chapter 82 part 4
Tsukasa Kaede expressed great appreciation for the Reaper, and would continue to do so in the future.
Hanzo made up his mind to retreat.
"Tsukasa Kaede, you are an extremely bizarre Ninja. I shall call you 'Leaf Devourer.' You will surely make this world tremble in fear; I won't be wrong about that."
Hanzo looked at the increasingly agonizing Salamander and immediately canceled the Summoning Jutsu Formula.
The Salamander didn't autonomously cancel the Summoning Jutsu Formula and disappear in a puff of smoke, which indicated it still possessed some combat ability — meaning the two attacks on its Soul hadn't completely incapacitated the Salamander.
This already allowed Hanzo to speculate on the power of Tsukasa Kaede's Jutsu Formula. If even he, a Demigod, were hit by such a Jutsu, his fate wouldn't be much better; a drastic drop in Combat Power was certain.
What's more, Tsukasa Kaede could use this unknown Forbidden Jutsu multiple times. Who knew how many times Tsukasa Kaede could use it!
"Leaf Devourer... Have I gained your recognition? You seem quite adept at giving nicknames to juniors you acknowledge," Tsukasa Kaede said.
The character "喰" (shí), meaning "devour," was a general summary of his ability to consume Life Force and Souls, which was somewhat interesting.
Tsukasa Kaede actually didn't care much for nicknames. He originally had no interest in acquiring a title that showcased his identity, unlike the Yellow Flash or the Konoha Sannin.
However, since Hanzo had said it, whether this title would spread in the future, or to what extent, Tsukasa Kaede couldn't control, nor did he care to. Others could call him whatever they liked.
Hanzo gave the order for all Amegakure Ninja to retreat. He himself ran the fastest, not even bothering to greet Danzo — after fighting to this point, with the bizarre nature Tsukasa Kaede had revealed, Hanzo felt there was no need to waste any more time on Danzo.
Danzo was already in his fifties; how old was Tsukasa Kaede? Could Danzo kill Tsukasa Kaede? If not, then for Hanzo, offending no one was the only choice.
This made Danzo's expression turn ugly at once. He was still entangled with Jiraiya, both sides probing constantly, but this time, Danzo couldn't find a good opportunity to use Izanagi.
He could only use Izanagi one more time; if he still couldn't take down Jiraiya, he would have no choice but to escape.
"That bastard Hanzo, always looking before he leaps, he doesn't deserve the title of Ninja World Demigod!!" Danzo, who had been relatively calm, now felt his composure break.
His strongest Combat Power, Hanzo, had run off. Was he expected to face Tsukasa Kaede and Jiraiya alone, and still take Nagato? That was simply impossible.
But he could definitely do it in the future. Danzo also harbored thoughts of retreat, his heart still filled with intense unwillingness.
"Tsukasa Kaede, you are this old man's subordinate! Kaedence you've driven off an outsider like Hanzo, you can absolutely team up with this old man to kill Jiraiya. As for the Rinnegan, this old man is willing to share it with you, one for each of us!"
Danzo said sternly, "If you have any other conditions, just say them! Even if it's learning other Forbidden Jutsu from the Scroll of Seals, this old man can get them for you! This is the greatest concession this old man can make!"
Jiraiya forced Danzo back and sneered, "What, you're still trying to bribe him at a time like this? He's not like you."
Jiraiya was actually very worried. He had witnessed the battle between Tsukasa Kaede and Hanzo, and although he didn't recognize the Reaper Death Seal Jutsu, he could generally guess how this Jutsu Formula worked.
The methods Tsukasa Kaede displayed truly startled Jiraiya; it was to an extent that even he had to treat cautiously. Even if he was confident he could drive Tsukasa Kaede away with his full power — Tsukasa Kaede, after all, used Space-Time Ninjutsu, and if he truly wanted to leave, Jiraiya couldn't stop him.
But how old was Tsukasa Kaede, what was his background? The fact that he could make Jiraiya, a legitimate Hokage disciple and Mount Myoboku successor, feel danger, already spoke volumes about how terrifying Tsukasa Kaede's talent was!
Starting with Forbidden Jutsu, and even basic attacks being dangerous ultimate moves, how could anyone dare to relax for a second? Every Forbidden Art Tsukasa Kaede used, if placed on another Ninja, would be a trump card sufficient to secure their livelihood or even pass down to the next generation!
Jiraiya least wanted Tsukasa Kaede to betray them at this moment.
Tsukasa Kaede spoke, "Lord Danzo, if I wanted to ally with you, I would have done so from the start. Killing Lord Jiraiya, taking the Rinnegan, then turning back to deal with Hanzo would be the same. But since I didn't do that, you shouldn't harbor any illusions about me."
"Hmph, do you really think you've got this old man cornered?" Danzo suddenly retreated, raising a hand. The seven surviving Root Ninja quickly gathered in front of him.
This battle couldn't continue. Danzo realized that even if he could kill Jiraiya, could he possibly deal with Tsukasa Kaede?
Moreover, a deceased Jiraiya might soon become Tsukasa Kaede's top general... No, perhaps Tsukasa Kaede was waiting for such an outcome! Danzo stared at Tsukasa Kaede with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, seeing only an expressionless face.
And most importantly, Danzo knew he couldn't use Izanagi to kill Jiraiya. He had still underestimated Jiraiya's strength and overestimated Izanagi's power.
This was only temporary! Before long, even these two in front of him, even with Hanzo, wouldn't be his opponents! As long as he had organs made from Hashirama's Cells, and as long as he had an endless supply of Three-Tomoe Sharingan, able to use Izanagi without limit, who in this world could be his opponent?
Tsukasa Kaede chuckled, "Lord Danzo, don't pretend you're at a disadvantage. Don't think I don't know why you secretly came to the Land of Rain. Was it to investigate Jiraiya, or to investigate me? The Rinnegan was a complete accidental discovery, wasn't it, entirely outside your plans... If you can make moves against me, isn't it perfectly normal for me to do something that displeases you?"
He wouldn't lower his stance just because Danzo was one of Konoha's Higher-ups. If it were before, when he hadn't developed yet, there would be nothing to say; survival would be paramount.
But now there was no need. He was fully capable of standing on his own and could converse with Danzo on an equal footing.
"The fledgling from back then has grown its wings and dares to speak to this old man like this. However, this old man will not give up the Rinnegan; it is a power that can change the Ninja World! Or are you saying you intend to kill this old man?" Danzo said sternly.
"Kill? Don't make it sound so harsh. Even if you die, I can Resurrect you; it's not a big deal," Tsukasa Kaede said. "Of course, who listens to whom then, that's hard to say..."