chapter 109 part 2
"But it's just a very ordinary Wood Release Ninjutsu! The rest is up to us! Wahahaha, whether it's Wood Release or Corpse Release, I'll destroy them all!"
The One-Tail gave more power to Bunpuku, allowing Bunpuku to enter Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
A Jinchuriki in this state could already utilize some Tailed Beast Jutsu.
"Well then, let's begin~ I'm going to teach you a Jutsu now, make sure you learn it well!"
Bunpuku, in his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, opened his mouth and inhaled a large amount of Chakra. His belly immediately swelled, becoming round and plump.
The Sharingan on Tsukasa Kaede's back, through an opening in the Wood Locking Wall, watched intently.
"He didn't create a high-density Chakra sphere first before swallowing it. Instead, he swallowed loose Chakra in one gulp... So, this isn't a Chakra cannon, but a Jutsu of the One-Tail," Tsukasa Kaede realized.
"Wind Release: Air Bullet!!"
Bunpuku fiercely slapped his belly, then his mouth snapped open, consecutively spewing wind spheres like air cannons that violently crashed towards Tsukasa Kaede.
"That's right, that's it! You bald monk, you have great Ninjutsu talent!" the One-Tail cackled, hoping to see Tsukasa Kaede and the Wood Locking Wall blasted to smithereens by the Wind Release it had taught.
Normally, that would indeed be the case. Not dodging meant death; dodging meant disrupting the ritual.
"As expected, it's Wind Release: Air Bullet. That One-Tail rarely uses a Tailed Beast Bomb, preferring to use this Wind Release Jutsu that mimics it, always insisting on being unique."
Tsukasa Kaede snorted. If Bunpuku had used Pseudo Sleep Technique to enter Complete Tailed Beast Transformation, and the One-Tail had personally taken over to use the full version of Wind Release: Air Bullet, Tsukasa Kaede might genuinely have had more reservations.
But Wind Release: Air Bullet at Partial Tailed Beast Transformation level wasn't worth moving for.
Each wind sphere carried endless grains of sand.
Wind Release, Earth Release, Magnet Release – the One-Tail's abilities were exceptionally useful in the desert.
"So, what Jutsu should I use? Wood Release: Great Forest Wall? No, that Jutsu's too high-level; it can withstand a Tailed Beast Bomb, which would be too much of a burden for me. You're probably feeling relaxed instinctively because you're fighting in a desert, your home turf. In that case, I'll use this... Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!!"
As Tsukasa Kaede performed Hand Kaedegns, rumbling suddenly erupted from underground. Giant trees burst forth wildly from beneath the earth, one after another, drastically altering the terrain, concealing and blocking swathes of sand and dust.
In almost an instant, a small, vibrant forest was born in the vast desert, directly facing the onslaught of Wind Release: Air Bullet!
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!
The wind spheres struck tree after tree, often dissipating their impact and slowly fading away after smashing through some of the trees.
By the time all the wind spheres had vanished, the forest was already riddled with holes. The surviving trees were generally pitted and scarred, many broken, and those that miraculously remained had clearly visible marks on their trunks from the numerous Wind Blades cut out by the exploding wind spheres.
But no matter how ravaged it was, it ultimately held.
And it was blocked by an area-of-effect Wood Release Jutsu! In this era, that was an absolutely earth-shattering act, especially since the one using Wood Release was Tsukasa Kaede—if Tsukasa Kaede had truly integrated Hashirama Senju as a part of himself.
Bunpuku looked at the result of their battle and fell silent.
"Genuine Wood Release, and this shouldn't be his limit. Once he completes the ritual, he will definitely be able to wield even greater power. None of us can be sure how much of Hashirama Senju's power that person on his back truly possesses."
"No matter how much, even a fraction is incredibly troublesome. Don't forget, our opponent isn't a Wood Release Ninja; at his core, he's a Corpse Release Ninja... Resurrecting someone suspected to be Hashirama Senju, then stuffing him into his own body, and then resurrecting himself as well... Is this also a unique Secret Technique of Corpse Release?"
The One-Tail and Bunpuku engaged in a heated discussion in the Mindscape, finding it increasingly outlandish.
Could such an utterly evil Jutsu exist in this world? But there was no time to dwell on it now.
Because Tsukasa Kaede had completed the ritual, and the Zombies ceased their actions of performing Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu.
In an instant, the remaining five hundred-plus Zombies released their hands, their movements perfectly synchronized.
Whoosh! A massive amount of steam and green Life Force erupted from Tsukasa Kaede's body. Having suddenly gained the Hashirama Clone, the surging Life Force completely merged with Tsukasa Kaede, becoming Tsukasa Kaede's power—don't forget, the Hashirama Clone was originally alive, just without its own Consciousness. Now, it had been transformed into a part of Tsukasa Kaede.
With the replenishment of Corpse Release and the immense Life Force of Wood Release, Tsukasa Kaede was mesmerized by his unprecedentedly powerful physical state. He gazed down at his hands, as if admiring a rare treasure, unwilling to look away for a long time.
"It stopped? There are still so many Zombies... Looks like it's complete." Bunpuku's expression grew even more bitter. It truly was too unfavorable. "If I had come earlier, I might have been able to stop him."
Tsukasa Kaede said calmly, "No, even if you came earlier, it would have been futile. I can take the Zombies and leave at any time. You either stop me from the very beginning, or there's no hope."
He chose to perform the ritual in the Land of Wind's desert, certainly to prevent himself from being found and subjected to an Annihilation Campaign by enemies, but that didn't mean he would be truly helpless if discovered.
Matters like suffering some kind of price for having a ritual interrupted would simply not apply to him—at most, he would just start over, gather new Zombies, and find a new place to perform the ritual.
Hundreds of Zombies stood behind Tsukasa Kaede, demonstrating obedience far beyond any previous time. This meant that the number of Zombie Hordes Tsukasa Kaede could control had drastically increased, and past limitations could no longer hinder him.
With the integration of the Hashirama Clone, Tsukasa Kaede received an all-around boost in strength. For a long time to come, Tsukasa Kaede would only need to systematically unearth the power of this new body.
"I just don't know when I'll be able to activate those truly powerful Wood Release Jutsu. It'll probably take a little more time."
Tsukasa Kaede's expression was very calm. Only at this moment was he willing to say that he was a Kage Level powerhouse—a Kage Level powerhouse without any real weaknesses.
In the past, he usually fought using Corpse Release, commanding various powerful Zombies to engage the enemy, while he himself often observed from within the protection of the Zombie Horde, constantly manipulating the Zombies to execute various tactical actions.
If an enemy launched a surprise attack on him, and indeed broke through the Zombies' defenses to reach him, Tsukasa Kaede would immediately activate Spatial Rift Jutsu to relocate himself, ensuring he was always in a safe position.
But now, there was no need. No longer did he have to meticulously protect his Main Body to prevent his vulnerable form from being taken out by a single enemy assault.
Powerful Life Force, terrifying self-healing abilities, a seemingly endless supply of Chakra, and even if his Chakra ran out, he could always draw from the Zombies, replenishing it at a much more efficient rate than before.
Although the Hashirama Clone was not the true Hashirama Senju, and could not compare to Hashirama Senju's peak power, it was definitely not far off! Moreover, Tsukasa Kaede possessed more than just Wood Release; simply having three Three-Tomoe Sharingan on his body already made Tsukasa Kaede an extremely formidable presence.