Black Zetsu.
Or rather, what was left of him—half a Black Zetsu.
Panicked and desperate, he abandoned the White Zetsu clone he'd been clinging to, vanishing into the earth like a ghost fleeing for its life.
But the monster that had just devoured its "meal" wasn't done. Its massive jaws snapped open again, biting straight into the ground where Black Zetsu had disappeared.
Dirt vanished in a single gulp. The jaws chewed hungrily.
"Gone... escaped..."
A deep, guttural voice echoed as the monstrous Rinjin instantly activated the Multi-Size Technique, then pushed it further—Super Multi-Size Technique.
In the blink of an eye, a hundred-meter-tall giant loomed in the forest, nostrils flaring as he hunted for the lingering scent of Black Zetsu in the air.
Suddenly, he pressed a giant hand to his abdomen and yanked out a mass of blue flames, tossing it aside without a care.
The blue-black fire hit the ground and instantly transformed into a massive, fiery feline—
Matatabi.
The monster stared at the bristling cat, scratching his head in confusion.
This was another fragment of the seed.
But for some reason, k felt no appetite for it at all.
Ignoring Matatabi, the monster twisted his enormous head northwest, toward the direction of Iwagakure.
From there, k caught the mouthwatering, irresistible scent of Black Zetsu's flesh.
Just a bite.
Just one bite!
So hungry!
Imitating Rinjin's movements, the monster formed a single-handed seal—Flying Thunder God Technique activated.
Back on the battlefield in the Land of Fire, Matatabi let out a long sigh of relief as the monster disappeared.
The way that thing had just looked at her... it sent chills down her spine—or, well, her fur.
Shrinking into herself, she flicked out a paw and casually stomped the dumbfounded masked man to death. Then, snatching up the scroll containing Rinjin's sealed soul, she bolted.
Hehe~
Now this is perfect.
Rinjin completely belongs to me!
Tsunade, Riyi, Awai—they can all go to hell~
...
Peaceful Iwagakure.
Its tranquility shattered.
A hundred-meter-tall monster appeared, body wreathed in blue steam and crackling blue lightning, toad oil dripping from his gaping maw.
Except for the Eighth Gate of Death, the monster had opened every gate he could.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode;
Eight Gates – Seventh Gate of Wonder;
Sage Mode—
His terrifying power was unleashed in full.
All the wild, shameful ideas Rinjin had once rejected were now picked up and wielded by the monster.
Landing with a thunderous crash, the monster began his rampage before Iwagakure could even react.
Fire spewed from his nostrils, oil gushed from his mouth—a blazing inferno swept across the sky.
Magnet Release surged to life:
Pots, ladles, kunai—anything iron flew into the air, coalescing into a colossal spiked club.
The monster swung the club with slow, ponderous movements, his deep roar shaking the heavens.
"Thunder... Thunder something... what was it again?
Ah... I remember now!
Thunder Roar: Seven Trigrams!"
The massive club came crashing down, slicing through the air with hurricane force.
BOOM!
The earth shook, mountains trembled. A violent shockwave erupted from the impact, flattening houses like blades of grass and choking half the village in dust.
At that moment, a beam of white, nearly transparent light shot from the Tsuchikage's tower, streaking straight for the monster's head.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
A thunderous shout rang out as the beam struck the monster's skull.
And then—a scene no one could have imagined.
The all-destroying Dust Release barely made a dent, struggling to bore into the monster's skull.
Above the Tsuchikage's building, Ōnoki hovered in midair, sweat streaming down his round head.
What the hell is that thing's head made of?!
With a furious roar, Ōnoki poured every ounce of chakra into his jutsu, overclocking his Dust Release.
The beam surged forward, finally carving off the top of the monster's skull.
Seeing the creature with half its head missing, Ōnoki gasped, wiping sweat from his brow in relief.
But before he could celebrate, disaster struck.
Maybe it was because he'd devoured half of Black Zetsu.
The exposed brain matter writhed and regenerated at a speed far beyond anything before.
In less than thirty seconds, the monster's head was whole again.
Worst of all—even the hair grew back!
Watching the beast shake its head, completely unfazed, Ōnoki clenched his jaw so hard his teeth nearly cracked.
In the chaos of war, with all the village's elites deployed, what could possibly stop this monster?
If only he'd known, he never would have provoked Amegakure.
The bitterness in his mouth was overwhelming.
But regret was useless—
The monster's rampage continued.
With every swing of the spiked club, the entire southeastern quarter of the village was reduced to rubble, no trace left of its former peace and prosperity.
The monster unleashed his fury without restraint.
By now, he couldn't even remember why he'd come here.
He just wanted to break things—quietly, alone.
...
In the forests of the Land of Fire, Matatabi shrank down and perched atop a thick branch, fluffy paws fiddling with the scroll.
She was torn.
If she kept Rinjin locked inside, she couldn't talk to him.
But if she let him out, he'd just go chasing after his body again. Annoying...
Just as she was agonizing, a sharp, string-snapping sound came from the scroll.
Then, the most familiar voice in the world:
"Kitty, is that you out there?"
Hearing this, Matatabi clumsily unrolled the scroll with a paw, grumbling,
"No! I'm Black-and-White Impermanence, here to escort you to the King of Hell."
Rinjin's soul just laughed.
Silly cat—pulling out Black-and-White Impermanence? Who else could it be but her?
"Kitty, tear up the scroll and let me out."
"Beg me~"
"I'm begging you."
"Beg me for what?" she huffed, full of pride.
"I beg the adorable Lady Kitty to tear up the scroll. Love you! (づ￣3￣)づq～"
Rinjin said it sweetly, without a hint of embarrassment.
After all, it was his own cat. No shame at all.
Flustered and delighted, Matatabi covered her face with her fuzzy paws, flames flickering atop her head.
"You... what nonsense are you saying? S-So annoying~"
But even as she protested, she slashed the scroll open with a sharp claw.
A blue, humanoid soul floated out, hovering serenely in the air.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
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