Chapter 57: Return to the Village? Absolutely No Such Possibility!
White Zetsu babbled endlessly, and even Tobi occasionally chimed in, making this stronghold, which had been silent for far too long, a rare lively spot.
Black Zetsu listened, observed, and pondered quietly. He had his own thoughts; a thousand years of waiting meant that patience was the one thing he didn't lack.
"Very good, it seems everything is going smoothly. Whether Tsukasa Kaede trusts me or not, as long as he doesn't openly reject me, I will sooner or later uncover his secrets step by step and acquire all his Secret Techniques."
Black Zetsu sensed the large amount of Zombie Virus within this half of White Zetsu's body, as well as the Chakra belonging to Tsukasa Kaede. He made no additional moves—he had great interest in the Corpse Release Secret Technique. This was a Secret Technique, not a Kekkei Genkai, meaning he could also learn it!
No matter how difficult it was to learn, with his long Lifespan and Yin Release physique, as long as it wasn't a pure Yang Release Secret Technique, he could always learn it. As for the possibility of Corpse Release Secret Technique being a pure Yang Release Jutsu...
Black Zetsu glanced at Araki of the Sand gnawing on White Zetsu's Corpse. If this Abomination was primarily Yang Release, he might grudgingly believe it, after all, Tsukasa Kaede could extract Life Force from these Abominations.
Life Force primarily belonged to the domain of Yang Release.
But to call it a pure Yang Release creation, without a single trace of Yin Release properties, then this world was probably insane.
Such a morbid Abomination, no matter how one analyzed it, would at least have some Yin Release properties—mental control, at the very least, was within the scope of Yin Release.
As long as it contained Yin Release Jutsu, he had hope of learning it!
"I never thought there'd be a day when I'd have to learn these human Ninjutsu. But as long as it helps Mother escape, I will do it."
Black Zetsu knew his actions were very risky. He should have chosen Madara, but he genuinely didn't want to give up this opportunity.
Madara tried for half his life, yet even manifesting a Rinnegan was so difficult; with Madara's talent, he only succeeded when he was on the verge of death. If this Resurrection of Mother failed, and he also failed to acquire the Rinnegan, he would have to consider his future plans.
But if he relied on Tsukasa Kaede, it would be different. The future Reincarnation of Indra would no longer have to worry about insufficient Lifespan and Life Force! This meant Black Zetsu would gain many, many opportunities, and his margin for error would skyrocket.
This was the permanent foundation, allowing Black Zetsu to stand invincible.
"I'm going to carry out the Village's Mission, to find Jiraiya and call him back to participate in the Ninja World War."
Tsukasa Kaede said, then formed Hand Kaedegns with one hand, intending to return to the Land of Rain to continue his Mission.
"That's fine. Village Defection now would be detrimental to your plan of approaching the Uchiha Clan. However, be careful when approaching Jiraiya. Do not harm the person named Nagato, and absolutely do not scheme against him," Madara said.
"Oh? Is Nagato your backup plan? I knew you were hiding many things from me. White Zetsu running out to stop me was also because of Nagato, wasn't it?" Tsukasa Kaede sneered.
"I'll tell you about Nagato later. You just need to know that our goals are aligned. The Ten-Tails must be Resurrected, the Infinite Tsukuyomi must be realized. For this ultimate goal, all processes are unimportant."
"Then I'll wait until you reveal all your secrets to me. Also, I'm very interested in that First Hokage replica you created."
"Wait, as I said earlier, this is yours."
Madara casually picked up the Uchiha Gunbai and threw it to Tsukasa Kaede.
Tsukasa Kaede caught it. He examined it for a moment, then immediately Sealed it into a blank Scroll. Activating Spatial Rift Jutsu, his figure instantly vanished from the spot, replaced by a half-crippled Zombie.
The moment this Zombie opened its eyes, it saw Araki of the Sand gnawing on White Zetsu's Corpse. With a howl, it instinctively wanted to crawl over and take a bite.
"...I always feel like his Jutsu is quite sinister. It holds many secrets."
Tobi lowered his head, watching the scene with the hollow vortex in his head.
Black Zetsu proactively said, "Regardless, Lord Tsukasa Kaede is a member of the plan. It now seems he is an indispensable member. Whether now or in the future, you will all make use of him."
Madara slowly closed his eyes, calming the restless Life Force within his body. For him, who had transplanted Hashirama's flesh and blood, controlling the extra Life Force flowing into his body was not unfamiliar.
"Very good," he said, "although you are that guy's Will Incarnation, you still represent him to some extent. It's good that you think this way. However, people change. His thoughts at the moment he created you are not entirely the same as his current thoughts. You are merely a product living in the past; don't actually think of yourself as him."
Madara said no more. He lowered his head, as if he had fallen asleep.
He hadn't truly rested for a very long time. His body was aged, and his Spirit was exhausted. Now, he could finally take a moment to rest.
...
Tsukasa Kaede returned to the Land of Rain. He stood in the rain, feeling the humidity in the air.
This operation was unexpectedly smooth; at the very least, he wasn't forced to use Spatial Rift Jutsu to escape.
"Madara definitely won't let me go unchecked. He will certainly find an opportunity to plant a Curse Mark in my body. So, when will he make his move? Will he save me when I'm critically injured and on the verge of death, then tamper with me?"
But he had Spatial Rift Jutsu and Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu, making it difficult for him to fall into such a desperate situation.
However, that was for later. In the future, his strength would further increase, reaching a higher level.
For now, he still needed to continue searching for Jiraiya...
Suddenly.
Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld! Beneath Tsukasa Kaede's feet, along with the Zombies, they all plunged into the mud swamp beneath them, unable to move.
"This level of Earth Release Jutsu, it's Lord Jiraiya. It's been over two years since we last met; there's no need for such a grand display to deliberately welcome me."
Tsukasa Kaede turned his head to look at the white-haired man standing on the Toad's back.
"I remember you, that Medical Ninja with terrible medical skills, who fought alongside me in the Land of Rain." Jiraiya's gaze sharpened, revealing a surprised expression. "However, you didn't display such talent back then. There are too many suspicious points about you. I can't trust you, so I can only use this method to restrict you."
Jiraiya had been waiting here for two days; he had to ensure Nagato's safety, eliminating all risks.
Tsukasa Kaede wasn't in a hurry at all. "People grow, and I've merely found a path that suits me. Kaedence you've waited for a while, you must know that this Jutsu can't truly restrict me. I can escape anytime with my Space-Time Ninjutsu."
"Space-Time Ninjutsu... Flying Thunder God? But it doesn't seem quite like it. You completed a replacement with an active Corpse, didn't you? It wasn't about engraving Spatial Coordinates on these Corpses. Even if you improved the Flying Raijin Jutsu, it's unlikely you'd change it to this extent all at once."
Jiraiya took out a Scroll. He Sealed some of the Corpses.
"As expected of Lord Jiraiya, my Spatial Rift Jutsu is my unique Space-Time Ninjutsu, and it's not the same as Minato Namikaze's Flying Raijin Jutsu," Tsukasa Kaede said. "I still have other Corpses I can use in the Land of Rain. If I truly want to leave, not even you can stop me."
"In the two years since I've been gone, the Village actually produced a Ninja as special and powerful as you."
Jiraiya found it troublesome. Honestly, even if Tsukasa Kaede had once been his subordinate, he found it very difficult to trust this fellow who manipulated the dead—he commanded thousands of subordinates; how could he possibly know every single one?
What's more, Tsukasa Kaede had clearly fought a great battle with a mysterious enemy, and then seemed to have vanished along with the enemy. Now he had reappeared alone...
What did this mean? Had he reached a Peace agreement with the enemy? Or had he used Space-Time Ninjutsu to transfer the enemy away and kill them, then returned victorious?
And who was the enemy?
"If we truly come to blows, I'll have to enter Sage Mode to expand my Sensory Perception range. Otherwise, I'll be very passive." Jiraiya quickly pondered, his expression grave.
Tsukasa Kaede took out the Mission document. After releasing the Seal on it, he threw it to Jiraiya.
"My Mission is complete then. The Village hopes you can return to participate in the War against Hidden Stone Village. Reportedly, the Front Line is extremely brutal, with too many casualties," Tsukasa Kaede said.
Jiraiya finished reading the contents of the Mission document. He checked it repeatedly—the document's format, the coded message, the Sealing Technique formula—not a single detail was amiss.
The motive for coming to the Land of Rain also fit the logic.
"Then go back and tell the Village, I still have things to do and cannot return. As for the War, I can only apologize," Jiraiya said resolutely.
(end of chapter)
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