When Kaede Tsukasa received the order appointing him as a Special Jōnin, he wasn't particularly surprised.
A Special Jōnin, after all, was simply someone who excelled in one particular area beyond the level of an ordinary Chūnin—a transitional stage between Chūnin and full Jōnin.
Of course, many people would remain stuck at that level for their entire lives, seemingly just one step away from Jōnin but in reality never destined to reach it.
With Kaede Tsukasa's current strength, he was already beyond the reach of most shinobi. Promoting him straight to Jōnin wouldn't have been unreasonable—at least, not in terms of ability.
But not everyone knew just how powerful he had become.
"Come to think of it, I've invested all my techniques into survival… whether it's the Void Technique, the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu, or others, none of them have the kind of decisive, overwhelming force I need."
Kaede Tsukasa understood his own weakness clearly.
At this stage, before the Second Ninja War ended, he had no opportunity to switch bodies. Having solved his physical shortcomings with the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu, his attention now shifted to combat power.
What he lacked was a technique like Chidori, Rasengan, or Susanoo—something overwhelmingly destructive, capable of smashing through any obstacle in front of him with sheer force.
At present, his strongest breakthrough move was without doubt the Hundred Crying Bones, which he had once used against Uchiha Madara—but even that felt somewhat lacking.
"By now, Namikaze Minato should just about be developing the Rasengan. I should also prepare a high-burst killing technique for myself."
Otherwise, facing turtle-like enemies with impenetrable defenses, he'd be stuck pounding away fruitlessly, forced to rely on waves of zombies to grind them down through chakra attrition—a tedious and risky prospect.
He mulled over it, searching for a way to make the best use of his current arsenal, to exploit the full potential of his existing techniques, and still achieve explosive results. He did have one idea… though it came with significant drawbacks.
A thought flickered through his mind, and immediately the scattered zombies under his control began to stir and move, carrying out experiments exactly as he envisioned—he had no concern for the damage they suffered.
"Not having to worry about chakra reserves feels incredible. I'll need more corpses to keep me charged."
Walking down the street, Kaede Tsukasa tilted his head back comfortably, gazing at the clear blue sky, watching the drifting clouds in the seemingly peaceful world.
But the corpses were running low… he couldn't keep depending on Root to supply them, especially after he had tricked them once already.
"All I did was make a single corpse self-destruct. When channeling chakra into it, I secretly slipped in a paper bomb. Shouldn't have killed anyone."
Stretching lazily, he decided to stop by the Akimichi clan's barbecue restaurant—one of Konoha's finest.
After all, a shinobi clan couldn't survive on missions alone. They needed businesses of their own to earn enough wealth, so they could raise more shinobi and ultimately strengthen the clan.
"Oh? Lord Sakumo?" Kaede Tsukasa paused in surprise, spotting the man across the street.
Hatake Sakumo was conversing with a muscular man in tight clothing.
Some villagers recognized him at once. That attire was unmistakable—only Sakumo wore it, with its half-sleeve design, white and red along his right arm.
"Isn't that Kaede Tsukasa? It's been a long time. I've heard some things about you."
Sakumo turned toward him. Most people who saw him reacted with a mixture of awe and fear—offering a bow from afar before quickly avoiding him, never daring to approach for casual conversation.
But Kaede Tsukasa showed no such hesitation. He walked right over, perfectly at ease.
"Yes. Lately I've been training in a new technique and made some progress. I also completed an A-rank mission. I feel the village will soon send me west to join the war."
He smiled. "Will you be leading the squad again, Lord Sakumo? It would be an honor to fight once more under your command."
"No, my mission is to sweep out the Kirigakure and Kumogakure shinobi who've infiltrated the Land of Fire. These guys are relentless—supplies bound for the frontlines in many towns have been destroyed. We can't let that continue," Hatake Sakumo said with a shake of his head.
He was busy too. The closer the war came to its climax, the more vigilant he had to be. They couldn't allow restless Cloud and Mist shinobi to meddle in the conflict, or the situation would spiral out of control.
"If another squad is dispatched to the frontlines, it will likely be Tsunade who leads them. She's the only one truly suited for it," Sakumo added.
The two continued discussing matters of the front. Since nothing touched on classified intelligence, it wasn't an issue—but the man standing nearby looked tense, unable to insert a word.
"And this is…?" Kaede Tsukasa turned to him.
"Might Duy. A very hardworking man—one who's sure to achieve great things someday," Sakumo said, patting Duy on the shoulder.
"Is that so? If Lord Sakumo recognizes him, then he must truly be remarkable."
"Ah! Such words… I will do my best—thank you for the encouragement!" Duy said, bowing to Kaede Tsukasa at a full ninety degrees.
Kaede Tsukasa chuckled and waved a hand. He was about to say something when an ANBU operative appeared before him.
"ANBU…" Sakumo muttered, surprised.
"Chūnin Kaede Tsukasa, the Hokage has issued an appointment. You are hereby promoted to Special Jōnin and ordered to lead a squad on a mission."
The ANBU operative cast a glance at Might Duy, hesitated briefly, then handed Kaede both the appointment letter and the mission scroll.
Kaede's expression grew solemn. He dispelled the protective seal on the scroll and skimmed through it quickly.
"I see. I'm to lead a team north to the Land of Hot Water and support Kato Dan… It seems Iwagakure is making moves in the north, planning to send a division to invade the Land of Fire from that direction?"
He spoke openly, not caring in the slightest that Duy was present. Strictly speaking, it was against protocol. Sharing with Sakumo wasn't an issue—he would never leak intel—but with someone like Duy, a perpetual Genin, people were bound to mutter behind his back.
Duy flinched, then hurriedly covered his ears, muttering about youth, passion, and training—promising himself he'd run ten laps around the village upside down to atone.
"There's no need for that. As I said, I trust Sakumo's judgment—and you should trust it as well."
Kaede Tsukasa tried to pull Duy's hands from his ears. Even when he exerted force, they didn't budge. Only when Duy moved them himself did they come free.
Sakumo nodded knowingly. "So, you already have something in mind."
"Mm. The mission scroll has assigned me several subordinates—all fine shinobi, still quite young. I think we'll get along well. But I do wonder… would it be better to add one seasoned veteran to the team? With only a group of young people carrying out the mission, it feels a bit unsettling."
Kaede Tsukasa said this with a smile.