Chapter 154 – Black Zetsu, That’s Just Pathetic!
"Ōnoki! Black Zetsu! Tobi! We hit the jackpot!"
(T/NL This is probably about Tobi (Zetsu) was one of the first victims of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and eventually was pulled from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path by Black Zetsu.)
Yamanaka Shinno stood atop the Flying Thunder God seal he'd left on the ground before launching himself into the air, hand shading his eyes as he looked up at the battle above. A grin spread so wide across his face it nearly reached his ears.
Right after recognizing Yagura's identity, he'd guessed the guy might be under some kind of control—maybe the Rinnegan or the Sharingan.
But once he got up there...
Even from dozens of meters away, with the reaction speed granted by Zero-Frame Startup and his system's abilities, a single glance was all it took.
Three people—five Trait panels!
Ōnoki was the real deal.
Yagura? Also real.
And Black Zetsu? Attached to Yagura, who was clearly under the Rinnegan's influence!
Even the guy next to them—the one with the strange gill-like organs partially visible beneath his forehead protector—was none other than Tobi!
And the Rinnegan in that guy's eye socket? 100% legit!
Which was why Shinno hadn't hesitated for a second to go full-on Sage Mode and Wood Release.
Ōnoki, Black Zetsu, Tobi, plus a mind-controlled Yagura—that's four massive catches in one net!
If not for Ōnoki's Dust Release firing off so fast...
And that insane sense of danger it gave off...
He might've already taken Black Zetsu down right then and there!
"Dust Release's attack power is seriously busted…"
Shinno licked his lips, formed a hand seal, and summoned over a dozen Wood Clones behind him.
Two of them vanished instantly, teleporting to the Flying Thunder God marks on either side of his waist, heading straight for the sky above.
Dust Release was a tier above even Kekkei Genkai—Kekkei Tōta.
Sure, it had its flaws: huge chakra cost, long charge-up, kind of a one-trick pony.
But the power? Off the charts!
In the original story, Detachment of the Primitive World Technique once wiped out twenty-five Susanoo-armored Wood Clones from Madara in a single blast.
Even Shinno's Wood Release, which now belonged to the Kekkei Tōta level, couldn't tank it for more than a few seconds.
And when he got locked on by that Dust Release just now?
Even with Sage Mode at full blast, he could clearly feel the sense of impending doom.
Honestly, if this jutsu had some Sage Chakra and wasn't hard-countered by the Ōtsutsuki's chakra/ninjutsu absorption abilities...
Nobody would dare take it head-on!
...
"Get down! We're not nearly as agile in the air!"
Black Zetsu's body surged with crimson Tailed Beast chakra—but still got dropkicked by a Sage Mode Wood Clone so hard that his guts were screaming in protest. He almost got knocked clean out of Yagura's body.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Tobi, controlling the body of the Hoshigaki clan member, hurled the two Wood Clones—each wielding a ninja sword in one hand and a Water Release in the other—straight back.
With six Rinnegan-clone bodies forming a protective circle around him and Black Zetsu, he barely managed to hold off the dozen-plus Wood Clones flying around them, slinging Sage Arts left and right.
Forming hand seals, he disabled the anti-gravity on himself and Black Zetsu. Grabbing the other by the arm, he yanked him downward.
Banshō Ten'in!
Whoosh—!
With a piercing shriek, Tobi and Black Zetsu dove through the air, quickly catching up to Ōnoki, who had already activated Earth Release: Ultra-Added Weight Rock Jutsu to accelerate his own descent.
Tobi spotted a familiar white glow gathering in Ōnoki's hand.
Instinct kicked in.
With his free left hand, he reached out and grabbed Ōnoki's clothing too.
Three figures plummeted in unison.
The Sage Mode Wood Clones, which relied on flight to maneuver, couldn't catch up in time.
Down below, Yamanaka Shinno looked up at them calmly from the ground.
Didn't need words.
Ōnoki, seasoned veteran that he was, slammed the Dust Release he'd been charging downward without hesitation.
Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!
Vmmm—!
The cylindrical beam of Dust Release pierced clean through Shinno's chest in an instant.
But none of the three wore even a hint of triumph.
Because his body… was already turning to wood.
Damn it!
Was there seriously no way to tell a Wood Clone from the real one?
Black Zetsu and Ōnoki cursed inwardly in sync.
Ōnoki formed hand seals and raised his arms, once again casting Ultra-Lightweight Rock Jutsu to slow their descent.
Tobi revealed the Rinnegan beneath his headband, then used Shinra Tensei to blast the ground below with repelling force, further cushioning their landing.
BOOM—!
The surrounding ground caved in for nearly a hundred meters in every direction.
And just like that, the three landed safely.
...
Name: Black Zetsu
Occupation: Dutiful Son
Traits: Yin-Yang Creation (Red), Mental Domination (Purple), A Millennium of Schemes (Purple), Oath to Save Mother (Blue), Living Encyclopedia (Blue), Master of Deception (Blue), Parasitic Existence (Blue), Unshakable Will (Blue), Oedipus Complex (White), Neglected Child (Gray)
...
"All I saw was the back of his damn scalp! You've got some serious skills!"
Yamanaka Shinno reappeared beside the Wood Clone "killed" by the Dust Release, teleporting in via Flying Thunder God. But the second he caught a glimpse of Yagura's head, the guy ducked underground using his short stature and vanished without a trace!
Ōnoki, who'd just been gearing up for another round, saw his teammate bolt and didn't hesitate to do the same—Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique, down into the dirt he went.
Shinno slammed both palms onto the ground.
He'd already anticipated this.
Knowing their aerial speed and mobility couldn't match the Wood Clones, he figured they'd come down eventually.
And during their sky-bound skirmish with his clones, he'd already been weaving Sage-enhanced Wood Release into the ground—dozens upon dozens of root systems saturated with Sage Chakra, locking down every potential escape route.
Sure, Black Zetsu and Tobi could phase through the earth and trees...
But these trees were infused with Sage Chakra.
No way they were slipping through that!
Sage Art: Wood Release – Advent of the Flowering Forest!
RUMBLE—!
The earth within a kilometer radius surged and split open. Countless enormous tree branches and roots burst from the ground, writhing and weaving together into a chaotic forest of towering giants.
Ōnoki was the first to crack.
He bailed from his hiding state, trying to keep his composure as the massive trees continued to grow around him.
He zigzagged through the terrain, narrowly dodging roots, branches, and vines trying to whip, entangle, or block him at every step.
Forming hand seals again, he summoned another blast of Dust Release between his palms.
Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!
The all-consuming beam carved a horizontal path through the dense forest, sending trees toppling like dominoes.
Ōnoki made a mad dash for the edge of the Flowering Forest's domain.
But the fallen trees were quickly absorbed by others nearby, which grew even more lush and overwhelming.
And from their trunks... more Wood Clones began to emerge!
Up ahead—
Black Zetsu and Tobi exploded out from the dirt, cornered and out of options.
Tobi yanked Black Zetsu behind him protectively, then extended one hand toward Shinno's location.
Shinra Tensei!
CRASH—!
A torrent of ancient trees shattered in an instant. The force of the Rinnegan's repulsion sent shattered wood, shredded leaves, and splintered vines flying like shrapnel toward Shinno in a crushing wave.
His face darkened.
It was obvious what was going on.
Black Zetsu and Tobi were terrified of getting hit by the same "mysterious attack" that once wrecked Uchiha Madara!
Back then, Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan vanished without warning, and even the Sage Body he got from transplanting Hashirama's cells lost most of its power out of nowhere.
No one ever figured out how it happened—but knowing Black Zetsu's paranoid nature, there's no way he'd risk it happening again.
"You little footsoldier Yagura! Got the guts to come out and show your face?!"
Shinno cursed viciously, then used Flying Thunder God to teleport to the eastern side of Black Zetsu, using a marker left by a Wood Clone.
Black Zetsu, the thousand-year-old cockroach, finally caught on after Tobi yanked him away again. He gritted his teeth.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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