chapter 121 part 3
What Chiyo, a Hidden Sand Higher-up, said in front of many Hidden Sand shinobi, Tsukasa Kaede had never refuted. So it must be true. Such was the credibility of the strong.
The clamor grew louder, and the discussions multiplied, gradually suppressing many other dissenting voices. They ultimately converged into a single question: "Why doesn't he use the jutsu to resurrect the dead?" Comrades often died in battle while on missions. Kaedence Lord Tsukasa Kaede can manipulate corpses to cast jutsu, why doesn't he consume corpses to resurrect the dead? Isn't that the greatest use of a resurrection jutsu? Some who tried to refute were, after repeatedly doing so, completely suppressed—from some perspectives, this discussion, or even coercion, seemed to hold a grain of truth?
To use originally worthless corpses to resurrect the relatives and friends everyone had lost, was it not reasonable?
Especially those who had experienced the pain of loss, their expressions were complex, always hesitating to speak. Their reason told them this shouldn't be happening, that this public opinion was simply the most vicious form of moral blackmail! But emotionally, if there really was a resurrection jutsu with such a 'low' cost, if it could truly give them a chance to see their deceased loved ones and fill the void in their hearts, then such a thing was truly…
Difficult not to be tempted.
But what could everyone say? Should they truly go along with this public sentiment that shouldn't have erupted in the first place, and force Tsukasa Kaede to step forward and make a sacrifice?
Anyone with a bit of sense and conscience knew this shouldn't be done, unless Tsukasa Kaede voluntarily stepped forward and promised to do so—but in reality, those with both sense and conscience were truly few.
This momentum grew stronger and stronger, to the point where the streets and alleys were filled with such talk. It gradually soured from initial discussion, little by little, turning into impatience and complaints.
Tsukasa Kaede, who was pushed into the eye of the storm, never came out to respond. He didn't think there was anything to respond to.
The zombies buried throughout the Village had long been monitoring the entire shift in public opinion. Nothing escaped Tsukasa Kaede's notice. The Village surely knew that he knew.
But Tsukasa Kaede was a bit too quiet.
"How uninteresting. Are they using the tactics originally intended for Sakumo Hatake on me? But then again, compared to me, Sakumo Hatake was undoubtedly an obedient blade, much easier to wield than I am."
Tsukasa Kaede found the external clamor rather noisy, and extremely boring.
Using the voices of the entire Village to oppress him, to create pressure for him? Such a thing could never succeed. Because those who truly knew Tsukasa Kaede's inner nature knew that Tsukasa Kaede fundamentally lacked morality, and thus could not be morally blackmailed.
Danzo knew, and Orochimaru knew. Even if the Third Hokage and the two Advisors couldn't be certain, they could still glean something from this public opinion trial, and, most importantly, undermine Tsukasa Kaede's reputation.
Indeed, they didn't expect to use this method to force Tsukasa Kaede to his death, nor did they intend to compel Tsukasa Kaede to defect. They simply wanted to give him a warning, make Tsukasa Kaede feel pressured and reflect, and ultimately become a little more honest and low-key. They wanted him to stop taking what he shouldn't, and stop thinking what he shouldn't.
If it were Sakumo Hatake facing this estimated public pressure, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand it. He would have been deeply ashamed, his beliefs shattered, and he would have committed suicide.
But Tsukasa Kaede wouldn't.
Knock, knock, knock! A knock sounded at the door.
"Open the door." Tsukasa Kaede commanded Konan.
"…"
Konan suppressed her sense of humiliation, and obeyed Tsukasa Kaede's command.
She opened the door, and in walked Obito.
"In just one day, how could the Village turn into such a mess? It's truly laughable."
Obito glanced at Konan, then immediately shifted his gaze away. His eyes fell upon Tsukasa Kaede, and when he reopened them, they had already switched to a one-Tomoe Sharingan.
"So you've successfully awakened it. Congratulations. To awaken the Sharingan at six years old, your talent is unprecedented. If word gets out, you'll surely become a legend of the Uchiha Clan. Everyone will then anticipate you awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan." Tsukasa Kaede glanced and said.
He wasn't surprised at all. Given Madara's methods, it wasn't difficult to provoke an emotional individual like Obito and make him awaken his Sharingan.
The difficult part was that Madara was dead, so how would Obito awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan?
"Madara is dead. From now on, you and I will have to cooperate on this path." The words Obito spoke made Konan's hands tremble. She raised her head in shock, looking at Tsukasa Kaede and Obito in disbelief.
"I won't hand Madara's corpse over to you." Obito said.
"It doesn't matter if you don't. Anyway, if I want to, I can always find a way to bring Madara out. One Impure World Reincarnation jutsu is all it would take to leave you helpless." Tsukasa Kaede said calmly.
Obito fell silent. He finally understood how Madara must have felt, as if facing a spiky, three-dimensional defensive monstrosity. No matter how he attacked, this guy always had the most direct and crude counter.
Going hard with strength? Sorry, Tsukasa Kaede currently had almost no weaknesses, and his mobility was enhanced by Space-Time Ninjutsu. Obito, on the other hand, didn't have the Mangekyo Sharingan, so he couldn't use Genjutsu to take out Tsukasa Kaede—just like how Madara had taken down Tsukasa Kaede with a single glance back then. Although Tsukasa Kaede had intentionally sought death that time to change bodies, it was also a fact that his resistance to Genjutsu wasn't that high.
As for using other moves… no need to consider it. Obito just needed to observe the sinister environment of the Hidden Leaf Village, and Tsukasa Kaede's calmly silent demeanor, to know that Tsukasa Kaede had absolutely no sense of morality.
Cherish comrades? To use a resurrection jutsu with little cost to revive comrades with whom he had lived and fought side-by-side?
There was absolutely no such thing. Tsukasa Kaede was perfectly at ease, completely unaffected by public opinion.
It was as if Tsukasa Kaede, who once also loudly proclaimed the Will of Fire, had never taken these outsiders seriously from the very beginning.
Obito looked at the stunned Konan. "This woman is listening to our conversation. She's a bit in the way. Should I kill her? That would surely provoke Nagato, making him grow stronger faster."
"Alright, Obito, your suggestion is excellent. Go ahead then. Let me see how you, at six years old, 'slice and dice' Jiraiya's favorite student." Tsukasa Kaede stepped aside.
Obito instantly froze.
(end of chapter)