Three Reds, three Purples, three Blues, one Black.
Compared to Madara Uchiha—six Reds, three Purples, four Blues, one Green, two Grays, one Black—
Kei Yamanaka completely outclassed him in all categories except the Black-Tier Trait.
The effects were fairly solid and not outright negative.
Still, his other traits paled in comparison to Madara's.
"That old man really is strong!"
Glancing at his Keyword Copy opportunity, Kei hadn't decided which one to copy yet.
Previously, the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai from Madara had fused directly into [Yin-Yang Convergence {Fragmented}].
Back then, faced with a choice between two options, he naturally chose [Sage Transformation].
Now that another Keyword Copy chance appeared…
"Maybe I should go learn Impure World Reincarnation?"
With one hand resting on the sealing scroll at his waist, which contained the blood-infused earth from Madara,
A subtle temptation stirred within him.
After all, the original version of Impure World Reincarnation created by Tobirama Senju wasn't particularly strong. If well-prepared, once they summoned it, he could immediately hit them with a sealing jutsu combo.
It shouldn't be too much of a problem?
"Damn it! They run faster than rabbits!"
One shadow clone burst out of the ground using Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage, each hand dragging an unconscious White Zetsu.
He carelessly tossed the White Zetsus onto the ground and started pulling items out of his pockets.
More shadow clones who had been underground began returning one after another.
Over forty White Zetsus were dumped unceremoniously onto the ground.
All kinds of ninja scrolls—jutsu scrolls, sealing scrolls, training scrolls, intelligence scrolls—were gathered up as loot.
Additionally, three pairs of three-comma Sharingan eyes, stored in special sterile vials, were retrieved by the clones.
Kei toyed with the three-comma Sharingan spinning inside the sterile vial, then kicked up the slightly scratched Uchiha folding war fan at his feet and casually tossed it to a nearby clone for sealing.
Unlike the Sharingan, which couldn't be seen publicly, this Uchiha folding war fan was a great item.
Even if he himself didn't have much use for it,
He could always say he seized it on a mission, then exchange it with the Uchiha Clan for many valuable treasures.
As a noble ninja clan that had carried its legacy since the Warring States Period without ever declining,
Their heritage and resources rivaled the Senju Clan in no way.
The large pile of confiscated scrolls was sorted and sealed neatly into storage scrolls.
The same went for the over forty White Zetsus.
Most normal biological life forms would die instantly if sealed inside a storage scroll.
But the White Zetsus were different—they had essentially become wooden fragments, with survival capabilities surpassing even cockroaches.
They could definitely survive ten or fifteen days without issue.
"The Uchiha Clan's situation is truly pitiful."
Kei tucked the small glass vial into his clothes, feeling that for most people, having a Kekkei Genkai isn't always a blessing.
Look how many pairs of three-comma Sharingan he'd already come across?
Even in death, people still had their eyes gouged out.
Sometimes, they were even targeted and killed solely for their eyes.
Being hunted by outsiders was bad enough—but even their own ancestors pursued them relentlessly.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The shadow clones that had disposed of the war spoils successively dispelled.
Seeing this, Kei Yamanaka fully deactivated his [Steam Release: Explosive Oil Art] (Oil-Water Clone).
Activating the [Flying Thunder God Technique], he followed the markings left by the shadow clones to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's location.
The colossal statue—like a small mountain—had already been moved over fifty kilometers into a forested area thanks to the tireless efforts of the shadow clones.
Sitting in lotus position with both legs crossed and hands raised, its nine eyes were firmly closed.
That unique aura—the place where nature and the unnatural coexisted—had already frightened all nearby weak creatures into trembling silence.
"How should I deal with this?"
Kei circled around the Demonic Statue thoughtfully.
Standing arms crossed in front of it, he was genuinely troubled.
Seal it? His sealing techniques weren't up to the task. Such a massive object was far beyond his capabilities.
Plus, its Rinnegan-wielding owner could summon the statue anytime.
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, even when Obito Uchiha absorbed it into himself, Madara Uchiha still managed to summon it away.
If he just left it here, he was certain—
It wouldn't be long before Black Zetsu would find it again and relocate it somewhere else.
After discussing with his shadow clones for a while,
Determined not to return empty-handed, Kei directly used [Water Release: Spiraling Sphere] to chop off two horns from the Demonic Statue, barely managing to seal them into a sealing scroll.
Together with two shadow clones, he marked every inch of the statue with [Flying Thunder God Marks].
One clone even entered the statue's mouth
and etched markings throughout the entire interior.
"Let's go."
After finishing the job, Kei summoned an eagle-falcon.
Riding on Bi Diao, who had mostly recovered his strength, he headed straight toward the Land of Lightning.
——————
Inside a dark underground cavern dozens of miles away from the mountainous grave site,
Black Zetsu sat gloomily on what used to be Madara Uchiha's seat.
A group of White Zetsu surrounded him, laughing and talking loudly about the recent battle. Their joking tones and relaxed postures showed absolutely no sadness or fear.
As if nothing even remotely dangerous had happened to them at all.
"Konoha! Kei Yamanaka!"
Black Zetsu traced his finger along the intelligence scroll in front of him, his black triangular eyes narrowed to slits.
While Madara Uchiha secretly manipulated Kiri Village from the shadows and watched over the ninja world,
They'd been continuously gathering intelligence on hidden villages.
Every person leaves traces. Every flying goose leaves sound.
No one who ever existed in the ninja world could possibly leave zero evidence.
From someone skilled in the [Flying Thunder God Technique], Genjutsu, and [Water Release] techniques, they methodically eliminated all other possibilities.
After multiple rounds of deduction, Black Zetsu finally locked onto Kei Yamanaka's identity.
Even though the person always appeared using Tobirama Senju's appearance, even though that enormous chakra capacity didn't match Yamanaka clan traits.
But once all the impossibilities were ruled out, only one possibility remained.
Five years ago, he withdrew from the battlefield during the Second Great Ninja War. Leveraging his wartime achievements and family connections, he obtained the [Flying Thunder God Technique] originally belonging to the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
He had remained silent and unseen for five years, continuing his work in the Analysis Team.
A month ago, he was reassigned by the Third Hokage from the Analysis Team to a regular squad as its leader.
His very first mission outside the village was already an S-rank top-secret operation.
Even White Zetsu failed to obtain sufficient information.
"My thousand years of effort—how could you ruin it all?! Mom..."
Black Zetsu glared furiously at the intelligence scroll on the table, wishing he could tear right through the three characters spelling "Kei Yamanaka."
"Senior, what you just said sounded like swearing, right? If you only shouted 'mom,' the other party might misunderstand."
One of the White Zetsus leaned closer to Black Zetsu.
The words almost made Black Zetsu spit blood.
"Tobi! You were the first to run away earlier, weren't you?"
Black Zetsu turned around, glaring angrily at Tobi, who wore a serious expression, eager to slap this idiot dead with one blow.
Was he just now cursing someone?
No! He was merely thinking of his dear mother!
"Following Senior's example, as soon as the fight started, Senior immediately went underground. Your speed far surpassed mine!"
Tobi gave a salute, showing absolutely no shame for fleeing.
"…"
Black Zetsu gnashed his teeth in rage.
That guy, Kei Yamanaka, kept shifting his gaze between him and Madara Uchiha while pretending to stare only at the latter.
And after he burrowed underground, he even searched for half a day!
If he hadn't been so confident in how well his identity was concealed, he might have suspected that someone had discovered something.
Otherwise, why did that guy keep looking at him so persistently?
"Senior?"
Tobi asked again, puzzled.
"The Mizukage from Mist carries a special seal; once Madara dies, the seal will instantly kill the Mizukage. You and I must go to the Hidden Mist Village. We cannot allow things to spiral out of control there!"
"Roger that, senior!"
"You lot, go search for the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path immediately. Once found, bury it underground first. Wait a while before deciding which base to move it into."
Black Zetsu stood up from his seat and issued orders to the group of White Zetsus below.
"Eh? Why should we listen to you?"
"Isn't freedom great? I haven't even experienced eating yet."
"Right, right—what about taking a dump?"
"I bet that feels pretty good."
"There are painful moments too, though."
"I really want to experience it. Maybe you can make me a hole so I can try?"
With just two sentences, the White Zetsus completely derailed the conversation, turning it into chaotic noise.
"Silence!"
Black Zetsu's eyes flashed with cruelty.
As a creation of Kaguya Otsutsuki, he simply shifted his thoughts slightly, causing all the White Zetsus to stiffen, unable to move.
They were merely soldiers mass-produced by Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Even though Black Zetsu was an incomplete Yin-Yang Release being, he still possessed the power to control them!
Seeing the confused looks on the White Zetsus' faces, Black Zetsu finally spoke again.
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