Time to Consider Digging Up the Uchiha Clan's Ancestral Graves

The sound of footsteps approached.

Several Root ninjas surrounded a figure.

Kaedeji's gaze sharpened, and surprise appeared on his face as he watched the figure in the center, the right half of his face wrapped in bandages, slowly approach.

At this point in time, Danzo had already tampered with one of his eyes, but his body was still normal.

"Looks like I've caught the attention of some important figure. May I ask who you are? I might have heard your name before."

"I am Shimura Danzō."

"Lord Danzo? The renowned Shinobi of Darkness actually came looking for a nobody like me?" Kaedeji looked astonished.

A Root ninja said, "As a Konohagakure chunin, you must observe proper etiquette when paying homage to Lord Danzo."

"No need. I am not one to nitpick, especially with talented young people."

Danzo slowly opened his one eye. Though it showed no Emotional Fluctuation, the innate ferocity and ruthlessness it contained still exerted immense pressure. "Kaedeji, you are no longer a nobody. Put away that attitude you used with someone like Tsunade when you stand before me. Someone skilled at playing with corpses and who enjoys doing so would only seem too hypocritical if he acted overly humble. Such petty tricks cannot fool me."

"Is that so? So that is how Lord Danzo sees things. That is truly far too direct... Still, for me to receive a personal audience with Lord Danzo, it seems my jutsu has satisfied you. What are your orders?"

"Your secret technique can control the corpses of bloodline-limit ninjas. It resembles the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, but since no one can learn the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu at present, your talent is enough to draw my attention. Furthermore, your jutsu includes supporting formulas for Space-Time Ninjutsu. It is even more outstanding than Impure World Reincarnation."

Danzo spoke bluntly. "Aburame Ryoma made a mistake. He failed to select you from that group of War Orphans back then. That was Root's loss, but not Konohagakure's. Under Konohagakure's protection, you have successfully grown up and now qualify to make greater contributions to the village."

Kaedeji pondered for a moment. "I have already been promoted to the head of the Corpse Disposal Unit. I can come into contact with many enemy corpses, which is very useful for my further development of secret techniques."

"Not enough. It is called a disposal unit, but it is actually just an incineration yard. If you do not make the right choice, you will never be able to access truly valuable corpses. You just modified the Explosion Release ninja I gave you. You should understand very well the difference between bloodline-limit ninjas and Ordinary Ninjas."

Danzo said coldly, "A small portion of all bloodline-limit corpses falls into Tsunade's hands for Medical Department research. Most of them are in my possession! Tsunade cannot possibly give you her limited number of bloodline-limit corpses, but I am different."

"I must admit that the terms you offer are difficult to refuse... If I want to increase my strength, I truly need Large Amounts Of corpses for research. That makes it difficult for me to live beneath the sunlight."

"The roots buried deep underground can provide you with shelter. Corpses, equipment, public opinion—I can help you resolve all of it. I Just Need To have you hand over your secret technique."

Several Root ninjas quietly shifted their positions, faintly surrounding Kaedeji and blocking every possible course of action.

Whether he directly attacked Danzo or tried to flee, Kaedeji would suffer a heavy blow at the first opportunity.

"I thought you came to recruit me. I did not expect you to simply seize it by force? As Expected Of the legendary Shinobi of Darkness. But you are still quite young, aren't you? Why do you give me such an impatient feeling?" Kaedeji remained motionless as he looked at the other man in confusion.

Danzo had reasons for seizing Shisui's eye and joining forces with Uchiha Itachi to wipe out the Uchiha Clan—viewed from another angle. At that time, he was already over sixty, having experienced three Great Ninja Wars. In the shinobi world, that absolutely counted as a long life.

He was old, impatient, and Coupled With his extreme hatred for the Uchiha. It was entirely reasonable.

But now? Danzo was only in his fifties, and his body had not yet been grotesquely altered by Orochimaru. Yet he was openly trying to seize a village ninja's secret technique?

Still, that was fine. Kaedeji had never placed his safety in the hands of Danzo's personal character.

Orochimaru could cooperate with Danzo primarily because his strength, research ability, and survival ability were all top-tier. Coupled With Orochimaru's complete lack of interest in the Hokage position, Danzo had no way to handle him.

But when it came to controlling a young man like Kaedeji—someone with potential but no Kage-level strength, born a War Orphan, and who acknowledged the Will of Fire—Danzo had plenty of methods. He could not even be bothered to pretend otherwise.

Kaedeji asked, "Is it because I am a War Orphan?"

"No. Even if you had received an orthodox education at the academy, I would not trust you. Besides, your secret technique makes it difficult for people to believe that you are a sunny person. The more cheerful you appear, the more deeply calculating I believe you to be. Therefore, it is better for me to control your secret technique."

Danzo believed himself to be very merciful. If not for his concerns about Tsunade's and the Third Hokage's reactions, he would not have wasted so many words. He would have simply acted and taken it.

A deal? What deal was there to make? He might as well abduct Kaedeji straight back to Root and plant a cursed seal on his tongue.

He could control the corpses of bloodline-limit ninjas, and it had taken only one day—considering Kaedeji's act of devouring more than ten corpses, Danzo suspected it had not even taken a full day!

Such a secret technique was Enough To move Danzo. He could completely cultivate several more Corpse Release Ninjas, then use them to control an even greater number of corpses.

Danzo was already considering when he should dig up the Uchiha Clan's ancestral graves.

Uchiha Madara, Kagami Uchiha—dig them all up in one go, give them some maintenance, and perhaps they could still be used.

"Orochimaru has always wanted to begin experiments on transplanting Hashirama Cells. Once there is some progress, we can transplant them and repair these long-rotted corpses..." Danzo thought.

There were also the ancestral graves of the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan. They could all be put to use. So many famous ninjas lying in the ground—what a waste.

Get up already and shine for the village!

Whenever Danzo's cold heart imagined such a scene, it burned with heat. Kaedeji's jutsu was simply too useful and held too much promise. So long as they could break free of the restraints of morality, authority, and public opinion, its value would be immense.

Furthermore, this secret technique had the potential for further development.

"My patience is limited. As an inheritor of the Will of Fire, are you unwilling to make even this small sacrifice?" Danzo shouted sternly.

"Moral coercion? Your way of doing things truly makes no attempt to conceal itself. This is probably the lowest-cost method of getting things done, and it has allowed you to succeed time and again."

Kaedeji smiled. "But if I have no morals, how will you coerce me?"

"What an ungrateful fool. Act!"

Whoosh!

Several Root ninjas acted at once.