The Village Needs Talents Like Kaedeji

Tsunade did not truly study the zombies in detail. She knew better than to try prying into the secrets of Kaedeji's forbidden technique.

This left Kaedeji with a very favorable impression of Tsunade. Of course, perhaps it also had something to do with how open he had been, proactively summoning the zombies for her to see.

"Sandstorm Araki's corpse is in your hands, right? About how long would it take you to turn him into immediate combat power? How much of his strength could he retain?"

"That's hard to say. This is also my first time working with a body of this level. The modifications alone would take at least several days. As for his strength, conservatively speaking, he should retain more than fifty percent."

In reality, it should be more than eighty percent. Sandstorm Araki had not fallen into Kaedeji's hands long after his death. He had been infected with the virus while still alive and had already undergone a partial transformation before dying.

That allowed his strength in life to be preserved to the greatest extent possible, making him Kaedeji's favorite kind of zombie.

The reason he could not perfectly retain his strength from life was also because Kaedeji needed time to completely transform him into a zombie. During that process, the body's vitality would inevitably decline.

There was nothing he could do about that. Kaedeji did not have enough chakra to accelerate the transformation and could only proceed bit by bit.

"I understand. Your forbidden technique is even more remarkable than I expected. You can even make use of an Elite Jonin's corpse."

Tsunade was deeply moved. He could already make use of an Elite Jonin now. With further development, would he be able to directly use bodies at the Kage level?

Coupled With supporting Space-Time Ninjutsu... this entirely new system of forbidden techniques was indeed terrifying, with immense potential.

Fortunately, Kaedeji was a Konoha ninja!

The only regret was that Kaedeji's body was severely depleted. He had too few cells. Even If he had mastered the Chakra Stimulation Technique and could stimulate cellular activity to produce more chakra, his upper limit remained extremely limited.

At that moment, Kaedeji suddenly said, "Lady Tsunade, I also hope to learn a technique that accelerates cell division. You must have it, right? I hope to exchange military merits for it."

"Of course I do. It is one of the B-rank Medical Ninjutsu, but the village rarely teaches this technique to people like you. Do you know why?" Tsunade's expression turned serious.

"I can roughly guess... Accelerating cell division can rapidly heal injuries and produce more chakra, but it also shortens one's lifespan."

Kaedeji smiled. "But you've seen my condition. I have a decent forbidden technique, yet not enough chakra to display my strength. Perhaps I'll die on the battlefield one day and not even have a future to speak of."

Tsunade fell silent for a moment. She Summoned a pile of scrolls, sorted through them, and finally took one out. She undid the Sealing Jutsu on it right there and handed it to Kaedeji.

"Since you've already made up your mind, there's nothing more I can say. I hope this technique will let you go farther."

Tsunade knew Kaedeji was right. Reducing one's lifespan? That was hardly a drawback in this mad world. Who could guarantee they would live out their natural lifespan?

Kaedeji walked out of Tsunade's tent, thoroughly satisfied, and took a deep breath.

He had acquired another useful supplementary method. Whether used on zombies or on himself, it would be highly valuable.

That said, it was ultimately only a supplement. Even after learning this technique, Kaedeji's physical strength would remain what it was. He could never become like Yakushi Kabuto.

Yakushi Kabuto had taken Naruto's Rasengan head-on with his body. Even without forming hand seals or using a technique, the wound in his abdomen had healed at a rate visible to the naked eye—Yakushi Kabuto could accelerate cell division at all times.

The active Medical Ninjutsu Kaedeji trained so hard to use would have been nothing more than a passive buff for Yakushi Kabuto.

And that was only Yakushi Kabuto. The Uzumaki Clan and the Senju Clan needed no mention. Their abundant vitality gave them astonishing self-healing abilities even when they did nothing.

"I still have to rely on One's Own Life Reincarnation. I hope Sasori of the Red Sands doesn't disappoint me." Kaedeji had high hopes for Sasori. If even Sasori could not manage it, his plans would become far more complicated, and he would have to find another way to achieve his goal.

He might even have to abandon the path of One's Own Life Reincarnation and temporarily make do with the Accelerated Cell Division Technique and the Chakra Stimulation Technique.

Another half month passed, and the situation completely stabilized. People gradually began to relax.

Some ninjas also went out in squads, either to capture scattered Sunagakure Ninja who had hidden themselves earlier or to transport supplies.

There was another special circumstance: locating and protecting Sunagakure teams heading to Konoha for negotiations.

Kaedeji did not take on any more missions. In the eyes of others, he trained with great diligence, either selecting corpses or studying the ninjutsu he had obtained from Tsunade.

Occasionally, Kaedeji left his tent to practice somewhere with few people around—such behavior was perfectly normal. Sunagakure had already lost, and it was going through the negotiation process with Konoha. No One strictly restricted each ninja's personal movements as they had in the past.

Kaedeji continuously sent out zombies to wander through the vast Konoha Forest, carving seemingly ordinary marks onto tree trunks and rocks.

Every mark had been carefully carved according to the contents of the codebook Sasori of the Red Sands had left behind, conveying different messages.

Six days passed in a row. When Kaedeji found a new, unusual mark on the back of a rock, he immediately knew Sasori of the Red Sands had Arrived.

"So cautious. Another puppet?" Kaedeji said as he sized up the puppet before him, mobilizing the scattered zombies in the surrounding area in an attempt to locate Sasori of the Red Sands's true body.

"You're not bad either. It seems your strength has improved again during this time. Every corpse is one of your eyes and ears," Sasori of the Red Sands said. "Don't waste your effort. My true body isn't nearby at all. The one using this puppet is merely a clone."

"Be careful not to let the patrols discover you. Konoha has many excellent Sensor Ninja."

"It wouldn't matter Even If they discovered me. The war is over, and peace negotiations are still underway. In principle, both sides must stop their mutual killings. This is also one way of protecting scattered personnel."

Sasori of the Red Sands said coldly, "Even if I really am discovered, at most I'll be expelled. Other than you, no one can know my true identity. Compared with me, you have more nerve. What, have you already prepared to betray your village?"

Privately trading with a Sunagakure Ninja—and trading highly sensitive ninjutsu at that—was unforgivably sensitive behavior, Even If it happened in Konoha.

Sasori of the Red Sands did not take Sunagakure seriously. He believed that as a fellow traveler on the path to eternity, Kaedeji likewise did not take Konoha seriously.

"I know Space-Time Ninjutsu and can retreat at any time, so you needn't worry about that. Stop wasting time. Have you obtained One's Own Life Reincarnation?"

Kaedeji placed the scroll in his hand on the ground. "We'll trade part of it first. I'll use my Space-Time Ninjutsu, the Void Realm Technique, as the bargaining chip."

"You're very sincere."

Sasori of the Red Sands's puppet likewise took out a scroll. Although his instincts told him things should not be going this smoothly, he did not know where the problem lay.