The Zombie Sage in Naruto

"With a record of two A-rank missions and various battlefield achievements, promoting him to Special Jōnin makes sense. He's one of only two people in the village who have mastered space-time ninjutsu. No one would argue with that, right, Danzo?" Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.

Danzo Shimura sneered. He found it ridiculous that Hiruzen still didn't grasp Kaede Saito's true nature.

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen."

"Danzo, I'm the Hokage."

When Kaede Saito received his promotion to Special Jōnin, he wasn't surprised.

Special Jōnin were ninja whose skills in a specific area exceeded Chūnin level. It served as a middle ground between Chūnin and Jōnin.

Many stayed at that rank for life. Although it seemed close to Jōnin, there was often a significant gap.

Given Kaede's current strength, most ninjas wouldn't pose a threat to him. Promoting him directly to full Jōnin would have been reasonable based purely on strength.

However, not everyone knew how strong he had become.

"Come to think of it, all the techniques I've developed center around survival. Whether it's the Void Realm Technique, Self-Reincarnation Jutsu, or others, they lack the ability to decisively end a fight."

Kaede understood his shortcoming clearly.

Until the Second Great Ninja War wrapped up, he had no chance to switch bodies again. Once he corrected his body's flaws with Self-Reincarnation, Kaede focused on improving his combat power.

He needed a high-damage technique—something like Chidori, Rasengan, or Susanoo. He required an ability that could break defenses and push through the enemy's front line.

His strongest finishing move was The Roar of a Hundred Bones, which he used against Madara Uchiha, but it wasn't enough.

"Minato Namikaze should be close to developing the Rasengan. I should create my own high-burst, high-damage jutsu."

Otherwise, against strong defensive opponents, he would have to rely on a horde of zombies and win through chakra wear—too tedious.

After pondering, Kaede came up with an idea that might work with his current skills and create the desired explosion effect, but it had significant drawbacks.

With that thought, the zombies he had positioned began moving quietly, carrying out risky experiments under Kaede's remote guidance, regardless of injuries or destruction.

"Not worrying about chakra consumption is refreshing. I need more corpses to recharge me."

As Kaede walked through the village, he took in the serene blue sky, enjoying the illusion of peace.

However, he was running low on bodies. He couldn't keep asking Root for corpses, especially after he had tricked them recently.

"It was just a corpse explosion. I only slipped one explosive tag in during the chakra infusion. Nobody died."

Kaede stretched as he walked, planning to visit the Akimichi clan's BBQ restaurant, one of the best in Konoha.

No ninja clan could survive on mission pay alone; they needed business income to support future generations and grow stronger.

"Oh? Isn't that Lord Sakumo?" Kaede stopped, surprised to see Sakumo Hatake on the opposite side of the street.

Sakumo was talking to a muscular man in a tight outfit. Villagers recognized Sakumo's unique white-and-red short-sleeved uniform—no one else looked like that in the village.

"Kaede Saito? It's been a while. I've heard some things about you lately."

Sakumo inspired awe and fear. Most people bowed and kept their distance, avoiding casual chats.

But Kaede wasn't shy. He approached confidently.

"Yes, I've been training in a new jutsu. I've made progress and even completed an A-rank mission. I suspect the village will soon send me to the western front."

Kaede smiled. "Will you be leading the unit again, Lord Sakumo? It would be an honor to fight under your command once more."

"No, I'm assigned to eliminate the Kirigakure (hidden mist village) and Kumogakure (hidden cloud village) ninja who keep invading the Land of Fire. They're relentless—destroying supply lines to the front. We can't let that continue." Sakumo shook his head.

With the final battle approaching, the village had to remain alert. Any interference from Kumo or Kiri would only heighten the war's tension.

"If another unit heads to the front, it'll likely be under Tsunade's command. She's the best candidate."

As they discussed the war, the muscular man beside them stayed silent and tense.

"And who's this?" Kaede asked.

"Might Duy. A very hardworking man. He's bound to achieve great things," Sakumo said, patting Duy on the shoulder.

"Oh? If Lord Sakumo praises you, you must be exceptional."

"Ah! I'll work hard! Thank you for your encouragement!" Duy bowed deeply to Kaede.

Kaede waved casually and was about to speak again when a masked ANBU operative appeared.

"ANBU…" Sakumo raised an eyebrow.

"Chūnin Kaede Saito, by the Hokage's order, you are appointed Special Jōnin and assigned to lead a squad on a mission."

The ANBU glanced at Might Duy, hesitated briefly, then handed over the official documents.

Kaede's expression turned serious. He dispelled the sealing technique on the scroll and quickly read through it.

"I see. I'm to lead a team to Hot Springs Country to assist Dan Kato. Iwagakure (hidden stone village) is planning a northern invasion through that route."

Kaede was open with Duy. Technically, discussing mission details with Sakumo was fine. Sakumo wouldn't leak anything.

However, Duy was a long-time Genin, and some might judge Kaede's casualness.

Duy, sensing this, immediately covered his ears and began babbling about youth, passion, and running laps around the village.

"There's no need for that. I trust Lord Sakumo's judgment—and that includes trusting you."

Kaede tried to remove Duy's hands from his ears, but they wouldn't budge. Eventually, Duy moved them himself.

Sakumo laughed. "Looks like you already have a plan."

"Yeah, the mission scroll describes several outstanding young teammates. I think we'll work well together. But I wonder if we should add a more experienced shinobi. A group of youngsters seems a bit short on experience."

Kaede smiled.

Kaede stood at the Konoha gate, ready to leave. His assigned squad lined up before him, fully equipped:

Fujiki Akimichi, 24, Special Jōnin

Iroha Hyuga, 15, Chūnin

Shimi Aburame, 16, Special Jōnin

Ibiki Morino, 13, Genin

And Might Duy, 29, Genin

Kaede adjusted the summoning scroll on his waist and looked at them.

Each would one day be remembered in history, but none had reached their prime yet.

Kaede was pleased to see such a solid team—clearly, the village had put effort into it. Not a single Root member was included.

"Something's off with Danzo. He claims to support me, yet couldn't slip in a single agent. Knowing him, he might send a group of Root operatives to act unsupervised."

Kaede understood. Those Root agents wouldn't be there to help. If the mission succeeded, they'd pretend to be loyal.

But if things took a turn for the worse—especially if Kaede was hurt or dying—they'd swoop in, disregard other allies, and drag him back.

Then they'd likely apply seals, possession jutsu, or even kill him. Danzo had Edo Tensei in mind.

Danzo couldn't use it himself, but Orochimaru, obsessed with immortality, certainly would. They were probably already plotting to resurrect Kaede as a controllable undead.

In short, Kaede had to remain strong and flawless.

"Troublesome. To get the perfect new body, I can't avoid confronting Danzo and Orochimaru."

Putting that thought aside, Kaede focused on his team.

"You're all elite shinobi of the village. It's an honor to be your captain."

The group was about to respond when Might Duy suddenly bowed deeply. "Yes! Thank you for this opportunity! I will unleash my youth on the battlefield!"

The younger members exchanged uncertain glances. Duy's energy and passion made them uneasy.

Naturally, doubts arose—Can we really count on this guy? What if he gets us all killed?

"I've heard of you, Might Duy," Ibiki said coolly. "I hope you can keep up. You're the only one here without ninjutsu or genjutsu, right?"

"I—I'll do my best with taijutsu alone—"

"I'm not questioning you, just a reminder. If Kaede Saito picked you, I won't doubt his choice."

Ibiki quickly lost interest in Duy and turned his attention to the scrolls at Kaede's waist.

"You're Morino Ibiki, right? Skilled in interrogation and intel analysis. Looks like the Hokage has already planned for how we'll gather intel after we capture enemies. Are you related to Morino Isuke?"

"He's my uncle. Our clan may be small, but we'll always give our all for the village."

Ibiki's tone was serious.

Naturally. As someone destined to head the interrogation department, he needed to be realistic.

Kaede glanced at him. "Sounds like you've heard some stories from Isuke. I haven't seen him in a while—heard he got promoted?"

"Yes. He's a senior researcher somewhere, but I don't know where. It might be a village secret."

Ibiki added, "He holds you in very high regard, saying your jutsu is made for war. Controlling countless undead who can use their lifetime techniques, plus space-time ninjutsu... It sounds unreal."

Kaede was a unique ninja.

The others nodded in agreement. Just imagining him unleashing a horde of undead on the battlefield was awe-inspiring.

If he could add fresh corpses mid-battle, his power would only grow stronger.

"In the right circumstances, this corpse-style kekkei genkai could be a forbidden mass weapon. Not to mention the space-time abilities. But Kaede… I hear your chakra reserves aren't that great?"

Fujiki Akimichi, uncle of Choza Akimichi, was calm and reliable.

Kaede chuckled. "It's natural to want to know your captain. As a team, we should understand each other's strengths to make combat efficient."

"My physical condition has improved. Lady Tsunade taught me chakra stimulation and cell division techniques. After training, I no longer face serious chakra issues. That's also part of why the Hokage promoted me."

The team nodded in realization, though their expressions were mixed.

Only now did they remember—Kaede, despite his fame and praise from Dan Kato, was also a medical ninja.

Medical ninjas learning to stimulate cells was common.

But a medical ninja leading undead armies and using their powers in battle?

Kaede unrolled a summoning scroll and showed them the intricate inscriptions, pointing to several kanji marked "corpse."

"The Hokage gifted me several corpses of Explosion Release users from Iwagakure. They were elite enemies. Now that they're dead, they'll serve us well. They'll be a significant asset."

"Ah… that makes sense…"

"This… feels a bit off, but I can't pinpoint why."

"Kaede is right."

Strangely, as they looked at their captain—even though they barely knew him—a sense of unexpected calm settled over them.

"Lord Danzo, Kaede Saito's squad has left for Hot Springs Country."

"Hmph. That damn Hiruzen. He must've found out about my dealings with Orochimaru, so he assigned Kaede to a minor front on purpose." Danzo gritted his teeth.

As Hokage, Hiruzen held complete authority. Danzo had no official way to ignore his orders.

"Ensure Kaede Saito survives. The war in Hot Springs Country doesn't matter."

Danzo signed and sealed a document before giving it to a Root ninja.

The operative bowed and left to gather a team for the northern front.

Danzo sat in silence. His aging body could no longer keep up. His chakra reserves were steadily running low. It felt like a noose tightening around his neck.

His bitter heart longed for change.

"Once the war ends, I must convince Hiruzen to start the Hashirama Cell experiments. Ideally, I'll get the Senju clan to volunteer in large numbers."

Only with enough samples could he obtain reliable data and eventually graft Hashirama's cells into himself.

Add in a Sharingan and Kaede Saito's ability to sustain his life with corpses, and Danzo could hardly imagine the power he would possess.

(To Be Continued)