chapter 92 part 3
The powerful Lightning Release Armor, combining offense and defense, was indeed difficult to penetrate, but after being struck by the Reaper Death Seal, it was a different story.
A felt something was wrong with his right hand; something was rapidly spreading inwards along it.
"You bastard, are you trying to turn me into your Living Corpse?"
The lightning surging around A's body flared up again, but it clearly couldn't last. He had already consumed too much Chakra, and the spiritual damage far exceeded his body's fatigue, making him endure unbearable pain at all times.
"Boss, escape! We can still fight, but if you focus on escaping, he won't catch you!" Troy suddenly shouted.
"Kaedelence! Do you want me to be a coward who abandons his Comrades and runs away alone?"
"Death is easy, but what happens after you die? The enemy will use you to relentlessly attack the Village, and even if the Village pays a huge price to kill you, Tsukasa Kaede won't be harmed in the slightest! This is a no-risk business for him; you wouldn't let the enemy profit from such a scheme, would you?" Troy sighed.
"Troy is right, escape!"
"A, there's hope as long as you live! You must avenge us!"
"That's right, the Corpse Release Jutsu must have a weakness! When you return, you'll surely be able to let us rest in peace!"
The surviving Kumogakure Ninja also shouted in unison, launching a desperate attack towards the Corpse Horde.
Troy finally said, "Go, Boss! Someone must deliver the Intel on Corpse Release to the Village. Only you can do it, otherwise, all of us will have died in vain!"
A's heart was torn, tears streaming down his face: "You annoying guys... I'm sorry!"
*Zzzap!*
A targeted a direction and launched an assault, vanishing rapidly as a dazzling bolt of lightning.
Tsukasa Kaede didn't stop him. Being unable to stop him was one thing, but there was no need to stop him now anyway.
"I suppose the experiment was a success. A flash of inspiration, and I've developed a new Technique Formula..."
Tsukasa Kaede looked at the distant speck of light, lost in thought.
No matter how indestructible an enemy, after being struck by the Reaper Death Seal, they would inevitably reveal a weakness, giving Tsukasa Kaede more opportunities to exploit.
If he took it a step further, using Zombification Jutsu simultaneously while performing the Reaper Death Seal... It would be perfect if he could directly extend the Corpse Release Secret Technique into the enemy's body through the Reaper's Spirit Hand.
Tsukasa Kaede ignored the dying struggles of the Kumogakure Ninja, having no interest in even listening to their chaotic screams. He looked up at the Reaper.
"..."
The Reaper swallowed a piece of Soul, barely making its trip worthwhile, completely disregarding Tsukasa Kaede. It consumed Tsukasa Kaede's will, and its massive Spirit Body slowly dissipated.
"Hm, this guy's brain isn't working; he won't cooperate with me proactively." Tsukasa Kaede dismissed the thought, deciding he still needed to find a way himself. There must be some clue that could serve as a breakthrough for this new Technique Formula.
Not long after, the last of the Kumogakure Ninja lay on the ground. Some had already undergone Corpse Transformation, while others were still clinging to life.
"They really held out. Every Elite Jonin is a legendary figure in the Shinobi World; it fills me with immense joy to see."
Tsukasa Kaede approached Troy, not holding back his praise.
Troy asked, "Are you the Main Body right now, or a substitute from the Soul Death Technique?"
"Who knows? I do hope that one day, all Corpses will become my substitutes. That would be the final stage of Spatial Rift Jutsu, but there's still a long way to go."
Tsukasa Kaede sighed with emotion. Honestly, he greatly coveted Madara's Limbo: Border Jail.
The lowest level Substitution Jutsu was the common D-rank Ninjutsu, using a log as a substitute. The upgraded version could use living creatures like snow rabbits as substitutes.
The intermediate version of the Substitution Jutsu was the Orochimaru-Style Substitution Jutsu, which used an actual physical substitute.
Above that was Limbo: Border Jail. Besides creating several shadows, it essentially duplicated oneself multiple times, adding several times one's combat power out of thin air. It was also an unsolvable Substitution Jutsu, allowing one to mindlessly swap places with a shadow the instant the Main Body was attacked, letting the shadow take the blow instead.
Indeed, this effect was similar to Tsukasa Kaede's Spatial Rift Jutsu; it had both space-time movement and the function of a substitute.
The only difference was that the number of shadows was limited, but the number of Zombies was essentially infinite. As long as Tsukasa Kaede didn't run out of Chakra, he could use a vast number of Zombies to replace himself, continuously absorbing enemy attacks.
Furthermore, shadows needed to regularly return to the Main Body, whereas Tsukasa Kaede's Zombies didn't. As long as Tsukasa Kaede had enough Chakra, he could even swap positions across thousands of kilometers.
If, in the future, Spatial Rift Jutsu was developed to its fullest, possessing both the advantages of Limbo: Border Jail and retaining the Zombies' ability to exist independently... that would be the pinnacle of Jutsu, a true work of art.
Unfortunately, achieving that would take an eternity.
"What an ambitious fellow. I hope you don't succeed, otherwise, this world will face huge trouble." Troy still wanted to seize an opportunity to ambush Tsukasa Kaede again, but Tsukasa Kaede didn't give him the chance.
Terai's blade pierced his heart, freezing his life at that moment. However, while his Soul departed, his body would endure for a long time.
Not long after, Troy stood up again. Tsukasa Kaede thoughtfully summoned a few Kumogakure Zombies, who took turns performing the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu, repairing Troy's injuries.