**Chapter 35: Tsunade's Amazement**
In a war, those who truly shine are, after all, only a very small minority.
Tsukasa Kaede felt he wasn't among that small minority, but others didn't think so.
After crushing the Hidden Sand Village, many Konoha ninja cheered jubilantly, returning one after another to the Main Camp, escorting the war spoils they had reaped and the captives they had captured to their designated locations.
These things would all become bargaining chips for the Hidden Leaf Village during post-war negotiations.
Many people were covered in scars and grime, but they were incredibly excited, loudly recounting their exploits on the battlefield.
Especially around the Medical Unit, it was most bustling. Many ninja's first priority upon returning was to treat their injuries, making this area a densely populated spot.
"Hey, hey, hey, have you heard? Araki of the Sand also died! He was an Elite Jonin from the Hidden Sand Village!"
"I heard! Kato Dan's strength is incredibly powerful; he might have reached Hokage level!"
"Not only that, I heard Kato Dan mention that Tsukasa Kaede interfered with Araki of the Sand, creating an opportunity for him!"
"The one who uses the Soul Death Technique?"
Tsukasa Kaede's performance brought unprecedented attention to the Soul Death Technique. It was truly because the jutsu that allowed corpses to move freely was too unique, and on this battlefield littered with corpses, people only needed to hear about it once to understand how terrifying this jutsu was.
In particular, when Tsukasa Kaede developed a new Space-Time Ninjutsu through the Soul Death Technique, it caused a sensation.
It couldn't be kept a secret. The battle to encircle Araki of the Sand was already eye-catching, and Tsukasa Kaede's Spatial Rift Jutsu was witnessed by many people on site, leading to its widespread propagation.
Space-Time Ninjutsu! Who doesn't like it? Who doesn't want to learn it? Just hearing Minato Namikaze's name, even without having seen Minato Namikaze fight, merely imagining it in one's mind, one could envision how dazzling and captivating the scenes of instantaneous movement were.
The Flying Raijin Jutsu had just begun to spread, and now a young ninja who could use Space-Time Ninjutsu had emerged on their side? "Is this a complementary Ninjutsu developed based on the Soul Death Technique? Does the Soul Death Technique really have such potential?!"
Almost everyone, upon learning about Tsukasa Kaede's various performances out of curiosity, would show an expression of astonishment.
Especially the medical ninja, they all felt their minds couldn't comprehend it.
If merely manipulating corpses to fight might cause some comrades' aversion, what if it could further activate Space-Time Ninjutsu? Then people's perception of Tsukasa Kaede's version of the Soul Death Technique would completely change.
This was the charm of Space-Time Ninjutsu.
The medical ninja were even a little frantic, trying to learn the Soul Death Technique through various channels, even exchanging Military Merit with the Village for it. But after getting their hands on it, no matter how they researched it, they confirmed that it was just a jutsu for briefly manipulating corpses.
"No matter how much training one undergoes, a corpse can only move for dozens of seconds at most, and it cannot undertake high-intensity combat missions. How did Tsukasa Kaede overcome the drawbacks of this Jutsu? How can he make corpses move freely for so long and even use the Ninjutsu they possessed in life?"
Not to mention, Tsukasa Kaede could also control multiple corpses simultaneously, displaying impressive combat power, and even perform Space-Time Ninjutsu through these corpses! Under this intense curiosity and astonishment, Tsukasa Kaede's name spread at an astonishing speed.
To be fair, he hadn't yet achieved feats significant enough to change the course of the war, nor had he become a Konoha hero, but the stir he caused temporarily overshadowed everyone else.
Kato Dan's casual comment that Tsukasa Kaede was a genius, whether or not it was intended to open a conversation with Tsukasa Kaede, began to spread rapidly at this moment.
More and more people re-examined Tsukasa Kaede, increasingly feeling that Tsukasa Kaede was also a genius.
If a Minato Namikaze could emerge on the battlefield against Hidden Stone Village, then it was quite normal for a Tsukasa Kaede to appear on their side, wasn't it?
"...My talent is far from comparable to Minato Namikaze's. My comrades' rumors are too exaggerated."
Tsukasa Kaede stood before Tsunade, reporting his work, and said with great helplessness.
A genius?
Perhaps he would be soon, but not yet.
"Don't be modest. Everyone sees your abilities. There are ways to compensate for your main shortcomings now."
Tsunade's style of doing things was exceptionally capable. She specifically summoned Tsukasa Kaede in her busy schedule, but not really to listen to Tsukasa Kaede's work report; Kato Dan had already told her the specifics.
Mainly, it was to observe Tsukasa Kaede's situation up close, as he was, after all, a ninja directly under her command in the Medical Unit.
But upon closer inspection, Tsukasa Kaede's physical condition still astonished Tsunade.
She extended a finger and placed it on Tsukasa Kaede's shoulder, her Chakra quickly circulating once: "With your physical condition, how have you survived until now? No wonder Root overlooked you when they were screening personnel back then."
It was truly shocking. Tsunade felt that the scrawny young man before her was like a paper doll! The incredibly sparse number of cells couldn't escape the notice of a top medical ninja like Tsunade.
"There's nothing I can do. I was born this way. That's why I said I owe my survival to the village's care," Tsukasa Kaede said.
Tsunade had never seen such a body before. It appeared no different from a normal person's, but a careful examination revealed it was like a paper-thin figure, frighteningly hollow inside.
Logically, a body like this could easily succumb to a common cold, yet Tsukasa Kaede had somehow lived to be 16 and become an excellent Chunin.
"No wonder your info card says you have a reclusive personality, but some teammates didn't mention this. I generally understand now... With a body like this, you really should be a bit reclusive. If you carelessly approached people, you might not have lived until now."
Out of her research instincts, she really wanted to study this never-before-seen body carefully, but she merely thought about it in her mind.
"I will teach you the Jutsu for stimulating the body with Chakra. With your learning ability, mastering this Jutsu won't be difficult. This can slightly improve your problem of insufficient Chakra, but I can do nothing for your fingers. However, it seems you don't mind this," Tsunade said.
Tsukasa Kaede immediately performed a Summoning, bringing forth a zombie: "Tsunade, the jutsu I wish to perform can be achieved through zombies. This can effectively compensate for my flaws."
"Zombies... Indeed, your jutsu has deviated from the original Soul Death Technique and embarked on a different path."
"Yes, I've named this Secret Technique of mine: Corpse Release."
Corpse Release...
Just by the name, it sounds like a forbidden jutsu.
However, it was fine. She judged Tsukasa Kaede to be a cautious and intelligent person, unlikely to take the taboo path of recklessly using comrades' corpses.
As for using enemy corpses... in wartime, that was acceptable.
(end of chapter)