chapter 119 part 1
**Chapter 119: Our Akatsuki Must Lend a Hand**
Kakuzu was very confident in his strength. Don't be fooled by his seventy years; his physical condition was even more spry than that of an energetic teenager—though he didn't possess a normal body to begin with.
By learning the Secret Technique, Earth Grudge Fear, which he plundered from the Hidden Waterfall Village, his entire body was no longer composed of normal flesh and blood, but rather threads resembling black blood vessels.
Having pursued money for many years, Kakuzu was very proficient in the art of making it. He quickly moved in the direction of the Hidden Sand Village, his mind already calculating how much he could earn from this trip.
Kakuzu's eyes were filled with a craving for money: "Hmph, Hashirama Senju and Madara are both dead. No one in this world can kill me. Whoever dares to stand in my way will die."
At the same time.
"Whoever tries to stop us, strike them down without mercy! We must obtain the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu, no matter what!"
Yahiko was assigning his subordinates the task of guarding their Base, while he himself prepared to go with Nagato to the Hidden Sand Village to acquire the crucial Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu.
Nagato hesitated, "Yahiko, if we rashly go to another country and seize someone else's Secret Technique..."
"Don't be naive, haven't you realized it yet? We can have ideals, but we can't base our practical actions on idealistic notions, or we wouldn't have lost Konan."
Yahiko frowned deeply, "Besides, if we don't act, others will. Kaedence the Hidden Sand Village is destined to lose the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu, why can't it fall into our hands? We want to bring peace to this world, and this Jutsu can play a greater role in our hands. It's certainly better than letting those great ninja village fellows get their hands on it and use it to resurrect powerful corpses!"
Just imagining the consequences if that Jutsu fell into the hands of a great ninja village sent a shiver down Yahiko's spine—painstakingly killing a Kage-level enemy, only for the enemy to turn around and send out prepared sacrificial ninja, resurrecting the person with a single Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu.
How could they fight like that? Kage-level enemies could repeatedly return from the dead; how many times would they have to be killed before it truly ended?
Using a ninja capable of utilizing complex ninjutsu to resurrect powerful Kage-level individuals—that was the strategic value of the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu, not to mention its ability to replenish life force to enhance strength and extend lifespan.
While the world couldn't replicate Tsukasa Kaede's miracle, there would be no problem using the Jutsu normally.
Nagato whispered, "The Hidden Sand Village might not necessarily fail..."
"If Akatsuki participates, they will definitely fail," Yahiko said.
"..."
Nagato didn't know what to say; Yahiko had closed the logical loop. But this only made him more worried. The Yahiko he knew had never been so aggressive. They hadn't even reached an agreement with the Hidden Rain Village or established a firm foothold in the Land of Rain with their comrades, yet he was already planning to operate in other countries? Yahiko glanced at the silent Nagato: "If we acquire the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu, we can learn about the important Forbidden Jutsu within Tsukasa Kaede's combat system, further deepening our understanding of him, and helping us rescue Konan."
Furthermore, he himself needed to obtain the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu.
"Alright then, I'll go with you—"
"Be ready at all times to Summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."
"Huh?"
"We might need to use the power of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. If we encounter any resistance, we must end the battle as quickly as possible and return with the war spoils." Yahiko emphasized, "Our Akatsuki cannot remain a fringe organization forever. We must secure a place in this Shinobi World. We need to find a suitable opportunity to declare our existence, and we truly possess the strength to do so."
Nagato fell silent once more. Yahiko felt somewhat unfamiliar to him; this course of action was perhaps a bit too radical.
However, regarding their strength, Nagato agreed, because they... were truly powerful! Yahiko's strength was unknown, and Nagato was constantly acquiring new Dojutsu, not yet having reached his limits. Coupled with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, which had swallowed the One-Tail, to put it bluntly, in terms of high-end combat power, the Hidden Sand Village was no longer a match for the nascent Akatsuki.
"What about Tsukasa Kaede? He controls Konan and is also our nominal partner."
"Ignore him. We have a relationship of mutual exploitation. We can't be nice to him just because he handed over the One-Tail."
Yahiko, however, was very curious to know what the mission content was for the matter Tsukasa Kaede entrusted to them, even at the cost of giving up the One-Tail, and when it was supposed to be carried out.
But Tsukasa Kaede never said.
However, no matter the content, as long as he possessed this power... Yahiko subconsciously glanced at his palm, then slowly clenched his fist, concealing the strange symbol on it.
Even if he had to pay a price, as long as he could gain power, everything was worth it. Moreover, powerful ninja had all paid various prices to obtain their strength, and he was naturally willing to do the same.
...
Tsukasa Kaede rarely spared a moment of attention to observe the developments in the Shinobi World.
First, there was Akatsuki.
"I see. Yahiko couldn't hold back and made his move. He's a bit too impatient, clearly knowing that the sudden powerful strength he gained brings him one step closer to death with each use, yet he still wants to do something."
Tsukasa Kaede soon stopped paying attention to Akatsuki's movements. To put it bluntly, it didn't matter whether Akatsuki obtained the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu or not; in his plans, Akatsuki was merely cannon fodder, expendable.
As for the actions of the Hidden Leaf Village, Tsukasa Kaede was even less concerned. His relationship with the Village had already fallen to a periodic low point.
To be more direct, Tsukasa Kaede now held a special status that only the former Danzo once possessed—as long as he didn't commit extreme acts like Village Defection, the Village would tolerate his private actions even if they slightly crossed the line.
It was ironic; Tsukasa Kaede had clearly accumulated great merit and significantly boosted the Hidden Leaf Village's reputation, yet it was an action he carried out alone, with the Village providing no assistance whatsoever.
This was if he succeeded; if he failed... Tsukasa Kaede had no doubt that the Village would pin all responsibility on him, and the Third Hokage would remain silent, which would equate to tacit approval.
Tsukasa Kaede wasn't angry about this; he had known from the beginning that the Hidden Leaf Village was like this. ninja always had to sacrifice for the greater good, but unfortunately, he was unwilling to make sacrifices. On the contrary, he would want even more.
"Next, in the time before the Third Great Ninja War breaks out, I need to prepare well." Tsukasa Kaede chuckled lightly and returned to the Hidden Leaf Village.
He didn't even bother to pretend, not going to the Hokage Office, acting as if nothing had happened, and completely ignoring the boiling public opinion in the Village.
Aside from a very few individuals, the people in the Village simply had no idea what had transpired.
In this situation, various factions successively entered the Land of Wind, constantly approaching the Hidden Sand Village.