Max was still lost in thought when the ground rippled behind him and Zetsu emerged from the floor.
"Yo, what's up, boss? Why did you call me back so soon? I thought I was supposed to shadow Luthor for the whole week," Zetsu said, his usual grin plastered across his face.
"Something came up," Max replied without turning around. "What did you observe from Luthor?"
"Okay, let's see…" Zetsu said, raising a hand and counting on his fingers. "Well, the guy poops at least three times a day and wipes, like, five times."
Max's jaw tightened. "Anything useful, Zetsu?" he asked, struggling to keep his cool.
"Ohh, you should've led with that," Zetsu chuckled. "The guy locks himself in his lab all day, building these clanky robots and running simulations while muttering about how you're going to cower before the might of Lex Luthor. Honestly, boss, I think he's losing it. Wouldn't be surprised if he dreams about you every night."
Max exhaled slowly. "Hmph. I see…" he muttered, finally turning his chair around.
"Anyway," Zetsu said, his grin widening, "look what I found."
A wooden cocoon rose from the floor beside him, its surface cracking and splintering. From within, a small blonde-haired girl emerged—her clothes torn, blood splattered across her skin, and her breathing shallow but steady.
Max's eyes widened. His expression shifted rapidly—from shock, to confusion, to anger.
"Before you say anything, let me explain first," Zetsu blurted, raising his hands defensively.
"Explain!" Max snarled through gritted teeth.
"It happened while I was on my way back here…"
Flashback,hours earlier
"Kill her!"
"Burn the witch!"
"Don't let her curse us!"
The angry mob surged forward, torches and pitchforks in hand, surrounding a trembling blonde-haired girl who was already bruised and bloodied.
"No, please! I didn't do anything!" she cried through tears, but her pleas only fueled their rage.
"Liar!" shouted a man as the crowd parted, making way for someone stepping forward — a man holding a pistol. He leveled the barrel against the girl's temple, the metallic click of the hammer echoing through the tense air.
"Do it!" someone yelled.
"Shoot her and burn the corpse!" another screamed.
The man smirked, finger tightening on the trigger
Splatter!
Blood sprayed across the girl's face. The man froze mid-motion, eyes wide as he trembled. Slowly, his gaze dropped to his chest… where a pale, clawed hand had punched straight through his body, clutching his still-beating heart.
He turned, trembling, to see a white creature with yellow eyes grinning at him.
"Surpriiiise," the creature said in a slow, drawn-out whisper before ripping its arm free.
The man collapsed, lifeless.
The mob fell silent, horrified.
The creature ,White Zetsu ,turned to them and said, almost playfully, "Next."
A single terrified voice stuttered, "M-M-Monster!"
Panic erupted. The crowd scattered in every direction but before any could escape, thick vines burst from the earth, wrapping around their bodies. Screams filled the air, one by one silenced by the wet, gruesome sound of bodies popping under pressure.
Soon, only the blonde girl remained.
White Zetsu emerged fully from the ground, stepping over the mangled corpses. He tilted his head, studying the unconscious girl who'd fainted from terror.
"Humans are really strange," he muttered, crouching beside her. "Is she playing possum or actually out cold?"
He poked her cheek twice. "Yep, unconscious."
Taking a bite out of the heart still in his hand, Zetsu chewed thoughtfully. "She must be special somehow. Why else call her a witch?"
He took another bite on the heart and crouched to sniff the girl's hair. "Hmm. She smells like dirt… earthy, even. Either she has earth-related abilities, or she just rolled around in soil too long."
Zetsu grinned. "But if she does have earth powers, the boss will be pleased. Maybe he'll finally tell me what it feels like to take a shit."
Decision made, Zetsu placed his palm on the ground, wood sprouting up and wrapping around the girl in a cocoon.
"Alright, it's settled — she's coming with me," he said with a self-satisfied nod.
Then he froze.
"Yo… what's up?" Zetsu asked the empty air.
A faint rustling came from the bushes. A tall man stepped out, wearing a grey and orange mask.
"Sharp senses," the man said.
Zetsu jumped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Yo! Don't sneak up on people like that! I almost died of a heart attack! I mean, I don't even have one, but still!"
The man said nothing, his single eye focused on Zetsu and the cocoon.
Zetsu chuckled awkwardly. "Okay, fine, you got me ,I have no heart. But I do eat them!" He tossed the half-eaten one aside.
"What are you?" the man asked.
Zetsu smirked. "It's polite to introduce yourself before asking for someone else's name."
"My name is Slade," the man replied evenly. "Now answer the question — what are you?"
Zetsu's grin widened. "Just a passerby. You?"
"I've come for the girl," Slade said.
"Fat chance, buddy. I got her first."
Slade's single visible eye narrowed. He scanned the scene — the mangled corpses, the man with a hole in his chest, and the strange cocoon pulsing faintly beside the creature. The girl's inside that thing, he realized.
His jaw tightened. The cloak Zetsu wore — the same symbol Max used — was enough to dissuade him. The massacre around him only confirmed that fighting this thing wasn't worth the trouble. Not now. Not after barely surviving his encounter with Pain.
He was pulled from his thoughts by Zetsu's voice again.
"It was nice knowing you, Slade. Toodles~"
And with that, Zetsu sank into the ground, vanishing completely.
Slade clenched his fists, muttering a curse under his breath.
Flashback End
"…And that's how it happened," Zetsu finished.
"Why did you bring her back here then?" Max asked.
"I brought her back because some guy called Slade was after her—and for the fact that she may be of use to our cause," Zetsu said.
"What cause?" Max asked.
"Any cause. Or I can just kill her right now," Zetsu said casually.
Max instantly frowned. He stood up from his chair, and a small gust of wind began to swirl through the room as his chakra flared. The pressure in the air grew heavy, and Zetsu shrank back in fear.
"Aye, I was just kidding, boss!" Zetsu said quickly, backing away with raised hands.
Max's expression darkened. "Zetsu, you can kill and eat as many criminals as you want—but I draw the line at kids, especially innocent orphans. If I ever find out you've harmed a child, I'll kill you myself. Am. I. Clear? And I don't want to see any child soldiers either. That's Batman's style, not mine."
"Crystal," Zetsu muttered.
The air calmed as Max's chakra faded. But then, he paused mid-step, eyes narrowing.
"Do you sense that?" he asked.
"Yes, I do," Zetsu replied.
"Something—or someone—is coming," Max said. "Since you brought the girl here, she's your responsibility. I've got a feeling whatever's coming is after me—and it won't be pretty when it finds me here."
Without another word, Max vanished.
Outside, the night sky rippled. A dark red portal crackling with violet lightning slowly widened above the forest. The wind howled as a figure emerged from the rift and dropped to the ground a few meters in front of Max.
He studied the newcomer intently. The figure wore a blank white mask, a white cloak, and black combat boots. From the faint outline beneath the cloak, Max could tell it was a woman.
He activated his Sharingan, but no matter how hard he focused, something was blocking his perception.
"Who are you?" Max demanded.
"Your death," the woman responded in a cold, feminine voice.
"Oh, I'm so scared," Max said off-handedly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Got any better threats?"
"This is probably the arrogance that got you killed last time," the woman replied.
She vanished.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Max, her fist already cocked back. Max reacted instantly, throwing his own punch.
BOOM!
The collision was explosive—the ground beneath them shattered, sending out a deafening shockwave. A massive crater formed at their feet as trees were uprooted and debris was flung into the air.
Max was hurled backward, crashing through multiple trees before slamming into the ground and sliding across it, carving a deep trench before coming to a stop.
He lay there for a moment, staring up at the night sky, his right hand trembling from the impact. Blood coated his knuckles, though the wounds were already beginning to heal.
Only one thought echoed through his mind.
'Who is this person?'
End of Chapter