chapter 85 part 5
"How pitiful..."
Tsukasa Kaede looked up at the sky. Dark clouds gathered, blocking the last sliver of sunlight. The beam of light visibly and slowly shrank, becoming like a pinhole, and then finally vanished.
It seemed to foreshadow a transitional end to the old era, at least in the eyes of the world.
Tsukasa Kaede took off his outer robe and draped it over Kushina's shoulders.
"The weather here is cold, you should put this on... It might be that falling ill is almost impossible for you, but this is all I can do," Tsukasa Kaede said indifferently.
He lowered his head and met Kushina's tear-filled eyes, but only for an instant. Soon, he shamelessly began to examine various parts of Kushina's body.
In Kushina's eyes, this behavior was extremely rude.
But Tsukasa Kaede was thinking of something else—"What a superb body, brimming with immeasurable Life Force. If I could turn her into a Zombie, she would surely be useful for a long time, wouldn't she?"
Heaven knew how many painful lessons he had learned in previous years to avoid illness. Back then, his greatest desire was to possess a healthy and strong body.
"What are you looking at!"
"Nothing. I'm just very envious of you. What you were born with is something I fought desperately for but never obtained," Tsukasa Kaede retracted his gaze.
He no longer had any need to covet such a body. Kaedemply put, he found it beneath him.
"I'll take you back to the Hidden Leaf Village. Lady Mito's remains must be handed over to the Village for arrangements."
Tsukasa Kaede seemingly nonchalantly pulled out a Summoning Scroll, from which he Summoned a Sarcophagus and placed Mito Uzumaki's remains inside.
"Wuwuwu, Grandma Mito..."
"Don't cry. Crying won't solve anything."
Immediately after, Tsukasa Kaede sealed the Senju Great Buddha beneath him into another Scroll. He had an idea that might prove useful in the future.
As for Tobi... Tsukasa Kaede glanced around, confirmed that the fellow had seized the opportunity to escape, and secretly nodded. Tobi's mind was still very agile, at least smarter than White Zetsu.
Next was the main event. Tsukasa Kaede also casually sealed Madara's remains—it appeared he was diligently cleaning up the battlefield.
"Who exactly was the enemy? Grandma Mito told me not to tell the Village, and I can keep quiet, but I can't not know!"
"I'm sorry, I don't know that either. I was just a messenger; I had no ability to participate in a battle of that scale," Tsukasa Kaede said. "I also have nothing to report to you. Perhaps Lord Danzo knows more."
It was best to dump all the blame onto Danzo and let him figure out how to explain it to the Village.
Thinking about it carefully, this whole string of messed-up events was all because Danzo had a sudden whim, insisting on seeing the results of Tsukasa Kaede's five months of Cultivation, and sending him to find Jiraiya.
As for Danzo actually exposing these matters from the Land of Rain, and the Village holding Tsukasa Kaede accountable...
According to the Third Hokage's usual way of doing things, as long as the outcome wasn't a major disaster, he would generally make a big deal out of it but then let it go gently. Konoha's biggest loss here was Mito Uzumaki dying inexplicably, but even without this incident, Mito Uzumaki wouldn't have lived much longer.
When Tsukasa Kaede brought back Kushina, the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, many problems would cease to be problems.
Either way, Tsukasa Kaede would either help Danzo seize the Rinnegan or help Jiraiya stop Danzo. No matter which he chose, it wouldn't be wrong.
And, at worst, he could just defect.
"Get ready. I'm taking you back to the Hidden Leaf Village. As the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the difficulty of transportation is countless times greater than before. The effort I need to expend will also increase exponentially. But fortunately, I have Lady Mito's gift."
Tsukasa Kaede unsealed another Scroll, entering Tailed Beast Cloak Mode, a red, semi-transparent tail gently swaying behind him.
"Nine-Tails Chakra? It seems Grandma Mito trusts you a lot, but she clearly said you were a very complex person..." Kushina wiped away her tears, astonished.
"Complex and irredeemable are two different concepts, but that's no longer important... I've used extra Chakra reserves for you. Once you can control the Nine-Tails well, remember to replenish the Chakra I've used."
Tsukasa Kaede performed Hand Kaedegns and used his Jutsu, bringing Kushina back to the Hidden Leaf Village.
Not long after, a tall figure appeared at the location the two had departed from.
"They're gone? Looks like I was a step too late."
Jiraiya maintained Sage Mode, with two old Toads perched on his shoulders.
"Little Jiraiya, what was with those two earlier? I sensed Nine-Tails Chakra from both of them. Could it be that Little Mito split the Nine-Tails into two?"
"I can't believe Little Mito died. Who was she fighting against?"
The two old Toads kept talking.
"That's what I want to know too. I've only been away from the mainstream Shinobi World for a little over two years, and so many unknowns have appeared. There might be times in the future when I'll have to ask for your help, Sages."