chapter 55 part 3
"Then I suppose I'll join this plan. In the world of Infinite Tsukuyomi, I'll be able to use all kinds of Corpses as I please and become a respected person," Tsukasa Kaede glanced at the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path behind Madara.
Madara didn't have the Rinnegan, so he likely couldn't control that huge thing and thus couldn't perform the Soul-stealing Jutsu.
"Is that your wish? It should be fulfilled; everyone should realize their own desires."
Madara said, "It seems you've made your decision, that's good. My path forward now has an additional new generation helper."
"I can tell you're still hiding many things from me," Tsukasa Kaede said indifferently.
"You are not my successor; I cannot tell you everything. My successor must be a descendant of the Uchiha Clan. Once the Eye of the Mind's Reflection is activated, it will provide extraordinary help to the plan. I need someone to inherit the name of Madara and walk the Shinobi World again," Madara said expressionlessly.
"With my help, you could even live for a long time. Why choose a successor then?"
"This decaying body has no use in simply continuing to cling to life. I would rather entrust all my Jutsus and Intel to the person I choose and have them execute my will."
"Alright, alright, then you'd better choose your successor carefully. For a plan like the Infinite Tsukuyomi, if the successor's capabilities are too poor, I might as well take charge and complete it myself."
Tsukasa Kaede said, "Do you need me to use Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu on you? You look to be in a bad state, and after using Susanoo, I feel your condition is even worse."
Madara summoned a White Zetsu: "That's not urgent, I can hold on for a while longer. Now, I will teach you a Secret Technique for separating one's will. With your talent for mastering multiple Forbidden Jutsus, learning this Secret Technique won't be difficult."
Separating will?
"Not interested."
"You cannot permanently reside here with me. I need an individual who can carry out your will. Don't worry about me obtaining the Intel in your mind; this is a Jutsu to separate will, not to copy memories."
Tsukasa Kaede pondered for a moment, thoughtfully. He seemed to understand what it was for. After carefully studying this Secret Technique and considering various aspects, he entered a state of Cultivation.
Two more days passed. Tsukasa Kaede summoned a large number of Zombies to accelerate his Cultivation and initially mastered this Secret Technique.
Throughout the entire process, Madara showed no surprise. He was as steady as a rock, never displaying excessive emotional fluctuations. Possessing Shadow Clone Jutsu himself, he was no stranger to methods of using external forces to accelerate Cultivation.
It was simply swapping Shadow Clones for Zombies.
Madara raised his head and said, "You certainly didn't disappoint me. You can easily control numerous Corpses and even use various Forbidden Jutsus with Corpses. You must have also separated your will to some extent, judging by the speed at which you cultivate this Secret Technique."
Madara noticed that Tsukasa Kaede seemed somewhat off. After he had the White Zetsu Main Body come over, he felt Tsukasa Kaede was even more peculiar.
Yes, Madara no longer urgently needed the White Zetsu Main Body to embody his will. With Tsukasa Kaede's Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu, Madara's aging body could also be well-maintained; at the very least, restoring himself to a good state was completely feasible.
Free from physical limitations, Madara would have more room to maneuver in many matters, and in the future, he wouldn't need to rely on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to sustain his Life Force.
Although not being able to forcibly control Tsukasa Kaede was troublesome, and he couldn't obtain the Corpse Release Secret Technique, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Madara had been dormant for too long. It was rare for such an eerie, cunning, and greatly useful junior to appear.
"The moment I extended my Consciousness, the White Zetsu Main Body already belonged to me, completely beyond your control. Let's be clear now, from this point forward, I will be the primary controller of the White Zetsu Main Body, and the commands I issue, even you shouldn't think of overturning," Tsukasa Kaede said.
"I don't care about these White Zetsu at all. They are merely defective clones of Hashirama and have no use other than gathering Intel. Take them if you like, as long as I can continue to use them to obtain Intel," Madara said indifferently, leaning on his Scythe.
Tsukasa Kaede touched the White Zetsu Main Body with one fist. He knew Madara must be looking for his weaknesses and planned to apply a Curse Mark or something similar to his heart. At the same time, he would tamper with the White Zetsu Main Body before him. A large number of Viruses surged into it, engaging in a fierce tug-of-war with the incredibly active White Zetsu Cells.
Madara's modus operandi was very distinct. He could allow the person he chose to undertake various actions and would even find ways to clean up after his "tools." But this person absolutely had to do the most critical thing at the most critical moment, whether they liked it or not. He absolutely had to ensure that when that moment arrived, he possessed strong control methods.
Following Tsukasa Kaede's actions, the right half of the White Zetsu Main Body began to change.
Ultimately, under Tsukasa Kaede's speechless gaze, it transformed into an utterly black ghostly entity. It looked as if tar had been smeared all over White Zetsu.
As this entity formed and stabilized, White Zetsu's body was thus split in two. The left half still belonged to White Zetsu himself, while the right, black portion was Tsukasa Kaede's will, acting according to Tsukasa Kaede's commands.
When necessary, Black Zetsu could even attack the left half of White Zetsu to forcibly control the body.
"Kaedence it exists on White Zetsu, then its name shall be Black Zetsu," Madara said casually.
Tsukasa Kaede: "..."
…Damn it, it really was you.
(end of chapter)