An Alternative Space-Time Ninjutsu

War was a systematic undertaking, extraordinarily tedious and intolerant of any reliance on luck. That meant every detail had to be thoroughly understood.

For Kaedeji, whose Physical Quality was not particularly outstanding, remaining on the battlefield for long periods consumed enormous amounts of stamina and energy, making it an immense burden in itself.

I can't delay any longer. I need to master the life-saving technique I've simulated countless times in my mind as soon as possible. Quite a bit of my information has already been leaked. Many Sunagakure Ninja have probably heard about my abilities. The next time we fight, it'll be difficult for me to maintain the advantage of superior intelligence.

Kaedeji sat amid countless corpses. The blood flowing from some of them had yet to fully congeal, tracing the lingering warmth of life across the ground.

Several corpse transporters looked at Kaedeji with awe.

"Lord Kaedeji... are you selecting suitable bodies?"

"Definitely. After such a dangerous battle, the bodies he had stored up are probably nearly depleted. He urgently needs to replenish them."

"I remember Lord Kaedeji took part in the war against Amegakure before. He was doing the same work we are now... Does this count as returning to his original profession? Heh, even after enemies die, they can still be turned into weapons against other enemies. That's great."

"Idiot, don't speculate too much. Aren't we basically analyzing and uncovering information about Kaedeji by discussing this? That's extremely disrespectful!"

The corpse transporters belonged to the logistics division of the front-line forces, and their personnel were rotated regularly.

A very small number of them had encountered Kaedeji before, and they found it all utterly surreal. Kaedeji had actually become someone whose full-time work involved dealing with corpses.

Hearing their hushed discussion, Kaedeji turned and glanced at his adorable coworkers. A kind smile appeared on his gaunt face—though everyone else found it horrifying.

This immediately triggered terrified screams. Some even felt they were about to become corpses controlled by Kaedeji.

Before long, I'll probably become the protagonist of some widely told horror story... But it doesn't matter.

Kaedeji felt that no matter what, he could never become a little sun who radiated warmth like Minato Namikaze.

No, to be more precise, he was naturally incompatible with the sunny warmth of Asura's lineage, like Naruto. Instead, he shared certain traits with Indra's lineage.

Since there are no missions right now, I'll test this new ninjutsu: Corpse Replacement, which combines the principles of the Summoning Technique and the Substitution Technique.

The Substitution Technique was one of the lowest-ranking D-rank ninjutsu. Even students who had not yet become Genin could learn it—the ultimate Substitution Technique was naturally Madara's Limbo. Though its absurd ability to have shadows take damage in place of the original body was, in truth, a kind of Space-Time Ninjutsu.

Of course, Kaedeji could use the ordinary Substitution Technique as well. But replacing the log used in the technique with a zombie under his control and combining it with the principles of the Summoning Technique required at least a little time to develop.

In the ideal scenario, he would use the connection between himself and his zombies to instantly switch places with one of them. Both he and the zombie would retain combat ability, allowing him to launch a surprise attack on an enemy immediately after the exchange.

To me, zombies are a kind of ninja tool. They're dead objects that can move and can be sealed into scrolls. So, in theory, I should be able to treat my zombies as logs and use them for substitution summoning...

The only difficulty was that substitution objects like logs remained motionless, while zombies could move. This meant Chakra flowed through a zombie's body, leaving it in constant flux and greatly increasing the difficulty of Kaedeji's exchange.

It would definitely be impossible for anyone else to do this. But for me, who has mastered Corpse Manipulation and has spent so many years wishing I could split one portion of Chakra into two, precisely sensing a zombie's Chakra state is as natural as controlling my own limbs. The only difference is how much effort it takes.

Kaedeji attached great importance to this technique. Once it succeeded, it would mean he had mastered another Space-Time Ninjutsu besides the Summoning Technique. In a sense, it could be considered a weakened version of Amenotejikara.

Amenotejikara could directly exchange positions with space itself. Put simply, wherever one could see, one could teleport there. In close-range combat, its effect was even more outrageous than the Flying Thunder God Technique.

If I can continually refine Corpse Replacement and acquire the body of one of the Natives, with enough Chakra to use... then perhaps I could be considered a ninja proficient in Space-Time Ninjutsu as well. I could pack countless zombies into coffins, bury them throughout the ninja world, and use them as spatial coordinates similar to the Flying Thunder God Technique...

Kaedeji continued thinking. Countless inspirations constantly burst forth in his mind, while the Chakra within his body was used with such efficiency that he wished he could split every last bit apart and devote it perfectly to developing ninjutsu.

He confirmed once again that Corpse Manipulation possessed incomparably enormous potential. It was only constrained by too many limitations at present, preventing it from being fully utilized.

In the blink of an eye, five days passed. During that time, Konohagakure and Sunagakure did not break out into another major battle. Aside from the routine clashes between patrol squads, both sides appeared exceedingly quiet, as though waiting for something.

Konohagakure was waiting for Tsunade. What was Sunagakure waiting for?

Kaedeji did not think they were lying in wait for him. Perhaps they were preparing some dangerous offensive.

On the sixth day, Kaedeji received a mission requiring him to leave camp.

Hmm, Aburame Ryoma issued this classified mission, and it's even A-rank... Has he come to this battlefield too?

Kaedeji left the main camp with a thoughtful expression.

After being promoted to Chunin, the only change was that he could take on some squad-based missions. On this battlefield, filled with danger on all sides, that meant he had no choice but to bear greater risks.

Back when he was still a Genin, he had mainly mixed in with the main force, treating wounded soldiers who had been withdrawn from the front lines.

My Medical Ninjutsu is only half-baked. Aburame Ryoma can't possibly be unaware of that. Yet since he specifically assigned me to participate, either he's taking the opportunity to observe me, or this mission involves something related to me.

Could it be Yakushi Nonō?

Kaedeji was far too familiar with Root's damned methods, and he immediately scrutinized his teammates.

The squad had five members in total. Its captain was an Elite Jonin named Terai.

The moment Kaedeji heard that name, he knew who this guy was—the Root ninja who had attempted to assassinate the Third Hokage in the original story.

Besides himself and Morino Ise, the remaining two members carried themselves as though strangers were not welcome near them. There was no need to think about it; they were products of Root as well.

This mission will be troublesome. If it weren't, Root's people wouldn't be involved.

Kaedeji shook his head, making no effort to hide what he was thinking. "The mission details say we are to receive one of our ninja, yet they don't provide any characteristics of the target? Does the captain intend to explain them during the mission?"

Terai's face was cold, Without Any Emotional Fluctuation. "You have a sharp mind. No wonder Lord Ryoma specifically named you to participate. We must ensure that our comrade carrying valuable intelligence returns safely."

Kaedeji could actually be certain of one thing: once the battle turned unfavorable and the squad fell into danger, Terai would not hesitate to sacrifice every squad member. If necessary, he would sacrifice himself as well, so long as the intelligence could be delivered back.

That was Root's style.