Ninjas on Mission

Aburame Ryoma's fingertips rubbed against the toxin analysis report. Kikaichū occasionally crawled across his body, producing faint rustling sounds.

But his mind was not actually on this report. It was not just the Corpse Disposal Unit producing such reports; Konoha Hospital was doing so as well, and the Medical Ninjas on the front lines were also submitting scattered analysis results.

Aburame Ryoma needed to ensure that the department under his control could participate in the research process, so he would not remain completely ignorant of its progress.

After all, when it came to developing antidotes, he was far inferior to Tsunade.

What was more, the deaths of a batch of ordinary ninjas could not make Aburame Ryoma hesitate in the slightest. What interested him instead was the information Morino Ise had reported, written in tiny characters on a scroll: Kaedeji was suspected of having improved the "Dead Soul Technique."

There was even a rough account of its progress.

"Compared to the ordinary Dead Soul Technique, it can control corpses for longer. It sounds somewhat like a Puppet Master's art, but it does not require Chakra threads. Does Kaedeji actually possess talent for developing ninjutsu? That matches the questionable parts of Kazematsuri Takuya's testimony."

The thought surfaced in Aburame Ryoma's mind, but it vanished in an instant. He could not possibly regret his decision. When he had personally selected people from that group of War Orphans, he had not thought highly of Kaedeji. He had not valued him then, and valued him even less now.

The Dead Soul Technique was not some overwhelmingly difficult ninjutsu. Even if it could be further developed and refined, it would not be enough to make Kaedeji an influential and powerful ninja.

For War Orphans like these, being able to live as Konoha Ninjas was already an immense stroke of fortune. They had to risk their lives and serve the village to the fullest.

"Besides, the improved Dead Soul Technique might not have been developed by Kaedeji. Perhaps he was merely working hard to learn and master it... don't you agree, Miko? No, I should call you by your new name now... Yakushi Nonō." Large numbers of Kikaichū crawled over Aburame Ryoma's cheeks.

"If Tsunade knew you were doing this, she would never approve. The Will of Fire conflicts with Root's ideology."

Yakushi Nonō emerged from the shadows. She pushed up her glasses, their lenses reflecting the lamplight. "Returning to a place like this again, I feel Without Any attachment to it."

Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz!

Aburame Ryoma's swarm suddenly lunged at Yakushi Nonō's throat, only to freeze half an inch from her skin—Yakushi Nonō held a vial of pale red liquid between her fingertips and casually let a single drop fall. "This is a toxin I carefully prepared for you. It has a special affinity for the nerve ganglia of Kikaichū."

"So it is poison after all. I thought you would directly use the improved Dead Soul Technique to deal with me, such as making corpses self-destruct."

Aburame Ryoma's tone was cold. "Teaching such evil ninjutsu to War Orphans is not your style. The more unusual talents these War Orphans possess, the less likely they are to live long. Instead, they will be assigned more dangerous missions and die sooner."

Yakushi Nonō pondered this. She did have some impression of Kaedeji. He had been in poor health, painfully thin, and always wore a bitter expression. He rarely approached the other children.

Less than half a year after she had taken over the orphanage, Kaedeji had chosen to leave. After that, they had barely had any contact.

Yet Aburame Ryoma believed she had taught Kaedeji the Dead Soul Technique... logically speaking, she really was the only one capable of it.

Yakushi Nonō did not deny it. "Protecting every child who survived the war is my responsibility. Ordinary Genin can barely survive on the battlefield anyway... this war is even crueler and bloodier than the First Great Ninja War over twenty years ago. No one can say they are confident they will survive. But that is not a reason for you to use the orphanage's funding to threaten me."

"So you came to negotiate with me?"

"No. I came to warn you."

"To tell me to stay away from the children you love? The Miko who makes every nation Turn Pale With Fear is actually someone overflowing with sentiment. You will be disappointed. More children will soon be heading to the battlefield."

Aburame Ryoma said coldly, "The war with Sunagakure is not going well. We need more ninjas to head for the front lines, especially Medical Ninjas with some ability to counter Sunagakure's poisons."

The wars against Amegakure and Sunagakure consumed Medical Ninjas the most. That also meant that the children in the orphanage who had mastered only rudimentary Medical Ninjutsu would have no choice but to go to the front lines as well.

This was the village's will. Everything was for victory.

Aburame Ryoma said, "I can spare two or three young children and ensure that the orphanage's subsidies arrive on time."

"What do you want me to do? Infiltrate Sunagakure and obtain intelligence on their poisons? That will be difficult. After Hatake Sakumo killed that woman Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law, she became wholly devoted to taking revenge on Konohagakure. She will not leave flaws in her trump card."

"No, she has a weakness. Chiyo has a grandson." Aburame Ryoma tossed a long-prepared mission document to Yakushi Nonō. "Kidnapping, deception, disguise—whatever methods you use, obtain as much intelligence as possible. If possible, prioritize acquiring information such as Sunagakure's defense layout and financial reserves."

When it came to being a spy, Aburame Ryoma believed he did not need to instruct Yakushi Nonō on what to do. He Just Need To set the desired outcome, and Yakushi Nonō would handle the process.

"Sasori of the Red Sands..." Yakushi Nonō looked at the intelligence scroll in her hand and committed the name to memory.

Before long, a mission assignment to head for the front lines appeared in Kaedeji's hands.

Although Kaedeji had long been mentally prepared and knew he would inevitably have to go to war again, he had not expected it to come so quickly.

"Our opponent is Sunagakure... it seems our efforts have already produced results. Compared to the others, we Medical Ninjas can hold out longer after being poisoned."

Morino Ise's expression quickly returned to calm as he ordered the Corpse Disposal Unit temporarily closed.

"This is probably the follow-up content of the B-rank Mission," Kaedeji said calmly.

"After the war ends, perhaps some of us will return alive and continue doing this work in this department," Morino Ise said. "We leave in three hours. Get ready."

No One spoke. Everyone silently sorted through their equipment.

People like Kaedeji, who had no clan members or descendants to care for, naturally spent all their money on various ninja tools in preparation for emergencies.

Large Amounts Of Chunin and Genin had died in the war. Aside from Morino Ise, who was a Special Jonin and had a slightly higher chance of survival, no one else present dared claim they would return alive.

"Since things have already come to this, there is no harm in making a few more preparations."

Kaedeji headed straight outside to the Memorial Stone. Many of the nameless corpses here had been buried by his own hands. Now, it was time to dig them back up.

The fresh grave in the southeast corner bulged slightly. An Amegakure Zombie pried open its coffin, climbed out of the grave, and staggered toward Kaedeji.

More disturbances came from beneath other tombstones.

"Unfortunately, over the past two months, I have only obtained two Jonin zombies. They should be enough for emergencies. I am only a Genin, after all."

A few Jonin corpses had been sent to the Corpse Disposal Unit, but Kaedeji had only managed to get his hands on two of them.

Sunagakure was at its most frenzied at this time. As long as Konohagakure endured this stretch, it could drag the impoverished Sunagakure to death with its deep reserves.

But before the enemy was defeated, someone had to withstand their desperate counterattack and slow it down. People like Kaedeji were the ones who had to step up.

Swish!

Kaedeji unfurled a Sealing Scroll and began sealing the zombies into it one by one. With each zombie sealed inside, another "corpse" character appeared on the scroll.

Of course, he could not inscribe Sealing Jutsu himself. He was using a pre-made ninja tool scroll and only needed to seal specific objects inside.

At dawn, the group of five assembled and headed west, advancing toward the Land of Wind.