**Chapter 20: An Alternative Space-Time Ninjutsu**
War is a systematic endeavor, incredibly cumbersome, and leaves no room for chance, meaning every single detail must be thoroughly understood.
For Tsukasa Kaede, whose physical condition was not particularly outstanding, prolonged presence on the battlefield, with its massive depletion of stamina and energy, was inherently a heavy burden.
"I can't delay any longer. The life-saving jutsu I've simulated countless times in my mind must be mastered as soon as possible. A lot of my intelligence has already been leaked. Many Sand Shinobi have probably heard about my abilities, making it difficult for me to maintain an advantage in intelligence during our next engagement."
Tsukasa Kaede sat amidst numerous corpses, some of which still had blood flowing, not yet fully congealed, sketching the lingering warmth of life on the ground.
Some members of the Corpse Transport Team looked at Tsukasa Kaede with awe.
"Tsukasa Kaede-sama, are you... selecting a suitable body?"
"Certainly. After such a perilous war, the bodies he had stored are probably almost depleted; he urgently needs to replenish them."
"I remember Tsukasa Kaede-sama participated in the war against the Hidden Rain Village before, doing the same work we are now... This is like returning to his main duty, isn't it? Heh, even after the enemy dies, their bodies are used as weapons against them. That's truly excellent."
"You idiots, don't speculate too much. Isn't what we're discussing right now equivalent to analyzing and deciphering information about Tsukasa Kaede? That's a very rude thing to do!"
The members of the Corpse Transport Team belonged to the logistical department of the frontline forces, and their personnel were regularly rotated.
A very small number of people who had previously interacted with Tsukasa Kaede found it truly surreal that Tsukasa Kaede had become a specialist dealing exclusively with corpses.
Tsukasa Kaede heard the hushed whispers, turned his head, and glanced at his "cute" colleagues, a benevolent—or to others, horrifying—smile appearing on his gaunt face.
This immediately triggered terrified screams. Some even felt they were about to become corpses controlled by Tsukasa Kaede.
"It won't be long before I probably become the protagonist of widely circulated horror stories... but it's harmless."
Tsukasa Kaede felt that no matter what, he could never become a radiant little sun like Minato Namikaze.
No, more accurately, he was naturally antithetical to the sunny warmth of the Asura lineage, like Naruto, and instead shared common ground with the temperament of the Indra lineage.
"So, while I have no missions, I need to test out a new ninjutsu: the Corpse Substitution Jutsu, which combines the principles of summoning jutsu and substitution jutsu."
Substitution jutsu is one of the lowest D-rank ninjutsu, learnable even by students who aren't even Genin—the most advanced substitution jutsu, of course, being Madara's Limbo. However, that unreasonable technique, where a shadow takes damage for the main body, is essentially a type of space-time ninjutsu.
Tsukasa Kaede naturally knew ordinary substitution jutsu, but to replace the wooden log used in the jutsu with a zombie he controlled, combined with the principles of summoning jutsu, such a jutsu would inevitably take some time to develop.
In the ideal scenario, by utilizing the connection between himself and a zombie, he would instantly swap places with it. Both he and the zombie would possess combat capabilities, fully capable of launching a surprise attack on the enemy after the swap.
"To me, zombies are a type of ninja tool, animate dead matter that can be sealed into scrolls. So, treating my zombies as wooden logs for a substitution summoning is theoretically possible..."
The only difficulty was that a wooden log, as a substitute object, is stationary, whereas zombies are capable of movement. This meant that Chakra flowed through the zombies, constantly fluctuating, which greatly increased the difficulty of Tsukasa Kaede's swap.
"If it were anyone else trying this, it definitely wouldn't work. But for me, who has mastered Corpse Release and for many years wished I could split one portion of Chakra into two, precisely sensing a zombie's Chakra state is like controlling my own limbs; the only difference is how much effort it takes."
Tsukasa Kaede attached great importance to this jutsu. Once realized, it would mean he had mastered another space-time ninjutsu besides summoning jutsu, and to some extent, a crippled version of Amenotejikara.
Amenotejikara allows for direct spatial swapping, essentially meaning one can instantly teleport anywhere within sight. Its close-quarters combat effect is even more phenomenal than the Flying Raijin Jutsu.
"If I can constantly perfect the Corpse Substitution Jutsu, and at the same time, acquire a native body with sufficient Chakra... perhaps I could also be considered a ninja proficient in space-time ninjutsu, by putting numerous zombies into coffins, burying them across the Shinobi World, and treating them as spatial coordinates similar to those of the Flying Raijin Jutsu..."
Tsukasa Kaede constantly pondered, countless inspirations bursting forth in his mind at every moment. He utilized his inner Chakra efficiently, wishing he could split every single portion to perfectly apply it to developing ninjutsu.
He reconfirmed that Corpse Release held immense potential; it was just too heavily restricted at present to be fully utilized.
Five days passed in a flash. During this period, Konoha and Hidden Sand Village saw no new major wars, and apart from daily skirmishes between patrol squads, both sides appeared extremely quiet, as if waiting for something.
Konoha was waiting for Tsunade; what was Hidden Sand Village waiting for? Tsukasa Kaede didn't think they were lying in wait for him. Perhaps they were brewing some dangerous offensive.
On the sixth day, Tsukasa Kaede received a mission that required him to leave the Main Camp.
"Hmm, this confidential mission was actually issued by Ryoma, and it's A-rank... has he also arrived on this battlefield?"
Tsukasa Kaede walked out of the Main Camp, a thoughtful expression on his face.
After being promoted to Chunin, the only change was being able to undertake squad-based missions, forcing him to bear greater risks on this perilous battlefield.
If he were still a Genin, his primary role would have been to blend in with the main forces, treating the wounded who retreated from the front line.
"My medical ninjutsu is purely rudimentary. Ryoma couldn't possibly be unaware of this. But since he specifically assigned me to participate, either he's taking the opportunity to observe me, or there's a specific aspect of this mission that relates to me."
Could it be Nonō Yakushi?
Tsukasa Kaede was all too familiar with Root's despicable methods, so he immediately scrutinized his teammates.
The squad consisted of five people, with an elite jonin named Terai as the captain.
Upon hearing that name, Tsukasa Kaede knew exactly who this guy was—a Root Shinobi who had assassinated the Third Hokage in the original story.
Aside from him and Morino Idate, the last two members maintained a "do not approach" demeanor, and it was obvious without thinking that they were also from Root.
"This mission will be very troublesome. If it weren't, Root members wouldn't be involved."
Tsukasa Kaede shook his head, not concealing his thoughts: "The mission is to rendezvous with our ninja, but no characteristics of the target person were given? Is the captain planning to explain during the mission?"
Terai's face was cold, devoid of any emotional fluctuation: "Your mind is sharp, no wonder Ryoma-sama specifically requested your participation. We must ensure our comrade, who carries precious intelligence, returns safely."
Tsukasa Kaede was actually certain of one thing: should the battle turn unfavorable and the squad fall into peril, Terai would not hesitate to sacrifice all his teammates, and if necessary, even himself, to ensure the intelligence was delivered back.
This was Root's style.
(end of chapter)