"Good."
"What about these people? What should we do with them?" Black Zetsu looked toward Kitsuchi and the others.
"Kill them?"
Kitsuchi's body jerked involuntarily.
"That's absolutely not an option!" Ye Liang smiled. He pulled out a white mask from System Space and silently placed it on Kitsuchi's nearly lifeless face.
Kitsuchi twitched slightly, and his body quickly regained some vitality.
"Great Master! Your loyal servant Kitsuchi bows to you!" Kitsuchi suddenly dropped to one knee in front of Ye Liang. His expression was respectful, but his eyes gleamed with fanaticism.
"It seems Orochimaru did a great job with these masks."
Ye Liang nodded with satisfaction and looked happily at the rejuvenated Kitsuchi. "How does it feel being reborn?"
"Extremely refreshing, naturally!"
Kitsuchi gazed at Ye Liang with deep admiration. "Before meeting Lord Ye Liang, I never understood the purpose of life. It was like a sudden revelation! From now on, no matter how Lord Ye Liang commands me, I will fulfill my duties to the fullest!"
"I can see your loyalty," Ye Liang said after hearing Kitsuchi's oath of allegiance, then casually dismissed him.
Afterwards,
Ye Liang and Black Zetsu headed alone to Iwagakure's storage vault.
This was according to Orochimaru's instructions.
Developing White Zetsu required huge funds. Relying only on supplies from the Land of Sky was no longer sustainable. To build up their strength, they must wage war through war!
They looted extensively.
On the way,
Black Zetsu shot Ye Liang a puzzled look.
"Lord Ye Liang! How does that mask control Kitsuchi? From his words and actions, he doesn't seem to have lost consciousness."
"Haha! Why would he lose consciousness?"
Ye Liang laughed. He pulled out another Zero-Tails mask from his clothes and looked at Black Zetsu. "This item directly imposes my will onto the wearer's mind.
He retains all his memories.
His body retains its original strength, and even becomes stronger with the Zero-Tails' enhancement. However, with just a thought from me, he must obey my commands without any possibility of resistance!"
Black Zetsu showed a trace of fear on his face.
At this moment, Ye Liang became serious. He solemnly handed the mask in his hand to Black Zetsu. "Right now, Iwagakure has been mostly conquered. You must now go to Konoha and place this mask on Onoki's face.
Remember! There's someone in Konoha who looks exactly like me. You must be extra cautious around him. Later I will give you a powerful weapon—a treasure to deal with that man. Don't disappoint me!"
"Yes, Lord Ye Liang!" Black Zetsu nodded in agreement.
After giving his instructions, Ye Liang finally parted ways with Black Zetsu. He took out an ancient leather map from his pocket and smiled faintly.
"The treasure of the Land of Craftsmen! I never imagined Iwagakure actually had something so valuable hidden away." He left Iwagakure behind with a happy grin, heading in a direction that clearly wasn't toward the Land of Sky.
Half a day later,
Black Zetsu approached Konoha holding two masks.
One was for control, and the other for confrontation. These were the secret weapons given to him by Ye Liang.
Feeling the weight in his hand, Black Zetsu suppressed his own aura.
Hidden Leaf Village.
The Chunin Exams were drawing near.
Guests from various ninja villages had already been escorted to their respective rooms by the Leaf ninja. Black Zetsu quietly made his way toward the Otsutsuki's room, where someone was already waiting at the door.
"You're here," the figure at the door said with a slight nod.
Under the moonlight, his profile was clearly visible!
Yagura Karatachi!
Black Zetsu silently nodded toward Yagura, and the two of them quietly slipped into the Otsutsuki's room. Although Iwagakure had been allocated their own quarters, Onoki, as the Tsuchikage, was given a private villa.
Yagura formed a Hand Seal.
Instantly, the room filled with a sleep-inducing mist.
Mist Village was most skilled in assassination techniques. Yagura, as the Mizukage, was extremely proficient in this Mist-Releasing ninjutsu.
Onoki was fast asleep.
Black Zetsu casually placed the mask he was holding onto his face.
"Master! What exactly is this mask? Why do you treasure it so much?"
"Haha! This is a great treasure," Black Zetsu chuckled. His gaze shifted toward Yagura's face.
Yagura wasn't one of Ye Liang's men. A long, long time ago, he had been controlled by Madara, and after Madara's death, Black Zetsu had taken Madara's place, inheriting control over Yagura.
Sensing Yagura's confusion, Black Zetsu shook his head.
"That's none of your concern. It's top secret!"
After saying that, he pulled out several dark black metal rods from within his robe. "During this Chunin Exam, there's one person you must watch out for—his name is Ye Liang. If the opportunity arises, you must kill him!
Also, these rods will grant you the strength of the Animal Path. Use them as your trump card!"
"Thank you, my lord!"
Yagura quickly bowed to Black Zetsu.
The next day.
The Chunin Exam began as scheduled.
Ye Liang arrived at a desert. After searching around briefly, he easily found a hidden path.
It was a staircase leading underground beneath the desert.
"Interesting. This ancient kingdom actually has such sophisticated mechanisms."
With a slight smile, Ye Liang walked down. Soon, he was captivated by his surroundings. It wasn't just sand down here; at the very bottom beneath the earth, countless mechanical puppets were arranged in rows!
"Fascinating. These puppets even come in different colors?"
Ye Liang reached out and touched one.
Suddenly!
One of the puppets abruptly opened its eyes. Like a machine, it fixed its gaze on Ye Liang without blinking.
"What? You wanna fight me?" Ye Liang glared at it.
Boom!
The puppet's mechanical arm slammed straight into his forehead.
"What the f*ck! You're serious?!"
Furious, he let out an angry yell, immediately slapping it back.
Clang!
His palm turned red and swollen from the impact of hitting steel.
Seriously, using bare hands against steel? Who does that?
Realizing his taijutsu was ineffective against the puppets, Ye Liang quickly stepped back a few paces. He snorted coldly, then spat out a fireball from his throat.
[Ninjutsu - Flowing Fire Technique!]
The flames engulfed all the mechanical puppets. Unfortunately, his ninjutsu had absolutely no effect on these mechanical constructs!
"Could these puppets actually be immune to magic?!" Ye Liang hastily stepped back.
At this moment, a large group of mechanical puppets suddenly came to life. They surged forward like a pack of zombies, lunging straight at Ye Liang!
His heart pounded. He threw up his arm instinctively to block!
Suddenly!
A surge of invisible force erupted from his fingertips, instantly blasting the lifeless puppets away!
[Shinra Tensei]?
Did I actually master Shinra Tensei?!
Ye Liang gawked at his arm, stunned. That incredible pushing force—there was no doubt about it—could only be Shinra Tensei. There was no other explanation!
Right then, the puppets that had been knocked back surged forward again!
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