The situation with the Uchiha clan was escalating, and discontent was growing rapidly.
Even the higher-ups of Konoha had taken notice, having spoken with Uchiha Fugaku multiple times, but to little effect.
This growing hostility was especially evident within Konoha's Police Force. In just two short months, they had offended many, causing the Uchiha's reputation within the village to decline significantly.
...
In a forest outside Konoha, a figure emerged from a tree—White Zetsu.
"Weren't we supposed to avoid unnecessary contact?"
"I have important news. Uchiha Itachi truly lives up to his reputation as a genius of the Uchiha clan—he has already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Are you certain?" The masked man, his own Mangekyō gleaming, seemed doubtful.
"Absolutely. I saw it with my own eyes in the Uchiha clan's ancestral hall."
"You people really know how to hide things…"
A sudden voice interrupted their conversation.
"So, this is where you're hiding."
Stepping out from behind a tree, Danzo appeared. However, neither of the two before him carried Black Zetsu's presence.
The masked man's chakra felt strange—somewhat like Obito's, yet also like White Zetsu's.
"Danzo… so you're still alive." Although his appearance was different from before, the masked man was certain that this was indeed Danzo.
"So this is Danzo? He doesn't look that impressive. Why does Black Zetsu say he's dangerous?" White Zetsu, perched on a branch, curiously observed Danzo.
"Enough reminiscing." Danzo, unable to sense Black Zetsu anywhere, had no interest in idle chatter.
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees."
The entire forest trembled as trees burst to life, growing rapidly as if possessing their own will.
"Whoa! That's impressive. I'm out of here!" Half of White Zetsu's body merged into a nearby tree and disappeared.
When the jutsu subsided, three thick trees had intertwined near Danzo. Slowly, the trunks separated, revealing White Zetsu trapped within, his face filled with shock.
"… didn't work?"
Before he could react, his vision was filled with a pair of eerie Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Hmm… a pure soul."
Danzo had initially used [Dōjutsu: Tenkusari] to probe White Zetsu's soul for secrets. However, the moment he entered its spiritual space, White Zetsu's soul disintegrated entirely.
Still, Danzo could clearly feel a minuscule increase in his own soul's strength. It was less than one ten-thousandth, but the improvement was undeniable.
"It seems I should test this on another one…" Danzo's figure disappeared.
...
Meanwhile, the masked man was sprinting through the forest at high speed. His phantom-like body weaved through the living, shifting trees like a ghost.
The surrounding branches closed in, trying to entangle him, but none could touch him.
"Just how wide is the range of this jutsu?" A rare sense of tension crept into his mind.
Unlike disposable White Zetsu, he knew much more—and the fact that Danzo had become even more terrifying was an undeniable truth.
"So he really is alive… I need to inform Black Zetsu immediately."
He suddenly came to a halt.
Ahead, the forest parted, revealing a clear path.
At the end of it, Danzo stood, waiting.
The masked man turned, preparing to flee once more, but Danzo simply muttered:
"Obito."
No response.
"Rin and Kakashi will never forgive you."
Still no response. Instead, the masked man turned away and continued his escape.
"Fine. I'll capture you and ask my questions later."
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees."
At Danzo's command, countless trees erupted from the ground.
From above, the landscape for several kilometers seemed to come alive, the trees twisting and constricting, seeking to strangle all within.
It wasn't as explosive as Konan's six hundred billion paper bombs, but it ensured that his target would never escape the grasp of the Wood Release.
Through the trees, he could sense the masked man's exact position.
...
Five minutes later…
"Oh? So you rewrote your own death using Izanagi?"
Fifteen minutes later, Danzo stood before the captured figure of Obito, now entangled in the trees. His pale, half-melted body dripped with a strange, sticky substance, as though he had been swallowed and then spat out by something.
His eyes had turned completely white, and his mask lay shattered at his feet.
...
In the highest tower of Amegakure, far away.
"Zetsu, what is it?"
From the wall, the Venus flytrap-like figure stirred, revealing Black and White Zetsu's split face.
"The White Zetsu that went to Konoha on a mission seems to be dead. This could mean Konoha will become our greatest obstacle…"
"No one can stand in the way of a god." Nagato's Rinnegan flashed with displeasure as he glanced at Zetsu.
His body radiated an overwhelming vitality, far stronger than when he had relied on machinery to survive. The oppressive aura around him was vastly more intense than before.
Even Black Zetsu was uncertain whether this decision had been the right one.
Obito's death had significantly hindered the execution of their plans.
And as for the White Zetsu clones—they were nothing more than mindless husks.
Even if one absorbed Obito's body, inherited his memories, and took his eyes, it would still be nothing more than a failure.
Now, that reality was painfully clear.
Looking at Nagato, Black Zetsu could only hope that his choice was not a mistake.
A thousand years of waiting had been far too long.
This time… failure was not an option.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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