chapter 103 part 1
Chapter 103: I Apologize, Tsukasa Kaede-sama, I, Nagato, Will Protect Your Dignity in Life!
The Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu had flaws; this was no secret to Tsukasa Kaede, but to Orochimaru, it was entirely unfamiliar information.
Even though he had improved the Impure World Reincarnation, specifically for use on Tsukasa Kaede.
"It went smoothly. By performing the Hand Kaedegns in reverse, I broke free from Orochimaru's control."
For Tsukasa Kaede, another step was complete: gaining freedom while in an Impure World Reincarnation body.
While the current version of Impure World Reincarnation still couldn't compare to Kabuto's version, it was absolutely sufficient for Tsukasa Kaede—he didn't care how high the upper limit of this Impure World Reincarnation body was, as long as it was an Impure World Reincarnation body, that was enough.
"Next, I'll proceed step by step, absorbing the Hashirama clone and a pair of Sharingan into this body, then fully resurrecting. At that point, I'll be in my most perfect form, with no need to research other methods of body replacement."
Tsukasa Kaede looked down at his cracked hands, which had no warmth, no flesh and blood, but were entirely composed of countless unknown fragments.
He only needed to add a little 'seasoning' to this body, make it more 'delicious,' and his grand plan would be complete. He had waited a very long time to achieve this goal.
"Tsukasa-kun, did you just do something?"
Although Tsukasa Kaede's movements were subtle, and he quickly performed a few Hand Kaedegns without any burst of Chakra, the keenly perceptive Orochimaru still looked up quickly, just in time to see Tsukasa Kaede complete the last Hand Kaedegn.
Tsukasa Kaede said lightly, "It's not a big deal for me… Orochimaru, a word of advice: Forbidden Jutsu should not be used lightly. No matter how perfect a Forbidden Jutsu seems, it always has its flaws."
"…Hehehe, Tsukasa-kun, among us, aren't you the one who has mastered and used the most Forbidden Jutsu? For you to say something like that is completely unconvincing."
Tsukasa Kaede at this moment felt unfamiliar to Orochimaru. Although he didn't know what Tsukasa Kaede had done, he instinctively sensed something was wrong and spoke with feigned composure.
He secretly performed Hand Kaedegns and indeed sensed the Impure World Reincarnation's Technique Formula on Tsukasa Kaede. But when he tried to restrict Tsukasa Kaede's movements, he found his Technique Formula had failed, immediately filling him with terror.
"Tsukasa-kun, you—"
"I told you, didn't I? I should thank you, Orochimaru. I'm very satisfied with this body, and that's why… Having a truly Undying Body, I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time."
Tsukasa Kaede clenched his fist. For many years, he had mostly struggled on the brink of life and death. He had finally gained some momentum and made a big name for himself in the Shinobi World, but a deep sense of crisis still lingered within him.
He had always felt his margin for error was very low, at least compared to the Otsutsuki Clan and their ilk. He certainly wouldn't allow his future self to fail to reach even the Kaedex Paths Level.
But now it was different. With an Impure World Reincarnation body, he could freely conduct all sorts of cruel experiments, failing numerous times and starting over until he achieved complete success.
Danzo didn't know what was happening. The absurd notion of "dead people brought back by Impure World Reincarnation losing control" didn't even exist in his mind.
Even though he also noticed Tsukasa Kaede's movements, Danzo's first reaction was that Orochimaru was secretly using Tsukasa Kaede for something. "Orochimaru, you're not secretly using Corpse Release behind my back to search for the Rinnegan's whereabouts, are you? You alone have no ability to control those eyes. You should listen to me and hand the Rinnegan over for me to cultivate! If Jiraiya and Tsukasa Kaede hadn't interfered back then, I would have already taken Nagato as my disciple."
Orochimaru let out a dry chuckle. "How could that be? We are partners, and there are many areas where I'll need your help in the future. Besides, there are two Rinnegan; we can each have one."
Danzo's face was cold. He wouldn't believe a single word spewed from the mouth of this poisonous snake before him. He said, "Then stop chatting with a dead man and quickly find out what happened here! Such a huge forest—I don't believe Tsukasa Kaede didn't notice anything back then. He must be lying!"
Who used Wood Release? It definitely wasn't Mito Uzumaki, but an enemy. Yet, besides the deceased Hashirama Senju, could there really be another Ninja in this world capable of using Wood Release on such a large scale?
"…Understood, Danzo. You seem to have grown more impatient than before. Even with the power of the Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan, it's best to maintain reverence for the unknown."
The unknown Orochimaru spoke of wasn't referring to this Wood Release forest, but to Tsukasa Kaede.
Something crucial must have happened in the Land of Rain, and Tsukasa Kaede was likely involved, having accessed the Shinobi World's most hidden intel. Furthermore, Tsukasa Kaede had quietly broken free from his improved Impure World Reincarnation, which was simply too bizarre…
This was Impure World Reincarnation! A Forbidden Jutsu among Forbidden Jutsu, and one he had personally improved, making it vastly different from the Second Hokage's version, becoming a more refined and powerful Jutsu!
The Third Hokage would never easily hand over the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu to a Corpse Release Ninja like Tsukasa Kaede; that didn't align with the Third Hokage's style. But how did Tsukasa Kaede know how to break the Jutsu? Even he, the caster, didn't know! A strong sense of wariness arose in Orochimaru's eyes. Seeing that Tsukasa Kaede hadn't torn off his facade, he also remained composed, quickly reviewing all of his past interactions with Tsukasa Kaede.
Saving Dan Kato to conveniently obtain the Spirit Transformation Secret Technique, pushing Human Experimentation, cultivating test subjects, inexplicably dying, his Soul appearing before him to demonstrate the fact of his death, allowing Orochimaru to seize the opportunity to use Impure World Reincarnation…
And now, Tsukasa Kaede casually broke the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, becoming an immortal with a free body. If this series of actions was real, it meant Tsukasa Kaede had been devising this plan many years ago.
But how was that possible? Even the cold and rational Orochimaru was somewhat agitated at this moment, feeling that Tsukasa Kaede's schemes ran too deep, and the breadth and depth of the intel he possessed were simply unbelievable.
Danzo frowned. "Are you telling this old man how to do things? You still don't understand everything before your eyes. You should just listen to me directly and use Tsukasa Kaede as a Puppet, just like he manipulates those Corpses! Not self-indulgently give him some qualification for free action."
Danzo always felt there was something sinister about Tsukasa Kaede. He still hadn't figured out the limits of the Corpse Release Secret Technique. But fortunately, Tsukasa Kaede was dead and could now serve him in an Impure World Reincarnation body.
The secrets of Corpse Release would soon all be his.
"You're absolutely right."
For the first time, Orochimaru felt that what Danzo said made too much damn sense. He really shouldn't have been polite; being too honest truly led to disadvantages.