Naruto: Zombie Release

Genius.

It was the first time anyone had publicly used such a lofty word to describe Arata.

And the person who said it was none other than Dan, a seasoned elite Jonin who had mastered a one of a kind secret technique.

"You flatter me," Arata replied calmly after steadying his breath. 

"I'm just an ordinary Konoha ninja, undeserving of the title 'genius.' I'm only doing what I ought to. Without my comrades' protection, I'd have died in some nameless corner long ago."

"The fact that the version of the Dead Soul Technique you developed forced Sunagakure to dispatch an elite unit just to capture you says plenty on its own."

Kato Dan glanced at the large group of Suna shinobi in the distance and continued, "Those Suna bastards thought we didn't value you or recognize your worth. 

But the truth is the exact opposite. Lord Sakumo and Tsunade sent me here to protect you, and to use you to provoke a reckless move from Sunagakure."

Anyone could see that the plan had worked, brilliantly. The death of Araki was a remarkable military achievement, regardless of the era.

Whether in strength, status, accomplishments, or reputation, an elite Jonin was always a potential future leader, perhaps even a future Kage.

Killing one was a devastating blow to any rival village's long-term prospects.

"I'm sorry I ended up being the one to kill Araki," Arata said, lowering his gaze slightly. 

"I didn't mean to steal your credit. I'll make sure Lord Sakumo understands what really happened. The village never skimps on rewarding its heroes."

Dan scratched the back of his head with an awkward chuckle. 

"Not at all. That was your achievement. Besides, everyone helped hold off the enemy. Without all of us working together, this outcome wouldn't have been possible."

Arata's sincerity made Dan think even more highly of him.

"I saw how you cast a technique on Araki while he was still alive. I also noticed that you used some unknown method to affect his state. But don't worry," he added, clapping Arata gently on the shoulder.

"I was watching the whole time, not just to protect you or take down Araki. I was also evaluating your character."

After all, Arata was a war orphan. He hadn't received formal training at the Konoha Ninja Academy, and his jutsu dealt with corpses.

Dan didn't exactly suspect Arata of being disloyal or believe he might defect, it was simply a thorough, close-up assessment.

If Arata lacked the right temperament, they'd need to be cautious in how they worked with him moving forward.

Fortunately, the evaluation left Dan thoroughly impressed. Every objective of the mission had been accomplished, with a few extra rewards besides.

"Humble, cautious... or perhaps lacking in confidence? That's normal," Dan mused. 

"Your physical condition is poor, you even seemed to have struggled with illness in the past. Are you fully recovered now? We don't have much intel on that. I'll look into it later."

"Even with the Dead Soul Technique as your foundation, you haven't sunk into darkness. 

Instead, you've continued to evolve it into other forms of ninjutsu, even developing space-time techniques... 

Your sensitivity to jutsu and your talent for creating new ones are beyond imagination. Truly remarkable."

Arata had already surpassed most Konoha shinobi. The more Dan observed, the more astonished he became.

Especially regarding the Dead Soul Technique. As Tsunade's lover, Dan had naturally sought her insight once tasked with protecting Arata and drawing out Sunagakure's elites.

He still remembered her assessment, it wasn't just the Dead Soul Technique anymore. 

At the very least, it had undergone such major development that it could serve as the core of an entirely new secret technique system.

Yes, a new system. That was the key.

Much like the Nara clan's Shadow Imitation Technique or the Yamanaka clan's Mind Transfer techniques, these were structured systems. 

Any ninja learning them could gradually progress through different stages and learn increasingly advanced secret techniques.

Even if they weren't overwhelmingly powerful, such shinobi were classified as specialists and were indispensable members of any team.

Now imagine Arata, a shinobi who seemed to have developed an entirely new system?

Even if it was still based on the Dead Soul Technique, the extensions and developments alone merited serious attention. 

No matter how reckless Sakumo or Tsunade could be, there was no way they wouldn't take this seriously.

And more than that, he had created a new space-time ninjutsu.

That's why it had to be Dan who came, no one else.

Even if a Kage-level opponent came after Arata, Dan was confident he could protect him and retreat intact. If they were lucky, they might even ambush and kill the Kage-level enemy.

He patted Arata's shoulder again and spoke in a low voice.

"I can tell, you've gone far beyond the original Dead Soul Technique. You insist it's still that, and I'm sure you have your reasons. But you should start preparing. 

You've derived a space-time jutsu from it, and even found a way to affect a living elite Jonin..."

This new system had enormous potential and value. Dan didn't know whether Arata had pushed it to its limits yet, though from what he'd seen, probably not.

That space-time jutsu, for example, it was vaguely reminiscent of the Flying Thunder God Technique, able to instantly change Arata's position. It had massive growth potential.

Its only drawback for now was its short range, which might be due to the limited chakra output Arata could produce from his frail body.

But what about later, when Arata's health improved? What if he learned chakra cell stimulation techniques? 

Or if Tsunade herself taught him advanced medical ninjutsu to boost his physical stats?

Would the range increase? The number of uses go up?

And what if he controlled multiple corpses, disguised them as normal shinobi, and positioned them around the battlefield, then used space-time ninjutsu to zip between them at high speed?

Let's not forget, Flying Thunder kunai can't move on their own. But Arata's corpses can.

Not only can they move, they can use ninjutsu to kill enemies. And if that fails, they can always drag their opponents to the grave with them.

A self-moving, jutsu-capable version of the Flying Thunder God?

Just the image gave Kato Dan chills. Of course, there would be limitations, it wouldn't be flawless. But even so, the future development potential of that jutsu was enormous.

"Have a little more faith in yourself. You're important. No matter what your past was, you've changed your destiny with your own hands, and you'll change the fates of many others as well. 

Arata... it won't be long before you become someone truly indispensable. The village and your comrades need your strength."

Dan's words were filled with encouragement. Arata offered a faint smile but didn't respond.

Of course he knew how much potential his Zombie Release held. What he had now was just the tip of the iceberg.

But what truly interested Arata was another question entirely.

How much merit would he need to earn... to be allowed to read the Scroll of Seals?

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