Kaede Tsukasa gathered his team at the gate of Konoha.
One by one, the team members, fully armed, stood before him.
There was 24-year-old Special Jōnin Akimichi Fujiki, 15-year-old Chūnin Hyūga Iroha, 16-year-old Special Jōnin Aburame Shibi, and 13-year-old Genin Morino Ibiki.
And also, 29-year-old Genin Might Duy.
Kaede Tsukasa adjusted the summoning scroll at his waist and looked at the subordinates lined up before him.
These were all people who could leave their names in history, though none of them had yet reached their peak.
Frankly, Kaede Tsukasa was surprised by the teammates assigned to him on the mission sheet. The village had clearly put thought into it, and there were no root operatives mixed in.
"Looks like Danzo ran into problems. He keeps saying he supports me, yet he didn't even provide reinforcements. Knowing his personality, he might secretly send a team of Root ninja to act behind the scenes."
Kaede Tsukasa understood clearly that this so-called covert action wasn't just about protecting him or following his orders. To be precise, when Kaede Tsukasa was winning, these Root operatives would be his most loyal subordinates.
But if things went badly—especially if Kaede Tsukasa were gravely injured or near death—these Root ninja would swarm him, disregarding the lives of other village comrades, taking only Kaede Tsukasa.
Then, while he was vulnerable, they could impose seals, Mind Transfer techniques, or other forms of control.
It was also possible they might seek an opportunity to kill him, since Danzo still possessed a forbidden technique—Zombie Release.
Danzo couldn't master it himself, but Orochimaru, who was pursuing the path of immortality, would surely learn it. Perhaps these two were already considering reviving Kaede Tsukasa with Zombie Release after killing him.
In the end, he had to be strong, and under no circumstances could he show any weakness.
"What a hassle… to switch to the perfect body, I can't avoid dealing with Danzo and Orochimaru."
The thought flashed through Kaede Tsukasa's mind before he shifted his focus to the subordinates in front of him.
"You are all the village's elite. It is an honor to serve as your team leader," Kaede Tsukasa said with a smile.
Before anyone could respond, Might Duy immediately bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle and shouted, "Yes! I am honored by your trust! I will not let you down and will display my youth on the battlefield!!"
"…"
"?"
Those unfamiliar with Might Duy exchanged wary glances. Especially the teenage members, seeing his age and appearance, shivered at such exaggerated claims about youth.
Naturally, they wondered—can this teammate really be relied on? Will this strange guy get us killed?
"Might Duy, you're a well-known Genin in the village. I've heard of you," Morino Ibiki said coldly. "I hope you don't hold us back on this mission. Among us, you're the only one who can't use genjutsu or ninjutsu, right?"
"Th-That's true. I only know taijutsu, but I will give it my all—"
"I'm not questioning you. Just a reminder: Kaede Tsukasa selected you for a reason, and I won't doubt my superior's decision."
Morino Ibiki had no intention of wasting time on Might Duy, his gaze instead flicking toward the scrolls at Kaede Tsukasa's waist.
"Morino Ibiki has solid skills in interrogation and intelligence analysis. It seems the Hokage has already considered how we'll extract information from enemies after defeating them. What is your relation to Morino Isuke?"
"He's my uncle. Our clan may be small, but we strive to support the village in every way," Morino Ibiki said thoughtfully.
It was normal—any man destined to become head of the interrogation division couldn't have simple thoughts in youth. His heart wasn't necessarily dark, but it was certainly complex.
Kaede Tsukasa glanced at him. "Seems you learned some things about me from Morino Isuke. Haven't seen him for a while… heard he got promoted."
"Yes. I heard he became a senior researcher in some department, but I don't know exactly which one—it might involve some village secrets."
Morino Ibiki spoke in a low voice: "My clan uncle holds you in high regard. He said your jutsu is naturally suited for the battlefield, making you the most adaptable to war… Commanding countless living corpses in combat, skillfully controlling them to use the ninjutsu they had in life, and even deploying space-time techniques. I haven't witnessed it myself, but just hearing about it is astonishing."
Kaede Tsukasa belonged to a unique class of ninja—there was truly no second like him.
The others present quietly nodded. Indeed, just imagining Kaede Tsukasa pulling out a corpses unit with a single motion to charge into battle is enough to realize what a spectacular scene that would be.
If he fought while commanding a corpses unit, turning fallen enemies into living corpses and adding them to his forces, growing stronger with every battle…
"Ideally, this Zombie Release secret technique is almost a large-scale forbidden jutsu. And that doesn't even count the space-time ninjutsu part. But, Kaede Tsukasa-sama, as far as I know, your chakra isn't exactly your strength…"
Akimichi Fujiki, member of the Akimichi clan and a steady man, curiously inquired about Kaede Tsukasa.
Kaede Tsukasa smiled faintly: "It's natural for you to want to understand me. Since we're all on the same team, we should know each other's abilities to perform at our best on the battlefield… In truth, my body has been improved. Lady Tsunade gave me chakra stimulation and cellular division jutsu. After completing my training, I no longer have any notable issues with chakra. This is also one reason the Hokage appointed me as a Special Jōnin."
The others immediately looked enlightened, then their expressions shifted to something strange.
They suddenly remembered: this highly acclaimed special ninja, publicly recognized as a "genius" by the elite Jōnin Kato Dan, seemed to be a medical ninja?
Medical ninja naturally learn techniques like body stimulation and accelerated cell division, so that would make sense.
But who would imagine a medical ninja fighting with a horde of corpses, leveraging their strength in battle…
Kaede Tsukasa took a summoning scroll from his waist, unrolled it in front of them, and displayed the complex jutsu inscribed on it, pointing specifically at several "尸" characters.
"The Hokage rewarded me with the corpses of a few Explosion Bloodline ninjas. When alive, they were elite figures from Iwagakure, our deadly enemies, but now they are dead and extremely reliable allies. They will be a tremendous help to us."
"Ah… indeed."
"This… something feels off, but I can't quite put my finger on it."
"Kaede Tsukasa-sama is right."
The team members' expressions were strange, yet inexplicably, their anxious and restless minds calmed.
Following a leader like this, even on a first mission and with little familiarity, somehow… it felt surprisingly reassuring.
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