The shinobi who guarded Danzō were, at the very least, Tokubetsu Jōnin with deadly specializations.
Several Root operatives burst forth like wind and thunder, striking at Kaede Tsukasa from multiple directions. Against an ordinary opponent, the fight would have been over in an instant.
But Kaede Tsukasa was no ordinary man.
Plumes of white smoke erupted around him, and several figures appeared from nowhere. At their head was Araki of the Sandstorm, who raised both hands and instantly whipped up a localized sandstorm.
The ground trembled. Layers of dust were torn upward, merging with the storm. Within the howling winds, streams of sand compressed into stone bullets and blasted out, disrupting the Root shinobi's assault.
"This is an elite jōnin of Sunagakure! This guy can already control shinobi of this level?" one Root operative exclaimed.
"It's not just crude manipulation. From the summoning to the execution of techniques—sure, he may have prepared in advance, but this speed is insane."
That could only mean one thing—Araki of the Sandstorm had retained the bulk of his original strength. Seventy, eighty percent? Perhaps even more!
In comparison, Kaede Tsukasa's bold choice to resist paled next to Araki's terrifying display.
Danzō's eye lit up as he watched the storm erupt before him.
"As I thought—Kaede Tsukasa concealed the true power of this secret art from everyone. To restore an elite jōnin to this level—no, perhaps even close to his peak strength—proves that this jutsu could work on the corpse of a Kage as well."
Perfect. Absolutely perfect. As Danzō watched the zombie legion commanded by Tsukasa, he felt there could be no more flawless technique than this.
And this was a system of ninjutsu that could spawn countless derivative techniques. Compared to the Impure World Reincarnation, which no one had ever managed to master, how hard could it be to learn? For one man to have developed Zombie Release on his own—Kaede Tsukasa's genius exceeded even Danzō's imagination.
The more this was the case, the less he could afford to let Tsukasa slip away.
"Continue. Take him alive—or must I step in myself?" Danzō said icily.
The Root shinobi spread out, weaving their own techniques to shatter the storm.
Under the barrage, the sandstorm was torn apart, revealing Kaede Tsukasa's form.
One Root operative—sword in one hand, forming seals with the other—lunged with blinding speed.
"You're Captain Terai, aren't you? I can tell."
Tsukasa's face betrayed no emotion, but the zombies around him were already in motion. The Explosion Release zombie stepped forward in a blur, intercepting the attack.
Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!
Explosion Release: Explosive Thunder Palm!
One corpse slammed its hands to the ground, raising an earthen barrier. In the very instant the wall rose, the Explosion Release zombie placed its palm upon it, detonating at the precise moment it stabilized.
Boom!
The barrier shattered under the violent blast, and the shockwave roared outward, crashing straight into Terai.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. The coordination was seamless, flawless—and throughout the exchange, the zombies never once communicated, moving as if they had drilled together countless times.
The combination of ninjutsu from different elements flowed with such uncanny smoothness that it chilled the heart.
That opening was enough for Araki of the Sandstorm to unleash an entirely new technique.
Magnet Release: Sand Hail!
"As expected, this guy really is suited for desert combat. The terrain advantage boosts his power far too much."
Kaede Tsukasa stood still, calm enough to evaluate the situation even as the battle raged.
But Terai was still Terai. Backed by the strength of an elite jōnin and the support of other Root operatives, his blade crackled with lightning as it cleaved precisely through the shifting sand. With rapid swings, he deflected every last grain projectile. The sword, wreathed in the shrill buzz of chakra, carved a dazzling arc of blue light through the air.
Shhhhk!
Araki of the Sandstorm was pierced clean through the chest, a gaping hole torn in his left side. Yet no blood flowed. Unperturbed, he stirred an even greater storm.
"This corpse is already formidable, but the fact that it ignores injury makes it even harder to fight."
Out of the corner of his eye, Terai glanced at his own forearm—the hairs stood rigid, a primal warning.
He shifted mid-swing, diverting his blade from a throat slash into a diagonal cleave aimed to take Araki's head.
And in that moment, a seemingly ordinary zombie stepped forward. A sizzling sound erupted from within—then it exploded.
The blast tore half of Terai's blade away. Shards of metal whistled past Kaede Tsukasa's ear, peppering the ground meters away with honeycomb craters.
At the same time, three figures burst from the earth, surrounding the Explosion Release zombie.
But Araki's colossal hand of sand rose from below in tandem, infused with Magnet Release chakra. The ground for twenty meters around turned into shifting quicksand.
The sequence did its work—the Root operatives succeeded in dismantling Tsukasa's front line. No more zombies stood in his defense.
"Careful—he might summon again."
"One of his hands has stayed in a sealing position the whole time."
The Root operatives exchanged quick observations while forming their own seals.
Fire Style: Seal of Cinders!
A torrent of explosive tags flooded outward, layering over one another to form a deadly seal. In an instant, the formation detonated, reducing everything inside to dust.
"Lord Danzō… he's not dead, is he?" Terai, dust clinging to his uniform, held the broken remains of his sword as he removed his damaged mask with no change in expression.
"You served under him once. You saw him use space-time ninjutsu with your own eyes," Danzō growled, watching the rising smoke, counting the seconds.
"Forty-seven seconds. A bit long, but still within tolerance. The noise, however… no matter how remote this place is, it'll draw attention. Many shinobi are surely already on their way."
Terai replied, "His main weakness is his frail body. Controlling this many corpses at once must have drained most of his chakra. After such a high-intensity fight, I doubt he has the strength left to use space-time jutsu to escape."
Even if he did, the problem would be range. The area within dozens of meters was already reduced to a white wasteland—soil overturned, solid walls collapsed.
The farther the teleport, the higher the chakra cost. Judging from the mechanics of the Flying Thunder God, Tsukasa's technique should be similar.
But after a few seconds, as the dust settled, Kaede Tsukasa stepped calmly out of a hidden chamber. His clothes were spotless, his body unweary, as if nothing had happened at all.
Araki of the Sandstorm, who had collapsed, rose once more. He didn't attack—just stood silently in place.
"So, he had already swapped himself out, leaving a corpse to take the blast? Terai, it seems you too misjudged him. The chakra cost to control his corpses is far lower than you assumed."
A satisfied smile crept across Danzō's face.
"This battle ends here. Kaede Tsukasa, your talents are now fully clear to me."