Chapter 128: Zetsu: So I Was This Formidable!
There's an old saying, though it can't be attributed to anyone in particular.
If you can do it, then step up. If you can't, then don't just talk.
Zetsu belonged to the type that not only couldn't step up but also loved to talk…
When it came to commentary and storytelling, there were few in the entire ninja world who could compare to it. Every story could be told with cadence and inflection, moving people to tears. Every battle could be commentated on with exceptional brilliance; even a pecking match between novices sounded like the battle at the Valley of the End coming from its mouth.
What Zetsu hoped for most was to forever be an informed bystander, not to roll up its sleeves and get its own hands dirty, unless it was high-skill work like digging out hearts or gouging out eyeballs.
After all, for someone in intelligence gathering, instead of honestly hiding underground, to pop its head out and act as a surprise attack team... especially when its identity was a behind-the-scenes mastermind that couldn't see the light of day, how could it not have some self-awareness?
Of course, Zetsu had self-awareness!
The problem was, it had hit the jackpot.
Zetsu had just dispelled its Mayfly Technique, revealing its presence. Before it had time to use its senses to detect chakra, it had instead been caught by Kitahara's Sage Art perception…
What a coincidence, right?
"What a coincidence, we've met them again..."
White Zetsu automatically ignored the others, glanced at Kitahara not far away, and said with annoyance, "What do we do? The Fourth Raikage is with that crow..."
"Heh heh heh... The plan seems to have gone a little awry!"
The half of Black Zetsu's face twisted into a smile. The moment it saw the four of them, especially when the crow on Uchiha Itachi's shoulder was completely unharmed, its mood became very strange.
The plan hadn't just gone a little awry; it had completely derailed. The premise for it and Obito to dare to strike at the Fourth Raikage and search the battlefield was that Uchiha Itachi had already returned to his country.
"If we use the Mayfly Technique to escape now, do we have time?" White Zetsu instinctively wanted to retract into the tree trunk; it was starting to regret it.
Black Zetsu controlled their body to stop moving and said sternly, "Don't even think about it! That crow has the ability to instantly fire a Tailed Beast Bomb. If we try to escape, it will definitely cleanse the ground with a Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"What about Obito? Why wasn't it Obito who directly encountered Uchiha Itachi and the crow on his shoulder?" White Zetsu started to complain, "Obito might die, but he would die with dignity! If he resisted excessively, he could still escape the battlefield with heavy injuries..."
"We were only separated from Obito for a few minutes, how did we run into them head-on... Mangekyo Sharingan and a ninja crow comparable to a Tailed Beast..."
Black Zetsu interrupted White Zetsu's rambling, "Even if Obito could get here, it would be of no use! Let's land on the ground first and look for a chance to escape!"
After the two had discussed, the Venus flytrap-like figure began to move. Their shared body slowly arched out from the tree trunk and, under everyone's astonished gaze, landed on the ground.
"Be careful, he is our village's S-rank rogue ninja, Zetsu!"
Itachi shouted loudly, raising his hand to draw the ninja sword in his hand, carefully protecting Shizune and the others behind him. He was the one among them with the most complete combat power.
And according to the intelligence from Uchiha Fugaku and Jiraiya when they last saw Zetsu during the New Year, Zetsu had already had a falling out with Orochimaru, but its strength had increased a lot, and its Flying Thunder God was even faster.
Although Uchiha Itachi had never formally fought Zetsu, the young ninja had already recognized that the Second Hokage and Kitahara's Flying Thunder God Technique were terrifyingly fast…
When it came to understanding a Flying Thunder God user, among the people present... believe it or not, there was actually someone who understood it better than Itachi…
The Fourth Raikage, who had been repeatedly tormented by Minato Namikaze during the Third Shinobi World War, stepped forward, "I heard this rogue ninja can also use the Flying Thunder God Technique! Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
"Little fellow from the Hidden Cloud, your injuries..."
"Don't worry, Tsunade!" The lightning-natured chakra on the Fourth Raikage's body quickly covered his entire being, "Ever since Konoha's Fourth Hokage passed away, I always thought I would never have the chance to fight a Flying Thunder God user again..."
"You might die... idiot!"
The Fourth Raikage's eyebrows twitched, "Minato Namikaze once made a promise with me, that when we met again, he would face me as a Kage. This Konoha rogue ninja has defiled his technique. Leave this battle to me!"
"Lord Raikage."
Uchiha Itachi interrupted his emotional outburst and continued, "He can not only use the Flying Thunder God Technique, but also has the First Hokage's Wood Style, and his taijutsu is also astonishing…"
Uchiha Itachi summarized all the intelligence and said seriously, "Zetsu is very dangerous, not an opponent any of us here can defeat alone... As far as I know, Orochimaru and my father were once easily defeated by it in a chaotic battle."
He was also warning the Raikage not to court death... You can't even beat Orochimaru!
"Ha?"
The Fourth Raikage's eyes widened. He pointed at Zetsu and accused loudly, "Why did your Konoha let such a dangerous person defect!"
Uchiha Itachi avoided this topic, "What we should be discussing now is how to defeat the enemy or ensure everyone's safe retreat to the greatest extent possible... Even Kitahara cannot defeat Zetsu alone."
Kitahara: "..."
The crow's head turned. Shouldn't I be seen as all-powerful in my cub's heart? Why... do I sound a bit weak and frail?
It could beat a hundred thousand White Zetsu to tears, okay!
When did it ever leave Zetsu with this impression…
Was it the first time it transformed into Zetsu's appearance to assassinate the Hokage's squad and frame Danzo? Or was it during the New Year when it shifted the blame again and beat up Orochimaru?
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu were also at a loss, "..."
How did it not know it was this formidable... And this "Konoha rogue ninja" label was stuck on it for good, wasn't it? The real traitors were those descendants of Konoha!
This unreliable news, through rumor and misrepresentation, had surprisingly become a fact acknowledged by the Five Great Nations... Even Orochimaru had tacitly accepted it!
White Zetsu couldn't help but start to doubt itself, "Could it be that there really is another of our kind in the ninja world?"
"Whether there is or not, I don't know, but now is a great time to escape!" Black Zetsu controlled their body to slowly sink down. It knew its own limits.
"Caw!"
With a caw, an energy ball suddenly landed on the ground!
Boom!
The 'Konoha rogue ninja', who had just submerged into the ground, was fiercely blasted out by the energy ball. Kitahara looked coldly at the Venus flytrap that had landed on the ground again…
It's one thing for them, who don't know the truth, but we're both in the know here. Just listen and be done with it. Do you really think you're that formidable?
"Are we going to start?"
The Fourth Raikage thought the energy ball was the signal to attack. The lightning chakra in his hand erupted, and he turned back, "I'll attack from the front. You all be careful of its Flying Thunder God rush!"
"Hmm, wait, Flying Thunder God is the Second Hokage's technique!"
A flash of inspiration hit Uchiha Itachi. His understanding of Zetsu was that it was extremely dangerous. Disregarding everything else, he whispered to the crow on his head, "Kitahara, can you ask Lord Second Hokage to come and help?"
Kitahara: "..."
Is this karma, a cycle of retribution?
It had initially, in order to frame Danzo, built up Zetsu's image to be too formidable, causing its cub to not dare to take risks. Could it say here that the formidable Zetsu was actually it in disguise... It couldn't even find a reason to attack Fugaku!
Even worse, Tobirama Senju's kin was present…
Tsunade looked up in disbelief at Uchiha Itachi, "Grand-uncle? Is he still alive?"
(End of this chapter)
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