Kaede Tsukasa took a deep breath. There were just too many points to be frustrated about, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
From the moment he acquired this secret technique, Kaede Tsukasa had a vague sense that something was wrong, suspecting that this might be the very jutsu that, in the original timeline, Madara "created" Black Zetsu just before dying.
But it was only a suspicion. After all, Black Zetsu should have prioritized Madara, not him.
Yet unexpectedly, Black Zetsu ultimately chose to disguise himself as Kaede Tsukasa's own will.
Why? A jutsu capable of infinitely transferring life force to others?
"I roughly understand now. Black Zetsu must be preparing for the future. If he fails in this era, he can subtly guide me, or even take control of my technique directly. Then in the next era, there's still a very high chance of success. The longer the lifespan, the higher the probability."
Kaede Tsukasa realized that this was the only explanation for Black Zetsu's actions.
Look at Madara now—only seventy, yet already in such a state. This shows just how difficult it is to awaken the Rinnegan. But if he could receive a continuous supply of Kaede Tsukasa's life force, keeping his body in its prime, then no matter how hard the Rinnegan is to manifest, it would inevitably appear given enough time.
"Madara, you should also separate your will into a White Zetsu," Kaede Tsukasa said.
"Not now. I'll do that when I'm about to die," Madara refused. He was proud and unique; there was no way he would create a copy of himself while he was certain he could still survive.
Kaede Tsukasa asked, "Then why not die now? I can deal directly with the will you leave behind, find a successor, or advance the Infinite Tsukuyomi—I'll do all of it."
"My will is not me. It's no match for you," Madara said coldly.
Kaede Tsukasa examined Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, shaking his head, then summoned the three Root ninjas: "If that's the case, don't come asking me for life force when you die. You're wasting my secret technique. But thanks to you, I've discovered an interesting result…"
White Zetsu mocked him: "You actually dare speak to Lord Madara in that tone. Lord Madara, will you really not kill him? I never thought your temper would be so forgiving."
"Shut up, White Zetsu. This isn't something for you or me to interfere in," Black Zetsu said in a low, reprimanding voice.
Kaede Tsukasa watched Black Zetsu with interest: "Do you know what I'm thinking?"
"No. I'm a manifestation of your will. At most, I possess some of your thought patterns and serve as your assistant. The final decision still rests with you," Black Zetsu replied.
He was pretending convincingly.
A flicker of murderous intent surged in Madara's single eye, then dissipated. He had never met anyone like Kaede Tsukasa before—someone who readily agreed to his grand ideals, eager to execute them, yet stingy when it came to paying the price: "Your technique is ultimately an illusion, not essential. Even if you use it on me, my body still ages. It will never restore my youth."
"The technique to restore youth is absolutely a forbidden jutsu among forbidden jutsu. I can't perform it now, but maybe in the future. You can look forward to it—of course, you'll need to pay me a sufficient reward," Kaede Tsukasa said.
Madara didn't respond, utterly disbelieving.
For Kaede Tsukasa to use Zombie Release to perform the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu, mastering life-force transfer, was already astonishing. But to achieve true perfect resurrection? Impossible. That was a domain only the Rinnegan could touch.
The moment Madara gained the Rinnegan, he instinctively understood the various ocular techniques within it. Even Rinnegan users, to perform the Araki of the Sandstorm, must sacrifice their own life. How could Kaede Tsukasa achieve this through a mere secret technique?
"Performing any resurrection jutsu requires a painful price. You're using Zombie Release to offset that cost, which is already enough for me," Madara said.
From the start, Madara never mentioned the Rinnegan to Kaede Tsukasa: "I'll have more time to find a successor. You also need to help me select the right candidate within the Uchiha clan. This is a necessary step to achieve world peace."
"Understood. I'll keep an eye on the Uchiha. But don't get your hopes up too high—my fame in the village is limited, and considering my secret technique, a bloodline clan like the Uchiha will naturally be cautious around me."
Kaede Tsukasa waved his hand.
Anyway, in Madara's plan, Kaede Tsukasa was just an accidental intruder, low in rank. His only value was to sustain Madara's life now and later assist his successor in advancing the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan.
"White Zetsu, Black Zetsu, I've killed many White Zetsu before. I need their bodies—my zombies also need to feed."
Kaede Tsukasa summoned Araki and issued the command.
"Huh? Corpses need to eat? Aren't they consumables? Used until they're useless and then discarded? How else could they be useful?" White Zetsu was shocked.
Black Zetsu's mind stirred, and he said coldly, "Do whatever Lord Kaede Tsukasa says. Blabber all you want; I actually don't mind switching partners."
"Seriously, you should be on my side. At least the body is mine. Just as it gained self-awareness, it's already siding with him," White Zetsu grumbled.
Soon, one White Zetsu corpse after another was transported over.
Under Madara and the others' watchful eyes, Araki lunged at a White Zetsu and began tearing and devouring it in huge bites.
With each bite, its internal energy was fully replenished, and its condition visibly improved. The hole in its chest, pierced by Terai, slowly healed.
If it continued eating like this, could it recover to peak condition, or even go further, becoming stronger than before?
"I've deliberately suppressed these corpses' feeding instincts before, causing many long-buried, unused zombies to starve to death… After all, if this got exposed, I'd become an enemy to many."
Controlling corpses was one thing, but if the corpses could keep feeding on the living to gain strength, turning humans into new zombies, that would be terrifying—beyond ordinary comprehension.
If this technique wasn't eradicated soon, all living beings in the ninja world would either become zombies or become food for them.
Kaede Tsukasa's power hadn't yet reached the Six Paths level; he couldn't single-handedly take on the entire ninja world.
After devouring the corpses of two White Zetsu, Araki regained full health and still wanted to eat more.
"Then let him eat here. With his body, he can absorb plenty of White Zetsu's nutrients."
"Won't he burst if he keeps eating?" White Zetsu asked.
"Let him burst. If he bursts, he keeps eating, eating restores him, and then he bursts again," Kaede Tsukasa said casually.
"Wow, but you could just transfer life force from the other corpses to him, right?"
"Thanks to you, I don't have many zombies left. I can't afford to expend them so recklessly. Besides, Araki is my ace. He deserves better treatment. Satisfying his instincts is a reward in itself," Kaede Tsukasa said.
"Also, I'm wondering—if my zombie devours you, created from the First Hokage's cells, will it gain extra growth? Don't complain. You're my servant now. Whatever I order, you execute without hesitation."
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