ZAN 129

Chapter 129: Provisional Policy for Redeeming Battle Achievements for Resurrection Eligibility

Konoha Village was increasingly unable to control Kaede Tsukasa.

Anyone with even a basic understanding of the village’s situation could see this.

Although the true cause of the Fall of the Land of Grass remained unclear, and opinions were divided over whether Kaede Tsukasa was responsible, the mere fact that such discussions existed—and that Konoha’s leadership remained completely silent—spoke volumes.

Which village’s leadership would stay utterly silent while their subordinates repeatedly overstepped boundaries? They didn’t even pretend otherwise.

The ignorant villagers still talked loudly and passionately, full of hope for the future, believing Konoha Village would prosper forever and remain at the pinnacle of the ninja world.

Meanwhile, the major ninja clans, well-informed, had already begun quietly restraining their members’ words and actions, giving the impression that a storm was brewing.

“Soon, Tsunade, I feel that the situation between the village and Kaede Tsukasa is becoming increasingly tense. Which side will you and Kato take?” Momoka Senju gazed blankly at the cherry blossoms drifting through the courtyard.

She didn’t understand how things had come to this. Originally, there had merely been disagreements—which was normal—but in such a short time, it felt as if a civil war were about to break out.

It was only a matter of who struck first. But the first to act wouldn’t necessarily gain the upper hand; it could be a decision made out of helplessness. The one who acted later wouldn’t necessarily be at a disadvantage either.

Tsunade frowned. “Not yet. Whatever Kaede Tsukasa does has always been for the village’s benefit…”

“Destroying the Land of Grass is for the village’s benefit too? Although the Land of Grass shifted sides during the previous two Ninja Wars, that was merely the survival strategy of a small country. But to completely destroy it, and with all those people disappearing…”

Momoka Senju felt uneasy. Even if countless civilians had died in past wars, that was understandable. But to say they had simply vanished—that was horrifying, like something out of ninja folklore.

Tsunade remained silent for a moment. “I don’t understand politics, but it seems there’s no evidence proving that Kaede Tsukasa was behind the Fall of the Land of Grass… However, his recent actions have indeed been excessive—not the missions themselves, but acting without the village’s permission. That’s overstepping.”

The largest operations had been the attacks on the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and the One-Tail Jinchuriki. But if other villages had the chance to attack Kushina, they certainly would have. Tsunade didn’t see anything wrong with that.

The key was that Kaede Tsukasa had succeeded, eliminating the Eight-Tails and likely the One-Tail as well, greatly easing Konoha’s burdens and reducing the pressure for the next Ninja World War.

Finding a suitable host for the tailed beasts wasn’t easy for Kumogakure or Sunagakure, especially now that Sunagakure was in ruins.

“After all is said and done, it was still Kaede Tsukasa alone who went to face several thousand Sunagakure ninjas, which greatly intensified the conflict. Yet Kaede Tsukasa himself hasn’t publicly said anything inappropriate, right? Rather, because of the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu, Kaede Tsukasa’s position in the village has become difficult…”

It was still the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu. In Kaede Tsukasa’s hands, only he could repeatedly use this technique to resurrect the dead, earning too much expectation from others.

Momoka Senju spoke in a low voice.

“If war breaks out, you know it, the Senju clan can only stand on the village’s side. Even being neutral isn’t an option. Even if we fight to the last person, we must battle Kaede Tsukasa to the end.”

“Do the other ninja clans think the same way? Have the Uchiha and Hyuga clans also decided this?”

“I don’t know. The Uchiha clan might side with the village, but the Hyuga clan certainly won’t.”

Momoka Senju could see clearly that a civil war wouldn’t likely drag on indefinitely. The Hyuga clan would probably seal off their territory, isolating themselves from the outside world, and wait until the situation settled before showing themselves.

The Hyuga clan always stood with the Hokage, but which Hokage it was—third, fourth, or fifth—didn’t matter.

Tsunade felt somewhat confused. The person she had once greatly supported, the one she had personally promoted, could now be standing against the village? There should still be room for maneuver, right?

Her mind was a little chaotic, and she thought it best to go back and discuss things with Kato.

Many people were as worried as Momoka Senju, but when those whose hearts were in turmoil had even made up their minds, they would be astonished to find that nothing had actually happened.

The bustling village continued as it always had: people coming and going, a constant flow. Ninjas of all ranks kept taking missions, entering and leaving the village. If there was anything unusual, it was that the total number of ninjas was gradually decreasing, though still maintained around six thousand.

Kaede Tsukasa’s side remained completely silent as well. Since the Fall of the Land of Grass, there had been no action, though occasional visitors came by.

Though no one fully understood what had happened, it seemed there was no need to worry about a civil war. Perhaps the village had entered a new round of secret negotiations with Kaede Tsukasa.

“The outsiders didn’t expect it at all. You haven’t even talked with the village. It’s already meaningless. Such a village has now become your obstacle.”

Orochimaru had rarely appeared, having stayed in his laboratory for far too long. His face had grown even paler, but he didn’t care about such details. His gaze fixed sharply on the man before him.

This was the guy who, after using him, had ruthlessly discarded him. In terms of cold-bloodedness, ruthlessness, and turning on allies, he was on a whole other level!

Perhaps this was the advantage of someone raised as a war orphan—not the type molded in a ninja academy, constantly spouting the Will of Fire.

Orochimaru scrutinized Kaede Tsukasa, while also glancing at the others present.

“That famous bounty hunter isn’t here? In that case, if I strike at you, it seems I’ll be missing a formidable opponent.” Orochimaru licked his lips.

But no one paid him any attention.

The busiest of all, Konan, had an even grimmer expression. Dark circles under her eyes, she diligently produced explosive tags. In the blink of an eye, she could easily create a whole stack.

This efficiency made Orochimaru’s eyelids twitch violently. He had, of course, heard of Konan—after all, she was Jiraiya’s disciple—but he hadn’t known she could manufacture explosive tags in bulk.

If enough explosive tags were stacked and carried around by fearless zombies, Konoha Village would probably be blown to pieces.

“Hmph… no wonder they’re so reckless…”

“I didn’t call you here to hear you say this—”

“Cut the nonsense, Orochimaru. I need you on my side,” Kaede Tsukasa said.

Orochimaru showed no surprise. “Hmph, so you’re ready to make a move. Trying to bring me over to strengthen your side and weaken the village… What’s your plan?”

“I will become the Fourth Hokage. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Hokage… You’re not the type to crave power. Becoming Hokage is just the beginning, isn’t it? What do you hope to gain from holding that position?”

Orochimaru thought he knew Kaede Tsukasa well. Power itself meant nothing compared to immortality.

“All chakra. The entire future,” Kaede Tsukasa replied. “I have a plan. Of course, from a broader perspective, it benefits everyone. Perhaps I’ll even become a savior because of it.”

A savior…

Orochimaru didn’t think Kaede Tsukasa had gone mad. Something significant—something Orochimaru didn’t know—must have happened to make him feel that this world was beyond saving.

“…You want to seize the tailed beasts from the villages? It won’t be that simple, I suppose. But you certainly won’t tell me the details. How would helping you benefit me?”

“I can enhance your vitality. Once it succeeds, I will give you the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu. Since you dared to meet me, it means your own research on immortality has made a breakthrough. Perhaps it’s already complete, right?”

“Our minds are truly in sync. That’s exactly right,” Orochimaru admitted.

He could not refuse Kaede Tsukasa’s offer.

The One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu had once been his lifelong dream. Even if he didn’t know the Zombie Release secret techniques, using it required sacrificing a life—but he wouldn’t need to perform the technique himself!

Brainwashing a few subordinates to perform the jutsu for him was just as good an option.

However, the fact that Kaede Tsukasa could offer this jutsu meant he no longer cared about it.

“So your goal isn’t simply the tailed beasts. You want to control all chakra. You don’t mean the chakra inside other ninjas too, do you? What could you possibly want with so much chakra—planning to become the next Sage of Six Paths?”

“Being a savior is just a secondary goal. My main goal is my own ambition. Destroying the Land of Grass was merely a preliminary step.”

Kaede Tsukasa had also thought about the path forward. Obtaining the Mangekyo Sharingan was certainly the first step; with those eyes, his current body would finally be complete.

Next came becoming the Ten-Tails and Ōtsutsuki—two supreme paths in this world. But Kaede Tsukasa couldn’t truly place all his hopes on these two life forms.

Zombie Release was his true power, yet it was far from enough to rival the Ten-Tails or Ōtsutsuki. The reason was simple: viruses, against advanced beings capable of traversing the universe with their bodies and immune to countless cosmic rays, could barely make an impact.

Kaede Tsukasa felt as if he had returned to when he first arrived in this world—trying to infect the natives with viruses, only to make them sneeze.

The only option was to iteratively enhance his unique power using chakra. Otherwise, it would be insufficient to rival the Ten-Tails or Ōtsutsuki.

the third path.

Kaede Tsukasa already had a plan for how to proceed: first, obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan and master the dojutsu “Tsukuyomi”!

Looking across various timelines from manga, anime, and games, Kaede Tsukasa had chosen the most reliable method to gather chakra.

Tsukuyomi was divided into two types: Limited Tsukuyomi and Imprinted Tsukuyomi.

Limited Tsukuyomi comes from the anime timeline. Using this imperfect Infinite Tsukuyomi, Obito pulled Naruto into the genjutsu world, eventually leading to a battle with Uzumaki Menma, from which Naruto successfully escaped.

Notably, in Limited Tsukuyomi, the Akatsuki accepted Konoha Village’s contract and fought as a team—rarely seen—and it was the only team battle of the Akatsuki across all timelines, helping Naruto to attack Menma together.

Imprinted Tsukuyomi comes from the game timeline. Uchiha Hikaru, as an individual, casts Tsukuyomi, imprints it on numerous targets, and drags them into the genjutsu world for control.

“With current technology, virtual reality decades in the future isn’t feasible. That means I can’t do what Uchiha Hikaru did—release a video game, trick young ninjas into logging in, and extract chakra that way,” Kaede Tsukasa thought quietly.

However, with some adjustments, using Limited Tsukuyomi could achieve the same effect. Kaede Tsukasa had no intention of developing a game; he only needed to create a virtual world that could be accessed at any time.

Limited Tsukuyomi could only carry a small number of people—just Obito and Naruto—while Imprinted Tsukuyomi could carry many, but it offered almost no world-building in the genjutsu, serving purely to extract chakra from affected ninjas.

Kaede Tsukasa disliked one-off operations. He preferred sustainable exploitation—draining the world’s resources over time. After all, the ninja villages of this world were already doing the same, so he felt no moral burden.

Perhaps, after his success, the total death toll in the world might even decrease, while the number of strong individuals would increase.

Honestly, he still felt a twinge of regret over the destruction of the Land of Grass. From those civilians, he could have cultivated countless ninjas—each could have become his resource, continuously generating value for him.

But it was unavoidable. Kaede Tsukasa preferred to accelerate the opening of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, so he could only apologize to the citizens of the Land of Grass.

As for Infinite Tsukuyomi—leaving aside the fact that it allowed Kaguya to control the world, collect chakra, mass-convert the natives into White Zetsu, and cultivate God Tree humans—purely as a genjutsu, it created a single-player experience for every affected person. Everyone encountered within it was an NPC, except for the caster.

Kaede Tsukasa’s plan was different. He would combine Limited Tsukuyomi and Imprinted Tsukuyomi to create a virtual ninja world, where everyone would log in and contribute chakra at any time, willingly or otherwise!

To become a stronger life form and prepare for the continuously arriving Ōtsutsuki, Kaede Tsukasa considered himself truly magnificent—fulfilling his ambition while giving everyone the opportunity to contribute by logging in.

What’s that? Some refuse to log in and contribute? No problem. Kaede Tsukasa would simply take their bodies, transform them into zombies, and use them instead. The effect would be the same.

Kaede Tsukasa pondered whether, in the future, he could replace the Pure Land with this virtual ninja world. He had an intense aversion to that cursed place, but even if it were possible, it would only be far down the line.

Once successful, every person in the ninja world, from birth to death, would be inseparably linked to Kaede Tsukasa—eating, sleeping, and living to serve him.

While alive, they would strengthen their bodies and generate chakra to contribute to Kaede Tsukasa; those unwilling would simply be turned into zombies. Once dead, their bodies would become zombies as well—either used as resources to enhance other zombies or serve as combat units supported by weaker zombies. Of course, their souls wouldn’t go to waste either, their memories erased and cast into the virtual ninja world as NPCs, everyone fulfilling their purpose.

Kaede Tsukasa considered himself truly magnificent, filled with respect and love for the natives of this world.

“Change requires sacrifice. I don’t see my actions as particularly righteous, but rather than letting you all continue along the old path, it’s better to let me try. Even if I fail, it doesn’t matter—you can always revert to the old way later.”

Kaede Tsukasa stood and looked out the window.

Orochimaru found it strange hearing the word “reform” come from Kaede Tsukasa. “When do you plan to act? Surely you’re not going to slaughter a few small countries again?”

“I’ll obtain what I want within this year, then take action. Orochimaru, we will both have a bright future,” Kaede Tsukasa said.

Orochimaru didn’t believe a word of it. All he wanted was the One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu. With it, his body could become immortal, and he could later use the Zombie Reincarnation Jutsu to craft the perfect body…

Orochimaru studied Kaede Tsukasa’s figure. This body, built upon the foundation of Hashirama’s experimental template, already looked quite impressive.

Shortly after leaving Kaede Tsukasa’s residence, an Anbu ninja came seeking Orochimaru.

“Lord Orochimaru, the Hokage wishes to see you.”

“I understand. I’ll go after I finish my work.”

“What? But…”

“What, you don’t understand?” Orochimaru’s lips curled into a smile, but the Anbu stiffened, sensing the bone-chilling lethality emanating from him.

No matter how flawed, Orochimaru was still a powerful shadow-level ninja.

In the end, the Anbu left silently. Orochimaru had no interest in how the Third Hokage would respond upon learning of his attitude.

This time, the village reacted quickly and with concrete action.

“Kaede Tsukasa is appointed as a provisional advisor, allowed to participate in high-level meetings.”

The announcement caused a huge sensation. Those who had been tense and anxious immediately breathed a sigh of relief, smiling from ear to ear.

Excellent. Clearly, a peace agreement had been reached. It must have gone through intense discussion and careful consideration before Kaede Tsukasa was elevated.

Even if the village leaders had acted out of necessity… at least an agreement had been made.

Keep in mind, even Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru—students of the Hokage—hadn’t yet qualified as advisors, not true high-level officials. The next generation, like Minato Namikaze, was even further from it.

Yet Kaede Tsukasa became a provisional advisor. In plain terms, this meant an agreement had been reached. From now on, the village would surely return to its former state.

“This is more like it. I was starting to feel something was off, but now it finally feels right.”

“Lord Kaede Tsukasa is the village’s most powerful ninja. Becoming a provisional advisor is well deserved!”

“Provisional? What provisional? Make it permanent!”

Kaede Tsukasa finally stepped out of his home and, like so many times before, walked through the bustling streets.

Wherever he went, countless people paused to watch him, their faces filled with awe and anticipation, occasionally greeting him.

Kaede Tsukasa smiled and returned their gestures, just as he had done in the past. Everything seemed unchanged, yet in reality, it had already transformed beyond recognition.

Regarding what people longed for—resurrection—Kaede Tsukasa still had no response. The public sentiment, once calmed, grew increasingly restless as time passed.

Soon, complaints began to emerge.

“Stirring hearts, generating negative emotions… it works as expected. Hatred is indeed more accessible and more deeply imprinted than any other feeling.”

Kaede Tsukasa had been studying the Box of Ultimate Bliss, gradually confirming much information.

Humans might not readily recall all warm memories, but they imprint suffering deeply. This mechanism evolved for survival and reproduction, yet it proved highly useful for extracting negative emotions.

Next, Kaede Tsukasa began publicly announcing his resurrection plan. He needed acceleration, and it couldn’t be confined to just Konoha; ideally, more regions would descend into chaos.

Even more importantly, the ninjas themselves had to act. One ninja’s negative emotions could far surpass those of civilians lacking chakra.

Kaede Tsukasa took action. He opened resurrection slots to everyone, issuing, in his capacity as a Konoha advisor, the “Provisional Policy for Redeeming Battle Achievements for Resurrection Eligibility.”

“To strengthen village defense forces and honor the fallen, a system has been established allowing battle achievements to be redeemed for resurrection slots.”

“Resurrection slots are S-rank strategic resources of Konoha Village, strictly forbidden from private exchange, under the supervision and enforcement of Kaede Tsukasa.”

“Eligible candidates must have been deceased for no more than one year, with bodies at least 60% intact, and must have completed an S-rank mission or paid corresponding contribution points.”

“Resurrected individuals must sign documents to serve Kaede Tsukasa unconditionally for ten years.”

“The following are task details: leading the completion of one S-rank mission equals 100 contribution points; leading one A-rank mission equals 20 points…”

“The number of corpses required for resurrection varies by the candidate’s former strength and kekkei genkai, fully borne by the applicant. Note: stealing or using companions’ bodies is strictly forbidden.”

The policy was extremely detailed, itemized clearly, allowing everyone to understand exactly what they needed and how to achieve it.

Kaede Tsukasa issued this policy without regard for whether the Hokage Tower approved, and he no longer needed to consider those people. From the outside, what he did didn’t interfere with the village’s mission system—it was simply an unprecedented patch.

Next came waiting.

Kaede Tsukasa exercised sufficient patience, letting events ferment. Whether Konoha ninjas attacked other villages’ ninjas or began grave robbing, digging up the ancestors of foreign ninjas—anything would do, as long as there was action.

The Box of Ultimate Bliss, like a black hole, devoured the negative emotions generated by humans, rapidly growing in power.

Kaede Tsukasa sensed that if he made a wish now, he could already obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted more—and he absolutely had to acquire the corresponding dojutsu as well.