chapter 87 part 3
Saying this, Tsukasa Kaede pointed to a lush tree two meters from Kushina: "Over there, I buried a Corpse. You just walked over him, which is how I detected you. Although this method of Sensory Perception isn't as good as yours with the Nine-Tails, it's certainly somewhat useful."
"..."
Kushina frowned, then relaxed. A Corpse Release Ninja burying a Corpse outside his own home was reasonable, very reasonable.
Tsukasa Kaede then gestured around with his finger and said: "Speaking of which, I've buried quite a few around my house. Some of the Anbu Ninja guarding you are currently touching my Zombies."
It remained silent. None of the Anbu Ninja made a move, even if their hearts fluttered somewhat upon hearing these words.
Tsukasa Kaede guessed that the Anbu assigned to protect the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki might very well be the Third Hokage's son and daughter-in-law. These two would eventually die shortly after Konohamaru's birth, leaving neither their appearance nor names behind.
Kushina whispered: "I don't have Sensory Ability like Grandma Mito, not at all... so I can't detect your arrangements."
"Hmm, I guessed as much. So, what do you need? If it's nothing, go back home; I have work to do. With such a huge contribution like bringing you back, the Village will surely make new adjustments to my position. I wonder how many more days I'll stay at the Corpse Disposal Unit."
Tsukasa Kaede walked out and stood opposite Kushina.
Only then did the Anbu Ninja stir, instinctively tensing their bodies, ready to act at any moment.
It wasn't that they thought Tsukasa Kaede would attack Kushina, but rather that they were naturally wary of anyone approaching her.
Kushina, after all, was the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, her identity too sensitive. For now, it wasn't feasible to force her to live within a special Barrier, so they, the Anbu Ninja, had to keep a close watch on her.
Tsukasa Kaede noticed the Anbu Ninja's movements but didn't care. He didn't even care about Kushina, let alone the minor actions of these guys.
He slowly walked over to Kushina, looking closely at the red-haired girl from a short distance. He examined her carefully, finding her indeed pleasant to look at, but nothing more than that.
Tsukasa Kaede had absolutely no romantic interest in Kushina—not because he worried that Naruto wouldn't be born normally and disrupt his "prescience" or other trivial reasons. He didn't care how this generation's Asura reincarnated, as Tsunade and Kato Dan were there to serve as a backup anyway.
It was purely for one reason: there should be a reproductive barrier between him and someone like Kushina.
How could a pure carbon-based ape reproduce with a genetic hybrid of ape and plant? It was utterly impossible, no matter how much effort was put in, it would just be a waste of precious energy.
Tsukasa Kaede considered his energy and time precious. His stamina, however, could be expended at will, thanks to the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu.
Kushina looked at him seriously: "You must have heard some things about me, right? There were only two descendants of the Uzumaki Clan in the Village, Grandma Mito and me. Now, I'm the only one left. I don't have anyone I can trust in the Village. After much thought, perhaps only you."
"What, you hope to strengthen your Bonds with the Village through me? That's too troublesome. Aside from the Nine-Tails Chakra, there doesn't seem to be anything about you that I truly want," Tsukasa Kaede refused.
Next, his focus would shift to cultivating the body he desired. Various Gene Experiments, even Human Experimentation, needed to be advanced. It was the perfect time for his Corpse Release to shine, and he didn't want to get tangled up with Kushina.
"Is that so? How realistic... I really don't know what Lord Mito saw in you. Perhaps from that first meeting at the barbecue restaurant, today's outcome was already decided. Without you, maybe I wouldn't even have been able to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
Kushina unconsciously clutched her stomach: "I can feel it, it's in pain, and I'm in pain too. Suddenly, I feel like this world is full of suffering..."
"I see. So, after initially adapting to the symbiotic state with the Nine-Tails, you've developed a new understanding of life? That's normal. You're in the same class as Minato Namikaze, so you should be 14? No, perhaps 15 already. Truly a beautiful age."
Tsukasa Kaede strolled through the night streets; a few shops were still open. Though the Hidden Leaf Village was a super-large military district of the Land of Fire, it didn't mean the entire district only consisted of killing machines. There were still regular businesspeople operating overnight.
Kushina walked half a step behind him, head bowed, silently. Her mind was a mess, memory fragments bombarding her like Ninjutsu.
She remembered her first time coming to the Hidden Leaf Village, feeling lonely and desperate in an unfamiliar environment; she remembered her first time entering the Ninja Academy, introducing herself by declaring she would become the Hidden Leaf Village's first female Hokage, only to be met with widespread laughter from the entire class;
She recalled being ganged up on by a group of boys after school every day, always getting beaten black and blue. After enduring it until she couldn't anymore, she chose to fight back, beating the boys in her grade until they cried and howled.
And, her memory settled on Mito Uzumaki giving her last words.
Speaking of which, ever since she came to this Village, she had never felt a sense of belonging, completely unable to grasp the meaning of a "hometown," because even the Land of Whirlpools itself was gone.
"Owner, two dango, two pots of sake." Tsukasa Kaede stopped in front of a Pub.
"That'll be 1900 Ryo. The war just ended, so sake is a bit expensive~ But you can't give alcohol to the person behind you."
"That's none of your concern. I hold my liquor well—why are you reaching for me? The woman behind me is paying."
Tsukasa Kaede rolled his eyes, gesturing backward with his thumb.
"Eh? A man and woman out together, and the girl's paying?"
"Heh, I don't have the habit of paying myself."
Tsukasa Kaede stared directly at Kushina, urging her to quickly pull out the money.
Kushina looked up at Tsukasa Kaede, who wore a natural expression, then at the Pub owner.
She was being treated as a patsy, but surprisingly, she didn't dislike it. Being "needed" by a recognized genius... it felt kind of nice?
This at least meant there were still important people in this Village who needed her, right? She wasn't just a Vessel for the Village to restrain the Nine-Tails; it could definitely be interpreted that way, right?
"H-here!"
Kushina nervously took out her wallet, a clearly meticulously sewn item, perhaps a small gift Mito Uzumaki had left her before her death.
Tsukasa Kaede frowned, pulled out some money, and tossed it to the owner without looking: "Keep the change."
As they walked down the street, Tsukasa Kaede first handed a skewer of dango to Kushina.
"You should have refused me just now."
Tsukasa Kaede ate, finding the taste quite ordinary, wondering why locals would like such food, as he spoke to Kushina.