"They're certainly eager, aren't they, wanting so badly to see where my limits lie?"
Tsukasa Kaede observed the corpse secretly transported by two Root shinobi, then received documents from them. He meticulously reviewed the intel recorded about this bloodline limit ninja.
"Tsugu Masato, Explosion Release bloodline limit... Is this Danzo-sama's intention, or Ryoma-sama's?" Tsukasa Kaede closed the documents in his hand and beckoned to a seemingly ordinary corpse nearby.
The corpse immediately rose and howled as it walked before Tsukasa Kaede.
In front of the two Root shinobi, Tsukasa Kaede stuffed the documents into the zombie's mouth.
"...What peculiar habits. I will report this truthfully."
"Whether it's Danzo-sama, Ryoma-sama, or any other lord, they are all existences beyond your reach. Do not inquire about things you shouldn't."
The two Root shinobi spoke stiffly.
Tsukasa Kaede smiled, "You two don't need to hide it. I learned more about Root from Tsunade-sama. Looking at the shape of your masks and their special markings, I know you originate from Root, not Anbu."
The two Root shinobi gave no further response, simply watching Tsukasa Kaede quietly.
Tsukasa Kaede didn't mind and began to carefully examine the bloodline limit corpse before him.
This was the second bloodline limit corpse he had encountered, and to him, it was an excellent weapon.
*Thump!* Tsukasa Kaede placed a hand on the corpse, injecting the virus and expending some of his own chakra to accelerate the virus's spread.
But he quickly stopped this action. From then on, he allowed the virus to multiply on its own. His chakra was precious and would not be casually wasted on a bloodline limit ninja.
"Has it begun?" one Root shinobi asked.
"It's already finished."
Tsukasa Kaede replied, "Modifying a corpse isn't that simple, especially a bloodline limit ninja. Their body is far more complex, and ensuring they can still use their bloodline limit ninjutsu from before death makes it even harder."
"So you can do it? How long will it take?"
"Approximately 24 hours. You can come back tomorrow night," Tsukasa Kaede answered vaguely.
The two Root shinobi pressed him about the handling of Araki of the Sand's corpse, but Tsukasa Kaede did not answer them directly.
Not answering directly was a form of reply.
After the Root shinobi left, Tsukasa Kaede closed the gates of the Corpse Disposal Kaedete and truly began his work.
"Explosion Release is a bloodline limit acquired by fusing Earth Release chakra and Lightning Release chakra, specializing in creating various explosions."
Explosion Release shinobi generally have two combat types. One is Deidara, who creates explosives and throws them. The other is Gari, who concentrates chakra into their hands, causing explosions wherever they touch.
The vast majority of Explosion Release shinobi are of Gari's type.
"Iwagakure's Explosion Corps is also a renowned elite force, like the Hidden Sand Village's Puppet Brigade, echoing throughout the Shinobi World... If I were to face such opponents, the best way to deal with them would be to use cheap zombies to deplete their chakra."
Tsukasa Kaede didn't actually take this Explosion Release shinobi seriously. After all, he had been dead for several days, and the zombie he was converted into couldn't display his former strength, not on the same level of preciousness as Araki of the Sand.
"I still need to focus on cultivating Self-Sacrifice Reanimation."
It must be said, the learning difficulty of the Self-Sacrifice Reanimation Jutsu was truly astonishing. Its essence was to tear apart one's own life energy with chakra, and this step alone was extremely difficult, let alone transferring life force to a target.
The slightest mistake would lead to the loss of one's own life force, a wasted expenditure. And even if life force could be transferred to its maximum extent, the efficiency of delivery was terrifyingly low, and the loss even more astonishing.
This jutsu was, after all, still imperfect.
But it didn't matter. Tsukasa Kaede lacked time, but not material.
He could simply use a large number of corpses for trial and error.
He simultaneously ordered over a dozen zombies to begin tearing at the meager life force within themselves. Occasionally, a zombie would accidentally kill itself, but Tsukasa Kaede didn't even blink an eye.
He didn't care, not at all.
While each zombie certainly possessed different physical characteristics and chakra pathway system differences, the trial and error results of every zombie would be summarized and analyzed by Tsukasa Kaede.
Over the past three days, Tsukasa Kaede had dedicated all his time to cultivation, apart from necessary rest and meals. The analysis he had written already totaled over three hundred thousand words, annotating 413 points of caution.
This was just the beginning.
"At this rate, who knows how long it will take to learn this imperfect Self-Sacrifice Reanimation Jutsu... The simplest method is to control a greater number of zombies; quantity is power."
Tsukasa Kaede still couldn't use Shadow Clone Jutsu, let alone learn the forbidden jutsu, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Even if he learned it, it would be useless; he couldn't utilize it effectively.
The characteristic of Shadow Clones was to evenly distribute chakra. The more chakra, the more Shadow Clones created, the longer each Shadow Clone could be maintained, and the greater the return if sent out for cultivation to accumulate experience points.
Tsukasa Kaede felt that even if he acquired and learned Shadow Clone Jutsu, at most, he could manage to create three or four Shadow Clones, and that would be the result of drastically shortening their duration.
"Unbeknownst to me, I've made some name for myself through Zombification Jutsu and Summoning Jutsu, but it's not enough."
Tsukasa Kaede sighed. He knew he had to do something; staying alive was the most important thing.
Otherwise, by himself, it would be difficult to gather enough corpses to accelerate his cultivation.
Like Naruto's cultivation of Rasenshuriken, starting with a thousand Shadow Clones? And the chakra within each Shadow Clone was abundant enough to be used for researching chakra nature transformation?
Impossible, absolutely impossible. The Child of Prophecy was an overpowered stats monster, not someone Tsukasa Kaede could compare to.
*Creak—*
Tsukasa Kaede opened the large door again, looking out at the silent cemetery. Behind him, the Explosion Release Zombie faithfully followed. If it were wearing a straw hat and a trench coat, it would look exactly like a normal shinobi.
"The conversion is complete. From now on, Iwagakure's Explosion Release shinobi will become the Hidden Leaf Village's most loyal weapon. I believe my jutsu has certain practical value for you."
No sooner had Tsukasa Kaede finished speaking than a Root shinobi appeared before him.
The Root shinobi meticulously scrutinized the Explosion Release shinobi, then drew his blade and lunged. The Explosion Release shinobi precisely dodged it.
*Smack!* The Explosion Release shinobi extended a hand, revealing a brownish palm—the hemoglobin in its blood had long since decomposed, and liver spots were scattered, eventually decaying into its current state.
The zombie's hand rested on the blade, chakra surged, followed by a roar of explosion. The full force of this ultra-close-range blast surged toward the Root shinobi's side.
The Root shinobi skillfully retreated several meters without a word.
"Its reaction speed can't compare to when it was alive. Considering its Explosion Release bloodline, it's probably a Special Jonin, at least stronger than an average Chunin."
Tsukasa Kaede stated, "I believe I have proven my talent, haven't I?"
(end of chapter)