.
Yozuki felt something inside his body being slowly pulled out by the hands covered in strange runes, as if he were being split into two parts.
Even without training in soul techniques, he immediately realized that this ghostly thing was pulling at his soul.
"So what? As long as I kill you, it's over. Dead, you can't use this technique to kill me, can you? With your insides destroyed, how much time do you have left to kill me?"
Yozuki roared, straining his muscles. Every centimeter he moved felt like he was staggering forward under a mountain, while simultaneously struggling against the hands' power, trying desperately to buy time.
To outsiders, the two seemed locked in place, unmoving, their words equally perplexing.
"Strange… why aren't they moving? What is Lord Yozuki doing?"
"Kill him already! Chop off his head and end this terrifying fight!"
"This isn't good… something's wrong…"
With Yozuki's volatile temper, standing still was the biggest problem. Immediately, several Cloud ninjas rushed forward, intending to help Yozuki kill Kaede Tsukasa.
Swish, swish, swish!
At that moment, the zombies that had been stationary suddenly launched an attack again, instantly knocking the Cloud ninjas to the ground. More zombies scrambled over, leaping onto the enemies, biting and tearing with ferocious hunger.
The horrifying screams pierced the heart, blood and flesh spraying like collapsing willpower. The sounds of chewing and swallowing were the cruelest dirge, plunging one from heaven into an even deeper hell, gut-wrenching and soul-shattering.
"Why are these corpses moving again? Wasn't that guy dead?!"
"Don't panic. He's lost his insides, but the remaining blood and oxygen in his body still supply his brain. That lets him survive a few more dozen seconds."
"Right… that must be it… but really? Then why can these corpses suddenly and accurately launch coordinated attacks on our people?"
"Could it be…"
Troy's fingers trembled as he controlled a small square shuriken on the ground, sending it flying toward the head of Araki.
He knew Kaede Tsukasa didn't care about the fate of ordinary zombies, but a powerful corpse like Araki would certainly be noticed.
Buzz!
A flow of sand surged in front of Araki, deflecting the square shuriken.
"Damn it… it really happened… but why? It's definitely the real body. Any normal person would have died from this kind of attack!" Troy lay on the ground, panting furiously, his face full of frustration.
The few survivors all felt a bone-chilling cold rising from within. Kaede Tsukasa's combat style had already exceeded their comprehension. Enduring massive casualties, fighting a bloody battle against corpses that were already dead, suffering heavy losses, they had once been pushed to the brink of despair.
Finally, they managed to kill Kaede Tsukasa—but why didn't he die?
"No medical ninjutsu, no other bodies to perform that energy-transferring technique… how is this possible? Why didn't our leader just smash his head in and finish him off completely?"
Troy's entire body went cold. Instinctively, he looked at the expressionless Araki. Even though Araki's eyes weren't focused, Troy clearly understood that Araki had been watching him alone all along.
From this distance, Araki looked almost human. His skin was a bit gray, but that wasn't an issue—it meant Kaede Tsukasa had been carefully maintaining Araki using the energy-transfer technique.
"In the future… will I become like this too? A corpse carefully preserved, sent out to kill my comrades in the village?" Troy sighed deeply.
The Cloud ninjas didn't dare move, continuously voicing their fear and unease.
Yozuki heard everything, but his body was completely rigid. He had barely managed to touch Kaede Tsukasa's neck with one hand, preparing to exert some force.
This would take a little time.
"With these injuries, and using a forbidden technique that attacks the soul… your fate won't be much better. Planning to die along with me? Hmph, bold, but I won't let you succeed."
Veins bulged on Yozuki's forehead, sweat poured down, tension mounting. He gathered all his strength, gradually closing his hand to try to crush Kaede Tsukasa's head.
If the head were separated from the body, it shouldn't be able to control the body to perform techniques anymore, right? Then this terrifying forbidden technique would naturally be nullified.
He would be the final victor!
"Haven't realized yet? Seems you lack the instincts of a beast… or maybe you've noticed, but refuse to accept reality? No wonder—this body just recently died. It's extremely fresh."
Kaede Tsukasa spoke, but the voice came from another direction.
Another Kaede Tsukasa appeared in Yozuki's line of sight. He casually sat atop a coffin, one leg dangling, his relaxed posture like someone savoring a wonderful stage play, still enjoying the aftertaste.
"You—" Yozuki clenched his teeth and turned to look at this Kaede Tsukasa.
"Fame and achievements have their advantages. I had the chance to learn techniques I hadn't mastered before, especially medical ninjutsu… Dead Soul Technique. If you've gathered intelligence on me, you'd know it can, in a very short time, reshape a corpse's form and appearance, even temporarily make the heart beat."
Kaede Tsukasa said calmly, "I'm sorry, I just casually pulled out one of your comrades and modified him on the spot, using him to temporarily act in my place. After I last used the Void Technique, what you saw was essentially your recently deceased comrade. If you look closely, you could even see the stitch marks on the back of his neck… though now, you can't move."
Yozuki's face turned ashen.
All surviving Cloud ninjas fell into a deathly silence, staring hopelessly at the surrounding zombies, realizing they were trapped in an inescapable cage. Every corpse bared its bloodied teeth, ready to lunge and tear them apart.
"We lost… boss, we all lost. Maybe we shouldn't have started this mission in the first place."
Troy sighed, brushing away the hands of the medical ninja who had been trying to heal him, helplessly lying on the ground and staring at the deep night sky.
"Silence, Troy! As a Cloud Hidden ninja, even if it costs your life, you must complete the village's mission. Sacrifice is an honor!" Yozuki shouted sharply.
"That's right, you're correct. I'm not upset about failing the mission, just frustrated that we've been fighting a group of corpses from start to finish. Even if we killed them all, there's nothing to be proud of—the real enemy remains unharmed."
In the final moments of life, in the brief gap where self-awareness still existed, Troy's mindset had leveled.
There was no way. Really no way. How could they face an enemy like Kaede Tsukasa? Even if they defeated him, killing this time-space ninja was nearly impossible. If he escaped, he could raise another force in minutes. Meanwhile, their living numbers dwindled with every battle, while the enemy could, in some sense, increase theirs.
They finally devised a strategy, ready to succeed, but Kaede Tsukasa's real body hid again, sending a substitute to act in his place, while arranging an unknown forbidden technique on the substitute to bind Yozuki, a physically invincible warrior.
"Sometimes, space ninjutsu can directly bind someone like you with a forbidden technique, and shamelessly use something like the Death Soul Technique as a substitute—using our freshly dead comrades as the material…"
It was completely unsolvable. This trinity defense meant that, in a chaotic battle involving hundreds of people, they were utterly powerless against Kaede Tsukasa.
Exhausted… damn it, destroy everything! Troy had never fought a battle like this in his life! Scouring the history of ninja wars, he hadn't even heard of anything like this!
From another perspective, people in the future would live in hellish conditions, constantly facing wars like this… although he couldn't see it himself—he could only witness it through corpses.
"Do not despair. Your bodies will become my most reliable comrades, fighting alongside me until the ninja world is destroyed. Of course, most of you will fall behind, either killed by head destruction or consumed as material to heal other zombies."
Kaede Tsukasa jumped down and said slowly, "Anyway, you were all going to die eventually. I can let you see farther landscapes—you should thank me for that."
"Shut your mouth! I will never become your puppet, nor your weapon to attack the village!" Yozuki roared in fury.
At that moment, even he didn't realize it, he was scared. Not of death—being a ninja, being the next Raikage by fate, Yozuki had long accepted that—but if his corpse fell into Kaede Tsukasa's hands and was repeatedly used…
He would die with resentment!
He absolutely would not allow it!
"You Yozuki clan brat… if you become my servant, I will use countless corpses to venerate you, keeping you in perfect health. Soon enough, your body will 'evolve' from carrying so much life energy… Araki, who first fell into my hands, has already surpassed his living strength."
Kaede Tsukasa casually pointed at the motionless Araki—his proudest creation so far: eternally healthy, eternally gazing into the distance.
Moreover, with long-term nurturing, the body's strength continued to increase. Perhaps one day it might even reach Raikage level.
"Also, let me tell you something: even if you attacked my real body, not the substitute created with the Death Soul Technique, you still couldn't kill me."
Kaede Tsukasa looked at his Death Soul substitute.
Chest pierced? All the zombies present were just material from the Rebirth Technique. As long as enough life energy was accumulated, injuries that couldn't kill him in one blow were insignificant.
Yozuki finally crushed the substitute's neck, but it was already useless.
Looking down, he saw that a part of his soul had already been pulled out.
"Hmph… this level of attack can't kill me…" Yozuki struggled to resist.
"I never intended to kill you outright. Using corpses, this technique is actually limited in effect, but it's enough to leave a lifelong mark on you. Even Hanzō wouldn't dare resist this absolute forbidden technique."
Kaede Tsukasa formed a hand seal: "Seal!"
Swish!
The Shinigami eagerly lifted the knife in its mouth high and, while Yozuki's eyes widened in terror, slashed down mercilessly!
Without a sound, Yozuki's body remained intact, yet he deeply felt that he had permanently lost a crucial part of himself!
His body could move again, but his right hand was unbearably heavy, suddenly dropping. He had to drag it along with his body.
He watched in horror as strange runes, like those on the spiritual hands, appeared on his right hand—but in the next blink, they vanished. He knew this was no illusion.
"Give me back my hand!!"
Yozuki smashed the Death Soul substitute's abdomen with his other fist, but it was useless. The corpse was merely a medium; that portion of his soul had already entered the Shinigami's stomach.
He tried to attack the Shinigami, desperately activating his Lightning Release Chakra, but couldn't harm it in the slightest. The massive demon seemed like a phantom that didn't exist in reality.
"You sealed my hand?" Yozuki gritted his teeth. So what? Lightning Release Chakra Mode didn't require hand seals, and normal attacks still had terrifying destructive power. Even without one hand, he could still exert 80% of his strength!
"It's not over yet. I've only disabled one of your hands. I won't let you go so easily."
Kaede Tsukasa immediately changed the hand seals and performed the Corpse Technique, specifically targeting Yozuki's right hand!
The hand, having lost its soul, could no longer form seals or use chakra. Lightning Release Chakra Mode couldn't fully cover it, making it a useless burden—but this was exactly the breakthrough Kaede Tsukasa exploited with the Corpse Technique.
The powerful Lightning Release armor, combining offense and defense, was certainly hard to break through—but once hit by the Zombie Release, it was a different story.
Yozuki felt something wrong with his right hand, as if something was rapidly spreading up his arm into his body.
"You… you want to turn me into your living corpse?"
Lightning surged again across Yozuki's body, but it was clearly unsustainable. He had already exhausted too much chakra, and the damage to his soul far exceeded his physical fatigue, forcing him to endure pain no ordinary person could bear.
"Boss, run! We can still fight! If you run with all your might, he won't catch you!" Troy suddenly shouted.
"Shut up! Do you want me to become a worthless coward who abandons his comrades?"
"Dying is easy, but then what? The enemy will use your corpse to desperately attack the village. The village will expend enormous effort to kill you, yet Kaede Tsukasa won't be harmed in the slightest! This is a profitless deal—you wouldn't let the enemy make that business, right?" Troy sighed.
"Troy is right. Run!"
"Yozuki, only by staying alive do you have hope. You must avenge us!"
"That's right. The Zombie Release must have a flaw. When you return, you'll put us to rest!"
The surviving Cloud ninjas all shouted, launching a desperate attack against the zombie horde.
Troy finally said, "Do it, boss. Someone must bring the intelligence on Zombie Release back to the village. Only you can do it. Otherwise, all of our sacrifices would be in vain!"
Yozuki's heart ached, tears streaming down his face: "You damned guys… I'm sorry!"
Shlash!
Yozuki focused in one direction and launched an assault, transforming into a dazzling bolt of lightning and vanishing.
Kaede Tsukasa didn't intervene—not that he could, and now it was unnecessary.
"This should count as a successful experiment. A sudden idea, and I've developed a new technique…"
Kaede Tsukasa watched the disappearing light point thoughtfully.
No matter how invincible an enemy seemed, once hit by Zombie Release, they would inevitably reveal weaknesses—giving Kaede Tsukasa more opportunities to exploit.
If you go further, and cast the Dead Demon Consuming Seal together with the corpse transformation technique... It would be nice if the Zombie Release Secret Technique could be directly inserted into the enemy's body through the spirit hand of the Shinigami.
Kaede Tsukasa ignored the Cloud ninjas ' desperate struggles. He wasn't even interested in listening to their chaotic screams. He looked up at the Shinigami.
"…."
The Shinigami swallowed a piece of soul. It barely counted as a proper effort, ignoring Kaede Tsukasa's intentions entirely. It consumed his will, and its massive spiritual form slowly dissipated.
"Hm, this guy's brain doesn't work. He won't cooperate on his own," Kaede Tsukasa dismissed the thought, deciding he'd have to figure it out himself. There must be some clue that could serve as a breakthrough for this new technique.
Before long, the last of the Cloud ninjas lay on the ground—some already fully zombified, others barely clinging to life.
"They're really persistent. Each elite jōnin is a legend of the ninja world. Watching them makes me extremely pleased."
Kaede Tsukasa approached Troy, generously praising him.
Troy asked, "Now, are you the real body or the Dead Soul Technique substitute?"
"Who knows? I hope that one day, all corpses will become my substitutes. That will be the final stage of the Void Technique, but there's still a long way to go."
Kaede Tsukasa sighed. Honestly, he envied Ban and his Rinne Tomb.
The lowest-level substitute techniques were the common D-rank ninjutsu, using wooden stakes as substitutes; upgraded versions used living creatures like snow rabbits.
The intermediate substitute techniques were the Orochi-style corporeal substitutes.
Above that was the Rinne Tomb. Beyond creating a few shadows, it essentially duplicated several versions of oneself, multiplying combat power while remaining an unsolvable substitute technique. When the real body was attacked, it could instantly swap with a shadow, letting the shadow absorb the damage.
Yes, the effect was similar to Kaede Tsukasa's Void Technique, combining spatial movement with substitution.
The only difference was the limited number of shadows—but the number of zombies was essentially infinite. As long as Kaede Tsukasa didn't exhaust his chakra, he could use countless zombies to replace himself, continuously absorbing enemy attacks.
Moreover, shadows need to periodically return to the original body—but Kaede Tsukasa's zombies didn't. As long as he had enough chakra, he could even swap positions across thousands of kilometers.
If, in the future, the Void Technique were developed to its peak—retaining the advantages of the Rinne Tomb while keeping the zombies able to act independently—that would be the ultimate jutsu, a true work of art.
Unfortunately, how long it would take to achieve that was anyone's guess.
"What an ambitious guy… I hope you don't succeed. Otherwise, the world will be in big trouble." Troy still hoped for an opportunity to strike Kaede Tsukasa, but Kaede Tsukasa didn't give him the chance.
Terai's blade pierced his heart, freezing his life at that moment—but his body remained, long after his soul had departed.
Soon, Troy stood again. Kaede Tsukasa even thoughtfully summoned a few Cloud Hidden zombies, using the Rebirth Technique in turns to repair Troy's injuries.
Now, Troy looked battered, his clothes torn, yet every inch of his skin was unharmed. He stood there, expressionless and numb.
"I'll prepare a fine coffin for you, just for yourself. If you're ever completely incapacitated, I'll destroy the coffin too."
Kaede Tsukasa showed great respect for his elite jōnin, ensuring the other's morale was maximized and that the ceremonial aspect was intact.
Thinking like this, Kaede Tsukasa felt he was truly a generous person.
"Then, this battle is concluded."
He surveyed the battlefield, littered with countless bodies, piled atop one another, silently testifying to the brutality of the war.
After a while, reinforcements from Konoha finally arrived.
"Is that Lord Kaede Tsukasa? I saw a battle erupt here, so we rushed over. Did you really defeat all these enemies by yourself?"
"It looks like enemies of the Cloud Hidden Village, but judging by the battlefield traces and the number of corpses…"
Everyone looked on in horror at the scene. Even though Kaede Tsukasa had recalled all usable zombies, the remaining severed limbs and dismembered bodies were shocking.
Combined with the earlier violent commotion, no ordinary battle could have produced this; it was clear what had happened.
"Finally arrived… a bit late, but it doesn't matter. Even I didn't expect to crush the enemy's invading force so quickly, making your trip pointless."
Kaede Tsukasa spotted Tsume Inuzuka and immediately recognized him as part of a Konoha patrol.
More Konoha ninja soon arrived, utterly astonished.
Kaede Tsukasa said calmly, "According to the plan, I would hold off the enemy until your reinforcements arrived—but I may have overdone it. Except for the lone member of the Yozuki clan who escaped, all three hundred Cloud ninjas died here."
The number of Cloud Hidden corpses present didn't reach three hundred, but no one was naive. They understood Kaede Tsukasa had recalled all usable zombies and naturally didn't ask aloud, their awe only growing.
As Kaede Tsukasa predicted, while this battle didn't fundamentally shift the balance between Konoha and Cloud Hidden Village, the annihilation of three hundred ninjas, the death of an elite jōnin like Troy, and Yozuki's flight were already devastating blows to Cloud Hidden.
From Kaede Tsukasa's perspective alone, the impact on the world was enormous. He had effectively wiped out an elite Cloud Hidden squad with a single person's power!
At seventeen, Kaede Tsukasa already had the ability to form a one-man army, capable of single-handedly fighting a medium-scale war!
The ninja world had never seen this type of shinobi. His achievements caused massive attention, granting Kaede Tsukasa unprecedented prestige.
From then on, he would be officially recognized as "Lord" by the masses, instinctively seen as a Hokage-level ninja—although his solo combat skills weren't yet at that level, the scale of his zombie control often exerted influence beyond that of high-ranking shinobi.
This was the terrifying power of a one-man army.
"Zombie Release… what is its true limit? It's as if the village gained an indestructible, fearless army from nothing," Tsume Inuzuka muttered in disbelief, staring at Kaede Tsukasa brushing the dust from his body.
Two years ago, Kaede Tsukasa had been weak—but now he shone so brightly. Every step of his progress was visible, making it all the more awe-inspiring.
The people of Konoha felt as if they had witnessed a wild surge, the rise of a genius, who had already become a radiant figure in the village.
"Sorry, I couldn't stop that guy."
Dan Kato arrived with reinforcements. He had ambushed a squad in the eastern part of the Land of Fire, planning to block the enemy's retreat at the northeastern outpost.
Kato Dan looked disheveled, his clothing showing signs of explosions—evidence he had just used the Explosion Release kekkei genkai.
Tsunade complained, "That guy's escape speed was too fast—we couldn't stop him. Even after you used the Spiritualization Secret Technique, Danya, we still couldn't catch him!"
"There was nothing I could do. At first, I intended to stop him myself, but that Cloud Hidden ninja was incredibly strong—I suffered some losses," Kato Dan said bitterly.
He had used Explosion Release and only seemed to injure the guy's right hand? Yet to force such a powerful opponent into a hasty retreat, and with the right hand seemingly disabled, Kaede Tsukasa also wiped out three hundred Cloud ninjas —his strength was truly astounding.
Kaede Tsukasa smiled. "Everyone did their best. Letting one enemy go isn't a big deal. Tonight, I still have to thank each of you—without your efforts, none of this would have been possible."
Tsume Inuzuka and the rest of the patrol were stunned. They hadn't known anything about this in advance; they were simply following village orders to strengthen patrols and stay on high alert.
Not long ago, there had been a similar high-alert situation, which was mysteriously canceled almost immediately, leaving everyone confused.
But who would have expected that tonight, something this massive would happen—Kaede Tsukasa single-handedly annihilated a Cloud Hidden invasion force. Not just a squad—a whole force!
Kato Dan marveled, "That's one thing, but you… I didn't expect you alone to end this battle. I thought your mission was just to hold off the enemy."
"Yes, that was my plan initially. But their target was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. By the time I engaged, I was a little angry. Thinking I could serve the village, I got carried away and almost wiped out the entire enemy force," Kaede Tsukasa explained.
He sighed. "Fortunately, nothing went wrong. Everything was perfectly completed."
As for Yozuki, who had escaped? No one cared—out of three hundred, only one ran. This was a thorough and decisive victory. Even the most critical couldn't complain; they were left speechless.
Minato Namikaze had arrived at some point, realizing the battle was over. Countless people surrounded Kaede Tsukasa, shouting excitedly.
"Late? But that makes sense—the village must pay special attention to the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki… and my speed isn't fast enough," Minato said with a helpless smile. He asked those present and quickly learned what had happened, utterly shocked.
"Alone, he defeated three hundred Cloud ninjas? And the enemy included a powerful member of the Yozuki clan?"
Minato was astonished. He felt he still had a long way to go in his training. Probably, Jiraiya would be back soon.
Some people voluntarily stayed to clean up the battlefield, hearts pounding as they dealt with the ruins.
"This is terrifying—there isn't a single intact corpse. The ground is cratered."
"Of course! All the intact bodies became Lord Kaede Tsukasa's power. Heh, the Cloud Hidden got what they deserved for invading us. Bet that hurt!"
"Lord Kaede Tsukasa alone could probably hold a defensive line. If another war breaks out, having a ninja like him will ease the village's burden and increase pressure on the enemy."
"After this battle, perhaps Lord Kaede Tsukasa has grown even stronger. The Cloud Hidden sent some strong fighters to attack us."
Konoha ninjas spoke in awe, many silently listening as others discussed excitedly.
When Kaede Tsukasa returned to Konoha, the Hokage building was brightly lit.
"…That's the situation, Hokage-sama. I have fulfilled my mission," Kaede Tsukasa reported, kneeling on one knee.
"I see, Tsukasa. Your performance exceeded my expectations. After tonight, you'll become a renowned and powerful ninja," the Third Hokage said, surprised, looking at the young man before him.
He had quietly grown to this level? Incredible potential.
Kaede Tsukasa respectfully replied, "Thanks to the village's tireless nurturing. Without it, I wouldn't have learned enough jutsu or been exposed to the top-tier forbidden technique, Zombie Release. Being able to use the village's resources to help the village is my honor."
"Where leaves dance, the fire endures. Seeing you, I know my efforts over the years were justified," the Third Hokage said, increasingly satisfied.
Regardless of Kaede Tsukasa's deeper motivations, on the surface, his actions followed the village rules—and the Third Hokage never withheld his admiration from those who obeyed them.
He also knew that people like Danzo and Orochimaru had done some unsavory things in secret, but he had never said anything. Someone always had to bear the burden of the village's dark side, turning that darkness into power to strengthen the village.
Now, there was simply one more—Kaede Tsukasa. With the Third Hokage's personality, this was perfectly tolerable.
"Kaede Tsukasa, in a few days, I will officially appoint you as an elite jonin. From that moment on, you will effectively be a pillar of the village."
"Huh? Isn't that a bit fast? The Great Ninja War has ended, and you're just appointing me as an elite jonin—"
"This is exactly what will inspire others. Many will look up to you as an example. Remember your original intention: even if you cannot always stand among flowers, never let your heart descend into darkness." The Third Hokage's smile was warm and reassuring.
Kaede Tsukasa readily agreed—promises were cheap anyway.
"There's one more thing I've been considering, and the time is right. You are ready to serve as a team-leading jonin, to train outstanding juniors." The Third Hokage lit his pipe.
"Team-leading jonin… I see. So I've reached the point where I can recruit subordinates," Kaede Tsukasa said with a smile.
He didn't object—this was a necessary stage.
Moreover, serving as a team-leading jonin establishes a hierarchical relationship with three juniors. Even if they call him "teacher," he doesn't truly treat them as disciples. Outwardly, yes; but in essence, it's still a superior-subordinate relationship.
A true mentor-student relationship is like Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze, or Might Guy and Rock Lee.
"Hokage-sama, who will be my subordinates? Have they been decided?"
"Not yet. We need to see who among the recent graduates fits your style so they can learn more from you and grow faster," the Third Hokage said reassuringly. "Don't rush; it won't necessarily happen immediately."
"I see. Then I'll follow your instructions. I do want to pass on my Zombie Release secret technique to reliable candidates. I just don't know who qualifies yet. If I can't find someone this year, next year, or the year after, eventually someone will meet my requirements," Kaede Tsukasa said with a smile.
As expected, the next day, the entire Konoha village buzzed with the news.
One man single-handedly annihilated a Cloud Hidden invasion force of hundreds. The young leader of the Yozuki clan was forced to abandon his troops and flee… any single detail alone was enough to set the village abuzz.
People throughout the village discussed it, wearing expressions of pride. Having such a special ninja was a true blessing. Konoha was indeed the top village of the ninja world, producing strong warriors without end.
The news quickly spread from Konoha to other towns within the Land of Fire and continued spreading throughout the ninja world.
Cloud Hidden Village became a poster child for shame. The lone escaping Yozuki, those who understood knew he bore the burden of honor, taking on a heavy responsibility. Those unaware assumed him a coward, abandoning hundreds of comrades—what a failure!
The entire ninja world mocked Cloud Hidden Village.
"Cloud Hidden Village? Hahaha, a village famous for unity, and this is the result?"
"Ridiculous. It's normal for publicity and reality to differ, but this much? I'll never hire from Cloud Hidden Village again—better to go to Konoha, even if it's far and expensive, at least the ninjas are reliable."
"The Yozuki clan… the Second Raikage was killed by Kinkaku and Ginkaku. The Third Raikage was promising, but who expected the Future Fourth Raikage to be this weak? Forced to flee by Kaede Tsukasa!"
Anyone familiar with Cloud Hidden's political structure knew that the village's top position was almost a private seat of the Yozuki clan. It was easy to guess who the future Fourth Raikage would be.
"Kaede Tsukasa… I heard this person has a title called the Devourer? No one really knows where it came from, but many traveling merchants in the ninja world are spreading it. They say he can raise an undead army all by himself. Facing an enemy like that must be a nightmare, right?"
"A fierce battle lasting a long time, only to realize that those you killed were already dead. Trying to kill Kaede Tsukasa, only to find he's a space-time ninja—truly terrifying."
The reputation of Konoha Village once again shook the ninja world. More people flooded into Konoha, whether for tourism, trade, or hiring ninjas, bringing a continuous flow of income.
The economy flourished beyond any previous period. The village treasury was abundant, with large sums available to invest in education, technology, and upgrading ninja equipment.
This created a virtuous cycle that made other villages envious. No matter how jealous they were, they had to admit that Konoha seemed to have entered an unprecedented era of prosperity.
But it wouldn't last forever. No village can maintain eternal prosperity. Konoha would eventually experience a decline, though no one knew when that moment would come.
Because of this, other ninja villages quietly accelerated their efforts, beginning an even more aggressive arms race. Any research that could improve combat strength was pursued, and all methods to increase ninja numbers were activated. Across the nation, human, material, and financial resources were exploited to cultivate as many ninjas as possible.
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