Infecting a native of the Land of Fire with the zombie virus, without any external interference, required an immense amount of time.
If an ordinary Human scratched and exposed to a small amount of the virus could hold out ten minutes before turning into a zombie, a native of the ninja world could last at least several hours.
Keep in mind, this refers to ordinary humans in the ninja world, with no chakra at all, relying solely on their bodies—which are three times stronger than a real-world human—to resist the virus.
Three times the physical capacity doesn't just triple immunity; it increases it at least tenfold.
If it were a ninja capable of producing chakra, it would be far worse—their physical abilities would be exponentially higher. Without Kaede Tsukasa's intervention, infecting a ninja with just a scratch would take several days.
It's not that the zombie virus Kaede Tsukasa brought wasn't potent. A mere scratch was enough to turn an ordinary Earthling into a zombie in ten minutes. A bite could do it in under a minute.
Newly turned zombies could then bite and scratch others, rapidly expanding the horde exponentially, creating a terrifying zombie outbreak with victims having no chance to react.
But in the ninja world, such a virus was almost trivial—the natives' physical capabilities were simply too extreme.
Those with special techniques were even more astonishing. For example, during the Chūnin Exams, Sasuke learned from Kakashi how to use chakra to stimulate body cells. This technique allowed him to match Lee's taijutsu level in just one month.
Then there were the Lightning Release armors of the Third and Fourth Raikage, and Orochimaru's body modification techniques.
Ninjas like the Senju, Uzumaki, or Kaguya clans, who excelled in physical strength, had cells far exceeding 130 trillion. With additional techniques like cell stimulation and cell division, their immunity was virtually incalculable.
Kaede Tsukasa once doubted whether his current zombie virus could infect the First Hokage—probably, a mere sneeze from the First Hokage would metabolize all the virus.
This was why Kaede Tsukasa insisted on continuously developing Zombie Release. He needed to manifest his power through chakra—a survival adaptation for this world.
If the zombie virus acted on its own? It would never achieve any significant effect.
"So, I truly look forward to the chance to convert an elite jonin into my servant. This is so rare. I originally thought I'd have to wait until the Third Great Ninja War, after obtaining a suitable new body, for such an opportunity."
Everyone saw Kaede Tsukasa displaying talent beyond ordinary comprehension. Those familiar with him knew that every few months he showed visibly noticeable progress, especially in developing techniques, surpassing many other ninjas.
Now they saw him in mortal danger, a young man rising like a promising talent, perhaps a genius, seemingly about to die despite everyone's protection.
But no one could see how thrilled Kaede Tsukasa felt inside.
This was an elite jonin—a nonhuman level, some even of Ōtsutsuki lineage, and higher than many Kage.
Thus, Araki of the Sandstorm could basically be regarded as the near-ceiling of the native ninja population on this planet.
"Come, let me see." Kaede Tsukasa continued to retreat, finally forming hand seals with both hands. Despite missing two fingers, it did not hinder his ability to perform techniques.
Kaede Tsukasa's excitement grew. The nearby Konoha ninjas, seeing his actions, became even more agitated.
"What… what happened to his hands?"
"I heard he recently carried out a very important mission, providing huge help to the village…"
"Damn it! The invasion-mad, despicable Sand Village ruined a young ninja on our side! Losing fingers basically seals off many of his techniques!"
"Absolutely not—you won't harm our comrades! The geniuses of Konoha will be protected by us mediocre fools."
The nearby Konoha ninjas seemed to activate a collective buff called the "Will of Fire." Already attacking Araki of the Sandstorm relentlessly, they now surged forward even more wildly, causing him considerable trouble.
Even some jonin rushed over specifically to attack Araki of the Sandstorm, trying to buy Kaede Tsukasa time to escape.
"What's with this shit? Are they all under genjutsu?!"
Araki of the Sandstorm grew increasingly impatient. No matter how arrogant he was, he didn't think he could take down an entire unit with just his squad. His plan had been a quick strike and extraction—kidnap Kaede Tsukasa and retreat immediately. The deaths of the other Sand Village ninjas were irrelevant to him.
But now it was difficult. Even if he captured Kaede Tsukasa, retreating with his team alive was nearly impossible.
For the first time, Araki of the Sandstorm realized that Konoha's emphasis on caring for comrades had some effect—it had at least produced a bunch of idiots who would irrationally get riled up.
Protecting Kaede Tsukasa wasn't even their mission—why were they suddenly doing something unrelated?
He grew extremely frustrated, and he wasn't sure if it was an illusion. His blood pressure seemed to spike, his heart raced, yet his body felt chillingly cold.
Fear? No, definitely not. He was a seasoned elite jonin, having faced life and death countless times. Fear wasn't the emotion—was it anger, frustration?
Araki of the Sandstorm killed one Konoha ninja after another, but instead of calming him, his agitation grew worse over time, fueled by the splattering blood.
Swish!
He raised a sandstorm, flinging three Konoha ninjas into the air, dodging an attack from a Konoha jonin, instantly killing two zombies, and glanced toward Kaede Tsukasa's position. Even from more than ten meters away, they locked eyes.
Buzz!
His brain emitted a clear ringing. Breathing grew rapid, his heartbeat slowed, and chakra flow through his meridians began undergoing unprecedented changes.
It was as if his body suddenly, bit by bit, no longer belonged to him.
At that moment, Araki of the Sandstorm seemed to realize something. His eyes widened, starting to turn a pale gray.
That guy… not only can he manipulate corpses, but he can also perform techniques on the living!! Araki of the Sandstorm's mind echoed with this thought.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out. The ever-growing wounds on his body gradually dulled into numbness.
"He's almost done… the enemy's movements seem slower!"
"That's strange… he hasn't taken any fatal damage… but this is good. Push harder and take him down!"
Takuno Kazematsuri panted, continuously healing the wounded and expending massive chakra. Seeing Araki of the Sandstorm's strange behavior, he abruptly turned to look at Kaede Tsukasa.
Kaede Tsukasa's face had gone pale from consuming so much chakra, yet the corners of his mouth lifted into a clear smile.
"I really have to thank my comrades. Without their cover, I couldn't have taken down an elite jonin this way… no, not just one elite jonin."