The Land of Rain.
This region borders the Land of Earth.
During the fall of the Land of Rain and its takeover by Konoha, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, had consistently deployed forces to firmly hold this area, controlling roughly a quarter of the Land of Rain's territory.
Onoki's goal was to plunder sufficient resources from the Land of Rain, while Konoha's goal was to stabilize the country as soon as possible. So, both sides tacitly avoided conflict.
However,
As time passed, four months went by, and the situation in the Land of Rain finally stabilized. It had reached a point where Iwagakure and Konoha needed to come to some kind of agreement.
To minimize the ravages of war in the Land of Rain, Iwagakure and Konoha began negotiations. Konoha's demand was that Iwagakure withdraw from all the land it had occupied, originally part of the Land of Rain, and compensate for all the funds plundered from there.
Onoki naturally could not accept this.
Negotiations reached a stalemate.
"So the Tsuchikage's bottom line is that they can withdraw from the Land of Rain and help Konoha quickly take control of that region, but only if Konoha pays one billion ryo as 'wages' for guarding the area for four months?"
Inside the Hokage's office, Kaede smiled as he listened to the intel from the front-line negotiator.
The ninja relaying the news broke out in a cold sweat, "Hokage-sama, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure personally sat at the negotiation table and put a lot of pressure on us…"
"Alright, I understand," Kaede waved him off. "Tell them the negotiations are postponed, rescheduled for three days from now."
"Yes, sir."
The ninja bowed and left.
Kaede then turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi, send the covert order to have the ninja deliver that item to the new negotiation site."
"Understood."
Kakashi nodded and immediately went to carry out the task.
Regarding Kaede's Flying Thunder God Kunai, the location and delivery of this information were now entirely under Kakashi's control. It was crucial intelligence because if the enemy learned Kaede's teleportation timings, it would pose a significant threat to Konoha.
When to use the Flying Thunder God technique was decided solely by Kaede himself, usually not planned in advance but triggered spontaneously.
Meanwhile, the delivery of the kunai was strictly controlled by Kakashi, kept top secret.
This made it extremely difficult for anyone to predict if or when Kaede would use Flying Thunder God to leave Konoha temporarily, let alone precisely when he would depart.
After Kakashi left,
Kaede signed a few more documents.
Then, leaning back in his chair, he extended his left hand and turned it over slowly in front of him. The pale palm caught the sunset's glow, faintly shimmering with a golden light.
"The Sage's Body is almost complete…"
Kaede murmured.
It had been a long journey since mastering the perfect Sage Mode and cultivating the Sage's Body. The natural energy within him was nearly saturated.
This natural energy had fused with every cell in his body, giving him vigorous life force and granting him abilities comparable to those of Hashirama Senju.
The difference now was that Kaede was not the reincarnation of Ashura.
Without Ashura's chakra, his own chakra volume was less than Hashirama's, but as a Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, plus the Nine-Tails' chakra, Kaede actually had more chakra than Hashirama.
If he wished,
He could attempt to combine Earth and Water natures to develop a Wood Release kekkei genkai, but it would take time and wouldn't greatly boost his power, so Kaede was too lazy to bother.
Once the Sage's Body is fully complete, all of his attributes, except spiritual power, will basically reach the peak just below the Six Paths level.
With his time-based abilities, even if he encounters a Six Paths-level opponent, he has the qualifications to fight, though that depends on how strong the opponent is within that level.
The Six Paths level itself has gradations.
In Kaede's view, Sasuke and Naruto, who inherited half of the Sage of Six Paths' chakra, represent the first stage of the Six Paths level.
Uchiha Madara, as the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, is the second stage.
Otsutsuki Kaguya, however, is not the third stage in Kaede's eyes. Sasuke, having fought both Kaguya and Otsutsuki Momoshiki, perceives Kaguya as stronger than Momoshiki.
Clearly, Kaguya's plan to create the White Zetsu succeeded. Those White Zetsu became her soldiers, not combat soldiers but chakra extractors.
Having absorbed all the chakra from the White Zetsu and humans, Kaguya's power surpasses Momoshiki's. Although Momoshiki possesses the 'Time Freeze' ability, a bug-level power based on dojutsu, it has limits. Even Sasuke's Rinnegan can't fully freeze time, much less restrain Kaguya.
Therefore,
In Kaede's judgment, Momoshiki's power level is the third stage of the Six Paths, and Kaguya represents the fourth and final stage.
Momoshiki's strength is an important dividing line.
If Naruto and Sasuke at the Six Paths level can be trapped by his time freeze, then Kaede, who hasn't even reached the first stage of Six Paths yet, would be instantly defeated if caught, unless his opponent pulls a last-minute 'plot twist' and unleashes a final move upon death.
Kaede isn't afraid of first-stage Six Paths opponents, any fight could go either way.
But at the second stage, he'd have to run.
No way to kill or beat them.
"When the Sage's Body is complete, I'll go take a look at the moon. If I can't get the Rinnegan, I'll have to start slowly, step by step, from the Sharingan."
Kaede muttered.
Now, if he obtained either the Rinnegan or the Rinne Sharingan to compensate for his spiritual shortcomings, he could firmly step into the Six Paths level.
With his powerful time-based abilities, once at the Six Paths level, even the most basic stage, he could jump directly to the second stage.
With him around,
Kaguya won't be so easy to revive.
But Momoshiki, Kinshiki, and an 'Otsutsuki Insufficient Funds' version arriving earlier in this world, those are inevitable, and the battles with them will come sooner or later.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 654+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 337
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 279
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 218
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 200
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to Chapter 130
Kuroko no Basket: The Phantom Ace — Up to Chapter 59
Yukigaoka: Project Ace — Up to Chapter 53
Naruto: Starting from the Duel — Up to Chapter 43