chapter 121 part 1
Chapter 121: The Entire Village Pressuring Him? He Lacks Such Morals, How Could He Be Morally Blackmailed by the Village?
To put it bluntly, Tsukasa Kaede never felt a sense of belonging to this world, let alone resolved to become a loyal shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Even the name 'Tsukasa Kaede' was one he gave himself after confirming his arrival in this world—the character 'Kaede' signifies control and management, reflecting his wish to one day master his own abilities.
Now, he could truly say he had established a firm footing in this world. If he were solely focused on self-preservation, it wasn't Tsukasa Kaede being arrogant or conceited, but rather that, among the prominent figures in this world, there was truly no one who could genuinely kill him.
Whether in Chakra volume, combat experience, physical condition, or mobility, Tsukasa Kaede had brought all of them to their peak. Even if he accidentally fell victim to a jutsu like the Reaper Death Seal, he could still evade it using Izanagi.
Even if Hashirama Senju and Madara were to appear in their prime, they might be able to blast him apart in a direct confrontation, but to kill him, that would still be impossible.
Unless a Kaedex Paths-level expert intervened, freely employing Space-Time Dojutsu for teleportation, and relentlessly pursued him throughout the Shinobi World, they might, after months or even years of pursuit, finally wear Tsukasa Kaede down to death.
Therefore, after Tsukasa Kaede single-handedly defeated thousands from the Hidden Sand Village, he was already quietly pondering what path he should take next—to follow the established procedures, to honestly serve as the Village's enforcer? While that was indeed one path, for someone like Tsukasa Kaede, who lacked a sense of belonging, it seemed to hold little meaning.
"Let me think… if the Village doesn't go too far, I could become the next Danzo in the coming years, responding to orders but not direct commands, continuing to act at my own pace. At most, the Hokage would give me a mild scolding. But if the Village crosses the line first…"
The best outcome would be for him to defect.
Yes, this was the best option, and the most dignified approach Tsukasa Kaede could think of for both himself and the Village.
But if the outcome wasn't so favorable… Tsukasa Kaede could only say he was sorry. He had been able to establish himself in this world thanks to the Hidden Leaf Village's protection over the past decade or so. To truly be utterly cold-blooded and expend every single acquaintance in the Hidden Leaf Village as mere tools and weapons, seemed a bit too extreme.
"This is what I wanted to tell you. Maintaining a respectable position is good for everyone. But if someone treats me as a threat and doesn't want to grant me that, then I'll truly have to say I'm sorry."
Tsukasa Kaede arrived at Kushina's home and spoke with the increasingly mature woman. He casually ruffled her thick red hair.
Kushina frowned, rolled her eyes, and pushed the steaming teacup towards Tsukasa Kaede. "You haven't visited me in months, and now you suddenly appear at my house, saying all this… Are you planning to take me with you if you defect?"
"That is indeed a feasible approach, but there's no need for it at the moment. There are still some people in this Village whom I care about. Some respect me and are willing to follow my commands, others have shown me some kindness. It would be awkward if we suddenly became enemies."
Tsukasa Kaede drank the tea in one gulp. With his current physical constitution, a little scalding heat was nothing to him. "Though even if we became enemies, I could handle it."
"Kaedence you're saying this, it means you have other ideas. Defection is just one option." Kushina looked at the man before her.
It could be said that she was one of the few people in this Village who relatively understood Tsukasa Kaede—perhaps only slightly less than Orochimaru.
One crucial part of Tsukasa Kaede's previous resurrection plan was to be summoned using the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu. Kushina was a vital safeguard for this step. If things went awry, Kushina would have to find a way to learn the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu from the Scroll of Seals, then use the Reaper Mask to break the Reaper Death Seal and release Tsukasa Kaede's Soul, allowing Tsukasa Kaede to acquire an Edo Tensei body.
However, things ultimately didn't reach that point. Tsukasa Kaede had already succeeded, gaining a powerful body that seemed beyond imagination, and completely breaking free from his former shackles.
He could go into battle alone and handle things with ease. The Hidden Sand Village, now crippled after multiple assaults, had the most to say about this.
Tsukasa Kaede set down his cup, his expression serious as he looked at the woman before him. After a moment of contemplation, he said, word for word: "I will become Hokage."
Pffft! Kushina spat out a mouthful of tea, staring at Tsukasa Kaede with wide eyes.
"Is such a strong reaction really necessary? Becoming Hokage is every person's dream in this Village, isn't it? Anyone can declare it loudly."
A layer of blue Chakra surged from Tsukasa Kaede's body, evaporating all the tea on him.
Kushina mumbled hesitantly: "Oh, it's just, it feels a bit contradictory. Someone who constantly talks about being ready to defect, and plans to defect with the Village's most important Jinchuriki, claiming he wants to be Hokage… Is that right?"
"Absolutely right. Becoming Hokage is the dream of the people in this Village, and I am also a shinobi of this Village, which means this has always been my dream too. Haven't you always wanted to be Hokage?" Tsukasa Kaede retorted.
Kushina rolled her eyes again.
Indeed, that was once true. When she first arrived in the Hidden Leaf Village, during her self-introduction at the academy, she loudly declared that she would become the first female Hokage in the Village's history, and was laughed at by everyone for it.
As she grew older and her mind matured, Kushina roughly understood that she could never become Hokage. Her being a Jinchuriki was perhaps only a minor factor. More importantly, she was from another Village, essentially an outsider.
Moreover, she arrived in the Hidden Leaf Village at an age when she had already developed her own will and a preliminary worldview.
Would the Village's top leader position be entrusted to an outsider? That was absurd. Was the premier Village in the Shinobi World so bereft of talent that they'd let an outsider be their boss? The political background check alone would be impossible to pass.
The Hokage Faction itself was full of talented individuals, with an orderly succession and outstanding figures in every generation. There was no shortage of Hokage candidates at all.
Even if the Hokage Faction truly collapsed one day, the Great Ninja Clans would still have many people vying for the position. At the very least, members of the Uchiha Clan were very keen on becoming Hokage.
Kushina couldn't help but say: "Have you forgotten? Your background is even worse than mine! I am at least a close relative of the Senju Clan, the only person in the world who has mastered most of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu, and a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. What about you?"
"War Orphan. I'm not even a villager of the Hidden Leaf Village, and I have no familial ties with anyone here. …Outwardly, I am merely what remains from a town in the Land of Fire ravaged by war," Tsukasa Kaede said calmly.
Normally, someone of Tsukasa Kaede's background was destined to be nothing more than a consumable, receiving highly specialized education, to be used only as a shinobi with medical expertise.
In short, they wouldn't even receive a complete education, let alone acquire a multitude of A-rank or S-rank jutsu formulas. It would be even more impossible for them to become powerful shinobi.
Tsukasa Kaede was an anomaly. He broke through the ceiling for war orphans, becoming a powerful shinobi. He could even participate in the most confidential projects, and act in ways that broke rules, much like Danzo.
Although he had also received warnings from the Village, his act of single-handedly repelling the Hidden Sand Village's forces further enhanced his authority and reputation, turning the warnings into a joke.