Kaede pushed open the door to his home and walked in.
Kakashi wasn't around, he was likely still out on a mission with Minato Namikaze and hadn't returned yet.
Heading straight to his bedroom, Kaede casually pulled a bundle of mission payment money from his pocket and tossed it onto the desk before immediately sitting down and closing his eyes.
He hadn't rushed to the meeting point Sarutobi Hiruzen had designated. Partly it was to drop off the payment, but more importantly, it was because back at the mission office, he'd heard it.
A mechanical ding-dong.
"At last…"
Taking a deep breath, Kaede calmed the excitement in his heart.
Before him appeared the familiar, illusory golden clock, massive and ethereal. The hour hand was now pointing at the 2 o'clock position, and the Roman numeral "Ⅱ" was no longer shrouded in mist. It glowed faintly with a dark luster.
Kaede inhaled slowly. Instead of rushing to test his new time-based ability, he first triggered Time Acceleration.
Click!
With a mechanical tick, the clock's hand shifted back to the 1 o'clock mark. At the same time, the central dial beneath it rotated under his will, stopping at notch number four.
Four times speed.
"It doubled again… Just as I expected. It seems like every year, my control over the acceleration range increases by one notch."
Kaede exhaled softly.
With this quadruple speed combined with the Third Gate of the Eight Inner Gates, Gate of Life, his speed would be on par with, if not faster than, even Kage-level opponents. Slaying elite jonin would become trivially easy.
Anyone below Kage-level? He could mow them down at will. And even most Kage-level shinobi would have a hard time keeping up, unless it was someone like the Fourth Raikage, a speed specialist who could genuinely match his pace.
"Now for the new ability…"
After steadying his emotions, Kaede shifted the clock's hand to 2 o'clock. The Roman numeral "Ⅱ" gleamed faintly in black, resonating with power.
The moment it activated, an instinctual understanding washed over him, he knew exactly what this new ability was.
His heart surged with excitement.
Taking another breath, Kaede opened his eyes, drew his White Fang blade, and held out his hand. Gritting his teeth slightly, he slashed his palm.
Shhhk!
A thin line of pain flared across his skin, and blood immediately began to stream from the wound.
Enduring the pain, Kaede stared intently at the gash. His golden pupils shimmered, and within them, a phantom clock spun rapidly, its hands moving backward.
Silently.
The blood that had flowed from the wound reversed course, slipping back into his skin, and moments later, the long cut across his palm completely vanished.
"Just as I thought…"
A smile broke across Kaede's face.
There was no need for analysis, the meaning of what just happened was clear.
Time Reversal.
The arc of time bent backward, and the damage he'd taken simply ceased to have happened.
Gripping the White Fang in his right hand again, Kaede dragged it across the wooden floor, carving a foot-long gash into the surface. He then focused and attempted to activate the same ability on the scarred floor.
But nothing changed.
"Looks like, just like Time Acceleration, it only works on my body."
Confirming this, Kaede let out a quiet breath. He stared at the scratch on the floor for a few seconds before suddenly breaking into laughter.
Ha!
Haha!
Hahahahaha!
Even though it wasn't the Time Stop ability he longed for, and it couldn't affect anything beyond himself, this power's sheer utility was undeniable!
No matter the injury, as long as it wasn't instantly fatal, it could be undone in an instant.
And even then…
Kaede wasn't sure what counted as "instantly fatal."
After all, the golden clock was fused to his soul. If his body were blown to pieces, but his soul remained, would he still be able to trigger Time Reversal?
If so, then in terms of regeneration, not even the likes of Tsunade's Hundred Healings or the Six Paths body could compare!
"It's probably similar to the effects of Edo Tensei…"
The laughter faded as Kaede spoke quietly to himself.
of course, he wouldn't smash his own head just to test it, but based on his senses, that judgment seemed accurate.
An undying body.
unless struck by soul-targeting jutsu or obliterated by Truth-Seeking Balls that combined all chakra natures, including Yin and Yang, there was likely nothing in the ninja world that could kill him.
Rubbing his chin, Kaede murmured to himself, "I'll still have to be wary of soul-based secret arts and sealing techniques… If I get sealed, that'll be a real pain."
Since Time Reversal only worked on himself, being sealed by a jutsu like Reaper Death Seal would trap him with no way to reverse it.
He wouldn't die, but being stuck for hundreds or thousands of years until all twelve abilities unlocked?
Yeah, hard pass on that experience.
"Well, at least the issue of lifespan is solved."
Kaede let out a slow breath.
With Time Acceleration and Time Reversal under his belt, as long as he remained cautious, the Third Great Ninja War battlefield would pose very little threat to him, unless Minato randomly lost his mind and decided to kamikaze with Reaper Death Seal.
But Kaede had no plans to destroy Konoha, nor had he cuckolded Minato with Kushina, so that scenario was unlikely.
As for others who might use such sealing techniques, they'd have to be able to catch him first.
Same with soul-based secret arts: if he was fast enough, none of it mattered.
And now, with Time Reversal, even the devastating backlash of the Eighth Gate, Death Gate, was meaningless.
He could pop it open just to go grocery shopping, and once home, hit rewind and be right as rain.
Saturday discount sales at the supermarket? Never missing one again.
With that thought in mind, Kaede stood up, stretched, and smiled brightly.
After all this time in this world…
Things were finally getting interesting.
…
Meanwhile, in a certain building…
Orochimaru stood at the front of a large hall, wearing his standard ninja attire, his expression calm.
The atmosphere was tense.
Dozens of elite jonin and seasoned Chunin were spread throughout the room, prepping gear and checking supplies.
Just then—
A silver-haired boy walked in through the main entrance.
Several nearby ninja turned in surprise, casting curious looks at him.
Kaede ignored them all, walking straight to Orochimaru with a faint, polite smile. He bowed slightly in greeting.
"Orochimaru-sensei."
"The Hokage has assigned me to join the vanguard unit."