Root Base.
This was Kaede Tsukasa's first time entering. His expression remained calm, showing no hint of caution despite being in Danzo's stronghold.
"So composed, Kaede Tsukasa. Apart from that feigned humility, it seems you still lack true reverence for me. Hiruzen may not notice, but I can clearly sense it," Danzo said.
His wooden clogs clacked against the stone floor, echoing through the dim basement.
As they delved deeper into the base, ANBU kept appearing, voluntarily following behind them. At Danzo's command, they could swarm and capture Kaede Tsukasa at any moment.
"Twelve so far, all highly skilled. I even saw Lord Terai, and the Yamanaka clan member who targeted me last time with the Mind Transfer Technique," Kaede Tsukasa said, counting over his shoulder.
The synchronized footsteps pressed on, a silent display of intimidation—but Kaede Tsukasa remained completely unfazed.
"Hmph. It seems you have your own method of perception. Are you using Zombie Release to covertly test control over these living people?" Danzo asked.
Terai immediately responded, "Lord Danzo, I sense nothing unusual."
"I've already guessed. By the time you notice something amiss, you may already be caught in his technique, like a special genjutsu. But given your strength, he cannot use it on you yet. You can generate more chakra to flush your body," Danzo said.
Danzo had been gathering intelligence on Kaede Tsukasa and analyzing it, drawing conclusions from numerous small details.
A prime example was the battle where Kaede Tsukasa and Kato Dan killed Araki. Araki's bizarre behavior at the moment of death had been observed by many, and Kaede Tsukasa had continued forming hand seals while retreating—already a revealing detail.
"Curses? Plagues? Poisonous insects? Barriers? Only these possibilities. Which one specifically, I already have a sense. Many of the corpses you touched have already left traces," Danzo said, his gaze fixed ahead, as if paying little attention to Kaede Tsukasa.
"Such confidence… arranging so many people just for me. If a few die by accident, I'm sure it would pain you greatly," Kaede Tsukasa remarked.
He was not surprised. Although he rarely acted openly, especially after five months of intense training, Danzo had never witnessed his true power firsthand. The three ANBU who reported to him had already been eliminated by Kaede Tsukasa, leaving Danzo even less able to make accurate judgments.
But the existence of the zombie virus could not be hidden. With so many corpses, Danzo was no fool. Even a tiny amount of flesh or blood would give him a clear understanding.
"Kaede Tsukasa, don't think you're truly unique. The Aburame clan cultivates nano-poisonous insects. Those things are even more covert and difficult than your technique, causing far more damage to the human body. The village's foundation surpasses your imagination. Don't let your orphanage upbringing limit your view of the village," Danzo warned, striking the floor for emphasis.
"Several among them are also skilled in sealing techniques. Even if your corpse summoning is fast, even if you use the Void Technique quickly, you cannot escape from here."
"Lord Danzo, your probing is unnecessary. Indeed, I can sense my zombies from a distance. If I wish, I can leave at any time, without needing to summon them nearby and transfer them at short range," Kaede Tsukasa shook his head. "Along the way, I could even eliminate a few more people."
"The line between confidence and arrogance is often blurred. Yet, to think someone from an orphanage could become such an exceptional ninja…" Danzo's head remained still, but his eyes shifted to the edge of his eye socket before returning.
Kaede Tsukasa… seemed visibly more troublesome with each encounter. Every meeting brought new, unexpected methods.
And he was growing increasingly formidable.
This gave Danzo a very bad feeling—a sense of things slipping beyond his expectations and control. The only other person who had made him feel this way was Orochimaru. Even that sinister figure, delving into forbidden research, had countless precautions in place.
However, Danzo did not believe Kaede Tsukasa could reach Orochimaru's level. Not now, and not in the future—except in the domain of extracting life force from corpses, which remained a field Orochimaru could not yet touch.
"Here we are."
Danzo stopped and pushed open the door to a laboratory.
"You are only the second outsider to enter here since Orochimaru."
"Is that so? What an honor. Though, I suppose this isn't your core laboratory, is it?"
"Not yet. You haven't earned my trust, so I won't allow you access to Root's deepest secrets."
Danzo snorted coldly. His gaze flicked to the two prisoners in the iron cages. Immediately, Root stepped forward and dragged the two captives out.
"These two are prisoners from the Hidden Sand Village. After the village reached a peace agreement with the Sand, a batch of prisoners was released—but not everyone qualifies. These two killed Konoha's ninjas on the battlefield; their crimes are unforgivable."
Danzo pointed to the one on the left, then to the one on the right. "Now, use one of them as a sacrifice and perform your forbidden technique on the other. Show me with my own eyes that it works, and you will have my full support."
Kaede Tsukasa knew that even if these two Sand ninjas hadn't killed any Konoha shinobi, Danzo would still try to detain them and create the illusion of their deaths if he got his hands on them.
After all, forbidden human experiments required plenty of material for trial and error. During wartime, capturing enemy ninjas and making it appear as if they had died was a convenient way to obtain subjects. Capturing Konoha's own ninjas? That would be far too risky unless at a critical experimental moment where not a second could be wasted.
"I see… so when you said 'with my own eyes,' this is what you meant," Kaede Tsukasa said, watching as Danzo removed the bandages from his head, revealing the Sharingan.
He glanced at the Root spread throughout the room and at the myriad sealing techniques arrayed across the laboratory.
Ninja from the Yamanaka and Nara clans were ready to activate secret techniques to restrict Kaede Tsukasa at any moment.
Danzo himself had probably prepared genjutsu—just a moment of effect on Kaede Tsukasa would be enough.
This was extreme caution. If Kaede Tsukasa's forbidden technique were fake, these people would immediately swarm him, determined to trap him here permanently.
"What an incredibly cautious setup. Looks like I'm gaining even more insight into Root's secrets—especially your eye. If possible, I'm also very interested in the Kekkei Genkai of that clan," Kaede Tsukasa remarked.
He then began using the Zombie Technique, rapidly converting one of the Sand ninjas.
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