"What kind of technique is this? I've never seen anything like it!"
Tobi couldn't help but poke his head out, staring incredulously at the scene before him. Even after living over a thousand years, he was completely baffled.
He had witnessed the era of the ninja, walked the edges of history, influenced the conflicts among the descendants of the Six Paths Sage, and seen this world evolve step by step—but he had never seen a technique like this.
Massive life-force transfer? Transferring the life force from dead bodies into oneself to cover combat consumption?
Tobi Zetsu sharply realized the immense value of this technique. Combined with Zombie Release, it could exert extraordinary power, squeezing every individual's worth to the absolute limit.
"The question is whether this life-force transfer technique must be paired with that guy's corpse-controlling technique, and if so, to what extent. Can the practitioner only absorb the life force directly from the corpses?"
Could Kaede Tsukasa perform the technique while letting others extract the zombies' life force?
If the living could receive it, then what about the dead? Could a deceased person, infused with enough life force, come back to life?
Based on his experience, Tobi judged: yes, it could work.
As long as there was enough life force to make the body sufficiently vibrant, even if the soul had gone to the afterlife, it could be pulled back through the body as a "coordinate"!
And this technique could control dozens or even hundreds of corpses at once—an undertaking of truly staggering scale.
After all, each corpse was different: genetic lineage, chakra pathways, and so on varied, yet Kaede Tsukasa could precisely control all of them simultaneously. The number of hidden difficulties and fine details was countless.
"This precise control alone must be an extremely difficult forbidden technique to master."
Tobi analyzed that although Kaede Tsukasa seemed to be using only one technique, it actually involved many, and if even a single detail was handled poorly, the effect wouldn't be achieved.
"This… is practically an alternative resurrection technique. It might even be more practical than the Rinne Rebirth Technique!"
The more Tobi thought about it, the more terrified and astonished he became—then almost ecstatic with excitement.
Look at the Rinne Rebirth Technique: it required the Rinnegan to execute successfully.
Such strict conditions forced Uchiha Madara to go to great lengths, even secretly transplanting his own eyes into Nagato, hoping that when Nagato grew up, disillusioned with the world, he would use the Rinne Rebirth Technique to revive him.
But Kaede Tsukasa's technique? The condition was consuming a large number of corpses.
What kind of requirement is that? Corpses, worthless as they are, are everywhere in the ninja world.
The key: it didn't require high-level bloodlines. Even ordinary ninja corpses could be used!
With such ideal conditions and an incredibly powerful effect, in Tobi's eyes, this was the perfect technique—something that could greatly advance his plan to resurrect his mother.
"This generation of Indra reincarnation will make use of this secret technique. It's an absolutely crucial supplement. I never expected that this era would not only have the Rinnegan but also such a stunningly effective resurrection technique."
After all, in Tobi's view, the people of the ninja world barely counted as human—losing them in death was inconsequential.
With this resurrection technique, specific individuals' life traits could be maintained over a fixed period, effectively granting "eternal" life and opening up limitless possibilities.
Especially since this generation of Indra has obtained the Rinnegan and is on the path to becoming a Ten-Tails jinchūriki.
"I must do something. First, I need to ensure this guy's actions fall under my surveillance."
Under Tobi's watchful gaze, figures continued to fall in the battle.
Fallen zombies—if they still had heads or hands—would ultimately become sacrifices from which Kaede Tsukasa drew life force. Fallen White Zetsu were immediately snatched up by zombies regardless of damage.
"The White Zetsu cells—no matter what, they must not be spared. They'll be my greatest gain from this mission."
Kaede Tsukasa stood in place, arms folded, bathed in the pouring rain, watching this extraordinary battle with an air of complete ease.
He also noticed that White Zetsu's main body had vanished somewhere—though called the "main body," it was really just the first White Zetsu. Even if it died, it wouldn't affect the others.
The zombies, led by Araki, continuously besieged the ever-reinforced White Zetsu ranks. As time passed, the rain gradually eased and the dark clouds dispersed. Finally, the last White Zetsu fell under the onslaught.
By now, the number of zombies actively participating had reached seventy. Kaede Tsukasa continuously supplied more zombies as needed. After all, over the past five months, he had exhausted over a thousand zombies, leaving a batch behind, which he conveniently sealed.
The numerically overwhelming White Zetsu fell one by one. Occasionally, those not fully dead cursed: "Damn ninjas! You won't have a good end. Soon you'll see what real terror looks like!"
Before the words were finished, Kaede Tsukasa crouched in front of him: "You're right, but you won't get to see what it looks like when I experience terror… Rest in peace. I won't waste you; every bit will be put to use."
Crack!
Kaede Tsukasa snapped the White Zetsu's neck and commanded the zombies to gather the bodies of all the White Zetsu, leaving not a scrap of flesh behind. Once neatly arranged, he pulled out a brand-new scroll, preparing to seal them all away.
It would have great use in the future.
On this chaotic battlefield, Kaede Tsukasa slowly stood. Surrounded silently by the zombies, he turned to face the reappeared White Zetsu main body.
Beside it were two others: one with white spiral hair, the other a frail old man.
"So, you're back, bringing two helpers with you? Too bad, you're a step too late—your companions are all dead. Now it's your turn. I'm curious—what exactly are you? Surely you can't really be related to the Second Tsuchikage, huh? A splitting technique?"
Kaede Tsukasa deliberately spoke this way, and all the zombies shifted, directing their attention toward the two.
"Heh heh heh, I already knew that. You really are capable. But it doesn't matter—I don't care about these 'companions,'" White Zetsu laughed continuously. "The next part is no longer up to me. It's up to him."
The old man's gray hair hid his face, making it impossible to see his features. Though silent, he exuded an aura colder than the rain below, naturally eroding all warmth and sunlight.
"So this is the one who created you, huh."
Kaede Tsukasa feigned surprise: "Well then, unknown elder, any orders? If not, I'll reclaim these things… Of course, even if you do have orders, I still will reclaim them."
Finally, the old man—Uchiha Madara—opened the only remaining eye.
"I already heard the general process from White Zetsu on my way here. I never imagined such a technique still existed in this world. Young man, you have successfully caught my attention. Your talent clearly has room for much greater development."